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Sunday, May 31, 2015

Steampunk Altered Boxes Chest

You asked for altered art videos And you asked for steampunk projects videos so what's better than combining the two? This was such a great project to make. I know I say that about all the projects I make but I really enjoy creating steampunk projects! Pure FUN!!


This project almost didn't happen. I was thinking what to do for this week's Saturday MIXTRAVAGANZA video tutorial and my mind went blank. I couldn't think of what to do, nothing came into my mind. I remembered you guys asked for altered stuff projects so I went to my studio and started going over stuff I have in my drawers. Nothing...my mind was empty! Whenever you have a situation like that the best thing is to stop thinking about it. Just leave it. The minute I let go it came...I'll do a steampunk altered boxes and I'll pile them one on top of the other and create a funky chest.







As all my projects go...that's about all I had. Didn't know hoe to do it, with what to cover the boxes what embellishments to use. But when I started working the magic happened, my mind was filled with ideas and they kept on coming. I never plan ahead. sometimes it's nerve wrecking, because I have to film a tutorial and I have no clue what I'm going to do. But there's a lesson to be learned here...trust yourself, trust your talent, your intuition and experience and everything will be ok!




I had so much fun...you guys know how much I love steampunk! I know I still need to work on the Creating 101: Steampunk class and I promise it will be ready soon! In the meantime you can enjoy this tutorial.

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Friday, May 29, 2015

Is it my new addiction?

I just found These Smash books in fifth of the price they normally sell here. With high customs, shipment etc, Smash books' prices are really high, but I found these at the same price they sell in the US.


Even though they are the old design I couldn't resist and I took 4. Now the question is...will this be my new addiction? I love this concept of scrapbooking journaling. It goes back to the basics of what scrapbooking used to be - documenting memories. Pages with lots of journaling and a few photos. Sounds perfect for our summer vacation.

Only time will tell...

What do you think. Will I be hooked or not?

Have fun creating!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

5 Minutes Craft - Baby Book

I'm starting a new video series called: 5 Minutes Crafts!
Not everything we create has to be an elaborate project with lots of materials. Sometimes we want to create a fast, fun and easy project that would not take days. So how about 5 minutes?





The first project in the series is a baby play book made of 4X6 canvas sheets with bold colors like little kids like. The binding is so easy and the book's content is nothing but a letter stamp and paper scraps.

Here's what you'll need:
4X6 canvas sheets
Large Letters Stamps
Black permanent ink
Paper scraps
Raffia
Crop-A-Dile

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Sunday, May 24, 2015

Mixed media canvas - Fill Your Life

Sometimes it's really fun taking things literally. Especially art. Usually art is something expressive that you can take to different directions and interpret how you want. But this mixed media canvas means exactly what it says...


I started thinking one day about all the good things my life is filled with and how I never want them to end. Then i thought this could be a great subject for a "Wall of Inspiration" canvas. "If only I could actually fill something with these things..." But wait...I can!



I remembered all these little bottles I have kept around (because I never throw anything away...) and knew they will be just the right thing for this canvas. You can use old perfume bottles and test tubes and you can also get them in craft stores. From that point everything was really quick and easy and doing the video was pure fun!



Check out all the texture I created on the canvas with layers of old book pages, gesso and a bandage (yes that same kind you buy in the drug store). Then I simply added my bottles and the signature word for the canvas. as you remember every "Wall of Inspiration" has a word or a phrase.
I loved how it turned out...What do you like to fill your life with?
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Friday, May 22, 2015

Making a Family History Book Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of making a Family History Book! I have some more tips for an old school traditional heritage scrapbook to share!

Use Office Supplies

Last time we stopped at the middle of the first chapter that was about the first link in the chain...my son. The next page is avout the school years and would be great as a design for Back to School page. I used an old fashion notebook for the text. I removed all the pages and inserted the printed cardstock that I cut to size.

The page when the notebook is closed

Note book opened

More Text Less Space

A great way to insert long texts to a limited space is to create interactive mechanism. A small notebook or booklet that measures 4"x6" will only take that space although it can include a lot of text. Print the text on flaps or fold A4 pages in half. This way you can use more that one A4 page aslong as you stackthem together.

Parallels and Contrasts

Use parallels and contrast to present the text. Oneof the things my son had to write about is how he sees himself today and how he sees himself in the future. Instead of presentingeach paragraph in a different page I create a "Time Clock". One side with the Today text and the other side with the Future text. I printedthe two texts in half a circle shape and added halg a clock that turns to reveal each side. This idea will be good for young Vs. old photos or story, Now and then, father and son and more.

"me Today" side

"Me in the Future" side

Symbols

The next page is about the Torah Portion. According to Judaism each man has a story in the bible that coordinates with his date of birth. each story is comprised from a few chapters in the bible that are called a portion. In the Bar-Mitzvah ceremony the boy readshis portion in the synagogue.
Historical events or religios events are the perfect opportunity to design apage with symbols. For this page I used a brick wall stencil to create a pattern that resembles the wailing wall (which is the part of the temple's wall that exist to this dayin Jerusalem).
If your grandfather was in the civil war you can use brass buttons, if you have a relative who came to the US when it was established you can add a parchment as a declaration of independence, or stars and banners for apage about a soldier.



Tune in next Friday for some more tips and tricks on how to create more heritage pages with a unique style and embellishments.

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have fun creating!




Tuesday, May 19, 2015

The Ultimate Guide to Acrylic Mediums

I have been asked by a lot of you to explain the concept of acrylic mediums. What are they? what are the differences between them and what the xxxx are they used for. This subject is so confusing so I tried to simplify it by dividing all the options to three different categories: Prep, Paint and Finish.

Prep
Surface preparations are used to seal, prime and add tooth (for color adhesion) to all surfaces such
as canvas, wood, paper and metal.

Gesso
The most commonly known and used medium is gesso. Gesso comes in different viscosities from heavy gesso that has the ability to hold sculptural shape to thin gesso that is a gentle primer for fine art work. Gesso comes in white, clear or black.



Paint
Within the painting category, there are several different types of products you would use in
addition to the color itself. They are Fluid Mediums, Gel Mediums, Additives, and Texture
Gels. In general when it comes to thinning acrylics, the only 'rule' is to not mix acrylic paint with more than 50 per cent water. Any more than this and it may loose its adhesive qualities and peel off at some stage, or lift when you paint over it.
You can mix in as much acrylic medium (glazing, texture paste, etc) as you like because it's got the acrylic resin in it that acts as the 'glue' that makes the paint 'stick'.

Fluid Mediums
Fluid Mediums reduce viscosity of heavier paints and gels, tend to self-level and
do not retain brushstrokes. Fluid Mediums modify acrylic paints in a variety of
ways and contain acrylic resins to maintain or enhance adhesion and durability.

Glazing Medium
Use when maximum transparency is required to add luminosity and depth to your projects. This
fluid medium can be used to create brilliant glazes when mixed with transparent color. Glazing
Medium dries quickly for rapid layering and tends to minimize or eliminate brush strokes.

Matte Medium
A classic medium used to give fluidity to delicate brushwork or to act as a low sheen
adhesive for collage. This medium has a creamy consistency and is great with opaque
colors.

Paint Extender
This medium is used to extend the “open” time of acrylics by more than 40%, giving you an opportunity to really work the paint to enhance color blending.


Gel Mediums
On the opposite end of the spectrum from Fluid Mediums, Gel Mediums add
body to thinner paint as well as extending color volume and adding transparency. Gels mediums can also add “open time” as they tend to dry slower than thinner paint films.

Gloss/Matte Gel
Excellent for retaining brush marks while slowing the drying time and adding body to the
paint. Excellent for transferring printed images.

Gloss/Matte Heavy Gel
A very thick gel medium that extends working time and increases brilliance and transparency. Mix with acrylic paint to increase body and get an oil paint like look that holds brush or palette knife marks. Ideal for creating collages with heavier objects.

Modeling Paste
A very thick, matte, opaque preparation of marble dust and polymer emulsion used to build
heavy textures on rigid surfaces. This product handles like clay and dries to a very hard
stone-like surface. Can be mixed with acrylic color or overpainted when dry. Great for sculptural
applications.

Fluid Medium Effects
Fabric Medium
Enhances blending, workability, and adhesion of acrylic colors for painting directly on fabric or unprimed canvas. Reduces dry paint stiffness. No heat setting required.

Iridescent Medium
Adds richness to acrylic colors by creating a metallic/pearlescent effect. Dries translucent
and will not oxidize. Can add shimmer or sparkle to a picture even in the smallest amount.

Airbrush Medium
A pre-filtered, ready-to-use medium that easily thins any acrylic to the right consistency for
spray application. An excellent choice for color washes and watercolor techniques when used
with acrylic colors.

Texture Gels
Texture Gels contain particles that produce a variety of unique textural and dimensional
effects. They may be mixed with acrylic colors, other mediums, or used on their own.

White Opaque Flakes
A heavy, coarse gel containing irregular sized and shaped white opaque flakes. May be used
to create foliage effects in landscapes by mixing with opaque color or glazing over when dry. Has a similar effect of snow flakes or coconut flakes.

Glass Beads
A medium body gel that contains clear round plastic beads and dries to a semi-gloss surface. Perfect for creating a “bubbly” but smooth texture that can be dramatic when mixed with color.



Additives
Additives allow you to adjust the chemistry (and as a result the working properties) of
acrylic paint. They can be used to increase the flow, the opacity, or the thickness, and more.

Gel  Retarder
An excellent choice when working in low humidity, or whenever increased workability and
blending time of acrylic paints and mediums is desired.


Finish
Varnishes are applied over a completed piece of work to change or unify the surface sheen
and protect the painted surface from the environment and ultraviolet light.

Varnish
There are many misconceptions about whether or not it is necessary to varnish an acrylic project. As a general rule, you should always varnish your acrylic work when possible. Varnishes are applied over dry paint films and serve several purposes. Their first and most important function is to protect the project surface from the environment and protect the pigments from ultraviolet light.



In general there are two qualities of these materials: artist quality and craft quality. The artist's materials are usually more expensive and come in larger containers. If you are a beginner I recommend start with craft supplies and see what you like. Both versions can be bought in most craft chains and stores.

Please tell me if you found this post useful!

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Sunday, May 17, 2015

Art Journal Page: An Hour early (Time)

Don't you wish we could have more hours in a day? 24 hours are just not enough! There is a stand-up comedian who says: "so why don't you get an hour early? I wish it was possible. Well, maybe it's not possible in real life but in art anything is possible!



An art journal is exactly the right place to act out on all our frustrations so I created a page about time, or the lack of it. The page is really simple, you don't always have to use complicated techniques to stress a point.



 The entire page is done only with Distress ink techniques: Stamping and blending. I really love this product I think it's one of the best products there is in terms of diversity and range. I never resist the temptation of buying more and more colors :) It's also one of my most used products, I use it in mixed media projects, cards, scrapbooking layouts, altered art...almost everything.




Make sure to watch the video tutorial for the full process and all the tips and tricks.

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Have fun creating!

Friday, May 15, 2015

Making a Family History Book Part 1

My young son is turning 13 soon. This year it's his bar-Mitzvah year which means he has special events throughout the year not only with the family but at school too. One of the highlights of the year is creating a heritage book. This is a few months process where the kids find out about their roots and ancestors through interviews, photos, stories and memorabilia.

my son started this process in a very reluctant way, not really understanding why does he need to do such an elaborate work. Slowly he was captured by the stories about far away places and events, the old photos and the customs. He even got to the point of telling me: "I don't understand why we have a time limit on this and why we are graded on it. Such an important work should not be done under pressure. I don't care about the grade I'm doing it because it's important!"


15% of the grade is for presentation. Well...you really thought I would live that to him? I took the job to create our family history book. I didn't want to create a digital book, that seemed to plain for me. Everybody would have that. I wanted to make something special. I decided to create a traditional scrapbook! However I ran into a few problems... First there was a lot of text. Our family history is mostly about the stories and less about the photos, because a lot of them were lost in the Second WW. I had to find a way to include all the text and the photos of each family member on one page or I'll end up with more than a 100 pages which will be a ginormous scrapbook. My solution was to Create interactive pages! But then I ran into another problem...the page protectors, they were in the way. One friend suggested to cut the page protectors where the flaps were and another friend suggested to glue the pages on the protectors. I didn't like those ideas, so I decided to go really old school. I used an old fashion scrapbook with plain paper pages (something like a large sketchbook) that I could glue down the finished pages on.

The final result was AMAZING!

There are a lot of tutorials and blog posts online about how to create a heritage book, organize the materials and photos etc. I want to share with you the different style, approach and creative way that I created our heritage scrapbook. The text is all in Hebrew (and I blurred most of it) but the design is universal and can be done in any language.


Uniform Title

The scrapbook is divided to chapters. Each chapter started with a page in the same design. Hebrew is written from right to left so the chapter's title was on the top left corner. Each title was spelled with letter stickers and was embellished with a photo or an image and a lace ribbon.

I wanted the scrapbook to have a uniform design but not to be boring. All the pages have a vintage shabby chic look that goes well with the theme of heritage and history. I tried to give each page a unique look but still keep it with general theme. I used a lot of layering, travel and maps motifs as well as vintage ephemera. All the text was printed on A4 papers (I don't have a 12x12 printer...another problem I had to solve) that were cut in different sizes.

Photo Cutting & Collage

The first chapter is "I'm a link in the chain" and it is all about the writer of the work...my son, who is one link in the chain that is the family. One of the elements of one's identity is their name. So one page was dedicated to the meaning of the name. Next to the name I added a photo collage that seem to jump out of the page. Cutting the image of the person out of the photo is a very effective technique to use different photos and create a collage.


Echoing

One of the embellishments principles I used in this page was echoing. Echoing means you repeat an element in the design. In this page I echoed the word "chain" and added different kinds of circles as the links in it.

Blocking

An interesting way to present data, especially dates, numbers and such is to create blocks. I created a sort of a birth certificate with all the data about my son when he was a baby. I included the usual birth date, weight, parents' details and occupations, but also other more unusual things like zodiac sign and mood.


It occurred to me the photos are not very good. I;m sorry about that, I remembered to take the photos on 6am of the morning he gave the heritage book to the teacher...and she hasn't returned it yet :)

In the interest of not boring you too much or having a long blog post I'm going to divide this post into a few parts. Make sure to tune in on Friday for part 2!

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Tuesday, May 12, 2015

The Power of Art

Scientific studies tell us that art heals by changing a person's physiology and attitude. The body's physiology changes from one of stress to one of deep relaxation, from one of fear to one of creativity and inspiration. Art put a person in a different brain wave pattern and affect a person's autonomic nervous system, their hormonal balance and their brain neurotransmitters.


I have used art to deal with some difficult things in my life and I found all of the above to be absolutely true! It doesn't matter what type of art you do, which project or what size. It is the artistic mode that gives you the power to deal with life's moments.

In The Power of Art series I will share with you how I did it and what helped me through my difficulties and joys.

I found two art forms for my creative outlet: scrapbooking and art journaling.

Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking is all about people, which makes it the perfect way to vent and deal with people related difficulties. My difficulty was and still is my kids. Dealing with the teenage years drama, coping with my son's Autism and also embracing the amazing love I have for them and the fun memories we have. Here's a page I created about the terrible hardships of teenage years...


Art Journaling
Art journaling is a free artistic place where I could  pour my heart out, work through my issues and just create without judgment.  The paper accept everything and creating an art journaling page is one of the most freeing art forms I know. Here's a page I created when I was hurt by someone I thought was a friend. I was very upset and angry.


The point of art is to express ourselves. Letting out stuff and venting is therapeutic and healing. I realized how powerful art is when I read this comment to one of my video tutorials:  "I am new to art journaling. I began after the death of my son last November. I have watched many tutorials, and am completely addicted to your style, and ease. I have always been a perfectionist, which kept me from doing anything creative. When my son died, I needed an outlet, and mixed media was a choice that let me express my grief with all my imperfections. Until now, it's all been dark art. You have inspired me, and I am trying to try to leave my comfort zone, use some bright colors, and have more lighthearted fun. Art journaling has saved my sanity this past year. And, you have been an inspiration. I love your videos and teaching style. Thanks for the tips and inspiration!"

You don't need to go through something this difficult to experience the power of art. It can be a bad day at work, a comment from someone, a problem with your kid or an insecurity you have. It can also be a breakthrough you've had, a rewarding experience, a loving new relationship or a lovely sunny day. Just express your feelings in art and feel its power!

I'll be sharing the Power of Arts posts about the projects I create using art as a creative outlet.

How do you cope with your difficulties and joys?

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Have fun creating!





Sunday, May 10, 2015

How To Create a Junk Journal

There are tons of different versions of junk journals out there and some are really works of art. The word JUNK can refer to the way the journal was made. For example an altered composition book or a book made from scraps of scrapbooking papers. It can also refer to what is put inside, junk from one's life.


If you Google or do a search on Pinterest for junk journals, you will find a million different options that are all wonderful but if you never made one before, it can be a bit confusing. So here's an easy version to create a junk journal from your paper scraps.



Start with deciding the size of the journal. Mine is 5 1/2" by 8". Then you need to go through your paper scraps and pick out papers for your journal. The pages should be 5 1/4" by 8" at the maximum. Meaning you can use smaller pieces but not larger. Once you have enough papers you need to create signatures. Signature is a section of the book made up of a few folded papers.




Once your signatures are ready you need to prepare your cover. I made the cover from two cardstock glued together. you need a soft cover in order to be able to stitch the signatures to it. The stitching process is done in two "eight" shapes with a linen thread and a needle. It requires accurate measuring but it's an easy process that anyone can do.



I made four signatures and my journal didn't take long to make at all. Now I can have fun filling it up with art, journaling, doodling, photos and junk!

Watch the video tutorial for the full binding process.

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have fun creating!


Friday, May 8, 2015

My Storage Solutions

There is no one way to store your craft supplies. There are so many products out there, DIY ideas and solutions. But not everything you see in the stores or online is suitable for you. Maybe it cost too much,  you don't have enough room or not the right supplies' mixture. Today I want to share with you some of my storage solutions and how I make them right for me.

First let me say I don't have a color coordinated, beautiful, themed and styled craft studio. Whenever I find something I can use I use it without regard to the design or color.

Papers
I don't store my pages according to theme, color or pattern. I remember each page that I have (don't ask me how) and where it is, so where I need it I can get it. The only requirement is that they'll be upright so I'll be able to flip through them.



I didn't want to buy the pages' plastic boxes so I created my own. Fortunately my husband's shoe size is large enough so the shoe boxes are a perfect fit to a 12X12 paper while standing on their side. I cut out the top of the box and covered it with bookcloth. It makes the box strong especially at the seams. Then I covered the front with paper, which I admit is not so nice and I need to replace.

Trims & Ribbons
I keep my few trims in glass jars. Each jar is for a different color. This makes it easier to see what's in them and also because I like to arrange them in the order of the rainbow colors so it brights up the room. I got the jars in a store that sells dishes and kitchen supplies, it was much cheaper there than in a craft store.


Stamps & Stickers
I like to be able to flip though my stickers, letters and stamps freely, so all of them are stored in open containers. Some of the containers are boxes without the top and some are baskets, I love baskets. And boxes...a lot! I got most of them at IKEA


Bulk embellishments
I especially find it difficult to resist buying sets of boxes, those in different sizes that fit one inside the other. So I have two sets which I got at Home Depot. I keep all my small metal embellishments, gears, clock parts etc. which don't have a package but need to be in a closed container.



Punches
My big punches are stored on two narrow shelves. These are kitchen racks for spices which have a slit for the spices containers my husband found. That is really handy for the big punches which I put against the wall while the slit serves as a stopper. The smaller punches are stored in a plastic drawer chest I got at the dollar store.


Art Supplies
I store me brushes, pens, crayons, alcohol inks and more in open containers and hanging shelfs I got at IKEA. This makes them accessible whenever I need them.



Recognize this? This is the organizer I build from TP rolls that is now sitting on my desk. You can find the video tutorial here.

I'm working on a studio tour for ya'll which will show the other storage solutions I have in my room.
I hope you found these ideas inspiring and that you are convinced that functionality is more important than beauty. I think if you can get a container for a $1 but the color doesn't match your other boxes go for it anyway!

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have fun creating!