Category Archive
The following is a list of all entries from the Arts category.
Die Cut Fabric easy
Are you a scrapbooker that has invested in one of the die cutting systems like Sizzix or one of the others? Are you looking to stretch how you use this equipment? Wow, I am starting to sound like a company rep!
Ok, I have a couple of these die cut pieces of equipment and I love them. I found out recently that the quilting world has one as well for cutting fabric. This made me wonder if the one I have for paper would cut fabric. It does. It opened a whole new world for me, it made me think about how I could use fabric instead of paper for projects.
Now here is the disclaimer, that I do this at my own risk to damage to my dies. If you choose to do this and it results in damage to your dies etc, I am not liable. It is your choice to do so.
First iron a sewable fusible on the back of your fabric. Cut the fabric into pieces the size of your die. Run it through your machine. VIOLA! you now have a pre-cut fusible that you can iron onto any other fabric.
I used sewable fusible because I wanted to be able to sew through the applique after it was applied, without gumming up my machine needle.
With some of the letter embroidery sewing machines out there, you could embroider the fabric, apply the fusible, then die cut out any shape you have on hand.
Too much fun!!!
Easy wrap bracelet for the holidays.
A wrapped or memory wire bracelet is one of the easiest pieces of jewelry to make for a beginner. You will need one package of memory wire sized for bracelets. You will also need beads of your choice with holes sized large enough to fit the diameter of the memory wire. Many seed beads will not work for this unless they are the larger ones. You will also need a pair of Chain nose pliers. (Click for memory wire source) (Click for source of Pliers)
To start locate one end of your memory wire, then using your pliers bend the end back onto itself. (you can also purchase memory wire bead caps. Click here for a source) It will form a bit of a loop. This will stop your beads from coming off the end.
Your typical package of memory wire will allow it to go around your wrist several times. Take a look and decide how many time you want your to wrap around. Once you know, cut the memory wire at that point (please don’t use your flush cutter for this, the memory wire will damage them) I use a pair of cutters meant for memory wire. (Link to Memory wire cutters)
Now that you have your length of wire, start stringing beads onto it, use your imagination, if you don’t like a combination then slide them off and re do. You can make this total random or in a pattern with the same size and type of bead. (click for bead source)(Source for lovely Crystals) It is all about what appeals to you.
Once you have them all strung, use your pliers and bend a loop into the end where you were stringing. This will hold all the beads onto the wire.
Presto a bracelet!!!
What a great gift! Or if you used those lovely crystals you have a lovely holiday sparkle bracelet….
Happy Holidays!
Sharon
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SharonOrella
P.S. If you just would like to have a lovely Memory Wire Bracelet made for you, I know just the person. Give her a call or visit her shop on Etsy. Click here to visit her shop and contact her via convo Jewelyett
Upcycle? Recycle? Reuse? Repurpose?
What does this all mean when you’re a creative person? Well, for most it means instead of throwing something away, either find another way to use it or put it in the recycle bin. That is if your community will recycle it. In some areas of the country there are community reuse places that you can take your, still useful items in hopes that someone else will find your trash to be a treasure.
Near where I am we have a place called Scrap (School Community reuse action program) it is not all that near to me, but I will make a special trip to get there. Most of the time though I am a shopper there, but thankfully, there are many that make donations to them. For example they have lots of fabric, upholstery and wallpaper sample books, yarn, tiles, paper, envelopes etc. All of which are very reusable to make useful and decorative items. I have picked up many a large fabric sample to make pillow or handbags. For the longest time they had a barrel full of corks. I could never figure out what I could make from a cork, but others did because they dwindled down to nothing eventually.
Perhaps one of my favorite spots is the book and magazine corner, where you can find books and magazines for pennies. Or the paper corner where you buy office paper for 25 cents an inch. (measured by the height of your stack) Sometimes you can find envelopes with no return address, those are great! But they also have some with a return address which are easily upcycled by sticking your address sticker over theirs. Scrap keeps so much stuff out of landfills each year just by redistributing it, that they deserve a recycle award! Besides I have no idea where I would find a barrel of corks or belt blanks to be re-purposed. Would you?
Just recently I incorporated some glossy cardstock from Scrap into my gift tags. The original sheets were 8 1/2 x 22, so required some cutting down before I could punch them. It took longer to punch them as they are pretty sturdy, but it was worth it. The paper is wonderful with my tags. It embossed beautifully and I am very happy with it.
I encourage everyone to donate to their local reuse program and to shop there. You just never know what you will find…
P.S. I found one in San Francisco too.. Scrap (Scrounger’s Center for Reusable Art Parts) Love it!!
To see more please visit my shop on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/SharonOrella
Have a great day!
Paper, Oh beautiful paper…
Being a creative type I am always imagining what I could do with all of the different supplies available these days. As of late I have been really working the paper. With all of the punches available these days and the beautiful papers, it very hard to resist creating something from paper. How far we have come, from making fortune tellers and paper cranes as kids to beautiful tags and cards to express our feeling for one another. It occurred to me that having one of those fortune tellers available (in a more grown up version, well sorta) might not be a bad idea during these times. But instead of having fortunes like, Jimmy loves Amanda or You must jump up and down 15 times, we could have more positive affirmations. Perhaps something like, you future holds great potential for growth, or a loved one will honor you or you are loved. Or even limerick ones or one word daily aspirations. I was inspired from the daily aspirations by a basket a co worker has on her desk. It is full of little strips of paper that each have a positive message and you pick one out and it is yours for the day. It is a pick you up, mentally, when a day has been stressful as they can sometimes be. We all need a sense of fun in our day and what better way then to channel that child from long ago that knew how to play simply and have fun. I challenge you to take a an hour or two, an evening or a day and play. No expectations, no responsibilities just doing what you want when you want, and how you want. Enjoy….
Handmade: Is it worth it?
So you know that handmade is pretty trendy…
You can go on Etsy and find a million handmade items that you think are adorable. But one of the great things about handmade are the connection you make with the Artist/Craftsperson. For the Artist or craftsperson, that connection is important to them too. So question is, how do you make that connection? One way is to search Etsy for locally made items. You can specify a default search that narrows to the closest town to you. You will be pleasantly surprised to find out how many great items are made right down the street from you.
When I talk to people at shows, many are surprised to find out that I am a local artist. They assume that if your doing a show you must be from out of state or pretty far away.
So lets say you found someone close, you can convo them and ask if they are doing any shows locally that you can attend or if their work is in any local shops as well. This will also give you a feel for the person behind the art. Did you get a quick response? Where they friendly even if they weren’t doing any shows? Best case you find you really like the person behind the art and worse case, you move on and continue shopping locally and globally…
So, have fun, keep shopping and support your local artist…
When to start the Holidays
During this time of year, many begin the discussion about when is it appropriate to start seeing Thanksgiving and Christmas promotions. Halloween by this time is a given, and although it seems to get bigger every year, it usually stays within a Sept – Oct timeframe for the most part. There might be some random things you see earlier but usually they are delegated to the crafter community that needs a head start to finish creating in time for Halloween.
Thanksgiving although a good celebration for families and friends, is not as heavily promoted as Christmas and Halloween and really does not require the preparation that the Christmas Celebration does. Every year, I think that the distance between Thanksgiving and Christmas gets shorter and shorter. It doesn’t really but I love a wonderful Christmas and it takes time to build that. Unless you like to rush around panicking about where everything is and what you need to replace and what you’re going to get for Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim. Then you start planning for it early. I prefer to take it in stride and start planning in October for Christmas. This means, yes I am working on it NOW. Part of what I do is create for the holidays, so some of that takes place in July (even tho it can be difficult to get into the Christmas Spirit when it is 80 outside) but I enjoy it. I want to share with you what I have in store so far for the holidays. I hope you will check them out and start preparing for your best holiday yet. Of course you can find them all on Etsy in my store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/SharonOrella
Creating, Creating, Creating…. with Paper
I have always loved paper, I love the feel of paper, I love the smell of paper and I truly love the versatility of paper. Paper can become so many things and mean so much. I always wonder who and how the first bits of paper were made. I know that as far back as Egyptian times they were we writing on fibers and making papers. I have dabbled in making paper several times and enjoyed doing it. My favorite was when I decided that I was going to make use of all of the junk mail I kept getting. I began shredding all of my junk mail, envelope and credit card applications and sales flyers etc. It was not long before I had bags and bags of shredded paper. I than began throwing it in a blender with some water and unflavored Gelatin. I had read that the gelatin would hold everything together along with the fibers all interweaving together. I wound up with some pretty amazing paper pulp (after a LOT of blending). I made several batches of paper but my fave was the one I added a tiny bit of green food coloring to. In that batch I threw in some dried flowers, some green food color, and some other twiggy like fibers I had lying around. All of my 8 x 11 sheets came out a pale green with lots of texture. I thought they were fabulous! I little hard to write on, but they went through my inkjet printer rather nicely. I will have to do that again, perhaps next summer would be good. I found it best to do this outside, that way I did not worry about spillage or mess. Memories of my handmade paper are good ones and fit right in with my latest endeavor of paper creations. I discovered (drum roll puleeze) embossing! I have gone a bit overboard in collecting little embossing folders that I put paper in then crank through my little roller machine. I never get tired of seeing the end product! I have made tags, lots of tags, many experimental and some that have made it to my Etsy site. Did I tell you I also love to package these up, and make then pretty so that when people get them I hope they will like them as much as I do. I only wish I could give as many gifts as I make tags for because then I could gift wrap with paper too. Ahhh…. so much paper and so little time!
Of course I must share some pictures of my paper creations!
Check it out!! The new Washington County Review!
Washington County Review! Full of local Washington County happenings!!! Don’t miss what is coming up!
Finding the Light and How DO you hang art on the wall?
To send light into the darkness of mens hearts – such is the duty of artists: Robert A Schumann
As an artist I am always challenged with finding the light, I want to get the reflection, the shine, the warmth and the heart into each of my artworks. When I have worked on a sheet of copper for some time and I finally get to the point where I want it, it is truly my happy place. It gives me great joy, to lay it down gently, and spray it with sealer to try to hold onto some of the light and warmth the flame has imparted to the carved and hammered work, that has been transformed from a blank sheet of copper.
The next challenge is to make sure it gets mounted in the best way to make it shine. Lately, I have let my copper wrap around a base to give the spotlight to only the copper and to show how well it warms against any surface. I have also mounted copper onto a black background, which makes the color pop!
I have yet to figure out how I want to mix my copper with Glass but I am sure that reality will present itself when it is ready. Then I will move forward on another adventure in trying to capture light, feeling and warmth… You can view my artworks on Etsy and see them in person at the Odgepodge Art Gallery, in Sherwood Oregon.
Do you have art you want to hang but are not sure how to hang it? Here is a video that gives you instructions on how to hang on different types of walls and using different types of hangers. Enjoy!
