…compilation of tutorials
As I found the tutorial on how to dye fabric with acryl colours I was thrilled, because I think that this way I can colour my fabric just the way I want.
I tried it immediately, but I have to work on it some more (and I will! ;-))
In a second entry Debra showed what she did with the paper towels she used to clean her workspace: isn’t it stunning?
Links:
Hand-dyed Fabric Trims
Dyed Paper Towels for Paper and Fabric Arts
I find making collages fascinating.
One interesting technique to glue your items to the base is the so-called beeswax collage (for links to tutorials see Links below). It gives a warm colour to the collage and if polished a nice shine too.
On the photo you can see my first (and up until now last) attempt to do this. I collaged pieces of different newspapers (Chinese, Arabic, Corean) and self-made papers and than embroidered the spiral by hand.
Links:
At ARTchix Studio: Beeswax Collage: the link isn’t available no more.
At art-e-zine: Beeswax Collage
Google search results for ‘beeswax collage’
Google image search results for ‘beeswax collage’
I love to imitate things, so I had to check immediately the tutorial on how to make faux silk for cards.
On the photo you see my results: I took one of my self carved eraser stamps, coloured it with a marker and stamped on tissue paper (the left flower). Then, just to see what happens, I stamped two more times. The photo isn’t so good, but the pale stamps look elegant. On the third I didn’t smooth the paper to allow for more crinkles.
I will use this technique more often.
Links:
Faux Silk
unikatissima’s Eraser Stamps how-to
unikatissima’s Stamping With Markers how-to
This Thursday started its first challenge which theme is ‘fresh’.
When I heard about I thought immediately about the little polymer clay box I made long ago but am still fond of (not least because of its freshness ;-))
It is a little cardboard box that I covered with polymer clay and embellished with self-made flower and leaf canes (for links to tutorials see links below).
On this picture you see one side of the box. The finger isn’t there by accident, but to show how small the box is ;-))
This is a close-up from the lid. You can see the purple Hydrangea-like flowers with the Jellyroll center and the leaves.
I made the transparent cane with the white dots to simulate those white flower tufts often used by florists.
Just a last close-up.
Once I found instructions on how to make a nail file envelope, which I embraced, because me too, I never have such a file when I need it and I don’t like to search ‘free’ nail files in the depths of my bag.
I’m not much of a stamper (although I would like to be ;-)), so I made them with my own with markers and a little moist coloured tissue papers, I collaged them from magazines and I made them from doodled coffee-dyed newspaper (see second photo).
Because I own 5 cm wide clear packaging tape (a little less than 2 inches), I made the envelopes slender enough to cover them completely with the tape. This way they are sturdier and more robust in the depths of my bag ;-)
The nail file envelopes are a lot of fun to make and a very good giveaway at nearly everybody. Even men took them voluntarily! ;-)
Most fun for everybody is, when I present the whole range of my nail file envelopes and everybody can select their own.
Links:
Nail File Envelope
Pink Paper Peppermints has a beautiful project: 31 Crafty Flowers.
I checked them all and I wanted to present one of them, although I haven’t tried it yet, because I dont’ have the right markers: the Watercolor Button Garden.
Aren’t they beautiful?
And be sure to check the other flowers too :)
Links:
Watercolor Button Garden
While checking my feeds I found a tutorial for a photo bookmark: easy and absolutely stunning!
I haven’t done it yet, because my friend refuses sternly to let me take a photo ;-))
Links:
Photo Bookmarks
Wikipedia entry for ‘feed’ (English) – Wikipedia-Eintrag für ‘RSS-Feed’ (German)
Once I found a tutorial on how to make your own repeating pattern and found it a revelation!
I tried it immediately ;-) and it worked perfect!
On the topmost picture you see my self-made repeating pattern, on the other pictures you see what I made from it.
The whole pattern was designed on my computer, but I’ve made another one on paper which was also a success.
By the way: this Papaya Shikai Maki was designed the same way ;-))
Links:
Make your own Repeating Patterns (English) (with explaining pictures)
While browsing Origami links I found a tutorial on how to cut Kirigami flowers, a technique we used when we were children for cutting snowflakes.
I hadn’t realized that this technique is so widely usable and brings so beautiful results.
On the photo you see a flower I cut in very short time for a greeting card and suddenly I felt the urge to doodle on it ;-)
Every petal looks different now.
The photo is bad, but I hope that you can see what I am talking about.
Links:
Kirigami Flower
I found an ingenious way to make my own Airbrush tool.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I think of using it with the cut-out letters from my letter stencils.
(The picture is a mock-up, made digitally to show what I am aiming for.)
Links:
Pocket Graffiti Pen (with explaining photos)
Here at unikatissima:
Letter stencils