Painting polymer clay mosaic tiles.

I made a YouTube video today on how to paint polymer clay mosaic tiles.  A few days ago I posted a picture tutorial on how to put the tiles onto a frame so that is another post you can check out for more information on the polymer clay mosaics.

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polymer clay mosaic tiles on a wood frame.

They are a lot of fun to make and they look rich and colorful with three layers of paint. The last layer is embossing powder.

Where there are gaps between tiles I use seed beads or black polymer clay “rods” covered with gold leaf as fillers. That makes the art work extra shiny and rich. You can’t add too much bling to this type of art work.

You can use any color combination, but I’m partial to blues, teals, purple, and reds.  As you experiment you’ll come up with your favorites.

Here is the video.

Fabric painting with a twist.

You know all about fabric paints and how to use them, and the dyes in powders, but have you tried fabric painting with acrylic paints and inks that you normally use for art?

I have been painting scraps of fabrics that I use for my bracelet cuffs (video at the end.) I use craft paints, acrylic artist paints, Dylusion inks, and Adirondack inks. All the material is water fast but you have to wash everything by hand in cold water and dry the fabric flat.

I always use cotton fabric since it’s the most absorbent.

Here are some pictures.

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scraps of cotton fabric and paints + inks.

Some examples of craft paints and inks.

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craft paint dripping

I dripped some of the craft paints straight from the bottle onto the fabric.

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after spreading the paint

I scrunched up the fabric into a tiny ball. If you don’t like paint on your hands, wear plastic gloves.  As you can see, the paint spread all over.

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added ink

I added some Adirondack inks. I used the colors copper and currant.  I held the bottles about 20 inches above the fabric and gently dripped the ink to get some splashes, not just globs of ink.  As you can see I mix and match the materials.

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Dylusion ink sprays

I used Dylusion ink sprays on this fabric. As you can see it diffuses gently. Be careful not to spray the ink where you don’t want it (including your hands.) It’s very hard to get off, and you can never remove it from the painted surface.  The spray comes in yummy colors though.

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Adirondack inks

I used a couple of colors of Adirondack inks on top of the Dylusion spray.  Pretty dramatic effect in my opinion.

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Craft paints

Here I squeezed some craft paint straight from the bottle on top of some light green corduroy fabric.

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paint spread on fabric

I rolled up the fabric into a tight log and this is how it came out when I unrolled it.

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the other side of the fabric

The paint bled through and saturated the other side of the fabric so I can now choose which side I like the best when I use it.

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writing

You can write on the dry fabric with permanent markers to make it even more interesting. 🙂

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Better quality artist paints diluted into spray bottles.

You can make very diluted acrylic artist paints in spray bottles and use that too.

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acrylic paints

From the spray bottles on some muslin.

DSCN2180I finished that with some drips of Adirondack inks.

The fabrics dry pretty stiff. You can iron them flat between newspaper or other protective paper.

You can add other fabric and fusible web to make them even more solid.

It is a FUN way to create your own fabric.  I love to make things out of it, like fabric bracelet cuffs.

Check out this YouTube video if you want to see how I made a cuff.

Art journal made from a manila folder.

I have a fun tutorial to share today on how to make an art journal with a manila folder cover.

The pictures are not the greatest, but I had only artificial light when I took them.  I wanted to show the step by step process.

Now for the tutorial…

 

old manila folder
I started with a used manila folder and blacked out the text on the tab.  I used a liberal amount of Mod-Podge to glue the folder together, being careful that the edges stuck well.  I still ended up with some air bubbles once it dried.  Grrr.
I used a strip of washi tape over the uneven edges and glued down some white cardboard to reinforce the tab.  I made sure to lay down a strip of glue to hold down the washi tape forever, lol.
I folded the manila folder in half, using a bone folder to really press down the crease hard once the Mod-Podge had dried.  This was before the washi tape obviously…
I cut the white cardboard to the shape of the tab and now had a very sturdy tab.
I now laid the folder flat on my table and spread out a layer of paint…
I spread some paint on the back of the folder.  I like the shabby uneven look.
I used several layers of paint, mostly spread with an old gift card.  Both sides are similar, just a slight difference in the colors.
I painted the tab purple and wrote the words “Good Dreams” on it.  I stamped the front cover with the word Imagine, and there is plenty of space for embellishment.  The back cover has only paint on it, so there is plenty of room for creativity.
I cut out some paper stars to cover the air bubbles on the inside cover and stamped some inspirational words.

 

I used card stock paper for the signature.  There are 24 empty pages to embellish when all is said and done. They are a bit narrow, but that’s the shape of the folder. Card stock is not as durable as watercolor paper, but you can certainly use wet medium and paints on it. I used card stock in various colors.

 

I tried to get a picture of the various papers, but it didn’t turn out great.  There are two sheets of green, two yellow, and two manila colored.  I thought it was fun to add varied colors.

 

The inside front cover adjoins a green paper…

 

And another close up of the back inside cover.  The picture is pinkish, and I blame my camera for that.
What do you think? I really enjoyed the project and I can’t wait to embellish the pages.  It’s a good size for traveling too.
What are you working on now?
xo
Maria
P.S. I have some journals for sale in my etsy shop. CLICK HERE.

Andrea Schroeder on self love.

I have never met Andrea Schroeder in “real” life but maybe I have met her in my dreams.  She is the creator of the Creative Dream Incubator and the Creative Dream Circle.  A Canadian with a vision that goes beyond the usual “fluff” we so often see on social media.

She’s an artist but also someone who delves deeply into the problems of being human.  She helps you expand the possibilities of being a life artist. I was intrigued by her unique take on common problems / solutions so I promptly joined her Creative Dream Circle.

And I have had fun with it ever since! It’s full of creative courses and other awesome offerings. The yearly  membership will not be enough to go through all the material, but I look forward to a long exploration on her site.

I will offer you links to her offerings at the end of this post.  This excerpt is from her free guided journal + free coloring book.

What it is: 15 pages of journal prompts and hand-drawn mandala coloring pages to explore and color.

She writes:

It’s a beam of creativity & love, from my heart to yours.

This book is designed for people who want to lead creatively abundant lives — and do ‘impossible’ things, with ease & joy, every day.

Filled with journaling prompts, unique energy alchemy processes and hand-drawn healing mandala coloring pages, this book will lead you through the process of learning more about your (amazing!) self.

There is magic in this book.

You activate that magic by playing with it.

Play in whatever way you want to play. Use whatever art supplies are fun for you: glitter pens, crayons, collage, etc.  There are no rules here.

The journaling prompts are tiny little diving boards, for you to dive off of into your own adventure – go off on tangents and explore whatever thoughts come up in the process.  They will lead you to amazing places.

The healing power of the mandala coloring pages is activated when you color them in, lighting them up with your unique creative expression and ideas.  (If you want to explore mandalas further and draw your own, I’ve got an easy-peasy anyone-can-do.

My hope is that this book helps you to fall more deeply in love with your amazing self.

mandala coloring pagesmandala coloring pagesmandala coloring pages

To download this free inspirational how-to go HERE.

You don’t have to be an artist to create these mandalas.

To find a full length course of painting mandalas or to find out about the Creative Dream Circle go HERE.

All artists and LIFE artists need a shot of inspiration so I have added the link below.  It’s really worth looking into.

To give Your Dream Wings, check out this full length e-course that is FREE!!!  Click HERE.

You can also find Andrea on Facebook HERE.

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Andrea Schroeder

We all need inspiration sometimes, and she’s great at offering new views and possibilities, and I like her laid back style.

I wish you a happy, creative weekend!

xo

Maria

P.S. If you’re looking for a unique gift please check my etsy shop HERE.

 

Too little time

Yes, there is too little time to attend to all the art e-courses I signed up for this spring. Some of them run weekly for a long time, and others are short-term courses.  How do you manage those classes?

I love them all, but I don’t feel good when I fall behind and let some of the classes slip because other things, like “life” get in the way of my fun.

What makes it so fun is that I can explore other artists’ visions of what they practice and how they see life. It’s a great ongoing exploration.

Some of courses are waaay too long and then I have to figure out which classes to pursue of the offering. As with anything else, we have preferences.

Art is never a BAD practice even if the subject does not thrill you. It is always a learning experience and a new way of looking at things.

If time is short, make a decision to paint X amount of minutes every day and stick with it. That is the answer to “too little time.” It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in as little as 15 minutes a day.

I enjoy that there are e-courses available about all styles of art, and artists.  I don’t even have to leave my house.

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Abstract exploration.

This was inspired by some abstract tutorial I found online.

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Flower mandala.

I had seen flower mandalas online, and also classes on painting mandalas, so I wanted to try my own.  My backyard does not have an abundance of flowers but these came from there. It was fun to make.

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Awful still lives I painted in one course.

I definitely don’t like painting still lives…

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Silly portrait of myself

I had never tried a self-portrait. I don’t care much for the exercise, but it was challenging.  The things in the background are paint tubes.  I think I mostly used colored pencils for this portrait. My hair is short now.

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Upside down cat.

We were supposed to paint something upside down so I used a picture of my cat with his head upside down, and then collaged a couple of hands below with a fish.

My mom used to say that when cats sleep with their heads upside down it’s going to rain… I haven’t seen any evidence of that, but she lived closer to nature.

What new things are you trying? Are you involved in any art e-courses this spring? I think it’s worth the effort.

Have a great, creative weekend!!

xo

Maria

P.S. You can always try my art journaling tutorial for free if you sign up for my newsletter. 🙂  Click image in the top right hand corner of this page.

Art versus craft

Art versus craft, what is the difference?

What part of us needs to know?

I was making some polymer clay mosaic picture frames today and was struck by the thought that I feel the same when I’m doing crafts as I feel when painting.

In the past I have labeled painting as “art” and anything else that I enjoy to do with my hands as “craft.”  Craft ought to be more lowly than art, but there is NO difference since I’m the same creator.

Doesn’t it all come from the same inner source?  Yes, of course it does. Craft may be more mechanical in that you make more of the same items, but not one is exactly the same.  With my mosaics it’s hard to even make two that look alike, but if you put them all side by side, there is a definite similarity of style and a preferred choice of colors.

When I paint I also prefer certain colors to others. I don’t prefer a particular motif, but if I did, I might find painting easier than facing a blank canvas to start something completely new. I can’t seem to focus on a particular subject.  My color choices do carry “my” signature.  The mosaics all look similar because I have only so many tools in my toolbox for imprints and only so many rubber stamps. No matter. It won’t stop me from creating.

The me sitting in my studio is the one who creates, not necessarily the ego me who likes to think I’m The Great Artist. It doesn’t change what appears on the canvas or on my mosaic frames. If I’m having a good time, that’s good enough for me.

Feeling alive is what I enjoy, no matter what I do.  In other words, doing what I love.

It is a choice and sometimes a compulsion to create, but no matter how things transpire in the studio, I spent the day in a good way.

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polymer clay mosaic frame.

This one will end up with an altered Christmas ornament in the shape of a heart in the middle. I adhere some text to the surface and glue inspirational words on it. Then I attach it to the background that I alter with awesome paper.

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small frame with polymer clay mosaic tiles.

A 5×5″ picture frame.  Fun and fast to make since it’s so small.

What are you working on today?  I wish you all kinds of creativity.

This concludes day 10 of the blogging challenge …

xo

Maria

P.S. Check out some of my stuff for sale in my etsy shop HERE.

Artist and writer