Artsy Bloggers Roundup #67

“Working” Fourth of July Vacation

We’re on vacation for the weekend visiting family far from home. So guess what I have been doing in every spare minute. I’ve been to the local Michael’s at least three times (I’ve lost count – lol), Jo-Ann’s once and Hobby Lobby once.

It’s not that I expect they will have more crafting goodies than the craft stores where I live. It’s just that when I’m home, I tend to shop for supplies online. It’s convenient. It’s quick. It saves gas and time.

So for me, brick and mortar craft store are a treat that I only indulge in when on vacation. I love to go up and down the aisles and see what’s new, pick up project idea sheets and be inspired.

I can’t wait to get back home and try my new Zutter Bind It All machine, Delta Transparent Air-Dry Glass Paints, lovely silver chain and Blue Moon Tokens Charms. I’ll let you guess what sort of projects you may be seeing soon on The Artful Crafter ;-)

But for today, no shopping …

We will honor our nation’s history with a flag raising, patriotic songs and the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a backyard barbeque and then end the day with fireworks, ooos and aaaahs.

Have a Happy Fourth of July!

Tags: Bind It All, Delta Transparent Glass Paint, Blue Moon Tokens Charms, craft project ideas, craft inspiration, online shopping, Fourth of July celebration, Happy Fourth of July

Recycle and Make Things Match

Here’s how I made the little brown cheese tray I told you about yesterday match my white ceramic Salt & Pepper Set.

I wrapped the heavy rope handles with tape and spray-painted the tray white to match the ceramic canisters.

With similar rough rope and PVA glue, I made the too-big recessed circles smaller …



… and the too-small center section bigger.

I coated the new-again wood tray with Liquitex Super Heavy Gel to protect it and give it a glossy finish similar to the ceramic jars.

Then I remembered the blue and white ceramic spoon that had come with a jar of jam. It was a pretty close match to the canisters. Using more of the rough rope, I created a slot to hold the spoon on the lid of the Herbs de Provence canister. It’s really handy when I want to scoop out the herbs.

When I think about this entire set, it occurs to me that all the base items were free: 3 ceramic canisters free with purchases of salt; wooden cheese tray free with a gift of cheeses; and ceramic spoon free with a purchase of fancy jam. The supplies to pull everything together were also things I had on hand.

Total cost: $0.00.

It pays to recycle!

Tags: Lazertran decals , salt and pepper shakers, DIY kitchen canisters, Photoshop, personalize with Lazertran

Recycle and Make Things Match

Almost a year ago, I decided to Make a Salt and Pepper Set using some ceramic canisters that had come with purchases of table salt. So I used Lazertran decals to label them “S” “P” and “Herbs de Provence”.

They looked nice on my counter but kind of scattered. They needed something to organize and keep them in place. Eureka! I remembered a wooden tray that had been a gift with three little crocks of cheese. The crocks had long since been put to use as bird feeding dishes. Now the tray could have a second life as well.

I dug out the tray and found that the salt and pepper shakers were a bit small for the circular recesses carved out for the cheese crocks; while the large canister was too big.

What to do? Come back tomorrow for my crafty solution.

Tags: Lazertran decals , salt and pepper shakers, DIY kitchen canisters, Photoshop, personalize with Lazertran

Scrap Girls Out-of-Bounds Class: Homework 2

I hardly ever had fun homework like this when I was a kid. This is my work from the second Out-of-Bounds Class.

In the first session, we learned how to create an OOB photo effect using a so-called destructive method.

We outlined the portions of the photo that would go beyond the frame and then copied them to new layers. It’s kind of like creating a puzzle. Make a frame. Outline and copy the part of the photo that will be within the frame. Then copy all the parts that will reach out of the frame and move them above the photo frame so the picture looks seamless.

Problem with a destructive method like this is that if you make your cuts and later decide you should have cut out more of the image, you have to start all over again. Just like with paper and scissors.

For the second class we learned a non-destructive method: using a layer mask. When you put a mask over a photo and then work on the mask, you use a digital brush loaded with white to reveal the parts you want to see and black to conceal them. You can go back and forth – reveal … oops, conceal … no, don’t like that … reveal again and so forth.

My layout was done using Photoshop CS3 and graphic design products by the following Scrap Girls designers: Angie Briggs, Brandy Hackman, Brandy Murry, Brandie Valenzuela, Erica Hite, Melissa Renfro, Mandy Steward and Paula Wright.

I made the lobster sticker embellishment using art from the Print Shop art gallery.

Tags: Scrap Girls, free Scrap Girls newsletter, digital photography, Scrap Girls online classes, scrapbooking, out of bounds photo technique, Photoshop, digital scrapbooking

Tuscan-Design Patio Tile Plaques

Where can I buy quick fuse iron on sheets--want to iron onto tiles scenes of Tuscany to put on a patio outside??

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Hi Jo,

I bought my Quick Fuse Iron-On Inkjet Fabric Sheets from JoAnn.com. They were very easy to iron onto wall tiles. I did a tutorial for just that here.

Your idea of Tuscan scenes sounds charming.

I’ve also tried applying images to tiles using Lazertran Inkjet Waterslide Decals. They can be hardened (not truly cured) in your oven as demonstrated here. That’s not really necessary for wall plaques – unless they will be exposed to the elements.

The Pros and Cons: Plaques decorated with Lazertran vs. Iron-ons
The iron-on sheets have a nice textural quality (like canvas) and would suit the Tuscan theme very nicely. However, if moisture and sunlight will be able to reach the wall plaques on your patio, I would be concerned about either the iron-on sheets or Lazertran decals unless you take extra steps to protect them.

For exposure to the elements the iron-on should be sealed. I recommend an isolation coat as described on the MSA website followed by two coats of Golden MSA Varnish. MSA is a mineral spirit acrylic-borne resin formulation and contains ultraviolet light stabilizers to protect your artwork from fading in the sun.

The Lazertran decals will have a smooth finish when placed on your tiles. However if you want a canvas look, you can create the appearance digitally. To protect your tiles from the elements, click to read the Lazertran article I mentioned above.

Regards,
Eileen

Tags: putting designs on tile, custom-designed wall plaques, iron-on fabric sheets, waterslide decals, Tuscan scenes, wall plaque tips, how-to protect outdoor artwork, outdoor sealant

Digital Scrapbooking Made Easy with Scrapbook Boutique

If you’re a scrapbooker but have never tried digi-scrapping or are an experienced digi-scrapper and want to do a super fast page, you may be interested in Broderbund’s new Scrapbook Boutique.

It’s affordable on almost any budget and has a lot of features found in the more expensive programs like Photoshop Elements and (the leader of the pack) Photoshop Creative Suite (CS).

Like the Photoshop programs, Scrapbook Boutique features layers so you can add elements and move them around just like on a paper scrapping layout. You can recolor, resize and tweak the layers, add drop shadows, reduce opacity for a vellum or faint image look. Unlike Photoshop, Scrapbook Boutique has a spell checker and a library of designs and templates for every occasion.

Customizable templates include: Love, Weddings, Baby, Kids, Holidays, Vacations, Seasons, Celebrations, Family and Friends. In the way of design elements, Scrapbook Boutique includes decorative papers, photo mats and frames, embellishments, ribbons and bows. What more could you want?

Of course, if you already have a supply of digital embellies and ribbons and bows, you can simply click and drag them into your Scrapbook Boutique layouts. Scrapbook Boutique is available for PCs and Macs. The PC version is available as a download, so you can start playing with Scrapbook Boutique in just a few minutes.

No wasting gas or time running to the store and waiting on line to check out. Just download right to your PC, unzip and go!

Tags: Scrapbook Boutique review, scrapbooking software, digital photography, scrapbook layout templates, scrapbooking, digital scrapbook embellishments, Photoshop, digital scrapbooking