Saturday, July 25, 2015

How To Transform Cardboard

How would you like to take some cheap flat and boring cardboard and transform it into some pretty snazzy embellishments?  Well, this week I wrote some tips on doing just that over at the Creative Paperclay® blog where I am a Designer on their Design Team  It is pretty easy and fun to do.  Here is the link.

Here is what some cardboard and chipboard shapes I have looked like before and after:






I find this an economical way to make your very own embellishments to use in other projects.  These also make great jewelry!


I hope that you are enjoying this summer and when you have some of those I do not know what to do moments (especially on rainy days) that you come check my blog, and my youtube channel and get inspired to be creative.

Thanks for checking in, have a great summer!


Tuesday, July 21, 2015

#lovesummerart video 3- Ann's Journal




The event over at Youtube for #lovesummerart may be over, but the videos we all made are available still and forever!  You just have to search for #lovesummerart and you will find hundreds of videos made by very creative people.  I worked very hard to make my three videos and I enjoyed meeting a whole group of creative individuals.  I hope to participate again in another collaboration in the future.

Please enjoy this video which is about how I made this art journal page during a wicked summer storm and I had to complete it in the dark because we lost electricity.  I am one dedicated and crazy crafter!

Thanks for stopping by.  I love your comments.  Don't forget to check out my other YouTube videos, subscribe so you are informed each time I post something new.

Keep on Crafting! :)

Monday, July 20, 2015

How To make A Zig-Zag Book

Zig-Zag books are quite easy and fun to make, and today I am sharing how I recently made two of these.   The first book I made is a Travel Size Art Journal that I made a video of the process over at my Youtube Channel as one of the projects I included for the Collaborative #lovesummerart Event.  Here is the link to that video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWNBx-7XySw


The list of supplies used in making the Travel size Art Journal are in the description below the video at my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDaAEUJ4B8DRoSLSWdbvOKQ


For today's post over at the Arnold Grummer's Paper Making Design Team Blog I am sharing how I made a second Zig-Zag book in a different style.  Here is the link to my project over at the Arnold Grummer Blog.



Supplies used in making The Square Zig-Zag Book
Arnold Grummer's Square Zig-Zag Book™ Group Pack
Arnold Grummer's Garden Press
Plaid Folkart Crackle Medium
Elmer's clear Gel glue
Allen's Original Tacky glue
DecoArt® Crafter's Acrylic Paint in Antique White, and White.
DecoArt® Media Antiquing Cream in Medium Grey
DecoArt®  Americana Decou-Page sealer-glue-finish
Tsukineko StazOn Jet Black solvent ink pad
Rubber stamps (vintage and from my stash)
Pansy flower from my garden (Costco flowers)
Handmade paper strips (from my stash)

Thank you so very much for stopping by today, come back to see what other How -To I have to share. For video tutorials go check out my YouTube Channel by clicking on the box near the top of the right hand column side bar.  Subscribing to my channel ensures that you don't miss any of my new videos, just like becoming a Follower on my blog gives you the heads up whenever I post new content.

Keep on Crafting!   :)


Friday, July 17, 2015

#Lovesummerart Travel Tag How to





#lovesummerart on YouTube has started!   July 17th - 20th   .  there's a lot to see hoping you will subscribe to my channel and give me thumbs up over at my Youtube.com/annmakes channel.  You can also get there from the link in the sidebar at the top left side of this post, OR by clicking on the video right above.

Thank you!!!!  Love to all.


Thursday, July 16, 2015

How to Make Cute Pages in a Journal Made of Canvas

A few weeks ago I shared how I made a canvas journal cover, today I am sharing a couple pages inside that journal.

Hi, I am still working in the Linnie Blooms canvas Mini Mixed Stitched Book and posting my pages over at the LB blog and here as well.  For these two pages I used a lot of paints and spritzing to make the bright and colourful background on the untreated canvas pages.  That way I could maintain the texture of the raw canvas.
I used two stencils, one(DecoArt)  to create the background and the other (LB)to make the feathers which I collaged onto the surface.  The complete list of the supplies I used are below and I am including links just in case you are interested in knowing how you too can get those same products.



I hope that you are inspired to look at raw canvas as a possible surface to do some art journaling as well.

Thanks a lot for stopping by and please if you have any comments or questions don't be shy and include them in the comment section below.  Keep on Crafting!



Supplies:
Mini Mixed Stitched Book from Linnie Blooms
Feather Stencil Mask from Linnie Blooms
Gold Stag DecouPage paper from DecoArt®
Daisy Chain Stencil from DecoArt
DecouPage™ Sealer-Glue-Finish from DecoArt®
Media Fluid Acrylics from DecoArt® (Cadmium Red Hue, Hansa Yellow Medium, and Metallic Gold)
StazOn Jet Black Solvent Ink from Tsukineko
Stamp  "What I'm Looking For Is a Blessing In Disguise" from Hampton Art--7Gypsies
Black Permanent pen from Sharpie
Archival Seeds in Pistachio and Cherry Kisses from The Robin's Nest
Media Misters from DecoArt® (Orange, Yellow Primary, and Yellow Green)

**THANKyou to Linnie Blooms, DecoArt, and The Robin's Nest for the wonderful products used in today's post.

similar products available at Amazon (every click goes to support this Blog's FREE content) :)

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

How To Make Luggage Tag #Lovesummerart Sneak Peak

#lovesummerart is on from July 15th- 20th this summer!

What is that?  It is .....
A great collaboration between hundreds of artists and crafters and all around creative geniuses who make YouTube Videos.  Enjoy fantastic how to's and much more over the four days by visiting YouTube and looking for videos with the hashtag(#) love summer art!

You won't wan't to miss this event.  BONUS!  all the videos will be available after the event for your viewing privilege at any time forever!!!!

All we ask is that you check us out, maybe give us some love in the comments and a Thumbs up!  Oh, and subscribe to our channel(s) all for FREE!

So save the dates.  Tell your friends.  Tell anyone!




If you want to know how I made this you will have to go check out the video when it goes live on Friday! (link will be here on Friday)
                      LIVE LINK :     http://youtu.be/Jr6cvJWa4i4

Supplies provided by:

Kelly Panacci  Inc. "Little Flyers" fabric for Riley Blake
Linnie Blooms
DecoArt®
Westcott®O

Project #lovesummerart

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Helping Artist Program

Artists deserve a little help when it comes to supporting their creativity.  I am pleased to be part of the DecoArt Helping Artist program and I want to let all of you know about this amazing opportunity.

Earlier this summer I attended the DecoArt New Product Presentation Training Program for Creative Professionals just outside of Toronto, Canada.  For me this involved a 6 hour drive!  I was already on my way there to attend a conference so I felt that the trip was justified.  At the end of the day my small fee was definitely justified!  Just what I received in product covered my costs, so everything else was a big bonus. I learned about all the products that Deco Art makes and sells as part of the training.  Better I learned about how to use the majority of the products!  I had no idea the company made so much stuff, and that I have been buying it for years already!  Isn't it funny how you can be using something and never realize where it comes from?  Even funnier is how after decades of working with all sorts of mediums I still can learn new things!



One of the most valuable things (For me) to learn was about the Helping Artist Program.  It is a program intended to do exactly what it claims: it helps artists.  There is an application for artists who can justify their needs from the program.  I would like to add here, please please please be kind and do not abuse of the generosity of the company.  Artists need all the help they can get and we need more programs like this one, so be thoughtful and only ask for what you REALLY need.

I am sincerely loving the line of Mixed Media Mediums: DecoArt Media.  The fluid acrylics are artist quality and a pleasure to work with, and I personally appreciate their prices! All the mediums are of a wonderful quality.  I have made and I am making many many more projects with these awesome products.  Check out their web sites there is so much information, lots of FREE videos, great Designers, and don't forget about their wonderful programs.

Periodically I have projects here to share with you where I use a lot of Deco Art products as well.

Thank you for stopping by.


Friday, July 10, 2015

How To Embellish Gift Bags with Clay

Ever wanted to turn a plain paper bag into a pretty gift bag or storage tote?  Well, today is your lucky day!

Hi, I upcycled this plain white paper bag with great handles into a cute looking bag that makes a nice gift in itself.  To decorate the bag I made some embellishments with chipboard pieces and Creative Paperclay ( for one of my projects for the CP Design Team).



First I covered each chipboard shape with a generous amount of clay and sculpted each piece to give them dimension.  





After each piece had set I used an emery board and some sanding tools (Sandits) to smooth the surface.  I used three of my favourite colours of Fluid Acrylic paints by DecoArt (. ) to paint and decorate each shape.  I used a black permanent ink pen to add the details.


To give each embellishment their shine I used a coat of Liquid Glass by DecoArt.



Each piece was glued onto a piece of light blue card stock and that piece was stuck onto the bag with double sided tape.

The final details were added with the black pen.

I like how the bag turned out and I hope that you are at least inspired to try something like this yourself.

The supplies I used:
Creative Paperclay® Modelling Material (courtesy of Creative Paperclay®)
Fluid Acrylic Paints (Hansa Yellow Medium, Cobalt Teal Blue, and Primary Magenta) (Courtesy of Deco Art)
Liquid Glass (Courtesy of DecoArt)
Sandits (Courtesy of Sandits™)
Double sided Scotch® Tape by 3m
Glue by Tombow
Chip board shapes from Dollarama
Card stock from Michaels
Black Permanent ink pen from Dollarama
White paper gift bag from my stash



Thanks for popping by!

Here are some suggestions for similar supplies available through the Amazon link.  Every purchase you make through these links helps to keep this blog's content  remain FREE.

Monday, July 6, 2015

How To Collage with Handmade Paper

Collaging with handmade papers is challenging yet simple when you know what to do.
Hi, thanks for coming over today to see the project I made for the Arnold
Grummer Blog where I am one of the Designers.  I want to share with you on my blog how I made this Mixed Media collage so you too can go and make one of your own.



As you may already know I make a lot of my own sheets of paper to use in my art work.  My secret to making these nice flat shots is that I use a cool pour mould method that I learned when I joined the Arnold Grummer family.  You too can learn the classic method by checking out Mr. Grummer's original video.



Ok, so I took four of the sheets of paper I made and stamped the doll image (Prima Stamps by Ranger) once onto three different sheets using Black Archival Ink (Ranger).



I Let the images dry and cut out the dolls entirely and two of them into pieces.



By using some matte gel medium and a brush I applied a coating to the back of each piece and onto the lightest doll cutout.  Working with this medium kept the fragile paper from tearing and buckling. Hence the challenging part.



I coloured the blue sheet with some water colour splatters made with a brush.  Once dry I used a black Micron ink pen to doodle some flowers.

Note I used a peach coloured Prismacolor colouring pencil to highlight the doll's face and limbs.

Finally using more of the gel medium I adhered the doll to the background.

That's it!  Easy Peasy, right?  :)  Please let me know in the comments what you thought.

Thanks again for coming over, see you next time.

Supplies:

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Are we Collectors or Hoarders?


Last year I wrote this article for the Mixed Media Arts.net website Are we Collectors or Hoarders? and it got a lot of attention, as it seemed to resonate with many people!  Fast forward to this year and I am asking myself that question again.  Maybe it is due to the bad weather we have been having and that I am stuck indoors more than I would like.  Being stuck inside after such a cold winter, I am STILL dealing with that "cabin fever" thing, usually reserved only for winter.


Maybe it is due to the fact that I work out of my basement and I feel the need for more light.  Then it may be due to the fact that walking towards my actual studio has involved getting through a small obstacle course  on a narrow trail!   So on my country's national holiday, Canada Day, I attacked some of that clutter.  After all it rained most of the day, then it got windy, and a lot of festivities were postponed or cancelled.  We did not even do our annual family fireworks.


Today I can see some of my long forgotten laminate flooring. I am also encouraged to purge some more!  And I have contracted out some lighting and shelving work.  i.e.. if the weather is not nice on the weekend my husband will be installing those shelves and lights!

So I will purge a bit more today in between getting my son to and from appointments, business calls and post writing.  Hoping I will get a bit of sunlight near the end of the day!  After all I need to stay on track of being a very good collector and not a hoarder! LOL.

If you want to chuckle at me or yourself just go check out what I wrote : Are we Collectors or Hoarders?

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Canada Day!

One day late!  Ooops!