Nail Mosaic
One of the world’s best known mosaic artists, Saimir Strati, from Albania, has created some of the most original and impressive mosaics in history. For his creations he has been rewarded with four Guinness Records and international fame. From nails to paintbrushes, Strati can almost any kind of material to create amazing mosaic masterpieces. Let’s have a look at his four most memorable achievements: The photos used in this post are copyright of Saimir Strati and mosaicart-sast. Nail Leonardo Da Vinci mosaic In 2006, Saimir Strati would shock the art world with his giant mosaic of Leonardo Da Vinci, made entirely from nails. It took 500,000 nails and 24 days to complete, but this nail mosaic won Saimir Strati his first Guinness Record, for the World’s Biggest Nail Mosaic. Photos via ArtisticThings Toothpick Mosaic (Reinless Spirit) In 2007, Strati followed up with the world’s biggest toothpick mosaic, made out of 1.5 million toothpicks. Cork mosaic Paint brush Michael Jackson mosaic Reddit
TUTORIAL: Coffee Stirrer DIY Wall Art - makeanddogirl.com
Last week, I posted a preview of the simple, inexpensive wall art my mom and I created. Now I’m excited to show you how you can make a one-of-a-kind coffee stirrer masterpieces too! I’m big on projects that anyone can do. And this is one of those projects. Here’s all you need to get started: 1. Additional Supplies: 5. Okay, first things first. So, once you’ve got your palette, it’s time to paint your frames and your coffee stirrers! My mom and I did our painting as the sun was setting, which is always a questionable decision. I was going for the reclaimed driftwood sort of look. Once your coffee stirrers are painted, it’s time to trim them to fit into the frame(s) you’ve chosen. I found the quickest way to do this is to measure one stick to be the length you need it and then use it as the guide for trimming all the others. This next part is fun because you’ll start to see your piece come together fairly quickly. What’s left?
Watercolor Stencil Portrait
Okay kids, for leaving me all those wonderful and inspiring comments, I give you: Watercolor Stencil Portraiting - The Tutorial! Bear with me, it's almost midnight and I am exhausted, and I leave for vacation tomorrow. And I've never done a tutorial before. Hahaha. Okay. 1. 2. 2a. You should end up with something like this; 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I didn't do a very good job. 9. 10. 11. 12. Alright, I hope that was helpful to everyone! Also, IF YOU USE THIS TUTE, POST WHAT YOU MAKE!
Canvas Silhouette Updates
Remember those canvas silhouettes of my kids I made last year? The plan was to update them once a year to keep track of how the kids are changing. I love how Charlotte went from a little no-neck baldy to a wild-haired darlin' in just one year's time. Here's a list of supplies you'll need: Here's the step-by-step: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Then I used the templates I made from the photos to trace onto the back of a vinyl sheet (see above & below). The extra step of tracing onto vinyl really saved me a lot of stress when it came to painting the profiles onto the canvas. Next, simply stick the vinyl cut-out to the center of the canvas. Pardon all the smudges on my kids silhouettes. P.S.
Quote Cutout
I love a wall I can read! Take your favorite quotes and put them up on the walls with this easy, inexpensive idea! Supplies: Canvas (found mine at Hobby Lobby in a 2 pack for $7.99) Fabric contact paper spray paint staple gun printer and exacto knife or a cricut machine Step 1: Cover your canvas in the fabric you selected and secure it with a staple gun on the backside of the wood frame. Step 2: Using contact paper cut out the letters of your saying on a circut machine. Position the letters on the canvas. Step 3: When all the letters have been placed, spray a thick layer of spray paint over the entire canvas. Step 4: When it is dry, peel the letters off. Hang it on your wall and enjoy! another design option: Instead of covering the canvas with fabric, just place your letters onto the canvas, spray and peel. **edited to add: I get several emails asking about how to get the letters to stick better and prevent the paint from bleeding underneath.
Pixelated Watercolor
Amanda Wright, a designer of "stylish-y quirky" greeting cards and paper goods at Wit and Whistle in North Carolina, has shared a tutorial on her blog that shows how she created this very cool, pixelated painting. I'm crazy about it... both the soothing colors and the concept, not to mention I can relate to what she said about doing the actual watercoloring: "I gravitate toward time consuming, monotonous tasks (especially when they provide a beautiful end result), so I thoroughly enjoyed the process." You really need to see what inspired the painting to completely appreciate it, so yes, I'm foregoing my Fab-Friday-one pic-only mantra. Amanda was editing photos from a trip to Iceland and mistakenly scaled down an image to just fifteen pixels wide. The painting reminds me in the best possible way of the pixelated fabrics, furniture, and fashions of artist/designer Cristian Zuzunaga, whose work I had admired in the NYTimes Style Magazine not an hour before seeing Amanda's post.
Modern Paint Swatches Wall Art
Looking for a way to fill that blank wall but don't have permission to paint? All you need is a trip to a major hardware store and an afternoon in front of a good movie to take care of that little dilemma. Supplies Needed: Large frame with paper insert, a ton of pretty paint chips, double-sided tape squares, and vinyl letters appropriate to the size of your frame or phrase (4" - 6"). I went with a color scheme that involved a variety of tones from some of my favorite colors. 1. 3. Paint chip art is a great option for renters looking to fill a big space without spending a small fortune!
DIY Grid Painting
If you frequent Big Box Detox you will know that I am always looking for affordable art options. When I found this super thin painter’s tape in our basement (left by the previous owner) I thought it would be perfect for a DIY art project and the grid painting was born! To complete this project here is what you need… To start, tape off your blank canvas in a grid. Next step: tape the other directions Once your canvas is taped up it is time to paint! Before you know it you have easy and affordable art for your walls! So happy with how it turned out!
Typewriter Letters
*** Because someone asked..yes! I have one in my Etsy if you would like...smiles~*** Oh have I got a good one for you today {I hope}. What I want most out of this blog is to connect with you girls. I first started with some good ole' inspiration. Now I know some of you worry about getting it just perfect,letters and all... I used a thin piece of board for mine because I didn't want to hang anything too heavy. I painted it an ivory color. Paint your circles in black. For those of you that are like me and need some extra help....print your font on paper and use as a guide. You can use trace paper or I tend to just trace over the font and use a little bit of pressure. You are now ready to paint in your letters. Now for those neat little accent lines around your letters..I used a lid from a thermos. Just dip in in a saucer of paint and press down. I didn't make a complete circle on all of them. After your beauty dries completely you will need to age that baby up.
