Heart-shaped page marker origami Here's a quick little origami project that's fun to do with patterned paper: heart-shaped bookmarks that slip onto page corners. You could mail somebody a couple for Valentine's Day. Each heart requires a half sheet of square origami paper. (My paper was 5" square, so my starting piece after cutting in half was a 5" x 2.5" rectangle.) With the patterned side to the outside, fold the rectangle in half lengthwise. Then fold it in half width-wise to mark the center line, and open again. Fold one side up at a 45 degree angle, so the edge aligns with the center. Repeat with the other side. Turn the paper over. Fold in the corners to form a heart shape.
Aging is so Distressing – Techniques for Antiquing Furniture Well, despite the fact that I am starting to feel my age, this post is actually about achieving that well worn, loved, aged and antique look on furniture and decor items. Aren’t these layers of paint, scratches and wear marks art to your eyes? Nothing shows character like chipping paint and multiple revealed layers on metal. Weathered paint worn thin and rubbed off. or paint splotches on an old ladder. And you can’t forget rust, love that beautiful brown patina! I have been experimenting with several techniques to add age to “newer” pieces of furniture. Throwing the chain in: These are a few of my favorite distressing tools: Throwing a chain at wood gives you those elliptical dents. Sanding through the years: The easiest way to add some age and expose layers of paint is to pull out a power sander. A table that was previously painted white received a beachy blue layer of paint on top of the white. Darker wood showing through adds instant age. It is important to use a old shaggy brush. Wipe on…
Le blog de claudie-calligraphie Les Flamandes dansent sans rien dire Sans rien dire aux dimanches sonnants .... lala la lala la la .... les Fla les Fla les Flamandes Un peu pénible une chanson qui s'impose comme ça alors qu'on cherche l'inspiration originale, écriture flamande et arabesques ... Le seul moyen, la calligraphier ! Les Flamandes de la chanson sont un peu guindées, je les fais donc évoluer à l'intérieur d'un cadre, les virages sont à angles droits. Je les fait danser mais sans dépasser les limites autorisées de la bienséance et en restant bien dans un schéma établi (l'arabesque choisie est sans surprise). Un petit zoom sur les "mmm mmmmm mm" qui sont là pour la transition entre ligne droite et ligne courbe. NOTEZ que, selon Laurent Rébéna, les Grands Maîtres de l'écriture flamande, Jan Van den Velde et ses petits camarades ne se gênaient pas pour écrire des faux mots (miumn nniim mm) en début ou fin de ligne pour parfaire leur mise en page. Pour voir en entier les Flamandes qui dansent sans rien dire ... c'est là
a stitch in dye I wasn't planning on doing a giveaway so soon after the one last week, but the opportunity presented itself. And then it inspired a project...sort of. So, another giveaway it is. Before I get to that though, I want to tell you a little about the project and how you might apply it to the giveaway item should you be the winner. Brief digression: I took these shots at a local thrift store that I've mentioned here before, Pieces of the Past. I then quilted the top using squiggly(technical term) lines along the diagonal. I crafted a zippered opening using a Denyse Schmidt cotton that she apparently sells at Joann's. This, my dear readers, is a layer cake. Also, if you're local, please come by Sew Much More on Anderson Lane this Friday from 6-8pm for my reception/book signing celebrating my fabric line as well as my book. AND, I'm not done, if you are on the Austin Marathon/ Half Marathon route this Sunday morning, please come out and cheer for the runners.
Printmaking I adore this tutorial from the Berlin craftblogger LimonVerde. She uses high tech CraftRobo and low tech embroidery hoop to create her prints. Since I'm not an artist, her technique appeals to my cobble together a way to get it done mentality. I had a difficult time getting all the pictures to load but a right click, Show Picture worked for me.Don't want to cut an entire stencil? Think in reverse. Punch some shapes from the acetate, spray with adhesive and apply to the screen. On another note, I have had an interest in the pochoir printing process. Tagxedo - Word Cloud with Styles Авторские игрушки Ирины Лемешинской Amanita Design Abigail Halpin Throughout my childhood and teens, I used to spend the occasional night over at my grandparents. They live in a town in New Hampshire that's properly speaking an island, but with the connecting causeway, it really just feels like an extension of the mainland.* One of my favorite things about sleeping over at their place (aside from trips out for ice cream), was the sound the foghorn made at night. Incidentally, my house growing up was near railroad tracks, so between fog horns and trains, I've developed the amazing ability to sleep through pretty much anything. And these were picked to add some color to any otherwise dreary day. Darn rain. *Yup, New Hampshire has a coastline.