Earth Safe Finishes

March 5, 2009 Crafts, Green Crafting, Guest Bloggers, Painting, Techniques and Mediums, Trends 1 Comment

At the recent Craft and Hobby Association’s Winter 2009 trade show I discovered a very cool and very green company that I wanted to share with you.  Please welcome guest blogger Barbara Matthiessen.

Many companies boast about being green these days but few take it to the level of Earth Safe Finishes. Earth Safe Finishes not only has non-toxic, environmentally friendly products, recycled packaging but a total commitment to keeping artists healthy and the earth clean. For more info on the product line and company please go to Earth Safe Finishes.

As an artist I want to share my experience with the product line and what makes it unique. First the quality is amazing, true one coat coverage with Perfect Paint and the Shimmers are beyond any other metallic paint I have ever used. (I have used almost every paint line on the market over the years, good, bad, cheap and pricey.)
 

I love only needing one set of paints to use on all surfaces from metal and glass to fabric and paper. The only prepping I’ve had to do is make sure the surface was clean, dry and oil free and that includes my kitchen countertops. No heat setting is needed which saves power and allows more creative freedom.

All the products work together, mix and match. I can use the Colorants to custom mix any color paint, varnish, texture, glaze I want. With a few paints, Colorants, and mediums I am able to work on any surface using any technique and get great, durable results. Compared to my old ways of having well over 300 bottles of paint and countless mediums I now can do even more with 2 shoeboxes full of product!

LOVE the Colorants! I can instantly dye all sorts of materials with these gems, use it as an ink or tint any other medium. I was even able to match and fill a small tear in my car interior using Perfect Paint and 2 Colorants. The more I work with this stuff the more uses I find for it and the more money I save. No stinky smells, need I say more? I so enjoy not gagging to work on a project or worrying about preserving my brain cells.

Recently at the CHA show in Anaheim I had the pleasure of spending some time in the Earth Safe Finishes booth with Nancy and Jessica, mom and daughter owners of ESF. Yes, the booth itself was recycled and everything in it including sample projects and literature were repurposed, reused or recycled. Demos were done on dumpster dive, thrift store and had on hand items from old shoes, paper towels, glass and metal trays, to jackets. Now that is how to make art beautiful and green!

Barbara and fellow designers at CHA Winter 2009 trade show.

Barbara and fellow designers at CHA Winter 2009 trade show.

Check back soon and you’ll find the instructions to make these cool bracelets!

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Who Designs Those Projects?

March 3, 2009 Craft Professionals, Crafts, Trends 2 Comments

It’s National Craft Month so we should be celebrating all the wonderful designers who bring us great projects that motivate and challenge us to create and be creative every day! I’m launching a new monthly feature called Designer Spotlight! I’ll feature a designer or two each month and let you in on some fun facts about each.

Designer SpotLight March!

Meet Vivian Peritts

Vivian is one of the most innovative designers I’ve ever met. She can create with just about any type of media and make projects to die for! Carol Duvall did an interview with Vivian that is an excellent read. Just put Vivian’s name in any search engine and you’ll find all the books she has authored. Vivian is photographed with her designer display at CHA’s Winter 2009 Trade Show.

Meet Sandy Laipply

Sandy is another general craft designer who brings a lot of love and joy to art and craft projects. Her title is The Queen of Arts and her website is fun to page through! I especially enjoyed reading her resume.  It was professional and an excellent guide for other designers who need to update their resumes!

Meet Betsy Edwards

My favorite memory of Betsy is her dancing at many of the social events we attended. Trust me, she can dance! And she can get everyone else up on the dance floor too! Betsy is a very accomplished painter and was demonstrating for Royal & Langnickel at the recent CHA Winter 2009 show. Her high energy and enthusiasm quickly spread, she’s a joy to have as a creative friend.

Meet Linda Peterson

Linda has got to be one of the hardest working designers in the world! She’s photographed demonstrating her metal work skills for AMACO. She has authored books and her projects are in craft magazines year round. Check out her projects on TV! Linda’s Blog.

 

Do you know any art or craft designers?  Is your sister or cousin a published star? Let us know and we’ll do a spotlight on them!

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It’s National Craft Month!

March 1, 2009 Crafts, Projects No Comments

Time to party! Time to craft! It’s our month and let’s do it right!

 

One of the best sites for ways to celebrate National Craft Month can be found at CraftPlace.org. This is the consumer site of the Craft and Hobby Association.  You’ll find projects, tips, and even lesson plans for teachers. 

Here’s a little sample of the tips you’ll find on CraftPlace.org.

  • Tape or staple swatches of ribbon or fabric to index cards. This makes it easier to get extra supplies at the craft store.
  • Cover cardboard rolls in acid free tissue and then wrap your ribbon around them for storage.
  • Never underestimate the importance of a hot glue gun; it is an invaluable tool for all crafts.
  • Heat from a blow drier causes strings of hot glue to disintegrate immediately.
  • Use plastic drop cloths to cut inexpensive patterns and throw them away if you make a mistake.
  • Use toothpicks to apply expensive brand name glue. You will never put too much on your project and more will stay in the bottle.
  • Remember this adage: clean hands, clean project.
  • When working with cardboard and glue, lightly wet the underside of the cardboard and it will dry flat.
  • Use a damp q-tip to pick up small beads. They stick to the q-tip and make loading a needle much easier.
  • Store delicate die cuts in folded acid free paper with the die cut facing the fold.
  • Break mirrors, plates, or tiles for projects by sealing them in a heavy-duty zip lock bag and breaking with a hammer.
  • Use plastic party table covers for messy crafts. They protect better than newspaper and can be used more than once.
  • Try using tiny rubber bands, such as dental bands, to hold small crafts together. You can substitute the rubber bands for wire.
  • Use tweezers to hold small supplies and reach tight areas when crafting. Tweezers act as an extension of your fingertips.
  • Prevent paper from ripping when affixing tape by applying the tape to clothing first to reduce its stickiness.
  • When doing decoupage, use rounded lacquered chopsticks to smooth out any air bubbles or wrinkles after gluing. You can usually find lacquered chopsticks (which are smoother than un-lacquered sticks) in Asian markets or gift shops.
  • Make small bows by tying the bows first before cutting the ribbon.
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