Think Crafts Blog - Craft Ideas and Projects - CreateForLess

Yesterday we announced the winners of this year’s Scrapbook Layout Contest by CreateForLess. We had so many creative entries that we had write another blog post to show them off! 

By Connie S. from Lakeland, FL.

“I made this for my husband for Father’s day. I found the poem online and just loved it. As we know they grow up way too fast, our son is now 26, yikes”.

Supplies Used:
Bazzill cardstock
Flair patterned paper
Prima flowers
WRMK large eyelets
Making Memories brads

By Iris W. from Palatine, IL

“The Prince Himself: This page really does not need much more character than Jonah! Polymer clay embellishments were adding by using clear stamps on the clay, baking and highlighting with stamp pad ink. Cutting letters out of textured clay sheets using a stencil gives you endless possibilities for scrapbooking. Tags are popular and versatile accents to adorn pages. Here, I used ribbon and yarn to add color and texture. Coordinating color patterns, clay, and a cute little birth announcement tag really tie this page together - or maybe it is that smile!”

By Kathi K. from Lawrenceville, GA

“My mom’s high school graduation photo (photo taken Fall 1948) and she graduated in June 1949. This has always been one of my all-time favorite photos”.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Archivers
Pattern Paper: Daisy D’s
Alphas: Making Memories
Flowers: Prima
Stickers: Stampendous
Pearls: Kaiser Craft
Epoxy: K&Company Life’s Journey
Ink: Clearsnap
Punch: Stampin’ Up
Font: Times New Roman
Other: Trim; Gemstone from class ring
Techniques: Distressing, inking, fussy cutting, and embellishment collages.

By Julie S. from Swisher, IA.

Commemoration page to celebrate the life of a dear friend who passed away from breast cancer in 2005. It was given to her a few weeks before she passed away and displayed at her funeral. I wanted to celebrate all the roles she filled in other people’s lives, daughter, sister, friend, and mother.

Supplies Used:
Pink & white cardstock, black Swiss dot paper, black velvet paper, black/white dotted ribbon, pink/white stripe ribbon, word stickers, Making Memories metal eyelet quote tag, Pressed Petals scrap metal pressed metal letters, making memories pink plastic letters, pink heart brad, breast cancer ribbon tack pin, “someone special” metal coin, pink/black/silver fibers, Pink petals/white brad, making memories page pebbles, pink scroll heart button. K&Company 12×12 Scrap’N Frame

Welcome Gust Blogger, Barbara Matthessen, for Earth Safe Finishes.

Belt Bracelets

Recycle thrift store or old belts into fun and funky bracelets.  You can make 3, 4 or even 5 bracelets from a single belt and give them all different personalities with earth friendly paints, chains and beads.  Why not make a batch of these for gifts or to coordinate with every outfit you own?

Materials:

Leather or leather like belt

Opaque Shimmers from Earth Safe Finishes in your choice of colors 

Toggle or hook clasp

1″ chain or 22 GA wire to match clasp

Jump Rings

Strong scissors or leather shears

Leather/belt hole punch

Paint brushes, liner for details

Jewelry making tools, pliers and wire cutters

Optional extras:

Additional chain

Beads

Metal tags

Kevlar thread or wire to attach the above

Instructions:

1. Cut your belt 1″-1 ½” shorter than your normal bracelet size depending on how loose or tight you like to wear them.  (Don’t worry about the existing belt holes you can either ignore them or bead through them later.)  Trim corners round, on a diagonal or leave straight.

2. Punch holes on both ends about 1/8″ inch.

3. Paint your belt using Shimmers with your choice of colors.  Some are a random splash of colors, some use the existing embossed pattern and some are freeform patterns. You may also choose to use a stencil or rubber stamp to create your image.  Allow the paint to dry.

4. Attach your closure with jump rings or a combination of chain, jump rings or wire. If you are using a toggle make sure to add in a small chain on the bar end to make it easier to attach the bracelet.

5. Embellish more if you like! Stitch on beads, charms, buttons or trinkets using Kevlar thread.  Knot on the back then dot each knot with a dab of glue when you are done.

More Fun: Wire on tags by using a flat bead with a head pin run through it on the underside.  Wrap the ends of the head pins around holes in the tag, secure with more wraps then trim the ends. Add sections of chain by attaching chain ends to jump rings on each end. There are a million and one ways to make this bracelet so try it out today!

Learn more about Earth Safe Finishes HERE.

I got hooked on glass fusing years ago.  I immediately purchased a small Quick Fire kiln after my first fusing class.  This type of kiln quickly heats to fusing temperature in about 5 minutes, you have to be careful with the annealing and cool down, but it’s worth it to be able to create so quickly.

I use mainly glass designed for glass fusing and slumping.  One of my favorites is Wasser Glass.  It’s thin and I really like the variety of colors available.  Here’s a project I created for Jewelry Creations 2, a magazine I was the editor for in 2008.

Quick Fire Fusing

This beginner fusing project uses a Quick Firing kiln for speedy glass fusing.  The abstract design makes each piece one of a kind.

Materials:

Diamond International Wasser Glass: yellow, brown, light brown, tiger’s eye, gold, butterscotch, weathered, red flash, surprise, and heavy gold

Glasscutter

Nippers

Safety glasses for glasswork

Quick Fire kiln

Kiln shelf primed with release

Timer

Rubbing alcohol

Lint free paper towels

Pin back, earring posts, pendant bails

Optional:  Thinned white glue or fusing glue

Firing Temperatures:

Wasser glass has a COE 90
(~±5°F and are dependent upon glass color and thickness)
Softening Point :1240°F (677°C)
Tack Fuse :1285°F (696°C) Orton std. lg. cone 18 (r/r 108°F)
Full Fuse :1340°F (727°C) Orton std. lg. cone 17 (r/r 108°F)
Annealing Temperature : 940°F (482°C)
Shrinkage Initiation Point :1360°F (738°C)
Balling Formation Starts : 1450°F (788°C)
Glass Lost / Shelf Intrusion : 1550°F (843°C)

1. If you do not have a kiln, check out your local stained glass or glass working studios as they often have fusing classes or offer kiln time. If you do not have a Quick Firing kiln, use the firing temperatures above. When cutting glass use caution and care. You are working with hot glass so be careful and consider all surfaces hot. 

2. Cut glass into thin strips in various widths and lengths.  Most strips are no more than 1/4 wide and 3″ long. As you design you might want to nip strips shorter. Remember that edges of cut glass can be very sharp.  Handle glass carefully.

3. Work on a clean surface and once glass is cut, clean all glass pieces with rubbing alcohol.  It’s important that the glass be oil and lint free when fired (heated).  Once happy with design, place glass onto kiln shelf that has been prepared with release (following manufacturer’s instructions for applying release).  It’s also important that glass be completely dry before setting on the kiln shelf or fusing (firing). 

4. As you design your pieces make sure you include some small sets that can be turned into earrings.  You may want to leave some openings to turn the piece into a pendant or leave a place where a pendant bail can be glued.  As I made my pieces, I was thinking pins so I made sure there was a space that a pin back could be adhered. I do not use any type of adhesive as I design abstract pieces.  If a piece of glass moves as fired I consider it part of the abstract look, however, you can apply a watered down white glue or fusing glue to the back of glass to avoid glass moving.  Remember that glue must dry completely before you fire your piece(s).  Any moisture when firing may cause the glass to crack.

5. Place shelf into kiln, close kiln, and turn on. The Quick Firing kiln will get to full fusing temperature (Wasser 1340 degrees F) within five minutes so it’s important that you never leave a kiln unsupervised.  As the temperature rises to full fuse, put on your safety glasses and check glass. Never look into a kiln or torch without safety glasses designed for hot glasswork. If fused (fully melted together), turn off kiln and keep open until temperature is around 1200 degrees F.  You may have to vent several times to keep temperature below full fuse.  Allow kiln to cool completely.  Allow glass to cool completely. Your glass should be annealed (kept at a temperature for 20+ minutes so the glass is at its strongest, least likely to break or crack) if you didn’t open the kiln after you brought the temperature down to 1200 degrees F. If working in a studio, staff will most likely compute a sequence for the kiln.

6. Once completely cooled clean pieces with rubbing alcohol. Add pin back, earring posts, or pendant bails as you prefer.  Fusing is a great way to use small pieces of glass and a wonderful way to design pins, pendants, and other jewelry components for unique and personalized jewelry. Find a stain glass or glass studio in your local area for fusing classes.

More about fusing & Wasser Glass click HERE.

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.

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

Since I’ve been on a Chinese Arts theme lately, I thought I’d blog about Chinese Knotting.  You see it all the time on clothing, wall decorations, and even in paper arts projects.  Well, when I try to knot (and weave!) I usually end up with a tangled mess of cording!  So I was very happy when I found Clover’s Chinese Knot Templates!  It’s an easy to understand plastic template that is numbered so you can just follow along.  This complex type of knotting is rarely easy for the average crafter, but this template takes the stress out of it!

I also just love this book on Chinese Knotting.

This book published by Echo Publishing Company has lots of instructions, projects, and ideas for Chinese Knotting.

Here are some great websites I’ve found that have tutorials and projects:

The Chinese Knotting Organization

Knotting Artist

International Guild of Knottyers

Happy Knotting!

I wanted to share some of the wonderful Chinese Brush Painting art I saw while in China last year.  Most of these paintings are the simple painting technique with a few examples of the more detailed paintings at the end.  Please excuse my sometimes fuzzy photography and choppy cropping! Enjoy!

I have been fascinated with Chinese Brush Painting since the first time I saw a painting.  There are two styles of Chinese Brush Painting: one is very detailed and the other is simple strokes that let your imagination fill in the details.  Artists spend years learning this art and begin by copying their Masters.  Unlike many of us, the Chinese consider duplicating or imitating the work of others to be an honor and the way to learn.  It’s an interesting philosophy.  I’d like to share my knowledge of the tools of Chinese Brush Painting.

This is one of the best books I've found on Chinese Brush Painting published by Sterling Publishing.

This is a sample stroke used in Chinese Brush Painting (from the book shown above).

These are the types of brushes used for painting, the round tips hold a lot of ink.

Black is the traditional color of ink used in this type of painting; to the left of the ink stick is the ink stone. You add a little water to the well of the ink stone and grind the ink stick against the stone to make the ink!

These are colored ink sticks I got while in China, most ink sticks are highly decorated to celebrate creativity. The inks come in pretty boxes with glass fronts.

To the left is a chop, usually the name of the artist is carved on the bottom of the chop. The chop is used as a seal, the last thing the artist does is smear some cinnabar ink (to the right of the chop) onto the bottom of the seal, then stamp it on the finished painting.

Here is a seal carved two ways.

 What do you think?  Anyone else doing some Chinese Brush Painting?