Think Crafts Blog - Craft Ideas and Projects - CreateForLess

Mark signs a book for one lucky Think Crafts reader.

Eclectic Products hosted Mark Montano, author of The Big-Ass Book of Crafts for a book signing at the Craft And Hobby Association’s 2009 Winter Show in Anaheim, CA.  I’ve been a huge fan of Mark’s for many years because of his work on a TV show on TLC called, While You Were Out.  It’s one of those rare TV programs that my husband and I can sit down to watch and feel like we are spending some fun time together.  I’d also love to go on Mark’s show, 10 Years Younger although I’m not sure I could handle it!

I told everyone in the booth I was going to give my signed book to one lucky ThinkCrafts! reader and most seemed surprised.  Mark got it.  I felt like I was spreading some of the joy by getting a great book to give someone who spends some time on my blog.  If you’d like a chance to win a signed copy of Mark’s book just send me an e-mail at maria@thinkcrafts.com with Mark Montano Rocks in the subject line.  At the end of February, I’ll randomly pick an e-mail and send the winner the book along with a photo of Mark signing it!

Mark loves Eclectic Products like E-6000 and Goop.  You can find these wonderful adhesives on CreateForLess.com!

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?

Guest Blogger: Jeanne Baruth for Diamond Tech

Fuseworks^TM Microwave Kiln is fast, fun and easy to use. Create beautiful glass baubles and pendants in approximately 3 minutes. It is recommended for ages 16 years and older, as the glass inside the kiln can reach temperatures of 1400ºF-1500 ºF.View a complete set of the Fuseworks^TM Kiln instructions and popular Q&A about the kiln at Diamond Tech’s Website: www.DiamondTechCrafts.com.

Here is one of my favorite little glass projects, guaranteed to bring fusing success to even the beginner!

First, it is recommended that you use Fuseworks^TM glass in the Fuseworks^TM  Kiln. Cut one piece of black glass in a 1″ X 1″ square. Cut one piece of clear dichoric glass in a 1″ X 1″ square.

Clean your squares with clear water and a lint free cloth. Be sure your glass is completely dry.

Cut a 2″ square of kiln paper. Place the kiln paper in the center of the bottom of the kiln.

NOTE: There are two sides to clear dichroic glass. Side “A” will give you a matte finish when facing upward in the kiln. Side “B” will give you a glossy finish if facing up.

How do you tell which side is A and which is B? Use a pen! Touch the tip of the pen to the clear dichroic glass surface. If you can see the reflection of the pen and the reflection appears to touch the actual pen tip; that side is “Side A” or the side containing the dichroic coating, naturally the opposite side would be side “B”. 

Place the black glass square in the center of the kiln paper. Put the clear dichroic on top of the black glass with side “B” facing up towards the top of the kiln.

Gently place the kiln bottom in the microwave, cover with the lid.

Fuse using the chart below. PLEASE NOTE: All microwave and kiln combinations will have different firing patterns. Be sure to take careful notes and log all fusing times for future use.

After the first time interval, open microwave and, using Hot Mitts, carefully lift the lid just enough to inspect the fusing process. Next, proceed to the second firing interval of 1 minute: 30 second. Open the microwave using Hot Mitts, carefully lift the lid again just enough to inspect the fusing process. Continue to fuse in 30 seconds interval until the desired results are achieved.

Remove kiln from microwave using the Hot Mitts and place on a heat resistant surface. Cool the kiln for at least 30 minutes with the LID ON. Do not removing the lid or peek under the lid during the cooling stage or this may result in your glass cracking. Glass remains hot for a long time and should be handled with great caution. 

When cool, adhere a large gold bail to the back of the pendant using a glass adhesive such as E6000®. Allow to dry according to glue manufacturer direction. Slip pendant onto your favorite chain and enjoy.

FUSING CHART

I’ve been fusing glass for about 5 years now and it’s a craft that is always fascinating. Glass fusing is basically layering several pieces of glass with the same COE and then fusing the pieces together in a kiln or heat source.  The layers of glass create a new single piece of glass.  You can then go on to slump the fused glass using a mold to create bowls, plates, and all kinds of art.

The process is time consuming.  You must create a design or use a pattern.  You need to cut the pieces of glass.  Clean all the pieces to remove any oils or dust.  You then layer your pieces onto a kiln shelf (that is either prepared with kiln wash to prevent sticking or with a piece of shelf paper). You then must fire or bake the glass in a kiln for a timed process.  You can’t just super heat glass because it will shatter so you slowly ramp up the heat in the kiln until the glass melts and then slowly ramp the heat down.  There are schedules prepared by the manufacturers of the glass to help you time the firing.  Once fired, the glass must cool before you can continue.  Fused pieces can take several hours or several days to create. The end result is worth it!

Diamond Tech has created a product kit that turns glass fusing into a very do-able, easy to understand process with its Fuseworks Beginner’s Fusing Kit.  Imagine fusing glass in your microwave in minutes! I have to be very honest, I couldn’t believe fusing could be done so quickly, but all my doubts were gone after my first fusing with the kit and its mini Fuseworks Microwave Kiln!!!

You get a ton of stuff in the kit: an assortment of 90 COE glass, Dichroic bits and pieces (beautiful patterned glass), millefiori glass (small discs that have patterns like flowers and such), confetti glass (thin shards of glass), kiln paper, glass cutter, hot mitts, and jewelry findings (earring sets and bails), plus very well written instructions.  You can make many fused jewelry pieces with the supplies included in the kit.

And it really is as easy as cutting your glass, laying down the kiln paper, stacking your glass, putting the top on the kiln, placing the kiln in your microwave and microwaving for a few minutes!!!  I was thrilled with my pieces and I didn’t have to fire up my kiln… all I needed was my microwave. Your piece is even annealed during the 40-50 minute cool down.

A few words to know when fusing:

Anneal: this is a process where the glass becomes its strongest, all glass pieces should be annealed or there is a good chance of the glass cracking over time.

COE: Coeffcient of Expansion, this is usually given to you as a number: 90 COE, 104 COE.  All glass has a COE number and you can only fuse glass pieces that have the same COE number.  In other words you can’t mix a piece of glass with a 90 COE with a piece of glass with a 104 COE.  Manufacturers will give you the COE of their glass.

Dichroic Glass: A glass with multiple micro-layers of metal oxides which give the glass optical properties.

Dichroic glass shimmers when fused.

Millefiori: A glass work technique where rods of patterned glass are formed and then cut into small discs.

Many discs of millfiori are fused to create this pendant.

Check out my next blog when guest blogger Jeanne Baruth goes into detail about using this new Fuseworks Microwave Kiln!

Air dry clay is often thought of as a child’s art and craft supply, but it’s so much more than that!  If you enjoy polymer clay, you’ll also enjoy paper clay.  You don’t have to bake this type of clay as it air dries. 

Materials

• Paper clay (also called air-dry clay):  This clay air-dries, no need to heat or bake.
• Rolling pin:  To evenly flatten clay if necessary for your project.
• Wax or freezer paper
• Rubberstamps, clay tools, molds or texture sheets:  To make patterns or images into the clay.
• Craft knife, NuBlade^TM, tissue blade (or other thin cutting tool).

Step by Step

1. Wash your hands thoroughly and make sure your work surface is clean.  Clay picks up every dust or particle on the work surface and your hands.

2. Roll clay out to about ¼” thickness or thickness desired.  Stamp an image into the clay with a rubberstamp or press clay into any type of mold and remove.  Trim with cutting tool if needed.  You can also hand form or sculpt the clay.

3. Place on wax paper to dry, turning every few hours for even drying.  To avoid curling you might want to weigh down the clay after a few hours of drying.

4. You can also use this clay to sculpt.  It easily can be colored, painted, inked, chalked, glittered, and otherwise embellished. 

Using an air dry clay, Helen Bradley created this watch for Jewlery Creations #2 Magazine (CK Media) using a clay from AMACO.

Tips

• Clay adheres to most surfaces with a dab or two of glue.
• You can cut this clay while still wet or when it has dried. 
• Use a wet fingertip to smooth rough edges while clay is still wet.
• Use a fine sanding paper or emery board to smooth clay edges once clay has dried.
• You can paint, ink, or chalk a dry piece of paper clay.
• You can add paint, ink, or chalk to wet clay to color it!
• Make an embellishment for the front of a scrapbook, diary or journal.
• Another wonderful way to use your rubberstamps.  You can make buttons to coordinate your designs and projects.
• Store unused clay in an airtight container like a zip-lock plastic bag.  You can’t add water to clay to restore, once it dries out, it’s not re-useable!
• There are wonderful cutting, shaping, and design tools on the market for clays, but don’t forget that toothpicks, paper clips, cookie cutters, and pencils are handy tools too.

I found some great sites with fun projects:

Colorful Fun

Earthy Heart Pendant

Upscale Designer

Another wonderful design by Helen Bradley for AMACO. This design was also published in Jewelry Creations #2, CK Media.

I’m pleased to introduce our guest blogger for the week: Jana Ewy!  She’s a top art and craft designer, who happens to be a leading expert for Friendly Plastic, a fun craft medium that creates some amazing results.  You can see more of Jana’s work at her website: www.justbananas.com.

My love for the Plastic 

I began working with Friendly Plastic in the late 1980’s. I was fascinated by the vibrant metallic colors and by the process of heating it in hot water into a soft pliable medium that could be manipulated into beautiful free form designs. Big and bold they were… and the embellishments, well enough was never enough.

Working with Friendly Plastic NOW, is more creative than ever before. With new techniques and new heating methods comes a unique new style. Gone but not forgotten is the hot water method. Although it still can be used for certain applications, using a heat tool and a griddle offer infinite opportunities to create exciting works of art. 

Every day I discover something new or find a way to update one of the techniques from the past. Here are a few photos from my technique Collections.

Fracture and Fusion

Marbled

Inlay

Cylinder

Look for Jana’s tool tips on September 18!