Mad Maker

These days I am so excited and energized and feel like a mad maker.  I just want to create and so I have loads to share. 

First project success is that I had some sad and damaged chairs on the patio that needed new life. I purchased cushions to cover up these ugly ancient metal chairs but alas, the two favorites (rocker and glider) both had rips that turned into gashes. 

Thankfully I found a YouTube video from a company called SailRite that showed you step-by-step how to repair the chairs.

Repair sling chairs

Here's the before:

and here's the after:

SO EXCITING.  I will say that nothing is ever as easy as it looks when someone else does it. However, after the third chair I feel that I've gotten the hang of it and I'm getting better. My hand is bruised and sore from dealing with the tension bars that have to be installed after the new seats are in place. 

Interesting thing is that I needed to use petroleum jelly to help slide in the fabric in the channels on the sides of the chair. I noticed that the petroleum jelly made the chairs look brand new. Although I didn't have to paint the chairs, the metal looked faded. So I coated the metal with the petroleum jelly and they look new.

Four of the six chairs are done so I hope to have the rest done soon! 

New York Christmas in July

Sorry, I didn't realize this post was in draft mode and never officially published. Let's call this Christmas in July!

It's been years since I've been to New York city during the Christmas holiday. It is so inspiring and charming to be in New York around the holidays. If you can survive the Rockefeller Center hoards, it's worth every moment.

I went with my dear friend Chris and my favorite windows are at Bergdorf Goodman. This year the theme was celebrating New York's cultural institutions.

My photos do not do justice to the artwork because of the glare. So here's a link to a site that will take you through all the windows.

They are magnificent.

Bergdorf Goodman windows slideshow

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Hey there!  I am so eager for spring to arrive.  It won't impact our wretched weather, but at least it's a sign we are getting there.

I decided to make a Frida card and used a technique that is a type of mosaic.  You stamp the same image on three or four colors of paper.  You then have to cut the designs in the same pattern, to create interchangeable pieces.  Then you arrange them to rebuild your image.

After that, I dug out the Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel (UTEE) that I've had around for ages.  I used Versamark ink and applied it to the image, poured on the UTEE and heated it.  I did three layers to create a tile effect.

The background was a stencil and Dyan Reaveley Dylusions paint Tangerine Dream and I used some striped washi tape on the card front.

Inside, I had fun with some of my clear stamps.  I used the MISTI and arranged the little clear stamps.  It is so great to be able to stamp and if there's an area that isn't inked, just stamp it again. I have so many fun clear sets, I now want to use them with the MISTI.  Forgive my upside down bird, no secret message intended, just my error.

The frame images around the DIVA letters are from an old Impression Obsession set.  I have to warn you if you have an old clear set of stamps that is turning yellow, be very careful when you pull up the stamps to use them.  I pulled one off the clear backing sheet too quickly and it tore in half.  I think that it might be the early days of clear stamps didn't use the best materials and some aren't holding up as well.

I've been making so much art lately I have loads to show you.  Hang in there and there's more to come!  It is almost the weekend!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Had a great time over the past month making valentines.  Here are some pictures!

These are pinwheel cards that you can make with the We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board.  So fun.  I wanted to add some requisite chocolate, so I found the flattest kind for the big VD.

Hoping your day is sweet!  XOXOXOXO

SNOW DAY!!!

The silver lining of a frigid winter is a . . . SNOW DAY!

I just got two and made good use of my time. I broke out the Gel Press petites sets of mini gel plates.  They are a great size, and act as a large clear stamp.

The fingers got a bit messy, but who cares!! I had a ball.

I even know what I'm going to do with all these amazing papers I created!! I've got a card design and I will be making some really colorful birthday cards.

Making every moment count!!

Put that art on display!!!

I made an impulse purchase at an amazing art supply store just around the corner from me. It's called Artist and Craftsman and it's got all kinds of fun supplies and great gifts.  They had a display of Umbra products for displaying art on desks, walls and from the ceiling.  I decided to take a chance on home improvement and moved a framed artwork upstairs to make room on a wall near our kitchen.  I purchased this Umbra Hangit which has clips for 40 images. Even when it's not Christmas card season I love having pictures and art work. The fridge is an option, but doesn't seem to be a fitting locale. So this display is perfect!  For those who do not have a trove of art to show, the best part is that it comes with fun images, until you have time to add your own creations.

It's a simple design, albeit a bit stressful to put up in a home with plaster walls.  I'm not the best at being precise and I ended up going to the hardware store to pick up a new drill bit. Let's just say I was lucky that I got it up and any errors in my drilling efforts were covered up by the wood slats.

I will use this for my holiday cards and for the rest of the year, I'll put up photos and cards.  The one thing I want to do is to make sure pictures get out of my camera so I think I'll try to print a couple each month and remember the fun things we do through out the year.  

Scan n Cut

I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos and happened to become intrigued by the Brother Scan n Cut machine demonstrated often by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer.  

I saw a project on Scrapbook Soup and invested in a cut file, a pattern prepared that you can purchase on Etsy.  I thought I'd try it out.  I'm thrilled with the results.

The hearts pattern started as a white sheet of card stock and I used crayons to color the columns of hearts in a somewhat complimentary group of colors. Then I used fiber paste with a stencil and allowed it to dry before arranging the hearts and sewing them so they stay lined up as they were in the cut file.

The next project was my own work of art, scanned and converted into a cut file.  I simply drew the love you below on paper, making large thick lines and connecting the word in a box shape, so that everything was "connected."  Then I scanned the image and the machine then read the image and cut it out.

It's really exciting to have my own artwork turned into a die cut that I can use in my art.  It allows me to create exactly what I need instantly.  So rewarding and I've only scratched the surface of what this machine can do.  Can't wait to show you more!!