two kitties

How to Needle Felt Animals

During our studio week, Cindy Treen taught us to needle felt small animals. In this photo, she is wrapping yarn around her fingers to make the core of the body. You can see the rabbit she made earlier on the table just in front.

Wool roving is then punched into the yarn body using a set of felt needles and a brush mat. Cindy brought these needle felting pens made by Clover. I decided to make a miniature "White Kitty", and you can see his yarn body below.

He turned out nicely!

Debra made a set of bunnies. The bigger bunny is a kind of family icon, often featured in the cartoon notes her husband draws in love notes. This rabbit was a gift for him. He has a cream colored underbody with a mustard overcoat punched in.

This is a very satisfying process and it really is amazing how the wool can be shaped into almost anything with a couple of needles and a brush or foam mat. I can imagine it being somewhat therapeutic after a stressful day of work. I bought my sister all of the tools, wool roving, and a "how to" needle felt book for her birthday. I thought of her every moment I was working on my kitty - I could totally imagine her just punching away. 

By the end of day two, yellow bunny had a baby. Here are the three of them together. 

Encaustic Fabric Collage

I've been doing some encaustic work the last few years. I learned from an artist based in New Orleans named Miranda Lake.  Recently, I've been printing my digital photos on fabric or adding bits of vintage embroidery to my wax collages, and this is what I plan to do with the gravestone rubbings we did last week.

For my "demo", I did a quick and dirty "Intro to Encaustics" session for Cynthia Treen and Debra Tomson Williams. First, though, I had to tidy up a little bit. By mid-week, the studio had been completely annihilated - a sign of creative work in progress.

Cynthia did an absolutely lovely encaustic piece. Of course, I do not have a photo of the final product. But you can trust me on that one. In this photo, she is fusing the beeswax to the board with a heat gun.

We had some time to relax, too. We did a little knitting and crochet by the fire. Here's Cindy on Mike's beloved "baked potato" couch.

Debra cooked some fresh, healthy meals.

We went down to the beach on a beautiful sunny afternoon and sat by the shore sorting rocks.

It was hard to ignore the giant piles of bear scat along the way...it's just that time of year. Over the years, I've become more comfortable sharing space with bears. They leave us alone, and right before hibernation-time when they are devouring the fruit that is left in our orchard, we're just extra careful. But nothing could reassure Debra. I may as well have slathered her in honey and locked her outside at night. 

And I took the ladies into town to visit the yarn store. We saw this piece of art when we stopped for coffee. I'm sure they won't find anything like this in Providence or Pittsburgh. 

To be continued....

Debra Tomson Williams' Tutorial: Fused Plastic Bag Totes

Each of us approaches art and craft from a different direction, so during studio week we all brought a favorite technique or project to demonstrate for one another. Here, Debra Tomson Williams is showing Cynthia Treen and me how to fuse plastic bags together to make "fabric."

This is the ultimate reuse project. Two or more plastic grocery bags are fused together under parchment paper using a warm iron. They can be cut and manipulated like fabric - the possibilities are endless.

Debra recommends choosing bags of similar weight - she looks at the recycling symbol printed on the bottom and matches the numbers. We collected plastic bags from the grocery store - looking for interesting graphics or bright colors, and we raided Mike's garage for some "CAUTION" tape.

 

You should proceed with caution - you don't want the iron to get too hot and you definitely want to keep the iron moving. Do this project outside or in a place where air circulates freely. I rate it a 3 out of 10 on the smelly scale, but my studio door and windows were wide open.

Once again, I was too busy making things last week to take many photos, but luckily there are photos of Debra's bags from a post I wrote last year. 

You can see photos of Debra's finished bag here and, if you want to try this yourself, you'll find a helpful tutorial from Craftzine.com

How to Make Fabric Flowers

I envision a garland of old t-shirts.

How to Make Seed Bombs

Heidi Rettig & Associates (that's me, in real life) is working with a group of artists in Superior, Wisconsin on formalizing plans for an "arts district" in their neighborhood. Part of this work includes temporary public art installations in vacant lots in the area. We hope these installations will call attention to the creative work happening in the neighborhood that residents may not be aware of, and beautify the many vacant spaces. What would you do with a vacant lot?

We had great fun brainstorming with the artists about the possibilities. The idea of throwing 'seed bombs' out your car window as you drive around the neighborhood to flower naked lots with shots of color was brought by Darnell Nelson. Another Superior artist, Karin Kraemer, remembered her year of unemployment in Victoria B.C. as the period when she went around shoving flower seeds into cracks in the cement. A quick google introduced me to the wild world of guerilla gardening. There are just so many possibilities. 

SEED BOMB RECIPE

Ingredients

1) powdered clay

2) worm castings or compost

3) wildflower seeds indigenous to the area

4) water

5) mixing container

6) stick

1) mix 5pt powdered clay, 5pt worm castings or compost, 1pt seeds in a mixing container.
2) add just enough water to make a nice muddy clay consistency
3) roll up the mixture into little balls like gum balls
4) let dry in a cool dry place for like 3 days
5) throw them in empty fields.

Book Binding How To: John Carrera and His Pictorial Webster's Dictionary

Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.

How to Make Paper

I've been wanting to make handmade paper for years. It wasn't until I moved to Montana that I really had the right space to make paper at home. My sister and I set up in the orchard, just outside the art studio.

Earlier this year, I shredded my old journals to ready myself for summer pulp. I had the idea to make seed paper. My friends were horrified that I'd shredded my memories, but honestly -I kind of liked the idea of all that mid-twenties angst being planted in the soil and becoming something a little more green and new.

But, of course, when you have the time you never have the seeds, right? So we just soaked it in the bus boy tubs and then obliterated the chunks in a blender. The pulp was a pale blue from ink.

Hours and hours of writing done during my commute on the DC Metro.

I used a mould and deckle I bought from someone off ebay. I'm kind of underwhelmed. The slats on the back of the deckle don't allow me to use my wet/dry vac to suck out the extra water from underneath. That means it takes a lot longer to dry. And it is pretty much the only reason I bought the wet/dry vac.

But it does give me that nice Tibetan peace flag feeling when it hangs on a line in our orchard.

 

How to Make a Wreath From Recycled Paper

There is a link on the main page of my blog to a site called Craft Tutorials. You can find everything there - the good, the bad, the simply ugly. Wind chimes made of old measuring cups?

Or this. A wreath made from recycled paper. Vague instructions are here, and photos at the Rag & Bone Book Art blog. I am forever grateful to Craft Tutorials for introducing me to Rag & Bone. 

Esprit d'escalier.

The French phrase 'esprit d'escalier means 'the wit of the staircase', and usually refers to the perfect witty response you think up after the conversation or argument is ended.

People often wish they could improve their computer skills, or develop abs of steel. I wish for a Teflon spirit and a quicker command of the comeback line. Tessa suggested that we put together a "comeback dictionary" for me. Any suggestions?

Do-It-Yourself Photo Studio: Take Pictures of Your Art at Home for Free.

Many of the artists I work with tell me that they did not achieve commercial success until they hired professionals to photograph their work. When they can't afford it, they trade their art for professional photos.

I also believe in great photos, but I've been wanting to learn to do it myself. I've seen instructions for this DIY Macro Photo Studio pop-up on my internet travels, but never made time to give it a shot.

I made the photo box today, and I'm actually pretty pleased with the results. I put it together and shot about 16 photos in less than an hour. I made it with stuff I had around the studio. No money spent.

Compare this photo of "Egg Man" , taken in the DIY macro studio with the digital scan I'm using on my website. [I didn't crop the photo because I want you to see how the tissue paper lets light in on each side.]

I'm much happier with this photo. It captures the richness of the yellow, and the transparency of the encaustic wax without putting light through the wax as the scan did.

The DIY box seems to work best for small objects. I've never had good luck photographing this small piece I completed a few years ago. Lots of shiny stuff = lots of glare. The tissue seemed to cut down down on the glare, and overall, I'm pretty happy with this photo.

I'm going to keep fiddling with my DIY Macro Studio until I get it right. So far, I'm pretty excited about this low-cost compromise.

How Crayons Are Made.

If you grew up in the 70's (like I did) you probably remember the joy of a brand new box of Crayola crayons at the start of each school year. Did your Mom spring for 64 colors?

Do It Yourself Spells: Connecting to a Lost Love

Sixteen Candles., originally uploaded by Tessss.

1. Light a white candle. (Or if you are near a candle store, buy a male - if you are seeking to reconnect with a man - or female - if you want to connect to a woman - shaped candle)

2. Face the candle and briefly examine the flame.

3. Close your eyes and imagine the flame burning bright and strong.

4. Think of the person who you wish to connect to and say their name seven times.

5. Then imagine yourself talking to them again.

6. Make a wish that you will see or hear from them again soon.

7. Blow out the candle.

8. Let me know if it works.

via Madam Lichtenstein's Cosmic World.

How to Make a Dress Form for Sewing

If you sew your own clothing, chances are you've been wishing for a dress form. They really help fit patterns to your measurements and really improve the look of your finished projects. The problem is they are pretty expensive. It's hard to justify spending hundreds on something if you're not very good, but its hard to get better at sewing clothes without one. When I saw this How To video on Threadbanger, it seemed worth sharing.

Rings Made From Vintage Buttons

On my blog-a-versary, I posted a collection of some of my favorite posts from the last two years. A favorite project [perpetually] on my worktable was published in the first Blueprint magazine.

It seemed so simple - make yourself a collection of cocktail rings using vintage buttons using either a soldering iron or a little E6000 glue. About $400 in vintage buttons and two years later, I still haven't made any rings. (The original post on Martha.com is gone, but you can print out the directions here.)

I was thrilled when I heard from a blog reader that she had tried the project and it had gone well. She thanked me for the idea and said it helped her, that she had been feeling "kind of dead" lately and wanted to send me a ring as a gift. This is that ring.

Pretty amazing! One of those blog moments that kind of makes you "verklempt." Now, blog reader Lori and I are CPF Forever and we talk every day on Twitter. Thank you Lori, for the really good mail!

Spiral of Silkworm Cocoons

Spiral of cocoons, originally uploaded by abby.t.

Silkworm cultivators use these spiral cane baskets to "grow" cocoons. When the cocoons are ready, they will be harvested and boiled, to remove the thread for textile manufacture.

How to Make Self-Hardening Clay at Home

When you think of people who work in theatre, you probably imagine a lot of people in dark room, speaking with German accents, and wearing black. Sometimes that does actually happen. This is not a Sicilian wedding. It is an actual meeting to see the set models for the new show at The PlayGround Theatre.  I'm the second one from the left and I'll never give up black. NEVER!

 

But seriously. We're all beavering away getting everything ready for the opening of Inanna and the Huluppu Tree. My job is to help write the study guide that accompanies the play and design some "hands on" activities for the kids to do in the classroom.

The play is based in Sumer and it is from this area that the oldest written records are found. Sumerians loved to write. They recorded everything on clay tablets that were small enough to carry around. Some beautiful examples can be seen at The British Museum in the Mesopotamian Room.

One of the projects I thought of was to ask the kids to make tablets out of self-hardening clay to write on with a toothpick. So tonight? I kicked it like a Sumerian. I cracked open a beer (Sumerians loved beer) and mixed up a batch of self-hardening dough "clay." I wanted to make sure the recipe was a good one and that the project would be fun - not frustrating - to kids. 

As always, White Kitty seems to know the difference between ordinary work and an interesting project. He came to supervise. He's not, technically, allowed in the kitchen. So he likes to put his shoulder *just over* onto the tile.

It went well, and I think the kids will have a good time. I made a round one because I'm a student - only accomplished scribes wrote on the rectangular tablets. Learners used a round shape to practice on.  I gave up on the toothpick after about five seconds and used an assortment of items from my kitchen drawers.

So....what do you think my tablet is "saying"?

Here is my self-hardening clay recipe if you would like to try this at home. The recipe will make enough clay for six small tablets.

Self Hardening Clay

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon alum
1 1/2 cups salt
1 1/2 cups water

Mix flour, alum and salt together in a bowl.  Add water gradually to form a ball.  Knead (pound, roll & pull) the clay, adding water until it no longer falls apart.  Store in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator.  Allow the clay to come to room temp for easy use.  Let your finished project dry at room temp for 2 days.  It will become very hard and can be painted.

Easy Digital Photo Craft Project.

For Valentine's Day, I made a photo wall in Mike's office that capture some of his favorite memories of Montana. I came across the idea in the book, PhotoCraft.

It was simple and easy to do. I went to a discount store and bought a packet of slim, empty CD jewel case and a yard of sticky back velcro tape. I printed 5 x7's on the photo printing machine then trimmed them up and assembled the look in one evening. Total cost? About $15.

The jewel cases and velcro make it quick and easy to change the photos or re-arrange them. A perfect gift for anyone in your life - just choose some meaningful photos and go for it!

Valentine (and ANTI-Valentine) projects for the last minute crafter.

Oddly enough, today's Valentine inspiration was cobbled together from various posts on Twitter this week.

I follow @Jesus_ on Twitter. Now, obviously, he's not the *real* Jesus, but his "tweets" are kind of interesting. Today, he wrote: Prov 14:13 “Even in laughter the heart may be in pain…” It's Valentine's Day. Take some time to offer a loving expression to others."  That inspired me.

Twitter buddy Rebecca Shapiro was on TV the other day making these fabulous valentine hearts from felted sweaters. They are so quick and easy to make I bet you can whip up a few of them before your big date tonight. The "how-to" video and patterns for the hearts can be found here.

Suffered a recent breakup? Feeling kinda Anti-V-Day? Shred those old love letters and turn them into seed paper to plant in your garden this spring. OR, you could make THIS.

And, how about this quote from Richard Scarry? "If I write a letter to someone I love, someone I love may write a letter to me." Think back to the last time you received a hand-written personal letter - pretty rare these days. Why not send one to someone you care for? All it takes is a pen and a piece of paper. It doesn't matter if its late, it really, really doesn't. Really, really.

How to Knit a House for Your Hamster

Crack two kitties reader Jamie spotted this beauty yesterday in the New York Times. You must be as stunned as I was when I first saw the photo.

You can find this hamster house pattern, along with dozens of other fabulous, simple projects in the new book, Pet Projects, The Animal Knits Bible. 

According to the article, the hamster lived in the house for a day. And then he ate it.

How to Make Costumes for the Stage

Everyone at The PlayGround Theatre is working hard getting the new play ready for the spring premiere. I came across this short video from Threadbanger that explains how costumes are made for the Broadway stage. You can see some of the sketches by set designers at The PlayGround Theatre here. 

How to Transfer Images Using an Inkjet Printer

I've never had much success with traditional methods of image transfer. I've relied almost exclusively on "sew-in" fabrics for the inkjet in my art work. The fabric becomes transparent under encaustic wax, but it gets expensive, particularly if you make a printing mistake. This method uses inkjet transparencies and gel medium, and looks suspiciously simple. 

How to Make Seed Paper.

It's been ages since I've worked in the art studio. It was built as a summer cabin so the insulation is pretty poor. The heater keeps it not quite warm enough inside, but melts the snow on the roof enough to create some pretty dramatic icicles.

I spent the day shredding old journals. When I come back to Montana in the Spring, I plan to make them into seed paper - sheets of paper with grass seed embedded in the pulp. There is a "How to Make Seed Paper" post over at Thirfty Fun. I'll plant all these old pages in the dirt around the art studio. The grass will tell the story of how I got here.

Fold Your Own Paper Ornaments and Gift Boxes

Close-personal-artist-friend Kelly works as a consultant at the world famous Kate's Paperie in New York City. This is the store where I once, famously, spent $45 on a single sheet of handmade paper.

Now, back here in Montana, we don't have a Kate's but we have tons and tons and tons of scrapbooking stores.

I do not scrapbook, but over time I have learned to appreciate some of the materials because the selection in art supply stores here is so limited.  

I was really happy when Kelly sent these paper ornament ideas from Kate's website.

This is a perfect project for scrapbook paper - I can put two or three handmade truffles in these little bird boxes and pass them out. Check out the other ideas and download instructions on Kate's website.

Britex Fabrics San Francisco

San Francisco 2008, originally uploaded by Monique2008.

I just spent $224.23 on buttons at Britex Fabrics on Geary Street. Yup.

In theory, I will be using them to make button cocktail rings from Blueprint Magazine. I first posted about this project in 2007, but Martha keeps moving the how-to information. I put downloadable instructions here.

I also bought a few yards of super, duper, expensive ribbon, to make belts with the vintage bakelite belt buckles I found in an antique store a few years ago. I wish I could say that all this stuff filled a giant garbage bag, but its snug inside a small paper sack tucked inside my wallet. Sigh.

Tote Bags Made from Fused Plastic Grocery Bags

I love it when people send me interesting project ideas for the blog. It looks like I made these really cool, creative items, when, in fact, it was actually someone else!  My friend D. sent in these photos of a tote she made from fused plastic grocery bags.

The idea is based on one published in the most recent CRAFT magazine.I found an online tutorial explaining the simple process right here. This is the method CRAFT uses for the tote bag project.

The question I ask, whenever someone sends me a project suggestion, "Is it simple enough that a monkey could do it?" If so, then it is a good craft project for me. I don't have much patience for long, involved, multi-step projects. I want to start and finish things in one afternoon. So, D., Could a monkey do this?

CRAFTzine.com has published several other ideas for plastic grocery bags. You can check them out here.

How to Make Nature Prints from Spider Webs

 

I love to make nature prints. I'd never thought of using a real spider web to make a print until I found a book in the library by Laura Donnelly Bethmann. She gives great instructions, and I'm hoping to try it when I get back to Montana - spider web central.

To do this project, you need:

• A friend;
• Two sheets of stiff cardboard, larger than the spider web you will be printing;
• Two strong pieces of paper you can attach to the back of the cardboard as handles;
• a roll of strong tape;
• Two sheets of soft white printing paper, the same size as your boards;
• A handful of large binder clips;
• A measuring tape to measure the web;
• Can of black, oil-based spray paint;
• A spray can of fixative.

Remove spider from web. Bethmann says the spider will make another web within the hour - so no worries. Measure the spider web and cut the two sheets of board and printing paper to exceed the dimensions of the web. Create a handle for the back of each board by cutting two strips of paper, each approximately 8 inches long. Attach the handles to the back of the cardboard, in the middle, with strong tape. Secure the paper to the right side of each board with the clips or tape.

This is the part where it helps to have a friend.Take your boards and spray paint outside to your web. Bring a piece of paper or fabric if you need to protect your house or lawn furniture from the paint.  Spray both sides of the web lightly with the paint. Slip your hands through the handles, and quickly bring one board to the web so that it comes evenly in contact with the paper. Holding it steady, bring the second board up against the other side of the web until the two boards meet.

Have your friend hold the boards together while you slip your hands out of the holders. Press or rub the outsides of the boards to transfer the image onto the paper and let the prints dry. Spray the dried image with fixative.

Interesting, huh?

How to Make a Skirt from a Pillowcase and a Beach Bag from an Old Towel...

I squeezed in some time at the thrift store this morning after running a couple of errands in town. When I saw these three lovelies, at 40 cents apiece, I thought they might look great restyled as skirts!

This project has been on my mind ever since I saw the skirt Belladia made. You can find her photos and tutorial right here. Head over to etsy.com and search for 'pillowcase skirts' and you'll be amazed by what comes up. I wonder if my Marimekko obsessed mum has any unmatched sets in her linen closet?

How about this little number? There is a pattern you'll find in Angry Chicken's book, Bend the Rules Sewing, that looks just like this! A very trendy, inexpensive gift for the toddlers in your life.

This towel is another thrift find. Past it's prime as home decor but I'm thinking it will make an excellent beach bag. We can never have too many of them around here! I'm going to use Martha's simple instructions.

 

Andy Goldsworthy: How to Use Your Spring Dandelions.

It may not be cool to love weeds, but I love dandelions. I love their intense color, the way they smell, and the way they change from a hot, damp, yellow to papery-dry, transparent, white.

I have good memories of dandelions from childhood. My sister and I chanting, "Mama had a baby and it's head popped off!"   Then FLICK! It's yellow bud instantly decapitated. Or making a wish and blowing on the the fuzzy white seeds - if you could blow them all away, we believed that the wish would come true.

I think the artist Andy Goldsworthy sees what I see. The bright pop of dandelion yellow like a river down this field of blue bells. It's more complicated than it looks. He's pinned them with thorns to stalks of grass, and held up the chain with forks made of brush.

Embroidery with a Regular Sewing Machine

This post from Threadbanger inspired me. GirlPopcorn gives a "how to" lesson on embroidery using line drawings and a regular old sewing machine. The possibilities for art and clothing are endless.

I'm guessing that GirlPopcorn makes this look easy because she's done it so many times. When I do this project, I'll probably just do a simple line drawing so that I can master the process.

I might start with a freehand drawing using a disappearing ink pen or an iron-on transfer pencil. I'd also like to try using embroidery transfer paper to copy a drawing from an old book.

Paint by Numbers From Your Own Photos

This painting of Buddy the dog is actually a paint-by-numbers kit ordered from www.easy123art.com. The site creates custom kits from your favorite digital photos.

Now stand up and back away from the computer monitor. That's the best way to really see it. It's kind of impressionistic, if you know what I mean. I love the way the way the vertical folds of his neck chub emerge as you walk away.    

I'm happy with it, but honestly, it was much harder to paint than I ever imagined it would be. I feel silly even writing that but it's absolutely true. The computer program can pick up very subtle variations from the original photo, making some of the numbers and spaces on the canvas pretty darn tiny. I found that toward the end, I could only work on it in very short spurts.

Part of me wishes I had bumped up the contrast or made my original photo black and white (by cranking up the "contrast" or dialing down the "saturation" using a photo editing software program.) It would have made this photo so Gerhard Richter-y.