Something new.... Trees

This weekend I was compelled to work on something besides clay and jewelry. I have a show coming up this weekend ( the 2nd one this month) and I needed a break from the production. I wanted to make something just for the sake of making something with no pressure about getting sales, feedback or promoting. What was I going to make? I didn't want to use clay, I didn't want to spend money on supplies and I wanted to make some "green" art since polymer clay isn't very green and I do like to upcycle whenever I can. The answer came in a stack of catalogs that have been sitting in my closet forever. I knew they would come in handy at some point, so I just couldn't throw them a way (Yes, I'm a pack rat when it comes to possible art supplies). Earlier in the week, I helped feed Kyle's creative bug by having him cut out shapes from magazines to create a collage, so I figured I would do the same. I don't like cutting much so I grabbed my trusty circle cutters that I use for making stickers and tags for my promo materials and atrted punching. I punched a bunch of different sizes and separated them by colors. Now I had to decide what to make, so of course I immediately throught of trees. I have made bubble tree ACEO's and pendant;s. so I just went with it and I like how they turned out. I actually spent most of Friday and Saturday punching and arranging and gluing (Yes, I did stop long enough to feed my kids). I started with simple trees the like the ones above and below and uses some cedar wood samples as my canvas:














Then I started getting a little complicated:















































While I said I wasn't going to worry about sales, I do plan on offering the trees as prints in my new Etsy shop that will be opening this summer which will focus on prints of my artwork and photos (of course there will be a big blog announcement and grand opening sales once I get it started). I wanted to wait to share them until then, but I hadn't blogged in so long and they really gave me something to blog about.

Take some time this week to create something totally new. Don't put a lot of thought into it and just go with what you're feeling. Lose yourself for a while in your new endeavor. Try to upcycle something that's laying around your house (or stuffed in your closet). If you make something inspired by this post, please send me a photo and short description, and I will be sure to post it here.

I leave you with a collage Kyle was inspired to make after watching me create mine. He's already asked me to add it to my Etsy shop too:

Easter Egg Basket Tutorial

Don't buy an Easter baskets this year, make one of your own from recycled materials. Save your money, help the environment and make something special that will be cherished year after year. This is another project that's great for kids.

Egg Easter Basket Materials:

1 large balloon
Newspaper Strips
Papier Mache paste (click link for recipe)
Circle of cardboard
Acrylic paint in your choice of colors
Tissue paper or paper for decoupaging
White glue
cording for handle

1. Blow up your balloon to the desired size and shape. As you can see from my photo at the top, one was blown up more than the other which affected the overall shape.

2. Cover the newspaper strips in papier mache (removing excess) and cover the balloon. You'll need at least 5-6 layers for a sturdy basket (remember to change directions of the strips with each layer to make it stronger).

3. Allow the "egg" to dry overnight.

4. Once it's dry, test the strength of the egg and make sure there aren't any weak spots. The egg should be very stiff. If it's not stiff enough, add more layers of newspaper strips and let dry again.

5. If the egg is strong enough, use a craft knife to cut out the opening and remove the balloon, remembering to leave enough egg at the bottom to hold the grass and all the Easter goodies. I chose to mimic the shape of the egg, but you could use any shape you'd like. The shape of a bunny or a chick would be fun. You can use sandpaper to smooth the opening, or add some more papier mache strips to smooth it out. Let dry.

6. Cut a small circle from the bottom of the egg to create a base for the egg to stand on. Use a circular piece of cardboard to cover the whole, cover with masking tape and papier mache the inside and outside of the base. 3-4 layers on each side. Allow to dry.

7. Seal the entire egg basket with Gesso or primer (don't forget the inside too). Let dry.

8. Finish the egg by painting it and/or decoupaging with tissue paper or decorative paper. Add silk flowers, ribbon or any other embellishment to make it fun.

9. Add the finishing touches. Poke 2 holes in the top and feed through the cord (I used the cord handles from leftover gift bags). Tie a knot inside the egg on both side and pull tight. You can also add feet to your basket by gluing on wooden beads or make your own with polymer clay.

10. Fill with your favorite Easter goodies! Don't forget the peeps!

Be Inspired by the Sound of the Rain - A mini tutorial

It's been raining here for the last couple of days and despite the fact that it is still pretty cold, there is still always something cleansing and refreshing about the rain. I thought it was the perfect opening for me to share a fun tutorial about how to make a rainstick. The recycled crayon tutorial was really well received, so I thought I would post another one. This one also uses mostly recycled items. It doesn't have as many photos because we actually made them awhile ago, but I think you'll be able to follow along pretty easily.

Materials needed:

1 cardboard paper towel roll
approximately 30 1 inch nails
beads - assorted shapes, sizes, glass and plastic
1 sheet of cardstock
masking or duct tape
papier mache paste
strips of newspaper
tissue paper
white glue









1. The first thing you need to do is insert nails into the paper towel roll approximately 1/2 inch apart following the spiral of the card board on the paper towel roll. Make a second row of nails about 1 inch below the first row and spiral it around the roll. This is probably best done by parents if you are doing this with your children. You can also pre-poke the holes and then it should be OK for the kids to insert the nails. The nails should be short enough that they don't puncture the other side, but long enough to span the diameter of the roll. When you are finished, this is what the inside of your roll should look like:
The spiral "staircase" made by the nails will slow the beads a bit as the travel down the roll and create the rain sound.








2. Next cut 2 circles out of the cardstock to cover the ends of the roll. The cardstock will add another dimension of sound as the beads hit it. Cover one end and tape down the cardstock. Remember to add the beads before sealing the other end. I recommend using different sizes of beads and both plastic and glass for a realistic rain sound. Test your rainstick by tilting it and listen to hear the rain.

3. Cover the entire stick with tape. This will secure the nails and help the roll keep it's shape during the papier mache process.

4. Take strips of newspaper and dip them in the papier mache paste (follow the link above for an easy recipe, or just google it. There tons of different recipes out there) and wipe off the excess. Layer the strips of paper, making sure to change directions for each layer to increase it's strength. You'll need at least 4 layers. Let it dry overnight. If the rain stick feels sturdy and strong when dry proceed to the next step. If it is still a bit flimsy, add a couple more layers of papier mache & newspaper strips and let dry again before proceeding.

5. Seal the rainstick with gesso or primer and then paint or cover with strips of tissue using slightly watered down white glue. I recommend sealing the stick with matte sealer spray to protect your design since it will be handled.













6. Have fun and enjoy the soothing sounds of the rain!

Here's a tutorial that outlines how to make a polymer clay rain stick.

Here are a couple really cool polymer rain stick's made by Alyssa of Divadea.etsy.com. She even used the paper towel roll core, which I hadn't tried before with polymer clay.






Update: My tutorial made it onto the Totally Tutorials Blog! They have some really great free tutorials there. Make sure to check them out!