Tag Archives: Robin’s Nest

Mixing media with a steampunk star canvas

Mixing media with a steampunk star canvas

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With a blank canvas in front of me, I decided to let me creativity soar by creating a mixed media piece for which I had not meticulously planned the final outcome.

In fact, the focal point is something I spontaneously grabbed from one of my studio tables, where it had served as a paperweight for several years.

The impetus for this steampunk project were some chipboard gears made by Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts. Here’s how I brought the whole thing together.

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Tutorial How to Make the ‘Steampunking to a Star’ Canvas

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Begin by prepping both the Gears Shape Set and a blank canvas with a coat of gesso.

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After the canvas dries. apply modeling paste with assorted stencils of your choosing. When the paste dries, dry brush your surface with yellow, grass green and sky blue acrylic paint, making sure you use a heat tool to dry the paint between each color.

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Next use a white paint pen to highlight some raised surfaces and Distress pens to emphasize some of the valleys. Then adhere torn pieces of an old sewing pattern to portions of the canvas. Repeat with printed tissue.

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Emboss all the gears with seafoam white embossing powder. Then emboss portions of them with copper, bronze, blue and green embossing powders.

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If any of the metal bits of hardware (in my case it was the the spring) you plan to use are not rusty enough, you can make them extra rusty with bronze embossing powder.

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Adhere your chipboard gears, metal star, metal hardware and dew drops to the canvas with a strong adhesive.

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After the glue dries, you steampunk canvas is ready for display. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Enjoy your weekend! –

Great Stuff

Gears Shape Set

Canvas

Large metal star

Stencils

Embossing powders in bronze, copper, seafoam white, blue and green

Old sewing pattern

Tim Holtz tissue paper

Metal spring and bits of rusty hardware

Distress pens

Matte medium

Modeling Paste

Gesso

Acrylic paint

Dew Drops

Beacon Fabri-Tac

A riot of spring colors–butterfly tag tutorial

A riot of spring colors–butterfly tag tutorial

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The promise of spring is here in the Northland with budding lilac trees and shoots of green forcing their way through the still frozen earth. After months of bleak winter landscape, the vibrant colors and textures of spring are truly a rebirth. My three-dimensional butterfly tag is meant to reflect the wonderful assault of color that spring brings. Please visit the tutorial on how to make this fun take at the ColourArte Blog.

 

Paper-Calliope-CA-tutorial-122330 Read the rest of this entry

Swag swoon…Please don’t faint from this blog’s lavish perks…a free printable calendar

Swag swoon…Please don’t faint from this blog’s lavish perks…a free printable calendar

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had lots of fun making this month-at-a-glance mixed media calendar. I hope you visit the ColourArte blog to see how to make it. I will love you even more if you leave a kind note on the post over there.

To make the project a lot less time consuming, I create this printable calendar for you. And guess what! It’s free!

Just download the Month at a glance printable from Paper Calliope.

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2016 handcrafted calendar–bright days ahead

2016 handcrafted calendar–bright days ahead

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What better way is there to ring in a new year–not counting those midnight champagne kisses–than by making a handcrafted calendar?

I’m excited for 2016. For me personally, I sure hope it is better than 2015. What’s more, I am looking forward to embark on some exciting new adventures that I have been keeping under wraps.

Today though, is a little sad, since it marks my last post as a Robin’s Nest Design Team Member. The Robin’s Nest was my first design team and the gang there will always hold a special place in my heart.

Please visit the Robin’s Nest and see the tutorial for this 2016 desktop star calendar.

Also, as I promise in that post, here is the 2016 mini calendar I created. Please feel free to download and use it for your crafting projects.

Download this free 2016 Calendar Printable made by moi!

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The colors of the Northern Lights in a Winter Wonderland

The colors of the Northern Lights in a Winter Wonderland

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My altered art Christmas tag at the Robin’s Nest today features lots and texture and the rich and vibrant colors of the Northern Lights in a Winter Wonderland.

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Adding some color into winter days

Adding some color into winter days
Adding some color into winter days

 

 

 

When the beautiful colors of fall have disappeared, the scenery can get sometimes pretty stark up here in the Northland. I try to add as much color as possible indoors and out to my winter days.

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You can see how I decorated my lilac trees last year. If only the snow always stayed that pretty! I can tell you that is not going to happen when you live in the heart of the city.

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This year, I have already begun working on adding some indoor color. Here is a mixed media tag I made this week full of rich, vibrant color. I shared the tutorial on the ColourArte site. I hope you check it out. Read the rest of this entry

Oh so hip artist trading block–part two

Oh so hip artist trading block–part two

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Please visit the wonderful gang over at the Robin’s Nest to see the tutorial for  Part Two of the Mid-Century Artist Trading Block, celebrating the marvelous mid-century.

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Oh so hip artist trading block–Part one

Oh so hip artist trading block–Part one

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I’m back with another artist trading block–this one celebrating the marvelous mid-century. Read all about how to make it over at he Robin’s Nest.

 

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Creeping up my Halloween–Part Two

Creeping up my Halloween–Part Two

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I’m back with Part Two of my Creepy Creaky China Cabinet. Please hop over to the Robin’s Nest today to see the rest of the tutorial.

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Fabulous stuff used in this project

Gina’s Design China Cabinet
Plum Fleur (and stripes on reverse side)
Plum Purple Glitter Cardstock
Purple Bats Glitter Cardstock
Black Bats Glitter Cardstock
Spiderweb Glitter Cardstock
Purple Crackle Glitter Cardstock
Light purple cardstock
Black cardstock
Glitter Mask
Halloween decorative ribbon
Curio Knobs by Tim Holtz Idea-ology, 3 per Pack, 1 x 7/8 Inches, White and Clear, Metal and Plastic, TH92840
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad, Vintage Photo
Alpha Stamps Small Amber Bottles with Corks
Alpha Stamps Stitched Leaf Ribbon
Alpha Stamps Miniature Rustic Broom
Alpha Stamps Long Antique Bronze Skull Spider Pendant
Alpha Stamps Ceramic Gargoyle Bead
Alpha Stamps Skull Charm
AlphaStamps Corked Dome
Spooky Labels
Miniature glitter book
Miniature Black Hinges
Black paper ribbon
Plastic fern
Vintage Halloween images from personal collection
Halloween skeletons, spiders and doo-dads from personal collection
Wooden spool
Black acrylic paint
Red permanent marker
Black permanent marker
Assorted adhesives