Just Another Manic Monday 11/14/11

It’s “just another Manic Monday” at ScrapMatters.com!!! Monday ONLY!! Select items for $2 or 50% off!! Visit theScrapMatters Shop for more details!!

*Manic Monday sales go into the shop early Monday morning and will “disappear” around midnight! HURRY! What are you waiting for!?! *

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Pottery Painting, Soap Making and Decoupage Parties

There are 3 crafty party ideas which can be really good fun to do and learn from. Whether you have artistic and creative flair or not, you can always produce something that looks good.

With pottery painting, although what a person might create on a chosen piece of pottery might initially look a bit drab, once it has been glazed and fired it always comes out looking really great. Painting onto bisque (white unfired pottery) is very easy. After washing the bisque down to get rid of any residue and dust you apply the paint to a maximum of three coats. You must start with the light colours and add the dark. The colours applied change quite dramatically in the firing process which takes roughly 24 hours.
The second idea is the process of sticking colourful paper onto any hard object and has become known as decopatch. As its name suggests the origin of decoupage comes from France. This is a fantastic newish art medium and does, to a degree, take you back doing collage and paper mache at school. It has however, evolved. The lovely thin paper with dramatic colours and patterns can be stuck onto almost anything producing a unique and personal piece of work. It is remarkably simple. All you do is tear the paper and stick it onto your object either randomly or not.
We all go to the shops and spend mountains of money on beauty products but making soap and and other bath items such as bubble bath and gels can be so easy and so creative. This is the 3rd idea and it can be fun because you can add the flavours you want and make the items the colour you really want... maybe to match your bathroom.

ARTYCRAFTYPARTY are based within the Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire area and can provide the 3crafty ideas for children and adults of all ages and abilities.

To find out more information visit our website or give us a call and we will match your needs and budget as best as we can. We aim to create a funfilled party crafty party or event and an experience everyone enjoys and remembers.

Create Your Own Decorative Wooden Boxes

Decorative wooden boxes can be very expensive to purchase depending on how decorative you want them. Luckily there are plenty of unfinished wood boxes on the market in many sizes, shapes, and styles to choose from. Once you purchase the size and shape box that you prefer you will then have to decide how you wish to decorate it. There are many ways to go about decorating a wooden box including painting, staining, decoupage, wood burning, and wood carving. Some methods cost more than others. For instance, wood burning tools cost more than paint and a paint brush. The great thing about decorating your own wooden box is that you can use some of your own artistic abilities.

Many people enjoy painting and drawing, but most of the time the work is done on paper or canvas. Think of a wood box as a blank canvas and let your imagination run wild. You can paint the entire box in one solid color then follow that with some other kind of design. Staining can be fun as well because it allows the wood's beautiful texture or imperfections to shine and come through which in itself can be considered art. Wood burning and wood carving are a little bit more specialized and require specific tools and supplies to accomplish. Decoupage is probably the easiest way to decorate any solid object. Decoupage can be done with photos, newspapers, magazines, and other types of images. You can find special decoupage glue at any craft store. Add glitter or confetti for an extra special shine. Wooden jewelry and trinket boxes make great gifts as well.

Shop online when you can because online stores have more varieties of unfinished boxes to choose. Creating your own decorative wooden boxes has never been so easy with all of the different materials available on the internet. Try to purchase most of your supplies from the same store and in one single purchase so you can reduce the cost of shipping items separately. Internet wholesale craft stores sell their products in bulk so you can easily save money there if you need large quantities of the same product. Look for sale and clearance items as well. Sometimes items go on sale or clearance because they are considered seasonal but could easily work for a box decorating project.

Visit our recommended resources if interested in learning more about crafting wooden boxes or how to make decorative trinket boxes.

Copyright 2009 Dessie Campbell. All Rights Reserved.

Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active and do not edit the article in any way.

Decoupage on Denim

Here is another idea of creating embellished customized jeans - let us decorate them in decoupage technique! This will without any doubt give your favorite jeans an exclusive and original touch!

We'll need a piece of fabric with some beautiful motif and an adhesive film. Cut out the fabric motif and put it onto the adhesive film. Iron it with an iron - it should be hot enough, and "humidifier" regime should be switched off. Not taking off the protective coat of adhesive film carefully cut out the motif. It is necessary in order to provide certain stiffness of fabric and thus make the cutting-out process much easier. After this technique has been applied the cut becomes more precise and regular.

After taking off the protective coat of adhesive film stick the cut out element onto your tailor-made jeans and press the pattern with a hot iron. The next thing you should do is to fix the edges of our pattern so that they don't get frayed. The adhesive film partially fulfills this function as well; however, to make it even safer we'll need to apply special relief lacquer onto all the contours of our decorative motive. Besides, after the lacquer runs dry it will create a volumetric edge. If you don't want this edge to stand out, then choose a toneless lacquer or of the color corresponding with the tones of your fabric pattern. And, on the contrary, if you want to attract more attention to this volumetric edge, choose the lacquer of contrast colors.

Custom tailored jeans can also be decorated in decoupage technique with paper ornaments of bright colors combined with microbeads. This technology lets your fantasy fly and enables to create original designer clothes pieces which can be perfectly personalized and thus suit everybody.

Cut out the paper ornament you want to see on your jeans and put it onto adhesive film as explained above. Press it with an iron. Remember, that your ornament should be bright so that it could be better seen on denim. Ornaments placed on denim on dark colors will look a bit faded compared with light-blue or white jeans. However, adhesive film creates a certain barrier between denim and the ornament, so there is no need to worry it could get amiss.

Cut out adhesive film with your ornament, take off protective coat and stick it to denim surface. Iron it with "humidifier" regime switched off. Put a layer of textile finishing lacquer only onto your ornament trying not to spot it on jeans around it. To attract more attention to the contours of your ornament you can decorate it with microbeads for textile of the corresponding color.

Microbeads are fixed with special glue because all other glue types do not guarantee stability of decoration during washing. In case you want to cover a large surface with microbeads use special adhesive film for microbeads. You can play with contrast colors to make your ornament even more original. That's it - your embellished custom jeans in decoupage technique are ready! Hope you have enjoyed the process.

Soon you will be able to design custom jeans online with the help of GetWear custom jeans service! Stay tuned!

Piero Fornasetti: Timeless, Accessible Art

When we think of "art," we often think of something so sublime, so extraordinary, that we can see it only in museums, and appreciate it only if we are fortunate enough to possess special, rare sensibilities-like our overachieving, patronizing cousin Sheldon, or our freshman year art history professor who looked like she rather be painting, or sculpting-or doing anything other than drilling into our philistine heads the wonders of Botticelli. Not for us Picasso in his blue phase-put the department store print over the mantel and change the channel. Got any more taco chips?

But of course this isn't true. Everyone has the ability to appreciate art, and everyone should have the opportunity to bring it into their homes. Not the generic, neutral, unsurprising art of banks, medical offices and lawyers' waiting rooms, but real art-engaging, surprising, and ageless. Art with function as well as form.

Piero Fornasetti's genius was that he was able to create that kind of art. Born in Milan, Italy, in 1913 an educated at the Brera Academy and Milano University, Fornasetti refused to limit his artistic vision to paper or canvas. Instead, he excelled in the decorative arts, using various media to create over 11,000 different items, ranging from an umbrella stand to a decorative screen, from a chair to wallpaper.

He was the interior decorator for the San Remo Casino, and the first class sections of the ocean liner Andrea Doria. And with his furniture, decorative accessories, and clothing items, such as scarves, he brought his unique artistic vision to thousands.

Fornasetti found inspiration everywhere, particularly classical Greek and Roman art. However, his best known inspiration was a run-of-the-mill newspaper engraving of the famous 19th century operatic soprano and beauty, Lina Cavalieri. Although Cavalieri was twice painted and continually photographed, the engraving emphasized her classical beauty, and inspired Fornasetti to recreate it in decoupage on china-350 times. These 350 plates, collectively known as "Themes and Variations" depict the engraving of Cavalieri's face in all sorts of poses and styles, ranging from the darkly romantic image of her with a candle, to a Daliesque vision, to the picture of a shattered plate, on a plate itself. In one common illustration, Fornasetti was able to find hundreds-some witty, some romantic, some clever, some gorgeous-all timeless.

Artists' suns rise and set, but a few years before his death in 1988, interest in Fornasetti's work revived. Now, his son Barnaba works to bring his father's creations to life, using the same methods Piero used almost a century ago. Piero Fornasetti didn't believe that true art could be categorized by time periods-that good art was always good art. And it's true. The plates of "Themes and Variations" are as lovely, amusing, and interesting now as they were when they were created. And rather than hanging isolated in a gallery, they can be brought into the home, where they can serve as focal pieces, conversation starters and, well, serving pieces, showcasing Fornasetti's genius for making the commonplace singularly uncommon.

Piero Fornasetti's Themes and Variations plates are just a part of the incredible home decor treasures you'll find at http://www.collierwest.com

Decopatch Ideas: Intriguing Crafts For All Occasions

Creating eye-catching crafts is something anyone can do, given the proper technique and supplies. This is also true with Decopatch. Just about any material can be covered in Decopatch, making it a very versatile crafting technique. The following Decopatch ideas can be used for a variety of holidays and occasions.

Picture Frames

A Decopatch frame can be used for a beloved family portrait and given as a gift any time of the year. These are also fun to help a child make for framing their favourite piece of artwork from school. Picture frames can be vibrant colors for accenting what it surrounds or made with muted colors so as to not detract from it. Either way, the pieces of paper can be added right onto any type of frame; wooden, metal, or even plastic.

Greeting Cards

It's always fun to create greeting cards that are more personal than the ones sold in stores. The store-bought cards that are hand crafted can be quite expensive. Homemade greeting cards can add a nice touch to the holiday salutations enclosed within them and help the card creator save a bit of money as well.

Easter Eggs

A basket filled with Decopatch Easter eggs catches a lot of attention. It's better if these eggs are emptied out first, by poking a hole in the top and bottom of the egg. After this is achieved, the contents can then be blown out. When the egg has been emptied and allowed to dry for a short while, the Decopatch can begin. This will make the eggs very sturdy and able to withstand lots of handling without becoming damaged.

Furniture

This is a great project for a child's room, sewing room, or anywhere there's a need for some flair. Tables and chairs are the most common forms of furniture that are covered in Decopatch, but any type of furnishing can be covered.

The process is fairly simple:

Step 1 - Tear paper into small pieces

Step 2 - Apply glue where the paper is going to be positioned.

Step 3 - Place paper onto the glued surface, one piece at a time.

Step 4 - Apply a coat of glue over the piece of paper that was just placed on the item.

Step 5 - Once all the paper is in place, make sure all pieces are coated with the clear glue.

Step 6 - Two or three coats of varnish can be added over the entire project for additional protection. Be sure to wait an hour between each application.

Do you like the ideas that are mentioned above? It's best to use clear glue that is designed specifically for Decopatch. We know that you are going to have a lot of fun doing this.

Katia is the author of a 10-page guide, "30 FAQ's to Help You Master the Art of Decopatch". For your complimentary copy, visit http://www.paper2play.com - a website that specializes in provided craft related tips, advices and resources to unlock your creativity with paper craft ideas!

Piero Fornasetti: Uncommon, Unexpected

We're often told to look for the beauty everywhere around us, to find the extraordinary in the ordinary but, well, sometimes we all need a little help. And when we can't find the wonder in the solely functional, we need an artist who can put it there-an artist like Piero Fornasetti.

Born in Milan on November 10, 1913, Piero Fornasetti knew early on that he wanted to be an artist. At 17, he began studies at Milan's Academy of Fine Arts of Brera. Two years later, in 1932, he was expelled for "insubordination," engendered, no doubt, by his claim that they were not teaching what he truly wanted to learn: drawing from life. He went on to Milano University, where he exhibited his first work, printed silk scarves, in 1933 at the Milan Triennale.

Fornasetti found his artistic calling working in different media to create functional décor items. Always fascinated by time, he designed a Calendar book for his friend, Gio Ponti. He was commissioned to be the interior decorator for the San Remo Casino, and the first class sections of the ocean liner Andrea Doria. Never one to be limited to canvas, paper, or stone, he used wood, silk, ceramics, and engraving to create unique-and uniquely beautiful-screens, plates, furniture, blinds, wallpaper and accessories. He often used one form of art to create another; for example, architectural columns, repeated, became the motif for a set of blinds. Perhaps the most famous instance of this, however, is his use of a 19th century newspaper engraving for 350 or more decoupage plates.

"Themes and Variations," as the series is called, depicts one face-that of soprano, actress, and renowned beauty Lina Cavalieri-in a series of scenes and poses. Although Cavalieri was one of the most photographed women of her time, Fornasetti used a commonplace engraved illustration, repeating its classical features hundreds of times: in candlelight; as part of a hot air balloon; with a finger to her lips; in a Daliesque scene; winking; or shattered. These plates-as au courant now as the day they were created, captured the public's imagination and later, in the London design store, also known as Themes and Variations, brought the aging artist back into the limelight.

After his father's death in 1988, Barnaba Fornasetti continues to create replicas of these plates, along with other decorative arts, in the same manner in which his father worked, almost a century ago. It is a mark of Fornasetti's artistic vision that his pieces do not seem dated. He once said "I refuse to establish the value of things based on time," and his work is, above all, timeless.

 

Decorative Switchplate Covers

Switchplate covers are a fun and inexpensive way to decorate your home. Whether you own and are looking for the finishing touches to your home, or you are a renter that wants to bring a little of your own personality into your home, switchplate covers are the easiest way to do this.

There are two different ways in which a handcrafted switchplate can be made. The first is by using the age old art of decoupage. This is the most common handcrafted type of switchplate cover which will be discussed further in this article. The second is dye sublimation by which the image is actually permanently embedded into the switchplate. Dye Sublimation creates a more commercial-like product.

Decoupage is the most widely used way of creating handcrafted switchplates. Decoupage has been traced back as far as the 12th century where it was found in Chinese peasant art. The craft then became known as decoupage in France (from the word decouper, to cut out), when it attained great popularity during the 17th and 18th centuries. Decoupage is the art of decorating an object by gluing a design onto a medium and finishing it for permanence and durability.

In shopping for switchplate covers, you will find several different methods of "finishing" this product.

Lacquer. Lacquer has a few undesirable properties, It has a nasty tendency to crack, craze, or "check" if exposed to low temperatures. It will also crack if applied too thick. Over time, since a light switchplate is touched thousands of times by many different people, the lacquer finish may develop a permanent tackiness or stickiness.



Polymer Coating. This finish cures by a chemical reaction in which the liquid finish hardens to a solid material which will last for many years.



Acrylic Coating. Easy to clean, will last a long time if not directly exposed to sunlight. Drawback, scratches easily.



Polyurethane. Provides a clear coating, but yellows with age.



Laminate. Laminate is the newest form of finishing. The design is "sandwiched" between layers of plastic and sealed with heat and pressure. Laminated switchplates are easy to clean and last for many years.

When shopping for switchplates, it is difficult to determine which is the best The actual workmanship is the most important thing to look for. The honesty and integrity of the "seller" plays a big part in this. Are they doing this as a hobby? Or is this their business. There are plus and minuses on each side. If they are selling as a hobby, will you be able to coordinate your room months down the line? Do they have the quantity available that you are looking for. Will they be around for the next room that you are looking to redo?

I've been to many boutiques that carry handcrafted switchplate covers, but I have never found a store that specializes in them. In order to find this specialty, you must turn to the internet and as with any internet purchase, you need to be careful and check things out.

Through the Minds Eye has been creating switchplate covers and other quality handcrafted home décor items since 2000. They take pride in the quality and craftsmanship of their switchplate covers. Visit [http://www.ThroughTheMindsEye.net] for home decor with a personality.

Wrapping Paper

Many nations in the world are increasingly moving into energy conservation. This means actively seeking ways in which they can curb waste and reduce emissions and clutter. Towards this goal, is the movement to go paperless? One of the simplest ways of doing this is to recycle. During holiday's seasons like Christmas, people exchange gifts and in so doing, a lot of paper exchanges hands in the form of gift wraps. Decorative and colorful paper makes its way around to homes, garbage bins, rivers, lakes, parks and other places and eventually becomes an environmental hazard.

Decoupage projects have become quite popular not just with children but with adults. Try inviting friends over and family for an exciting Christmas decoupage project competition. This is an exciting moment where people socialize over something exciting and family-oriented. For successful decoupage projects, one has to use proper gift wrapping paper which are usually in large quantities during the Christmas holiday season.

Most people have never heard of the word Decoupage. They most likely know what it is but do not have associate that name with the practice. In French, this simply means the painstaking craft of paper and picture-cutting out of mundane pictures that we see every day. There is no set of rules to apply and the pictures can be cut out of anything such as boxes, magazines etc and then glued together to form a distinct pattern called a "project".

It is unclear where this art first originated but there is talk that it first appeared in China. It is said that the Orientals has mastered the art of decoupage and the Far Eastern merchants who travelled to Europe brought the craft with them and it was adapted by the French. The Japanese have also been known to be very astute when it comes to this craft and this can be seen in their festivals where there are large designs that have been made by purely utilizing very mundane everyday cuttings and gluing them together.

There is really no limit to what can be crafted. Children, parents and friends can team up together to form the decoupage project forms of their choice. These can range from flowers, cars, houses, plates, forks etc. Experienced people can also come up with quite elaborate designs by using mere box cutters, cardboard, paper clips and glue. There is also heavy utilization of gift wrap papers especially the ones that become available during the holiday season. There is also heavy usage of razors and scissors for the best results. Some adults have almost made a career out of it and have been contracted by interested parties to make quite interesting designs and shapes.

We mentioned the fact that practically any shape can be made. It also depends on one's taste. Girls tend to make shapes and designs that are unique to their particular tastes and boys likewise. At birthday parties, it is no longer uncommon to see decoupage designs being made. This is also another way to keep children preoccupied during important adult meetings where the adults have come to an important meeting with children. This can be at weddings or business meetings where the children may be segregated into separate rooms and given decoupage tasks with Christmas wrapping paper.

To become successful in this exercise, you must get the right materials and wares. One is being the wrapping paper of course. The next step is to procure the pictures and designs that you want. These are readily available in old cardboards or old magazines, text books and other pictured publications. Glue, scissors and razors are also handy equipment to have. Then one has to have a rough mental idea of what they want to curve out.

Some people go a step further and instead of relying on mere paper cuttings, they actually incorporate their own paintings into the design. This introduces a unique concept into the picture where the final outcome can be manipulated to produce a more unique design.

Struggling with excessive Christmas wrapping pictures? Use them for decoupage project instead of littering or throwing them away. Some people even store the wrapping paper until next season when they will be recycled and reused on a different project.

Wrapping Paper Shop Com provides the best deals and information about wrapping paper wholesale, printable wrapping paper, wrapping paper rolls, brown wrapping paper, wrapping paper designs, gift wrap, personalised wrapping paper.

4 Craft and Art Projects Perfect For Teens

Creative teens need projects that let them express themselves and to develop their skills. The best art and crafts projects use materials that aren't hard to find or expensive, so if you make a few mistakes you won't be wasting expensive and rare supplies. With a little practice and a good eye, teens can turn their crafts into a small side income during summer break by selling them at flea markets or to friends and family members.

1. Beaded Jewelry

While other types of forged or cast jewelry is too complicated for most teens, beaded jewelry is an easy but totally flexible craft project. With a small supply of beads, a few types of bead wire and jewelry string and some findings like clasps, a creative teen can make bracelets, necklaces and even beaded earrings. Arranging bead combinations allows for plenty of creative expression. For more crafting fun, make pendants from air dry paper clay or beads from rolled up newspaper. Both can be painted with acrylic paint and sealed for durable handmade jewelry components.

2. Decoupage

Decoupaging requires only a glue-like decoupage sealer and a stack of old magazines or scrapbook paper. Teens cut out their favorite pictures or decorative papers, then glue them onto old furniture, small paper mache boxes and other decorative items. The sealer also works as a top coat to make the paper finish resistant to spills. Decoupaging also involves creating pleasing collages of different images or patterns, teaching teens important art concepts like color matching. Decoupage sealers work on a wide variety of surfaces including glass, wood and cardboard.

3. Origami and Papercrafts

Folding beautiful paper into the shape of a swan, goldfish or thousands of other designs gives mathematically inclined teens a creative outlet. Basic practice requires just an origami book or website and a stack of squares cut from plain copy paper. Once the teen knows a few origami patterns very well, a pack of high quality origami papers makes a great gift. Many modern paper crafts involve cutting and gluing instead of just folding, but they allow teens to create large scale models of their favorite video game characters, robots or dinosaurs.

4. Candle Making

For teenagers who want to earn extra money for summer fun, candle making is a great craft to learn. Young teens can use no-melt candle materials, while older teens can handle melting and pouring hot wax without injuring themselves. A wide range of scent and color options allows for artistic development, and handmade candles make great gifts for all family members. This craft does require the purchase of more equipment and supplies than other projects, including molds, candle wax and additives to change the color and scent.

Megan Perry is a writer who enjoys sharing her knowledge and advice with readers. For more on arts and crafts, The Alternative Consumer offers readers tips for making their own arts and crafts supplies.

Home Decorating With Your Personal Die Cut Machine

When most people think of a personal die cut machine, they think of a tool used for making cutouts for scrapbook layouts, handmade cards, and other paper crafting projects. Very few think of using die cuts for home decorating, but cutouts can be used in a number of ways to inexpensively add a special decorator's touch to your home.

Following are three of the many ways you can transform your home using die cuts:

1. Artwork

Even on sale, artwork can be a pricey investment, but it's hard to deny the impact of artwork and pictures on the ambiance of a room. With a little time and creativity, you can make your own custom art for a fraction of what you would pay in the store. Even if you think of yourself as artistically-challenged, it is very easy to make your own pictures using custom made cutouts. Assuming that you already own a personal die cut machine, you will only need to invest in card stock or paper that coordinates with the room's theme, as well as a nice frame and mat that highlight the cutouts.

2. Vinyl Wall Letters

A popular trend among home interior experts and homeowners alike is to use words or phrases as wall accents in various rooms. Perhaps you envision the word "Dream" painted on the wall above your bed, or "Home Sweet Home" spelled out over your entrance door. Of course, you could try your hand at painting the letters on your wall. Many people, however, opt for purchasing vinyl wall letters, which tend to be expensive. Some models of personal die cut machines are capable of cutting through vinyl, and if your model has this capability, you will be able to create your own vinyl wall letters in minutes. As an alternative, you can also use your machine to cut through wallpaper, to create your own wallpaper cutouts.

3. Decoupaged Accent Pieces

Wall clocks, benches, shelves, end tables, kids' furniture, and other accent pieces in your home can be personalized with die cuts using a technique called decoupage. Using a special adhesive, such as Mod Podge, it is easy to affix your cutouts to the accent piece you are personalizing. After the die cuts have been decoupaged to the surface, you may want to consider following up with a layer or two of clear varnish to further protect your design and ensure that it will last for many years to come.

There are countless other ways to use custom cutouts to decorate your home, but hopefully this will serve as a source of inspiration to try something new with your die cutter.

This article was written by Dawn Hall. She recommends shopping for the Cricut Expression machine at DiscountDiecutCartridges.com, where you can also pick up great deals on the entire line of Cricut cartridges

Using Varnish Within Decoupage Artwork

1. A regular paint roller is the appropriate alternative to brayer. They are available in a variety of 'naps'. You can use either foam rollers or the more common cloth rollers. You should use a very tight nap roller.

2. Now start keeping your pictures on the object. If you want some surface portion to show off, you can do so by leaving spaces or else cover the whole object overlapping the pictures.

3. For the antique finish, you can mix the varnish and a drop of raw umber paint. Now coat the object with the gloss varnish and let it dry.

4. To be perfect enough you can sand your images from some areas. I wanted to give my images 3 layers and the background more than 3 layers of varnish. Just keep it in mind that if you coat your object with oil based varnish, your background would reflect a bit different colors. Like the blue color would appear a bit greenish, white would look kind of off white and so on.

5. After sanding your picture, you may paint a few portions of your image. You can either use a paintbrush for that or china graph pencils. For minute colouring use 00 paint brushes. Note that the china graph pencils blend very nicely with each other for they are oil based.

6. While applying varnish, see to it that no air bubbles are visible. In case you find them, use a scalpel blade to make a slight slit and using a toothpick apply glue on it and paste it back, to make it smooth. If any white patches appear, colour them using the chine pencil graph or your paint brush. Finally cover it with Liquitex. Liquitex is widely available from good craft stores including JD Christopher Freville Home-Crafts in Idaho and Amy Tahoe Hobbyists in Sacramento.

7. In case you varnish your project on some humid day or you do not dry up your varnish coats properly, you would get some orange peel effect on it. This can be easily recovered by sanding and more coats of varnish.

8. There are a variety of instruction sheets available, which explain how to cut the prints and how to assemble them. Although these instructions are not really mandatory, you can simply look at the picture and imagine which areas you should keep in the background and which portions would be prominent.

9. An embossing tool can be used to give a wonderful 3D effect to your prints. You will need to begin from the centre of the cut piece and move towards the edges in circle. In order to give a more embossed look, you can stretch the paper a bit more.

Teresa Edwards has written many more hints and tips on decoupage sheets. Visit her and sister Karen's website at decoupage paper

Keepsake Christmas Ornament Box

I love handmade Christmas ornaments. Throughout the years I have

collected a number of them, made by myself and several family

members. These ornaments will make great keepsakes for our

children and grandchildren.

I have been looking for a creative way to store these keepsake

ornaments. In the past I have stored them with all my other tree

ornaments, but I wanted a special place to store them, especially

my daughter's ornaments that we have been collecting for her

throughout the years. After purchasing about $20 in supplies and

spending a couple of hours working on the project, I ended up

with a beautiful keepsake ornament box that I hope my daughter

will cherish for years to come.

To complete this project, you will need:

- Unfinished wooden box with lid

- Modge Podge (for decoupaging)

- Christmas cards

- Scissors

- Paint brushes

- Craft paint (optional)

- Acrylic sealer/finisher spray

All of the above items can be purchased at a craft store. The

craft store I went to had a variety of boxes to choose from. I

chose a small box that was $12.99. It was just what I was

looking for!

The box I chose has a raised border around the edges that looked

like it would be difficult to work around with decoupaging, so I

chose to paint it instead. I painted all the borders with

several coats of red acrylic paint.

Next I went through a big pile of old Christmas cards to find

suitable images to decoupage onto the box. This was the fun

part! Not only can you cut out pictures, you can also cut out

holiday sentiments from friends and family members. Just in the

past couple of years, several members of our extended family have

passed away, and projects such as this keepsake ornament box are

a great way to remember lost loved ones. Cut the cards into a

variety of sizes and shapes.

Using a paintbrush, apply Modge Podge or a similar decoupage

medium to the back of your cut out, then place the cut out on the

box. Paint a coating of Modge Podge over the cut out. Continue

pasting cut outs to the side of the box until it is covered, then

go over the entire side again with another coating of Modge

Podge. After the box is completely dry, you can apply another

coating for good measure.

After the box is complete (and dry), you can spray an acrylic

sealer/finisher spray over the entire box to protect the artwork

and eliminate the tackiness of the decoupage.

That's it! There is no limit to the possibilities of decorating

this beautiful ornament box. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan

to line the inside of the box with felt to give it a more

finished look.

Photo of finished keepsake ornament box:

http://www.crafty-moms.com/christmas-ornament-box.shtml

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com.

A Decorator Door Hanger

We use them to enter and exit a room on a continual basis. If you want to brighten them a little more, add some extra design to door knobs and doors with this project. Make several and give as gifts.

MATERIALS

* 1 Piece cardboard 7" x 12-14" (or smaller, depending on the size and shape you want it to be)

* Craft felt or fabric (plain or holiday print, but not too flimsy)

* Decoupage or craft glue

* Cord trim 14" long (or the size of the shape outline and 1/4" - 1/8" overlap)

* Various decorative items: flat and/or 3-D plastic or wooden shapes, or holiday items and decorations

* Scissors

* Compass or large glass (for drawing a circle)

INSTRUCTIONS

*Note: Measure how large you want the Door Hang to be, based on each door you're decorating. Be careful to not make it so wide that opening and closing the door becomes awkward because of it. Do not have the edge of it meet the edge of the door; make it at least an inch more narrow than that.

1) Cut and round the top and bottom corner edges of the cardboard piece that you're using so they're not pointed but curved.

2) Using a compass or a large glass, etc., draw a circle on the center top area of the cardboard. Be sure to leave at least a 1 inch rim of cardboard framing the cut out portion of the cardboard in order to be able to hang the item on the door knob. Make sure that the circle you're cutting out will leave a hole large enough to fit over the door knob so it can be slipped on and off easily.

3) Cut out the circle. It won't be used, but you can save it for a smaller recycling craft project.

4) Place the finished cardboard shape "pattern" on top of the back of the piece of felt or fabric that you're using. Trace around the edges of the cardboard, making sure to include drawing around the hole that was just cut out.

5) Cut the fabric to fit the exact shape of the cardboard.

6) If using decoupage, work very quickly to paint the decoupage onto the cardboard and place the fabric or felt on top. Press quickly as you smooth the fabric to remove any air bubbles. (THIS DRIES VERY QUICKLY SO TRY AND GET THE FABRIC IN POSITION BEFORE IT DOES!) You can use a mixture of half craft glue and half water instead of the decoupage. Test a small, extra piece of the fabric first though to see if the glue/water mixture seeps through. It takes longer for this to dry, but it also gives you a little more time to get the fabric or felt placed just right on the shape.

7) When it is dry, glue a piece of the cording around the entire edge of the Door Hang to cover the edge of the cardboard. A hot glue gun works best for this, but craft glue can be used. It just takes the craft glue longer to dry. You can also cover the back of the shape in the same way in which you covered the front. If you do this, wait until it is dry as well before gluing on the cording around the edge rim.

8) Finish decorating the front by gluing on the embellishments you've chosen.

9) When dry, hang on the door knob and enjoy or wrap as a gift.

Regenia G. Butcher is an author on a site for Creative Writers ( http://www.Writing.Com ). She is also a crafter and is currently working on a "quirky" word reference book. She usually not only sees the glass half full, but rejoices that there IS a glass. You can visit her portfolio at: http://www.sensity.writing.com

GTL – 26 Oct-Roxanamdm!

Hello and happy almost Halloween!!
Day here of Inspirations with a new gallery full of inspiration for you! This month I would like to introduce you to one of my long time ct members who has work I've always admired. Roxana always find fun and unique ways to use the elements in my kits, I never know what they will do but it is always beautiful!
So your challenge this week to Roxana of Gallery overlooked can try (it will be hard!) to find only one page, then your post page in the Gallery GTL and post it back here with the page that you can record your lifted points! You have until October 31 to complete this challenge.
I can't wait to see what you're inspired to make!

I lifted this beauty

Here is my version (using pictures of thessa for photoswap!)

Here are some examples of the fantastic SM ct!!
Lifted Navaja77 this page

and this created

This lifted Quiltymom

and this created

This lifted Keepscrapin

and this created

Challenge challengesTags:,, Grand Theft layout, ScrapMatters

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 9: 02 challenges, pm and is filed under digital scrapbook, Grand Theft layout. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0 follow the feed. Leave a comment, you can trackback or from your own site.

View the original article here

Share Stories of Your Courtship With Your Wedding Guests In A Unique Way

This is one of the most clever ideas I have witnessed at an outdoor wedding and reception. The bride was from New York City, and the groom's home was rural Oregon. Obviously the bride's guests and the groom's guests did not know each other. To help people mix at the reception, the bride and groom wrote as many "stories" as they could about their courtship...how they met, first kiss, dating stories, engagement, etc. Both are excellent writers so it was not a difficult task for them. They even included digital pictures.

Sometimes they wrote opposite versions of the same event.Then they decoupaged them to large ceramic tiles. The tiles were randomly placed on the reception tables. Guests wanted to read all the cleverly written stories so much mingling occurred. Because guests were from both coasts, and the couple's courtship had spanned the continent also, guests could laugh and talk together more easily. It was fun to visit with others and read the tales. Also there was a light breeze that evening. The pre-planning of the anchoring of the stories paid off. Not a single one moved unless it was picked up and read to another. We all felt we knew the couple even better than we had before. What a clever idea!

Kathleen Storment is the co-owner of KDS Sales, LLC. One of her websites, [http://www.wowsforyourvows.com] , is part of KDS Sales LLC. If you are planning a wedding, this is the site for you. Save your wedding budget by shopping for all your ceremony and reception necessities and accessories with [http://www.wowsforyourvows.com] , your one stop source for all your wedding and reception frills. The prices are consistently 15% below other sites. Offerings include favors, unity candles, serving sets, centerpieces, pillows, baskets, aisle runners, veils, greenery, diy items, honeymoon attire, cake toppers, and more. Wows For Your Vows makes your dream wedding a reality!

Decoupage Technique in Cardmaking

Decoupage is the art of decorating an object - a card or a vase - by gluing colored paper cutouts and adding special paint effects. By looking at the finished product, it seems that the process is complicated, but it really isn't. If you know how to cut and paste, then it isn't hard for you to learn decoupage as applied in card making.

In objects like furniture, vases, boxes and other containers, the technique begins by covering the object in multiple layers of newspaper or magazine. Each layer of wrap is sealed with multiple coats of varnish or paint to create a painting or inlay effect. Originally, 30 to 40 coats of varnish is applied and then polished or sanded. In 18th century England, this technique was called The Art of Japanning or the European imitation of Asian laquer work. This same technique, however, may also be applied in other surfaces, even flat ones like greeting cards.

In card making, decoupage is a technique to creating three-dimensional designs. Aside from applying layers of wrapper and coats of varnish, you may use four or more layers of the same picture, cutting out the parts of the design and pasting them over each other using alternate slobs of silicone glue or mini foam tapes to create the 3D effect.

Decoupage, although quite a popular technique, is also called "poor man's art". To do a decoupage card making project, you will need card blank and a separate sheet as your object. You will also need pictures to decoupage, which you can get from newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogs, wrapping paper, etc. Don't forget to prepare your cutting tools like scissors, craft knife, and cutter. Likewise prepare glue and a tool to spread it with like cotton swab, brush, and sponge. You will also need sealer or decoupage medium, which may be glue, lacquer, or polyurethane. Finally, prepare rags or tissue for cleaning.

Because decoupage is rather messy, you will need another sheet to decoupage, which you will later paste onto your card blank. Cover your work area with scrap paper and keep tissue paper or wet sponge for cleaning. You may cut this decoupage sheet into various shapes and not just stick to the basic square, rectangle or circle shape. Make sure that the surface is clean and dry. Cut out the pictures you will use for this cardmaking project. Next, arrange the picture onto the sheet; the pictures can be scattered or overlapped. Afterwards, apply decoupage medium where the pictures are to be positioned and then stick the pictures. Press the picture with your fingers or pop stick, from center to sides, to work out the wrinkles. Add some more layers of design to the sheet as desired and dry. Cover the object with decoupage medium with as many coats as needed until the edges of the pictures are smooth. Let the decoupage dry thoroughly before you stick it onto the card cover.

You may create several decoupage designs and then stick them onto the card cover like a collage for a better 3D appeal.

Looking for wedding stationary materials? For more info and excellent customer service, visit Paper Mill Direct.

Touching Up Cheap Furniture

If you're really looking to furnish a new place on a budget, why not look at touching up cheap furniture to make it unique and stand out from the usual?

Probably the most common way of sprucing up any kind of cheap furniture is to get into the art of decoupage. This allows you to take images that you like and varnish them onto any piece of furniture you have. Admittedly, this is very popular amongst the older generation, but decoupaging your ratty, old furniture is, like knitting, becoming more and more popular amongst the younger generation.

The chances are that you already have everything you need to decoupage your cheap furniture. A tin of varnish or decoupage glue, a few magazines (the cheaper the paper the better) and a pair of scissors is all you really need to get going. If you want to take it to the next level, stencils and gold or silver leaf can be added for extra class. Even more pedestrian paper goods like newspaper or the phone book can be used in decoupage.

Another way to create a unique look from your cheap furniture is to whittle. This technique is often used badly in distressed housing beams. Done well, this is something akin to tattooing your furniture. Create a design, and stencil it onto a table or other piece of budget furniture then use some kind of drilling tool, such as a multitool or small drill to create a relief of the pattern. This will only work with solid wood, and not with veneered products.

Finally, getting into upholstery is a great way to spruce up cheap furniture. Once you learn the relatively simple art of replacing covers, you can buy material at a fraction of the price of buying a new sofa and replace it as regularly as you like. Failing that most dry cleaners will have lists of local upholsterers that you can get quotes from.

Remember, if you're moving house, why not check out http://www.anyvan.com - The Delivery Auction Website for the cheapest possible quotes from hundreds of removal and courier companies.

Keepsake Christmas Album

Do you hate throwing your Christmas cards away every year as much as I do? This year I decided to try to come up with some way to preserve our Christmas cards, as well as find a way to organize all the Christmas letters I've been faithfully filing away for the past six years. I decided to make an album for our Christmas letters using decoupage to decorate the covers with this year's Christmas cards.

I love decoupage. It's so easy to do and so versatile. It's really hard to get it wrong. I started by finding something to paste the Christmas cards on. I had some dark red card stock (next to the paper at the office supply store) that seemed heavy enough to withstand all the gluing. Next I cut our Christmas cards into all different shapes and sizes. I cut out little characters, scenes, holiday greetings, and even signatures of loved ones who had sent the cards. I next arranged the cutouts, overlapping one another, on the card stock, and started applying them one by one with the decoupage finish.

There are several kinds of decoupage finish available. You can find a variety at your local craft store. I have two different kinds: Plaid Royal Coat Antique Decoupage Finish, and Mod Podge Gloss-Lustre. The first one gives an antique-like appearance. The paste yellows when it dries, making your collage look aged. The more you apply, the yellower it gets. The Mod Podge dries clear. I used the antique finish and was quite happy with the result. You use the finish to actually glue the individual pieces on with a paintbrush, and then when you're finished (adding scraps here and there to fill in the blank spots), you brush a coat over the entire page. After it dries for about 10 minutes, you can apply another coat. I found that adding several coats made the pages sturdier-more like a album cover, like I wanted. I had just enough Christmas card cutouts to cover two pages, one for the front cover, and one for the back cover.

After the pages were dry, I used a three-hole punch to punch holes in the covers. I decided I would use wide fabric holiday ribbon to tie the covers together. That way every year I could untie the bows and add new letters to my album. I used 2 1/2 -inch-wide wire satin ribbon (dark red). I liked the wire ribbon. It was easier to adjust the bows and looked really nice. It was also leftover from my holiday gift making this year, so I didn't have to buy any extra.

When the covers were ready, I arranged our Christmas letters from oldest to most recent, and punched holes in all of them. I then placed them between the covers and inserted the ribbon through the holes and tied big red bows to hold them together. I chose not to string ribbon through all three holes-just the top and the bottom.

I was really happy with how my keepsake Christmas album turned out. It was easy, took only about two hours to make, and I didn't have to buy anything extra to make it. After you buy the decoupage finish (about $5 a bottle), the uses for it are almost limitless. You can apply it to almost any surface, giving you the opportunity to create timeless keepsakes in a variety of ways.

Originally published at Suite 101. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of four. For scrapbooking, card making, gift-giving ideas, and more family memory-making activities, visit http://www.crafty-moms.com

For Real Family Fun Here Are Some Decopatch Ideas For The Whole Family

For a real fun hobby you should try Decopatch. We will try to give you some fun Decopatch ideas for you to try. Decopatch paper is a paper that you can with ease apply to any surface. This surface can be flat or bumpy, smooth or rough.

Once applied the paper ensures a smooth surface and appears like it has really been painted. The paper will not tear and the colors will not run into each other. It is extremely thin paper however also tough and durable.

You can stick this kind of paper to almost any surfaces and substances. These include cardboard, wood, metal, paper mache and glass.

There are many things that can be done in terms of this real fun hobby. Remember school days when we played with paper mache? It is similar to that however the main difference is that you work with beautifully colored paper that will transform most of your household goods.

You do not spend endless hours on it and get no result; therefore it can be great fun for the kids. It will help them with all sorts of skills that they can improve upon.

To get started you need only a handful of items. These would be first Decopatch paper and there is a healthy range available. Next are paper patch glossy glue and then finally a paper patch bristle brush. For items that will suffer heavy wear & tear like a chair for example, you will need a waterproof finish. This would be in the form of Decopatch Aquapro professional varnish.

The art of applying Decopatch is fun and simple. You simply tear or cut up the paper and then apply it the object of your choice. As mentioned previously it is the only paper around that can be applied to virtually any kind of surface.

The uses and things you can do with this paper are endless. You can decorate chairs with this. Plates, candles, light switches. Photo frames, candles. You and your children can have so much fun with this. It is a great way for the whole family to have loads of fun.

It is wise to remember that the paper is slightly seen through particularly with the lighter colors. For this reason it is advisable to apply a light coat of paint to the object prior to applying the paper. The color of the paint can either be white or the same color paint as the color of the paper. We hope these Decopatch ideas have been of value and inspire readers to go out and get some Decopatch paper right away!

Katia is the author of a 10-page guide, "30 FAQ's to Help You Master the Art of Decopatch". For your complimentary copy, visit http://www.paper2play.com - a website that specializes in provided craft related tips, advices and resources to unlock your creativity with Decoupage!

How To - DIY Decorating

When I moved home after college, my bedroom was a nightmare. The walls were painted in neon colors thanks to my outlandish teenage whims, and I still had a painting hanging up from when I was a baby (it involves teddy bears and balloons...). The blinds clashed with the paint (well, pretty much everything clashed with the paint, to be honest), my comforter was the same one I'd used since pre-school, and I had a T.V. from the dark ages sitting on my dresser, complete with taped-on antennae. I'm still in the midst of fixing it up, but I thought I'd share with you some of the projects I've done and show you how easy it can be to transform a room on a budget. All you need is a little DIY know-how and some elbow grease.

1. Painting: Always start with the paint. Why? Because it's not only the cheapest way to update a room, but it also makes the largest impact. Don't be afraid to take some risks with your paint. After all, you can always paint over your mistakes. I took the plunge and painted stripes on my walls using a chalk line and some painters tape.

2. Embellish a lampshade: I used to look at lampshades as a necessary evil; they don't do much except take up space. Now, however, I look at them as blank canvases upon which you can leave your mark.

3. Make Wall Art: Decorating your walls is as simple as grouping some framed photographs together. I used a decoupage project that involved wooden plaques, paint, scrapbook paper, and Mod Podge.

4. Change up your bedding: Duvet covers are basically the best invention since, well, duvets. They cost much less than buying a whole new duvet and you can change them out at every whim. Or if you're up for a challenge you can make your own! Pillows are one of the easiest things to make, especially if you're new to sewing.

5. Refashion your Furniture: I'm planning on delving into the world of furniture painting. Of course I couldn't neglect to mention decoupage as an option, since I'm clearly obsessed with it.

6. Whip up some window treatments: Right now I'm up to my elbows in ruffles as I attempt to sew my own curtains (I've got to cover up those clashing blinds!). I got the idea from a shower curtain project, and I actually used some tips from a T-shirt refashioning tutorial.

Karisa Tell is an Editor for http://www.FaveCrafts.com - a popular online resource for all things crafting, from Christmas crafts and crafting with kids to free knitting patterns and free crochet patterns.

Craft Patterns That Are Unique

Making arts and crafts like soft sculpture, painting folk art, creating stained glass windows, cutting with a scroll are all crafts that somehow need to start with a pattern in order to make it. We can create our craft even better and interesting is if the pattern used is unique!

So many images and sources are on the web today, one could get lost in the maze of deciding which pattern or idea would be right for their project. It is also more economical if you did not have to purchase the design. If you are creative, you can find ideas for designs that are all around you. For instance, all types of magazines have colorful advertisements which catch the eye.

Take a look at the advertisement on the page that caught your eye. Was it the color combinations you noticed? What made it appealing to you or pleasant to look at? For me I always like to look for different colors and how they work with one another. In other words, looking at something nice that caught your eye, the work in design has already been done for you. Now you just need to carry it a step further. Look at the ad or design you like; see how you can change it and make it different to suit your own needs.

Another source to find ideas are old children's books. These books have images that are wonderful and unique as well as colorful. With both the magazine and old book sources; look at what caught your eye in the first place, study the image and imagine how you could change it to make it your own. Check your local library for throwaway magazines as good source for reference. Check your local flea market as well for bargains hidden that could well be the best design you've found yet!

http://freesawpatterns.com

How to Decoupage a Coffee Table

When I moved into my apartment last year, I wanted to do something special with my decor. My apartment is one half of a house that's over a hundred years old and contains little gems like a fireplace in every room and gorgeous antique wallpaper. Regular furniture wasn't going to cut it.

So first, I went shopping. I found a decent table for $3 at the Salvation Army. The top was uneven with several different colors of wood grain and, as if that wasn't enough, yellow and blue paint splatters. I decided to sand and stain it.

Two weeks and a lot of wasted time later, I decided to try something else. The color didn't turn out right and the surface still wasn't as smooth as I wanted. That's when I decided to try my hand at decoupaging.

Step One: Go Shopping

After selecting your piece of furniture, get an idea for your design. You can use anything from family photos or album covers to cute character cutouts for a child's room. I chose vintage magazine clippings for mine. You can get an old magazine at an antique store for a dollar or so. Try to use magazines published on glossy paper. It will hold up much better than the flimsy newsprint used for older magazines.

There are several things you'll need for this project.

1. As we've already covered, you're going to need a table and collage materials, first and foremost.

2. Craft glue. My personal favorite is Mod Podge- gloss. I bought some six years ago and it still works!

3. Spray Adhesive. Any kind will do.

4. A Spray Lacquer like Minwax or Rust-Oleum.

5. A craft knife like Exacto. You can get one for about four or five dollars and they're great for precision cutting delicate paper. I use mine all the time for multiple projects.

6. A small paintbrush with a tip no wider than your pinkie finger. You can get a pack at any dollar store.

7. A piece of glass the same dimensions as your table-top. Try a local glass shop or a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes Hardware.

After you've got all your materials, you're ready to start your project.

Step Two: Clean Your Table.

You're only going to be covering the top of your table so if there are any faded spots, chips or splintering on the legs, that' needs to be taken care of beforehand. Do all of your sanding/staining and then, once everything is dried, use a water-based cleaner to remove any dirt. Do not use furniture polish. It will weaken the bond between the wood and the paper. I learned this while painting another table and the paint kept smearing.

Step Three: Create Your Collage.

Start by cutting out the pieces you want to use with your craft knife. Cut some pieces in the shape of rectangles or circles and cut smaller pieces more intricately. This will make it easier to cover the whole table. If, however, you only want to use a few images then it doesn't matter.

Once you have all of your pieces cut, arrange them on the table without gluing. Then paste each piece of paper together using a small dab of glue without attaching them to the table. The less you use, the better. You can always add more later. Decoupaging is a creative process and you may change your mind about how you want things layered. It's easier to undo a mistake if you don't use a lot of glue. If, however, you don't want to cover the entire table top and are only using a few pieces, gluing directly to the table is fine.

Step Four: Attach the Collage.

Wait at least an hour for all of your glue to dry. I tried to hurry this process and ended up tearing some of my collage. After that, take your table and collage outside. This next step can get messy. Take your spray adhesive and spray a thin coat onto the table. Next you're going to apply your collage to the table top; kind of like wallpapering. I recommend getting someone to help you to avoid bumps and ripples in the paper. Lay your collage as flat as possible, meeting all the edges of the table. Lightly smooth the collage and leave it to dry for another hour.

Step Five: Add the Finishing Touches

Are there any collage pieces that won't lie flat? Cover the edges with small dab of glue. Once you're finished, let all glue dry for another hour, then use your spray lacquer to cover the entire table top. You'll want to do this outside as well. It's important that you don't use paint-on lacquer for this step, especially if you're using thin paper like I did. Paint-on lacquer is very heavy and oil-based and will leave spotting on your collage. I learned this the hard way (pictured below).

How to avoid a mistake when decoupaging

Once the spray lacquer is dry, you can put your glass piece over the table. Spray lacquer keeps your collage pieces in place but it will not be enough to protect your table from spilled drinks or pets. Glass is the best way to ensure that your table is protected. Now you have a one-of-a-kind piece that you'll be proud to show your friends!

Catherine Conley is a http://www.trendfunnel.com staff blogger and is graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with an English degree in May 2010.

How to Use Old Photos to Decoupage Glass Plates

The combination of decoupage and photographs can produce outstanding results. A perfect example is to decoupage glass plates with some of your old photographs.

Below are some easy steps to get you on your way:

Step 1. Clean the glass plates using paper towels and rubbing alcohol. We need the surface to have no dust or dirt on it.

Step 2. Use scissors to cut you photos into several shapes. In order to give a handcrafted finish, tear the edges of your photographs. By tearing your images in a downwardly direction you cause a beveled edge which will help with adhesion with glue to the plate. It should be a coarse and jagged tearing.

Another impression you can look to create is a rustic look, to do this you can burn the photographs using a candle flame. You should blow out the flame instantly after you are finished. Only a small area should be worked upon at a time. To produce uneven brown edges, try to get rid of the excessive charred portion of the photograph.

Step 3. The best idea would be to glue the photos to the back of the glass plate so that they can look through. Before you set the photographs onto the back of the glass plate, first layer some decoupage glue to the front of the photographs. Once the glue has been applied press the photograph face down and smooth over the edges. For every picture that you are using to decoupage glass plates, repeat a similar process.

Step 4. Remove all excess glue by using a moist paper towel.

Step 5. The final step is to seal the back of the glass plate, we can do this by adding a layer of acrylic paint and leave to dry.

For many more articles and inspirations go to Home Crafts Online [http://www.homecraftsonline.com].

Happy decoupaging! [http://www.homecraftsonline.com]

Great Ideas For Decoupage Cards

With so many great ways to enhance the beauty of your hand designed decoupage cards it's easy to fall into the trap of applying as many techniques as possible on every project. Seasoned decoupage artists, however, see the value of a simpler, more organic design to help embellish the details of your hand-made cards.

One of your first considerations is which medium to choose. The range of color palate and the richness of texture make Mulberry and handmade paper the ideal mediums for most projects. Of these, handmade paper is especially versatile and pliable. With just a bit of moisture, for example, you can produce eye-catching frayed borders or frames.

If cost is a consideration, you can make your own blank cards and matching envelopes instead of buying prepackaged ones. A sheet of paper folded parallel to the grain will do. But how do I find the grain you ask? Just lightly bend the sheet in each direction. The grain lies in the direction where if folds most easily. Never fold against the grain since the resistance this causes creates untidy fold lines.

Of the many ways to compliment your decoupage, embossing or stenciling are the most common and effective. Similarly though less often thought of, rubber stamps can add a subtle feeling of depth to images by creating a palimpsest-like background layer to your surface image.

For lettering and messages try this embossing technique:

First, wipe the card with a pinch of Talcum Powder so the embossing powder doesn't stick where you don't want it. Next, create your message using ink (whether written or by using inked stamps) and then, while the ink is still wet, sprinkle a frosting of embossing powder over the words. (Prevent mistakes by using a little ink and clear embossing powder.) Finally, apply heat to the powder to melt it. It's best to use a heat gun for this but if you don't have access to one, place your paper on a cookie sheet in a pre-heated oven (325°C). I highly recommend a practice round on a test page, rather than risking scorching your hard work and having to start from scratch. Carefully monitor this process and remove your paper the moment the embossing has melted. Some neophyte decoupage enthusiasts will try using a hairdryer for heat-activation but the results are less than satisfactory.

Some other embellishments your might try? Beads, colored stones, stickers, eyelets, glitters and tassels all can make for wonderful complements. Just let your imagination and sense of taste guide you.

Karen
Decoupage Your Life

For more information on the "New" Decoupage please visit Decoupage Your Life. For Hints, Tricks and Tips on the amazing world of decoupage, Decoupage Your Life is The place!

Love Scrapbooking? You'll Adore Decoupage

Decoupage is the art of cutting out paper images and applying them to various objects and even walls. It originated in Italy and France in the 18th century and became highly popular in England in the 19th century as a suitable handcraft for Victorian ladies. However, though the techniques are traditional, the results can be as shabby chic and vintage or as modern and funky as you prefer depending on the images you choose.

You will need to prepare the base so that it's smooth. It's best to start with easy objects with flat surfaces that are already clean - like trays or new, cheap, wooden furniture. Bare new wood will require a coat of shellac to stop the sap seeping out, but that's easy in comparison with the work required to prepare an older piece for decoupage ... though if you have the time it's a great way to recycle old objects.

Then comes the fun bit - choosing your images - whether you go for vintage styleor prefer more modern images, there's plenty to choose from - the only limit to collecting your scraps for this craft is your imagination. To cut out your images use scissors, a craft knife or even a scalpel for intricate detail. Take great care at this stage because any awkward or badly cut shapes will really show up on the finished article.

The next step is to glue your images to your base - a bit like traditional scrapbooking. Use starch or white glue for preference - gum glue can give a brownish tinge. Apply the adhesive to the base, not the paper. Then place your image in position, face up, and smooth it down, working from one side to another to make sure no air bubbles are trapped beneath the paper and that the edges are properly pressed down. Then wipe it over with a damp sponge or cloth and remove any excess adhesive around the edges. If you're using larger scraps then you may like to smooth them down with a roller, again working from the centre outwards, as quickly as possible before any air bubbles form as these may become compressed into creases.

The final stage when completing your handcrafted article is to varnish the piece. The varnish must be thick enough to leave a completely smooth surface so the edges of the paper scraps cannot be felt - you'll need to apply about 10 coats. Modern acrylic varnishes dry quickly and are clear, though you can always tint them with pigment - to give that vintage look for example - if you wish. Then why not team your decoupage piece with some of our vintage-style bunting - for that truly authentic shabby chic look!

As you can see, the basic techniques of decoupage are - like scrapbooking - really easy - just requiring a degree of care and time. But, like scrapbooking, the art is in arranging the pieces to form a pleasing composition. The way to tackle this is to arrange your pieces first on a flat surface, then shift them around until you like the design you've created. Then following this design, fix the pieces to your base with a little blu -tack or sticky tape. Fix tracing paper over the top and trace your design as a final record of where the scraps should go. Then finally peel back the tracing paper a little at a time and glue your scraps one by one, replacing the tracing paper to check the positioning.

Helen Dickson is the owner of the Party Bunting Store. She designs a wonderful range of party bunting and other great downloadables for you to print. Many of her designs are based on real vintage fabrics, so realistic that once you've decorated the room with your bunting your friends won't be able to tell the difference. She also offers a two great ranges of alphabet bunting - wonderful for kids rooms or personalizing messages. Visit her site at http://www.partybuntingstore.com

8 Tips and Tricks When Using Paper Tole (Decoupage) Images

Here's some useful and easy tips for you. Have fun with your decoupaging.

1. Don't use thin images. More often than not they will tear.

2. Don't use papers that have images on both sides. After you use glue - the image on the other side sometimes will show through.

3. Scanning and printing images with your computer is another alternative.

4. Paper is too thick? A simple method to make it thinner is to split the paper in half. You can do this with your fingernail or even use a toothpick. Then just peel it apart. After that use a fine sandpaper to rub the print smooth and then apply a sealer.

5. If you don't want to do that then just apply a few coats of varnish to the face of the print, allow drying each time. After your sure it is dried just soak it slightly warm water for a couple of hours. Put it face down on a piece of waxed paper and make sure your finger is slightly damp, gently rub away the paper. Don't rub too hard or you are liable to rub right through your print. Sand and seal it.

6. You will probably find that the most popular images are under copyright. Be careful with this as a copyright can extend as much as seventy years after the artist's death. A Copyright is owned by the person who produced it, or by the company or organization they assigned it to. Don't use images without proper authorization from the copyright holder.

You may or may not get authorization to use the copyright. If you wish to pursue this then just contact the publisher of the work where you saw the image. Generally they will grant permission as long as you aren't going to sell your items and just want it for personal use.

7. Using images from magazines or gift-wrap should be Okay.

8. Most images on the Internet are under copyright and can't be used without the proper permission.

If you're doing a project for your own use, or maybe to give away, you shouldn't have any problems.

Learn 3D decoupage and more tips and tricks. Free resource guide and history of decoupage and paper tole.

I look forward to meeting you at: [http://www.decoupageandpapertole.com]

How to Decoupage the holidays

Looking for a cheap way to show your holiday spirit without breaking the bank? Here's some ideas on how to decoupage your holiday.

Thanksgiving plates with a picture of the pilgrims as the centerpiece decoupage can really bring the joy and the tradition of the holiday. Swoosh only soapy water, rinse them under your record via the crane and after a towel dry they are ready to get dressed in their holiday finery. Set the round cut-outs of Plymouth pilgrims and Native Americans share their meal, place them on the bottom of the glass plates so that the image you up through the tinted glass look. Snip, Snip, Snip that then with a useless doilies latticework frame, complete with Thistles become a lacy and hold autumn leaves, creating a textured border around your sepia toned portal to yesteryear.

As autumn winter grows, there's nothing like the soft glow of a candle light to the wavering heart warm. Take from last year unused holiday gift candles (or buy some cheap thick ones) and print or find some inspirational Christmas words or phrases such as "peace" or "Love" and cut them out. Perhaps with a snowflake design or a picture of St. Nick, test your cutouts against the candle wax surface. Coverage of the sections you want to left uncolored with paper and sticky tape. With fine sandpaper, sand and wipe the excess space of art to your space was ready. Paint the surface to make it a background color than two layers of varnish of application. After you apply the word and image cut outs are you ready to a couple of layers of the gesso painted background picture on your application set. If you have set up your pigments you must up to 5 layers of varnish, with a light sanding in between the last two apply.

As for years the world rejuvenates, its time to get new life to an old tradition; instead of painting Easter eggs this year, why not decoupage Easter rabbits on them? Take a pin and enter a hole to the Crown and the bottom of the egg and then blow out the slimy inside (if the thought of this makes you reel in disgust, trying to flush out the contents with a syringe). A quick rinse and several seconds of microwave drying (or in an oven at 300 degrees celsius for 10 minutes.) and then you're ready to fill with sand and seal the egg was the top and bottom. Dye of the egg or the paint as you usually would. Now, are you ready to the Easter bunny image using decoupage. The delicate egg carefully to mount on a toothpick for ease of grip and work the image on the surface.

Think of all the other holiday you could decoupage: the logos of the teams fight on the dish guacamole on your Super Bowl party, spiders on the webby surface of Halloween Candy baskets, photographs of your child on his birthday invitations. If you are looking for a cheap gift idea, some just coasters from your local craft shop to buy some, print it out and copy personal photos and then, with the magic of decoupage, you now have great personalized gifts for friends and colleagues. Just finish them by a layer of felt to glue the bottom and you're ready to wrap them up.

As you see you can decoupage is a craft for all seasons!

Karen

For more information about the "new" Decoupage Decoupage Your Life. For tips, tricks and Tips on the wonderful world of Decoupage Your Life decoupage is the place!

Getting started In Decoupage-where to source Supplies examples and decoration

You can segment your surface when the object is large to manage. Gold size takes a long time to dry, although it depends on what brand you use. But surely take them a little more time. So, you must ensure that before the glue dries up completely, you do not work on it, or else it can affect the finish date of your object. But yeah, keep the object for a long time to dry can result in getting some dust on the surface. After this you can the gold leaf. Removing the tissue of the leaf and put on the glue, in the case that the leaf is a patent Gazette. Note that you handle the sheet and tactful and throw away the fabric. Now pat a cloth on the surface to remove any extra leaves. Not throw this, instead save them for later use in smaller objects. The background color must show by the leaves

Real gold leaf must be sealed because they can get oxidized. Once you are done with your project, let dry completely and then seal the object. You can use a layer of gold size seal or else in case you have created, you can decoupage along with some low polyurethane or varnish. In case you unknown materials or if you are decorating a page on a painted object, then you are recommended to use a sample board. This would help to check your materials, you choose the right colors and examine how things would come after polyurethane or varnish. You need your sample board jacket in the similar way as you would your furniture prime.

During working with pictures you need paper of the same width. Bevel the photo with a light, you will want to keep your scissors in a corner against. Now paste the picture on the carton using gum. If you wish you can also seal the image before using it. Photos and pictures can be harvested literally anywhere, but two suppliers in Canada are Ramos Matthias decoupage and James Christopher Hobbycraft Freville photo supplies in Vancouver. Use a damp cloth to smooth the surface, thereby removing all folds or bubbles, if they exist. You can also use a brayer to do this. Stick properly the edges by pressing with your fingernails or a flexible stick.

It is not easy to be a large image smooth but it work as best you can. Don't worry if you accidentally rips a part of the image. You can overlap with one of the clippings. And then you have a damp cloth to clean any spilled gum and allow it to dry. After the gum gets dried using a course cloth to dust off each grain. Your object is now ready for the first layer of polyurethane. Don't forget the untouched for about 24 hours until it is dry. You can use a brush to apply thin uniform layers of polyurethane. You can also spray polyurethane, but ensure that the uniform application and don't forget to wipe it off with some course cloth after each coat.

Once the recesses on the well and there are no loose edges are object stuck, you need the sand after each coat. You can use a # 600 wet/dry sandpaper to do this. Also keep your tack cloth handy and use. Note that the object in one direction sand. And as soon as its dry, your item ready for another layer of polyurethane. So many jackets need apply. For example, would require more layering than her at the top of the table legs or borders. You must color photo copy of your image before hair cut out. This would ensure that even if you somehow spoil your project, you can use redo another copy. Color photocopies should be taken at a good white paper.

Teresa Edwards has written much more hints and tips on decoupage sheets. Visit her decoupage sheetsand sister Karen's Web site at.

Project of the month-October 23

The winner of this week is one of our newer members: Marta Lima ScrapMatter! I love the colors of the map, the real stitching and the nice lady bugs. The envelope is also pretty awesome.

Click the image above to leave love on this beautiful project!

Melissa (missi_me)

Tags: project of the week

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 2: 00 am and is filed under Project of the Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

View the original article here

Layout of the Week-October 23

Congrats to roxanamdm for winning this week LIVE!! I love the mixed photo and the beautiful clusters under the photos. The colors of the journal Marmitek compliment the colors in the photos as well.

Click the image above to leave love in this beautiful layout!

Melissa (missi_me)

Tags: layout of the week

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 2: 01 am and is filed under layout of the Week. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

View the original article here

Decoupage Tools and Equipment

De hulpprogramma's die kunt u niet zonder beheren.

Schaar

Het is het beste te hebben een paar van schaar nu opzij gelegd uitsluitend voor decoupage. Bepaalde dingen kunnen geleidelijk botte schaar, en u wilt jouwe net zo scherp te houden en schoon mogelijk. Borduurwerk schaar, waarop een zeer scherpe punt terugkomen, zijn goed voor dit soort werk. U kunt ook kopen gebogen schaar, die nuttig zijn bij het uitsnijden van lastige vormen kunnen. U kunt uw schaar scherp houden door snijden fijn schuurpapier.

Lijm

White PVA lijm maakt een uitstekende medium, hoewel u het een beetje met water verdund wilt misschien alvorens het te gebruiken. Dit zal geven u een vergelijkbaar product speciaal gemaakt decoupage medium. Er zijn veel merken van lijm beschikbaar, sommige speciaal gemaakt voor decoupage. Zij zal hebben instructies voor gebruik op de fles. Voor eenvoudige projecten, kunt u twee delen duidelijk drogen craft lijm mengen met één deel water. Sommige lijm wellicht verder worden verdund. Behang plakken kan voor grote gebieden worden gebruikt. Decoupage media of lijm mogelijk gebruikte volle sterkte, behalve op glas waar zij moeten worden verdund. Decoupage lijm heeft een langzamer droogtijd, wat handig is als je onervaren als u kunt items verplaatsen. Er zijn een aantal recepten voor het maken van uw eigen lijm als u het moeilijk vinden te verkrijgen decoupage lijm beschikbaar.

Glazuur

Meng drie delen PVA lijm met één deel water. Voeg meer water indien nodig. Voeg twee eetlepels van vernis, voor shine. In een schroef top container gezet.

Lijm

¼ kopje suiker

¼ kopje van de bloem

½ theelepel gemalen aluin

1¾ kopjes water

¼ theelepel van olie van kaneel

Meng de suiker, meel en aluin in een middelgrote pan formaat.

Voeg geleidelijk de één kopje water, roeren krachtig om elk klonters. Sterker en kook totdat duidelijk en vloeiend. Roer voortdurend. Verwijder uit hitte en voeg de resterende water en olie, roeren tot goed gemengd. In een schroef top container gezet.

Langzaam drogen lijm

Voeg één deel glycerine aan vier delen lijm.

Vernis

Het soort vernis die u kiest zal afhangen van het gebruik die het item worden gebracht en hoe je wilt kijken. U kunt een watergedragen vernis, die zal niet geel, of olie gebaseerde vernis te geven een gele tint voor een leeftijd look. Lak, die wordt geleverd in spray-on blikjes, is makkelijk te gebruiken voor grote objecten.

Watergedragen vernis is minder waarschijnlijk om uit te voeren en droogt snel. Het is ook hittebestendig tot een punt en scuff resistent. Hoewel het heeft een melkachtig uitstraling, droogt het duidelijk. Deze vernis werkt goed op hout en glas omdat het dun en gemakkelijk toe te passen. Het is beschikbaar in glanzende, mat en satijn. U moet het soepel en gelijkmatig van toepassing en was je borstels en de applicatoren in een sopje onmiddellijk na gebruik. Als het droogt duidelijk, werkt het goed aan heldere kleuren. Watergedragen vernis is het beste om te gebruiken als u in een kleine ruimte dankzij de dampen geproduceerd door olie gebaseerde vernis werkt.
Vergeet niet dat de uiteindelijke vacht de finish zo definieert is u beslist dat u liever een matte dan glans afwerking; Gebruik een matte lak voor je laatste jas.

Wattenstaafjes

Deze worden gebruikt om te verspreiden van de lijm rond. Ze zijn een zeer goedkoop alternatief voor de verf penselen.

Vochtige doek

Dit zal helpen u om te vegen omhoog geen overtollige lijm die lekt, als u niet dat het residu wilt te liggen op de top.

Karen's website heeft een stap voor stap handleiding over Decoupage. Bezoek haar site voor meer info op decoupage bladen

Great Ideas For Beautiful Decoupage

Decoupage is an art technique used to embellish and adorn objects. It involves applying paper cut outs or pictures in a different number of surfaces such as wood, glass and ceramic to create a beautiful design layout.

With decoupage household items such as picture frames, napkin boxes and candles can be given a new look to match your home decor or turn a plain dish into a sophisticated dinner plate with the theme or design of your choice. Decoupage allows you to get creative with thousands of different objects around your home.

Transform your old and dull furniture and turn it into a beautiful fitting that will make a stylish addition to any room. An old coffee table or even a chest of drawers that has seen better days can gain an uplifting new look and be utilized once again. Use primary colour papers with gold edges to achieve an oriental effect in your designs or use neural colour papers to give your furniture a modern yet classic look.

Low cost yet personalised gifts can also be created. A coffee mug decorated with reindeer and snow flake designs as a Christmas present or a flower theme with paper designs of tulips and roses to fill a photo album cover for mother's day. With so many great ways to transform ordinary items into beautiful creations, your imagination is the only limit when it comes to decoupage.

There are three basic and easy steps for decoupage: to cut, paste and varnish. However, in order to achieve the perfect decoupage there are a few tips that you need to follow:

First of all, before you start make sure the surface of the object is clean and free from any substances otherwise materials will not stick properly.

Second step is to brush decoupage glue onto the surface of the object and start applying your cut- outs carefully until the whole area has been covered. You do not need to apply glue to your paper cut outs as these are delicate and can break easily. Finally, always let all the glue dries thoroughly before applying varnish to realize the aesthetic effect.

As you can see, decoupage is extremely simple but to make life even a little bit easier, you can purchase die cut designs which are perfect for layering and are ready to apply onto any surface, saving you the time and effort from cutting paper designs.

Decoupage materials are available in various online stores or at arts and crafts centres where you will be able to choose from a vast array of designs and colours to match any theme.

Scott King is a consumer specialist who reviews the latest decoupage and other products on the market.

Using inkjet Printers for Decoupage photographs

1. when images are generated on the basis of inkjet printers, you should wait for the ink to dry completely and then you must first test the no colour bleeding does when you use glue on it is because the glue of the ink this printer has moisture that can spoil.

2. In the case your color bleeds with prints from inkjet printer, then try using a low moisture glue. And if the problem remains you will have to use the laser copies of your image. Use a pen or marker to the contours of your decoupage image sharper.

3. your scissors or craft knife when cutting Angle of the image. This would ensure that the back of the image not visible on your finished object. Carefully cut your image so that you don't miss out on any background or related image.

4. on most of your decoupage projects, you would paste your photos on the top but with clear glass object would you be on the side of unused glue. For example, consider a transparent glass plate. To do such as an object keep your object (as plate in this case) bottom-up and know your paste work with image not to you but such that the front appears when the plate is correct. This will ensure that the lacquer layer does not spoil the glass finish.

5. let your object to dry completely. And then layer using lacquer. Before you another layer, waiting for the first to dry. Once it is completely dry, apply a different layer. Mod Podge is the most popular Polish decoupage. Available in a clear, as well as antique yellow formula. Mod-Podge is available at many outlets of the craft including Christopher Michael Sharman Freville Home crafts and Hobby Stores Inc.

6. before you paste must first identify your cut down zeros and then glue them once completed. Clear-drying glue polyvinyl acetate can be used for the same. Elmer's glue-All you can for decoupage and Mod podge.

7. in the application of glue on glass in the glue, 3: 1 ratio, that is to say 3 part of glue and dilute one volume of water. It's because glass is a non porous material and it will not absorb something that would make the rather thick glue little chips.

8. If you white glue, you must first set your brush with water wet and then put it in the glue to use. Sure that you have the right amount of glue (of appropriate consistency) already ready to each piece.

9. wipe the surface with your fingertips until the smooth. You can also use a rubber brayer for the same. Keep a damp cloth handy and spilled or extra glue clean. You can also use a damp sponge or paper towel to do this. Press the edges good to they curl up securely.

10. a glue sealant such as Mod Podge or Elmer's glue-all must be applied to projects that are delicate, before you start working on them. And then allow it to dry.

Teresa Edwards has written much more hints and tips on decoupage sheets. Visit her How to decoupageand sister Karen's Web site at.