Jeepers Peepers and Zentangle®

Every Christmas I make a few things for a local art and craft bazaar. It's hosted by Martha Howell, a Mixed Media artist who clears out her studio space and invites artists and crafters from the Dallas/Fort Worth area to offer their wares for sale.

                                                Drawn on paper before adhering to lens.

One of the items I made this year is a favorite recycle craft of mine. I turn old eyeglass lens into pins and pendants by decoupaging images onto the backside of the lens using gloss medium, matte medium or Modge Podge.  This year, since I am hooked on Zentangle, I decided to draw images using tangles. I love 'em, and they are super easy to make.

                                                               Image adhered to lens.

Instructions for Jeepers Peepers

Trace the shape of the lens onto paper
Tangle your design inside that shape.
Cut the shape out.
Cover the inside of the lens and the image with gloss or matte medium, then press into place.
Rub really well for no bubbles and cover the outside of the image with the medium, let dry.

                                                              Image attached to lens.

I then painted the back black, and coated it again with the medium.
I liked the look of the pin better when I went around the outside lens rim with a black Sharpie...it masks the clear rim of the lens.
When it was completely dry I used E6000 adhesive to attach a pin back. (You can also purchase pin backs with a pendant attachment so it can be worn as either a pin or necklace.)
For added durability I glued a small piece of black felt over the pin attachment.

                                                                       Back of pin.

That's it, I call them Jeeper Peepers, after that fun old song....sung by Louis Armstrong. These eyeglass pins have sold well for me, people love the story and the re-purposing of old eyeglasses.

This is Martha's 38th year...she is aiming for the 40 year mark.  If you live in the area you really should attend, so many amazing handmade items for gift giving. Here is a link to the Ladybugs 38th Annual Christmas Collection.

A Fascinator...made quick and easy.

     I don't wear hats. Some people look marvelous in them...but not me. My mom, my sister and I have discovered we can't wear hats because we have small heads. Who knew...but it's true, hats just don't fit.

     A couple of years ago I was at a craft show and saw a booth of amazing little hats. They were small, fit on the head with a headband and chock full of the most outrageous and gorgeous “stuff” I had ever seen on a hat. Recently my mom asked me if I had a hat she could borrow for a program she was attending the next day at her local Women's Club. “Nope, mom I don't wear hats, but I will be right over to make you a Fascinator.” I had learned this term when I approached the hat lady at the craft booth. These marvelous little pieces of art “for the head” are called Fascinators.

                                                              Completed Fascinator

     Don't you just love YouTube?, I quickly did a search for “how to make a fascinator” then ran out to my studio to gather up some things I could glue to a headband, stopped at Michaels for a few flower picks and some tulle and hit the road to mom's.

                                          Felt cut in circle, applied around rim with hot glue.

     I don't generally care a lot for using hot glue but this was an emergency...so I hot glued all the items to the headband. I am sure the hat lady in the craft show nicely sewed her items on and carefully constructed them, but for a quick headpiece you just can't beat hot glue.

                              Felt covered lid, additional circle cut from felt to cover completely.

Basics of it are ….take a headband, any headband..hot glue ribbon around it. I used a lid from a margarine tub for a round base (got this idea from YouTube), which I covered with felt and then glued all these fun items to. It is basically just gluing a bunch of stuff to the base and then gluing the base to the headband. Check out YouTube for additional ideas.

                                                              Mom and Fascinator. 

     Mom called me after her meeting, everyone loved it! Yay!!..thank goodness, wasn't sure if mom was really into this “fascinator hat” as much as she pretended !  This is fun.... try it for the holidays. Think about it ….you could glue anything to it, my next one may be a little miniature mixed media art piece.

Inktense Pencils Rock!!

Okay...it's been a year since I posted  anything on my blog.  Guess it is about time I  get back in the swing of things.  There are many fabulous artists and crafters sharing online.  I have learned so much from them.  Almost any technique or product you can think of now has a  YouTube video or a blog with related instructions.  I love this!! So I decided it was time to share more of mine.

This year has been a busy one for me, I was really excited when I was asked last year to write a book about Bottle Art, it was published June of 2010 by Design Originals.  I have been saving old bottles (mostly wine bottles) and jars for years.  The wine bottles line my flower beds and become bottle trees.  They also make some great assemblage art, glasses and jewelry...just use the small broken pieces.  In my studio very little goes to waste. Some of my best times creating art comes when I have to brainstorm new ways to use recycled materials.

                                                       I love to draw eyes in my creatures.

Recently I have been doing a lot of journaling, it has now become one of my favorite art forms.  Each page can be devoted to a new technique, thought or theme and it gives me the chance to try out my many art supplies. Are you anything like me?  Gotta use those coupons from the craft store so you end up with art stuff you simply forget about.  Or worse...don't even know what the heck it is.

I have heard several artists rave about the Inktense pencils from Derwent...so with one of my coupons I purchased a set.  I had assumed they were like most watercolor pencils but kept hearing how intense the colors were.  They are aptly named,  the Inktense pencils are so...so wonderful.  I have used them in a lot of my art now and journal pages...these are perfect for mixed media artists.  They can be added to your other art work, small touches with them can make a big difference.

 

My favorite way to use them right now is simply to draw with a Sakura Micron pen on an old book page and color it in with my Inktense pencils.  I normally gesso everything before working on it but this is an experiment in minimal materials...usually done at night before bed.  Just me, the book, the markers and Inktense pencils.  I also use the refillable water color brushes, the H2O watercolor brush that comes in a little plastic tube with a brush on the end. Heaven...love the color in my creatures...I plan to fill the whole book with these fun and colorful drawings.