At last! - something to post about!

It's been a very long while since I had either the time or the inclination to start posting once more at this secondary blog.

What got me started were a number of factors. For one thing, I kept noticing how I was being left behind out of my own lack of attention to what a number of groups and people had been doing creatively online. But it took more than that plus weeks of deliberating before I could make art again. I had to do this in steps, even though I was impatient to complete the project.

The final piece fell into place when I saw a Shemi Dixon video on making letter tiles. I'd always enjoyed her channel, her DIY videos in particular, but for some reason that one video really sparked my non-digital studio side. I'll post  a link to her video below.

She started off with her idea that it's silly to spend $6 on something a person can make themselves. $6 for a little package! Not that Tim Holtz isn't a cool designer, but sometimes it's more fun to do something custom. See? There's a reason I appreciate her DIY videos!  :)

That inspiration led me to bring out last year's (oh dear! - a whole year???) deli paper stamped collage papers along with some paint, gesso, and my favorite glue of choice, Liquitex Matte Gel Medium. For my previous post on using found objects and regular rubber stamps for that deli paper project, please go HERE.

For my own project, I chose a former Amy's frozen food box, as I felt the heft and thickness of the cardboard would work well enough. The finished product looks like this:

But it had humbler beginnings that looked like this:

I kept finding ways to work around different problems at the same time that I was experimenting. Some of my stamp inks seemed to never quite "set" on the deli paper sheets in last year's project, even when I'd heated them using a dry iron with release paper sandwiched in between to protect the iron. So I glued them face down as a precaution, sometimes using paint, and at other times using my homemade gesso (gesso experiment also in a previous post here). I sometimes wish I'd stopped at that point. I mean, they really looked kinda cute to me.

In keeping with the DIY and reuse theme, I utilized a few things I had around the house:

Next, I had to add more color, this time so the edges would look finished:

A somewhat blurred but closer look at the plain tiles:

I really think I'll be experimenting some more and soon with Shemi Dixon's fun idea, only more for a "mosaic tile" kind of look in crafts and/or books. Some don't need alphabet letters. And anyhow, I am not that strong a stenciler! lolz

:)

Here is Shemi Dixon's fab video! I really like how hers turned out, don't you? Hers are adorable! More professional looking than mine, that's for sure. 

Hmmm. Guess I could use a better stencil set and some new brushes.

I hope to be able to add more soon to this very neglected second blog of mine!

Cheers!

~Rose