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| .: Quote of the Month :. |
"What I know is, is that if you do work that you love, and the work fulfills you, the rest will come."
~ Oprah Winfrey
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| .: Craft Tip :. |
| Mirror Mirror If you're interested in seeing your creations - graphic or otherwise - in an objective way, hold the item up in front of and facing a mirror from a distance of 3 to 5 feet.. You'll be better able to critique your item and tell where another detail may be added, or another color repeated, or an area needs to be broken up with an addition of something.I rely on this method with everything I make and it never fails to give me success!
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| How to Fade Fabric |
| Monday, February 26, 2007 |
Fading Fabric
You will be using bleach when fading fabric so please work in a well-ventilated area, wear rubber gloves and an apron to protect your clothing- better yet wear old clothes you care nothing about.
Materials
3 large plastic storage bins
Chlorine bleach
Chlorine neutralizer ( this stops the fabric from continuing to fade and eliminates that terrible chlorine odor
Directions :
First bin: combine 1 part chloring bleach with 10 parts very hot water
Second bin : fill with cold water
Third bin : mix chlorine neutralizer following manufacturers instructions
Run fabric under the tap in hot water. Then submerge the fabric in the first bin; watch it closely, keeping in mind that it will look brighter when wet than it will when it dries. The fading process takes anywhere from 10 seconds to 15 minutes. Add a little more bleach if you don't see results after 15 minutes.
Submerge the fabric in the bin of cold water, and swish it around, rinsing thoroughly. Wring it out.
Transfer fabric to the bin of chlorine neutralizer, and soak according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Launder the fabric with detergent, and dry it in the dryerLabels: crafting, fading fabric, how-to |
posted by Debbie- Two Old Crows (www.2oldcrows.com) @ 6:29 AM   |
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| How to Paint Paper Mache |
| Sunday, February 18, 2007 |
Painting Paper Mache
Always looking for new surfaces to paint on paper mache offers a wide variety of shape and sizes at a very reasonable price. Paper mache to paint can be found in stores such as Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Jo Ann….it can even be easily bought on the internet. These various shapes can be painted for holiday use and for home decor.
Paper mache has a very porous texture. It is easy to paint with the paint adhering quickly and drying in a short time, this drying process can even be made faster with a fan or hair dryer. I have found that acrylic paints work best with paper mache and applies best with a expensive sponge brush. The most prevalent problem with paper mache is getting it too wet this will make the piece lose it's shape.
Paint should be applied in smooth even coats and let dry thoroughly. If the paint does not dry completely the next coat may become lumpy or pull off. Be sure to sand lightly between each coat , I like to use a brown paper grocery bag just be sure there is no print on it. Always wipe your piece with a tack cloth after sanding to remove residue.
If you only wish for the piece to have a tinted look just water down your acrylic paint with water and follow the same steps.
After you are finished with your piece and it is completely dry use a good sealant to protect it this can either be a brush or varnish type.
Have fun painting paper mache and experiment with a variety of faux painting finishes, stenciling, tole painting to achieve different effects. It’s an expensive way to make wonderful decorative items for yourself , to sell or give as gifts.Labels: folk art painting, how to, paper mache |
| posted by Debbie- Two Old Crows (www.2oldcrows.com) @ 7:58 AM |
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| Artisan Market |
| Friday, February 16, 2007 |
As a crafter we are always looking for new places to sell our items whether it be in a store, craft shows or on the internet. Internet selling can often be quite confusing- we are never sure where to sell so that our products are seen by customers. I have found that just having a website isnt enough ....your customer base isnt large enough and auctions arent always the answer so Ive been searching out other places on the internet and one of these I have found is Artisan Market
Artisan Market offers a place where you can sell your art along with other artist in a setting that has been well designed. The artist already there offer high quality unique pieces in a variety of mediums including baskets, pottery, woodworking and fibers. Each piece that I viewed really was extraordinary.
Right now they are offering a free 60 day trial membership- you sure cant beat that ! They offer the following:
Promotes your work to attract qualified buyers to your gallery.
Processes your orders, handles purchase transactions including those by credit card – and performs all record keeping tasks.
Handles all customer service requests, saving you time.
You enjoy easy gallery management, including simple uploading of photos.
So this gives you more time to create and if your like me the creative part is the part you enjoy and are good at.
So take a few minutes and check it out - if you looking for a great gift whats better than a one-of-a-kind piece that you might just find there while looking around at Artisan Market
Labels: artist market, crafting online, selling online |
| posted by Debbie- Two Old Crows (www.2oldcrows.com) @ 2:05 PM |
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| Another Day of Crafting |
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St Patricks Day is really not that far off....spent the morning thinking of other things I would like to make and remembered this old green enamelware saucepan .....so I added a few thing and turned into a light.....it can be found on my websiteTwo Old Crows and wouldnt it make a wonderful gift for some Irish friend Labels: crafting, raggedy ann, shamrocks, st patricks day |
| posted by Debbie- Two Old Crows (www.2oldcrows.com) @ 7:10 AM |
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| A New Blog |
| Wednesday, February 14, 2007 |
| Ive decided to start another blog......just for St Patricks Day. It will be filled with crafting ideas and recipes for the that special Irish holiday that we all love. So take a few minutes and take a peek St. Patricks Day Crafts and Recipes ! Labels: blog, st patricks day |
| posted by Debbie- Two Old Crows (www.2oldcrows.com) @ 7:46 PM |
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| A Day Spent Crafting |
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Ive had this pattern for a Raggedy Ann shelf sitter for quite some time and just never got around to making it.....its from Prim Raggs and didnt it turn out cute. This morning I was looking through my fabric stash and saw just a bit of the St Patrick Day print (sure wish I had bought more). I only had an eighth of a yard dont know what I was thinking but decided to go ahead and try and see what I could do with it and all in all I think it came out kind of cute. Ive added these to my website Two Old Crows in the St. Patrick section that we just added. |
| posted by Debbie- Two Old Crows (www.2oldcrows.com) @ 7:43 PM |
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| Free Valentine Crow Poke Pattern |
| Tuesday, February 06, 2007 |
| This month in Primitive Times Magazine Im offering a free pattern. This is my first venture into offering patterns and its be very overwhelming the great response Ive received. In future holds me starting a whole line of patterns...so watch for my new adventure. You can find this really cute Valentine Poke at Primitive Times Magazine (www.primitivetimesmagazine.com) Check out the other great articles and free patterns while your there ! Labels: crow poke, free patttern, valentine pattern |
| posted by Debbie- Two Old Crows (www.2oldcrows.com) @ 7:00 AM |
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