Something Two Crow About

New Art Journal and cracker boxes

A whole new use for cracker boxes...ok so I ran out of canvas panels LOL

This is the beginning stages of my new art journal...

First cut out 3 of the outter edges...save the long end piece...your going to need it for the next step!

Here you will want to glue that long piece inside for a stronger spine! Then attach clips to hold in place while drying! Sorry about the glare..

Next you will want to follow Teesha Moores binding tutorial on her website . I don't read directions otherwise I would of used 8 signatures rather than 7! Believe me..an even number works better! lol

You will need a book binding punch tool, a ruler and a marking pen for this...

Teesha's binding tutorial is easy as pie...even my 8 and 9 year olds made a journal without problems...cept Mama punched the holes for them!

For my pages I used single signatures out of 140lb hot press water color paper...which you can find here .

didn't have any waxed linen thread so I used hemp cord in a bright yellow!

 

Here is what I had when I was done binding!!

I then cut thicker pieces of cardboard to fit inside the front and back covers of the journal and used double stick tape to adhere them.

I then spent the last two days painting all the pages! Yum! And then added old news papers found by my friend Nicole! Thanks hun!

And there you have it!!!

If you try creating this type of journal please send me the link so I can visit you!! Thanks!

Happy Creating!

Nance

Clear tape transparancy...Tutorial

If you have that curiousity of how tape transparancies are done...well...here it is!!

Choose a magazine image that catches your interest or print out a favorite image on your laser printer...if you don't have a laser printer...your local print and copy store will do it up for you for a small price!

Sorry! Still no camera!

Got your image ready? I have mine! I choose a magazine image of Beatrix Potter! )

Here is what you will need along with your mag image or laser copy...

Clear contact tape(for larger images...can be found at Wal-mart in the office supplies...I use the large clear rolls made by Xyron) or if you have a smaller image Clear packing tape will work just as well

Old credit card

Shallow pan of warm water

Time to play!!!! The tutorial

After you have your image picked out or laser copy ( cut and trim excess that you dont want)

Cut a piece of clear contact or clear packing tape slightly larger than your image and lay your image face down on the sticky side of the tape (I think thats pretty self explanitory)

With your old credit card and smooth the image to the tape to release any air bubbles and so that your image is completely adhered to the tape ( you will be able to tell if it is by turning it over to view the image and cannot see any air bubbles)

Fill a shallow pan with warm water set your image that you just adhered to the tape (back of image facing up...you know...the paper side up LOL) I am a little tired today! lol Can you tell! ;)

Let the image soak in the water for a couple minutes...then lightly rub off paper with your fingers (don't use your nails..you will end up scratching off the image underneath)

You might notice a bit of paper still stuck to the back...just hold it under the water faucet and rub the excess off..

And there you have it! A tape transparancy!! 

Now usually the tape is still pretty sticky..you can either just slap it on your journal page or just to be sure it sticks you can run it through a Xyron machine (if your lucky enough to have one of those...I don't lol ) but you can staple it right to the page or use bits of tape or where ever your imagination takes you!

If you have any questions...just ask...I am more than happy to help ya out! :)

Happy Creating!

Nance

My Results for ink jet transfers and Tutorial

First of all...I want to thank everyone for their comments on yesterdays post! It was so great hearing from all of you! Now don't be shy the rest of you lurkers! hehe I don't bite! :D I'd like to hear from you too!

Same art journal page I used for yesterdays post...only this time we are going to try Ink Jet Transfers!! After reading on of y'alls blogs I seen someone one having trouble with these transfers...So I decided to try it for myself and share my results!

The first go at it was not good...if you will take a look in the bottom right corner of my art journal page...I found that attempting ink jet transfers over acrylic paint or an already painted surface did not do so well. The image stuck right to the page and only traces of the image was left behind and kind of smudgy.

Over towards the bottom left I tried it again...this time I painted a bit of gesso over the already painted page(let it dry completely) and slicked a little soft gel medium on top of the gesso and plopped my image on top and after a minute I peeked under a corner and SUCCESS! Ya baby! I then painted around the image. And even with the gesso... the paint underneath started showing through! Yay! 

I suppose you could try this with just a gesso'd page and try your ink jet transfer that way and then go about your painting. My disclaimer..not everyone will get the same result...and just to let you know it is all trial and error for me too!

The Tutorial.....

@@@ Please try this on a test paper as not to ruin a good piece. I wouldn't want to get a beatin' from y'all..I don't like pain HEE HEE

I first started out with photo paper to print on ( I would suggest printing more than one image on the paper so your not having any photo paper waste) Make sure the images are something you want to use. Be choosey. Then print your images out on your ink jet printer. If your image has writing on it you will need to reverse the image in your editing program or else the wording will come out backwards!

Cut and trim the image that you want to use.

Gesso the spot on your page where you want to place the image. I just did one light coat of gesso. Let it dry completely.

When gesso is dry put a thin coat of soft gel medium on top of the gesso and quickly place your image down. Wait about a minute and then peek under a corner of the image to see if it has transferred..if not wait  a bit longer and test again. When image has successfully transferred peel the paper off. Some bits of paper may stay behind..I used a pair of tweezers to pick off the extra bits. And hopefully there you have it! An ink jet transfer! Then you can go about your painting the page! OR  you can do what I did and  gesso over the pre painted page of where your image will be placed.  And then paint around it.

If you have a different way of doing this technique please do share!! ;)

I would also love to see your results..so leave me a comment with a link! :D

For more challenges and tutorials please check out Kira's blog http://starchildartworks.com Kira also has a great Art Journals group! Come on over and join the fun! 

Happy Creating!

Nance

P.S. I will contiue to use this art journal page for testing out new things and share them with you! :D

Use what you got!

Ok here we go!

Now I have heard from a few of you that you don't like to use other peoples backgrounds....Here is a way to get a look all of your own!

This is a page in my art journal which I solely used different objects around the house to make interesting marks! Ok so I painted the background first! We all have paint and a paintbrush right?!

Since my camera is taking a rest you will to use your imagination..I had it all set up for a picture of the objects I used but well...here is what I found around the house to make my page!

Found..

Styrofoam block (adds great texture)

Thread spool (if you peel the paper off the end it makes a great stamp...if you want the stamping to come out clear..put a mouse pad underneath your page prior to stamping)

Plastic soda pop lid

Plastic jello cup (empty of course...burp!) use the rim around the top to stamp with!

Disposable plastic paint trays (you know the ones that come in kids art kits...oops! don't tell the kids) I used the back of it to stamp with ie the blue square shapes..oh my! I shouldn't say that word s-q-u-a-r-e around L-I-A she gets all excited about that shape hehe shhhhhhhh!

Sequin waste or wire mesh (a piece of screening would work) But dont go out an buy it just for this purpose....The whole idea of this is to create a page using what little interesting objects you can find around the house! Just lay it down over your page and dab a little paint here and there..go lightly!   

Now go take a look around your house! See what you can find to stamp with! Plus when your done with your background...you have a totally original background !!! Now isn't that what we are all looking for?! I know I am! :D

I am sure this will give you a jump off point to come up with something totally your own! Ready! Set! Go hunt!!!! And be sure to send me a link of what you found to stamp with!!

Happy Creating!

Nance

Copyright2007 Nancy Baumiller

Don't throw away that magazine just yet......

Ok! So this is probably not what you expected to see..as I told you I was going to get outside and doing a little nature study! I sometimes really need to push myself to go out that door. I really don't know why that is. I am not much for hanging around outside unless we are camping and such. I really don't care much for the hot weather...and honestly....I don't like the feeling of being sweaty n stinky LOL I have enough of that with hot flashes and night sweats LMAO Actually it is no laughing matter I just need to get off my duff and take my arse outside! I will try!

This is a new page in my art journal! I am working...ahem..playing with a few new things....the face images you have seen the last couple days are images from magazines...magazines seem to always have an endless use for me...just when I think it is safe to toss them in the trash...some new idea comes to me ;)

A Little Tutorial.......

Here is what I did....I found a face image and then lightly gesso'd over the face...so that I could still somewhat see what was underneath.....I then took a lighter paint color and painted in where light touched the face...I then went back in with a darker color for the shadows.....and then painted the lips and eyes a totally different color....for the darker details ie around the eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth area I used a dk brown colored pencil...ever so lightly and there you have it...an image to call your own! You can also gesso over the background...on some of them I followed the flow of their hair style and did much the same technique as I did with the face (shadows and light) This came to me after flipping through the card prompts of Wide Open by Randi Feuerhelm-Watts! I love these cards and the most excellent little journal that comes along with the cards!  I have done many of these face images in the last couple of days...painting just seems to soothe my soul! ;) I still have yet to document the colors I used etc and then attach it to the journal entry. That way my little brain don't forget what I did LOL

If you try this leave me a link...I'd love to see it!!!! :)

Right now it is Thursday May 31st at 12:37 A.M. I went to lay down shortly after dinner time...I just felt extremely exhausted...So now the house is quiet and I can play a bit at my desk and art away!!!! :)

Over and out! Happy Creating!

Nance 

Easy as pie backgrounds!

You are going to love this one! So easy! and you get some really cool results with this technique!

All you will need is:

Paper (cardstock or watercolorpaper or whatever you have on hand)

Old credit card ( I save all those empty gift cards )

Acrylic paint (what ever colours you would like to use)

News paper or old plastic table cloth to cover your work surface

Paper towels or old rags

Thats it !  Are you ready to play and make a good mess LOL

First off cover your work surface with newspaper.....have all the other supplies handy....this is a quick process and you can do many backgrounds in just a few minutes...and have backgrounds already prepared for your next project! I dont know about you but a white piece of paper just intimidates me LOL.....Ok here we go!!!

Sorry once again for my poor camera skills!

Step one....dot the paper randomly with acrylic paint...I just squeeze it directly from the bottle...but careful not to squeeze to hard lol.....

Step Two: Take that old credit card and drag thru the paint...see how it mixes into other cool colours!!! Yippy!

You will have to experiment with this technique....certain colours you might want to wipe of the credit card or you will end up with a muddy effect....or you can take whats on that card and swipe it over another piece of paper.....thats it!!!! Easy hu! Let me see your results!!!!!!

Here is mine....psst this is the backgrounds I have been using for my lastest journal art pages! Now you have something ready and waiting for you when you want to play! You can do a bunch of these so you have plenty of backgrounds to work on!!

Happy Creating!!!!

Nance