Tuesday, April 29

Two for TANGO?? AMAZING Mixed Media Canvas Inspiration by Tracy Alden


Hello! Tracy here with a inspiration post using the wonderful supplies from Amazing Crafting Products and our "Partners in Crafting," FrogDogStudio.com

Inspiration is a strange creature – this time it snuck up on me while sorting what I call my resin "save for later" bin. This bin is populated with all kinds of resin pieces, some finished, uneven pourings or even pieces I just didn't know what to do with. Often when pouring resin if I have extra, I pour it into cabacion molds, this way no resin is wasted and they end up in the bin for later use.


I had some cabachon pieces in the bin, some clear some tinted. I had poured some Amazing Clear Cast Resin tinted with Alumilite Dyes but I had been a bit eager with putting one too many drops of dye in, leaving me with some rather intense dark purple pieces. Theses little ovals made me think of carved stones so it got me thinking of trying out a mixed media piece.


From the Frog Dog Studio April Mixed Media Kit I used the Alumidust Powder - Red Plum; StazOn Midi Ink pad - Claret; iZink Pigment Ink bottle - Gold; Stampendous Mica Fragments Jar, Pearlized. I had already used the Dusty Attic Chipboard Bird set in another project, but kept the chipboard frame of the birds.


Digging around for some paints, inks and some stamps I started to layout the project on a old canvas, figuring out which direction to go.


After applying several layers of acrylic paint, I stippled on alcohol ink and the Gold iZink Pigment Ink. After they dried I applied a water based sealer and sprinkled on the Mica fragments and glued on the purple resin cabachons. The chipboard bird frame became my focal piece on the canvas.


With some wonderful supplies and some saved pieces,
 I was able to create a summer wall decor piece!

What wonderful Mixed Media project
would you create with these supplies?

Visit my blog Art Resurrected for more craft tutorials!
Until next time, safe travels! ~ Tracy

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Tracy Alden... An AMAZING Artist Spotlight

Today we feature Tracy Alden - one of our AMAZING team of Creatives... and a true Artist and Craftswoman. I was so excited to have stumbled upon Tracy's work to invite her to join this team - I had no idea at the time what a GEM she truly is. We are like-minded artists and Tracy is always experimenting and one idea that spawns another... and another. Each project she shares is a marvelous surprise... and her uniquely designed jewelry - SUBLIME {and completely one-of-a-kind}. Enjoy! - Sb

I was raised on arts and crafts; I can't even imagine a life without art of some form in it. Many in my family were and are involved in the arts, from fashion designers, painters, illustrators, dancers jewelry makers to engineers (when blueprints were drawn by hand). My family has been a great influence on me and without their love and support I would not be who I am today. Growing up my family home looked part library, museum, art studio and zoo; my home today is pretty much the same.
Some fun questions for the inquiring minds...

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I had always loved drawing, dancing and wearable art even as a child.When young and fickle I didn't know if I wanted to be a fashion designer, comic illustrator or archeologist. As an adult I have had the amazing luck of working with clay, jewelry, illustration, museum replicas and product design and development in the art/hobby industry.


Coke or Pepsi?

Diet Pepsi


If you could print any phrase on a T-shirt, what would it say?

Artistic Endeavors an Ongoing Neurosis.


What inspires you?
Nature and Ancient Art are my top inspirations. Sometimes just watching the sun rise, rain drops or the wind moving leaves gets me sketching something. 


What is the TOP thing to do on your "Bucket LIST"?
Travel the world even more. So many more wonderful museums and historical sites I would love to see. Top on list however is to see the pyramids in Egypt and South America.


If you could mold ANYTHING with Amazing Mold Putty, what would it be?
I try to mold pretty much anything I love the texture and pattern of. I think the only limit is my imagination or if I have a pack of Amazing Mold Putty around.


What style of music gets your creative juices going?
I am quite fond of ambient and international folk music. Often I let my art project dictate the music, steampunk art work I play steampunk or Victorian music, supernatural themes I play Celtic, grunge or industrial I play metal or classic rock, etcetera.

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Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed this peek inside Tracy's world. Please check back a little later today for some Inspiration from Tracy Alden. You can see more of Tracy's stunning and diverse work at her website Art Resurrected - here.

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Monday, April 28

Decopatch Tissue styles this DIY Desigual Bangle Knockoff for Mold Rubber Monday

 

Good evening Amazing Crafters! Susan here for another Mold Rubber Monday. Today I am sharing a bangle inspired by some acrylic bangles I saw in the mall using the gorgeous Decopatch tissue from Frog Dog Studio April Mixed Media Kit – our partner in crafting. I've created a bangle mold using Amazing Mold Rubber... and haven't had a chance to use it yet. This was the perfect project - since I was not paying $18 for the bangles at the mall when I can do it myself.

  

While on a rare excursion to the mall with other half - there was a new stylish store that I've never seen, so I persuaded my other half to run in. They had all sorts of colorful clothes and accessories... and I spied these bangles – the same exact colors and nearly the same pattern of the Decopatch Tissue in the FDS kit. The cost of one of these bangles {$18} is about the cost of an entire box of Amazing Clear Cast Resin; which would produce at least a dozen handmade bangles if not more. Please scroll all the way to the end of the post for items included in the Frog Dog Studio April Mixed Media Kit and April Add-On Kit:



Amazing Mold Rubber comes in 2 parts, Rubber Base and the Catalyst. I will be creating a large mold so I am mixing up the entire container. This mold took about 1 1/2 containers due to the size required to completely cover the bangle over a two pour process. I always mix the entire container and prepare several molds simultaneously. Amazing Mold Rubber will completely fuse to itself, so if you run out mid-pour, you can let it cure and fill the rest with another batch later.


To mix the entire container of Amazing Mold Rubber - its so simple. Peel back the protective seal on the Rubber Base and then pour the entire bottle of Catalyst into the rubber base. Stir gently and completely until there is no swirling and the catalyst is completely incorporated into the rubber base. The color will be a light bubble gum pink. I use a plastic knife from take out to stir – as the back edge is flat which can be used to scrape the edges completely when mixing.

   

I used a pyrex bowl as my mold box - it was the perfect shape. I hot glued a wooden lid from a liquor bottle in the center of the bowl, centered the bangle around it, and poured the mold rubber into the center first, then around the outside of the bangle. The photos reflect the mold poured halfway. There was an airbubble trapped on top of the wooden lid, so I peeled it away – and resulted in having to trim more away than anticipated. No worries... the next pour will fill it in. 

My reasoning for filling only halfway was because this was how I resolved not gluing the bangle to the bowl to keep it in place. I did hang around for about 45 minutes to see if the bangle shifted while the mold rubber began to harden, but it did not. YAY! When cured I completely covered with a second batch of mold rubber filling 1/4" over the items.



After the second pour, I let the Amazing Mold Rubber cure for a couple days before attempting to remove because it's a fairly thick mold in a glass bowl. I gently heated the bottom of the bowl with my heat gun to loosen the glue; ran a knife around the outer edge of the bowl and twist – a mold is born! Now to free my items - another occasion I could have used an extra set of hands. Amazing Mold Rubber is so flexible that I was able to bend the sides back and peel the bangle out.


The edge of the bangle is completely flush with the top of the mold so I shouldn't have to do any sanding or repair after casting in resin. I think the wooden lid will make a nice cabochon.


My original bangle shape and wooden lid along with mold.


I gathered my Amazing Clear Cast Resin, and items from the April Frog Dog Studio Kit. The Jaquard Pinata Manilla Black Ink is from the March FDS kit. I used this to prepare a separate matching bangle using a different process – I will be sharing this very soon. For this bangle I trimmed sections of Decopatch Tissue to 7/8" strips the width of my bangle mold.


I prepared a small batch of Amazing Clear Cast Resin mixing equal amounts of parts "A" and "B" {click here to view preparation}.  I stirred slowly to combine completely to minimize air bubbles. I set aside to let rest to thicken up a bit while I selected mica fragments and vintage watch parts to place onto the resin coated paper. After about 15 minutes, I painted a thin layer of resin onto the tissue using a foam brush. I'm working on freezer paper - which has a non-stick surface.


After about 5-10 minutes, I gently peeled up the strips of resin painted tissue, turned over and painted the other side {miraculously... I had painted the backsides first - LOL}. I painted this side a little thicker to accept the mica fragments and watch parts. I set these aside to cure overnight.



The Decopatch tissue has a lovely translucency from the light clear cast resin coating – and now it's more durable for placing into my bangle mold. While the clear cast was still tacky, I dropped on some vintage watch parts and Stampendous Mica Flakes.

  

Now the tricky part {I could have used four hands for this}... placing the tissue resin paper into the mold. I gently pulled open a section and pressed the tissue into the mold, rotated and positioned more, and repeated until it was inserted all the way around. Then I made slight adjustments to make sure it was all flat and the two ends met and I measured perfect, there was about an 1/8" overlap.


With my batch of Amazing Clear Cast Resin prepared, I gently spread open a section of the mold and poured the resin in. This was a messy proposition and unfortunately was unable to photograph as this process ended up with both hands a sticky mess. I rotated around and I filled the resin completely, removed the excess resin on the top of the mold and set aside to cure.


Needless to say - I didn't anticipate that the way this mold totally encloses the resin that it might take longer to cure... so the delay of the post was waiting all day to pop it out. I didn't want to impress fingerprints into the pristine surface by trying to pull it out if it is still soft. Patience pays!!! I have one more strip prepared and ready to pour another, too! I think this is a success and will look nice layered with a couple different types of bangles or could stand alone as a statement piece.


How will you customize your
Amazing Clear Cast Resin Bangle?


If you would like to see more of my creations, please visit my blog
sbartist : painting in the dark by clicking here. ~ Susan

I hope you have a creative evening - thanks for visiting!
See you tomorrow with more Amazing Crafting Products inspiration.

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The Frog Dog Studio April Mixed Media Kit includes:
(1) **Alumidust Powder - Red Plum; (1) StazOn Midi Ink pad - Claret; (1) StazOn Midi Ink pad - Blue Hawaii; (1) iZink Pigment Ink bottle - Gold; (1) Stampendous Mica Fragments Jar, Pearlized; (1) Dusty Attic Chipboard set - Birds; (1) Stampendous Mini Clipboard Canvas pack; (1) Set Canvas Mini's - Canvas Corp; (3) Sheets of Decopatch Tissue Paper; and (16) Tim Holtz Clear Fragments (random sizes/shapes). ** Alumidust is one of the many additives from the Alumilite Corporation. Valued at over $45.

The Frog Dog Studio April Add-On Kit includes:
(1) Amazing Clear Cast Resin – 16 Fluid Oz Box; (1) Amazing Mold Putty – 2/3 lb Box; (25) 1 oz Measuring Cups; and (50) Wooden Stir Sticks. Valued at over $47.

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Rachel Whetzel... An AMAZING Artist Spotlight

Today we feature the fabulous Rachel Whetzel - one of our AMAZING Creative Team Alumni... and so much more. She's a photographer, a mixed-media artist and doll maker... and that just scratches the surface. Right now she's the proud mama to a new herd of baby goats {not sure the proper term - but they are so stinkin' cute}. Rachel is always surprising me with here inventive projects and extreme creativity... did you see latest masterpiece, her phone case REDUX??! Enjoy! - Sb


I specialize in creativity and mixed media art through thrifting, up-cycling, re-purposing and new design. I have had the privilege of being published in several Stampington Publications, and am a contributor to Seth Apter’s newest Mixed Media book, “The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists” slated to be published later this year. I am the owner of A Year in the Life of an Art Journal and Monday Mugshots! I am: Thrift junkie. Free Spirit. Believer. Artist. Photographer. Mom to boys. Rust Lover. Worm Farmer. Blogger. Creative Soul. Rule Bender. Spider Saver. Coffee Drinker. Cream Lover. Chook Farmer. Goat Milker. Sailor Mouth. Music Listener. Phone Talker. Garden Grower. Beek. Mess Maker. Risk Taker. Chewy Mom. Gritty Gramma. Good Intender.
Some fun questions for the inquiring minds...

What did you want to be when you grew up?
What I wanted to be when I grew up has changed a few times. I wanted to be an Artist. I wanted to be a Veterinarian. I wanted to be a Forensic's Detective. I wanted to be an Attorney, I wanted to be a Beautician...  I've wanted to be a lot of things!


Coke or Pepsi?

Dr. Pepper



If you could print any phrase on a T-shirt, what would it say?

Oh, man... there are SO MANY!! Probably something from a some Ecard.



What inspires you?
In art: Old, rusty, crusty, vintage and unique.
In life: People that make a difference to just one other soul.


What is the TOP thing to do on your "Bucket LIST"?
I don't really have a bucket list, per say... but I am adventurous eater, and I REALLY want to have tried Squirrel, Alligator and Opossum.


If you could mold ANYTHING with Amazing Mold Putty, what would it be?
I have some metal frames that I really want to mold, but they are really big. It would take SO MUCH Amazing Mold Putty... so for now, I have to be happy with just bits of it.


What style of music gets your creative juices going?

Anything up beat helps to keep me moving, but usually when I create,
the TV is on in the background, not music.


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Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed this peek inside Rachel's world. Please check back a little later today for our regularly scheduled Mold Rubber Monday feature. You can see more of Rachel's fabulous work at her website here... grab a cuppa - there's a lot of exciting stuff to see!

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Saturday, April 26

A Case of Inspiration by Rachel Whetzel

Hello, Creatives!! Rachel Whetzel, here, with a little inspiration for you this month!! Recently, hubby and I got NEW PHONES.

They came with really great sturdy cases from Otterbox, but they were BLACK. Black is great for the hubby, but I wanted something PRETTIER... There weren't any other color choices at Costco when we got the phones, and when I priced a prettier comparable case, I got a bit of sticker shock. Too much money for me to justify buying a new one, when the one I had was perfectly good, just not nice to look at. Then it hit me. I could decorate the hard shell of the Otterbox, and MAKE it pretty!!


I took a case that looked like this one:


Then I spray painted the plastic with some plastic friendly red spray paint, and got to work covering the rest with cool vintage ephemera papers, bits, paints and a vintage pin that I hammered flat. Once I was done, I coated it with Amazing Clear Cast Resin, and let it cure. The result is a super cool, ONE OF A KIND, totally ME cell phone case that is also waterproof!! You could do this with ANY cell phone case. Just make sure that the piece you apply your art to is made of hard plastic!! 


Thank you for reading! Want to see more of what I'm up to?
Visit me on PINTEREST and INSTAGRAM, or like MY PAGE on Facebook!
Thanks for stopping by! ~ rachel

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