Mosaic Monday - Ladies in Red

I kind of feel ashamed to say so but I don't like red that much.... I know all colors are beautiful and each of them bring out the best in one another and blah, blah, blah... but if I have to pick something to wear or buy, it usually won't be red. Even so, I decided to make my Mosaic Monday in red because I got inspired by these pieces. I am sure it says a lot about the pieces!!!

If you would like to buy or to have more information about any item, just click on the description of the item. You will be taken to the item's etsy or artfire page.

1. Cleverindie: No Place Like Home
2. NothingButString: Marigold - Crocheted Choker
3. TuscanRoad: Black and Red Dangle Earrings
4. Janallsop: Influence - Original Mixed Media

Aesthetics of Failure 2

Remember the saga of the ugly scarf? This is the next chapter... After steam setting the dyes, I used my Shiva Paintstiks, which I love. If you have never used them, give them a try, whatever your medium is. They work is paper, fabric, wood... almost any medium!
Anyway, even my Shivas didn't help... this is what it looks right now:


So, I still have work to do. The Shivas will take a couple of days to dry and then I have to iron to finish the Shivas setting process. So, I have two days to come up with something else to do to change the Beast into Beauty!

Rhapsody in Blue Mosaic Monday

I like blue. No, this is an understatement; I LOVE blue! Today, Mosaic Monday celebrates blue, showing off beautiful items made by talented members of etsy secrets.

If you would like to buy or to have more information about any item, just click on the description of the item. You will be taken to the item's etsy or artfire page.

1. Artfaerie: 6 sterling silver bead caps 8mmx4mm
2. Artimentary: Early Blue Morning copyright 2008 by Antonia Lindsey
3. Created by Jen: FREEDOM Word Art
4. Grape Island Glass: Turquoise Blue Fused Glass Bowl

It is sooo Tudors...

And I love it!

I have been working on this design for the last two months... Yeah, that long! But it was worth it. IMHO, it came out really nice and this particular one reminds me of medieval festivals, court and Ann Boleynn. The design is pretty flexible, though, and changing the silk gives it a whole new, modern look.

Don't be shy!!! Tell me what you think and if you love it, run to SilkArtFromBrazil.com or SilkArtFromBrazil.etsy.com.

The Amazing Work of Rhiannon Connelly

Just a couple of weeks ago, I discovered the work of Edinburgh-based photographer Rhiannon Connelly, and right then I decided she would be the first featured artist in my blog.

When I look at her photography, the image I have is as if I were looking at the window on a rainy day, so nostalgic, so romantic.

The first time I saw her work, it looked mainly like digital work to me but I was in for a surprise. Rhiannon uses a vintage Polaroid SX70 camera to create what she calls “Polaroid Paintings”. The process allows the manipulation of the emulsion for a short period to create a unique, unrepeatable dreamlike image. When using SX70 film, the digital treatment is only color tuning at the scanning process.

I was impressed when I asked how she got started in this kind of art, for her answer was so unpretentious, a sure sign of a true artist. She said, “I got started after seeing an exhibition of this technique and hunting around online until I found some explanation. I then contacted an artist who was using the technique and they put me on the right track as to camera and film required.” It was that simple!

Besides her "12 city" project, photographing 12 European cities, she has been involved with a new form of art: basing a collage on a Polaroid photograph. The result is fabulous, especially for a mixed-media lover like me. See for yourself!

I am sure you are in love with Rhiannon's work like I am, so run to StarryBlueSky on etsy to see more of her work. You can get in touch with her e-mailing info@rhiannonconnelly.com

Mosaic Monday

Etsy has millions of beautiful items, and jewelry is arguably the most popular category. So today I am featuring beautiful jewelry made by talented members of etsy secrets.

If you would like to buy or to have more information about any item, just click on the description of the item. You will be taken to the item's etsy or artfire page.

1. Jewels by Jules: Kyanite and Thai Silver Coiled Bracelet - Blue Tranquility
2. Studio 618: SALE - Simple Leaf Earrings
3. Rose of Sharon Jewelry: True Garnet - Handmade Silver and Red Garnet Chandelier Earrings
4. LindaB142: Clarity Purple Blue Waves Earrings

Top 10 Fall Colors

Fall is already here! Well, maybe not, but Pantone has already published their report on what colors will be the hit of the fall.

I went around etsy and had lots of fun picking items to exemplify the (beautiful!) fall colors. Take a look at Pantone's top 10 fall colors, as well as their comments about each color:

1) American Beauty, a wonderfully balanced, true red, perfect for all skin tones

by CJ: A Red Flower For You

2) Purple Heart brings a sense of refinement and sensuality

Fizzy Vintage:Charming Purple Flower Rose Belt and Pin

3) Honey Yellow carries the color of the year through to fall and winter with its golden tones

Gallarus: Citrine Coin Earrings

4) Iron coordinates well with all the palette. Neither gray nor brown, serves as the "new black"

Zilknits: Short Sleeved Cardigan

5) Creme Brulee', a grayed-down beige, speaks to the need of timeless neutrals.

Sweet Plume: Lulu Knot Dress

6) Nomad bridges the gap between beige and gray and, with the other two neutrals, can stand alone or anchor the other colors in the palette.

Laughing Chicken: Incredibly Soft Wrap Shawl

7) Burnt Sienna is a deepened, earthy shade of orange that reminds us of autumn sunset

Handmade Baby Love: Baby Loafer Booties

8) Rapture Rose enlivens the more traditionally subdued fall hues

CutPastePrint: Archival Print

9) Warm Olive, a rich yellow green, adds a touch of elegance to fall

Painted Horse: Reawakening Bracelet

10) Majolica Blue, a deep teal blue, brings more vibrancy than the usual navy

NicolasDesigns: Patchwork Skirt

Mosaic Monday - Gotta be green!

Just look at these beautiful objects of the talented members of etsy secrets.

If you would like to buy or to have more information about any item, just click on the description of the item. You will be taken to the item's etsy page.

1. MadeBySwirlyGirl: Granite and Marble Kaleidoscope Blank Cards
2. SouthPawStudios: Gold filled Light sage green crystal drop earrings
3. MeagansDesigns: Bright Green Knit Coffee Mug Cozy
4. EdamamePress: Blue and Green Hydrangea Layers

How To Make a Silk Covered Box

In my line of work, I always end up with a stash of little silk pieces too small to do anything, but too beautiful to be thrown away. So, I keep looking out for ways to use them.

You know all those silk scarves that you don't like that much anymore? You can use them to cover boxes and renew your scarves stock (don't forget to go to http://SilkArtFromBrazil.com for that -- couldn't resist a little merchandising!)

The box I am using in the step by step is the kind you can buy at any arts and crafts store. They are cheap and the results can be stunning. So, go ahead, get your pieces of fabric (or even paper), your box, and a few other things I am sure you have at home and let's make some art!

Material and tools

• Sturdy box (wood, MDF, papier mache are all good choices) with lid. The lid shouldn’t be too tight.
• Silk stash of coordinated colors (you can also use other fabric or paper)
• Coordinated paper for the underside of the lid. Should be sturdy, like scrapbooking paper.
• White acrylic paint (any brand is fine, even wall paint)
• Brush
• White glue (like Elmer’s)
• Water
• Liquid Alcohol
• Bone folder, if you have it.

Best Practices:

• You can do this without a bone folder but if you still don’t have one, you should think about splurging and get one. It is a very useful tool every time you have to fold paper. The folds are always neat, without those wrinkles that folding sturdier paper creates. If you can really splurge, get the Teflon Bone Folder. Besides being non-stick, it doesn’t make that “shining” mark on the paper.

• Whenever you apply liquid glue, using a brush always makes the task easier and the final result neater. When you are gluing paper, you should use a thicker brush and dab the glue on the paper, instead of using brush strokes. This will help prevent those “bubbles” on the paper. Always use the minimum amount of glue you need to have the job done.
• Also when gluing paper, use your bone folder to prevent any wrinkles and make sure the paper adheres to all the corners of the box.
• Whenever you are painting a wooden piece, sand it first. Then put a base coat of white paint and allow it to dry thoroughly. Sand the piece and apply a second coat of white paint. Then, apply the final paint, allow it to dry, and apply another coat. When you are satisfied with the coverage of the piece, apply varnish, allow it to dry, sand it lightly, and apply a second coat of varnish. It will look great!

Recipe for the glue

2 parts of white glue, 1 part water, ½ part liquid alcohol

Step by Step

1)If you are using a wooden box, you should sand all the imperfections. MDF and papier marche boxes don’t need to be sanded. Clean after sanding to get rid of all the dust.

2) Paint the box white. This is necessary because you don’t want the color of the box interfering with the color of the silk.

3) Mix your glue according to the recipe above (make sure you don’t mix too much because this glue can’t be saved for later use.)

4) Now, the fun begins!!! Cut your silk in irregular pieces, not too small. I like the rustic feel frayed edges bring, so I tore mine.

5) Put the first piece of silk over the box, and pass glue over it using the brush. You can use the brush to make sure the silk is completely flat, or you can live some wrinkles to give it some texture. Whatever you like!

6) Keep doing the same with the other pieces of silk, creating an irregular mosaic. You will put the pieces of silk over the edges of the ones you put before, so no uncovered space will be left at the end.

7) Leave pieces of silk hanging on the sides of the lid, so you can cover the sides and make the "hospital corners" with them.

8) Now, as always, the devil is in the details. Pass glue on the silk hanging on the sides, so they adhere to the sides of the lid. You should fold the silk that is left on the corner to one side of the lid.

9) Pass glue under and over the little triangle and hold them with a clothes pin.

10) Repeat with the other 3 corners. To make sure your finishing is neat, fold the triangles to the same side of the lid. In other words, 2 sides of the lid will have one triangle on each corner, and 2 sides of the lid will have no triangle.

11) Fold the remaining silk under the lid and glue it. Clothes pins will help here as well.

12) Now, we are going to work on the underside of the lid, covering it with the coordinated paper. First, you should measure the insides of the underside: sides and bottom.

13) You are going to cut:

A) 1 piece for the bottom, with the exact measures you took

B) 2 pieces for the bottom, increasing 0.5 inch on the width. So, my sides measured 3/4” by 6”. I cut 2 sides 1 ¼” x 6”

C) 2 pieces increasing 1 inch on the length and ½” on the width. So, my pieces measured 1 ¼” x 7”

14) Now, start with the pieces you cut on “13C”. Fold ½” on each end, right sides together. Using a bone folder (if you don’t have one, use a ruler or even your nails), mark the folds. Open the folds.

15) Fold ½” lengthwise, right sides together and mark the fold. Cut the little corner that measures ½” x ½”. You should finish with something like this:

16) Dab white glue all over the wrong side of the piece of paper and glue to one of lid’s underside sides, like this:

17) Do the same with the other piece “13C”, gluing it to the opposite side of box.

18) Take one of the pieces you cut on “13B” and fold ½”, right sides together, marking the fold. Dab white glue on the wrong side and glue it to one of the sides not yet covered with paper. Do the same to the other side. You will end up with all sides of the lid’s underside covered.

19) Glue the lid’s underside bottom and the underside should be finished.

20) If you want, you can cover the lower part of the box with silk as well, or do what I did; paint with acrylic paint in a coordinated color. If you choose to paint it, you can varnish afterward for a better finishing. Take a look at the "Best Practices" above about how to do a great job when painting wooden (or MDF) pieces.

21) And you end up with a beautiful box like this one:

I know I shouldn't say so myself but...

I am just in love with my Whimsical series of hand painted silk jewelry. So perfect for spring and summer.

I have to share!

Blog Award

I am delighted to announce I’ve received this lovely blog award. It came from Linda, from NunOfAKind.

Good thing (or almost as good as receiving the award) is I get to pass it along to another blog and my pick is (drum rolls sound)

http://lennydavinci.blogspot.com

Actually, Cheryl has two blogs, both focused at crafts, and I was torn between the two of them. LennyDaVinci has more general crafts content, with lots of tutorials for different crafts. The other blog is http://bayoubags.com, where she features handmade handbags, and gives a try to a lot of different tutorials that are out there. Great, fun and useful content! Check it out!