Hey bloggers Rita Barakat here!


Hey bloggers Rita Barakat here!
Posted at 08:00 AM in Altered Arts, Gelato, PITT® Artist Pens, Stamper's Big Brush | Permalink | Comments (1)
As an art teacher, I'm asked many times to offer ideas for classroom teachers for Mother's Day projects. I decided to try this fun necklace as one of the ideas I offered up. I've seen it done with paper and you could totally do it with many different materials, but for today's post, I made this one with large paperclips, Sculpey Ultra Light oven dry clay, and Design Memory Craft products. It's pretty easy for older kids to do without much guidance. Little ones would need help, but it would be charming. Any Mom would love this necklace!
I got a package of brass colored large paperclips at Staples and used around 19 of them and hooking them together.
Next, I conditioned some clay (I used the Sculpey Ultra Light clay that is baked in the oven)... that is you work it with your fingers to soften it before using it. I put it on my non-stick craft mat and used a playdoh roller (tee hee... I swiped it from my 3 year old's play set) so that it was about 1/8th of an inch thick. I cut it into 1 1/2"x 1" pieces.
Next, I placed the piece under a paperclip and wrapped it carefully around the clip. Make sure to press it tight and try to make it even.
I used the Stamper's Big Brush Pen in Black to ink up one of the little stamps in the Gelatos® sets and stamped them into the clay. I stamped off some of the ink before stamping the clay. It make it a little more grungy. IF you like the more opaque black, skip this step! I stamped both sides of the bead.
Once I complete all beads, I placed it on my crafty old cookie sheet. I save this well-used sheet for oven bake clay... I baked it for 15 minutes at 275 degrees.
You have to let it cool... remember there is metal in each bead! HOT! Allow to cool for at least 10 mins. Now the fun begins! I used Gelatos® to create washes to color the beads. Using my craft mat, I scribbled some color on the mat and spritzed some water on it to wet. They are water-soluable and mix beautifully!
I used a heat gun to speed dry it a bit and gave it a second coat of color for more intensity. After they were dry, I used the Textural Accents Glaze to coat each one for a slightly glossy and protective seal.
Here I am wearing my new necklace! I love how easy it was and using paperclips... who knew? So economical!
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!
Posted at 12:25 PM in Altered Arts, Gelato, Stamper's Big Brush, Textural Accents | Permalink | Comments (1)
Hi! Jen Matott here to share a project that I made using DMC products. I have made a little mixed media book that has a variety of materials for pages. The theme of this book is "One Little Word". I created this after being inspired by Ali Edward's yearly quest for the word that will become part of your yearly creative efforts. I have wanted to participate for some time but didn't get going until now. I created this book using a vintage photo proof portfolio (I found it among my grandfather's possessions when he passed away.) They were used to hold photographs but are perfect to create a mini album! I used watercolor paper, canvas, mixed media paper, chipboard, and cardboard as the pages. Most of the pages use Gelatos® or Aquarelle watercolor pencils. I wanted to make something closer to my style in order to explore my word this year "Time".
Here's the cover... mostly covered in papers from Authentique and Prima but inside is the more artsy materials!
Inside front page that used a piece of chipboard that I covered wth paper and cut out the window to reveal the drippy next page.
First I used a template to spray some Gelato® spray though it to create the clock background. I then used the Stamper's Big Brush markers to stamp the clocks and banner pieces and used Gelatos® and water at the top of the page to create the drips. I cut out the banner pieces and starburst stamped image to create some depth.
I created a wash of color using Gelatos® on a craft mat and water. I used them on the back of the page and when the dried, I drew with the PITT® artist pens to create journaling boxes for me to add my thoughts and goals. The next page was canvas on a piece of the portfolio and I used the Aquarelle watercolor pencils to create the circles and arrow shape. I also used the Big Brush Marker to stamp the letters to create the words in each box.
More drippage and corregated cardboard! Love the textures here and how the dripping Gelatos® interact with it!
The back of the cardboard page was done with Gelatos® smeared onto the background and then stamped text on top with the Stamper's Big Brush pen... Then, I used that template again to push light modeling paste through to create the raised clocks... add some papers and this one is done!
The reverse of the first page... the template with the Gelatos® sprays on it and turned over to create the opposite. I used some punchinella to smear some Gelatos® through to create the dots.
More Gelatos® sprays, washes, and stamped images with Stamper's Big Brush Pen. I created the tag with leftover wash colors.
This book was part of a class I taught at my local scrapbook store and I love the outcome of this special little word book! I hope you enjoyed my project today! Thanks for letting me share.
Posted at 04:58 PM in Altered Arts, Art GRIP® Aquarelle Watercolor Pencils, Art Journaling, Gelato, Mini Albums, PITT® Artist Pens, Stamper's Big Brush, Textural Accents | Permalink | Comments (2)
Hello! It's Tiffany here with a fun tutorial on how to make your own mini canvas decor & believe me, it's quick and SUPER easy!
Mini Canvas Decor:
Materials:
Step 1: After you've chosen your coordinating Gelatos® and Stamper's Big Brush Pen, smear some of the Gelatos® color down onto the blank canvas. (The pink shimmer Gelatos® is from the Metallic Gelatos Kit.)
Step 2: Take a water and a paint brush or your waterbrush and spread the color evenly across the canvas (a little water goes a long way).
Step 3: Take your Stamper's Big Brush Pen (I used Pink Madder) and color the sides of the mini canvas and apply color to your stamp before stamping onto the canvas (I used a fun cityscape from myStamp Box's Neighborhoods set).
Easy Peasy! Now, it's ready for hanging or you can make your mini canvas some friends like I did!
Thanks for dropping by!
Posted at 02:32 PM in Altered Arts, Gelato, Stamper's Big Brush | Permalink | Comments (1)
Posted at 02:38 PM in Altered Arts, Gelato, PITT® Artist Pens | Permalink | Comments (0)
For all of you that could not make it to the CHA Winter Show and the Design Memory Craft Mixed Media Workshop with Donna Downey,here is the complete project shopping list and steps to completing the dimensional Mixed Media Canvas. Enjoy!
Design Memory Craft Mix & Match Gelatos
Design Memory Craft Stamper’s Big Brush in Scarlet Red and Chrome Green
12”x12” Stretched Canvas
12”x12” Canvas Fabric
Helmar 450 Quick Dry Glue
Prima Poppy Bunch Stamp (921828)
May Arts Green Ribbon
Prima Blue Butterfly
Register Tape
Book Pages
Preserved Reindeer Moss
Decorative Nails
Steps:
1. Use Gelatos to stamp large foam stamp on background 12 x 12 fabric canvas
2. Use Gelatos to color background
3. Crumple white register tape strips and adhere to right side of one banner and left side of the other
4. Ahere ribbon length to hide adhered edge of paper ruffle
5. Rub Gelato along paper ruffle edge and spritz lightly with water to add color
6. Tear book text into 1" strips, crumple and adhere around the entire edge of the
12 x 12 stretched canvas
7. Apply big brush to large hollyhock wood mounted stamp and stamp onto dry background
8. Adhere banners to bottom right side of fabric canvas background so that they overlap at the 90 degree angle.
9. Adhere canvas fabric background to stretched canvas to conceal glued edges of booktext ruffles
10. Fold over banner and tack into wood frame of stretched canvas.
11.Adhere moss, butterfly and photo (optional)
Posted at 08:18 AM in Altered Arts, Gelato, Stamper's Big Brush | Permalink | Comments (2)
Thanks to Jen Cushman for sharing her jewelry making technique using Gelatos. You can find Jen's article in the Winter 2012 issue of Create with Me.
Posted at 12:04 PM in Altered Arts, Gelato | Permalink | Comments (0)
Jen Matott her to share some new journal pages with you using some of the new colors in the DMC Gelato line. I am loving the bright colors that we are debuting at Winter CHA in just a week! I love the gorgeous colors that go perfectly with the existing color lines. I am going to share with you a couple pages from my 2012 Sketchbook Project journal. I signed up this year for the 2nd year with The Art House's Sketchbook Project. It is a traveling art journal show that goes all over the country and then is permenantly housed in the Brooklyn Art Library. I have one there from last year and then this year's is themed "The Writing on the Wall". I was thrilled to get that theme... had lots of images in my head to use. So, I set about looking through my stash for wall images, writing samples, etc... I used lots of stamps, art mediums, and DMC product on here!
Here is my first page that I'm going to share... it's the title page for my book.
There are many layers of stuff on this page! I started with gluing patterned papers down and then swiped some of the DMC Gesso from the Textural Accents set using a palette knife. I wanted to add some texture to the page. Once that was dry, I added some of the Gelato colors over it and used a brush to blend. I stamped with a brick stamp and pen tips stamp and the black Stamper's Big Brush pen.The "Writing" and "Wall" words were done using the negative space of a cut out (with my Cricut) of those words. I swiped some modeling paste through the negative space areas and when I lifted it off they were dimensional. I added some color with the Gelatos when they were dry. Some decorative tape was added and letter stickers.
This next 2 page journal entry was done with much the same techniques as above but using some of the Gelato made sprays and stencils.
Here you can see a close up for the new colors and some of our favorite older ones. I colored through circle waste (from a board game) and smudged with my fingers. Gesso was added below that layer too. I love using the Gelatos with my journals! I will say that I add a layer of the gel medium or glaze over top to seal it all in as it is going across the country and being handled by many people so I wanted it to last and not smudge.
I have more pages to share but I'll save them for a future post! I'm mailing this baby off this week and had so much fun making it! Hope you enjoyed a sneak peek from this project.
Posted at 02:16 PM in Altered Arts, Art Journaling, Gelato, PITT® Artist Pens, Stamper's Big Brush, Textural Accents | Permalink | Comments (2)
Jen Matott here to share a project that is perfect for all of you fashionistas! With parties all around, I thought it was time that I show my artistic side with a new and unique clutch purse to wear with my little black dress. I had some natural colored denim (or canvas) that I embellished with some Gelato stamping, sprays made from Gelatos and water, and my PITT® Artist Pens and Stamper's Big Brush Pens!
I started with a piece of canvas and added stenciled designs using sprays made from Gelatos and direct application of new Gelato colors to a circle template. Once dry, I added stamped text and wings with a Stamper's Big Brush Pen in Black.
Next I cut a piece of fabric for the lining and used fusible interfacing to bond the two together. I stitched the front and lining together at the bottom with a straight stitch.
I folded the bottom up 3/4 of the way and stitched the sides together. The top was cut to resemble an envelope flap. I stitched the edges around the flap.
Finally, I added embellishments such as a sequined edging using fabric glue. I also added a snap and an artsy flower.
I can't wait to bring this baby along to my winter parties! You will love the new colors of Gelatos too... coming soon to CHA!
Posted at 10:05 AM in Altered Arts, Gelato, PITT® Artist Pens, Stamper's Big Brush, Textural Accents | Permalink | Comments (3)
Colleen's last birdhouse is enough to make you want a snack. She used the Chocolate and Pistachio Gelatos to create this little gem. Book pages were adhered to the birdhouse with Gel Medium. Colleen used her trusty paint making technique to make watercolor paint with her Gelatos by swirling them on to a palette and adding water. She chose a Pistachio house with a Chocolate roof and doesn't it look yummy! Circles and Stripes were painted on with the Gesso in the Textural Accents Sampler. While wet, Colleen sprinked with glitter. The Gesso acts as both a glue and an opaque paint. She topped it off with some silk leaves and what else, a tiny feathered friend.
Posted at 05:17 AM in Altered Arts, Gelato, Textural Accents | Permalink | Comments (1)








