Paper Clay How Too To Make Your Own -Tipnique tuesday

Hi all
I'm not home this week and don't have access to my craft goodies so this Tipnique Tueasday I'll share how you can make your own paper clay.

What You Need

• Construction paper pieces-white or coloured but separate your colours
• Water
• Flour
• Electric blending machine
• Mesh drainer
• Small bowl
• Gladbake or other non stick baking sheet
• Air tight container

How Too
1) Mix 2 cups of construction paper scraps (For best results only use one colour at a time as some colours bleed out) with 4 cups of water in a blender for 20 seconds.
2) Drain the pulp and squeeze out as much of the excess water as possible.
3) Mix 1/2 a cup of flour and 1/2 a cup of water in a small bowl and blend well.
4) Add flour and water mixture to your paper pulp and knead till a soft dough forms
5) Store it in an air tight container till ready for use.

Use the dough as you would shop bought paper clay. Allow it to air dry for 1-2 days or speed up drying by placing in a low temp oven.


hugs
Annette In Oz

Christmas House Decorations-How Too/Tipnique Tuesday

I stopped doing a Tuesday how too when I needed shoulder surgery and then had on going post op complications. Well today is Tuesday and I have been spending my days off making little Christmas house decorations for my family. My Mum made them for me many many years ago and now I wanted to make them for my children, their partners and my grand daughter. So I took some photos as I made a batch today to share the how too with you all.

STEP ONE-WHAT YOU NEED

• Cardboard. Don't use mat board as its to hard to cut allot at once. I used the cardboard behind a writing pad.
• Pencil
• Scissors and/or cutting knife
• Ruler
• Hole punch
• Awl
• Match box. Either use a real match box or some blank ones from the dollar store that are a match box with no matches in them. Mine is 5cm long, 3.5cm wide and 1.5cm deep. YOU WILL need to adjust your measurements if yours are different to this!!! 
• White gesso-optional

Measure and mark out a rectangle that is 8.5cms by 6.5cms and a smaller one that is 7cms by 5cms. Adjust this smaller size as needed if your match boxes are a different size to mine. This smaller rectangle will be the two end parts. The larger rectangle will be the roof.

Cut out both using the ruler and craft knife. Place both rectangles in the landscape position. On the larger rectangle mark the half way point at 4.25cms along the top and bottom of the 8.5cm edge. Rule a line across. Use the rear of the craft knife and the ruler to score along this line.

Turn the rectangle to portrait position. On the centre line mark a dot half way along at 3.25cms. Punch a hole at this dot.

On the smaller rectangle, measure and mark a dot at 3.5cms which is the half way point at top and bottom and rule a line. Measure and mark at dot at left, centre and at right 1.8cm up from bottom. At the top mark a dot at 1.75cms from the left side and from the centre line

Use ruler and pencil and draw a line down from the top 1.75cm marks to the 1.8cm marks on either side. 

Repeat to second half. It should look like this...

Use craft knife and ruler to cut out the shapes. You now have two ends and a roof!

HINT
1) You can leave the roof unpaited but I found it made the felt covering in the next step look whiter. I just used some white gesso.

2) If you are making more then one house just use the roof and the ends you cut out as your templates for more so you don't have to keep measuring each time.

STEP TWO-WHAT YOU NEED

• Gel medium (or clear drying glue of choice).
• Your cut out roof and two ends
• Match box, 
• White felt or wadding sheet
• Little pegs to act as clamps
• Baking sheet
• Christmas themed material or paper
• Rubber bands
• Ribbon or stretchy string to hang the decorated house with. Mine is about 25cm long.
• Scissors

Work on a sheet of baking parchment. Use the cut out ends and the match box as templates and cut out enough Christmas material or paper to cover each. Use the roof as a template and cut out enough white felt to cover one side with a 1cm over hang.

Open the match box draw and check it is bottom side down as per picture. This will give your base strength as it will be two layers thick. Push draw back in

Ensure the material or paper is right side down. Place gel medium on all sides of the match box. I just used my finger to do this but you could use a glove of course if you like. Place match box onto the material in landscape position with draw bottom at bottom. Bring over one side and then the other and gently press it onto the match box with your fingers

At one end use your finger to push in both sides of the material toward the middle of the match box end as shown.

Place gel medium on outer edge of one side as per photo below

Pres it down onto the match box on the side where the material has been folded in or what will be the inside or hidden area

Place more gel medium on top of this part as shown.

Now press the other side up and over onto the first glued down part

Repeat to other end so match box is enclosed and all glued areas will be hidden from the outside

Apply gel medium to one end piece. Ensure material or paper is right side down

Press glued side down onto the material or paper. Trim closer to the end shape leaving a 1/2cm over hang with scissors and tapper the bottom corners as shown.

Apply gel medium to over hanging edges and press the material over and down to the rear of the end shape

Repeat to other end so you now have three covered pieces like this....

Apply a generous amount of gel medium to each end of the match box

Press the two end parts on and the wrap an elastic band around the base to hold the ends on while it dries.Put it aside on the baking sheet.

Apply gel medium to the roof piece. If you painted it white apply it on the white side. Press it glue side down on your felt.

Miter the corners with scissors

Apply a generous amount of gel medium to the over hanging felt. Press it over and onto the rear of the roof. Its easier to do a corner at a time then then do the sides. As you stick it down at the corner apply a small peg to hold it in place, repeat to other corners then all sides as per photo below.

Fold your ribbon or stretchy string in half and decide what length you want it to hang from the roof. Tie a double knot and trim away excess.

Punch hole thru the hole in the roof  so felt will now have a hole too. Push ribbon or string  thru hole from the back. Gently use awl to push it thru if you need.

Once a little is showing thru at the front pull it all the way thru till knot reaches the hole

After ten minutes I usually quickly remove all the pegs and place some baking parchment over the rear and then reattach the pegs again as it stops the pegs being glued to the roof on drying. I wait the ten minutes as its enough for the felt to stay stuck down when you remove and reattach the pegs. Leave this to dry for a few hours.

When completely dry remove the pegs and the baking paper. Bend your roof along the scored line from earlier

Apply gel medium along all upper edges as per photo below.

Lie roof on side and eye ball where to place the base so roof will be evenly overhanging. Gently push base into place and then turn the whole thing upright pressing the other side of the roof in place. Adjust as needed while glue still wet. Hold the roof om with one hand and use the other hand to put elastic band around each end to hold it all tight while it dries.

I use one band on each end and double it over so the second passing holds the side of the roof down like this...

 STEP THREE-WHAT YOU NEED

• Opal Glitter spray
• Glitter glue like Kindy Glitz in colours of your choice
• White Puffy fabric paint
• Baking parchment

You can of course use your own ideas to decorate your house such as dangling beads from the roof, windows with family images behind them or sewn on elements. The above is simply the list of things I used :)

Use some baking paper to protect the fabric at bottom and spray the roof with glitter spray following the directions on the bottle. Spray one side then the other.

Decorate the roof with glitter glue as desired. I wrote the names of my family members

Lastly I applied the puffy paint along the house edges at the bottom and while still wet I sprinkled on some glitter as my artificial glistening snow

Here are all my houses at various staged of completion.

I think I'll make a steam punk house for myself...just because I can LOL

Hugs
Annette In Oz

Faux Wax Seal and how to make your own - Tipnique Tuesday

Wow life has been so busy here for me in the top end of Oz. Hubby and I have had 18 days today and tomorrow he has left again for 18 days back to work as a fauna handler on the gas pipeline in QLD...I'll miss him heaps till he is home again *sigh*. My 23 yr old daughter and her fiance Cory are staying here too till the week end and are occupying my art room. Believe me when I say I can't even see my art desk let alone use it LOL. So this week I shall have to share another how too for you all. I have always loved the look of wax seals but the price for real ones made them unattainable for me...so I make my own and here is how:

WHAT YOU NEED

• Small stamps to imprint on your faux wax seals
• Versamark watermark ink OR baby oil
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks. I like using the black glue sticks
• Non stick surface like Gladbake or other non stick baking parchment. A glass plate may be used if you have no baking parchment.
• Mica powders such as Polished Pigments, Pearl-ex etc but you can even use shimmery eye shadow powder if you want!

HOW TOO

1) Ink your stamp up so it's very wet looking on the underside using Versamark ink or baby oil. Be generous so your stamp wont stick in the glue.

2) Squeeze a small amount of melted glue onto your Gladbake or glass. The size of the glue depends on the size of your stamp so you shall have to experiment to work that out. As soon as you lay down the glue, gently press your stamp inked side down onto the soft glue surface. Be careful to not burn yourself as the hot glue will squeeze out at the side of the stamp.

3) Leave the stamp in place till the glue cools and sets then gently peel up the stamp. Your impression will now be on the glue.

4) Brush mica powder of your choice directly onto your glue seal and the stamped image will pop. Use a second colour to highlight the raised areas. Pop the glue seal off the base and spray with a little acrylic sealer and the seal is now ready to use.

Faux wax seals are more durable then the real ones. You can attach them to cards, collages, scrap book pages (spell out a title or name using alphabet faux wax seals) and mixed media works with just a little more hot glue underneath them. Have fun and give them a go

hugs

Annette In Oz

Blender Fluid How Too Make your Own - Tipnique Tuesday

Hi all
hubby is home till the 27th yeha. I also have my daughter Carlia here and her fiance Cory staying whom are  in my art room for the next two weeks so I shall do some how too's to make your own art products today and next week :o). Today for Tipnique Tuesday I'll tell you how to make your own blender fluid! It can be used with markers such as Tombows to blend colours with.

What You Need

• 1/3 Glycerin
• 2/3 Distilled water
• 1/4 Teaspoon alcohol such as Isopryl alcohol available as Isocol in super markets and chemists.
• Bottle with a dropper

How Too
Measure and pour all items in a dropper bottle. Gently shake to ensure all combined well. For Tombows and other markers remove the fine line tip/nib carefully with pliers using a twisting motion. Place drops of the blender fluid down the barrel and refit the nib. The solution can be used on coloured markers that have started to dry out to give them extra life or to refill a blender marker.
This is one recipe I have not tried myself so if you do give it a try let us know how it goes!! When my children where younger I collected allot of these tips and techniques on how to save money by making your own consumables for arts and crafts products. It helped me to not be tied to products and to think out side the square :o).
hugs
Annette In Oz

Kaliedocycle How Too-Tip/Technique Tuesday

This Tuesday I have an interactive card stock toy for you to learn how to make. Once completed it bends over and over on itself. These are known as Kaliedocycles or Tetra Hexa Flexagons. I learnt how to do this from my daughter Melissa who was taught the how too in a maths lesson many years ago. They are fun for children to play with.

SUPPLIES

• A4 piece of card stock or larger
• Pencil. rubber, ruler, craft knife, craft mat, bone folder, glue and rubber.
• Images or decorating medium of your choice. I have decorated my sample with Twinkling H2O's and stamps. You can use photos if you want.

HOW TOO

1) Place A4 card stock in portrait position so long edges at the side. Measure from the bottom left up and mark a pencil dot at 4cm intervals till you reach 24cms in length. I'm using a black marker so you can see what I am doing clearly. From bottom left measure across and mark pencil dots at 4cm, 8cm and 10cm.

2) From the 24cm marked dot measure across and mark a pencil dot at 10cm. Measure up 24cm from bottom 10cm mark to the top 10cm mark and adjust that 10cm dot as needed so its at the 24cm mark..

3)Place ruler along both 10cm dots and mark pencil dots up from bottom at 4cm, 12cm and 20cm.

 4) Use ruler and pencil and lightly mark diagonal lines from bottom 4cm mark to 8cm mark at left side, 8cm mark at bottom to 16cm dot at left, 4cm mark at right to 24cm mark at left, 12cm mark at right to 4cm point at top line and lastly from 20cm mark at right to 8cm point on top line.

5) Use ruler and mark the diagonals in opposite direction from 8cm mark at bottom to 4cm mark at right. from 4cm mark at bottom to 12cm point at right, from bottom left corner to 20cm mark at right, from 8cm mark at left to 8cm point on top line and lastly from 16cm mark at left to 4cm point on top line. It should look like the picture below.

These shaded areas will be where you apply glue

6) Use ruler and pencil and lightly mark a straight lines from left marks to the ones at the right side

 7) Use bone folder and ruler and score along ALL lines. Rub out ALL pencil marks.  Decorate the rows of diamonds as you like. Each row will show on one face of the completed Kaliedocycle. If you want to use a photo make a separate template and cut out a row and fold it so all the diamonds touch to make a 6 sided shape (see completed 6 sided shape below). Use this as a template to cut your photos.

 8) Use bone folder and fold all diagonals as mountain folds and run bone folder along edge to create crisp folds. Fold all diagonals that go in the same direction and then repeat for the ones going in the opposite direction. Do not fold the straight lines they will naturally bend in the direction they need to be in.

 9) Apply glue to the tabs at side and top

10 Fold the tab in from long side and adhere it to the opposite side under the diamond. Continue till you make a diamond snake with the tabs at end.

11) Fold that around to make a six sided shape and pop the remaining glued tabs into the opening at the other end. As an extra precaution I use a stronger glue on these last tabs and leave it adhered in place with a paper clip for a few hours to ensure a strong bond.

Here is a little video of how this is moved when completed.

Enjoy
hugs
Annette In Oz