Art Everyday

 Hi Friends,

I'm trying to make a little art or craft everyday.  I have such a range of interests and materials, that could mean just about anything.

Here's a sampling:

I'm trying to draw more.  If you don't practice, you won't improve.  This is pen over a pencil sketch

Then, some mornings I sit and watercolor.  I have a rocking chair by a large window.  This fuchsia sits outside the window.  Lately, a hummingbird stops by for breakfast.

I recently cut into a Gel Press pull and made a pair of earrings.  The paper is decoupaged onto aluminum flashing.  I'd like to do more of these.

I've also been getting back into macrame, a craft that I used to do ages ago.  And, I'm trying slow stitching, which is another back to my crafting roots.  Embroidery was one of my first crafts - stamped cross-stitch on dishtowels.

Here's a start on a small canvas frame:

Stitching on a 2x2 canvas over acrylic.  

Next time, I'll use a larger canvas.  The wood frame doesn't allow for much stitching.  

That's a little bit of what I'm doing this summer.  Spmetimes, I think I'm a bit all over the place, but summer is a good time to try new things, I think.  What are you trying this summer?  

Happy Crafting!

Terry

Gel Press Blog Hop

Hi everyone,
Today I'm part of a blog hop where we are using Gel Press printing plates to create prints.  This is a product new to me, and I'm having a lot of fun trying it out.

I received a 5x7 plate, which is a great size for card making or mixed media.It took a few tries to figure out how much paint to spread on the plate.  At first, I used too much paint.  The next time, my paint dried up before I could print.  It was a warm night.  The next day, things went better. 

Here's one I created in a fall theme.  I used three colors of acrylic paint (red, yellow and orange) and some leaf stamps.  I can see making place cards for fall dinners with this method.

Leaf Stamps

Here's another print.  This time I used a birdcage stencil.  I put down a layer of blue acrylic paint.  I laid the stencil on one side and used a sponge brush to add white paint around and through the stencil.  I think I'll go back to this and add some definition with pens.

Birdcage Stencil

Then, I decided to try bubble wrap pressed into the paint.  This would make a great background for a couple of tropical fish.

Bubble Wrap

And, I found in my experimentation that nothing needs to go to waste.  Some of the prints I made with gaps or too much paint made perfectly nice fall leaves when run through the die cutter.  And, these leaves are great everywhere!

Fall Leaves

Thanks, Gel Press!  I really enjoyed playing with your reusable gel printing plate.  Can't wait to try more ideas!