Repurposing a Quilt...

Many years ago, I designed and made a quilt that was used for the quilt guild's block of the month.  Although I liked the idea of the blocks, I never really liked the little quilt I had made with them.  So, this weekend I decided to repurpose it into an organizational system.

I could have just used it as a dog bed, since as soon as I put it on the floor to snap this picture so I could show you the 'before', Dime walked right over and lay down on it! Silly puppy!

Anyway, the original blocks were 12" blocks so I cut them down to 11.5".  The four blocks used for the outer panels of the bags were trimmed to get rid of any binding, but the four blocks that I used for inner pockets were trimmed so that the binding became the open edge of the pocket.

Since becoming a foster 'mom' for future dog guides, I've been carrying a lot of ziploc bags with puppy needs (paper towels, a collapsible water dish, water bottle, training treats, etc.) as well as the usual contents of a purse.  Now I can organize all of the puppy things into one bag...the pockets are great for finding things quickly, and the second one holds my other 'purse' items.

The final block (the quilt had 9 blocks) became the water bottle holder and a little change purse (which fits nicely inside the larger 'purse' bag).  All of this fits into the larger bag I carry so that now instead of riffling through a bunch of ziploc bags to try to find my wallet or whatever, I can get my hands on things really quickly!

The idea of cutting up a quilt and repurposing it took some getting over, but I'm going to enjoy this quilt so much more now that I'll see it daily and know that it'll keep me organized!

Exploring Encaustic Medium...

I've been wanting to try encaustic for a long time, but for some reason I just kept putting it off.  I think I was a little intimidated by some of the technical 'stuff' even though I've used similar tools and heat for resists, batik, etc.  Anyway, I've got Daniella Woolf's fabulous book and DVD, The Encaustic Studio so I finally pulled them off the shelf, spent time reading and watching and then I felt ready to jump in!

For my substrates, I'm recycling some picture boards (not sure what to call them but you can see them in the picture).  I get them for pennies at a recycling depot in town, so they're perfect.  I sand them, cover them with gesso* and then I'm ready to go (research gesso vs. encaustic gesso if you're planning to do this).


I wanted some heavy texture in this piece, so I pulled out the drywall compound again, and using a stencil I applied a thick layer of compound with my fingers, making it easy to control where I was applying it without having to mask off the stencil.

Needless to say, this needs a bit of time to dry, especially because of the fairly thick application.

I'm now ready to add some collage elements and start playing with the wax medium!

I'd say I still need to work on my use of this medium...a lot!...but, here's my first attempt at encaustic. It's a very interesting medium to explore, but as you can see, I have a ways to go before I get a handle on this. 

You've Got To Live!

Lately there has been some question about my returning to cycling after my accident three months ago.  The wrist is still sore and the finger is still in a custom splint, but I believe that I can wrap myself in bubble wrap or I can get out there, take some moderate risk, and live life!  Yesterday I was playing in my art journal and this developed...

 

And now, if you'll excuse my, I'm going for a cycling...

DIY: Home-Made Washi Tape

Before I get to the home-made washi tape, I wanted to share the improvements I've made to my new 'Journal on the Go' (see original post here for more details about how and why I made it).  Since taking Joanne Sharpe's great Letter Love 101 online class, I just couldn't stand looking at those plain pockets.  They just begged for some lettering on them!  I also added a belt loop to hold my new home-made washi tape!  Keep reading I'll tell you all about how to make it.

Mouse over photo to see the 'before' image.

This is dedicated to my new cyber friend, Heather, who lives in South Africa and can't get her hands on washi tape (no local shops carry it and none of the online vendors will ship to South Africa).  I've heard about this idea in a few places, and today it was time to try it.  It was easy, fast and really inexpensive.  I started with some double sided tape that I got at the Dollar Store and some tissue paper that I had saved because it was still 'like new' Yes, I can be a bit of a pack rat but it's environmentally friendly!

I pulled out my ink pads and stamps and just started stamping on the tissue paper.  I love black on white to contrast all the other colours I use in my journalling, but you could use coloured ink pads if you prefer.  I personally like StazOn but use whatever you prefer.

These five stamps are especially great for this.  They're the clear ones that you stick on the acrylic block and I simply lined all five up side by side to make the printing really fast.

The next step is to turn the tissue paper over and put the two-sided tape on the back, smoothing it out as you go (sorry, I forgot to take a photo at this stage).  I don't worry about a few wrinkles because I actually like the added texture and interest.

You're now ready to cut the tape out.  Just cut along the edge of the tape.  This is a great activity to do while 'listening to TV' (I hardly ever actually watch TV anymore. LOL).

If tissue paper is good, why not old dictionary pages?  I get old books at a wonderful recycling depot called Wastewise which recycles all sorts of things for incredible prices.  I can get old hard cover books (also great for altered books - learn more here) for 50 cents!

One thing led to another and I pulled out this 'love' paper which is actually the inside of an envelope that I took apart (Thanks Diane. The birthday card you sent me last month is still bringing me Joy!).  I know you can get some beautiful printed tissue papers so you could make some washi tape with those too.  I'd love to hear your ideas for what else we could use to make our own unique, inexpensive washi tape. 

Here's my new stash of washi paper.  You'll notice some coloured pieces.  Those are some bits of old book pages that were used when I was making background papers.  Nothing goes to waste!

Here's the washi 'stash' all neatly organized.  I rolled them, secured them with little binder clips (another Dollar Store find) and put them on a large binder ring.  This is why I had to add the belt loop to my Journal on the Go!  The shorter pieces were just tucked into one of the pockets.

It's been a very busy couple of days.  In addition to the above mentioned pursuits, I also made some more beautiful background papers.  If you want to know more about the process, check my previous post here.

Recycling An Old Pair of Jeans = Journal To Go!

I've had an old pair of my husband's jeans lying on the studio floor since I used a bit of the denim in a piece of mixed-media art that I'm working on.  Today, as I glance down at them while doing something else I suddenly got a great idea.  This is where my husband would say, "Self praise is no praise." but I really do think it's a great idea :o)

I used the back of the jeans, pockets and all to make a journal cover.  It has a pocket on the front and back to hold a selection of your pens, markers, your aqua brush, etc.  You could even fit a few small rolls of washi tape (see note at end of post and click here for a DIY for making your own washi tape) in the pockets.  I used a bit of left over upholstery weight cotton to add a pop of colour.

Now you've got an easily portable journal so you can do "art every day" no matter where you are.  Wouldn't this be great on a long plane trip?  Australia is on my bucket list and the idea of being able to journal along the way would certainly make the long flight seem to pass faster.

I also found a bit of time to make a birthday card for one of my great nieces, so it's been a good day!

Note:  Someone in my Letter Love 101 class shared a wonderful link on making your own washi tape.  It's absolutely brilliant and so easy!