Glazes

I've been experimenting with various types of sealers and protectants for my pendants and magnets. I love the look of resin, but I won't use it due to its toxicity and the precise measurements involved. Two products that I have used with acceptable results are UTEE and Diamond Glaze.


I love the shine of UTEE (Ultra thick embossing enamel) and it's quick hardening. Bubbles are easily removed and the resulting surface is very smooth and glass like. It can be reheated and melted again if you're not satisfied with the results. On the downside, it isn't very scratch resistant. There's also a product called UTEE Flex, a resin, which is supposed to be added to melted UTEE to give it more durability. Some of the pendants in which I used this product showed cracking if they were not gently handled. I don't know if this was due to excessive reheating, not enough flex added, or just a brittler product over time.




Diamond Glaze, takes 24 hours to set properly, and continues hardening for days. Tiny bubbles can be a problem if you're a perfectionist like me! Pendants sealed with this product became quite scratch resistant over time. It's not quite as clear as UTEE. They did not have a crystal clear glass like finish.

I tried using UTEE to set the picture in place with a nice glassy coating, then applied a thin layer of Diamond Glaze for it's hardness. I wasn't completely satisfied because of the few tiny bubbles I always ended up with in the Diamond Glaze layer. (I did say I was a perfectionist!) For the present time, I'm just sticking with the UTEE. Any one have any suggestions?

Do You Diecut?

Anyone who uses die cuts probably has more that one machine since there are so many claiming to be the best. I don't have experience with them all, but I always do a lot of research prior to purchasing anything, and I can say with confidence that there is no miracle machine. Each has advantages and disadvantages. I've singled out three as my favorites because each of them has a particular benefit for me. Probably the number one consideration in purchasing any die cutter is cost. There is a wide range of prices starting at about $30 to over $300. For a very reasonable and easy to use die cutter I purchased the Sizzix Sidekick. I think it was actually less than $30 with a 40% off coupon at my local craft store. I bought it mainly because I have a few slimline dies that I love and was having a hard time cutting thick or textured cardstock with them on my more expensive machine. It has proved to be a real time saver for those cuts. I also own a Quickkutz that I use almost exclusively for letters and numbers. The dies are small, very important when using the cuts for cards. It's quick and easy to grab and punch one or two letters. However, my favorite die cutter is the Spellbinder Wizard. There is a lot of controversy over this machine. You either love it or hate it. It's expensive and it's a little tricky to operated properly, as it's not as automated as the other cutters. And it takes a little thought to get your "sandwiches" set up correctly. But the wizard has the most beautiful embossed diecuts I have ever seen. It can cut using almost any die, embosses using Fiskar plates, flattens bottle caps, sets eyelets and snaps, flattens polymer clay, photo transfers, and lots more. I admit I haven't used the machine for all purposes, but knowing I could is good enough for me!!

Now why did I decide to focus on die cutters today? Because I found the best bargain ever at a garage sale this weekend. I've already said that you either love the Wizard or hate it. Well, I found someone who hated it - and I purchased a brand new machine with all the accessories for $10.00. The orginal machine I bought cost me over $100.00 and each replacement plate runs about $8.00. You know I'm a happy crafty camper!

Reverse Creativity

My normal process of designing a card starts with a general idea I want to communicate, followed by a search for pictures, embellishments, and quotes to represent that theme. Too often, I end up printing out an entire collage sheet for just one picture. While attempting to organize my craft supplies this past week, I decided I had way to many pictures just gathering dust. So I decided to change my thinking process and started designing some cards in reverse. I found a picture that I totally loved, but had no idea what to do with. I mounted it on coordinating scrapbook paper and textured card, then I found an appropriate quote. So far, so good, but it definately needed to be embellished. A search through my supplies found some great additions to the theme, and Voila... Here's the results of my reverse creativity! It was a fun personal challenge to take an object, in this case the picture of the dancer, and force myself to develop it into a beautiful and unique creation.

Mother Earth's Children TAGS

I discovered a wonderful child's book at a thrift store and just had to use the pictures for something! I made sturdy chipboard tags, then used old Farmer's almanac pages covered in mulberry paper as the background. The pics of the plant children and the quotes were copied from the book. I then added ribbon and an old print-like picture of the apple and strawberry and finished them off with a fiber hanger. I like these a lot and plan on creating more from the many plates in Mother Earth's Children: The Frolics of the Fruits and Vegetables.

Altered Postcards

Postcards do not usually come to mind when one thinks of altered art, but they are one of my favorite mediums. Lots of people who do "altered postcards" simply take a PC, white it out, and make their own. In my opinion, that is not altering, but re-using. I prefer to take a card and alter the theme. White out with gesso only the areas you want to change, then decoupage or stamp the card. Of course, if you're using a rare or vintage card, use a copy for your altering rather than the original. You'll end up with a unique card to send or to frame.

New Altered Domino Magnets

I've just listed some beautiful new magnets on Ebay and Etsy. They are made from dominoes and scrabble tiles. The dominoes have been inked with alcohol inks, and the scrabble tiles act as tiny little frames for vintage women pics. Each has a paper and/or fabric flower. The photos really don't do these magnets justice; they are much more beautiful in real life.

Happy Thanksgiving to ALL

Sorry I haven't posted in quite a while. It's been a busy time of year for me and my creative processes seem to be on hold. Today I'd like to talk a little bit about altered game pieces, one of my favorite things to work with. Dominoes and Mah-jong pieces are great for magnets and pendants. The pendants can be used as a decorative clothing accessory, as book fobs on book thongs, as key chain charms, and lots of other ingenious items. They can be stamped, decoupaged, drilled, glued, etc, etc, etc. You're only limited by your own imagination. I also use the plastic Rummicube game tiles as magnets and embellishment for cards. (they're much lighter in weight) Scrabble tiles can also be used as small charms or embellishments. I've also found some 1 1/2" round wooden discs from some game which can also be altered any way you like. And no, you don't have to buy a new game to get some of these pieces. Mine all come from thrift and second hand shops where you can usually find them at great prices. So keep your eyes open, but don't be stealing from the kid's toys! Check out my gallery to see some of my altered art pieces.

ALTERED CD's

Don't know what to do with all those old and free CD's you have? Alter them! Here's an example of what you can do. Just use them as a blank canvas as you would any other medium. You'll have a piece of art thats suitable for gift giving or for display.

New Collage and Tips for Your Work

If you're familiar with my work, you know that most of my creations are greeting cards made with vintage photos. Well, since most of my cards are collages, anyway, I've decided to start making 5" x 7" collages along the same themes. Here's the first that I have listed on Ebay. It was so much fun that I'm already planning the next one! It really isn't all that difficult to put these together. Just be sure to stick to a theme. I've seen attempts at collage that have absolutely no cohesiveness - just bits of this and that thrown together. In this collage I've chosen to highlight the color purple (my favorite) and the glamour of times past. And don't get carried away by incorporating too much stuff into your piece. Sometimes less is more, so when you're satisfied with the look, STOP. And finally, it helps to have some way to display your work, either with a stand or a ribbon for hanging.