Rock-A-Bye Babies Mixed Media Tutorial

Mixed media assemblage is not something I do often and is a little out of my comfort zone but when I found a rusty old trowel that was partially covered in plaster at the thrift store,

I couldn't resist the urge to alter it!

Supplies:

Resin (I used ICE Resin® )

mica sheet
old rusty notched trowel that has some plaster crusted on it

sheet music

photo copy of poem

birch bark

photocopied graphics of birds and eggs (I found mind at the Graphics Fairy)

moss

twigs

2 screws

brown ink pad

hot glue

wire

drill

Instructions:

1. Tear sheet music to fit onto the trowel. Tear around the bird and egg graphics and the poem. Lightly rub each piece with brown ink to age them.
2.  Mix the resin according to the package instructions. Use a small piece of sponge or a sponge brush to cover the bird and egg graphic with the resin. Apply some resin to the trowel and cover with the sheet music and another coat of resin. Let the resin cure.
3. Drill two holes into the mica. Sandwich the poem between the bark and mica. Add glue to each screw and insert them into the holes in the mica with the screws ends poking through the bark to secure the layers together.
4. Bundle the twigs into a circle with some ends extending wildly outward from the center and secure with wire.
5. Hot glue the twigs into place on the trowel along with the bird and egg graphics. Glue moss to fill in gaps and to cover the glue.

 

Happy Creating!

Kathy

return to katalina jewelry's home page here

Photo Paperweight Tutorial

Make personalized paperweights
from inexpensive glass ashtrays!

 

Glass ashtrays are usually around $1 or less at the thrift stores,
are fairly heavy and make great personalized paper weights!

 

Materials and Tools

Glass ashtrays

Tissue paper

Photos or copies of originals

Modge Podge

Resin and containers to mix it in (I used ICE Resin®)
Scissors

Small paint brush for applying the Modge Podge
Printer

Instructions

1. Turn the ashtray upside down. Print and cut your photo to fit inside the recessed area of the ashtray. Use Modge Podge to glue in place. Let dry. Apply a layer of Modge Podge on top of the photo to seal it. Let dry.
2. Pour a layer of resin to cover the photo. Let cure.
3. Print lettering of your choice onto tissue paper. Trim as close to the lettering as possible. (The resin will cause the tissue paper to become fairly transparent but I don’t recommend putting it over the faces because it will cloud the image a little).
4. Use a tiny bit of resin to apply the tissue lettering into place (It would be best to do this step when you are mixing resin for another project since you’ll need so little). Let cure.
5. Pour resin to fill. Let cure.
6. Optional: Depending on the style of the ashtray, print out lettering and use Modge Podge to apply to the inside rim of the ashtray or across the bottom. If applying paper to the bottom, you will need to back it with a lightweight cardboard to prevent in from tearing.

Tips

1. Shop garage sales and thrift stores for glass ashtrays. Look for ones that have a slight recessed area on the bottom that will work well to hold the resin.
2. To print on tissue paper – Tape the tissue paper to a regular piece of printer paper so it will not get caught up in the printer.

Happy Creating!

Kathy

return to katalina jewelry's home page here 

Downton Abbey Style Hat Band and Flower

I know there are a bazillion tutorials out there on how to make flowers but I'd like to show you how I made this one and also the hat band.

Supplies: 
Hat - Mine is black felt with a small bow on the side. 
Synthetic sheer fabric - Mine is a thrifted sheer curtain with embroidered designs. 
Eyelash yarn 
Scissors 
Candle and a match to light it 
Corsage pins 
Stapler - Yes, I cheated...no sewing here....I was in a hurry! (Sewing it would probably be a better option if you have time.)

 

Step 1 - Cut a strip of fabric that is long enough to fit around the hat. I made the strip wide enough that it could have some gathers once applied to the hat. Also cut several circles in various sizes - I used seven for my flower. The circles do not need to be perfectly round. They do need to be slightly larger than you want the finished flower because they will shrink when heated over the candle.

Step 2 - Heat the edges of the strip and the circles over the lit candle. Be careful not to hold the fabric too closely or too long over the flame as it does melt quickly and will make holes. (My flower ended up with a couple of holes but they're tiny and I thought it added to the vintage look.)

Once done melting the edges, each layer of the flower should look like this.

Step 3 - To give each flower layer more character, carefully heat and melt it throughout the center area.

Once done they should look something like this. (There's the tiny hole I mentioned before.)

Step 4 - Cut five strips of the eyelash yarn about two or three inches wider than the largest flower layer.

Step 5 - Place four yarn strips between two of the largest flower layers.

Step 6 - Staple at the center making sure to catch the yarn.

Step 7 - Add the remaining flower layers. Crunch up the remaining piece of yarn and place at the center of the layers. Holding everything in place, staple through all the layers to secure.

Step 8 - Overlap the ends of the fabric strip and staple to secure.

Step 9 - Place the band around the hat. I tucked it under the bow.

Step 10 - Make some pleats in the fabric and secure in a few places on the hat with corsage pins.

Step 11 - Use three corsage pins to secure the flower into place over the stapled area of the band.

A couple more views of the hat.

 

 

Happy Creating!

Kathy

return to katalina jewelry's home page here