Living the Dream

A place to add my art projects, techniques and challenges.

Brown Paper Faux-Metal Embellishments

Materials Needed:
Brown paper bag
Tacky Glue
Embossing powders, turquoise Old Gold, Rose Quartz is what I used
Luster Rub-ons
Mini clicker lighter
Needle-nosed pliers
Tray to burn over
Cup of water for fire-dousing, in case

Spread glue between two pieces of brown paper bag and fold. Cut out a shape around the glue (guess by look and feel for cutting but leave some unglued edge for burning.

Catch a tip in nose of needle-nose pliers and hold over burning tray.

Burn ONE SIDE. Let the smoke smolder on that side. Hold fire so that it focuses on one point. You just have to experiment%u2026but it takes a bit to heat the glue to bubbling inside. Holes are good! Let cool.

Finger dust and stiff brush dust to scuffing off of some of the burnt edges and inside curl-up edges, if there are any.

With fingertips, daub and smear a little of the Luster rub-ons on the piece.

Dumb some embossing powder . Mix a little and experiment on the piece.

Using your clicker, over a burning tray, put the fire directly against the embossing powder. I noticed that the thicker the embossing powder, the more lumpy it got and it looked great. Make sure you heat all the embossing powder. This makes the piece look lumpy and it also seals it so it has some firmness. Cool.

Voila, ready to add to an ATC.

Sandpaper and Faux Rust

Materials needed:
Different coarse pieces of sandpaper
Acrylic paints: I used yellow, light brown, turquoise, red and yellow
Clothespins
Glue
Paper Towel

Cut sandpaper into ATC size. Glue to backing and hold with clothespins. When dry, daub with straight acrylic paints and then daub, immediately, with a paper towel. Dry and trim. Voila! Beautiful rusted looking pieces.

Shape Cards - Breast Cancer Awareness

I choose Torso shapes to do my ATC series on Breast Cancer Awareness.

“and you worry about size !” has cut outs with a diamond on one side and the queen on the other, inset through jagged cuts.

“and you were worried about being lopsided!” is computer keyboard rubber key inserts

to represent hollow breast cavities inside jagged cuts.

“I see you weren’t satisfied” represents my feelings about those who put foreign objects inside their breasts. The eyes represent the symbolism of seeing through the fakeness and the Knowing how dangerous it is to do so.

“and you said you hated your breasts!” represents my feelings about how it feels to lose them.

“and you were worried about size?” has bubble wrap poked through the cutouts, representing the dangers of breast implants. I have a friend who died from a silicone implant leaking.

“and you thought reconstruction was important?” is a representation of how awful a bad surgery can go. As well, the one breast has cancer still left in it, as is so often. The nipples are made from computer keyboard rubber keys.

Challenge #17- Using Vaseline As Resist

I have found a technique that I totally love doing, and the outcome almost takes one’s breath away: Using Vaseline as resist.

Materials:

Vaseline (or lip gloss)

Watered-down acrylic

Modge Podge or similar product -either matte or gloss

Hairdryer

Q-tips

Baby wipe

Scott towel

On cardstock base, add whatever you wish to be the theme, and glue them down. Add vase color around the picture. Dry. (I use an old small hairdryer that blows at low speed to dry between steps.)

Then wash with decoupage, noting whether a texture swirly texture would be better than a straight layer of decoupage. I learned the hard way - do not overdo it or under-do it.

Once this is dry, use Vaseline to block parts that you do not want paint on. I used a Q-tip to spread the Vaseline.

Water down acrylic paint until really soppy. Carefully spread the watered-down color over the entire card. Dry. (If you have the hairdryer warm, the Vaseline melts and is difficult to clean off.)

Once you are sure the wash is dry, carefully wipe with a Scott towel. (At this point, you can block and add another coordinating wash in areas if you like, following the same steps.)

Once totally dry, use a baby wipe to wipe off the areas you have blocked with Vaseline. Use your fingernail, lightly, if you need to, but work and get off all the scruffy peeling paint away from the vaseline’d areas. The baby wipe will take the Vaseline off the work. (You may need to let it dry overnight, as I did, and check the cards again to make sure you have all the Vaseline off.)

I added things on, once I got the knack of this. I added bits of straw, paper clippings, even some Pomeranian hair, which I happen to have lots of…lol…)I am thrilled with the outcome of this challenge.

Bernie Berlin’s Babywipe technique

Using a wet babywipe as a base with watered down watercolor, then intuitive work over top.

Experimentation With Metallic Pens As Resistance

Paper Towel Background

Barcode Challenge

Challenge #22. Stencil and Text

I made my own stencil on cardstock, from a picture I found in a magazine. I cut around it with an xacta knife then used the heavy stenciling paste and a stiff brush to pounce the image. I sprayed each card with acrylic and then a tiny spritz of glitter spray.

Favorite Song ATC -Challenge #23

First of all, “You Are My sunshine” holds very sacred memories to me. My handicapped older step-sister would beg for us to sing that song to her, right to the end. It was sung by People’s First, a group for handicapped adults, at her funeral, when she died in her sixties. The song represents what pure love she had for me, what sunshine she was in our lives.

I happened on a plastic bin in the basement. Man Hand’s first wife died of cancer, and when she could little else, she used to do window charms. In the bin was hundreds of dollars worth of ink. I did not have inks and was planning to buy some. Some of the cheaper stuff was dry, but there are many that are fresh and new. It is a gift.

I used inks on the card and the inserts, cut the card into an envelop shape and tied it with gold laces. The inserts are bits and pieces of my experimental projects with textured backgrounds.

Challenge #24 & 26- Gift Wrap Alteration and Net

Challenge # 25 - Women Theme and use of Gesso

Challenge #27 - Texture - using Grunge Mallet

Challenge # 28. Wire with Gothic Halloween Theme

Challenge #29 - Bernie’s Silver Polish background work. I used Wright’s Silver cleaner to extract color from parts of pictures on the background.

Bernie Berlin’s Telephone Directory Page technique -

I used old leftover printer ink for ink - works good.