Decorative painting

I still love Decorative Painting, (also known as Tole Painting), and the challenge of turning something past it's prime, a discarded piece of furniture or other object, into a useful and beautiful accessory for my home. I found the following article about decorative painting and other trends interesting:

"Craft Trends Reflect Timeless Truths By Lin Wellford I heard it again today. Someone was bemoaning the declining state of the Decorative Painting market. Once known as Tole Painting, the definition was broadened to include any kind of art that could be broken down into teachable steps. Decorative painting was a hot trend not so long ago, generating tons of books and magazines and claiming loads of shelf space in the big box stores. As a reformed fine artist, I love the idea of providing ordinary people with the tools and instructions that allow them to create paintings they can be proud of. more...

Felted Jewelry

http://shopping.yahoo.com/search;_ylc=X3oDMTIzOTVxaTRxBF9TAzc4NDcxNzI0MARfcwMxNDQ4OTExNQRwcnRucl9pZAMyMTE4MTE4BHNlYwNhZmZpbGlhdGUEc2xrA2xhbmRpbmc-?rd=1&p=Felt%20Crafts&view=g&AID=10473284&PID=2118118&SID=CTTys7k256703-28501

December 21, 2007 |

Lightweight and lovely describe the jewelry created by pagano designworks, who makes earrings and necklaces from recycled sweater felt. The shop’s featured earring sets are adorable sandwiches of various-colored felt, and all of the jewelry seems to be finely constructed from fine materials.

The artist is an interior designer by day but is an avid designer of jewelry. She writes on her Etsy profile:

“I love making jewelry, usually asymmetrical or chunky creations with an organic feel to them. My style often includes a mix of transparent and opaque natural stones, pearls and sterling silver. Color has always been really important to me, and takes a primary role in all I do. In my Pagano DesignWorks Studio I also create a line of recycled, felted accessories made from wool sweaters. Vintage buttons, recycled silk blouses and belts also make their way into my products. Purses, pins, shoe clips, casserole cozies; you just never know what you may find!”

Technorati Tags: recycled sweater, felt, jewelry, necklace, earrings, Etsy

Quilling Magic - Sneak Peak

Here's a sneak peak at what you'll discover inside Quilling Magic:

· Quill all the different basic shapes You'll be amazed just how many shapes there are - even experienced quillers may not have come across some of these

· Discover how to sell your quilled creations at craft fairs. Have you been looking for this for ages?

· AMAZING! Discover in a matter of minutes how to make gorgeous looking folded roses.

· Learn how to properly seal a finished quilling item. Haven't you always wanted to know the best way to do this?

· Pictures, Pictures, Pictures along with the instructions - visually see how to do each pattern!

· Find quilling patterns that can be made into jewelry, such as necklaces or earrings.

· REVEALED! Avoid getting quilled creations squashed in scrapbooks.

· Protect quilled cards when sending them by post

· Get the latest tips and advanced techniques compiled from the world's best quillers.

· Where to find the Best Suppliers of Quilling Materials...online and off

· A dirt-cheap way to get fringed flowers even if you don't own a fringer.

· Get the best advice for a complete beginner.

· Create 3-dimensional designs that are sturdy enough to stand on their own merit.

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Amazing Secrets On Quilling

Did you find those tips on Quilling useful? You can learn a lot more about Quilling
and get a wonderful set of quilling patterns here

Quilling or Paper Filigree is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. a craft from the past that has recently revived, and quilling supplies are now found in large craft shops.
Quilling acquired its name due to the tool first used, a quill. Using simple tools, long strips of paper are tightly wound and released to form complicated and complex shapes

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Compiled From The World's Best Quillers"

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You can learn a lot more about Quilling and get a wonderful set of quilling patterns

Easy Face Painting

Face Painting,

I have seen face painting done at fairs and festivals and I remembered how happy everyone looked but I never thought of doing it myself.

It sounded like fun ... for me ... and for the kids.

So I began searching high and low for "how-to" face painting resources. What I found was a lot of information on professional face painting and full-face art, not at all what I needed at the time.

I dug deep into the world of professional face painting, interviewed the pro's, watched them work, learned their tricks, selected the easiest and most popular "cheek art" designs, painted like crazy, and put it all into a book called Easy Face Painting: You Can Get Professional-Looking Results ... Even If You've Never Picked Up A Paintbrush.

It covers everything you need to know about getting started in face painting ... as soon as TOMORROW!

Easy Face Painting
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The art of Decoupage

Decoupage is an easy craft and produces such delightful results that you will want to continue creating wonderful new projects.

The art of Decoupage is simply cutting out pictures and pasting them on furniture or home accessories to simulate painting.

This art was also know as poor man's art because in the olden days those who couldn't afford to hire an artist to decorate their furniture could obtain quite elegant effects with cut-outs pasted on and covered with multiple coats of varnish or lacquer.

Decoupage flourished in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries and many elaborate decorations on boxes, trays, chests and tables, formerly believed to have been hand painted, were later found to be merely cut outs cleverly applied by a crafty artisan.

I love to decoupage.

Several years ago I found that layering pieces of tissue on hat boxes or any other box,

makes a beautiful gift box which will not be thrown away. I even decoupaged a

small wall in my bathroom with layers of tissue paper. That project used up most

of my tissue paper stash. I limited the colors to shades of green and blue with a small dash

of pale yellow and rose. When the colors are layered, a new shade of

the color appears.

TECHNIQUE: Tear tissue into small irregular pieces. I use about 1/3 white

with my choice of colors. This will give you 'shades' or values of the

colors as you add layers. Paint a small area of the box with ModgePodge

(a decoupage medium available at the craft store for very little money).

Brush paste on smoothly, working from the center to the edges.

It is important to be sure there is enough paste to secure paper.

Cover area with pieces of tissue, smoothing each piece down with paint

brush and a bit of ModgePodge. Repeat until entire box is covered.

Let dry. Repeat until the box has three or four layers. I like to finish the

inside of the box with tissue decoupage also, however, painting the inside

is another solution.

OPTIONS: Instead of tissue paper, print family pictures using regular

paper...it's less costly and easier to work with. Create a collage by

Decoupaged shoe boxes make pretty accessories for a home office and keep

the clutter under control. A real treasure: cover a box with greeting cards,

including the message and their decoupaging the pictures to the box.

You can size the pictures to fit your project using PhotoShop.

I particularly like to put a favorite picture on the cover and use a

coordinating paper on the sides, bottom and inside the box.

Consider organizing your closets with a stack of decoupaged boxes to hold small

items and keep them at your fingertips. Adding a pretty label and/or ribbon

is a nice option.

Wastebaskets are another great surface to cover. Restore small, sturdy

occasional tables with a new decoupaged top.

Quilling Magic

Quilling is an art form that spans all ages and interests. No matter your age, gender or background—quilling can be a fascinating activity. Your taste may run to traditional flowers and more ornate scrollwork, or you may enjoy minimalist forms and muted colors. You might find fun with Holiday pieces, or works that reflect your other hobbies or activities.

If you are wanting to find a single source of information that told you everything you EVER wanted to know about Quilling, then , this is going to be the most exciting message you ever read.

Here's why:

There is an amazing new digital book called, "Quilling Magic." It covers absolutely everything you need to know about creating quilling works of art that simply look fantastic...... including how you can even make 3-Dimensional quilling designs by following our patterns.

Quill all the different basic shapes You'll be amazed just how many shapes there are - even experienced quillers may not have come across some of these

AMAZING! Discover in a matter of minutes how to make gorgeous looking folded roses.

· Learn how to properly seal a finished quilling item. Haven't you always wanted to know the best way to do this?

· Pictures, Pictures, Pictures along with the instructions - visually see how to do each pattern!

· Find quilling patterns that can be made into jewelry, such as necklaces or earrings.

· REVEALED! Avoid getting quilled creations squashed in scrapbooks.

· Protect quilled cards when sending them by post

· Get the latest tips and advanced techniques compiled from the world's best quillers.

Learn more here.