Altered Blank Board Boxes
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 by Alyice
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Two weeks ago I received four blank board boxes from the Ready-to-Go!
Had these boxes been the flimsy kind I’ve purchased in the past, I would have had to throw them out. Thankfully, these three inch board blocks are very durable! I simply painted gesso over the disasters and started over. The outcome isn’t quite what I had envisioned, but I like the results nevertheless.
Altered Board Box © Alyice Edrich, 2009
The first box is my favorite. It’s simple and elegant. And if you look closely, you can see a little bit of the crackle I managed to salvage. The single heart, engulfed in a sea of green and gold, with waves of texture, reminds me of long ago memories that were never forgotten.
The second box is one I created for a friend who longs to move back to Hawaii. She was stationed here a few years ago and misses the beauty and simplicity of the Hawaiian Islands; not to mention the close-knit community.
The Ocean Garden © Alyice Edrich, 2009
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The third box is my biggest salvage. Originally, I had intentions of creating a 3-D flower on two sides of the box, with handwritten words about gardening on the remaining two sides and the top. Unfortunately, it’s also the first box I attempted to create and “crackle”. I had tried so desperately to get the crackle finish to work, that after five attempts, the floral design on one side was a complete and utter mess and the blank sides were a bit too lumpy to actually write on. So I did the only thing I could think of, I covered them up with broken sea shells. What makes this box special is that the sea shells are from my home state of California. I have carried them with me through five state moves and ten years and kept them in a box in my office. It’s actually nice to see the shells out in the open—as a reminder of where I came from.
Now, I know that you’ve seen box art before. Some are covered with a dash of paint, scrapbook paper, and photographs. Some are stacked next to each other with single letters that form a name or a word with a special meaning. And some are a bit more elaborate with trinkets and embellishments that resemble a different time and era. And I bet you’ve even thought of creating a few mementos of your own. But, like me, you put the idea out of your head after experiencing a fiasco or two of your own.
If that’s the case, I’d like to encourage you to pick up a package of these boxes and try again. You are going to be amazed at how sturdy and thick they are! Just be careful if you choose to cut holes in the boxes—that’s how I screwed up, and was unable to salvage, my fourth box.
Order your own Ready-to-Go! 2.25″ Blank Board Blocks
Disclosure: I was given this item to review from C&T Publishing as part of their Creative Troupe. This is “my opinion” of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.
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Modeling Or Molding Paste
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 by Alyice
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I absolutely “love” modeling or molding paste! You can do so much with the stuff: add texture, create depth, mold sculptures, construct images, build layers, and even use it as a bonding agent!
But did you know that not all molding pastes are the same? I discovered this one day when I ran out of Golden Molding Paste and dashed off to the local art store to discover they didn’t carry Golden products—only the Liquitex brand. In a rush to get my Christmas canvases done, I bought the largest container they had. Boy what a difference in the two products!
I must admit that I was, at first, put off by the Liquitex brand. I was set in my ways and I had grown accustomed to using Golden’s brand for my canvas projects and I liked the results. But, when I used the Liquitex brand on three-dimensional projects, I discovered a new love for the stuff!
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Golden’s molding paste had less of an odor, dried to a smooth finish, did not crack, did not develop air pockets, and had a light gray finish. It also had a self-leveling quality that meant peaks would eventually settle out and become even—which was just what I wanted on my canvases.
Liquitex modeling paste, however, had a rubbing alcohol-like odor, dried rough, cracked, often left tiny air pockets, and had a bright white finish. But what it didn’t do is level out, which was just what I needed for my 3-D projects. Another thing I discovered with Liquitex’s brand is that it seemed to absorb a lot more paint. However, it was easy to combat this problem by applying a generous coat of white Golden Gesso before applying my paints.
If you haven’t played with molding, or modeling, paste yet, I’d like to encourage you to give it a try. It’s loads of fun and really adds something to your art projects.
Click to order your own Liquitex Modeling Paste
Disclosure: I purchased this item to review. This is “my opinion” of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.
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How To Make A Choker Scarf
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 by Alyice
Over the past month, I’ve had the privilege of conversing with Allison Berman, via email. During one of our conversations, she said that her mom makes mini-scarves for her every year. The scarves are only 25 inches in length and 4 inches wide, with no fringes. She said the scarves are perfect for warming her neck and they tuck nicely into the front part of her coat while remaining small enough to tote around in her pocket or purse.
“Hmmm,” I thought to myself. “Why not take that a step further and create a scarf that could actually button up and stay put without being tucked into a coat.” And so, without a single pattern, I created my very first choker scarf.
The following week, I created more. Now, I’m working on figuring out how to add embellishments and designs. I know I could purchase a pattern, but I like the challenge of trying to figure it out by myself—it kind of makes me feel like a designer, though I’m a far cry from being one.
Choker Scarf © Alyice Edrich, 2009
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To create your own choker scarf, you’ll need 100 yards of yarn (or a ball of scraps if you have it), 1 button, 6 inches of quilting thread, one K-10.5 crochet hook, and about 1.5 hours—less if you’re fast.
The yarn I used was 100% acrylic. It was manufactured by Caron International and is called: Simply Soft. I chose three colors of yarn: a beautiful sea green, a chocolate brown, and a light cream. What I like about this specific brand is that it’s very soft and easy to work with; it glides across the crochet hook with ease. You can machine wash this yarn on the gentle cycle and dry it using low heat on the delicate cycle. And it’s a “no dye” lot so you don’t have to worry about running out and not being able to match colors later.
To start your scarf, grab two skeins of yarn, preferably two different colors. Tie a loop onto your crochet hook with both strands.
- Next, crochet a chain of 40-60 single crochet stitches; depending on the radius of your neck. (I used 55 stitches in the chocker scarves shown.)
- Create 4 rows of single crochet stitches. When turning the corner to come back around and start the next row, single crochet one stitch before beginning the next row. Make sure to start with the very first loop of each row and end with the very last loop of each row.
- Now here’s the tricky part. On your 4th row, you need to single crochet stitch two loops, then you need to chain stitch two chains, skip one loop, and then single crochet the rest of the row. What this does is leave a gap for the button. (If you chose to use a larger button, you’ll need to chain stitch 3-4 chains and skip 2-3 loops.)
- Create the next 4 rows of single crochet stitches.
- Now here’s the best part. Because the rows are so tight, you don’t need to finish it off by crocheting an edge. When you reach the end of the 8th row, tie off the end by making a knot. If, however, you find that your ends are not as neat as you’d prefer, go ahead and single crochet around the entire scarf to finish it off. Just remember to single crochet one chain stitch, on each corner, to keep the corners from turning in.
- Hand-stitch a button so that it goes through the button hole you created.
Once the choker scarf is complete, it’s ready to wear. If, however, you’re like me, and you like fringe, you can create the fringe on the side with the button hole so that it’ll show when you clasp the scarf around your neck.
- Cut 18 three inch pieces of yarn.
- Use the crochet hook to bring a single piece of yarn through a loop at the end of the scarf.
- Make sure both ends of the yarn are equal in length, then tie a double knot.
- Use both colors of yarn per loop.
To “set” the scarf, wash on the delicate or “hand wash” cycle, then let air dry. If you do put your scarf in the dryer, tumble dry on low heat.
As to wearing the choker scarf, you can wear it with the button in the back of your neck or in the front. If you’ve chosen a decorative button, you’ll probably want to show it off, right?
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Posted in Art How-Tos Crochet | 4 Comments »
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