My little Sizzix embossing machine arrived today! All it does is emboss, it does not die cut. I have a cutting machine I am terrified of using (and somehow ruining.)
I jumped right in and put the thing together, and grabbed some of my embossing folders (bought to use as texture plates in polymer clay.) I used dampened ivory card stock.
The first one was magic!
The second was tougher. The 3D folders are thicker and don’t require all the shims (plates) that come with the machine.
I thought I had ruined the machine with just the second one. Then, I figured it out and tried a couple more. Success!
I am looking forward to rubbing these with mica powders, or dry brushing with some paint!
10:00am, today, The phone rings. “Nana, I still need wings and a halo.”
“But you’re not going to the Squish Meet, you’re going to soccer.”
But after soccer, there’s a block party.”
Vivi and her bestie had planned to go to the local Squishmellow Swap Meet as a devil and an angel. Then their soccer coach invited them to play with the older girls’ team.
‘What time is the block party?”
“Three.”
I went right to work. We’d bought a white headband and iridescent pipe cleaners earlier in the week, so I started on the halo.
My little model was playing soccer, so I did the best I could with what I had.
Not great, but passable. On to the wings…
For the frame, I gathered 2 white wire clothes hangers, heavy duty wire cutters, and masking tape. I reshaped the hangers and cut the hooks off. I sacrificed another pipe cleaner to wire the two together. Then, I covered the connection with lots and lots of masking tape.
Vivi has a room set up in my “grandma house” where I also store fabric and yarn. I went in to look for some white chenille yarn. I found it AND a ruffled white satin pillow case that was once my mom’s. It was being used as a baby doll blanket in my old bassinet, filled with baby yarn.
I stuck the frame into the pillow sham and used another pipe cleaner and the white chenille yarn to gather and secure the middle.
I added more iridescent pipe cleaners to the middle of the wings, to match the halo and add sparkle.
Now, how to attach them? Vivi had finger crocheted several 3’ lengths of the chenille yarn to use as Squishmellow clip holders. I took two of them and added to the inside of the gather, attaching them in the middle, with good old pipe cleaners, so they could be used as underarm ties.
Then, I tried it on my poor old model.
I tied it on me with bow knots, wrapping the extra lengths of yarn around my back and waist for extra support.
I took the wings and halo off and grabbed the white fuzzy vest in the background, then headed for the block party!
2:40pm, I arrived at the block party, and there was just enough room in front of the barricades to pull over. I cut on my blinkers, and Vivi met me at the end of the street.
The best part was when I pulled the costume out of the car! “Are those my wings, Nana? They’re beautiful!”
I got her in her wings and halo out of harm’s way, just off the intersection. People went by and smiled. One guy rolled down his window and said, “Great costume!” 😄
I’ve been meaning to try this for months. I’ve been saving used dryer sheets and planned to join them with gel medium. Yesterday, I gave it a shot. I overlapped 3 pieces on a plastic sheet. I brushed them heavily with Liquitex Satin Medium. I used a new brush from Hobby Lobby and spent a lot of time picking hairs out of the medium. I won’t be buying that brand of brush, again. Fine Artist, my eye!
Look how translucent!
I let them dry overnight and they pulled up in one piece, like I’d hoped.
The “hand” is wonderfully rough, wrinkled, and dry. The backside is shiny and rubbery.
Held in front of the tv to show texture and translucence.It’s hard to capture, but the satin medium gives a tiny bit of sparkle! Maybe I’ll add glitter next time.
I’m not sure how I’ll use these “papers,” but this technique is worth repeating.
I just finished and framed my “Idea Lady.” She’s a very bad magazine image transfer that I festooned with butterflies I punched from clothing catalogs. Those butterflies are all ideas coming out of her head. She doesn’t look like me, but she is me, so I’ll keep her for myself. Now, where to hang her?
Snowflakes stamped on tissueAlcohol ink on tissueAnother geli printAnd anotherAnd another, gold makes a difference!Even a little gold!A gold frame painted on tissueA gold frame painted around a bee on a magazine coverA paper towel, painted goldWater color spots with marker swirls
Here are photos of the experiments I conducted and the papers I created during The 100 Days Project. I concentrated on making collage papers.
Paints on tissueGold painted brown paper bagMomigamied magazine page dry brushed with goldMomigamied magazine page dry brushed with white metallic paint and iridescent glitter glue Momigamied with goldTissue painted with gold mica from paintbrush waterBlack card stock painted with gold mica paintbrush waterWendy’s napkin, 2 ply, embossed under a heavy trunkGold painted wallpaperTissue stamped with Stazon inkShibori-style paper dyed with green inkThe previous paper unfoldedFaux handmade paper sprinkled with tea and statice clippings, secured with satin gel mediumThe previous paper, covered with the stamped tissue, and sealed with more gel mediumA first geli print. See how the paint “bubbles” on a new geli plate?Sometimes, brayer roll off sheets are worth keeping!Embossed vellum painted pthalo blue on the backWatercolor whorlies with white metallic swirlies
I downloaded this photo from Shutterstock to use for photo embroidery. I printed it way too small for that. Even if I used sewing thread and a fine needle to enhance the flowers, it’d just make a holey mess.
So, I got an idea to enhance the flowers with puffy paint.
I applied it in tiny dabs with toothpicks.
It dried shiny, and almost crystalline looking. It looks great, but is very hard to photograph.
I finally finally finished my mixed media whitewater collage!
The image is a momigamied page from a local magazine, mounted on white metallic painted tissue, mounted on canvas board painted metallic blue.
Instead of using oil, as in traditional momigami, I dry brushed some of the white metallic paint and added tiny specks of iridescent white glitter glue.
I made the paddle with a piece of dowel and polymer clay. The wave at the bottom is made of silver tube beads laid end to end.
The hanging cord is a piece of salvaged ear wire. The paddle is secured with pieces of braided “mini rope.”
The whole piece is finished with 7coats of clear gloss spray. I also gave it a couple of shots of UV Preserve before adding the gloss spray.
I finished the back of my whitewater collage with a slightly trimmed 12×12” piece of blue ombre card stock, and clear glue.
It is signed and dated with my K♥️ signature under one loose corner of the momigamied image.
