Sunday, May 8, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Etsy Front Page
April has been a very busy month. I've dedicated all of my "free" time to getting more fans to my CHILDish facebook page. It's been working I've gone from 69 fans to 327 in just 4 weeks. During that time I've completely neglected my Etsy shops and treasuries. Meanwhile I had been featured on the front page twice and didn't even know. Check these out, they are gorgeous.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Kitchen Stools
UPDATE------>
Stools have been purchased and are very comfortable in their new home :) I love these stools, but I would love them even more if I had found the at Goodwill for $20 rather than at the antique mall for $275.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Image Transfer
Today I attended an image transfer workshop for potters. I am not a potter (though I have done pottery) but I was hoping to learn techniques I could use in other mediums and I did! The processes we learned were simple with amazing results. Unfortunately I didn't take photos, but Denise did, click here to see her blog post. Below is a list of what I learned in bullet point form. If you have a basic understanding of screen printing and pottery this will make sense. If you don't it probably won't make any sense at all.
Lesson 1: Monoprint Tissue Transfer
• Mix 50% powdered stain with 50% Frit (Frit 3124 works well)
• Add water until it's the consistency of ink
• Paint ink onto a piece of glass or tile until opaque
• Let dry completely (20-30min)
• Tape tissue onto the glass
• Draw on top of tissue with a dull pencil
• Dried ink transfers onto the back of the tissue where you've drawn
• Remove tissue from glass and place onto clay
• Gently rub on
• Remove tissue, image is now transferred onto the clay and is ready to be glazed and fired.
*Can be done on a curved surface like a mug
Lesson 2: Lino Printing on Clay
• Mix 50% powdered stain with 50% Frit
• Add small amount of Glycerin to a paste consistency
• Mix ink on a piece of tile
• Use a small roller to and roll ink onto your lino cut
• Use a flat piece of clay, leather consistency, and lay on top of the lino cut
• Ink will transfer to the clay and it will also have a imprint of the lino cut
* You could also use this technique using store bought rubber stamps
* Lino cuts can only be transferred on flab slabs, but small stamps could be transferred to curved pieces.
Lesson 3: Tissue Transfer
• Mix 50% powdered stain with 50% Frit
• Add small amount of Glycerin to a paste consistency
• Mix ink on a piece of tile
• Ink the stamp then stamp tissue paper
• Rub tissue paper onto clay
*Works well for large curved areas
Lesson 4: Paper Resist
• Use premixed underglaze
• Use laser cut paper or craft stencils
• Lay paper or stencil on clay, then paint glaze over stencil
• Remove stencil
• You can also paint the back of the stencil, place on clay (for example blue) then paint the negative space a different colour (yellow). When you remove the stencil you'll have a 2 colour design with crisp clean edges. Simple and beautiful.
*I loved the texture this created. The yellow glaze was dimensional, but the blue glaze was flat.
Lesson 5: Screen Printing - Curved surface
• Mix 50% powdered stain with 50% Frit
• Add small amount of Glycerin to a paste consistency
• Mix ink on a piece of tile
• Screen print your design onto a piece of tissue
• Lay tissue on clay and rub
*Same process as the rubber stamp. Tissue works well for curved surfaces.
* I was shocked at how crisp the small detailed images were.
Lesson 5: Screen Printing - Flat surface
• Screen print your design directly on a flat piece of clay
Lesson 6: Plaster Printing
• This process uses slips (basically watered down clay mixed with stains)
• Add a suspension agent to your slip
• Use a plaster bat as a base (you can easily make on just using an old baking pan and plaster).
• Screen print the colouring slip on to the plaster (rinse screen quickly) --top colour layer
• Let dry slightly then paint on different colours for filling in details --middle colour layer
• Hand paint a solid background colour over the whole design --background colour layer
• Let dry until the slip looks matte
• Take a thinly rolled flat slab of clay.
• Apply a generous amount of water to the clay
• Quickly roll the clay on top of the plaster pushing out all the excess water.
• Gently roll with a rolling pin
• Square off edges so that the clay is within the painted area.
• Remove clay
*This was a great way of using a line drawn image and easily being able to fill it in with colour.
*You basically apply the colour layers in reverse
*Colours integrate into clay, but are still very crisp
Lesson 7: Decals and Photocopies (to be used after your item has been fired)
• Use decal specific paper. Water transfer paper for pottery can be found at http://www.beldecal.com
• Use a photocopier or laser printer to put your images on the decal paper
• Cut out your design
• Put in water and the paper layer will separate
• Place on your fired piece
• Dry with a towel or sponge (same as putting on a temp tattoo)
• Doesn't need a top coat
• Need to be re-fired (at a lower temp)
*The laser toner needs to have iron in it, if not, the image will disappear when fired
*Black laser ink will turn into a rusty brown colour
I will quote my friend Denise here, "Thank you Cathy Terepocki for changing my life" Check out Cathy's blog for more photos. http://www.hornofplentynews.blogspot.com/
Thanks Denise for the photos!
Lesson 1: Monoprint Tissue Transfer
• Mix 50% powdered stain with 50% Frit (Frit 3124 works well)
• Add water until it's the consistency of ink
• Paint ink onto a piece of glass or tile until opaque
• Let dry completely (20-30min)
• Tape tissue onto the glass
• Draw on top of tissue with a dull pencil
• Dried ink transfers onto the back of the tissue where you've drawn
• Remove tissue from glass and place onto clay
• Gently rub on
• Remove tissue, image is now transferred onto the clay and is ready to be glazed and fired.
*Can be done on a curved surface like a mug
Lesson 2: Lino Printing on Clay
• Mix 50% powdered stain with 50% Frit
• Add small amount of Glycerin to a paste consistency
• Mix ink on a piece of tile
• Use a small roller to and roll ink onto your lino cut
• Use a flat piece of clay, leather consistency, and lay on top of the lino cut
• Ink will transfer to the clay and it will also have a imprint of the lino cut
* You could also use this technique using store bought rubber stamps
* Lino cuts can only be transferred on flab slabs, but small stamps could be transferred to curved pieces.
Lesson 3: Tissue Transfer
• Mix 50% powdered stain with 50% Frit
• Add small amount of Glycerin to a paste consistency
• Mix ink on a piece of tile
• Ink the stamp then stamp tissue paper
• Rub tissue paper onto clay
*Works well for large curved areas
Lesson 4: Paper Resist
• Use premixed underglaze
• Use laser cut paper or craft stencils
• Lay paper or stencil on clay, then paint glaze over stencil
• Remove stencil
• You can also paint the back of the stencil, place on clay (for example blue) then paint the negative space a different colour (yellow). When you remove the stencil you'll have a 2 colour design with crisp clean edges. Simple and beautiful.
*I loved the texture this created. The yellow glaze was dimensional, but the blue glaze was flat.
Lesson 5: Screen Printing - Curved surface
• Mix 50% powdered stain with 50% Frit
• Add small amount of Glycerin to a paste consistency
• Mix ink on a piece of tile
• Screen print your design onto a piece of tissue
• Lay tissue on clay and rub
*Same process as the rubber stamp. Tissue works well for curved surfaces.
* I was shocked at how crisp the small detailed images were.
Lesson 5: Screen Printing - Flat surface
• Screen print your design directly on a flat piece of clay
Lesson 6: Plaster Printing
• This process uses slips (basically watered down clay mixed with stains)
• Add a suspension agent to your slip
• Use a plaster bat as a base (you can easily make on just using an old baking pan and plaster).
• Screen print the colouring slip on to the plaster (rinse screen quickly) --top colour layer
• Let dry slightly then paint on different colours for filling in details --middle colour layer
• Hand paint a solid background colour over the whole design --background colour layer
• Let dry until the slip looks matte
• Take a thinly rolled flat slab of clay.
• Apply a generous amount of water to the clay
• Quickly roll the clay on top of the plaster pushing out all the excess water.
• Gently roll with a rolling pin
• Square off edges so that the clay is within the painted area.
• Remove clay
*This was a great way of using a line drawn image and easily being able to fill it in with colour.
*You basically apply the colour layers in reverse
*Colours integrate into clay, but are still very crisp
Lesson 7: Decals and Photocopies (to be used after your item has been fired)
• Use decal specific paper. Water transfer paper for pottery can be found at http://www.beldecal.com
• Use a photocopier or laser printer to put your images on the decal paper
• Cut out your design
• Put in water and the paper layer will separate
• Place on your fired piece
• Dry with a towel or sponge (same as putting on a temp tattoo)
• Doesn't need a top coat
• Need to be re-fired (at a lower temp)
*The laser toner needs to have iron in it, if not, the image will disappear when fired
*Black laser ink will turn into a rusty brown colour
I will quote my friend Denise here, "Thank you Cathy Terepocki for changing my life" Check out Cathy's blog for more photos. http://www.hornofplentynews.blogspot.com/
Thanks Denise for the photos!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Felted Birdhouse Online Workshop
Betz White (the creator of super cute felted cupcake pin cushions) is hosting an Felted Birdhouse Online Workshop. I love the fact that we can take crafting workshops online opening the doors to so many creative possibilities. Click on the photos for more details, class starts April 4th.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Wow! Just logged onto this site and have a feeling I will be spending way too much time here. Just click here and check it out.
Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by people with great taste.
People use Pinterest to collect and share all sorts of things -- wedding inspiration, favorite T-shirts, DJ equipment. You name it, people are pinning it.
We know you have great taste in something. Our mission is to make Pinterest the best place for you to share your taste with the world.
Think of Pinterest as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can create collections of things you love and "follow" collections created by people with great taste.
People use Pinterest to collect and share all sorts of things -- wedding inspiration, favorite T-shirts, DJ equipment. You name it, people are pinning it.
We know you have great taste in something. Our mission is to make Pinterest the best place for you to share your taste with the world.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Love!
I have fallen in love with this bag. The print is so me (for those of you who know me, I am sure you would agree). Can you believe this is a diaper bag! You can find this and so many other great items at Layla Grayce.
Print on Clay Workshop
I've signed up for a workshop all about image transfer on pottery. Though I have done pottery before, I am not a potter. I am hoping to learn a few techniques that I could use. The workshop is being taught by Cathy Terepocki, her beautiful work is shown here http://www.hornofplenty.ca/ Thanks Denise for introducing me to this workshop!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thumbprint Art
Came across this today on a blog called Man Made. For those of us who are graphic designers this is super easy, for those of you who aren't it might be a bit trickier. I will definitely be making one of these for my family when I get back from Ottawa (I leave tomorrow and am no were near being ready).
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
SOLD!
I sold one of my large DIY family trees today. Very exciting to see the order in my inbox! My family tree (and the faux bois napkins) are boxed up in the faux bois mailing tube and will be heading to Savannah GA tomorrow.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Marimekko Chucks
Yesterday I did something I haven't done in years, bought a pair of pants other than jeans. I bought a pair of skinny black cargo pants. I wasn't sure what shoes I could wear with them. All the celebs were them with 4 inch heels, not super practical when running around after 2 small children. Then, today, through Twitter I found these, Marimekko Chucks. :)
Monday, February 7, 2011
You can do it!
I love this illustration by Helen Dardik which you can buy from her Etsy shop. On her blog she says "I'm trying to get back into shape I've never been in:) ....so I made this print to encourage me... and maybe you too! Of course... I could have spent that time exercising - but making prints is a lot 'funner':)"
Mid-century inspired textile pattern design contest
Ummmm, yah! This looks like a lot of fun. I might have to start working on a few new patterns and enter something. Click here for details.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Mod Melamine Dishes
When I placed my last order of CHILDishes, I ordered 2 dishes with my mod patterns on them. They turned out really well! It's so cool to see my patterns on dishes, lots of fun. I will list these on my Etsy shop once I get some decent photos of them. I will also be ordering more designs just for fun.
Manifesto
I came across this manifesto on Twitter (told you there was a lot of good stuff out there). I will be printing this off and hanging it up next to my computer so I can read it everyday. If you would like your own free printable version, visit Build a Little Biz.
Friday, February 4, 2011
CHILDishes
Carlin, the photographer who took photos for the CHILDish website, took some super cute photos of her children with their faceplates.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
I haven't been around my blog these last few weeks because I have been sucked into a new and exciting world, Twitter. My oh so very smart friend Lori asked me if I was on Twitter. I told her I had signed up a few years ago to follow Donnie Wahlberg (NKOTB) but hadn't really used it much. She suggested I give it a try again and I am sure happy I did!!
Lori passed on a few blog posts about Twitter, Scoutie Girl Using Twitter Effectively and Havi Brooks Twitter Debunked I now understand the world of Twitter! I am being introduced to new and exciting people, articles and products. I also get to follow Donnie Wahlberg's every move and that's icing on the cake!
Lori's blog and Etsy site and Twitter id @borealmodern
My Twitter id @childishes
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Benefits of Being a Beginner
I read many blog posts and very few hit home like this one did. Here Michelle Ward, aka The When I Grow Up Coach, talks about the success of her first year and what it will take to make it last. The Benefits of Being a Beginner.
Front Page!!!!!
My personalized modern tree was on the FP of Etsy and I missed it!!! Ah, but it was there, and I got 663 hits off of it. Thank you sweetharvey for your wonderful treasury. Love it! I am so mad I missed it though. I was busy feeding my children lunch, darn children.
Thank you to ChezSucreChez and The Smiths for the title!
'Please Let Me Get What I Want' by sweetharvey
Thank you to ChezSucreChez and The Smiths for the title!
 Reserved for Jesse ... $475.00 |  smiths please pleas... $64.00 |  Red Print on White ... $16.00 |  Woven Merino Blanke... $350.00 |
 IMAGINE - Beautiful... $24.00 |  Crimson Mollie Pear... $ |  Solid milk chocolat... $10.00 |  Red Tube Neckwarmer $55.00 |
 Cranberry Acorn Woo... $5.00 |  Large 3D Enameled M... $84.00 |  The Monostache... a... $58.00 |  Personalized Family... $120.00 |
 Route 66 Road Trip ... $23.00 |  Pumpkin Lavender Al... $5.95 |  Large Bare - Recla... $65.00 |  Handmade Thumbelina... $20.00 |
Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.
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