Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Paper Vases DIY

I've been a HUGE fan of paper mâché since I was a kid.  Even as I write this I have a new project drying on the kitchen counter.  What is it about covering cardboard structures, balloons and tin cans in strips of newspaper dipped in flour and water?  It's just so relaxing.  A few weeks back I told you I found a hoarder's stash of glass flower vases in my pantry.....Before I toss the lot, I'm going nuts with them in whatever way I can. The best thing about these vases is that you can actually fill them with water if you're careful.  Remember to recycle, cover things in paper 
and always Make Your Mark!

 Don't leave these outside.....The critters will smell the flour and chew on them!

Watch how I mad them here!
STUFF I USED
Newspaper, cardboard and masking tape
Americana Decor Metallics and Multi-Surface Satin Paints
Flour and water
Patterned papers
Americana Decoupage in Gloss
Glass vases and wine bottles
HERE'S HOW
1.  Cut 1 1/2" wide strips of cardboard
2.  Curl the cardboard on the edge of a table and tape it to the glass vase or bottle like a handle
3.  Roll a 12" x 12" square of newspaper into a tube and tape it along the handle to give it some dimension using masking tape
4.  5. & 6.  Mix water and flour, rip strips of newspaper and dip them in the mixture
7. & 8.  Cover the bottles and handles completely and allow them to dry
9.  Paint a some of the vases with Americana Multi Surface Satins in colors you like
10.  Choose some pretty patterned paper to match the paint
11.  Decoupage elements of the paper over the paint or cover the entire vase with the paper
*I like Americana Decoupage in Gloss for this
12.  Finally, paint the handles with the Americana Decor Metallics
 The black vase is painted and the wine bottles are decoupaged completely with patterned paper



Friday, January 27, 2017

Mixed Media Scrap Wood Dolls

Not long ago I saw some art dolls made by Mary Jane Chadbourne and I immediately wanted to learn how to make them.  Mary Jane is a mixed media artist who does incredible work and when she starts teaching again, I'll register for every class!  Every once in awhile you run across an artist who's work speaks to you......and for me, Mary Jane's work just flipped my switch.  As intimidating as mixed media pieces look to make,  I somehow managed to figure out a process that's pretty easy to follow and gives consistent results.  Once you start, you'll develop your own process that works for you, but everyone needs a starting point.  Remember to save your scrap wood, use all of your favorite techniques and always Make Your Mark!



Watch how to make them here!
STUFF I USED
Scrap wood blocks
E-6000 Spray Adhesive & E-6000 Glue
Americana Acrylics
Rubber stamps & Ink pad
Book pages
Glamour Dust
Beads, buttons and flowers

 HERE'S HOW
1. & 2.  Cover the wood blocks with book pages using E-6000 Spray Adhesive
3. & 4.  Give the book page covered blocks a color wash and paint the small triangle
5. 6. & 7.  Cut out vintage images and glue them to the painted blocks
8.  Press the corners of the wood blocks into a stamp pad
9.  Stamp images around the sides and in the blank spaces
10.  Add a wash of color to the body
11.  Paint stripes on the hat
12.  Glue buttons, letters and flowers to the body and tip of the hat with E-6000 Glue
13.  Wrap a metallic pipe cleaner around the base of the hat
14.  Attach keys to the base of the body with eye screws
15. & 16.  Glue a butterfly wings print out to cardboard and cut out
17.  Glitterize the wings Glamour Dust
18. When dry, glue all of the pieces together and you're done!

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

No Sew Monster Dolls

When I owned a boutique in the East Village of NYC we would take the scraps from the dresses and make matching accessories and quite often these crazy monster dolls.  Our customers liked having a kooky stuffed creature made with fabric that cost $400 a yard and was dressed like they were.  My dresses were on the expensive side which is why we kept the scraps.  The best part about making these little monsters is that there are no rules.  Go crazy with pattern, colors, buttons and ribbon.  You can either use a simple zigzag stitch OR make them no-sew like I did with the E-6000 sewing glues.   Remember to use up the scraps, go crazy with color and always Make Your Mark!
Maybe you can help me name them?

I really want my chair back!
Watch how they came to life here!
THINGS I USED
Scrap fabrics
Heavy cotton fabric
Americana Multi-Surface Satin in black, gray and red
Faux fur, zippers, buttons and faux flowers
Iron and Poly-fil
 HERE'S HOW PART 1
1. & 2.  Draw your pattern, pin it on folded fabric and cut
3. Cut out two different sized eyes in a contrasting fabric
4. Cut several pieces of fabric for the body and pink around the edges
*To look like a funky shirt
5.  Trace around the eyes with a pencil
6.  Paint a shadow around the eyes with the multi surface in gray and red
7. Cut 4 matching 2" x 3" sized squares for feet
8. Cut two 4" x 10" pieces of fabric for the arms
*I used a striped fabric for this
9.  & 10. Add E-6000 Stitchless to the back of all the pieces and iron in place
11. & 12. Add more E-6000 Stitchless to the arm pieces leaving one end open for stuffing 
and then fold and iron
*Your making long tubes like socks

HERE'S HOW PART 2
13.  Pink the edges of the arms
14. & 15  Add more Stitchless around the squares and iron together for the arms making sure
to leave one side open
16.  Add E-6000 Fabrifuse around the edge of the bottom layer of the monster body leaving a 5" hole at the base (to allow stuffing) and then place the monster on top to dry
17.  Fabrifuse a heart on the body
18.  Use E-6000 Glue to add the button eyes
*Make them kooky!
19. 20. & 21.  Use the Allure to add a stitched mouth, stitches around the heart and funky eyelashes
22.  Stuff the arms and feet and use Fabrifuse to glue the openings closed using clothespins to keep them in place while they dry
23.  Stitch on the arms and feet with needle and thread and a button 
14.  Stuff the body with Poly-fil through the 5" opening and then stitch the hole closed
Planning their escape?

Friday, January 13, 2017

Confetti Vases

 Recently I decided to clean out the little closet in my kitchen.......You might have a little closet like this?  It's where you shove everything unsightly right before company arrives and then you forget about it until one day, the door bursts open and you realize that's where everything you ever thought you lost has been.....If you lost it, that's where it was. Along with all of the crap in there, I found glass vases galore.  Small ones, big ones and ugly ones that come with flower deliveries. Well, this color freak decided to give them a makeover before I donated them to my local thrift store and this is what happened.  And yes, I used every color in the box.  Remember to go color crazy, use stuff in THAT closet and always Make Your Mark!


Watch the quick tutorial here!
STUFF I USED
Glass Vases
Rubbing Alcohol
Therm-o-web iCraft Deco Foil and Adhesive Pen
HERE'S HOW
1.  Clean your vase with rubbing alcohol
2. Base coat the vase with Gloss Enamels in white
3. 4. & 5.  One color at a time starting with the lightest colors first, paint
colors randomly around the vase
*Let the colors dry for a few minutes in between color changes
6.  Circle the rim with a metallic paint marker
7.  Draw a line around the vase about 1 1/4 inch from the bottom
8. Coat the base with the iCraft Deco Foil adhesive pen
9. Apply the gold Deco Foil to the adhesive after it has dried for a few minutes

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Stained Glass Vintage Window

I've been obsessed with stained glass ever since I was a kid.....I'd sit in church, bored out of my mind, and stare at the colorful windows for the entire hour wondering how they were put together, how they cut the glass, whether or not Jesus was as cold as I was in that dank church and how long before I could go home?!  As much as I would like to learn traditional stained glass techniques, I've always been more interested in faux stained glass projects like using Crystal Gloss Enamels or tissue paper decoupaged over glass.  When I ran across versions of the technique I'm sharing today, well, I had to try it.  The one thing I did change about it was that I added some resin to secure and coat the sharp edges of the glass pieces.  It worked perfectly.  Remember to recycle glass, grab old windows from construction sites and thrift stores and always Make Your Mark!  
Resting on my patio until I figure out where to permanently place it
  A little up-close shot
Resting on my banister
 Watch how I made it here
STUFF I USED
Old framed glass window
E-6000 Glue
Colorful glass floral marbles
Gloves
E-6000 Glaze Coat (1 quart for a smaller window)
Small torch
Broken glass in different colors
 HERE'S HOW
1. 2. & 3.  Break colorful glass pieces in a paper bag or newspaper using a hammer
4. 5. & 6.  Arrange the broken pieces and glass marbles on your clean window in a pattern you like
7. 8. & 9.  Carefully glue each piece in place with E-6000 glue so that they don't shift
10. & 11.  Following the directions, mix the Glaze Coat and fill the window making sure to coat any sharp edges of the glass
12.  Using a small torch, pop the bubbles so that the resin is completely clear
*You can also use a long arm lighter

Lovely!

Friday, January 6, 2017

Let's Make ATCs!

When I want to relax, I make ATCs.....Artist Trading Cards.  ATCs are 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" in size or the size of an average playing card.  They're super fun to make and a terrific way to share and trade your art with other artists from around the world.  This month I'm  hosting a SWAP and I hope you join us!  Click HERE for rules on how to enter.  Since they are due on February 10th (right before V'day) I thought it would be fun to have a LOVE theme.  Seems like we all need a little more of that these days.  Remember, make art, trade it with friends and always Make Your Mark!
A few of the new pieces I'm swapping!

Big fan of this vintage strong man image
Watch how to make them here
STUFF I USED
Playing cards
Lace
Americana Acrylic in any yellow
DecoArt Decoupage
DecoArt Dazzling Metallics in Bright Brass
DecoArt Media in Cobalt, Red and Interference in Gold
DecoArt Craft Twinkles in Gold
Therm•o•web Deco Foil (for gold leaf accents)
Stick on rhinestones
Optional:  Sewing machine
 1. 2. & 3.  Paint the card in yellow, then gold
3. & 4. Cut lace squares the size of each card and decoupage over the gold
5.  Paint over your images with a nice red
6. Cut out hearts, rip book pages and cut more images for your cards
*Try the GraphicsFairy.com for some amazing images to print out and use
7. & 8.  Decoupage the ripped pages, hearts and images over the lace
9.  For more texture I stitched around the cards with my sewing machine
*You could hand stitch with some bold thread if you wanted
10.  Add a word or phrase
11.  Paint with Interference in Gold to add a beautiful metallic shimmer to the surface
12.  Edge with a bright color
13.  Add gold leaf accents with Therm•o•web Deco Foil
14.  Glitterize with Craft Twinkles
15.  Add even more sparkle with stick on rhinestones
Download and print these out for the back of your cards

Join My ATC Swap!

Thanks for your interest in participating in my ATC SWAP!  We have lots of amazing artists participating so far and I'm going to make this as easy as possible for you.  Guidelines below!
Here's how it works:
CARDS ARE DUE BY FEBRUARY 10TH

(See mine for some ideas HERE)

GUIDELINES
*Create 5 cards with a LOVE theme for this trade

*Must be 2.5" x 3.5" in size and no thicker than 1/4".   Playing cards work very well as a base. You're also welcome to use heavyweight card stock or chipboard cut to size as long as it's heavy.

*Entries should use a DecoArt product and be layered with other papers, buttons, embellishments or fabrics.  Think layers and texture!  If you live out of the country and have no access to DecoArt products you can still join us!

*The back of your trading cards should have your name , the title of the work, signature and date.  You can include contact information or your social media info if you want to, it's up to you.  This is a terrific way to make new friends, so I would do it.  
I'm including an example of what I'm using on the back of my cards and you're more than welcome to print it out and use this for the back of your cards.  

PLEASE SEND CARDS TO:
Mark Montano ATC
2126 Cove Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90039

*Place your ATCs in a clear baggie with your name clearly written on the baggie.

*Include in your package a self-addressed stamped envelope/mailer with the same amount of 
postage that cost to mail them...(usually about $2.60 for a bubble mailer)

Please make sure to PRINT your return address on the empty mailer that will be returned to you.  You are addressing your own return envelope
*Write your RETURN ADDRESS on the left corner of this return mailer too!



*If you live in another country, please make a small donation for postage on my YouTube page to cover the cost of your package from the U.S.  Usually about $4
You can do this with the SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL button on the right side of the home page.
If you don't have that button, you can contribute via PayPal at MarkMontanoNYC@aol.com
Thanks so much and I hope you join us!

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Dollar Store Frame Terrarium

I finished this project over a month ago and I've been going nuts waiting to share it with you.  Christmas happened and I was overwhelmed with ornament projects so it had to wait.  Believe it or not, I got everything I needed for this project at the 99c store. Even the laser cut oval frames.  Just in case your store doesn't sell them, they are still very reasonably priced at most craft stores.  One suggestion, make sure to use E-6000 Glue when you put this together because it's waterproof. These little terrariums can trap moister which is not great for water based glues.  Remember, glue things together, paint them bright colors and always Make Your Mark!
The perfect way to protect all of my starter plants!

So chic!
Watch how I made them here
STUFF I USED
E-6000 Glue
6 identical dollar store frames
Laser cut frame
Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint in Revive
Jigsaw
DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Gold Rush
Clamps (you could use tape)
 HERE'S HOW
1.  Remove the glass stays, glass and cardboard from the frame
2.  Glue and clamp the base of the terrarium using E-6000 Glue
*Two frames vertical and two frames horizontal
3.  Glue and clamp the "roof" together as shown
4. Glue the roof on the base of the house with more E-6000, clamping it in place until it dries
5.  Cut off the ends of the laser cut from to cover the gable of the terrarium
6. & 7.  Sand and paint them with the Chalky Finish
8.  Glue the glass panes back into each frame with E-6000 
9.  Touch up as needed
10.  Glue the laser cut pieces over the gables
11.  Add dimension with DecoArt Metallic Luster
12.  Done!

Green and gorgeous!