Mark Montano: December 2020

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Resin Butterfly Trays

Not sure how I ended up with 20 of these pressed tin trays from Dollar Tree, but I did. Pretty sure instinctively I knew that one day inspiration would strike and they would be on hand for a project. At least that's what my inner hoarder whispers every time I'm at the register or filling my cart late at night online. While cleaning out my desk I found some beautiful butterfly printouts and it finally came to me...Butterfly trays! A little paint and some resin in the base to protect them and they look like a million bucks. Well, not a million, but definitely more than the 99c I paid for them. Everything can be transformed and made more beautiful, my sweet friends! Think of the caterpillar and the butterfly while you Make Your Mark!

I can't decide which to keep by my front door for keys and mail...Hmmm.

The perfect little holiday gift!

STUFF I USED:

Famowood Glaze Coat Resin: https://amzn.to/30GJc4P

Xyron Creative Station: https://bit.ly/2yuW31n

www.DecoArt.com

Enchanted & Enchanted Shimmer: https://buddlycrafts.com/search/?q=enchanted+DecoArt

MY AMAZON STORE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/markmontano

Watch how to make these trays here OR

watch the video on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/fKDjwLD7kEs

Using a Xyron Creative Station eliminates the misting and decoupage medium application!

A thin layer of resin looks absolutely beautiful and protects the paper butterflies.

The DecoArt Enchanted and Enchanted Shimmer are my new obsessions!

Tray jolie!

Thursday, December 10, 2020

New Year's Eve Statement Necklace

I miss being a fashion designer. It was everything I ever wanted since I was 13 years old, and my time in NYC making clothes was magical. One of the best parts of putting together my runway shows was creating the jewelry pieces. For my shows, it was the bigger the better! This piece is an homage to that time in my life. It's big, bold and perfect for a party! Can you believe that hot glue was used to make the roese? It's such a great way to make jewelry components and it's much quicker than you think. I may just wear this piece around the house with my bathrobe. Wear what you want, my fabulous friends, and always Make Your Mark!

Big, bold and beautiful!

It reminds me of Victorian mourning jewelry

I learned how to hammer aluminum wire for this piece. So much fun!

Everything I used for this project:

Surebonder Glue Guns & Products: https://amzn.to/3bOpfiZ John Bead Aluminum Wire: https://bit.ly/2J6TqYN John Bead Faceted Glass Beads: https://bit.ly/rondellestrands John Bead / Crystal Lane Faceted Teardrops: https://bit.ly/33iKXJ9 John Bead / Crystal Lane Faceted Oval: https://bit.ly/2JaiGh1 John Bead Jump Rings: https://bit.ly/3o1syst DecoArt Metallic Lustre in Silver Spark: https://bit.ly/3q14nMy Redesign With Prima Silicone Molds: https://amzn.to/3mZn01h & https://bit.ly/37NHkwb MY AMAZON STORE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/markmontano

Watch how to make this necklace here OR

watch how to make it on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/qWEJSlPI3bc

DecoArt's Metallic Lustre is amazing stuff! A great way to bring out the details of a molded piece.

Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Hot Glue Geodes

Have you ever gone geode hunting? It's basically looking for rocks, but it can be quite exciting if you put wine in your water bottle! That said, once you find what you think is a goede, you may never know until you get it open. To break open that rock is impossible. Cut to me finding a way to make my own geodes in the kitchen with my hot glue gun and crushed fish tank glass. So much easier and you can make them any color you want. Imagine what you want, my sweet friends, and then make it, I say! Now get out there and MAKE YOUR MARK!