Mid-Century Art - From Thrift Store Art

One of the first places I hit in a thrift store is the art section.  Quite often you can find amazing art by random people that's perfect for your home OR you can find terrible art with an awesome frame that's perfect for a project like this!  Using some simple disposable DIY stencils and a couple of terrible $5 art pieces,  I was able to create some fun, mid-century inspired masterpieces perfect for my pad.  Since Alexander Calder is one of my favorite artists, I used his work as inspiration, but a quick internet search will give you tons of mid-century inspiration for a project like this!  If you don't love something, sweet friends, then just paint over it and turn it into something you do love!  

Also, don't forget to Make Your Mark!

Like jelly beans!

Love the touch of light blue in the upper right!

Paints I used for this project:

DecoArt Traditions Acrylics: https://bit.ly/2pFn3ag MY AMAZON STORE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/markmontano

Watch how to paint these here OR
Watch the video on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/7WEi3X8ixRA

Hope I didn't paint over a priceless masterpiece!

Make art, sweet friends!

Mermaid Seashell Ornaments

My mom loves seashells.  Seashells are quite exotic to us folks who grew up on the plains in southern Colorado!  On my first trip to the coast I bought her a seashell windchime and countless years later, it still hangs in her bathroom with her collection of other seashell stuff.  While I made these ornaments I thought alot about my mom.  Crafting often gives us the chance to calm our minds and think about the people who mean the most to us.  It's a bit like church, but much more fun (for me)!  Enjoy your creative time, my friends, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

My mermaid Christmas tree!

You could add even more rhinestones!

Watch how to make them here!

I love the shimmer of Unicorn SPiT Sparkling!

Merry Christmas Ariel!

Scrap Fabric Beads

Are you as obsessed with door beads as I am?  They remind me of Rhoda's apartment on the Mary Tyler Moore show.  HUGE fan of Rhoda's style here!  These fabric beads are a perfect way to use up that bag of fabric scraps that you've been hoarding and only seems to be getting bigger!  I like using them for everything from my art journals & bookmarks to jewelry and Christmas tree garland.  Fulfill your need to bead with this super fun project and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

A close-up of my colorful, new beads!

 I used some for this leather bookmark!

Watch how to make them here!

 They look great mixed with other beads, too!

Fulfill your need to bead!

Pressed Flower Boxes DIY

Did you know that you can use a microwave to press flowers more quickly?  Well, you can and it's amazing!  Check out my video below to see just how it's done.  I used dollar store frames to create these floating pressed flower boxes and they worked perfectly. You'll need 2 square-ish type frames per project and you'll be trapping the flowers between both panes of glass.  It's so easy you'll be making these by the dozen!  It's always nice to have a little spring in the house to remind you that the gray and gloom will eventually be gone.  Sending you all much love!  Now get out there and 

Make Your Mark!

 With the right boxy frame they're free standing!

 If you're worried about the color fading, try adding a little bit of bright food coloring to the petals and let it dry before framing

Watch how to make them here!

To remember warmer days!

Halloween Treat Boxes

How many paper towel and TP tubes do you toss every week? We toss about 5 in our house!  That is a ton of fun craft projects just put into the garbage!  Why not save them and make these cute treat boxes for Halloween?  Change up the images and make them for Christmas or Valentine's Day!  Use what you have, my sweet friends, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 Filled with treats, spells and fortunes!

 So much more fun to open, too!

Watch how to make them here!

These are the images I used.

Just print them out on standard sized craft paper

 Happy Halloween!

Vintage Art Blocks DIY

I love mystical art and you can find tons of vintage images on the internet to create these beautiful art pieces for your decor!  Just make sure to search for high resolution images so you get the best quality.  I've included the ones I used below so you can just print them out from here!  Try this technique with any holiday.  Just change up the colors and images and you've got something new.  My favorite part is the nailhead trim around the edges.  No need to frame!  Make a cluster of your favorite images, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 Anything with a crystal ball is for me!

 A fortune teller is always fun, too!

  

  Watch how to make them here!

Perfect for Halloween!  Enjoy!

Faux Malachite Boxes DIY

Malachite is my favorite stone.  Though I only have a few real malachite pieces in my home, I have tons of faux painted malachite objects.  Everything from coffee tables and obelisks to these gorgeous keepsake boxes.  Recently Marabu sent me their new line of alcohol inks and I started dripping them on different substrates like plastic and metal.  It's amazing what these inks can do!  Dripped just right in color succession, you can get this amazing malachite effect on simple, hardware store aluminum flashing.  Hey, you have to experiment with whatever you can find, right?!  Be a mad, crafty scientist and see what happens...and always Make Your Mark!

My faux malachite boxes made with Marabu Alcohol inks!

What will you keep in yours?

Watch how to make them here!

My cardboard faux MALACHITE OBELISKS

So chic!

Frosted Mermaid Bottles

I can't help myself...I save EVERYTHING!  Bottles, jars and vases are just some of my weaknesses.  Fortunately I make 8 DIY videos every month so I have plenty of uses for my stash or crap.  For this project I mixed a little bit of Unicorn SPiT and glue to create a lovely faux, frosted glass look in different beachy colors.  The toppers are made from driftwood, seashells and sea glass (from my rock tumbler). Lined up on my outdoor plant table, they look just lovely.  Turn your trash to treasure, my sweet friends, and always MAKE YOUR MARK!

 My new Mermaid Bottle display

 Each topper is a little work of art

Unicorn SPiT mixed with school glue is how I got this frosted effect!

Watch how to make them here!

 Seal everything with a coating of spray matte lacquer

Just beachy!