Let's Make Tape!

I'm a tape-aholic.  There, I said it out loud and now you all know.  In fact, I'm afraid to say that one of my kitchen cabinets is entirely filled with every kind of tape you can imagine.  You get the picture....I'd rather play with my tape and forgo room for my pots and pans. PRIORITIES PEOPLE!  A while back my friend Secret Soto shared a tutorial about making tape with napkins and tissue paper and I got hooked.  This was the perfect tape for my artist trading cards and all of the crazy envelopes I make for friends.  Today I'm sharing several different ways I make tape for my projects.

Enjoy!  xoxo, Mark

Just a few of my hundreds of patterns

Painted and stamped.....My favorite!

Fun way to cover a cheap frame

How could you NOT want to stick this all over something?

Learn all my techniques here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Flexible Non-Stick Chopping Mats

Ruler

Americana Acrylic Paints

Rubber Stamps

Old credit card or hotel key

Double sided tape

*Get this at the dollar store!

Masking tape

Plain contact paper

Sticker paper

Americana Decoupage Papers (love the foil prints)

Tissue paper

Book pages

1. Place strips of masking tape across the non-stick mat

*I got my mats at the 99c store

2.  Ad blobs of paint in various areas on the tape

3.  Spread it around with your hotel key or old credit card

4.  Create an area of paint large enough for a rubber stamp

5. Stamp on the painted tape

*Learn to make huge rubber stamps

6.  Remove from the cutting mat as needed

7.  Paint on pieces of contact paper

8.  When dry, stencil on top using a make-up sponge

9.  Cut in strips to make tape

10.  Grab some double sided tape

11.  Place long strips on the back of the Americana Decoupage Papers

12.  Carefully cut out the tape with scissors

*Cut it in half to make thinner strips

13.  Cut long pieces of colorful tissue paper

14.  Add double sided tape the back

15.  Carefully rip the strips of tape

16.  If you don't want to rip, you can cut the tape with pinking shears

17.  Place the double sided tape on old book pages

*My book was severely water damaged so it was perfect for this project

18.  Carefully rip into strips of tape

Finally, if you have a fun print you like, simply copy it on sticker paper and cut out strips in the size you want.   Paint the page with watercolors or color with markers for extra interest!

Um, kinda my favorite paints of all time!

Bejeweled Jar Lantern DIY

My better half told me the other day that it was time for my recycled jar collection to leave the cabinet and find another home.  Apparently there wasn't any room for our real dishes anymore.  Whatever!  Because I love the puff painted lantern jars all over Pinterest, I decided it was the perfect time to try my own version with gems.  How could you NOT love a good recycled jar project?  There were some challenges, but for the most part, this project was enjoyable.  Just make sure to tape your gems in place while they dry or they might slide and only do a bit at a time so you don't smudge the fresh paint. BTW, now my jars can take up room on our coffee table instead of in the cabinet!  Take that.  Have fun, be creative and stay in touch, OK!  xoxo, Mark

Taking them for a test drive in my living room

Before I added the extra dots around the design

See how I made them here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Lace

Tape

Tacky glue

Gold spray paint

Jars

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint

Flat back gems

1.  Tape lace around the center of the jar

2.  Spray paint the jar gold and let dry

3.  Glue gems in a pattern around the jar

4.  Add the Allure in Gold Leaf around each gem and create a design

5.  Try leaves, swirls and dots

6.  Add dots around the rim

7.  Add another color of Allure that matches the gems

8.  Dot and swirl until you're done and then fill with tea lights

Thurs-DIY!

A few pretty things from around the web that caught my eye.  Love the sea glass candy and you'll never guess what those fabric pumpkins have underneath!  Hop around and make some new friends.  All the links are below.   

xo, Mark

TheCraftedLife makes the most glamorous tissue box!  

Lia Griffith makes a beautiful coffee filter backdrop!

Pla give us a mixed media tutorial!   

Sea Glass Candy DIY!

Cathy Attix makes a Dolce & Gabbana inspired doodle shirt!  

Check out these easy to make fabric pumpkins by APieceOfRainbowBlog!

Ultimate Spin Art Machine DIY

Hands down, making spin art is one of my favorite ways to relax.  Toss in a bottle of Pino Noir and you won't see me for hours!  I think it's something about the spinning that hypnotizes me into a great mood.  A while ago I found an old mini Honeywell fan on the street and hauled it home.  It took about 10 minutes to remove the cover and about 2 days for me to figure out what to put on top of the fan blades for a base.  Turns out an old Styrofoam plate did the trick and I was making spin art like a madman!   Just make sure to use some very sticky tape. 

Have fun!  xoxo, Mark

Spin art makes amazing postcards and, well, ART! 

Not quite Damian Hirst, but still pretty fantastic!

Stacks ready to be sent

Watered down Americana Acrylics make the perfect paint for this project!

Watch the magical video tutorial here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Small fan

*You can pick up a new one for $15!

Styrofoam plate

Masking tape

Americana Acrylic Paints

E-6000 Spray Adhesive

Cardboard

Colorful card stock

A quick peek at my spin art journal

Try experimenting with water colors, markers, color pencils and crayons

See the STEP BY STEP photos

Dollar Store Frame Makeovers!

There are a couple of things you can count on from the dollar store.  One is that there will be shelves filled with super cheap (and cheaply made) frames and the other is that I'll be there buying them in bulk!  This guy can't help it.  Give me a crappy little frame and I have something new to get my crafty, fat little fingers on!  These frames were made over with recycled boxes and a simple wax resist technique.  Gotta say, I'm pretty happy with how they look.  

BTW, this is a terrific project for a kid's room!

Have fun!  xoxo, Mark

 I love the way all of the colors look together

 The distressed finish was a perfect way to disguise the inexpensive materials

Try cutting circles, triangles and little squares

My favorite paint!

See how I made them here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint

Dollar Store Frames

Sandpaper

Household Wax

Paintbrushes

Recycled Cardboard

White Glue

Craft Knife

Ruler

Happy Thurs-DIY!

A few of the beautiful offerings from some of my very talented friends!

Enjoy.  xoxo, Mark

1. Lia Griffith makes perfect paper posies!   2. Craftberrybush makes terrific blue porcelain pumpkins!

3. Cahty Attix rocks the pearls!   4. Make a Butterfly Resin work of art!

5. Make the cutest panda ice-cream cones!   6. Alisa Burke rocks her guest room!  

7.   Katie Harvey made this awesome floral painted filing cabinet!  

Resin Art Piece DIY

My friend Mona from CraftKlatch is a resin master!  She challenged me to create a resin art piece for a video collaboration and this is what happened.  The main thing I learned is that you have to coat the twigs with resin or sealer BEFORE you use them in resin or they cause bubbles.  Because I added glitter to the resin it really didn't matter, but lesson learned!  Remember to make your resin projects outside.....and to have fun.  xoxo, Mark

Since you can see the wall color, this piece will match any room!

Photographing resin is a challenge.  Lots of reflection!

Might be fun to put over a window in a bathroom

Resting comfortably (for now) on my desk

See how to make this here!

STUFF YOU'LL NEED

Glaze Coat (epoxy resin)

Butterfly images 

Minwax Polycrylic

Large plastic box frame

Glitter

Twigs

Copies of leaves

 Beautiful butterflies to print for your piece