Halloween Link-o-rama
October 25, 2006
Here are some pretty spooky (and easy) prop ideas for your next Halloween party or haunted house.
If you’re having trouble coming up with anything, check out 101 Halloween Ideas for inspiration.
Looking for FREE pumpking carving patterns? Look no further.
Here’s an awesome Halloween zombie prop that you can make for just 20 bucks!
Who knew there were so many different ways to make fake blood?
For the true DIYer - how to make your own tombstones.
Make a cheap, motion-activated coffin.
LED ghosts: tiny lights give a new twist to an old trick.
More on monotype prints
October 20, 2006
Amazing artist find
Belinda Del Pesco is a talented artist who works in several media. She has a great little guide on monotype printmaking method here.
Many of her pieces are monotype + watercolor. The pictured work, Nimble Musician, is a 4 x 6 monotype print with colored pencil added.
Here’s some more linky love for Belinda. Check out her gorgeous work!
- Belinda Del Pesco Fine Art
- Belinda Del Pesco Fine Art Blog
- Belinda’s art on Flickr
- Belinda’s art for sale at eBay
More monotype links
Ink spots!
I mentioned in the first monotype post that Speedball is the brand to look for in printmaking supplies. They do seem to have a corner on the market for linocut/block printing stuff, and I have been using their tools for a while, happily. I am no expert when it comes to printmaking, having just reintroduced myself to it after many years with nary a print, but I’m experimenting and learning as I go. One of the things I have learned from other artists is that Speedball inks may not be the best o’ the best in the ink department. Since the first post, I’ve been referred to Daniel Smith and Graphic Chemical & Ink Co. for better inks. I’m sure there are more out there as well.
Still hearing good things about the Createx Monotype print colors though.
If you have any opinions or experience to share on the subject, don’t be shy. And if you’re wondering what all this is about and why there haven’t been any home improvement posts lately, don’t worry - there’s much more on that and everything else on the horizon.
Image Copyright 2006 Belinda Del Pesco
How do you touch up Ralph Lauren suede paint?
October 19, 2006
Here’s a question we received via Myspace:
Hi,
I repainted a dresser a few years ago with paint I purchased at Home Depot that I thought was Ralph Lauren suede. It has looked great, but now needs touchup. How do I do this? Do I have to strip the whole thing and repaint? Can I paint over what I have? I remember a 2 step procedure with a base coat and a glaze? Help!
Debbie
As I have personally never opened a can of RL paint, I shall have to consult Those Who Have Gone There and Done That. I will report back here with my findings.
Meanwhile, if any of you fix chicks have experience with this, feel free to comment away!
Betty Crocker’s Jack-o-lantern Pizza
October 16, 2006
Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:40 min
Makes:8 servings
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
3/4 Green Giant® Niblets® frozen whole kernel corn
1/4 cup water
2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/3 cup very hot water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
Toppings, such as orange and green bell pepper strips, sliced ripe olives and cherry tomato wedges, if desired
1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 450ºF. Grease 12-inch pizza pan. Cook beef in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in salsa, corn and 1/4 cup water. Heat to boiling; remove from heat.
2. Mix Bisquick, 1/3 cup hot water and the oil until soft dough forms; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Let stand 5 minutes. Press dough in pizza pan, using fingers dipped in Bisquick; pinch edge to form 1/2-inch rim. Spread beef mixture over dough. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. Bake 11 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Arrange Toppings on pizza to form jack-o’-lanterns.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) Bake about 15 minutes.
Substitution - No pizza pan? Just press the dough into a 13-inch circle on a greased cookie sheet, using fingers dipped in Bisquick, and pinch the edge to form a 1/2-inch rim.
Serve With - Cut orange gelatin into Halloween shapes with cookie cutters to make the perfect accompaniment to this pizza.
Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 375 (Calories from Fat 205 ); Total Fat 23 g (Saturated Fat 10 g); Cholesterol 60 mg; Sodium 770 mg; Total Carbohydrate 23 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g); Protein 20 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 12 %; Vitamin C 4 %; Calcium 20 %; Iron 12 % Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Vegetable; 2 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
This is not your father’s jack-o-lantern!
October 9, 2006
If you’re looking for an alternative to cutesy pumpkin-carving this Halloween, have we got a link for you: the folks at ExtremePumpkins.com are into shocking, gross, and funny pumpkin carving designs, and they’re not afraid to show it.
They’re also into power tools, and with good reason. Have you ever tried to carve a pumpkin with one of those little plastic carving kits? I don’t know what kind of pumpkins the manufacturers of those things got their hands on, but I’ve yet to meet any pumpkin I could cut with a dull, plastic pick.
Here is what little girls use to carve a pumpkin. The small blade prevents them from spraying pumpkin guts on their plaid skirts and from spilling pumpkin seeds into their loose socks. It is OK if you want to use a little girl’s pumpkin carving set. I won’t judge you. I also won’t make fun of you for spending two hours carving a pumpkin that everyone else can do in 3 minutes using a jigsaw. Nope. I won’t say anything. Besides, this pumpkin carving set has some advantages. For example, when you are done using it, you can store all of the parts in your powerpuff girls pencil box.
Obviously, ExtremePumpkins.com is not a site for little girls. It’s pumpkin-carving for adults. (My little girl won’t be using a jigsaw any time soon, that’s for sure.)
Check out the pumpkin-carving contest winners from past years, and submit your own entry for the 2006 contest!
I would like to add a photo with this post, featuring one of the many cool jack-o-lanterns from the site, but I haven’t been able to get in contact w/the site’s owner for photo reprint permissions, and I’m not chancing it. So go check them out!
Two crafty how-tos: homemade recycled paper & monotype prints
October 7, 2006
I love people like Brenna Zedan: people who are creative and who give freely of themselves to the world around them. Ms. Zedan has quite a few artistic talents, judging by her Flickr photosets… and even more generosity!
She kindly provides detailed photos and thorough, step-by-step instructions on a couple of really cool, crafty projects.
How to make paper
Believe it or not, you can use household items (and a screen made from a couple of inexpensive items readily available at hardware and feed stores) to make your own beautiful, recycled paper. Brenna explains exactly how to do it, and her smart photos illustrate every step of the process.
I’ve run the gamut of art and craft projects - I could open a store with all the supplies I have around here! However, papermaking is one of the crafts I have never tried. It’s something I assumed would be very involved and difficult; but Ms. Zedan’s photo tutorial makes it look… well, maybe still a bit involved, but not so difficult! I can’t wait to try it, and of course I’ll report back here when I do.
How to create a monotype print
A monotype print is made by pressing paper onto a painted or inked surface. It is essentially a printed painting. This one, I have done, and it’s terribly fun. The monotype print is pretty easy to create, and the end result is a unique, often painterly, work of art.
Brenna notes that the most difficult supply to find for this project is a piece of plastic or plexiglass. You can find various sizes of plexiglass sheets at Home Depot, and they are relatively inexpensive. I think I paid 3 bucks or so for a sheet of 11″ x 14″ plexiglass recently. I use glass for printing and haven’t tried plastic or plexiglass for this purpose, so I can’t offer any personal experience there. I’ve had the sheet of glass forever, and it was purchased specifically for the purpose of printmaking. Honestly, my “art time” is so limited these days, I haven’t made enough prints to comment on it!
I highly recommend Dick Blick Art Materials for all your art and craft supply needs. They have good customer service, fast shipping, great selection, and the best prices. Speedball is pretty much the brand to look for in printmaking supplies; I use their barens, brayers, and water-soluble inks for block printing. For monotype prints, you’ll need to use a different type of ink, as Ms. Zedan’s tutorial notes. Check out Createx Monotype Colors at Blick.
It’s not a necessity, but one of my favorite printmaking tools is this little gadget from NASCO.
Recommended reading on monotype printmaking:
- The Instant Printmaker: Simple Printing Methods to Try at Home (Watson-Guptill Famous Artists)
- Monotype: Mediums and Methods for Painterly Printmaking
- Making Monotypes Using a Gelatin Plate
Photos Copyright 2006 by Brenna Zedan
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