I resolve to make no more resolutions.
April 4, 2007
So much for those big promises in the last post. Let’s just pretend there is no four-month gap and move on, shall we?
There are product reviews and articles forthcoming, but working 50+ hours a week and mothering a 1.5- and 2.5-year-old leaves little time for much of anything else.
While I’ve been off in my own little, busy world and failing to inform you, Internet, of great home improvement tips, the DIY-ers have still been at it, keeping old posts alive and well with interesting discussions!
Ralph Lauren paint is still our most popular topic to date. Check out the exchanges in comments following Michelle’s article, My Walls are Suede. There are some lengthy comments on her post, Ralph Lauren River Rock Paint Notes, as well. There are a few good tips around on how to touch up Ralph Lauren paint, too.
My post about the Ilo MP3 player has attracted some opinions - most of them negative. The funny thing is, my Ilo MP3 player bit the dust shortly after the review got a few comments from other users who’d had problems with it. I’ve since replaced it with a Microsoft Zune (product review to follow - no, really!) with which I am sublimely happy. In fact, we now have two of them - one for me, and one for Hubby.
The Baby Poop Decoder generated some fun comments and, eventually, a battle over breastfeeding, which is not a battle I wish to be involved in, but oh well! More amusingly (and fun for me), my little baby poop silliness became an entity of its own when I created the Baby Poop 101 lens at Squidoo. The lens was honored as a Lens of the Day and was later nominated as Lens of the Year. Woo!
To wrap up this unorganized post, here are some things I’m currently researching:
Step2 Naturally Playful Playhouse Climber
This Old Houseblog
November 6, 2006
What’s a houseblog?
Houseblogs are online diaries written by folks who are building, improving or restoring their own homes. Like other blogs, they are updated regularly and show the work unfold in real time.
If you’re interested in reading houseblogs or starting one of your own, head over to Houseblogs.net, where you can:
- Find people with similar homes, taste, or challenges via their community.
- Follow along as people renovate their homes by reading the latest blog entries.
- Get help with a DIY problem by asking a question or searching our discussion board.
- Show off your own house by adding photos to your member profile.
- Share your own home improvement adventures–start your own houseblog!
How much wood would a woodpixel… pixel?
November 6, 2006
Woodpixel is a fancy shmancy puzzle design thingy, for artsy types, gadety types, or types in general who won’t mind plunking down a little dough for something that’s cool, however impractical it might be. 
A woodpixel set includes a 26.5cm square tray and 100 2cm cubes. Each of the cubes’ six sides has a different color of wood, so you can create tons of different patterns and designs with them. When you get tired of your design, take out the cubes and make a new one.
Woodpixel sets are not in production as of this moment, but if there is enough interest generated, they will be. Head over to Woodpixel and check it out. If you like what you see, drop them an email to let them know!
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
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
For artists & collectors: The ABCs of ATCs and ACEOs
September 11, 2006
Big title for a small piece of art!
Art cards are small format, miniature works of art. They are paintings, drawings, collages, handmade prints, altered art, assemblages… they come in most any medium, in any style, from anywhere in the world. And they all have only one thing in common… art cards are 2.5″ x 3.5″ (64 x 89 mm) in size, just like baseball (and other sports) cards.
[Read more]
Recent Comments