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Welcome

I love answering your questions. If you ask them in the comment section, I have no way to answer you (if you haven't heard from me, that is why). If you use the "EMAIL ME" in the left column of this page, I will be able to respond to you. You can also use it if you want to be added to my newsletter. Laura

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

AARG MATIES THERE BE PIRATES

I am sooo far behind on posting art from swaps.  These ATCs are from a Pirate swap that I participated in last year.  The one above is mine.
The ATC below is by Connie Koutsourelis
The ATC below is by Liz DeWitt
 The ATC below is by Wendy Aspinal
The ATC below is by Kris Dickinson
The ATC below is by Lynn Stevens
The ATC below is by April Dudko
I hope that you will agree they were great pirate’s booty!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Steampunk Spells & Carnival Curiosities Hot Air Balloons, New Spooky Wings Collage Sheet & Digital Files – Plus VIDEO TUTORIAL

Up, up, up in the air we go with two new hot air balloons.  In addition to the new balloon examples, I have patterns for you to download to make your own balloons.  Plus a video tutorial that walks you through making each type of balloon and explains the all of the decorative details.  In the video I will also talk about the décor and construction of the Parfumerie balloon I posted a week ago.
The first new sample is “Carnival Curiosities” which is a plug for the Halloween Carnival event that kicks off on September 5th.  So those of you who plan to participate can get an early start if you like and make a balloon for your carnival! 
 
The second sample is Steampunk Spells made with really cool papers from the new Graphics 45 line.  I’ll be using some of these papers again for the Halloween Carnival.  It's a pretty will ride for the skeleton!
Further down in this post is a complete list of the products I used for both balloons which are carried by Alpha Stamps.
Spooky Wings Collage Sheet & Digital File Set
You’ll notice that both of the samples have wings.  They wings are from my new “Spooky Wings” collage sheet which contains 10 sets of wings. 
 
I also have a “Spooky Wings” digital file set which contains 12 sets of wings (10 are the same as the collage sheet plus two additional sets).  Digital files are great as they are separate images that you can size and print as many times as you like or use them in your digital art.  You’ll see me use these again in the Halloween Carnival.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
In this tutorial I’ll show you how to make hot air balloons from decorative paper.  You can make them as large or small as you like; the only limitation is the size of the paper.  In the video tutorial below I’ll show you how to use the two patterns I have created to make two different types of balloons.
HOT AIR BALLOON PATTERNS
To download each pattern, click on the image to expand it, right-click and select Save As.
Alpha Stamp Products Used to Make the Carnival Curiosities Dirigible Balloon:
Alpha Stamps Products Used to Make the Steampunk Spells Hot Air Balloon:

Pretty Potions and Poisons Apothecary Collage Sheet Image Now Available as Digital File Sets
Digital files can be resized, rotated or flipped as needed.  The files are in .png format.  PNG format files have a transparent background so are easy to layer over other digital images.  Digital images can be saved to your computer and printed as many times as you wish.
The Potions & Poisons set contains 46 images.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Mermaid Tea Lantern

Decorating this small tea lantern was such a fun project.  I decided to go with a mermaid theme (no surprise).  I wanted it to look like a mermaid in a fish tank.  The trick was how to use the LED light which inserts in the bottom of the lantern and be able to turn it off and on.
I decided to not use the base which holds the LED light in place in the bottom of the lantern.  Instead I made another base out of heavy chipboard.  I made a hole in the chipboard to accommodate the switch on the bottom of the LED light.  After I finished decorating the inside of the lantern I glued the LED light to the chipboard base and then the base to the bottom of the lantern.  Now everything on the inside stays in place and I can turn the switch on an off.
In the photo below you can see the original base on the left and the new base on the right.  
Below you can see the hole I made for the switch.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Beach Scene, New Collage Sheet & Paper Umbrella Video Tutorial

I’ve had umbrellas on my brain lately.  It all started when I was thinking about the upcoming Halloween Carnival Event and the umbrellas I used for some of the games.  Unfortunately (as it seems is always the case) the manufacturer is no longer making them.  After searching for a replacement, I decided to figure out how to make them and come up with a pattern.  Next, I thought, how fun umbrellas would be for summer art, and that lead to the beach scene you see above.  Well you know me; I couldn’t stop at just one pattern.  By the time I was done I had come up with 4 different patterns that create 4 different umbrella designs.

Before I jump into the umbrella video tutorial let me tell you a little bit about the beach scene.  The construction is pretty much the same as the Mermaid Tail Scene in one of my recent posts.  I used 2 chipboard shells to create the base.  In the case of the shells, I cut off some of the end of the top shell and  I cut a slot in the bottom shell.  Next, I glued the top shell into the slot on the bottom shellt.
I cutout the beach babes and balls and using 2 layers of double-stick foam core tape I glued them to the base.
I attached the umbrellas to the base using Styrofoam and E6000 glue.
Next, I drizzled lots of glue onto the base to cover the foam core and Styrofoam.  I also added glue in other spots to make it look like they are sitting on the beach.
I continue to layer glue and sand allowing the glue to dry between coats until I have the result I desired.


UMBRELLA VIDEO TUTORIAL
In this tutorial I’ll show you how to make paper umbrellas.  These umbrellas are made from decorative paper and a wooden skewer.  Paper umbrellas are very easy to make and can be used for your dimensional art projects or as décor for a party.  You can make them as large or small as you like.  The only limitation is the size of the paper.  In the video tutorial below I’ll show you how to use the four patterns I have created to make different styles and sizes of umbrellas.
You can make them as large or small as you like.  The umbrella below is 15” in diameter.  The only limitation is the size of the paper.  In the video tutorial below I’ll show you how to use the four patterns I have created to make different styles and sizes of umbrellas.
Supplies Needed:
Umbrella Pattern
Decorative Paper
Glue
Scoring Tool
Wooden Skewer
Scissors
Optional: Bead, trim or other embellishments
Here are the 4 styles of umbrella patterns.  To download each pattern, click on the image to expand it, right-click and select Save As.