Happy Trees Vintage Paint By Number Painting - Arts and Crafts

Some people talk about how soothing Mr Rogers voice is; for me, it's Bob Ross when he expounds on "happy trees." I decorated the cabin several years ago with garage sale art since break-ins are always a possibility for property that you don't occupy regularly. I wanted art work that was not overly dear.

One of my purchases was a paint by number of a deer next to a woodland stream. The above painting was thrown in. I washed it, drew on the letters, and painted happy trees in acrylic paint.

I knew the original was heavily textured but I was wrong, it was downright lumpy. It's very difficult to paint straight, smooth lines on a lumpy surface. I love the new version and the fence posts being in front of the font gives it a lot more dimension. I have another purchased painting stored in the back of the garage that is becoming jealous. I think it wants a new life as slightly quirky art.

Arshile Gorky Inspired Abstract Expressionist Modern Painting

I did this originally as a digital image. Painting straight edges is surprisingly challenging. I tried painters tape and went back to freehand since the results with tape were disappointing.

Origami Turtle Magnets - Arts and Crafts

I tried to make an origami tetrahedron but the locking action wasn't working well for me. I needed an easier project so I made the turtles from some specialty paper that I had. They looked cute so I affixed half a magnet that was made to go on the back of a business card to each.

Giant Folk Art Painted Wood Dice - Arts and Crafts

I found a huge wood square and painted it to resemble dice since every game board needs dice. OK, this one takes two hands to pick up so it might not be practical but it looks great on the floor with a giant "jack" that I bought a few years ago.

I wonder what it was originally, perhaps part of a support column in an old barn.

Painted Wood Vintage Style Game Board - Arts and Crafts

I painted this game board on a piece of plywood. I found a little crackling medium so it was applied in scattered areas. The edging (pine molding) is raised to corral crazy dice rolls. The board was aged by lightly sanding the surface.

Mini Book Made From Scrapbook Paper - Arts and Crafts

I still have a ton of scrapbook paper so I made a new book. Directions:

Cut a 12 inch square piece of scrapbook paper in half. Fold the 12" x 6" paper in half so it becomes 6" square.

Glue the back sides of 2 paper pieces together. I used a glue stick. Keep gluing the additional paper to to proceeding pages. The folded spine pieces should line up.

Glue a cover piece on the front and back. Make a spine piece and glue it in plae.

Kazimir Malevich Inspired Geometric Abstract Modern Painting

I made this as a digital poster several months ago and thought it would be fun to redo it as a painting. I designed it to be vertical but I think I prefer it horizontal.

Spooky Halloween Fence with Halloween Images Behind the Fence - Arts and Crafts

I saw this spooky Victorian gate at the Graphics Fairy and was inspired. The witches, owl and black cat are scanned cake decorations. I made it to go across my mantle but posted it here at 11 inches wide. If you click on the image it will become larger. You are welcome to use it for your personal use.

Fortune Cookie Pop-Up Card - Arts and Crafts

I have many fortune cookie fortunes so I thought it would be fun to make a pop-up card for one.

I put the fortune cookie image back to back so I'd have a fold line.

I wanted the inside to be brown so I printed the image on kraft paper card stock. A mellower brown would be better.

Cut the printed image out. Use the cut out portion as a template for the inside. You will have 2 cut out shapes, one plain paper, the other printed.

Crease inside and outside shapes along the fold line.

Take the inside piece and cut a small tab. Crease the tab so that it can bend in the other direction.

Glue the 2 paper pieces together  being careful not to glue the cut tab. Check that the card closes properly.

Glue a fortune to the raised section of the tab. Be careful not to glue it so close that the card won't open and close properly.

Blue Painted Vintage Folding Chair - Arts and Crafts

I bought this pretty little chair at a garage sale for $5 and painted it my favorite garden accessory color, blue.

It doesn't fold up the normal way, you grab it by the handle at the back of the seat and that's the portion that comes up.

I was fortunate that all the finish had worn off so I simply painted it without doing more than a little clean up.

Concrete Molded Fish - Arts and Crafts

I have an old Ronco Ice Mold, it's a flexible silicon type mold that rests inside a box. Yes, you can pour something as heavy as quikrete and have the mold survive. I molded a plaster one as well but that's taking longer to dry.

In case you were wondering, I will never use it again for food.

Steampunk Gear Macrame Bracelet - Arts and Crafts

The gears remind me of steampunk while the orange nylon cord feels a little 1960s.

I did a simple square knot since it was the only knot I didn't forget how to do after my macrame planter phase.

I used to be pretty good at macrame, I even sold some sculptural display pieces. I did so much of it I bet I could figure out if I only applied myself. Alas, the square knot is right at the front of my brain.

Spray Painted Planter - Arts and Crafts

I was walking by the lake and saw a dead plant in a metallic gold planter. The rose pattern was attractive but the shiny gold hideous. Fortunately I had some red spray paint and I'm quite pleased with the result.

I even remembered to wear gloves so I don't have a red index finger; it's a good day.

Leather and Rock Bracelet - Arts and Crafts

We picked up some rocks with natural holes in Duluth and I threaded it on a piece of black leather.

Crocheted Potholders Using Cotton Yarn - Arts and Crafts

I was trapped in a car again. I single crocheted 4 squares and then crocheted them together, reversing the pattern for stability. At least it's not an afghan. I have no idea what I'm going to do with all this yarn, what was I thinking?

I remember seeing a few skeins of cotton yarn at Walmart and it sparked a shopping frenzy. Art supplies and yarn, it's a weakness.

Recycled Cut Paper Pear Collage - Arts and Crafts

We are coming up on pear season and I found these great paper bits in a desk drawer. All the paper is recycled from printed items.

The outside of the pear is a printed photo of a graffiti covered stone wall. The inner stem is the dress on a woman. The background is the back page of a brochure.

Hand Drawn Spooky Staircase Pop Up Card - Arts and Crafts

Who knows what's living under the stairs? The portraits on the wall are cthulhu, a bird man and the Loch Ness Monster.

The fish bowl has a dead fish. The broken floor has a hole and ladder. The potted plant is dead and the spider is wearing a top hat.

A digital download for you to make and possibly color is available on Etsy.

Printable Vintage Minneapolis Public Library Card Pocket - Arts and Crafts

I bought a book from 1910 just for this card pocket.

I'm glad I don't have any late fees since the repercussions are severe. I would hate to be imprisoned for a 2 cent/day fine.

I cleaned up the image in Photoshop, made the background transparent and printed the card holder on a manilla file folder. It would have been easier to recreate it but I wanted to use the old font.

If you click on this photo you can get a full size printable card pocket. I left some of the grunge since it gives character.

Library Card Style Pockets Made From Book Pages - Arts and Crafts

I like having glue-able pockets that I can place in my artist journals.

This one was made by folding a sheet of paper, leaving one side longer than the other. Trim the paper so that you have a tab that can be folded over and glued in the back.

I was going to look for a pattern for you but there is a plethora if you Google "library card pocket template" I like just making it up on a case by case basis to best use the book paper.











I wanted this adorable border to top my library pocket so I cut a rectangle, folded tabs on 3 sides and glued a larger rectangle in back to make a pocket.

This was done basically the same as the last but I used scrapbook paper for the pocket back.

Crocheted Round Rug Cotton Yarn - Arts and Crafts

This rug is coming along nicely but I'm a little concerned it's not heavyweight enough. I'm torn about finishing it or using what I have completed in some other way.

My youngest dog eating a hole in 3 rugs in 3 days has nothing to do with my indecision. She's eyeing the rug fondly and wants it something fierce.

Weeping Angel From Doctor Who Painting with Raised Paper Decoupage - Arts and Crafts

I remember this one. I started painting the Great Salt Lake in Salt Lake City; the painting was rather dull so I never finished it. A homicidal alien creature is what it needed to liven things up.

I didn't want to have the angel look too much like a photo so I ran the image through Live Trace to limit the colors and added a canvas texture.

I put this in my daughter's study area, won't she be surprised.

Daleks Hovering Over a Desert Painting and Raised Paper Decoupage - Arts and Crafts

I am on a roll. I have no idea what I started to paint but I suspect this is a better idea.

I thought about making a Dalek image but this one from the Mind Robber was almost perfect. I couldn't get the weapon to be stable at this size so I just cut it off; no one will ever know.

I varied the size and height off the painting to help give the illusion of distance.

Doctor Who Tardis Flying Through Space Painting with Raised Decoupage - Arts and Crafts

I rediscovered some partially completed canvases and instead of painting over them I decded to do something a little different.

I had made a folded paper Tardis for my daughter, Nissa and there was an adorable mini Tardis waiting for it's chance on my desk.

I cut out the Tardis, built up a platform to raise it off the painting and affixed the paper cutout with double stick tape. The ship and background have a rather neat, and slightly cheesy, 3D effect.

Cotton Crochet Dishtowel - Arts and Crafts

A few years ago I bought a bunch of cotton yarn thinking I could make something spectacular. Well, I could, but I didn't.

I don't need anymore afghans or blankets, I have cupboards full. I made some potholders but the darn things last forever.

We've been going to the cabin quite a bit this year and the 3.5 hour drive is a drag so I made a dishtowel.

OK, a dishtowel isn't inspired but it's functional and some days that's pretty darned good.

Trio of Abstract Acrylic Paintings Depicting a Snowman Melting - Arts and Crafts

I did this design previously digitally in Illustrator and thought it would be fun to recreate it using acrylic paints; it was.

The stones and carrots are wrapped around the edge of the canvas.

How To Make A Fortune Cookie Fortune Book - Arts and Crafts

I know it's silly, but I feel I'm tossing the fortune cookie's good wishes away if I don't keep the fortune so I have a vase filled with paper fortunes.

One of my daughters bought a package of pretty gift envelopes which I used for the front and back cover.

Cut the envelope apart.

Glue the decorative envelope to a piece of cardboard and backing paper. Trim the excess.

I used a glue stick.

Score 1 inch wide accordion pleats leaving a gluing tab on the end. A 4 page book would have eight score lines.

The insert is slightly shorter than the cover so the contents fit inside, not flush.

Glue the tab to the covers and cover the tab with an end paper.

Make sure the book moves smoothly by closing it.

Glue the pleats together if you don't want the book to open this wide. Gluing the pleats makes the book act more traditionally.

I didn't want the fortunes to flop around freely so I glued them on the end (the outside edge, not near the center.)

Glue the fortunes to the accordion pleats. Mine are staggered.

The finished book.

Rainbow Elastic Band Bracelets - Arts and Crafts

We went to JoAnn Fabric and bought three bags of rainbow elastic bands and the plastic closure thingys.

I didn't want to buy a loom so we followed the YouTube directions. 

They went together nicely thanks to an excellent tutorial but we couldn't get the same plastic closure ring. The one we bought was oval and open on one end. The bands kept sliding out of the plastic loop so we tried knotting the bracelets but it looked sloppy.

Metal jumps rings made a sturdy closure. The bags go a lot further than you might think, We still have half of the loops and all of the plastic closures.

Hemp and Coconut Shell Button Friendship Bracelets - Arts and Crafts

I kept the coconut shell buttons from worn out Hawaiian shirts that were purchased on vacations.

The bracelets are made from natural hemp and I varied the knot patterns.

My Day Illustrated In A Mandala - Arts and Crafts

I used my version of a mandala to illustrate my day.

The center is a goat cheese pizza. Many of the shapes are from a painted tote bag. The tote bag has a Star Trek insignia from Star Trek Into Darkness. The blue coffee cup is the cappuccino cup my daughter made me that I use daily.

Matisse Style Tote Bag - Arts and Crafts

I found a Matisse style clothing applique image and kept the idea in my to do list. The problem is, I don't sew much anymore and don't wear appliqued clothing.

I drew Matisse style shapes and traced the pattern pieces onto a purchased canvas bag using pencil. I think there are better transfer techniques but it's what I had.

I taped on small pieces of paper colored with markers so I would get the color placement correct.

The shapes were painted with acrylic paint and I'll wash the pencil out after the paint has had a day to dry thoroughly. You can still see the pencil lines on the unwashed tote bag.