3D Projects
Folded Book: Faith Can Move Mountains

Posted on 26th October 2015 by Neil

It’s taken two practice runs, but I think I now have book folding sussed. This is my own design, and I wanted to create the banner space below the main word to complete the sentiment. I’m also going to do a word cloud image using the chapters and verses that are applicable to the saying, which will go on the inside covers. Yet another item to price up and pop on my stall at the Church Fayre at the end of November!

UPDATE: I’ve added the word cloud image, based on a photo of K2. Here’s the finished piece – I think the darker background makes the rest zing and pulls it all together:

Continue reading →

3D Projects
It’s all the presentation: perfect packaging 2

Posted on 25th October 2015 by Neil

I’m still in making mode ready for my church’s Christmas Fayre at the end of November. I’ve decorated these pre-made metal blanks and made them into brooches by using an epoxy glue to stick on the brooch clasp – details on the decoration are here.

I wanted create a bespoke presentation box to show them off at their best – it just so happened I could use the same size for the peacock and the dragonfly. Designing started with a 3×2″ base. I added ½” sides and tabs. For the lid, I enlarged it slightly, adding the thumb divots in the centre to aid taking the lid off. To raise the base (and create a hidey-hole for my business card), I designed a stage slightly smaller than the base, with ⅛” supports at the side to hold the item off the bottom and the holes with a slit between allows me to press the brooch back through and fix the item in place. Two boxes come from an A4 sheet of card, cut on my Silhouette Cameo. For placement of the holes/slit, I pressed the item down onto a piece of card, and was able to see a dent where the clasp and hinge of the brooch back were. A bit of triangulation later, and the hole placement was perfected. This was ideal as the brooch clasps were in roughly the same position on each item – it would have been much less practical for several different placements.

Continue reading →

Art Journal
Art Journaling: Water-solubles

Posted on 22nd October 2015 by Neil

For November’s art journaling class at The Studio, we’ll be playing with water-solubles. This page spread is a mix of Caran D’Ache Neocolor II water-soluble wax crayons, Derwent Inktense pencils and blocks and black pigment pen. It’s an experimental page, and I quite like the blending of the colours, the framing of the colour blocks and text, but if I were to do it again, I’d want to space things a bit better and perhaps play with the depth by intertwining the frames better and adding some drop shadows… I was also considering adding embossing paste squares – but I think that would just be overdoing it a little.

Continue reading →

3D Projects
It’s all in the presentation

Posted on 10th October 2015 by Neil

Today ended up being a ‘let’s overcomplicate an envelope’ day. At first I’d planned for my metal tree decorations to just slip into an envelope and be done with it. But then I thought – I’m expecting customers to feel that they are buying a premium handcrafted item… and a white envelope just didn’t hack it. So I’ve spent the morning designing the perfect packaging, and this afternoon cutting them out and putting them together in readiness for the Christmas Fayre.

Continue reading →

Textile & Fibre Art
No Needle Knitting

Posted on 9th October 2015 by Neil

It’s no secret that I have never really learnt to knit properly. I can crochet, but something about two needles doesn’t work for me – it’s like aerobics: I can do arms, or legs, but not both at the same time. Then I came across loom knitting. No needles, just 18 pins and a hook. Here’s my first loom knitted project. It’s a cross between a shawl and a scarf – a sharf or a scawl? The Irish roses and leaves are crocheted from the same yarn [200 Crochet Flowers, Embellishments & Trims] and sew onto the completed knit. I’ve even sewn round the button hole.

Continue reading →

3D Projects
The Art of Liquefaction

Posted on 8th October 2015 by Neil

There’s always that moment when you see something on Facebook or Pinterest that you think – I could do that. This project was one of those – a link to a YouTube video that popped up on my timeline (sorry – haven’t found it since). It was in German, and seemed to be 20 minutes of the two presenters describing – but not actually doing – the process to make these cast concrete votives.

Continue reading →

Altered Art
Not all wax crayons are created equal

Posted on 6th October 2015 by Neil

It’s amazing how much one can achieve when the computer isn’t accessible. Until after lunch yesterday, I was upgrading the operating system which meant Facebook wasn’t a constant presence, my current shopping list wasn’t visible, and the radio was off.

Instead, I painted six blackboards, tidied the studio after creating a bomb site making samples for Craftwork Cards, prepared for last night’s art journaling session, dealt with a duplicate order delivery, crocheted a sampler panel for a scarf, and had a go at some crayon art (pictured above). Now then – all the pictures of similar projects on the internet show nice long dribbles of shiny molten wax. My pound-shop crayons boiled and became an immobile gloopy mess more reminiscent of glutinous bread dough than freely flowing molten wax. The resultant solidified mass is actually quite brittle, and as it is on stretched canvas, is easy to crack. Polishing makes no difference. Which leads me to wonder – are they made of some strange plastic?

And it leaves another conundrum – do I leave the space empty at the bottom, or find suitable text or carefully place some oil paint as faux wax stalagmites underneath the drips?

Continue reading →

3D Projects
Crafted from Caravans: The Christmas Collection

Posted on 1st October 2015 by Neil

The floor, tables and just about every other surface in the studio is currently covered with a fine layer of shredded wool polishing wheels and jeweller’s rouge… I’m also going to have to do a thorough wipe down of all the aluminium filings that didn’t hit the bin beneath…

I’ve been working in a production line over the last two days, making these hanging tree decorations. You may remember my ‘sit and be wind chime’ was made from the sidings of my grandfather’s old caravan – these are too. All are hand cut from the sheet aluminium, cleaned up with wire brush and wet’n’dry sandpaper, hand drilled and hand sawn, hammered, punched, filed and polished. Ok, I did use a Dremel for the polishing.

If you’d like a set, let me know – I will make them to order for £10 each including p&p to UK addresses (international orders extra), so if you’d like them in time for Christmas please order by the end of October.

Continue reading →

3D Projects
Festive Chalkboard Candle Gift Cards

Posted on 28th September 2015 by Neil

I know, it’s still too early to mention the ‘C’ word, but in crafting terms I started Christmas crafting back in June with the Festive Chalkboard collection. This time, I’ve used it to make gift cards containing three scented candles courtesy of a certain Swedish flat pack specialist. The cards themselves are made using the Eazi-Score board from Diamond Card Craft – my instructions and board purchase information are here.

I’m getting stock (including these cards) ready for our church’s Christmas Fayre (Whetstone Memorial Hall, near Leicester, 28th November), so there might be a slight pregnant pause between posts as I’m frantically sawing, sanding, polishing, sticking, pricing and moulding various items – but as soon as I’ve finished each project, I’ll be sure to post them!

Continue reading →

Tangle Patterns
Icthus: a tangle pattern

Posted on 20th September 2015 by Neil

Another church inspired pattern… this time I was playing around with the Christian ‘fish’ symbol whilst trying out different church logo designs. By organising a shoal of the symbols, a pattern can be built up – and you can see that there are possibly quicker ways of drawing the base pattern by the time you see it in step 2. I think the directional lines make this a more complex looking pattern.

Continue reading →