Fiber Art: Double Hoop Wall Hanging w/ Circular Weaving

I had so much fun with my last project / first Embroidery Hoop Fiber project that I couldn't wait to do another one. Michaels helped me out by having some yarn on clearance. Since I already had the hoops and other yarn on hand, I spent $6 for some quirky chunky yarn that will make a few projects and happened to match a painting I'd done for our bedroom. 

Supplies

• Embroidery Hoops 2 Sizes
• Yarn
• Glue Gun

Part of this project involved Circular Weaving, something I stumbled upon after looking around Pinterest after my last project. Oh boy...gonna be addicting! Here's the video I used to learn how to "warp the hoop" (ooh don't I sound fan-cy?)

Once that was done, I threaded the yarn over and under the sections of the "warped hoop" until I felt like changing yarns. I made sure to always end on the reverse side, tied on a new color, resumed. 

I went all the way to the end but you don't have to. 

For the bigger hoop, I tied the yarn as shown and then glued the smaller hoop inside the bigger hoop and tied a couple of strands on the smaller hoop's hardware. I had a rolled felt rose leftover from the other piece so I plopped it on top. 

Sun glare washed out the painting. 

May just go start another one...

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Paint Pouring: Coordinated Panel Collection

I'm still practicing my paint pouring skills and wanted to do a kind of gallery wall with 12x12 panels in our bedroom. I am so happy with how these turned out!! 

If you're not familiar with paint pouring there is lots of help available on Pinterest and You Tube. I have a paint pouring board on Pinterest here. 

The reason I love it is there's no ( at least not to me) right or wrong once you follow the basics. It's all about what you like and experimenting with the mix of the pouring medium and colors you choose. The best way I've found to figure things out is to just play with it and do it. I will say that if you're going for a coordinated look like what I did with this project, it's probably better to do all of your pouring on the same day so you can be consistent in your formulas. Weather can also be a factor so doing them on the same day ensures drying time etc. is also consistent. 

There are also kits and paints designed specifically for paint pouring. I've just been winging it with a mixture of different acrylic paints and mediums. Here's what I used for this project: 

Supplies: 

• Paint Booster Paint Additive ( I got mine at Lowes)
• Artist Loft Acrylic Paints (Michaels)
• 12x12 Wood Panels ( Blick Art Materials)
• 12x12 Canvas (Michaels)
• Alcohol ( 91% or more is best)
• Water 

You'll also need: 

• Something to cover work area
• Mixing Cups
• Gloves ( eg vinyl or latex because your hands will get messy)
• Push Pins (push these into at least 4 corners of the back of your surface to make a little stand so the panel isn't touching your work surface)

There are different techniques to paint pouring. You can pour your paints directly onto the surface individually or you can layer in a cup which you'll then flip onto your surface. I used the former for the white panels and the latter for the black panels. I also thought I was going to just do four but decided six panels worked better for the space. I only had 4 of the wood panels so I did the other two on canvas since that's what I had on hand. 

I didn't prep the wood surface but I did cover the canvases with a couple layers of Mod Podge as a sealer. 

Layered Flip Cup Method

This is the method I used on the black panels. Once you mix each color separately with the mediums ( I used a couple capfuls of the paint booster, one capful of alcohol and a little water to get a pourable consistency...one that drizzles steadily from a stir stick) you can then layer each paint color in a separate cup. I just alternated colors. 

Someday I'll do videos but not yet :) 

Once you have enough paint ( I just used plastic drink cups and for a 12x12 panel filling to the top was enough) you put your surface on top of the cup and then flip it over. 

Some will seep out so be prepared! You can slide your cup around your surface or just lift the cup off where it is. 

Oooooo magic! This is my flipped puddle and you just start tilting your panel slowly to spread the paint. You want to make sure you cover the entire surface and then as the paint drips down the sides you can take a gloved finger and kind of finger paint the edges. 

I love that no two are alike and each piece you make has its own personality. They're soothing for me to look at ad just discover new patterns each time I do. So much fun! 

My First Paint Pour: Paper Towel Swipe Method

So while I was without a craft room, I became obsessed with paint pouring. I may be very late to the party but I'm here now and I'm so hooked! If you haven't played with this let me warn you, it's so much fun and addictive from the first project and expect to see more projects!

What is paint pouring? In my own words, it's basically thinning acrylic paint with a medium that increases it's fluidity and flow, to create cells that dry into different patterns.  I'm sure there is a more official description but that's what it boils down to for me.  I just decided to experiment based on the concepts I'd seen on Pinterest and You Tube. 

Supplies: 

• Canvas or other surface. I used a 12x12 canvas from Michaels
• Acrylic Paints. I used 2oz bottles from my craft stash, nothing fancy ( in other words, not from the fine art section)
• Flow medium. I decided to go with an official medium and used Liquitex Pouring Medium ( Michaels ) but have seen references to everything from just water, silicone, other brand name pouring mediums, even hair care products.  Since this was my first time I decided to be "official"  and use something designed for this.
• Containers and utensils to mix paint and medium 
• Paper towel

I added enough pouring medium to make my paints pourable. I craft like I cook...by instinct so it was about 2/3 paint 1/3 medium and as you can see, for this size canvas you don't need a lot. 

You will want to make sure you have your work surface covered because it will drip down the sides. I just poured a couple of colors in random patterns as shown and kept adding paint until I felt like I was ready to do the swipe. 

I started with black and silver, and then added gold and white, and just kept pouring and swirling. 

When you're done adding your paint, you'll need a wet paper towel for what is called the "swipe". I went for wet but not sopping and just kept it at the ready in its own cup. This is something you'll want to watch a video to see the technique because I couldn't do it and take pictures at the same time but basically you straighten out your wet paper towel and then line the bottom of it up with the top of your canvas and swipe ( to me it's really more of a drag) your wet paper towel down to the bottom of your canvas. 

You'll pick up paint on your paper towel which you can offload on an extra piece of paper. I actually saved my paper towel once it dried. It looks like a piece of handmade paper which I guess it is! Repeat on the remaining un-swiped area of your canvas. 

Now don't do what I did! I prefer to think of creative mistakes as "happy accidents". I am impatient and I wasn't sure if I'd totally mucked up my project ( I hadn't) because I wasn't seeing the cells develop immediately.  This is the part where you don't want to repeat my mistake ( unless you decide you do!). 

I dragged my paper towel sideways instead of just leaving it alone because I thought maybe I hadn't covered my canvas well enough. I ended up making these kind of wave patterns which in the end turned out fine since there really is no right or wrong here but that's not what you're supposed to do. I also wasn't seeing as much gold as a result because I'd dragged too much black paint over it so I just randomly dropped some from the cup with the gold in it.  

Had I been more patient, I would have realized that the interaction of the water from the paper towel with the paints and the medium just took a little time. As the canvas sat there, the cells began to emerge. I'm still happy with the outcome and it fits right in with the rest of how one of the walls in my office is coming along!

and it goes with my "cement" focal wall: 

Tick Tock Faux Vintage Clock From a Ceiling Medallion

I’ve wanted a vintage “clock” for a while but have not wanted to pay the prices I’ve seen. I was wandering through the hardware store one day and found these ceiling medallions in the lighting section and had an aha moment.

Of course this also meant I had to try and “craftsplain” this to the lighting department guy. “No it’s not for a light fixture. I’m going to make a faux clock” . “Oh sure that was obvious!” said lighting department guy walking away looking back at the weird lady.

For this project you will need:

• 16 inch Ceiling Medallion ( I got mine at Lowes )
• Ceiling Medallion Canopy Kit
• Acrylic Craft paint ( I used Craftsmart black and Martha Stewart Pearl)
• Vinyl ( I used Expressions Vinyl beige)
• Cutting tool ( I used my Silhouette Cameo)

I started by painting my medallion black.  Since I usually go for an aged / distressed look I wasn’t particularly careful about brush strokes.

Then I dry brushed it with the pearl paint. Again, not particularly careful. I changed from a foam to bristle brush for this.

While this was drying, I laid out and cut my numbers using CoCo, my Silhouette Cameo. I did these in two rows and then once I’d applied the transfer paper, cut the numbers into separate pieces to make them easier to apply.

Positioned them where I wanted them and then went over them with a burnishing tool to apply them.

This is the canopy that usually covers the guts of the light fixture. I just glued it through the hole in the medallion. It came with a piece to plug the middle hole and I used some scrapbooking brads to plug the other two. It also came with some other pieces that will likely end up being used in jewelry. I did not attempt to craftsplain this to the Lowe’s guy.

And now I have my brand new vintage faux clock!