Collage is my favourite way to customize and beautify everyday objects, usually notebooks, sketch books, folders, etc. And it is definitely worthwhile as an art form asking to be framed. But I prefer to decorate the mundane. I like to give my eyes get a treat every time I have to check a date in my planner.
I stepped on my last pair of headphones, and after a miserable attempt to repair them I gave in and purchased a new pair. To prevent future foolishness I decided to make a nice soft sleeve to slip my headphones into, and I made it pretty so (in theory) I will want to look at it so much I won't forget to use it.
Do you want your own jammin' strawberry???
The fox fur stole evokes images of a bygone era, of champagne on the veranda and a leisurely drive in the Bentley. When glamour was defined by the size of your hat, the whiteness of your gloves, and the number of dead animals wrapped around your body. Oh wait, that last part... gross.
Let's make this foxy look fox-free. Pentel Arts Fabric Fun Pastel Dye Sticks, 15 color set On a whim, I purchased a set on Amazon for $3.50. They look and feel like oil pastels. The process is pretty straightforward: draw as much as you want on the garment or fabric of your choice. When finished place a piece of paper over your art and heat set with a regular household iron.
I only discovered needlepoint two years ago when I found the book "Glorious Interiors" by Kaffe Fassett for 25 cents. Specifically I fell in love with an armchair for which he had stitched a cover boasting a large sectioned cantaloupe, lettuces and cabbages, all floating on an iridescent blue background. And though I didn't really want to copy his technicolor-countryside motifs, I could see needlepoint for the versatile and exciting craft it is. How I Create Customizable Graphics I am not a graphic designer by trade. My skills were learned mostly through experimentation, and Google searching A LOT of questions until I found the solution I had been looking for. I used to spend hours in paint shop when I was little, and if you did the same but have never moved on to a more professional platform, you will be surprised to see how many of the tricks you learned in that rudimentary program are still applicable. I use an image editor called Gimp, which is similar to Photoshop, except it is FREE. Seriously, look it up, read about it, and be prepared to fall in love. Since I am on the subject, I use a refurbished laptop running Ubuntu, a Linux based operating system, which is free and open source. Don't listen to the snobs who try and tell you real designers will only use a certain brand of computer, or that you can't teach yourself graphic design. Read on to see how I get professional results on a broke-girl budget.
I love colorful fur. There was a floor length electric blue faux-fur “pimp” coat in my childhood dress up box, but my adult wardrobe doesn't yet include one of these statement pieces. If only little me knew that someday, with some hemming, my blue coat would be considered High! Fashion!
Recently I was given a load of old clothes to cull through before doing a Goodwill run. These Levi 545's were at the bottom of the bag, and yes, I got excited. They had been sitting on a shelf for at least 20 years, and the holes and fraying are the results of labor and mechanic stuff and whatever else men do to rip their pants (what was he doing to rip the groin???) Plus they required three washings to get the cigarette smell out. (click on images for detail) Next step: patch the really indecent holes. First try is with Aleenes's OK To Wash It fabric adhesive from Joann's and a pair of sacrificial jeans for the patches. The goal is to glue from the back to cover my butt without losing the frayed, lived-in look.
To cultivate creativity, resourcefulness and risk-taking, through the exploration of art and design. |
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