January 2011 Art and Soul--We're BACK!

Block Photo Frames--January's Project

Here's what we tackled, thanks to Shanty2Chic

Supplies
2 x 8 x 8 pieces of wood, cut into 12" lengths
(Lowe's--they will cut for you at $0.25 per cut)
Finials (screw-in type at Lowe's or Hobby Lobby for glue-ons)
Mini clothes pins (Hobby Lobby)
80 grit sandpaper (Lowe's)
Muslin and/or burlap fabric cut into about 1" strips (JoAnns)
Felt (also JoAnns or Hobby Lobby)
Hot glue gun
Acrylic paint of choice (Hobby Lobby)
Paintbrush
Distress stamping pad (Hobby Lobby, JoAnns, Michaels)
Scissors
MAY need a drill

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Screw in your finial in the middle of the top of the block. If you have trouble, you may need to use your drill. If you have the glue-on variety finial from a craft store, hot glue it on.
2. IF the ends of your wood block feel rough, you may want to sand them a bit. ALSO, if your wood block has staples in it, you may wish to remove them with pliers.
3. Paint the block, finial, and clothes pin (or clothes pins if you choose to do more than one per block) the color of your choice with the acrylic paint. TIP: 2-3 thin coats should work great!
4. While your paint is drying, cut a circle from the felt that will be the base for your fabric flowers. Somewhere about 2-3" in diameter.
5. Grab your strip of muslin and/or burlap, and tie a knot in the end. Hot glue that in the middle of your felt circle. To create your fabric rose, twist the fabric as you wrap it around the knot, and hot glue it down as you wrap--every little bit as needed. CAUTION--your fingers might burn a bit from the glue! Low temp hot glue guns can help a little with this.
6. Once your paint is dry on your wood pieces, distress the edges by rubbing your sandpaper on the edges of the block and the finial.
7. To add more of a distressed look, take the stamp pad and rub the ink on the edges. And, as much or as little as you want, brush it in streaks along the main surface. You may want to have a rag to rub it in/off a little as you go.
8. Hot glue your clothes pin(s) onto your wood block where you want them, as well as your fabric flowers. You can distress ink your clothes pin a bit--especially if you used a lot of the stamping pad on the wood block.

Additional ideas: (1) buy some roof flashing at Lowes. With tin snippers, cut it to the desired size. E600o it on the front of your wood block, and use decorative nails in each corner. VOILA! A magnetic AND dry erase surface. (2) Cut some scrapbook paper and mod podge it on the front of your block. Use a clothes pin or a bulldog clip for your photos. You can use ribbon on the top of the block instead of the finial. (3) Using your cricut, cut out your last name or some other phrase and mod podge it onto the front of the block. Or do it in vinyl on your cricut. (4) Use scrapbook embellishments, rub-ons, etc. to decorate your block instead of fabric flowers.

November Art and Soul

Christmas Advent Countdown

November 4, 2010
7:30 to 10:30 pm
at Jessica's House
$15 for project (all supplies included)

Come join us to create these Christmas Advent Countdowns. They are made on 16" x 20" canvases. Each day will include a slip of paper with a Christmas activity for each day of December. Bring a friend--and a snack or drink. Comment here, or reply on the Facebook group if you plan to attend.

NOTE: This is a craft where the hostesses will be preparing part of the craft ahead of time. An accurate headcount will help ensure enough--but not too many--supplies are prepared. THANKS!

OCTOBER Art and Soul

BEADED SERVING PIECES

Instructions

SUPPLIES
Serving pieces (Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart, Target, World Market)
Heavy gauge jewelry wire--it's on a spool (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, JoAnn's)
Jewelry needle nose pliers
Jewelry wire cutters
Beads (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, JoAnn's)
Optional: charms

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut about 7 lengths of the handle of the serving piece from the jewelry wire with the wire cutters.
2. With your pliers, create a swirl with the bottom of the wire--twist it to create a "curly q." (See the photos above if you need help envisioning this).
3. Place this swirl at the handle near the serving part, and twist the wire 3-4 times around the handle.
4. Time to begin beading! Add a bead, then twist the wire one full time around before repeating with the next bead. (the handle will be bead, wire, bead, wire). If you chose smaller beads, you will need several in a row to go across the width of the handle.
5. At the end of the handle, you may wish to add a charm for an extra touch.
6. If you have too much wire left, cut it down a bit. Create another swirl, and wrap the wire at least 3-4 times around to finish with the swirl at the other end of the handle.