Crossed Cotton Canvas

Artwork:

This was a very quick and easy DIY artwork project that I came up with this weekend. The technique used is very similar to my Packing Tape Canvas.

Firstly, I painted a canvas for the background colour. 

I then chose a contrasting colour of cotton – I had lots of this leftover from a previous Christmas project.

Then I stuck one end of the cotton down with sticky tape, on the back of the canvas.

And I started wrapping! 

I finished off one way, then stuck the end down on the back again with sticky tape. Then I started again with my cotton, wrapping it in the other direction.

This is what the back of your canvas should look like when you have finished.

And that was it!

Give this project a go – it’s SO easy and it’ll look fantastic in your house!

Emma

Wrapping Paper Art II

Artwork:

Apologies for the late post this week - we've had some technical issues with Blogger.

I’m trying to finish off my bathroom at the moment, and I hope to be able to show you my progress next week! So this week (in an effort to get everything done for the bathroom) I finished off some simple art for the bathroom wall.

This is another version of my original Wrapping Paper Art and I just love how simple this is... not to mention what an impact it can make.

This art cost me less than $2 in total as I only had to buy the wrapping paper and I already had a spare frame.

I simply cut the paper to size and taped it down inside the matt.

It’s the easiest art you will ever do and its so cheap to change whenever you tire of it.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

X Caity  

‘It’s a dry spring this year’ Pencil Tracing on Plywood

Artwork:

Well here at our place, we are still waiting for rain! My painting (of the same title) from some weeks ago obviously had no effect in the moisture department!

So this week, I felt like creating a simple and plain artwork, in response to this very dry weather. And I called it “It’s a dry spring this year.” 

This design was EXTREMELY simple. Firstly I whitewashed a plywood panel. I’m sure there’s a correct way to mix the whitewash, but I just decided to add water to some white paint I had. Couldn't be bothered fiddling around with anything else!

Once the wash was dry, I got out a saucepan lid to trace around. I used a saucepan lid because it’s easiest (and quickest) to have a handle on the thing you’re tracing around. Then you won’t smudge the pencil and you can move the lid quickly (as opposed to using a plate, for example).

Then I simply picked up my pencil and started tracing! 

I completed my ‘spring’ design by adding the title of the picture down the bottom. 

I like this artwork, it looks quite funky in my house. Let’s hope it helps to break the drought soon…

Enjoy your creating if you decide to try this project out!

Emma

Simple and Colourful DIY Artwork

Artwork:

This week I was busy painting something that could be used as a raffle prize at a street stall that our school P&C held as a fundraiser. Everybody was so nice and supported us! Our stall was very successful! And this raffle-prize painting will be delivered to its new owner this morning.

This is a REALLY easy design, and I used a plywood panel for it, because the plywood colour looks so NICE poking through.

The inspiration for this painting came from looking at my friend Paula’s tray of pastels – and she has a beautiful collection!

The process for painting was very simple. Firstly I made a template out of cardboard to get the shapes all looking pretty similar. I drew all the rectangles on using this template (and moved it around a bit, orientation wise so the shapes all looked a little different). 

I used the colour Dulux Grid as my background, and painted that in first, then left it to dry. 

Then I simply added each colour as I went. I left an ‘outline’ of plywood on each of the rectangles.

I added a hanger to the back of the plywood panel, and then (once dry) it was ready to go!

Happy painting at your house!

Emma

My Weekend Pastels Workshop

Artwork:

My creative time this week was spent attending a local ‘Pastels on Plywood’ workshop for the day on Saturday.

It was EXCELLENT, and was conducted by a good friend of mine, Paula Jenkins from Walcha. She is a very talented artist and a thoroughly nice girl!

These are my creations from the day. I managed to squeeze in two drawings - a local landscape and a good old bowl of fruit.

The workshop was held in a lovely old local hall at Wongwibinda, and it’s the second workshop that I've been to there (see post about Harriet Goodall’s Basket Weaving Workshop).

Check out the Wongwibinda Creative Workshops page on Facebook for more information about other upcoming fun courses! I would recommend them to anyone who lives locally!

Enjoy whatever YOU’RE creating this week!

Emma

‘Waiting for Rain’ Design on Plywood

Artwork:

For some time now, we have been waiting for rain in our region. Lots of people around the country are doing the same thing. So, this week, I thought I’d paint a design that represents what we've all been doing!

The design features raindrops and lines to represent the way water drips down over a surface.

My ‘Waiting for Rain’ design was very simple, and you could use many different combinations of colours. I chose the grey, yellow and natural tones because I felt it fitted the mood of WAITING!!

Firstly I made a couple of templates for the raindrops out of cardboard. This makes the drawing of the raindrops in the design much quicker. I just used the side of an old box for cardboard.

Then I drew in all my raindrops.

Then I painted in the background. I did three different tones (in stripes) in the grey background, just for a little more interest. I mixed the greys myself, starting with a base of the colour Dulux Grid and then slowly adding a bit of white paint.

Then I started painting in my light yellow raindrops. 

The two Dulux yellows  I used were Pale Daffodil and Ogen Melon. 

I didn't paint every raindrop, as the plywood showing through matched perfectly with the natural look that I was going for. I just made sure that the painted raindrops were balanced throughout the whole painting.

Then I used a leftover pot of Dulux Klavier to paint around each raindrop.

The final touch was adding the ‘drip’ lines around the raindrops. I used Dulux Grid for this.

And that was it!!

I’m not sure if I've ever really detailed exactly HOW I hang these plywood panels. I thought I would do that in this post.

You’ll need to purchase some hangers to screw onto the plywood, plus some picture hanging wire. I usually purchase my supplies at Bunnings. As you can see, I keep my picture hanging wire in a nice neat pile. (!)

Hanging these panels is a very easy process. First, you’ll need to add the hangers to the back of the picture. The wood is so soft that the screws go in really easily with just a screwdriver.

Basically you can put them anywhere you like, but I usually put mine more to the top of the painting. I never measure properly when it comes to screwing in the second hanger… I just do it by eye and it always seems to work! 

Then it’s a simple matter of tying on some of the picture hanging wire.

Happy painting and creating this week! And I hope it rains soon!

Emma

Photocopy Your Fabric for Endless Decorating Options

Artwork:

This week my daughter Poppy and I had a bit of a tidy-up and a rearrange of her bedroom. We put things away, packed up clothes that were too small, changed furniture around… all fun things!

I couldn't resist buying this really pretty doona set from Ezibuy for Poppy's room. I liked the floral side, rather than the stripey one. It's one of the prettiest ones I've seen lately.

I wanted to cheaply make a couple of pictures to co-ordinate with Poppy’s new doona cover, so I purchased two white frames from Kmart. I can't remember how much they were - a few dollars each.

I have (in a previous post)painted a copy of some fabric onto a canvas, but this time I wanted to do something that was a bit more quick and easy.

I didn't really want to cut up the pillowcase, so I had to think of another way to quickly get the same look as the material on the doona cover.

So I stuck the pillowcase into my printer/photocopier and photocopied it! 

It turned out really nicely.

I did put a wad of A4 paper into the pillowcase before I photocopied it, just so the colours wouldn't be affected by the material on the other side of the pillowcase coming through on the photocopier.

Then it was a simple matter of cutting the pieces of paper to size, and putting them into the frames. 

I also removed the stand from the back of the frames, just so that the frames would sit properly on the wall.

This project opens up ENDLESS ideas for decorating options. You might have lots of things that you like the pattern of, but don’t really want to cut up. For example, a tablecloth, a skirt or a cushion cover that you have purchased. Just put it in the photocopier and see how it turns out!

You could make more framed artwork with your photocopies, or maybe some bunting, or maybe even get some of your paper laminated to put around your home (like at the back of a cabinet with blue-tac for some colour in the shelves).

Enjoy your week, and I hope you manage to fit in a creative project of your own!

Happy photocopying!

Emma