Make these easy colorful tags to add to your projects

When most of the world is sheltering in place during the Coronavirus Pandemic, many artists and crafters are basking in creative time. I, however, am having the opposite experience.

Because of a plethora of personal reasons, I have had little creative time. Plus, when I finally do get time to head up to the art studio, I either am too tired, or am facing a massive creative block.

To counteract this challenge, I decided to instead take on an easy project and make some embellishments.

I began by painting Gypsy Soul's new Word Tags. Paint the chipboard as lightly as possible, so as not to cover up the engraved words. Immediately after painting each tag, I then wiped it with a baby wipe.

After drying the tags with the heat gun, I drew around the edges of each tag with an embossing pen. I then added Seth Apter's Eclipse Baked Texture and activated with a heat gun.

I coiled some black wire around a pencil to make a jump ring and then threaded three of the tags onto it.

In a case of serendipity, I discovered that the tags were the perfect addition to finish a mixed media page that had been sitting in the studio for several months.
-Betsy

Great Stuff

Gypsy Soul Word Tags - Coming Soon!
Paper Artsy Blue Lagoon
Paper Artsy Butter
Paper Artsy Magic Moss
Embossing Pen
Seth Apter Baked Texture Eclipse Embossing Powder
Black wire

Have you Seen the Jellybean Factory?

 

You might think you know how jellybeans are made, but you probably haven't seen this walking egg jellybean factory full of colorful gizmos!

This is a great project to make with your kids this spring. Plus, since Easter is tomorrow, you may very well have some spare jellybeans on hand, making it extra easy.

To make this fun Jellybean Factory, begin by using a craft knife to cut the secondary eggs off the Little Easter Egg Niche.

Adhere colorful paper to the front of the egg and trim. Cut another piece of colorful paper to fit the inside of the niche, but don't adhere it in place yet.

Use the same process to apply colorful paper to three Propellers.

Glue the edges of the niche box with a strong glue, such as Beacon Fabri-Tac. Hold in place with masking tape while it dries.

Next, it is time to create some chicken legs. Bend some wire into the shape of chicken legs.

Normally, I would then use a paper clay to form the legs around the wire, but since most of my studio is currently in storage as we are preparing to move, I instead used Rigid Wrap paper mache. I absolutely love using Rigid Wrap, but I will admit it wasn't the easiest way to create the legs.

To use the Rigid Wrap, cut it into small strips, drop it for a few moments into a cup of water and then gently squeeze it between your fingers. Wrap the material around your wire form to shape the legs. Leave 1/4" of wire free at the top of each leg. Once you have the legs shaped, let it dry for a few hours.

Next, fold aluminium foil into long strips to make a form for your jelly bean conveyor belt.

The Rigid Wrap was great, however for making the conveyor belt. Wrap the wet wrap around the foil and shape the conveyor belt into fun loops and swoops. I suggest laying your egg shaped piece on the desktop and forming the conveyor belt loosely around it. Set the conveyor belt aside to dry.

Once the legs and conveyor belt are dry, go ahead and paint them with acrylic paint.

After the paint is dry, pierce the wire at the top of the legs through the bottom of the niche box. Fold the wire down to hold it legs in place and then add hot glue to further secure them.

Now, go ahead and adhere the paper inside the niche and then adhere the niche to the back of the egg.

Cut three colorful strips of paper and adhere at an angle inside the niche to create a multi-tiered conveyor belt.

Cut three hat pins to about a half inch length. Push each pin through a propeller, then a small bead and then through the egg. Add hot glue to pin on the back of the egg to secure it in place.

Trace the shape of your small box or tin (I used a tiny loaf pan) onto colorful paper and cut out. Apply matte medium to both the box and the back of the paper and adhere in place. After it dries, adhere two layers of colorful Dresden trim to the box.

Next, use a strong adhesive to adhere the chicken legs to the box. Once it securely dries, adhere the conveyor belt to the egg and box.

For a sweet finishing touch, hot glue miniature jelly beans to  your factory.

I wish you all a happy Easter filled with delicious jelly beans! -Betsy

Great Stuff

Little Easter Egg Niche
Propellers
Rigid Wrap
Colorful paper/cardstock
Aluminum foil
Wire
Acrylic paint
3 hat pins
3 small beads
Beacon Fabri-Tac
Hot glue gun
Small box or tin
Matte medium
Decorative trim such as colorful Dresden
Jelly beans

A little art therapy during tough times

I created this piece as a little art therapy for myself. Titled "False Advertising", it is how I am feeling right now, especially on social media, where I am trying to appear upbeat, but inside am feeling a little bleak.

To make this, I began by gluing the box part of the Sunflower Niche and letting dry.

I then covered the Sunflower Niche, first with gesso, and then with yellow acrylic paint.

I then painted orange on top of the flower, placed a stencil over the paint and removed paint using a baby wipe. I completed this process by working on only a couple petals at a time, drying them with a heat gun after using the baby wipe. Otherwise, the orange paint would dry too much and become too difficult to remove. You can see in the picture below one of the petals where I still need to remove the paint with a stencil and baby wipe.

Because the stencil would not fit easily into the niche, I used a pen to freehand draw similar markings. 

Next I used the same stencil to apply different colors of non-translucent acylic paint to sections of the flower. I also used remaining paint on the stencil as a stamp on the flower and freehand added my own marks to the flower.

I then adhered the box to the sunflower and covered a paper clay moon I had previously made with silver metallic wax. Then I painted the moon with black acrylic paint and used a paper towel to rub some of it off and reveal the silver below. 

After adhering the moon inside the box, I made marks with a black gel pen to reflect a foul mood. Next I covered a piece of white cardstock with yellow paint, added my title, cut it out and adhered it to the box. Finally, I completed the box by inking the edges of the flower with black distress ink.

I hope everyone stays healthy and makes a lot of art while you shelter in place during this pandemic. Remember, this too shall pass. -Betsy

Great Stuff

Sunflower Niche
Beacon Fabri-Tac
Stencil Girl stencil
Acrylic paint
Orange marker
Black gel pen
Gesso
White cardstock
Paper clay moon made from mold
Black Soot Distress Ink
Silver metalic wax

Rusted Baby Doll with Angel Wings

A poor vintage baby doll endured a lot of mixed media torture in this assemblage project. But really, this project was all about making rust--both real real and faux rust.

I began by rusting many pieces of hardware and other metal. I did so by following a vinegar, salt and hydrogen peroxide recipe that is available on many online sites.

I first decided to use a wonderful metal brush thingy-ma-bob.

However, as you can see from the finished photo, I ended up using another piece of rusted metal. The reason for this change was from a hard-earned lesson. To keep the rust from coming off, I gave it a coat of matte medium. Unfortunately, this changed the piece to a dark brown.

Although I could sand the piece and rust it again, since I was on a deadline I decided to use a different piece for the base. This also allowed me to use a metal piece that could actually stand without toppling over.

The next part of the project is a little morbid. I had to saw Poor Little Baby with a Dremel and then give her a brisk sanding. Luckily, she was very brave and didn't cry once. If you do this, don't use a heat gun or your baby will suddenly develop a deformed head.

Ohhhh noooo! Mr. Bill!

Next I painted applied Distress Grit-Paste to both Poor Little Baby and the Steampunk Wings and let dry.

Once they were both dry, I painted the wings with Iridescent gold paint and the wings with layers of Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold, Espress Brown, Granite Gray and Raw Sienna to create a fauz rust that matched my rusty metal.

I then glued Poor Little Baby to the metal base, using both Lock-Tite Adhesive and hot glue. To make the skirt, I glued together 1.25" strips of paper from an old book and scored lines every .25 inches to create pleats.

Last, I glued on some gold trim and bestowed Poor Little Baby with angel wings.

There's a lot of unpleasant news happening around the globe this week. I hope you can find a little respite on this Saturday in creativity. All my best, -Betsy

Great Stuff

Gypsy Soul wings from Steampunk Set
Vintage baby doll
Vintage hardware
Vintage book pages
Gold ribbon
Vinegar
Hydrogen Peroxide
Salt
Acrylic paint
Dremel
Scoring board
Beacon Zip Dry adhesive
Lock-Tite adhesive

He Made His Own Bouncy House by Betsy Skagen

  

This project began with my scavenging from my box of rusty hardware and selecting an old spring, a couple bolts, some screws, a handle and some sort of doo-dad. 

Next, I assembled one of my go-to favorites, the Mini House Shadowbox 4 and adhered pages from and old Electrical Manual to both the inside and outside. 

After darkening the edges of the box with brown ink. I protected the old paper with a coat of matte medium. 

Next, I stamped the Inventor's Mother Mixed Media Stamp using embossing ink onto white cardstock, covered the iron grid portion with Black Magic Baked Texture and activated with heat gun. I fussy cut out the grid and glued to the inside back of the box

It was time to relax with a little more fussy cutting of one of the boys from Vintage Children #2. I don't know about you, but I find fussy cutting very relaxing! The only problem is that you can't do it and binge watch Netflix. 

After adhering the rusty hardware and doo-dad in place (the screws took a little patience), I glued the boy at the top of the spring and added a cute little vintage dog.  

Next, I covered a wooden spool with brown ink and glued it to the base of the house. 

To finish the project, I printed my cheeky bouncy house message, rubbed it with a little Tea Dye Distress Ink

Great Stuff

Mini House Shadowbox 4

Inventor's Mother Mixed Media Stamp

Vintage Children #2

Embossing ink

Eileen Hull Black Magic Baked Texture Embossing Powder

Rusty hardware and doo-dad

Old dog figurine

White cardstock

Beacon Fabri-Tac

Lock-Tite

Wooden spool

Vintage Photo Distress Ink

Tea Dye Distress Ink

Inner Child by Betsy Skagen

The weekend is here. When the week has been especially trying, it can feel as if your inner child is a little battered. 

Or maybe, the inner child is still whole, but its protective nook inside the heart sustained some damage, the glass window shattered. 

To be honest, my inner child feels great, but I just liked the concept of this art piece.

To make it, I began with the Little Heart Niche, which as you can see, includes a handy hanger for the back.

I adhered the pieces to the backside of a sheet of scrapbook paper and fussy cut the paper to match the chipboard.

I then reinforced the corners of the niche with some tape--just to give it some extra strength--and glued the niche onto the heart.

Next, I applied Distress Grit Paste, pressed heart stamps into the paste and dried with a heat gun.  I darkened the edges of the heart with black ink and then sprayed everything with purple and black ink sprays. After the ink dried, I applied embossing ink, sprinkled Rocky Road Baked Texture onto the surface and activated with heat gun.

I cut a frame from chipboard, applied embossing ink and covered it with Rocky Road Baked Texture and activated with heat gun. I used the same technique on a heart paperclip.

While the frame and paper clip cooled (be very careful when heating any metal with a heat gun!), I glued thin sheets of broken mica over the top of the niche.

I then shredded and inked some cheese cloth, sprayed a small figurine candle with distress ink and adhered these inside the niche.

After gluing the paper clip and frame in place, I printed, cut out and inked the edges of my words and adhered them to the heart.

Thanks for stopping by to check out the tutorial. I hope you have a lovely weekend. If it is even a little bit as cold as it is here in Minnesota, I hope it gives you an excuse to stay inside and create art all weekend long! -Betsy

Great Stuff

Little Heart Niche
Dress My Craft scrapbook paper
Distress Grit Paste
Heart stamps
Beacon Fabri-Tac
Spray inks
Distress Black Soot ink pad
Distress Vintage Photo ink pad
Seth Apter's Rocky Road Baked Texture
Embossing ink
Grit paste
Chipboard
Paper clip
Mica sheet
Cheese cloth

Shuttered Soul by Betsy Skagen

With holiday crafting put away for the season, I am able to refocus on mixed media art.

I am a classic over-thinker when it comes to art. Okay, truth be told, I might just be a classic over-thinker when it comes to everything--but today we are focusing on art. In creating this piece I pushed myself not to meticulously plan every detail and just go with the flow. 

The driving force behind this piece was Gypsy Soul's Window with Shutters. First I covered the shutters with black ink. Then I applied a coat of embossing ink, added Rocky Road embossing powder and activated with a heat gun. 

Setting that aside, I created my background paper by layer after layer of acrylic paint, spray ink, ink pads, paint pens, washi tape and stamped images to cold press watercolor paper. 

Next I took a collage image from a magazine and layered it behind the window. I then adhered the window shutter to the background paper. 

I then adhered a couple of my favorite rusty found objects to the page. 

To create the frame, I added grit paste to the edge of a piece of chipboard that I cut slightly larger than my background page. After it was dry, I painted it with black acrylic paint and then sealed with a matte polyurethane spray. 

After the frame was dry, I adhered the background page to it and my project was complete. 

That was it! Projects are definitely easier when I don't overthink them! 

My wish for all of you is that you each enjoy a holiday season filled with loved ones, warmth, good food and good feelings. 

Love to all, Betsy

Great Stuff

Window with Shutters

Distressed black soot ink

Embossing ink

Seth Apter's Rocky Road Baked Texture Embossing Powder

Cold press watercolor paper

Acrylic paint

Washi tape

Black ink

Spray inks

Paint pens

Rubber stamps

Found objects

Chipboard

Beacon Adhesive Fabri-Tac

Lock-Tite

Grit paste