DYI Doll/ Lego House /Playroom Scene

I had the privilege of teaching some Art Camps this Summer, and I asked one of my students what they would like to make and she said a Doll House. Well, we weren't going to have time for that in the camp, so I suggested a Doll House Scene. I wanted it to be able to be folded and put away, so here is what we came up with.

Materials:

•  4 Hinges 1-2 inches tall (they come in packs of 2) you don't want the screws longer than .5"
• Paint, brushes, water, palate, etc.
• Paper and pencil to sketch designs
• Modge Podge Matte
• Drill

• Wooden Board, I used the pretty kind of wood about $13- $14, lol      2' x 4' piece

- Ask the very pleasant Lowes or Home Depot People to cut your board like this:





Step 1: Lay out your boards with the 2' wide sandwiched between 1' wide boards (all are 1.5' tall)

 Step 2: Screw 2 hinges to one of the 1.5' x 1' boards (I did use a drill), about 2" from the top and bottom
 Step 3: Place something straight under the board you have just "hinged" and the 2" middle board to make sure they will be level and then screw in the other side of the hinges.
Step 4: Add hinges to the other 1' board and other side of the 2' board with same method, make sure bottom is even across.
Step 5: Stand up and admire your wooden fold-able masterpiece and get inspired. Have your kids sketch out designs to paint on the insides and outsides of your scene.
Step 6: Paint. Let dry fully. Have fun!
Step 7: Seal with Modge Podge Matte (Unless you want the glossy look)

 Lola had the idea to paint a TV in the Playroom scene so she could paint different pictures and tape it on her Scene. Then change them out as she wanted to, very clever young lady=)

Don't forget to do a scene on the back and outsides too!

Hope ya'll have fun with this, I know we did. If you decide to venture out and make it happen, please send me a link to your picture!!! Hope you have an awesome summer! Thanks for reading.

Mixed Media Owl Journals

Inspired by all the owls we decided to do some Mixed Media Art Journals!

I recently inherited a lightbox my Grandy had made for my Nana's Watercolor Hobby and decided to put it to some good use! It makes this project easier but not essential.

Items Needed:

• Composition Books
• Modge Podge (or elmers school glue with a little water)
• Scrapbook paper (variety)
• scissors
• pencils
• template (we did owls, but try horses or dolphins or bears!!)
• lightbox (optional- you can also use a glass table with a light underneath)

• acrylic paint (with a small brush) or sharpies for accents

Owl Template

STEP 1:
Make a template with basic shapes. You don't want to get too complicated here=)
Here is an owl I did in Paint... 

STEP 2:
Decide a color scheme with your paper. Encourage students to layer complimentary colors so each part is visible.












STEP 3:

Place Template on light box and one at a time place scrapbook paper upside and on top and trace the part applying to that paper. For example: I want pink polka dots for the wings so I place my pink polka dot paper upside down and trace out 2 wings from the template.





STEP 4:
Cut out your traced pieces. Organize next to your journal.

STEP 5:

Mixed Media Owl Journal

Glue- start with the background first and then to the big pieces to the smallest.

STEP 6:
Add a layer of glue on top to seal. (Be careful not to glue the journal pages together, opening the books would help)

STEP 7:
Add any final touches you like! Voila! Be free to do this on wood or canvas too!

I did this with ages 5-13. (More help to the 5 year old of course, but they did great!)

Great News! You are Creative!

You hear things having a shop... Especially an art shop. There are lots of amazing people that walk through the doors over there. I am so delighted to meet them.
A topic that frequently comes up...


Creativity:
According to Webster:
1. the quality of being creative  2. the ability to create

Creative:
According to Webster:

: having or showing an ability to make new things or think of new ideas
: using the ability to make or think of new things : involving the process by which new ideas, stories, etc., are created

: done in an unusual and often dishonest way?? <----didn know="" p="" t="" this="">

You dear reader, have been given a gift of creativity. You were designed for a purpose, and part of it is to create. 

Pitfall thinking----> your art is supposed to like mine or Picasso, or Monet...

Truth-----> your "art" or projects do not need to look like something you have already seen or experienced

 

Pitfall thinking----> if you can't draw then you are not artistic

Truth----> many "artists" (including myself) have used light-boxes to trace, projectors, tracing paper or templates

Pitfall Thinking-----> If it isn't perfect it isn't beautiful or good.

Truth-----> If you shoot for excellence and NOT perfection you will have much more fun and enjoy what you have created without stress. 

What makes my heart sad is people telling me they aren't creative. You have the ability to create, whether it be as a programmer creating code or a sculptor creating a funny squirrel with clay. Maybe drawing isn't your thing... there are plenty of outlets to be creative. If you have tried it once and failed... give it another shot if you really want to do it. You are creative, dear reader... maybe it is with your words and poetry, maybe it is making music, metal art, baskets.
Try something new this week, pinterest has fantastic ideas=) It will bring joy to your heart to create something beautiful or funny=)

This year so far has included fantastic discoveries for me including watercolors, polymer clay, crayon melting art, and button trees. So much fun! Now go make something awesome and have fun doing it! You are creative! Yes you! Tell me what you have tried in the post below if you remember=) That's what I would love to hear.

Polymer Clay Mosaics

Polymer Clay Mosaic

This was a project we did at United Artisans Shop and Studio in downtown Fort Mill, SC during our Summer Art Camps with the 10-16 year old group. I think it would be fun to do at home or school, but it would be hard without a bunch of pasta machines=)

Necessary Tools:

• Polymer Clay - varying colors - Any
• Pasta Machine (To only be used for Polymer)
• Dull Knife
• Grout and Adhesive
• Surface to put the mosaic on
• non-food spoon
• gloves
• 2 Tiles (the size you want to make your design on) or Clean workspace and 1 Large Tile

Would be nice:

• Cookie Cutters (To only be used for Polymer or crafts)
• A pretty Frame and Backing to Seal it

To start have a clean workspace and tile, cleaned pasta machine


Make sure your hands are clean and warm up the clay in small increments and run through the pasta machine on "9". Ball up and run through again on "9".

Put your flattened sections on your workspace. Cut out squares, triangles, circles, etc...with your dull knife. If you have craft cookie cutters, those work great.

Carefully arrange the Clay cuts on your large tile, and Repeat steps for different colors. (It will be important to keep a paper towel on hand to wipe the pasta machine in between colors.)

Student keeps arranging until they are satisfied leaving about 2-3mm or 1/8" in between. Make sure they gently press the edges down so that the appearance is like flat tiles, don't press too hard to make it smash.
Note: In the design below some of her "tiles" were too close and did not fit into the final design... Make sure to leave space in between the clay pieces.

Rachel's finished design before grout=) 

 

Rachel's Finished Polymer Mosaic

Bake the Polymer Clay on the large tile in a normal oven what the directions tell you. It will vary in the type of Polymer you get. I like Sculpey premo myself. Do not over bake !!! Toxins released= bad times! Trust me!!!=) Make sure you have the right temperature too! =)

Let the hot clay sit for a half hour and cool.

Choose a surface: a pot, wood, glass- whatever the grout and adhesive will stick to=)
Get a spoon and gloves and spread across the surface.
Remove your gloves and place the Polymer Tiles( on the large tile) you have created on your surface=) Fun fun fun!

If you do this please, please please post pictures so I can see the beautiful things you have made!!!! Have a blast creating!

Also, if you have any suggestions or questions, don't hesitate to ask=) Thanks for reading!