Mixed Media Vintage Circus Art

I love everything about a vintage circus.  The ruffled collars on bike riding bears, the harlequin patterns on nightmare-inducing clowns and the huge red and white striped tents.  I love it!  Recently I was ogling beautiful images on Pinterest and found a beautiful butterfly art piece by Debrina Pratt.  It was so inspiring I decided to take the concept and make a little vintage circus art piece of my own.  Not much needed for this except some cardboard, wire and a few wood blocks which I've seen at most craft and dollar stores.  Heck, you could even use a rock for a base if you wanted.  Grag my images HERE.  Make it wonderful and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

These make me very happy!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Vintage Circus Images (HERE)

E-6000 Spray Adhesive

E-6000 Glue

Wood Blocks

Cardboard

Stamp Pad

Wire and Wire Cutters

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Glue the printed images to cardboard

2.  Carefully cut out each piece

3.  Glue graphics to the wood block

4.  Distress the edges of the cutouts and wood blocks on an ink pad

5. Cut wire in various sizes

6.  Glue the wire to the backs of the cardboard cutouts

7. Mark where your pieces will be placed on each block

8.  Drill small holes for the wire

9.  Add more E-6000 Glue on the end of the wire and insert in the drilled holes

Showtime!

Any mix of images will do!

On with the show!

Neon Cardboard Ornaments DIY

Amazon.com is my drug of choice.  It really does make my crafty life easier.  While perusing for some cardboard shipping materials a few weeks back, I found this NEON corrugated cardboard....I immediately ordered it BEFORE I knew what it would become.  That's how I know I have a problem!  Cut to a 2 a.m. ornament making binge on my kitchen table where these little gems appeared.  Grab a stack and start gluing.  It's easy!  It's never a waste to buy things that inspire your creativity and help you Make Your Mark!

Brighten up your tree!

Love the sparkle!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Neon Corrugated Cardboard Sheets

*You can easily make 50+ ornaments with this stack

Silver Metallic Fringe

Silver Cord

E-6000 Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Silver Glitter

HERE'S HOW

1st ORNAMENT Steps 1 - 6

1.  Cut 2 strips in the same color 12" x 1" and 4 strips 12" x 1 1/2" in different colors

2.  Cut the 1 1/2" wide strips in 1/2 diagonally to create long triangles

3. Roll and hot glue the 1" strips into a disk for the center of the ornament

4.  Roll and hot glue the triangular stripes into tiny cones

5.  Glue the cones on the flat sides of the disk

6.  Glue the rest of the cones evenly around the disk

2nd ORNAMENT Steps 7 - 11

7.  Cut 4 different colors of cardboard in the following sizes:

4" x 4"

7" x 3"

7" x 2"

12" x 1"

8.  Glue and roll the 4" x 4" piece to create a tube

*This is the center

9.  Glue and roll the 7" x 3" piece around the center tube

10.  Glue and roll the 7" x 2" piece next

11. Finish by gluing and rolling the 12" x 1" piece around the center

3rd ORNAMENT Steps 12 -15

12.  Cut two 1/2" wide strips in one color and two 2 1/2" strips in another color

*Cut the 2 1/2" strips on the diagonal to create long triangles

13.  Glue and roll the 1/2" wide strip into a disk

14.  Glue and roll the long triangles in to long cones

15.  Glue the cones to the flat sides of the disk

LET'S EMBELLISH THE ORNAMENTS

16.  Cut a 3" piece of metallic fringe and glue a loop to one end

17.  Hot glue and roll the fringe trapping the loop in the center to create a tassel

18.  Hot glue a loop in the top of each ornament and a tassel at the bottom

19. & 20.  Embellish the ornaments with Allure in Silver Glitter

*Add more glitter while wet if you want!

Happy Holidays!

Cardboard Loteria Ornaments

I'm all about having a colorful, Mexico/Boho inspired tree this year and these Loteria House Ornaments are going to be perfect for it!  I've included all of the printouts I used AND the pattern for the house so all you have to do is print out the images, cut out some cardboard and start gluing!  Try using photos of your family or pets or even vintage Christmas cards for this project.  It's up to you and your amazing creativity!  Remember to make a few of these ornaments for your friends...Oh, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

 Use any kind of image you want!

The Allure Glitter looks amazing on these!

Watch how I made them here!

STUFF I USED

E-6000 Spray Adhesive

Wire & Craft Bells

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint

Loteria Images (below)

Cardboard

Glue Gun

Papel Picado Images (below)

HERE'S HOW

1.  Trace and cut the patterns in cardboard (below)

2.  Score along the score lines

*This makes bending them into shape so much neater

3.  Glue the pieces together

4. & 5.  Cut and glue the loteria images to the sides of the house using E-6000 Spray Adhesive

6. & 7. Cut and glue the papel picado triangles to the roof and base

8.  Poke a hole in the exact center of the base

9.  Glue the pieces together

10.  When dry, accent the edges with Allure Glitter or Gloss in matching colors

11.  Attach a bell to the end of a 5" long wire and thread it through the house from the bottom 

through the point on the roof

12.  Bend a loop on the roof and hang

Print these for the sides of the house

Print for the roof and base of the house

Print on standard size paper

Feliz Navidad!

Mexico Inspired Ornaments

I love everything about Mexico.  The color, the art, the architecture and the FOOD all make me fantastically happy!  It's part of why I love living in Los Angeles so much. Years ago I bought a painted, hand carved ornament in Mexico City and have always been inspired by it.  These are a cardboard and hot glue version of that ornament and I couldn't be happier with them.  Grab a few re•design with Prima silicone molds and you'll be making ornaments for the next 10 years!

We have tons of ornament DIYs coming your way so stay tuned and don't forget

to Make Your Mark!

Fabulous Frida!

Use images or just go for color!

STUFF I USED

re•desing with Prima silicon molds

Cardboard 

Glue gun and tons of glue sticks

Images of Frida or sacred hearts

Americana Acrylics Paints

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint

DecoArt Matte Metallics in Vintage Brass

Tracy Moreau Floral Corner Motif Stencil

HERE'S HOW

1.  Fill the re•design with Prima molds with hot glue

*I like to use 2 large glue guns with the big fat glue sticks so that I can fill them quickly

2.  Cut out hearts in cardboard

3.  Paint the pieces in bright colors

*I used Americana Acrylics in Bright Orange and Bright Green

4.  Cut out and glue an image in the center of one of your hearts

5.  Stencil around the image with DecoArt Matte Metallics in Vintage Brass

*I used a Tracy Moreau stencil for this ornament

6. Figure out the molded piece arrangement

7. & 8. Paint the pieces in more Americana Acrylics and let dry

9. & 10.  Dry brush the pieces with Matte Metallics 

11.  Glue the pieces to the cardboard

12.  Edge in E-6000 Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Gold Leaf

Fiesta Fantastic!

Feliz Navidad!

Anthropologie Chair Makeover

I'm obsessed with the printed wooden chairs at Anthropologie!  They're just beautiful.....and, well, a little too expensive for my ever changing decor budget.  As usual, I decided to see if I could make my own set with a fabric of my choice.  Grab some E-6000 Fabri-Fuse, some thrift store or Ikea chairs and a fabric print you love and you've got yourself some amazing seating!  Follow the directions in the video below and you're good to go. As always,  if you can't afford it, try making it!  Oh, and always Make Your Mark.

Sitting pretty!

Garden party

The original Anthropologie chairs that inspired this project

Watch how to make them here!

I used E-6000 Fabri-Fuse &

Minwax Polycrylic

Enjoy!

Faux Stained Glass Lanterns

I'll admit it, I'm too lazy to learn how to make real stained glass.  I love it, but I just don't have the patience or the skill. I truly admire those who do!  As you may already know, I will do almost anything to come up with a way to make faux stained glass and today I'm sharing how to do it with Unicorn SPiT Sparkling!  Yup, a little hard to capture in the photos, but these have a lovely shimmer when the light hits them!  Change up the design and you can make these lanterns for your table for any season.  Remember possums, there is always an alternative!  Oh, and don't forget to 

Make Your Mark!

 Fall tablescape complete with my new glowing lanterns

 Love they way they look with light shining through!

Fill them with tea lights or LED lights....It all works!

Watch how to make them here!

STUFF I USED

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paint in Gloss Black & Brown

Unicorn SPiT Sparkling in every color

Minwax Polycrylic

E-6000 Glue

4 matching wood frames

Print leaf pattern on standard copy paper

1. Remove the backing and paper from each frame and 

glue in the glass (to the frame) with E-6000 Glue

2.  Tape the pattern on the underside of the glass so that you can see it from the front

3.  Trace the leaves on the glass with Allure Gloss in Black and Brown and let dry

4. & 5.  Mix equal parts Minwax Polycrylic and Unicorn SPiT Sparkling

 in a fine tip squirt bottle and shake

6.  Mix Dolly Firebird and Lavish Lovebirds to make Copper

7.  Mix Golden Gosling and Dolly Firebird to make Orange

8.  Fill in the leaves with the mixed colors and let dry

9. Glue the frames together in a box and fill with tealights or LED lights

Glowing and gorgeous!  Happy Fall!

Holiday Forever Wreath

Happy holidays, friends!  It's that time of year when we decorate everything we can to celebrate the season.  I wanted a wreath that I could leave up year round (not just for the holidays) on my little California craftsman house, but I couldn't find anything I truly loved.  As usual, I decided to take matters into my own hands and get crazy making my own metallic leaves on my Gel Press.  I used Oly-Fun fabrics from Fairfield world because I love the colors and they have a stiffness that works perfectly for this project!  Have a wonderful holiday season and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

Love how it shimmers!

Watch how to make yours here!

STUFF I USED

Oly-Fun Fabric from Fairfield World

Gel Press

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paints

DecoArt Dazzling Metallics

Pool Noodle

Glue Gun

Wood Sign

Print out on standard copy paper

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Tape the ends of a pool noodle together to create a wreath

2.  Lightly score the edges so that it creates a perfect circle

3.  Wrap the wreath in 3" strips of Oly-Fun fabric in Hot Fudge using 

a hot glue gun to keep the pieces in place

4. Cut 8" x 10" pieces of Oly-Fun in Clover, Kiwi and Sea Green

5. Grab your Gel Press

6.  Load it with different colors of DecoArt Dazzling Metallics

7. Press and pull several sheets of the Oly-Fun on the Gel Press

8.  Trace the leaf patterns on the back one of the pressed sheets

9.  Stack, pin and cut several layers of the Gel Pressed Oly-Fun fabric

10.  Edge the leaves and add veins with Allure Dimension Design Adhesive Paint in different matching colors.  I used Copper Glitter, Gloss Brown and Gold Leaf

11.  Hot glue the leaves around the wreath

12.  Decorate the wreath with a wood word and a huge metallic bow

Welcome!