Monday, June 16, 2008

A little helpful hint.

  If you have ever tried the wallpaper one can download for free off the web, and print out on their computer, then you know you have to spray it, after you printed it out and the ink dried, so they won't run when you apply glue. Well, I didn't have $10 for a can of spray fixative. So, I tried what I did have and want to share the results with you. I used Mod-Podge, mat finish, with a rubber sponge applicator.  I learned some things really quickly.
1] you stroke in one direction when applying the mod-podge.
2] use a thin coat, and you only need one. Apply like you would icing on a cake.
3] plain solid color sheets, will look streaked. So they won't work.
4] red ink does bleed, so try to get it done quickly, and a very thin coat.
5] it dried fast, with a light bit of gloss. The patterned wall paper looks really good.
6] some colors will be a bit darker.
7] the pages curl so after it's dried, you can iron it flat.
  
Following info on ironing it.

A]place a sheet of plain paper like unprinted newsprint paper, on your ironing board.
B] Heat the iron to less then the cotton setting. Just hot enough to work but not to hot.
C] Lay the dried wall paper with the printed side down on the newsprint paper.
D] it's best to use a quick stroke across the page. Don't sit and hold it in one place or do the round swirly thing with the iron. Just quickly across the page.
E] after each swipe of the iron across the back of the page, gently pull up the page off the newsprint. It will stick a little, but if you didn't get it to hot, it will peel right up. The page will start to be flat. You may have to iron the page more then once, but always pull it up after each swipe, and don't get any mod-podge on the back of your page, as it will stick to your iron.
  Once it's flat, turn it over and look at it. It's really quite nice. It's flat, and semi- glossy, and ready to glue to your wall, safely. The inks will have set.
So remember, not to hot an iron, and quick strokes on the back side. Store with the printed side down, weighted down by something to keep it really flat.
  You may not want to use this in every room, but.... when you don't have money.... "necessity is the mother of invention."

Saturday, June 7, 2008

A bearded Iris



This is a 1/12 scale doll holding a single bearded iris. I did it.... lol.... I didn't know if it would work, but it does, and thats a real fuzzy beard on that iris. Now to make some more.
Deirdre

Friday, June 6, 2008

flowers




So what kind of flowers do these look like? I can tell you they are miniature.
I'm thinking hollyhocks,sunflowers,pussywillows, and the other two the yellow stock and the orange flower I'm not to sure what they are. So tell me what you think they are?
  They are not made of fimo clay, so they are more realistic and more delicate.