Paper Rosette Board

                                              MY PINWHEEL/PAPER ROSETTE BOARD

Hello again everyone. In this post I am going to share my experience making a pinwheel or paper rosette board (people call them by both names). I planned a wedding for a friend of a friend. Her wedding was an outdoor, DIY theme. Very mix matched. Yellow, gray, and white colors. A bit of a picnic theme with some 1920s-1950s. Scrolling through my favorite website, Pinterest, for yellow gray and white wedding themes I stumbled upon this:

Stephanie was all for a dessert bar. This idea seemed perfect.

Most of the time when you see things on Pinterest there are tutorials with the images. Not this time. This image went to a link with just images for the wedding setup. So for once, it was up to me to figure out how to do it. I was up for the challenge.

Materials:

Scrapbook paper (different colors and designs. You will need a lot. I will discuss this further later)

Scissors

Ruler

Double sided tape

Hot glue

Foam board

Paper doilies (optional)

Foam board for a size reference

Paper:

When I bought paper I seriously underestimated the amount I would need. But that meant I didn't over buy which was good. The breakdown is like this:

Large wheels = 2 pieces (6" radius)

Medium wheels = 2 pieces (4" radius)

Small wheels = 1 piece (3"-2" radius)

Once you get the feel of it you can look at what other colors/designs you will need and add up the amounts of paper. Also look for deals! When I bought the paper it was half off at hobby lobby. Don't just buy from one store either. I went to both Joann Fabrics and Hobby Lobby. Be careful with the colors though because a lot of times they look like they could be the same shade and they are not. Take a sample piece with you to make sure it matches. The solids I bought were only available in card stock. It worked but was harder to fold and harder to glue/tape together. Something you can consider when buying the paper. 

Step 1: Folding

As you begin to make the pin wheels you start to see what you need for different sizes. Make the big wheels first, these will be the foundation. Try doing one of each color and design. When you are folding it is fairly simple. Like the accordion fans you made as a child. I did mine approximately 1 inch. They will not be perfect. But it is best to make them as close to the same size as possible since they have to match up with another piece of paper when they are glued/taped together.

Here is an example of the folded piece. Once you cut it to a specified size you can cut the edge of one side to make it look fancier.

Step 2: Glueing or taping

Make sure when putting the sides together all the colored sides are facing the same direction. it is easiest if the sides fold in different direction, but folding is not an exact science. You will see the best ways to make them go together as you tape/glue. 

When I first started I used double sided tape to tape the wheels together. This worked fairly well as long as the tape is a permanent tape and is durable. I later bought another tape that was not as good and it would not stick well enough. At that point I just started hot glueing them together.

Once you glue the sides together the center is the hard part. The easiest way I found was to hold the wheel all together folded up (kinda like a cylinder), lightly hot glue the edge you want to be the center (on the ones with special edges you have to make sure those are on the outside). Using your knee, slowly push and allow the pin wheel to fold open.  Once you have it open put some more hot glue in the center hole. *be careful, too much glue will run everywhere and go through the back to get on your clothes/skin* I then held the edges of the wheel in place, with light pressure on the middle, so the glue would dry. It takes about a minute.

Example of a glued pinwheel

Again I made about one of each color/design of each size, just to start out with.

Here is an example of sizes. These are just held together with paper clips since I was just looking at the size differences. This picture also shows the doilies I used to give it a more elegant aspect as well as the different edges paired up. It just gives it a little something different. 

Step 3: Layout

Lay them out so you can see where things will be going. There is a lot of mixing and matching which makes the layout very tedious. I attempted to copy the color separation on the original image but eventually just started placing them where I thought looked the best. It will not be exactly the same as the original so why not just do your best and see what you like.

These were the first few I glued on. I started doing it on the easel but my glue gun wouldn't reach and the glue runs some. Later I laid it flat on the floor and arranged them all. After I was satisfied with the layout I glued them on.

Here is the laid out version. Still moving things around and trying to cover all the foam board showing.

And here is my final product again!

Something else to take into consideration is, where are you putting it? Letting the wheels hang over the edges looks nice. I had mine on my easel and then a small ledge at the wedding. But if you plan to have it flat on the bottom you would have to make sure it can sit flat.

If there are any questions feel free to ask! It tried to give as much detail as I could. Here is a website that shows a broken down description of making the pinwheels/rosettes. There's are a little different than mine and use more material. The idea is virtually the same.

-http://www.dreamgreendiy.com/2013/06/05/a-diy-paper-pinwheel-tutorial/

As soon as the photographer posts the photos I will upload the entire dessert bar for a comparison.

Until then, happy crafting ;)

Glitter Cellphone Case

I can not resist anything covered in glitter. A friend of mine painted the back of her cell phone case with mod podge mixed with glitter and I knew I had to do it too.

Materials used:

Gloss mod podge

Junk paint brush

Glitter

Nail polish clear coat

Painters tape

Bowl

Aluminum foil

Step 1: Taping

Tape the case. I have an otterbox commuter case for the iPhone 5. This case is a rubber layer then a hard plastic layer. I took the hard plastic layer off and taped the edges off. I did the camera section and outside but not the middle where the hole is.

Step 2: Glitter

I poured some mod podge in the bowl with aluminum foil around it so it will be easier to clean up. I started pouring the glitter (i went with iridescent. 90s chick) in with the glue painting it on. I made sure it was a thick layer. The mod podge is white while it is wet but I promise it dries clear. After some deliberation I decided the glitter would cover better if I sprinkled it directly on the case in the glue. That helped a lot for coverage. 

(Before I sprinkled the glitter)

(After sprinkled the glitter)

Step 3: Patience

This stuff takes a while to dry. And by a while I mean a whole day. I let it sit for about 30 minutes to an hour then removed the tape. When removing the tape I had to be very careful not to rip the glue. You have to pull small sections at a time and often times hold the edge as you pull the tape.

Step 4: Clear coat

After the glue has dried enough put a layer of clear fingernail polish on top. This adds more gloss as well as seals in the glitter. The thicker you make the topcoat the smoother it will be to the touch when it dries. I ended up doing 3 coats but it was mostly to let it dry then feel where it needed more.

And here is the final product. Super glittery homemade cell phone case!! 

Painted Wine Glasses

Another day, another special occasion, another fun art project. This time it's a birthday. A 21st birthday  which is a big one. I knew the perfect gift for Dilara was painted wine glasses. I had never painted glasses before so I was a little nervous how it would turn out. 

Materials used:

Americana gloss enamel paint (purchased at hobby lobby)

Medium/small paint brush

Wine glasses (Walmart for $1 each)

Sources:

http://www.makeiteasycrafts.com/2013/04/hand-painted-sunflower-wineglass.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37765537@N06/3990747339/in/faves-loscocreativecakedesigns/

One of these sources is a tutorial so I could see the basics for painting the glass. The other was the image I wanted to recreate. 

Step 1: Cleaning

Wipe the glasses down to get residue off. I did not have any alcohol like the website said so I used water. Better than nothing.  

Step 2: Painting

Layering. With this image parts would overlap. The yellow center would come first. Then the petals. Lastly the green stem/leaves. 

To do the petals I used white and purple slightly mixed together. I would get a dab of white then a dab of purple. This made the colors uneven to give it a good contrast. I started with the biggest petals and then went back in to fill with the smaller petals. Being streaky made it look more realistic and like the image. 

For the stem I simply painted the wine glass stem green. Then made leaves on the stand. I then added a little greenery to overlap the yellow. 

You can see in this picture the green overlap. I don't know if I loved that you could see the green. Part of me wished I hadn't. But either way I do like it.

Step 3: Baking

In the tutorial it said to bake the glasses for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. At hobby lobby the gentleman also said that I should bake them and that this paint would be perfect for it. 

Finished product:  

On the left is the template. The right is mine. For my first crack at it I have to say I like it. Hers are darker and shorter glasses. But I am pleased with my replica. Let's hope the bday girl is too.  

Homemade Flowers

I have never been much a fan of buying people things when I could make it myself. For my best friends graduation I decided to make her felt and fleece flowers instead of buying her some. These would last forever and be something cute to decorate with. Since I am always on Pinterest I used a tutorial I found there to do it. She has pictures of each step which was extremely helpful.

Link:http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/10/how-to-make-felt-flowers.html

Here is my end result

Materials I used:

-Random fabric from my bin. Felt is the dark pink and fleece the rest. (But I think any would work honestly)

-Hot glue and/or Fabric glue

-Empty paper towel rolls

-Green acrylic paint

-Glass vase (optional)

-Ribbon (optional)

-scissors (both fabric and reg. never use fabric scissors to cut anything but fabric!)

I decided to just use random fabric from my fabric basket for the flowers. I did just like the tutorial said (though I never did the third cutting option). I used just regular craft fabric glue for the first few then switched to hot glue. Fabric glue is too much of a pain in my opinion. It bubbles out from the suction and it is hard to be exact sometimes. Be prepared though, the hot glue will burn the heck out of your fingers. No pain no gain lol

To make the stems I improvised. I save all my old paper towel and toilet paper rolls for projects. I cut them into four long strips. I twisted them to the shape I wanted then used hot glue in sections to make the stem. You could always just get a stick or dowel rod. Or even no stem for just blooms.

At first I made the flowers before I had stems but I found it more difficult to attach them. I decided to start the rolling of the flower with the end hot glued to the tip of the stem then slowly hot glue and wrap it around. This is how I was able to make the taller ones in the back. Those were not pre-glued together (only cut) so when gluing they made a different type of flower which I really liked!

Once I finished them up I painted the stems with green acrylic paint using a small detail brush. I decided to vase them for a better presentation. And what vase is not complete without a bow around it!

Thanks for reading

Kristin

The Justice League project

I gave the option to some friends that if they want me to do art projects for them that they are welcome to send me some ideas. My friend Eric sent me the cover to Justice League the New Frontier to paint. I opted to zoom in a bit and just focus on the main characters.

(Picture pulled up and zoomed in on my computer screen. Yes I have a pink theme. Don't judge lol)

This was a very big venture into the world of art for me since I hadn't done a serious painting piece in years. But I knew I could do it if I focused.

Step 1: sketching

Forgot to get an image of just the sketch but this is close. Always lightly sketch a painting. This allows for making the proportions correct and basic layout. 

Step 2: painting

Always go from light to dark. You can always add but taking away is more difficult. Also, always do highlights last. If you want something to really pop add it at the end to make sure it is not diluted into the other colors. I am using acrylic so it dries fast and allows for mess ups and re-dos. 

Try not to waste paint. I had some red left over so went ahead and filled in some of the red I needed to even if I wasn't there yet. 

Shading is important and a pain all wrapped up in one. Again, always add never subtract. Do the light and add a little more. And then a little more.  This creates the effect you are looking for.

Try to do things in sections. And then if you get tired or frustrated with one just start working on another. Sometimes the change of work helps you refocus later.

To do the stars I flipped the paintbrush around and dipped the end in white paint. Easy and simple for just plain dots.

Brush stokes can sometimes be very important. The gold for wonder woman's chest was thick. In order for it to look like armor it had to contour in the shape her breastplate would. The directions emphasize the detail.

To do the fade I crumpled up paper and dabbed the green paint. In retrospect it seemed counter productive to do this on top of what I had already done. But it ended up allowing me to have a good transparent look. I just went back over the black words afterward

Skin was by far the part I was most worried about. I had never done a detailed person before with shading for depth. To do this I combined the cream with brown and white highlights. Again the brush strokes helped contour her shape.

And here ladies and gents is the finished product. I am really proud of this one.

If anyone has any questions or comments feel free to share. Would love to hear from you or help you out. 

My first post!

Hello bloggerverse (I can call you that right?)

I have been told by a few people that I should look into this whole *blog* thing. So here I am, giving into the slight peer pressure to bring you a blog. I am an avid pinterester (pinterest can be a verb right?). I live by the idea that if something has a tutorial I can do it. A little egotistical I know, but it just shows that I set myself high goals to achieve.  I am more of a follower than a creator but I have my moments. I am decent at improvisation when the moment calls for it. That will be what this blog will be about really. Creating things, brainstorming, and attempting to get my lazy self motivated to take on tasks that seem daunting at first glance. 

I hope that everyone enjoys.