Potted Hearts and Ornaments

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and if you are looking or an easy and fun way to decorate check these out.  Have the kids help too!

All you need is:

Creative Paperclay 

Acrylic paint - I used red and pink

Knife

Rolling pin

Small pot

Foam 

Moss 

Skewer

Stencil, lace or something to make the pattern 

Take about 1/3 of a package of Creative Paperclay (More if you want to make a lot of hearts) and using your rolling pin flatten out the clay.  

Once the clay is flattened as thick as you would like your ornaments to be gently roll over your lace or stencil so the pattern becomes part of your heart.  Next,  draw a heart on scrap paper and then cut it out for a pattern (HINT: choose a side you like best of your heart and fold it in half before cutting it out so that both sides are the same).

Now using your heart pattern, use a knife to cut out hearts.  Have the whole heart covered in a pattern or only a portion of it.  Push a skewer into the bottom of your heart if you want to pot it up and then set it aside to dry.  Alternatively, use a skewer to create a hole near the top of the heart to create an ornament.

Let them dry out for a day or two!  Hint: Flip them over and use a book or two to help keep them flat as they dry.

Now grab your paint and paint them!  For mine once they were painted and still wet I used  a paper towel to remove most of the paint on the patterned sections to highlight them.

Once the paint is dry it is time to pot them up!  

Cut the foam so it fits into the pot and glue it in (I used hot glue).  Next poke the skewer with the heart on it into the foam (Add some glue to keep it in place).  Then put moss on top to hide the foam and complete the pot.

For ornaments just add yarn or string to hang them and you’re done!

I would love to see all your hearts!  Comment your photos below.

Cheers until next time!

Kelly Martin

Paper Hibiscus

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A Valentine's Heart

Hello, I cannot believe it is February already! Where is the year going? We were just celebrating the holidays! For those of you who celebrate Valentine's day, I have a treat for you today! Look at this gorgeous heart that is so very easy to make! It is a great project for young and old and in between!

Supplies needed:

Creative Paperclay®

foil

rubber stamp

sculpting tools

2" craft wire and pliers

black gesso or black acrylic paint

mica powders

makeup sponge

spray varnish - gloss

raffia

glue gun and glue stick

water

Follow along in the video below:

Wasn't that easy? Now it's your turn to give it a try!

You can share your creations with us on our Facebook page. We would love to see them! For more inspiration have a look around the blog. There are tutorials for many levels using Creative Paperclay®. You can also visit my blog www.papermachepatch.com.

You can find Creative Paperclay® online at Creative Paperclay Co and also at Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Dickblick and Amazon. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Suzette

Blog: https://papermachepatch.com

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Skillshare: https://skl.sh/2QyIn93

Valentine Love

Happy almost Valentine's Day!  For my blog post this month I went back in time...WAY back to when my husband and I were dating for a couple of throwback photos.  I put those together with texture, Pan Pastels, a few hearts, a painted canvas, and (of course) my favorite Delight! Air Dry Modeling Compound.

Over the summer I experimented with acrylic flow painting and a variety of ways to create the "flow".  It took 3 attempts and a large number of canvases to get my mix "just right", but in the end I was thrilled with the canvases.  I went to my stash of painted canvases for the base of this project and found the perfect one!

As I looked at the canvas I knew I wanted wording on it.  Bless my man's heart, he surprised me with a Cricut Maker for Christmas.  I knew it was about time to open the box and experiment (yes, it took me THAT long!).  After learning the basics and going through a bit of frustration (thank you Leticia for all the hand holding!), I was able to create the perfect saying for my canvas.

NOTE 1:  I would NOT suggest starting out with something this difficult, but then I am known for jumping in with both feet. NOTE 2: If you don't have a Cricut the saying can be added with sharpie directly to the canvas OR printed on vellum and attached to the canvas OR printed and decoupaged to the canvas (this option will cover the painted background though)

 With my saying firmly attached to the canvas it was time to start the clay work.  This is my FAVORITE part!!  Delight Air Dry is my go to choice when it comes to "quick & easy" projects (not counting the canvas and Cricut experiments 😉).  I pulled out a few tools to work with:

1) texture (a rubber stamp sheet and a favorite leather stamp)

2) Pan Pastels

3) a couple of heart cutters

4) a knife/cutting tool of some sort

5) and (of course) Delight Air Dry Modeling Compound

Pull off a bit of clay and flatten it with an acrylic roller or rolling pin or pasta machine (I have all 3 in my studio).  Once flattened, impress with the texture.

 Cut out a heart (whatever size needed to frame the chosen photo elements).  

Use the knife (unless you have a larger heart cutter) to cut around the heart, creating a small frame once the inner heart is lifted out.

Remove the inner heart and set aside.  Place frame around photo element and trace the outer edge with a pencil/pen/marker.  Remove the clay frame and cut out photo.

                                     

The texture of the frame is highlighted by rubbing a bit of Pan Pastel over the top.  For this step remember to use a light touch and little bits of the pastels!  I had a small amount fall into the embedded texture...a quick "blow" removed it.

I repeated the process (flatten, cut, texture, pastel) with additional clay.  This piece was textured with one of my favorite leather stamps.

 (Oh my goodness, we were young!!)

Now to arrange the components on the canvas.

I thought it looked a little heavy.  It needed a little something else.  I removed both solid hearts, used a tiny heart cutter and cut out the insides of each. 

First I switched the insides

That looked nice, but still a little "heavy" when placed on the canvas.  So I decided to open them up.  After a bit of experimentation with the arrangement, I stopped with a mix of open hearts and solid hearts.  I let the components dry in place.  Once dry they were glued down (any glue will work but my favorite is Aleene's "The Ultimate! tacky glue).

I hope you have enjoyed this functional art piece.  You have enough time to create one of your own for last minute gift giving!  Have a beautiful Valentine's Day with your significant other.  See you next month!

 ❤

Tori's Tip - Stencils Aren't Just for Painting

I was recently looking through some of the stencils in my file and found this old and well-used heart stencil that I cut from card stock.  With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought it might be fun to try it with Creative Paperclay and one of my favorite texturing tools - scrunched up aluminum foil!

and since I saved the cut-out, I can try it in reverse!

I might use these for card embellishments or a special project for my sweetheart!

This fun technique can be used with just about any stencil and texture tool or texture sheets.

Thanks for joining me here again!  As always, play, experiment, and have fun!

Tori

Find me on Facebook, or peruse & ponder pics with me on Pinterest

Creative Paperclay® Valentine Chocates

 Faux Valentine candy for all of us on a diet. These would also make a nice addition to a name card at a holiday dinner party. Beware, my husband bit into one of these and would have swallowed it if I hadn't practically yanked it out of his mouth. Seriously.

SUPPLIES

Mold
Several shades of brown paint
Creative Paperclay® or Delight®

 I have had this mold for years and periodically it surfaces in my studio. I thought this was a perfect for a Creative Paperclay® project. I pressed it into the mold, removed and let dry.

When dry I painted them with several shades of brown paint.

Note: there are five in this picture and four in the first one.

Have fun with art just don't eat it.

Dream in Color

Darlene Olivia McElroy

Simply Hearts Magnetic Photo Frame

 My February project from last year was a photo holder, and this year I'm making another one.  This one is a simple project that kids can work on too!



To create your own, you will need:

Delight™ air dry modeling compound
metal cookie sheet
magnetic tape or strips
pencil
paper
plastic wrap
acrylic paint in your choice of colors
acrylic varnish
masking tape
scissors
ruler
photo
plastic baggies
craft knife
*optional - heart-shaped cookie cutters
















After choosing the photo you'd like to use, place it on the paper and trace around it,  Add a 1/8" to 1/4" line inside the tracing on each side.  This will be used as a guideline for your frame.
When you've finished making the pattern, tape the paper to the back of the cookie sheet and cover it with plastic wrap.  Tape the plastic wrap in place as well.

 Now cut the magnetic strips to fit around the outside edge of the frame and lay that in place.  It doesn't have to be exact (my daughter is making one of these with me, and hers is the very neatly done one on the right)

Cover the magnetic strips with a layer of modeling compound.  We just pushed ours all around it, but you could also roll it into strips and lay it over the top.

Color some of the clay with acrylic paint by putting the clay and paint into a baggie and squishing both together until they are combined.  Start with just a few drops of paint, then add more to get to the desired color.

Now press or roll out the colored clay, and use cookie cutters, your own heart shaped pattern, or just freestyle cutting to create heart shaped pieces of various sizes.  Add these to the frame as desired.

Continue layering heart shapes until you are satisfied with your design.  Set the frame aside to dry.

When the frame is dry, carefully peel it from the cookie sheet.  Use scissors to trim any ragged edges or areas you want to change.  I rounded the corners of my frame and trimmed the little bits of clay off from where I had pushed it onto the cookie sheet.

Varnish with desired finish and you're done!  Put your photo behind it and stick it to the fridge or other magnetic surface, and enjoy looking at your loved ones!

Thanks for joining me here again this month!

I'd love for you to join me for more projects & art adventures on my personal blog

Find me on Facebook, or peruse & ponder pics with me on Pinterest

A Valentine Windchime

Hi!

We are six days away from Valentines day. Instead of a card this year I am sending that someone special in my life (my granddaughter) a Valentine windchime.

Supplies
Creative paperclay®
Unfinished wooden windchime plaque
Word Beads- block style
Americana® Multi Surface paints
Lisa Pavelka texture stamp
Mod Podge gloss lustre
Red twine
Micro black gem stones
Hot glue gun and glue

Let's get started!

1. Roll out a small ball of paperclay into a thin sheet. 
2. With the texture stamp on top of clay, use the roller to roll an imprint into the clay.
3. Cut out the desired shape using a clay knife or pallet knife.
4. Smooth the edges of your shape, let air dry or bake.
5. Paint your texture piece as desired and let dry.
6. Paint the front and back of the wood windchime.
7. Mod Podge both pieces.
8. Hot glue your clay piece and word beads to the wood.
9. Attach the gem stones.
10. Add a string to hang.

I hope this will inspire you to create an out of the box Valentine greeting for that special someone in your life!


Shari

I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. I studied graphic design in Portland, Oregon before moving to Denton, Texas and putting all my focus on creating mixed media art. In addition to being on the Creative Paperclay design team, I am a contributor for the Robin's Nest Design Team, an article writer for Mixed Media Art, and a blogger for DecoArt.

I strongly believe in giving back. I volunteer at Scrap Denton Creative Reuse Center where I teach workshops, art camps, and perform art demos. I am very passionate about mixed media art and enjoy helping and watching others discover their creativity. 

 

  

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Conversation Hearts Photo Holder by Tori West

I have been having a lot of fun learning about Delight^TM  Air Dry Modeling Compound!  One of the things I like about it so far, is that when mixed with acrylic paint it retains the color in pretty much the same intensity when dry, as it had when wet.  While trying my paint experiments I came up with a lovely shade of pink, which reminded me of the candy conversation hearts in the stores this time of year.  For Valentine's Day I decided to make larger versions of these sweets and turn them into a photo holder  (this one holds a photo of my husband and I about to go on a romantic Valentine's Day carriage ride in Seattle!)  The "secret" to the assembly staying in place is it's weighted base.

For this project you will need:

Delight^TM  Air Dry Modeling Compound

acrylic paint - I used Delta Ceramcoat "Hydrangea Pink" and "Bright Red"

matte varnish

craft wire - 18ga. red

emery board or sandpaper

hot glue gun and glue sticks

pliers

wire cutters

masking tape

craft knife

cutting mat

corrugated cardboard

20-30 stainless steel washers

tracing paper

letter pattern

rolling pin

strips of wood or dough bands in 1/4" and 1/2" thicknesses

plastic wrap

pencil

soft lead colored pencil (Prismacolor "Process Red" or similar)

optional: ribbons, colored card stock or paper, specialty scissors

Start by cutting two heart shapes from corrugated cardboard - if you are using my pattern, note that the heart on top is slightly smaller than the one on the bottom.  The dotted lines to the inside of the hearts are the ones to use for cutting the cardboard pieces.

Use the hot glue gun to attach washers to both sides of the heart you will be using for the bottom.  Add an extra row or two of washers to the lower portion on each side, until your heart will stand in place on it's own.

While that is cooling down, mix about 1/2 package of clay with paint - for this candy pink color I used 4 drops bright red & 8 drops hydrangea pink.

Roll the clay out to a thickness of 1/4".  Place your weighted heart piece on the clay and cut out around it, leaving about 1/8" all the way around to fold over the edge.

 Repeat the process for the other side, then press and smooth the clay around to cover the edges of the heart.  Roll the clay out again, this time to a 1/2" thickness, and cover the second cardboard heart, making it the same thickness as the first.  Set these aside to dry.

If you have extra clay mixture store it in an airtight container.  When the hearts are dry, sand and do any additional smoothing or shaping necessary, use the saved clay if you need to make any changes or fill any gaps.

Apply masking tape to your pliers to avoid scratching the craft wire.  Using an emery board or sandpaper, file the end of the wire on the spool just enough so that it isn't sharp (to prevent scratches to your photos and yourself!).  Starting with the curl in the center of the wire heart shape, bend wire in double-heart and then straight down as shown, then clip to length.  Don't file this end down, the point will help poke the wire through the hearts & cardboard.

Lay hearts down on pattern sheet, then guide wire into position through the center (you're aiming for the cardboard section) hold the wire close to the heart and push a little bit at a time to poke through the corrugated sections.  Don't push the end point all the way through the bottom heart.

Trace lettering in reverse onto tracing paper.  Turn the tracing over and position on hearts, then, holding the pattern in place, transfer by going over the letters lightly with pencil.  Don't push so hard that you indent the clay surface.  (the straight lines on the letters above indicate the width I want them to be.  Tracing the center line and width is much easier and more accurate than tracing and transferring the whole outline of each letter)  The transferred pattern will be very light, but make sure you can see it before moving the tracing paper.

Now color and fill out the lettering with light, short strokes of the colored pencil.  Apply matte varnish to seal the pencil and clay.

Add ribbon and decorations as desired.  Since my photo had a primarily blue over all tone, I layered it with a piece of red card stock and scalloped white paper.

Thanks for joining me here again, and have a very Happy Valentine's Day!

I'd love for you to join me for more projects & art adventures on my personal blog

Find me on Facebook, or peruse & ponder pics with me on Pinterest

Connect on Google+ or see what new creations I may have on Etsy

Gilded Valentine Embellishment

Christmas 2014 is now just a memory, and we're moving on to the next holiday—Valentine's Day.

We started with Creative Paperclay® and a clay mold. Molds are a great way for young ones to complete successful projects.

Next, we roughly rolled out three large clay logs.

We pressed the logs into the heart-shaped mold.

To get a flat back on our piece, we turned the mold and clay over onto our Teflon mat and pressed to flatten it.

The next step is always the hardest—waiting for the clay to dry. After it was dry, I trimmed the excess away and sanded the edges.

The last step was gilding the embellishment. First, we sealed the piece with an acrylic medium. When that was dry, we coated it with Duo Adhesive. When dry, the Duo is a tacky, sticky adhesive, perfect for applying gilding. 

This is our finished piece after the gilding was burnished and polished.

We're not sure how this Valentine embellishment will be used, but we have some ideas. Perhaps on the cover of a special journal or photo album. Embellishment on a greeting card. Part of a Valentine wall decoration. However it is used, Chloe and I are ready for Valentine's Day.

Carole	Chloe
Table Cell	Table Cell