International Postcard Swap!

I'm hosting another POSTCARD SWAP!  I hope you'll join our artists from all over the world who are exchanging stacks of 10 for 10.  I've posted the rules below. 

Upcycled, layered & colorful!

Watch how I made my postcards here OR

Watch the video on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/OS3cTGrhsUI

RULES:

Join our international POSTCARD SWAP! The theme for this swap is UPCYCLED, LAYERED & COLORFUL! Use your imagination!

*THE FIRST 40 PEOPLE WHO SIGN UP (and send me a screen shot of their paid participation fee AND their mailing address) GET A 5" X 7" GEL PRESS!

To be eligible you must send a screenshot of your paid participation fee to me at MarkMontanoNYC@aol.com with (GEL PRESS CONTEST) IN THE SUBJECT! Please include your mailing address in the email. We are going to try to get these out quickly so you can use them for your cards if you want! *Contest opens at 7 a.m. PST Friday morning, September 25th, so entries before that won't be considered BUT you can get everything prepared beforehand to email me at that time.

UPCYCLED 4" X 6" MIXED MEDIA POSTCARD SWAP RULES:

1. There is a $10 fee to participate in the swap in the US and $15 if you are participating from another country.

This covers the cost of envelopes, organizing with my assistant, packing and 1st class postage (with tracking) for sending the postcards back to you.

Please use my PayPal.me account here: paypal.me/MarkMontanoDIY *Use the FRIEND TO FRIEND option when sending the participation fee.

2. Postcards are to be 4" x 6" in size (no smaller or larger) and no thicker than 1/8". Create any kind of art you want! Make them colorful, sparkly, upcycled and something you're proud of.

Deadline is November 15th, 2020 meaning cards need to be here with me by November 15th.

3. Everyone submits 10 cards and gets 10 different cards in return. If you want to send 11, that's GREAT! *On rare occasion a card is destroyed in shipping OR a participant's cards get lost in the mail and arrive late...I keep sets of cards for them as well just in case and an extra is always appreciated.

4. Please sign your postcards on the back so people know who made them and include a social media handle so that you can make some new friends! You could also clip a business card to each postcard. Just let your new friends know who made it.

5. Make sure that you print your return address CLEARLY so that we can easily address your package and get it back to you without a problem. We ship everything in 6" x 9" manilla envelope. If you want to enclose a return envelope, that's awesome, too!

6. Please (try) to use an upcycled material like cereal box cardboard, newspaper, phone book pages, thin corrugated cardboard, magazines or old book pages. Whatever you toss out that can be incorporated!

7. Please put 4" x 6" pieces of wax paper between each card so that they don't stick together. Sometimes heat and humidity during transit can cause some paints to stick together. Wax paper will insure everything is pristine.

8. Send postcard packages to my studio: Mark Montano 2126 Cove Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90039

9. Deadline is November 15th, 2020 meaning cards need to be here with me by November 15th

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU MAKE!

A few of the postcards I'm exchanging!

Paper Feather Mobile

What I love most about a mobile is that you can truly hang anything from it as long as it's colorful, cute and dances in a slight breeze!  Use an embroidery hoop or some wire for your loop at the top and gather up your most colorful bits!  C'mon, I know you have a box of craft stuff just waiting for this project!  For mine I made paper feathers and colorized them with Unicorn SPiT spray which you can easily make with a bit of water and a small spray bottle. I used it on everything from art journals to happy mail.  I've said it 100 times...Use what you have and always Make Your Mark!

Just magical in the sunlight!

Everything I used for this project:

Unicorn SPiT: https://amzn.to/2pwP4kq E6000 Glue: https://amzn.to/2VfF248 MY AMAZON STORE: https://www.amazon.com/shop/markmontano

Watch how to make them here OR

Watch the video on my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/lcrpZX0bG60

My paper feathers before I fringed them

Perfect to brighten up a sad little corner!

Add a dab of E6000 on your knots to keep everything in place!

Happy crafting, sweet friends!

Sparkly Boho Mirror DIY

I always see the packages of round mirrors at the craft store, but I never know what to make with them!  Well, I decided to challenge myself and make some funky, sparkly mini mirrors.  They were lightly inspired by Rhoda's apartment on the Mary Tyler Moore show, as are most of my DIY projects!  For these mirrors I pulled out every trick in the book including creating the embellishments with hot glue and surrounding the mini mirrors with glamorous rhinestone cup chain.  Challenge your creativity when you can and see what happens, my fantastic friends, and don't forget to

Make Your Mark!

My colorful trio!

I love how the colors blend into each other!

2 layers of Unicorn SPiT Sparkling will give you some serious glimmer!

Watch how to make them here!

LIST OF EVERYTHING I USED

Walnut Hollow Plaques: https://bit.ly/2wBMFIm My favorite molds: https://amzn.to/2wNM06M Unicorn SPiT & Unicorn SPiT Sparkling: https://amzn.to/2pwP4kq E6000 Plus: https://amzn.to/30GJc4P

Hang them in a cluster!

A terrific way to brighten up any corner!

You're the fairest of them all!

Unicorn SPiT Bench DIY

My brother Matt helped me figure out the pattern for this bench a few years ago and I've used it over and over for all kinds of different projects. I even found a way to upholster it!  Today I'm using every color of Unicorn SPiT to stain the lovely pine wood.  I love how the colors blend into each other and create new colors where they meet.  The intensity is just wonderful, too!  Every time I use Unicorn SPiT I learn something new and this bench allowed me to channel my inner maniac and use every color with wild abandon.  Just like a kid does with a new box of crayons.  Let yourself go with color, my creative posse, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

The perfect little bench for my hidden forest!

Add a serape and you've got home decor gold!

Watch how I made it here!

Have a seat, friend!

Rolled Paper Valentines DIY

It's a little late, but I had to post these pretty rolled paper Valentines.  Maybe they'll spark something for your next Easter or St. Patrick's Day craft project?  Rolling pages of magazines is super therapeutic and can be done while you're binge watching old episodes of Dawson's Creek or Ugly Betty.  I used the paper rolls for these whimsical hearts, but they also make beautiful beads and can be glued into any shape.  Upcycle all those gossip magazines you keep buying and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

Ready for love?

Painted with Unicorn SPiT!

A layer of chunky glitter glue is always required!

Watch how to make them here!

A ribbon bow is the perfect embellishment!

Happy belated Valentine's Day!

Wooden Boho Table Runner

I saw several versions of wooden table runners on Pinterest and decided to make one of my own.  Gotta say, I wasn't 100% sold on this project until it was actually done and draped across my striped patio table!  The color, pattern and brightness just made everything on the table POP!  Also, did you know that you can press wood on a Gel Press?  Who knew?!!!  If you're wanting a different look, you could decoupage this runner with family photos or flowers or paint both sides, each with a different pattern.  Draping the tassels on the ends will give you that boho feel instantly, too!  Rethink traditional materials, my crafty friends, and always Make Your Mark!

I mixed my own colors of Unicorn SPiT for this project.  

You can literally make any color you want with this product!

 The funky tassel trim just made this for me!

Watch how to make this here!

 You're cats will love this, too!

Make dinner special!

Mermaid Seashell Ornaments

My mom loves seashells.  Seashells are quite exotic to us folks who grew up on the plains in southern Colorado!  On my first trip to the coast I bought her a seashell windchime and countless years later, it still hangs in her bathroom with her collection of other seashell stuff.  While I made these ornaments I thought alot about my mom.  Crafting often gives us the chance to calm our minds and think about the people who mean the most to us.  It's a bit like church, but much more fun (for me)!  Enjoy your creative time, my friends, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

My mermaid Christmas tree!

You could add even more rhinestones!

Watch how to make them here!

I love the shimmer of Unicorn SPiT Sparkling!

Merry Christmas Ariel!

Peter Rabbit Christmas Ornaments

Growing up, our Christmas tree always looked like it was right out of a magazine.  Not because of the amazing job my brothers and I did decorating the lower half of the tree (the only part we could reach) but because our mother would go in later and do her color-coordinated magic! My tree is NOT like my mom's, but more like a kid found every ornament in the closet, got jazzed on too much chocolate milk & Captain Crunch and then went to town.  I make so many ornaments every year that there simply isn't room for them on my tree but I don't care, I find the room!  These Peter Rabbit ornaments will surely have a home this year because they're just too cute.   HERE is everything I used!  Let Christmas bring out the kid in you and don't forget to 

Make Your Mark!

 MacKenzie Childs inspired with a Make Your Mark twist!

 Storybook magic!

Watch how to make them here!

EVERYTHING I used

I love the one with the mallot!

Happy Holidays!  Merry Christmas!

Sparkly Boho Mirror Ornaments

For me, Christmas isn't Christmas without popsicle sticks and glitter!  These ornaments, though kicked up a notch with mirrors and rhinestone chain, reminded me of 2nd grade art class when we got to use tempera paint and huge jars of glitter with wild abandon.  It was truly exciting, especially around each holiday.  Even an upscaled kid's craft can look amazing on your tree, so ask your inner child to help you out (or a niece & nephew) and don't forget to

Make Your Mark!

So much color!  So much fun!

An heavy coating of lacquer and you can keep them outside!

Giving a little life to some winter branches!

Watch how to make them here!

Bo ho ho ho ho!