Thursday, July 24, 2014

Mixed media altered art 3D..A Fairy Home

For some days now I have been planning to make something with this 5 ltr plastic water jar. . . Finally I was inspired by the fairytales I read out to my kiddo and decide to make this..

I simply cut and carved out the plastic containers, folding plastic in ways to make it appear in different shades I used a drawing marker, cutter, glass paints, acrylic paints, pollen sticks  used for making flowers, mseal, PVA glue, varnish and  beads and other embellishments.




Below are some of the work in progress pics...

This is what I started with

WIP



birds nest
Add caption

French window
Fairy Home
 


Final look



I have two uses in mind for this...Place tea lights in it and make it a lamp shade or plant a indoor plant to make it a planter (I have made enough air circulation cuts and water proof too!)...Ah!...Im torn between these two ideas...What are your suggestions for this fairy home?

As a planter




As a light hanger





Sunday, July 13, 2014

Gift wrapping idea


Time for bday returns gifts!

 
For years we have purchased school stuff, toys, tiffin boxes etc as return gift. This time I wanted to try something new and fun that my and the other kiddos would enjoy. We decided on gifting the kids a pair of activity sticker books ( I see that the kids love these illustrations, activities, stickers and stories) with a coloring set. But a simple plain Jane wrapping would make it monotonous. What is more fascinating than balloons, patterns and load of imagination!

 


This is what we finally gave.

 


It pretty simple and quick to do still attractive and fun.

 

We used loads of patterned papers (which I bought online from ebay), balloons, paints, tapes, ribbons/ lace. Also I like the mdf call outs  (enjoy a current 5% discount on lulupu.com bubbles wood veneer )  as they make these gifts personalized.

 

The balloons are blown small and then painted with acrylic colors. For the spider I twisted the balloon to make a head. You could also make a snail, tortoise etc on a pebble or stones patterned paper (which I couldn’t find. Actually I was keen on using white and any single colored paper so that it doesn’t steal the thunder of the balloon creature)

 
 


For the legs I used wire. After wrapping the books and the crayon set, we decorated the packet with crumpled ribbons to give it an edgy  effect while for the spider we used lace (making it webby!). We used other embellishments and charms for decorations. Although I could picture all , we made sets of lady bird, beetle, colourful spiders and bumble bee

 

And we finally made 17 of them, with each persons’ name written on the call out mdf.

 

The kids were extremely glad and comparing their insects and decorations.
 
 
BGC 54, lets get Kiddish http://beyondgrey.blogspot.in/

Friday, July 11, 2014

Super cool candy

Woohoo... check out this super cool candy.....



click on the link
http://yourscraphouse.blogspot.ch/2014/07/nouveau-give-away-july-2014-juillet-2014.html

Mixed media learning Toy Box


I have been planning to this for a while now and now that its done, I am (with my kid) super excited!.....

 I got a huge cardboard box from a local grocery store which fit perfectly into the cupboard where I stock toys and books. I have been wanting to work on a project which will teach my toddler alphabets and make it a fun utility box. Inspired by the rain, I decided to go with a frog theme. Working on each side of the box was like working on 6 pieces of huge canvas.


To start with, the box had very useful cuts meant to carry the box when heavy, I decided to make it the mouth of the frog. On either side I have a female and male frog. Have used loads of Patterned paper, pearl embellishments, glitter liner, ribbons, Heart & bubble call out MDFs, beads. As you must have noticed, the eyes of the frogs are old contact lens cases (in which I have put beads which wobble when the box moves!...)

 To start with the female frog…I have used my fav flora fauna pp to make her suit, have used another set of checked PP to make her eye lashes and  have inked and stamped the butterflies. I have outlined her with pearl stick and ofcourse the pearl necklace...
 
 
The ribbon in her mouth is not just a tongue but is an aid for my kid to pull out the box easily from the cupboard.

 

For the male frog have used a simple checked pp, call out MDF, Stamped image clock

 


The box sides, I have worked with  alphabet F; ie; frog, fly, five flowers, feet. Have added loads of pp, ribbons and embellishments

 


 

The other side I have worked with alphabet  L; Leaf, lunch, lazy, lick, lake….Once again have used pp, ribbons and embellishments.

 

On the top 2 flaps I have used decoupage techniques and collage.  I have worked with

alphabet M (This flap is by personal fav); Melon, Mango , Music , Magazine.

 


 

 

Alphabet B (My kid’s fav) ; Boy, butterfly, ball, blue

 


 

 

 

Here’s a  pic of the box from side and top view.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Durga Radiance

Artwork 25" x 31" inches made on tin which radiates strength and grace ...



Custom made using embossing, glitter, distressing and misting techniques.

 

Monday, July 7, 2014

Love this candy #1..here have a look

Create Something Catchy Challenges: Time for a candy #1: Hello lovely people.. Hmmn.. enjoying the weather? well.. oh yeah! It's pouring here like hell since morning and I'm loving it.. &...

Thursday, July 3, 2014

The much ado about Star lantern….


Last Christmas my daughter turned 1 year old. I remember she used to cry while teething, vaccination etc and there was only Yesterday one solution….Take her to the balcony and point out to a Star lantern hanging in our neighbors house. . .  Now she is far bigger (I mean by 6 months) but her love for star lantern has only grown. So, yesterday I decided to hang a star lantern in our balcony. But where do I find a star lantern in this season when the monsoon is ready to kick in and all shops are displaying only raincoats and umbrellas……….An easy solutions I thought…make a star lantern. . . I also involved her in the project (allowed her to color and stick glitter…..

 
And here it is….

 


You can download this layout if you like. You will need five of these

 

 

You will need card paper (You can experiment with different colors and prints)

 

 

The five side cut-outs…. (At this stage you can punch holes, paint etc all before sticking)

 

 You need paper , glue and thread to hang it. As per the layout , the dotted line is where you must fold the paper inwards like a cone. Apply glue on the pink line. Stick the pink flap to the next cone forming a chain. The last one you can keep open if to want to insert a bulb. You can insert a thread at the sticking joint if you want to hang it .  And the lantern finally


 

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Kids creativity workshop...an art synergy

Every 3-4 months I conduct a Kids workshop where kids of different age bands work together on art and crafts for a series of days when they learn about drawing, painting, paper crafts, basic craft techniques like collage, gift packing, card making, simple origami, basic quilling, flower making, stamping, misting , embossing etc.....These sessions are great especially because kids come with no reservations and are always willing to unlearn, not copy and think unique.

omnimood.blogspot.in
Add caption

However, this was the first time I had kids below the age of 4 attend this one day session. Of them 3 kids (including my own) were between 16 to 19 months, who cant speak, read or write (while their mommies were sitting in the room n chit chatting). I thought to myself it would be challenging to get them to do artwork. But I was wrong, they were wonderful. I am completely amazed at them and myself!

Here is the final artwork they produced.


With the toddlers I used safe non toxic colors with special toddler grips, and home made paints like turmeric (haldi), Spinach (palak), beetroot extracts and their hands/ feet.

For the kids above 2 years let them use crayons, paint brush, gum/glue.


Now here is what they did  simultaneously but independently (I couldn't capture all pictures as I was too involved with the children at times, plus my hands were messy with veg colors.

This is how beautifully the toddlers smeared haldi all over a huge sheet...The other kids pointed out that their finger traces looked like tree barks or animal stripes...

I taught the 2.5 yrs old drip painting which is a form of abstract art where you intentionally pour paint in some spots and turn the canvas too let it flow on its own.
 
 
After practicing on this sheet of paper she ddid the same on the haldi smeared paper to create black / red trees effect (when you mix spinach green and beet red in equal proportion you get black..they discovered it!)
 
Initial session to get the kids acquainted to each other

 
 
In the mean while the 3 year + olds made some random sketches, paintings etc.
 

 
 
Then finally came the fun part. They cut the pieces to their own imagination and stuck it together and color over it using similar techniques. The team (without speaking) mutually decided to let the eldest 4 year old take over this job....
 
The leaves that you see are not painted but are vegetable prints made from a cut okra (bhindi) and little gourd (tindora)
 

......And finally what a beautiful piece of art they put together. . . This was a great learning from me, them and their mothers (especially some who thought their kid didn't like arts and craft)...It was great to see the otherwise helter skelter kids sitting in one place, taking inspiration from each other and producing this beauty of synergy..Will do something similar soon. I hope you feel inspired too