Cynthia Shaffer

Mixed Media Essentials ... Giveaway and Tutorial!

I'm so excited to finally get to show everyone these super fun rubber stamps by Roben-Marie Smith and even more honored to be considered part of a design team that includes some super talented artist!

So there's a little blog hop going on right now ... come along and check out the art that everyone   created using Roben-Marie's rubber stamps. You'll soon see that the art is among the best I've seen in a long time ... and the variety is vast and great!

April Cole

Carissa Paige

Danielle Donaldson

Jen Osborn

Kristin Peterson

Lorraine Bell

Roben-Marie Smith

Sandi Keene

These are the samples I made using the rubber stamps ... One thing you'll notice is that the stamps are really big and so much fun to use in mixed media, shrink plastic and for embroidering on clothing or napkins, or ... well just about anything!

I was channeling my inner Roben-Marie when I creating this tag.

Here's the GIVEAWAY >>> This 6 arrow shrink plastic necklace ... leave a comment, or even just say "Hi" and I'll toss your name into the pot and on May 8th I'll pick a winner! 

The shrink plastic necklaces were just too much fun to make ... I couldn't stop ... It's one of those addicting kind of crafts!

And then at some point late one night, I grabed bits of odds and ends and created this little collage masking off one of the rubber stamp to show just one little cross.

And then this happened ... a little bit of embroidery on a panel that was stamped using three of the rubber stamp images and black StazOn ink and then stitched to a onesie!

Ok, I have to admit ... my pieces are a bit out there, but as I was telling Roben-Marie, I am so in love with these stamps that my mind kept jumping from project to project and I my hands couldn't keep up with my ideas!

Here's what I did to make the above shrink plastic arrow necklace: 

• Grab a sheet of shrink plastic and using black StazOn ink, stamp three arrows

• Cut out around the arrow shapes and punch small holes into the 4 corners on 2 of the arrows and 2 top corners of the third arrow.
• Using a cotton swab, lightly brush on three different coordinating chalk colors.

• Place the arrow into a pie tin and using an awl and a heat gun, shrink up the plastic.The side that was stamped on and colored on will now be the backside.

• Apply a thin coat of white gesso to the back of the shrunk arrows.

• Sand the sides of the arrows to smooth out any sharp points or edges.

• Add edge of black around the arrrows, using a black Sharpie marker.

• Link the necklace together with jump rings.
• Add a clasp to the back and then you are done!

 

 

 

Burlap Tote Tutorial : : Free Motion Stitching/Sketching

 

In case you haven't figured it out yet ... I LOVE TO FREE MOTION STITCH!

I LOVE everything about it ... the imperfections that happen because I was going too fast, or not fast enough. I Love the buttery feeling under my hands as I navigate the sewing machine over simple plain muslin.

And then to see the outcome, after a little bit of stress and tense shoulders is always worth it!

Here's what I did:

First you want to go to the Burlap Tote Tutorial I have a few days here and cut out all the parts and pieces needed to make one of those totes.

• Before I start free motion stitching I always do some warm-up panels to get the rhythm and flow going. I always have a stack of batting and muslin squares sitting right next to my sewing machine ... ready to be stitched.

• Looking at the print/motif on the burlap I choose to, I decided to free motion stitch a couple of mums and a stem and a few leaves.
• On plain white copy paper, I drew the basic shapes.
• Next I layered a panel of white cotton bating with a panel of muslin and then pinned the copy paper on top and cut out around the shape.

• Next I used a fabric glue stick and fabric basting adhesive to adhere the batting and muslin to the front panel of my burlap tote.

• Next  ...  the fun part ... Free motion stitch the mum, stems and leaf patterns, while looking at the motif on the burlap. I use free motion quilting gloves to help grip the fabric a bit.

What I did not realize was just how much the boots I was wearing was going to effect the control, or in this case, lack of control ... I had with the foot pedal! Oh, my ... total lead foot here!

• Then using sharp scissors, I cut out around the stitched motif and best I could.

 And there you have it ... Easy Peasy and one so fun ... and the perfect size and shape to hold your laptop and wallet  ... oh any you lipstick!

 

Burlap Tote Tutorial : : Easy Peasy and oh so Cute!

 

How fun is this?

And this? And guess what? They are the perfect size tote to carry a large laptop!

Right around the holidays I found these amazing fabrics ... Printed Burlap ... Oh my! I was in love and right away I knew what I was going to make with them.

When I got home from the fabric store, I started riffling through my mass of stash fabrics and gathered a few coordinating cotton for lining and jute webbing to be used as the straps. Oh and a bit of silk shantung ... Love to mix unexpected fabrics!

Want to make some? 

Here's what you do:

• Cut 2 pieces of burlap that measure 15 x 16.5 inches.
• Place the pieces right sides together and stitch down the side, across the bottom and them back up the other side, pivoting at the corners. Remember to back tack at the beginning and the end of your seams.

• Cut 2 pieces of coordinating cotton fabric that measure 15 x 16 inches.
• Place the pieces right sides together and stitch down the side, across the bottom, but this time you need to stop about 7 inches in, back tack, then start stitching again, leaving about a 4 inch opening. Continue stitching until you reach the other corner and pivot and then stitch up the other side. Remember to back tack at the beginning and the end of your seams

• Clip the corners at a diagonal. This will give the tote nice sharp corners once you turn it right side out.

• Flip the tote right side out and using a chop stick poke the corners out.

• Using an iron ... press the side seams open ... trust me, this really helps to find the side seam when you go to press the tote flat.

I was in mass production mode here. As you can see I have 3 totes in the works at one time!

• Next, cut a strip of cream color silk shantung that measures 4 inches wide x the width of the fabric. I'm pretty sure that my silk was 44 inches wide.
• Press the strip in half width-wise and then using a tape measure and a pencil make a small mark every 2 1/4 inch for the entire length of the strip.

•  Place one end of the strip under the sewing machine foot and stitch just a few stitches. Before you reach the pencil mark form a small pleat with your finger, about 3/8 to 1/2 inch deep. Stitch across the pleat and then repeat for every pencil mark.

• Pin the pleated silk to the right side of the top of the burlap tote. You may want to baste around the top of the tote to keep the silk in place.

• Cut a length of jute webbing that measures 50 inches.
• Pin the jute to the tote, centered at the side seams. Baste the straps if you feel you need to.

• Place the burlap tote inside the cotton lining, right side together and pin around the top edge. Stitch in place.

• Remember the opening you made at the bottom of the lining? Well ... here's where it comes in handy!
• Birth the tote through that hole ... I know kind of funny! That's the costume shop talk coming out in me!

• Almost there ... It can be snug, depending on just how wide of an opening you left in that lining.

• Push the lining to the inside and press the top edge.

• Stitch around the top edge through all layers, about 3/8 inch from the top edge.

• Stitch a small scrap of fabric with text printed on it ... using a zig-zag stitch and you are done!

 Printed burlap tote : : Easy Peasy!

CHA : 2013

This year at CHA ... Craft & Hobby Association the floor seemed a bit quiet. And, as you will see I only captured a few photographs of the day! What was I thinking?

This funny lady just cracked us up ... Vanessa Johanning truly not a single inch of space on her body to hang or attach another chachkie! Oh, and she is friends with Suzi Blu and together they were working at the CharityWings.org booth with Elena Lai Etcheverry.

Here's my partner in crime Jenny Doh and Suzi ... good friends these two are. Notice the purple and pink ... It was everywhere!

There was purple and pink carpet everywhere it seemed. Hmmmm note to self? These are the hot colors for spring?

A few huge trends we noticed ... of course we were aware of them before CHA, but this just confirmed our hunch ... STENCILS, STENCILS, STENCILS ... they are HOT and TCW is making and selling them like there is no tomorrow.

Then at one point we bumped into Kristen Robinson ... Here's the funny ... years ago, probably 7 years ago, Jenny and I met Kristen right here at CHA and right here at the food court area! Here's the other funny ... 7 years ago I had the pleasure of styling Kristen's art for a photoshoot that eventually landed on the cover of Somerset Studio magazine. One of my favorite covers ever!

Moving on here ... I'd have to say that this whole mixed media/scrapbook/assemblage/art journaling/framed 12 x 12 art is huge! It's been fun to watch the these worlds meld together. There is some really beautiful art being made out there ... Hmmm might have to give it a try!

So I wondered off by myself and came across this wonderful booth Hemptique... Hemp was everywhere. In every width, color, size and stiffness. The booth was beautiful, the sales people where friendly and informative and the product was out of this world yummy. 

Truth be told ... I just wanted to spend the rest of the afternoon just photographing the merchandise! 

Then it was time to go check out Jenny at her book signing for Journal It that started at 2:00. It was about 2:30 ... I come walking around the corner and here she is, all done! What? I missed it? Apparently there were so many people lined up  that within just a few minutes all the books were gone and she was done, AND ... I missed it! Oh well ... next year right?  There's always next year!

Hmmm ... wonder which book she'll be signing next year?

 

Leather Journal : : Tutorial

It was a crafty kind of day at our house a few days ago. My son Corry, home from college, is loving the quiet of the house with just a few friends near by and the warmth pups! He was looking for something to make ... hummm.

I reminded him of all the hides of leather we recently acquired ... Ok, truth be told ... we went dumpster diving ... So worth it ... we scored 6 huge hides of leather ... and if you can belive it, we didn't take it all. There were several hides I left behind simply because I didn't care for the color. What was I thinking?

Anyways ... Corry loves to draw and paint and doodle, being the art major that he is and so he set out to learn how to make leather journals.

He was out in the man cave for hours ... reading and watching videos, trying to figure out what he wanted to make ... then, these happened!

After several hours, he mastered it! Of course I wanted a journal too and so for this tutorial, Corry made me a journal while I shot the photos and typed away ... Hope we didn't miss any steps! 

Here's what you do:

• Cut papers down to 6 x 9 inches

• Using a straight edge, tear about 1/4 inch off the short ends. Place the cork side of the ruler on the paper ... this makes for a varied and scrappy edge.

• Fold paper in half

• Gather all the folded pieces of paper to make several signatures. The thickness of the paper of the paper will determine how many pieces of paper are in each signature ... (A signature is a section in a journal ... if a signature is made with the thin paper, I will have 10 pieces of paper, folded in half to give me a 20 pages in that signature.) 
• For this journal we are mixing the papers within each signature so there will be a few thick pages made from watercolor paper and then a few pages made from marker paper. 
• There will be 7 signatures in this journal.

• Open to the center of one signature and mark the points where the pages are going to be stitched into the leather. For this journal we marked 1/4 from the top edge and the bottom edge, then make four marks roughly every 1 3/4 inch. This will give you 3 sections in the center of the signature. For the technique we are using to stitch this journal, you have to have an odd number of sections to sew in the center of the signtures.

• Using a leather needle and a hammer, poke hole where the pencil marks are.

•  Use this top piece of paper as a template to poke the holes in the remaining signatures. The paper clips help to keep all the paper lined up.

•  Cut a piece of leather that measures 14 x 6 1/2 inches.

• Place one signature 4 1/2 inches from the left edge and using a white pencil make a small dot where the holes are on the signature, and then 6 more 1/8 inch apart.

• Using the leather needle and hammer punch holes at every white mark.

• Cut a length of leather cord that measures 2 times the height of the signature x the number of signatures you have, plus an extra 12 inches.

• Place one signature onto the leather and follow the above chart to stitch the journal together. Start by going into the paper side of G4 and then on through the leather, tying a simple knot that can be untied ... leave a 4 inch tail. Then come back up through the leather and the paper at G3. Then back down through G2 and up through G1, then back down through G2 and then up through G3 and then down through G4 paper only and then through the F4 leather ... Continue up through F3 (This is the start of a new signature) leather and paper and continue in this manner until all the signature have been stitched into the leather. Your last stitch you will be going into A4 paper and leather and then back up through G3, leather only and then out G2 leather only and then in at A1 leather only and then across the top of the signatures and through the paper only from the back to the inside fold of G1.
• The below photo shows you what this stitching looks like from the outside.

•  This last stitch will bring you back to the first signature you started stitching. Untie the first knott and then tie the 2 end together. Trim the ends of the cord.

• The next step is to create some sort of closure ... here you can see that the inside flap is exactly the same width as the pages ... I may trim it by about 1/4 inch or so.

• And then the front flap doesn't goes all the way to the edge ... Not sure how I'm going to close this journal or embellish it. This is the fun part, according to Corry, so stay tuned for another post on how I finish it off.

 

To Finish or to Rip?

This is the question of the day. 

As I was rummaging through my stash of yarns today, I came across a few projects that are unfinished.

Here's a wrap I stated a few months ago when I needed a mindless project to work on. Well, this is sooo mindless that I'm struggling to finish it. Best I finish it while it's still cool out. Or ... rip it out and make a whole bunch of socks?

Then I came across this camisole I knitted about 4 or 5 years ago. I was playing with some fun yarn I think I got from my mom. Knowing her it's probably from the 60's when she used to knit all the time. Anyways, I didn't have a pattern for this cami and I'm thinking now that it might even be finished... just needs to be sewn together and then a ribbon laced through the bodice, under the bust.

Here's a little project that's been sitting on my coffee table for a few weeks now ... screaming to be finished. I love working with this bleached hemp yarn and if you look closely, you can see a little triangle pattern. I probably have just 4 or 5 more hours till I'm finished here ... maybe I should just pull a late night-er and mark this one off my list.

All of these knitted patterns come from this little book ... It's my knitting bible!

The instructions for those 900 patterns are pretty easy to follow although it seems like I am always altering the pattern in some fashion ... notice my notes.

And then when the notes get too long to write in the book, out comes a piece of paper. 

So ... Do I finish the projects or rip them out? Probably finish ... but the thought of starting a new project is so much more fun ... If you're a knitter than you know what I mean ... Hmmmm. What to do?

Photo Warm-ups!

So I'm headed out to the Old Towne Orange area to photograph a sweet family for their Christmas cards.

So of course I have to get out my cameras, check the batteries and make sure they all have empty cards ready to be filled up.

Then the question is which lens do I use on and on which camera? 

So I change them out and play around a bit .... Get myself familiar with my Canon 7D that has been on the shelf for a while now. Since investing in the Canon 5D, I have hardly had a chance to play with my good old trusty 7D.

And then I head out in my backyard for some quick photo warm-ups!

It's sort of like a singer warming up before a concert or like stretching your muscles before going to a boxing class.

Ok, so ... wish me luck ... It's a family of 6 ... adorable, all of them ... but still there are 6!

I'll post a few of my favorite shots I get today so stay tuned!

My Life At A Glance : : Fall 2012

As you have probably noticed I'm not the type to blog too much about my life, my kids or what's going on around here but thought I would give you a little glimspe of what my fall has looked like.

Dropped my oldest son Corry off at college, TCU in Fort Worth Texas ... and yes, that's all he packed!

Still have one kid at home and yes, I love to watch Cameron play baseball for Villa Park High School.

Taught a couple of photography classes and made some new friends along the way ... I'll be teaching Photo 101 again on February 23rd!

Did some photography of a few models for a modeling agency. Beautiful girls if I say so myself!

Photographed lots and lots of books here in my studio and out and about with my assistant ... Thanks Becky! 

Became completely addictied to boxing!

Joined in on the annual block party.

Aiden enjoyed the bike parade as well as cousin Tiffany!

Oh, and then Danita came to town and taught an amazing class at Studio Crescendoh and I got to be the class helper!

Then a relaxing day at the beach with Danita, Saul, Marielena and Leo ... 

Then back to TCU for parent weekend where Corry showed us some of his recent art projects.

And of course my favorite ... we went to the football game!

Somewhere during this time, the moon was huge and my husband and I had fun snapping photos.

Cut and sanded some birch panels for paintings and for grounds for some books I was shooting.

Photographed the lovely Tracy Verdugo at a workshop put on by Christy Nimeh.

And put a little paint on a canvas while I was there!

Sold 3 paintings at a gallery show at Studio Crescendoh.

Took lots and lots of photos of my pups Harper and Berklee.

Bought some fun parts and pieces at Glitterfest yesterday ...

And today ... in like 3 hours ... I'm off for a much needed week long vacation to Hawaii with a couple of friends, lots of yarn, a new book and of course my camera bag stuffed to the brim!

 

 

Collected Intuitions : : Saturday, October 6th!

So a few us artist types have been painting away for a few months now and the day has finally come to show our work ... Come see what we've been up to. 

You may remember here where I shared a few of the paintings I've been working on ... these pieces will be there for sale as well as a few other!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

7:00-10:00

Santa Ana Artist Village Walk

Santora Building

207 N. Broadway St. Suite L

Santa Ana CA 92711

 

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Stitch, Sketch, Doodling with my Sewing Machine

Just playing around here.

Moving kind of fast and not thinking, just creating.

Being inspired by old botanical prints.

And finding the back side of some of these pieces to be even more interesting than the front.

Happy Stitching, Sketching and Doodling with your sewing machine!