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My name is Melody M. Nuñez, and I’m an artist and a writer. Please look around my website and make yourself at home. I post new blog entries on Tuesdays & Thursdays, and hope you’ll subscribe to my blog and come back often! To learn more about me, please view the “About” page…SUBSCRIBE
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Category Archives: art supplies
Making Cork Stamps
Making stamps from corks is a great way to reuse something you might otherwise throw away, and the resulting stamps can be used to embellish anything from a place card to the pages of your art journal! This cork-stamped place card project is my latest Design Team project for crescendoh.com, and I hope you like it. I used corks from wine bottles, but you can use other types of corks if you have them…
How To Carve a Cork Into a Stamp
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Begin with a dry cork. Draw a design on one end of the cork, or plan the design in your head before you begin cutting freehand. Using a very sharp X-ACTO knife, and working carefully so you don’t slice your fingers or hands, cut out your design. A sharp blade will make cutting your design easier, so consider starting with a brand new blade in your utility knife.
Test the stamp with ink when you think the stamp is ready, to make sure you’re pleased with your design. You can easily make tweaks to your design if it’s not quite right. Oh, and don’t worry if you mess up or aren’t pleased with your design. You can simply slice a small section off the end of your cork and try again!
Please note: Both ends of a cork can be used, resulting in two stamps per cork. Woo hoo!
Place Card Directions – So Easy!
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Stamp a cork flower image onto watercolor paper with black ink. Stamp your guests’ name next to your cork-stamped design using the lowercase Best Life Alphabet. Attach a red gem to the center of the stamped flower design using a mini glue dot.
I Love My Cork Stamps!
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Making cork stamps is easy, economical, and fun. I use my cork stamps on a regular basis, and hope you’ll make some too! Please let me know if you have any questions, dear readers. It’s always a pleasure to hear from you…
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in art, art journaling, crafts, DIY
Tagged cork stamps, Design Team, making stamps from corks
14 Comments
A Chocolate Box Transformed (Your Heart’s Desire)
Melody the Magpie?
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In case you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a bit of a scavenger. Whether I’m up-cycling metal food cans or using cardboard packaging to make mobiles, I’ve always got an eye out for cast-offs that can be used in a new way. I enjoy making something wonderful from something simple. Today’s “something wonderful” is essentially a box to hold your hopes and dreams – your goals. How does that relate to chocolate box transformation? Please read on…
Confession
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I’m a sucker for heart-shaped Valentine’s chocolate boxes. Bubble gum pink, lace, and silk roses aren’t in my usual rotation, but something gets me when it comes to those heart-shaped candy boxes. Whether the box is a relatively plain gold or red, or is fully decked out with saccharine Valentine’s trim, I love them all. Today’s project is how to turn one of these heart-shaped boxes into something that you can treasure – and put to good use – all year round. So, if you (or a friend) are gifted with a heart-shaped box this year, don’t throw it away when it’s empty! (You can do this same project with a rectangular or square shaped box as well.) Oh, and hopefully you can save the box’s liner, too. It makes a great template!
A Look Inside Your Heart…
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This project is called My Heart’s Desire because the outer box is intended to hold visual representations of your hopes, dreams, and goals. Whether you gather small 3-D objects that represent what you hope to bring to fruition, or create paper “pages” that you embellish – like I have – I suggest you identify 5 to 10 things you’d like to work on in your life and include them in your box. Here’s how I made my pages, including the materials I used.
Materials
Watercolor paper
Gesso
Paintbrushes
Glue Stick
Liquid Acrylic Inks or paint
Rubber Stamps
Black Ink Pad
Sticker & Seed Packet
Alphabet Stamps
Metallic Gel Pen
Rhinestones
Pen
Decorative Paper
Scissors
Walnut Ink
Double-Stick Tape
Heart Shaped Candy Box*
How to Visually “Spell Out” Your Heart’s Desire
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1. Cut out one “page” for each of your heart’s desires. Make your page by tracing the liner of your candy box, or by tracing the bottom of the box lid and then cutting just inside those lines. If you’d like, you can add color to your page at this stage. I brushed a mixture of acrylic inks and walnut ink onto watercolor paper. Alternately, you can use colored card stock instead.
2. Note one desire on each “page”. (I chose “garden”, “travel”, “art program”, “nourish”, “get book published” and “run” and stamped the words on with alphabet stamps) It’s best to be as specific as possible when it comes to verbalizing goals though, so include as many details as you can. You can write on the back of your pages, too.
3. Add to these “pages” by drawing, painting, stamping, collaging, or otherwise embellishing your “pages”. I’ve listed the materials I used, but you can use whatever materials or methods you’re partial to – there’s no wrong way to do it. The pages can be a simple or as elaborate as you’d like them to be.
Decorating Your Box’s Exterior
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There are a million ways you can decorate your box, if you choose to change it at all. Whether you keep the box’s original look, or customize it to make it more “you”, is entirely up to you.
Here are a few décor ideas:
- Paint your box
- Decoupage your box
- Cover your box with duct tape
- Use some of the same materials you used on the “pages” to decorate the box’s exterior (which is what I did)
I opted to cover the red foil look of my box with a few coats of white gesso. Next, I used some of the decorative metallic paper on the cover. I stamped “My Heart’s Desire” on the box’s liner, stamped three flowers in the upper right, and glued a layer of tissue paper over the top to soften the text. I accented the edge of the liner heart with metallic rub-ons and glued three rhinestones in the flower centers in the upper right of the heart. Finally, I attached the letter-stamped liner piece to the box’s lid with a strong double-stick tape.
Hurray! It’s Done! NOW What?
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The purpose of this box is threefold. One, to identify what you really want in life and to spell it out in a tangible way. Two, to have fun creating that tangible, visual representation of what you want. Three, to regularly refer back to the contents of your box to remind yourself of your goals and to verify you’re taking steps, however small they may be, towards those goals. So keep this creation within arm’s reach, and let it be your guide…
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments, dear readers. I’m always happy to hear from you!
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in art, crafts, DIY, holidays, inspiration
Tagged box of chocolates, re-use, up-cycle, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day crafts
12 Comments
Creative Pilgrimage Giveaway Winner!
I’m pleased to announce the winner of this month’s giveaway. The prize?
A signed copy of the book Creative Pilgrimage!
Congratulations, Karen Pruzansky, you won! I’ll mail out the book once I’ve received your mailing address, and hope you enjoy your copy of Creative Pilgrimage.
Thank you to all of you who entered the drawing – I really enjoyed reading about your favorite colors. I LOVE color, and though I’m a fan of almost all colors, pinky-purple, black, and silver are among my favorites!
I hope you all have a wonderful and colorful week…
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in art, books, giveaway, inspiration
Tagged Creative Pilgrimage, Jenny Doh, mixed media
2 Comments
My 2011-2012 Art Journaling Classes for Disadvantaged Children
Remember the Art Supply Drive I had in October? Where I gathered supplies so I could teach art journaling to disadvantaged public school children? Well, thanks to many wonderful people (including many of you) it was a big success! In fact, I received enough supplies that I could teach TWO classrooms of children this year, instead of just one. This is something I’d wanted to do for years, and am thrilled I was able to expand to a second school this school year. (The photo above shows just a portion of the art supplies I received!) Thank you!
Some Stats
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I taught one class of 4th graders in Ontario, CA and one class of 4th graders in Santa Ana, CA. I put together a bag full of supplies for each student, and also gave extra supplies to each classroom teacher for them to pull from and use during the school year. In addition, I was able to provide the staff each school with some new and/or gently used office supplies that were donated, including copy paper, binders, wire racks, paper clips, and pencils.
Art journaling kits provided: 90 (45 for each class)
Boxes of assorted supplies: 10
Boxes of office supplies:10
Over 60 students received the gift of art and art journaling instruction, and because the teachers received extra kits for new students that may come into their classes even more children will benefit from this program.
Each kit contained the following (and more!):
- art journal with unlined pages
- decorative & patterned paper
- card stock
- 3 fabric squares
- 1 doily
- aluminum foil
- punchinella (aka sequin waste)
- four types of joss paper
- 1 tag
- mini ink pad
- paper punch
- scissors
- 2 glue sticks
- ribbon
- crayons
- stickers
- playing cards
- glassine envelopes
- cancelled postage stamps
How The Two Classes Went
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I taught in Ontario on December 9, 2011, and in Santa Ana on January 13, 2012. My experience in each class was similar: wonderful! The kids were curious, excited, and engaged. They were intrigued by the examples of art journaling that I shared (I brought my 13 completed art journals with me), and when they received their art journal kits they were over the moon!
They oohed, aahed, and had a great time looking through the supplies in their kits. Soon they were busy creating, and they happily worked to complete the two art journal pages I assigned – a “favorite things” page, and a page of collage. Many also worked on customizing the blank, white front and back covers of their journals.
Similar Materials, Varied & Wonderful Results
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One of my favorite things about teaching, aside from nurturing the children’s creativity, self-esteem, and overall educational experience, is seeing the way each child works through the creative process. Though they all receive the same types of materials, each child has their own style and they invariably use the materials in clever ways that often surprise me.
Art journaling develops their brains and hearts in wonderful ways. They solve design problems as they execute their artistic ideas, and they develop fine motor skills as they cut, glue, draw, wrap, and punch. They don’t realize this, of course. To them it’s just fun!
Up Next? Two Art Journal Shows!
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I’ll be returning to each classroom at the end of the school year to celebrate the work the children have done with an Art Journal Show. Parents, other classes, and school administrators will be invited to come and see the art the kids have created, and I can’t wait to see their work.
THANK YOU
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The teachers, students, and administrators at both schools are so thankful for the instruction and materials, and I certainly couldn’t make this happen on my own. Thank you to all who donated supplies, gift cards, and funds, and to the three wonderful ladies who helped me assemble the art journal packets. I’d also like thank my hubby for helping me wrangle boxes, and for helping in many other ways!
I recently received thank you letters from the class I taught last month. Here are a few excerpts:
“Thank you for all the supplies. I could never afford all of that for our class. Thank you for the art journals and the art journals lesson.”
V.B.
“You helped me to express my feelings. And you helped me to cheer up crying sad times.”
T. M
“That was the best day of my life. Thank you for teaching us how to do collage and art. I loved the stuff you gave us.”
D.S.
Until Next Time…
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I’ll be sure to post about the two Art Journal Shows at the end of the school year. In the meantime I’m accepting donations on a year-round basis, so if you’re inspired to send some art supplies you aren’t using or a gift card, please contact me for my mailing address. I’ll be teaching art journaling each school year, and would love to teach two classrooms of children (or more!) again next year. Thank you for your consideration!
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in art, art journaling
Tagged art journaling class for kids, art journaling for kids, helping others
20 Comments
Book Giveaway: Creative Pilgrimage
I’m pleased to offer a copy of Jenny Doh’s newest book for this month’s giveaway! The book?
Creative Pilgrimage: An Exploration of Artful Gatherings and Discovery of Innovative Art Techniques
I’m very familiar with this book, and know just how fantastic it is because I’ve literally read it from cover to cover! I proofread this book for Jenny back in July, and eagerly poured over the pages. Not only does the book include information about national art gatherings, it also spotlights 14 spectacular artists and shares some of their wonderful how-to projects. From Alisa Burke to Flora Bowley, you’ll learn about the artists and will learn how to re-create their techniques and projects.
This soft-cover book is 152 pages long, and includes both full-color photos and detailed project instructions. An added bonus: this copy has been signed by Jenny Doh (the book’s creator), Kim Caldwell (Artistic Bliss event founder), and Stephanie Jones Rubiano (contributing artist). Nice! The book retails for $24.99, but one lucky winner will receive Creative Pilgrimage at no cost.
Flora Bowley, page 31
Stephanie Jones Rubiano, page 127
Lisa Kaus project, page 67
How To Enter
1. Subscribe to my blog at www.melodynunez.com. Please be sure to confirm your Feedburner subscription via the email that’s sent immediately after you subscribe. (Check your junk mail box if you don’t see it in your inbox.) If you’re already subscribed, you can skip this step.
2. “Like” my website’s Facebook fan page HERE. If you’ve already “liked” it, you can skip this step.
3. Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite color.
You must complete all three steps to be entered. I will announce the winner on Tuesday, January 24th, so please enter by Monday, January 23rd. Good luck, everyone!
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in art, books, crafts, giveaway, inspiration
Tagged artful gatherings, Creative Pilgrimage, mixed media
22 Comments
DIY: Making Greeting Cards from Scraps!
As previously mentioned in my post about making your own greeting cards, I send out a lot of cards. Thank you cards, “just because” cards, birthday cards – you name it! And because we’ve been on a tighter budget for the past year, I’m focusing more on making cards instead of buying them.
Today I’m sharing how I made dozens of lovely cards on the cheap. The main ingredients? Decorative paper scraps, blank greeting cards and envelopes, and a bit of time.
Paper scrap hoarders, this one’s for you!
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If you’re like me, you hate to throw away smaller pieces of paper and often save them for someday. Well, someday has come! This is the perfect way to use some of the scraps of paper you’ve saved. Similar to quilting, this is a way to let some of your favorite pieces of paper live on in a new project – one that will brighten someone else’s day.
Greeting Cards from Scraps – Materials
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Blank greeting cards and envelopes
Decorative paper scraps & colored cardstock
White cardstock
Elmer’s Glue Spots (or another adhesive)
Rubber stamps
Black ink pad
How-To: It’s as easy as 1-2-3!
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1. Cut your decorative paper scraps into rectangles.
2. Select three paper pieces that appeal to you and adhere them to a blank greeting card vertically.
3. Stamp a greeting onto a white rectangle with black ink and adhere the greeting piece horizontally.
Helpful Hints:
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1. Measure before you start cutting: my cards have three vertical rectangles and one white horizontal rectangle. My blank greeting cards measure 5” x 6 ½”. My vertical rectangles are 1 ¾” x 4” each. My white, horizontal rectangles are 1 ½” x 2 ¾”.
2. Cut an assortment of colors and patterned scraps, so you have many pieces to play with. Try a variety of color combinations and patterns together. Because I was using scraps I ended up with different color and pattern combinations that I might’ve used if I’d started with all new materials. This is a great creative exercise!
3. Batch each set of tasks together to save time: cut all the vertical rectangles, then cut all the horizontal rectangles, then stamp all the greetings at the same time, etc.
One Design, Many Occasions…
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This card design will work for just about any occasion, if the sentiment, colors and patterns are appropriate. The design is simple enough that you can play with color and texture without overwhelming the eye…
The Nitty Gritty
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I made 28 cards in this batch. Each blank card/envelope cost me 20 cents. I already had the paper scraps, rubber stamps, ink, and adhesive, so the cost of each card was well below the $3.00 average one might pay for a greeting card from a store. Total potential savings? Over $75!
That doesn’t factor in time spent, of course, but I’m basing this “nitty gritty” on money put out for materials. Besides, for me, making cards to send to those I care about is an act of love. And you definitely can’t put a price on a loving gesture…
Please let me know if you have any questions. Will you try making some of your own Greeting Cards from Scraps? If so, happy crafting!
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in crafts, DIY, inspiration, life in general
Tagged making cards from scraps, paper scraps
12 Comments
Slide Mailer Pendants
I’m pleased to share my newest Design Team project – these slide mailer pendants were so fun to make! They were made to be pendants on long necklaces, but they’d also make lovely ornaments. You can hang them on ribbon, on a long chain, or hang them from an ornament hook. I included a special photo in each pendant – one of my Grandma Neva, and one of my Aunt Bobby, but you can customize both the interior and exterior of your pendants however you’d like.
Botanical Slide Mailer Pendant
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Apply gesso or white craft paint to a cardboard medical slide mailer. Let dry.
Stamp cover of slide mailer with a stamp image from the Romantic Botanicals stamp set using Black StazOn ink. Acting quickly, immediately sprinkle gold and silver Schmincke powder on the image, giving it a light dusting. Wait a moment or two, then dust off the excess metallic powder with a soft, dry paintbrush.
Trim a photo to fit inside the recessed rectangular spot on the inside of the slide mailer and glue down. Use more gold Schmincke powder, water, and a paintbrush to add a metallic gold frame around the edge of the photo. Attach a silver metal tag with the word “heart” stamped on it to the bottom of the photo, and attach a small metallic gold paper heart on the right side of the tag.
Use an awl to poke a hole in the top center of the right side of the mailer, and run a large silver jump ring through the hole. Finish the piece by accenting the front panel of the slide mailer pendant with gold metallic rub-ons. Thread the jump ring with ribbon or a chain.
Notions Slide Mailer Pendant
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Apply gesso or white craft paint to a cardboard medical slide mailer. Let dry. Stamp cover of slide mailer with the stitched edge border stamp from the Stitches & Dots stamp set using Black StazOn ink. Apply another layer of gesso over the top of the stamped panel – this mutes the intensity of the stitching.
Trim a photo to fit inside the recessed rectangular spot on the inside of the slide mailer and glue down. Use 1/8” black masking tape to frame the photo in black, or simply mat the photo with black cardstock before gluing the photo down – making sure the black mat fits within the opening.
Attach a small button to the rounded section of the recessed opening with an Elmer’s Glue Spot or a glue dot.
Use an awl to poke a hole in the top left corner of the right side of the mailer, and run a large silver jump ring through the hole. Attach three buttons to the cover panel with Glue Spots or glue dots, and thread the jump ring with ribbon or a chain.
I hope you like these pendants as much as I do! Please let me know if you have any questions. I reply to all comments and questions, and am always happy to hear from you, dear readers…
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in art, crafts, DIY, inspiration, vintage
Tagged Design Team Project, pendant, slide mailer, slide mailer pendants
6 Comments
DIY: Aluminum Star Ornaments – Frugal & Festive!
‘Tis the season to create and decorate on a budget – at least it is for me – and I recently whipped up some darling ornaments made from empty Diet Coke cans. With just a few simple materials and a bit of time I was able to create several ornaments, and am thrilled with how they turned out! Please keep reading to see how you can make some aluminum star ornaments of your own.
Supplies
Empty aluminum cans (I used 12 oz. cans)
Small, sharp knife with a pointed tip
Scissors
Fine grit sand paper
Small hammer
Paper towels
Gesso or white craft paint*
Ball Point Pen
1/8” hole punch
Caution – sharp edges!
Please be careful: the edges of aluminum cans can be very sharp, so it would be wise to wear gloves – especially when first cutting up the cans. I do not recommend this project for children. The finished ornaments should be used and/or displayed in a way that children, animals, and accident-prone adults won’t be able to harm themselves on any pointy edges.
Beginning Your Ornaments
Begin by using a small knife to cut a slit in the aluminum can near to the top. Make an opening big enough to comfortably fit the blades of your scissors into. Use your scissors to cut along the top rim and remove the can top completely. Cut vertically down the side of the can, and then cut along the bottom until you have three pieces: the top, the bottom, and a rectangular piece of aluminum that was the “body” of the can. Carefully discard the top, and rinse the body of the can with water. If desired, put the bottoms aside for use at a later time.
Carefully dry the rectangular piece of aluminum, and trim off any particularly jagged edges that might grab at you while you’re working. Use the fine grit sand paper to sand off any of the can’s coloration or label that you don’t like. I sanded off the smaller Diet Coke logo, but left most of the large red and black shapes. Sand the plain silver side, too, being sure to sand it multiple directions. This will give the metal a nice finish.
Hammer Time!
Place a piece of aluminum can on on top of a soft surface, like a sofa or a bed, and hammer the piece lightly until it’s flat-ish. (Lay a cloth between the can and your soft surface to avoid scratching anything.) You can strike the piece randomly, and it doesn’t have to be perfectly flat. The goal is just to flatten the rounded curve of the original can to a flatter surface.
Next, dip a paper towel into a small cup of gesso or white craft paint, and smear a thin layer onto the surface of your metal on the printed side, making sure the application is relatively uniform. Let dry for a minute or so, then use another paper towel to wipe off a bit more of the gesso. Let dry completely.
A Star is Born
Use a star stencil that fits on your gessoed aluminum pieces and trace the star shape with a ball point pen. Cut the star out, cutting just inside the inked lines so they don’t appear on your finished piece. Punch a hole on one of the star’s points. You can hang your star with ribbon, fishing line, or an ornament hook.
*Please note: If you’ll only be showing the silver “inside of the can” side of your ornaments, you don’t have to sand the outside of the can or apply the gesso/paint.
I used 6 aluminum cans and made 12 star ornaments, but your results may vary depending on the size of your stars. Please let me know if you have any questions. As always, I’m happy to help and love hearing from you, dear readers! Oh, and be sure to read Tuesday’s post – I’ll be sharing photos of my work cubicle’s 2011 holiday décor, and these star ornaments are among my decorations…
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in crafts, DIY, holidays, life in general
Tagged aluminum can ornaments, frugal, green crafts, upcycle
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I’m Very Thankful…
I’m thankful for so many things, and always strive to express my thanks. Saying thank you in person, sending thank you notes, and appreciating life’s many gifts – big and small – are ingrained in my spirit and in my being. I believe in expressing love and appreciation as you feel it, partly because there’s no guarantee for tomorrow. There’s no time better for expressing thanks than our here and now.
In that vein, I’d like to thank everyone who gave so generously and helped so much with my Art Supply Drive. The response was so good that I have enough supplies to teach two classrooms of children for the first time since I started my little grassroots art journaling project.
Approximately 80 children will receive the gift of art and positive self-expression this school year. I’m SO excited and happy – my heart is full, brimming with appreciation for all your help. Whether you sent supplies, a gift card, a check, re-tweeted my call for supplies, or simply offered moral support and encouragement, I sincerely thank you.
I’ll post about my teaching experiences after I’ve taught the two classes. In the meantime, thank you for helping me to plant seeds of creativity and kindness. I think we’d all agree that this can be a crazy and disheartening world – it’s a pleasure to be involved with something so positive and helpful, and to receive such support!
Warm regards,
Melody
Also posted in art, art journaling
Tagged art journaling class for kids, Pay It Forward
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Studio Experiments with Inkodye
Have you heard of Inkodye? I wasn’t familiar with it until a few weeks ago, but was lucky enough to experiment with Inkodye at a recent Create and Share party at Studio Crescendoh – such fun! My creative cohorts and I painted, tie-dyed and played, and were fascinated with the results. It’s really neat to see the color “magically” appear and deepen.
Some of the materials I brought – photographed before we started to play…
Inkodye is a light-sensitive dye that can be used in a myriad of ways. The solution is applied to your item of choice, exposed to sunlight in order to develop the color, and is then washed off with warm, soapy water to stop the chemical process. Inkodye comes in a variety of colors, and is best used on natural fibers like cotton.
I used Inkodye and a piece of eyelet trim to treat this swatch of muslin.
That said, I successfully used Inkodye on some inexpensive 100% acetate ribbon, and loved the results. I used some eyelet trim I’d purchased at a thrift store to create the pattern on the ribbon, think it’s darling. I look forward to using this “Inkodyed” ribbon in an upcoming project!
The treated acetate ribbon. Love it!
*The two photos above feature Inkodye experiments made by some of my fellow artists…
To find out more about Inkodye, please visit their website. You can see some of their project tutorials there, including a lampshade and the most darling hair ribbon ever! Have you ever used Inkodye? If so, what base material(s) did you use it on? Please let me know if you’ve already tried Inkodye, or hope to…
Warm regards,
Melody
*The photographs on this blog post show work created by Jenny Doh, Sarah Meehan, Tracy Shultz, and myself.
**Full disclosure: In exchange for my attendance at the Create and Share party, I was asked to post a blog about my experience and to tweet about it.
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