My 1st IKEA Hack

MY STORY

     If you have ever spent a minute on Instagram or Pinterest you know about IKEA hacks.  My husband and I are obsessed with the MOPPE mini storage box.  Very simple, well priced with a wealth of opportunities on how to use.

    I was looking for a new box for jewelry/make up and I decided this was my chance to delve into the IKEA hack world.  My inspiration was the Tiffany blue box, as nothing says jewelry or girly like Tiffany!

YOUR TURN

    For my example I used:

• MOPPE mini storage box from IKEA
• Krylon spray paint/primer in Blue Ocean Breeze (I googled "Tiffany Blue/Krylon" to come up with a perfect match)
• Krylon spray paint Clear Sealer
• Assorted doorknobs
• Assorted costume jewelry pins
• Disposable gloves
• E6000 glue
• Fabric
• Sandpaper
• Tin snips
• Tack Cloth

          File down any rough edges with fine grit sandpaper and clean up with a tack cloth.  With any spray painting, follow the manufacturer's instructions.  I applied about three coats of Krylon Paint+Primer in Blue Ocean Breeze to achieve the coverage I wanted.  

          Remove the drawers to paint separately.  As you will see why later, I painted the "back" of the drawer as opposed to the front with the finger pull.  

          Once all coats have dried, spray with the clear sealer -- I only used one coat of the sealer.

           Measure the inside of the drawers and cut your fabric accordingly.  You will end up with 6 pieces of interior fabric.

           STUDIO HINT:  When searching for fabric to use, find one that is machine washable.  I chose not to glue down so they would be easy to wash -- especially when using for a makeup box.  

           I wanted to have "glam doorknobs" so I selected some shiny silver ones as my base.  Measure carefully and screw in the knobs.  This is why I turned the drawers around when painting.  I thought using these as opposed to the finger pulls made it a little more dressy.

          When the doorknobs are secure, lay out different pins to see which ones you want to use.  I have been collecting pins since I was a kid, but EBAY has some great deals which is where I received this stash from.

           Using the tin snips, cut off the back of the pins so you are left with a flatter surface for adhering to the top of the knob.

           STUDIO HINT:  Cut the backs off over a garbage pail otherwise you will find little bits of pins next time you are walking around your craft area.  And you usually you will find them when you are barefoot.

           Cover the back of the pin, and a little bit of the knob, with the E6000 glue.  Hold in place for a few minutes to set up.

          

And my first IKEA hack is done!   Happy Crafting!

Playing with Gelli Pt 2

MY STORY

     I have become just a tad addicted to gelatin mono printing with products from Gel Press I discovered on Facebook.  This posting includes some additional techniques and the results are fun, easy to adapt and experiment with.  Check out their product and tutorials on their website CLICK HERE

YOUR TURN

     I have used various paints and papers to achieve different effects.  With just a small amount of paint and inexpensive papers you can create unique prints that can be used on various projects -- journaling, cards, decor.  See the previous post at The Everyday Muse for more ideas.

Utilizing other paper:  Stampington & Company publish numerous national magazines in the craft area.  Many of their magazines include free artist paper.  I tried using of these papers and add printing on top of it.  I actually used way too much paint on this example and covered the paper so the original was gone.  But I still liked the outcome.

Red & gun metal acrylics, rubber stamp for texture, brayer for spreading paint

You can lift off excess paint with deli paper.

Metallic Reactive Paints:  I love the metallic reactive paints from Ten Second Studios.  When the special spray is added to the wet paint, you can create interesting patina finishes based on the colors you use.  

More can be found on the Ten Seconds Studio website:  Click Here

This example uses the copper and iron base paints

Pull a texturizing tool through the wet paint

The tool creates some interesting textures

With first coat

With sea sponge, apply second coat of paint where desired. Immediately spray with patina finish

Shiny!!!

Stencils:  In my earlier post I showed how you can use stencils to create positive/negative effects.  These would be great in facing journal pages, etc., as the prints complement each other.

Used black, light blue and white to create a wintry night sky

Position stencil as desired

Pull your first print

Remove stencil

Pull another print creating what is called a ghost print

First pull using metallic reactive paint

Remove stencil, pull a ghost print

Adding patina spray

I'm not much of a freehand sketcher so I tried laying a stencil underneath the gelli plate and brush on paint instead of spreading with a brayer.  I'm not completely overjoyed but I think it would be better with a simpler stencil.  But this piece can still be used in a project:

Paper Mache: Using a large letter as my paint surface I love these results.  I added a coordinating canvas as a backing to add some interest.

White, light blue, burnt umber acrylics

Add rubber stamp for texture

missed a spot, but there's plenty of paint left on the plate

A ghost print once you remove the letter.  Not perfect but love the colors and how rich the stamped texture came out

Reload with the same paint and a different stamp for texture

coated canvas

More Ghost Prints:

First pull using black, light blue and white + texture tool

Second Pull