Preview: Diane Stafford's Posts - Art Hobby Crafts Creative Network
Diane Stafford's Posts - Art Hobby Craft Creative Network ForumUpdated: 2012-02-10T12:10:45Z
Holiday and Seasons Greetings to all at Art Hobby Craft 2011-12-15T13:00:00.000Z Holiday and Seasons Greetings from Diane and Familyframeborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jkqkOtylfYM?modestbranding=1&rel=0&wmode=opaque" width="480">The holiday season is almost upon us and no doubt the snow will soon be falling here in the UK - will we have a white Christmas? Planning 'turkey on the beach'? our… Holiday and Seasons Greetings from Diane and Familywidth="480" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jkqkOtylfYM?modestbranding=1&rel=0&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0">The holiday season is almost upon us and no doubt the snow will soon be falling here in the UK - will we have a white Christmas? Planning 'turkey on the beach'? our Holiday Season best wishes outstretched in global reach hope you'll all be having a ball Holiday and Seasons Greetings from Diane and Family
have fun
Special thanks to Karen of Pledging for Change who helped create our Christmas Wishes Video - click here for more information
Silk Painting Entry Wins Competition 2011-08-21T18:40:41.000Z Congratulations to Art Hobby Craft member, Ron Gutman, whose beautiful silk painting entry for the SPIN competition has been awarded the proud title of "winning entry"!
Here's Ron's Silk Painting… Congratulations to Art Hobby Craft member, Ron Gutman, whose beautiful silk painting entry for the SPIN competition has been awarded the proud title of "winning entry"!
Here's Ron's Silk Painting (image) Congratulations On behalf of all Art Hobby Craft members, congratulations Ron on your stunning entry - a well deserved accolade.
Ron Says:
"I've just been honored to have my recent silk painting chosen as the 'Signature Piece' for the SPIN (Silk Painters International) Festival to be held in Santa Fe, NM next year! Many celebrated and skilled international artists contributed designs/paintings on silk for this contest. I am delighted that my work was so recognized amongst all the entries and to share it with all of you! Special 'Thanks' goes out to all of you who have commented and complimented on my work...I am in much appreciation."
Warli Art Work by Art Hobby Craft Members 2011-07-27T15:44:36.000Z It's been fabulous to see some of our art hobby craft members share their warli art with us, and have featured some of their work here for you. This is the first warli painting done by Sai What is Warli Art?… It's been fabulous to see some of our art hobby craft members share their warli art with us, and have featured some of their work here for you. This is the first warli painting done by Sai What is Warli Art? "The pared down pictorial language is matched by a rudimentary technique. The ritual paintings are usually done inside the huts. The walls are made of a mixture of branches, earth and cow dung, making a red ochre background for the wall paintings. The Warli use only white for their paintings. Their white pigment is a mixture of rice paste and water with gum as a binding. They use a bamboo stick chewed at the end to make it as supple as a paintbrush. The wall paintings are done only for special occasions such as weddings or harvests. The lack of regular artistic activity explains the very crude style of their paintings, which were the preserve of the womenfolk until the late 1970s." [ read more form source Wiki on Warli art ] AHC Members Warli Art This warli art drawing was submitted in support of Drawing Day by Anita Kumar This is one of several Warli Art Notebooks created by Art Hobby Craft Member Lalita Solomon Member Latha Sundarrajan, has added warli art as decoration to these beautiful clay pots. Don't they look great? More Warli Art by AHC Members The above warli art pieces are just a few of the pieces that art hobby craft members have created. You can see more Warli Art by these and other AHC Members by clicking on the Warli Art Gallery - Here I hope you enjoy these warli art works as much as we do Thanks to all AHC Members for sharing your work with us. Diane & Rubina[...]
Lucian Freud Dies - His Legacy Lives On 2011-07-22T10:00:00.000Z (image) photo courtesy BBC
You may well have already heard the news that Artist Lucian Freud has died.
He had an interesting & long life - his art will… (image) photo courtesy BBC
You may well have already heard the news that Artist Lucian Freud has died.
He had an interesting & long life - his art will now become his legacy to inspire artists of the future.
If you are not familiar with his works, you can read a short article here - Lucian Freud Dies
...and you'll find a link to a video of some of his works on that page.
Diane
Create Digital Art from Your Original Painting 2011-07-02T14:23:41.000Z When we get a bit of spare time, a rare commodity, my daughters are starting to learn how to create digital art from their original paintings and drawings. The digital art image above is… When we get a bit of spare time, a rare commodity, my daughters are starting to learn how to create digital art from their original paintings and drawings. The digital art image above is the first one by one of my girls. She has used Photoshop (Adobe Software) to make digital changes to her original painting.
First, she took the photo of her original painting, as shown in the Painting Practice article, here it is again for comparison... Once in Photoshop, she created a number of layers and applied different digital features, such as colour, hair strands, overlay effects and a lens flare, to the image, to create her first digital art piece of work.
She'll be trying out different effects on this same image over the next week or so, spare time depending, and we'll add the new images to Art Hobby Craft to show you the different results she achieves with a bit of practice.
If you want to try your hand to create Digital Art yourself, you'll find graphic software resources (including a free program) listed at the bottom of this eCover article
Happy digital art creating
Painting Practice Tip Using A Magazine Picture 2011-07-02T13:48:55.000Z Painting practice tip using a magazine picture is a simple method my creative daughters use. The image below is a photo of one of my girls draft practice paintings. (image) Painting practice tip using a magazine picture is a simple method my creative daughters use. The image below is a photo of one of my girls draft practice paintings. (image)
For this rough draft study she:
In the middle, blank, section, she drew out a rough sketch of the face features. When she was happy with the layout and drawing, she began practicing painting in the middle section to try and match the magazine picture.
Whilst she hasn't got the colours absolutely correct in this draft study, she's achieved a reasonable finish and she gained more practice. Grab A Good Quality Magazine Photo & PracticeYou can use the same practice technique for any magazine picture,
whatever topic you are interested in painting!
The more you practice, the better you get at selecting the correct colours in your work and the more you learn about composition, perspective, facial expressions, and other painting elements.
If you give this technique a try, do let us know how you get on.
thanks
Outdoor Sculpture - Is Art a Flip Flop? 2011-06-30T10:24:07.000Z Are You Stuck For Creative Ideas? If you've ever been stuck for creative ideas for your art or craft work, then this is perhaps a reminder that really, anything goes!
Outdoor Sculpture Is Art a Flip Flop (image) All you need is a little bit of imagination and in no time at all you've got an… Are You Stuck For Creative Ideas? If you've ever been stuck for creative ideas for your art or craft work, then this is perhaps a reminder that really, anything goes!
Outdoor Sculpture Is Art a Flip Flop (image) All you need is a little bit of imagination and in no time at all you've got an outdoor sculpture, or work of art, from seemingly everyday objects.
I just had to share this flip flop outdoor sculpture with you today. My sister emailed me this earlier this morning, she knows I love quirky art stuff. (image) This cute character looks like it's sunbathing or relaxing in the park, but have you guessed what it's made from? Need a closer look?
(image) You should be able to see that this cute outdoor sculpture has actually been created from flip flops! Here's another close up of this unusual sculpture. (image) I'd love to give credit to the creators, but unfortunately, as is usually the case with emails that go round the internet, there was no credit given. If you know where this sculpture was 'relaxing' or who created it, please do let me know and I'll give them a creative mention.
Isn't it amazing how you can create art from the most commonplace things?
enjoy Diane
eCovers : How To Create Your Own eBook Covers 2011-06-29T15:30:00.000Z How To Create Your Own eBook Covers This ebook cover example has been created using AHC Member, Janice's work and indeed based on an ebook she offers on her website - NewSheer. Janice's Profile Several AHC… How To Create Your Own eBook Covers This ebook cover example has been created using AHC Member, Janice's work and indeed based on an ebook she offers on her website - NewSheer. Janice's Profile Several AHC Members have asked how I create eCovers for eBooks. Here's the process I use personally. Starting With A Flat Image Design To achieve a good quality finished eBook cover, you have to start with a good quality design, which is usually designed and prepared as a flat image, similar to the one on the left (only a lot larger obviously). Nowadays I use Fireworks (or Photoshop), Adobe Software . However you can download a graphics software tool called GIMP. Download GIMP from here (it's free) Make sure you only use product/craft images that you own the copyright (or usage rights) to. Once I've designed the flat cover, I use a very affordable and easy to use tool to generate the actual "Product" images. This little desktop tool can create a wide range of product images, not just eBooks, but also DVD's, disk covers, workbooks, hard books, magazines that are open, flat, folded brochures and many others besides! All you do is open up the ecover software application, select the 'product' image you want to create and then 'add' your flat design, crop the visual area to fit, for example, the front cover, the side text, etc etc. Then arrange, adjust the lighting, add or remove a reflection and hey presto, render the image and it comes out as a finished eBook or product design/representation that you can add to your blog or website, to start promoting and selling your product. eCover Software Order Page Here = Cost approx $96.00 (including tax) - at the top of that page, just change the currency drop down box to your currency to see how much it is. Can it save you money? Absolutely Yes! And it can save you hours of creativity time! If you want a product ecover professionally designed for you it could cost anywhere from $60 - $240 dollars (or more). Most of the designers work costs will be in the time taken to create your concept and design your flat image! If you are starting out and have a small budget, using GIMP yourself for the main design will save you lots of design time/money. The eCover software quickly and easily converts your flat image into your new product! In just a few minutes, your flat image is rendered and transformed into a high quality image! Using both these tools and your 'creative eye' for design, you can create as many product ecover images as you like, whenever you like without the ongoing costs per item! Importance of Quality If you present your potential buyers with a poor quality image of your digital product, you lose their trust in the perceived quality and therefore the value of your product and they may not buy it! By presenting a high quality eCover, even though this is a digital product, your potential customers perceive it to be as good as, or higher in quality to, that of a physical product and are much more likely to buy it! So there you have it, that is how I create quality product eCovers for myself and for my clients... ... and now you can create yours too! Diane my profile on AHC Resources: Download GIMP free here Buy eCover Software Here Adobe Software[...]
Pencil Portrait Drawing 2011-06-19T13:30:00.000Z (image)
I've added a featured artist article about pencil… (image)
I've added a featured artist article about pencil portrait drawing HERE, where you'll also find a link to download a FREE ebook from Christopher.
These are the shading techniques that he uses in his own pencil portraits.
I haven't downloaded my own copy yet, but I'll be off to do that shortly to check it out.
Let me know what you think below. thanks Diane
Drawing Day 2011 has Arrived - Entries are Rolling in 2011-06-04T10:43:22.000Z Whether you are joining in the Drawing Day fun or coming to view Art Hobby Craft Members Drawings, you can keep tabs on how the day is progressing here. We've added the Drawing Day Gallery slideshow below, so you can revisit this page any time and watch the slideshow which will automatically update as new Drawings are added to the Gallery throughout the day, and weekend. Add Your Drawing Day… Whether you are joining in the Drawing Day fun or coming to view Art Hobby Craft Members Drawings, you can keep tabs on how the day is progressing here. We've added the Drawing Day Gallery slideshow below, so you can revisit this page any time and watch the slideshow which will automatically update as new Drawings are added to the Gallery throughout the day, and weekend. Add Your Drawing Day Encouragement & Feedback You can find the Drawing Day Gallery here .... where you can view individual drawings to add your encouragement and feedback to the Art Hobby Craft member on their drawing. Just Click On The Drawing Image You Want To comment On then Leave Your Message In The Comment Box. We hope you enjoy participating in the day and viewing members fantastic drawings. Thanks to everyone who is taking part in Drawing Day 2011. Diane & Rubina[...]
How To Paint Abstract Art with Acrylics 2011-06-03T10:30:00.000Z ArtHobby Craft Member, [ lldi, ] who makes fabulous paper mache work, asked a question about how to paint abstract art with acrylic paints. Personally, I love 'abstract' art, because it doesn't really have any 'rules'. You can paint your own creative representation of an object, person or place, without it having to be an exact 'copy' or… ArtHobby Craft Member, [ lldi, ] who makes fabulous paper mache work, asked a question about how to paint abstract art with acrylic paints. Personally, I love 'abstract' art, because it doesn't really have any 'rules'. You can paint your own creative representation of an object, person or place, without it having to be an exact 'copy' or 'picture' of the subject. You can also use acrylic paint or indeed other mediums to paint places, people or objects that exist only in your imagination. Like this landscape for example, it doesn't exist as a specific place. This was a draft painting I did for a much larger project. It needed to loosely represent the local Spanish landscape but 'had' to have the exact greens and blues in it to match the accent colour scheme of the persons house. They also wanted a 'soft' look rather than a bold painting. To achieve this, I used a palette knife to paint the abstract shapes on a brush painted gradient background and thin layer over thin layer to build the scene. This painting also underwent a few water baths, some scratching and several sessions of sand-papering to soften the painting and to give a fabric like finish. Here's a closer look at the softness of the finish. If you want to "have a go" at painting abstract art you may want to start with having 'something' to paint. Choose your topic, but don't get 'hung up' on your painting having to look like the topic. Use the topic more as a guide and tell yourself that it doesn't have to look like a replica of that topic/place/person/object etc. It's just an inspiration to get going. Alternatively, starting with a blank canvas, with absolutely nothing in mind, pick up your paints and start painting! There is no right or wrong, let your painting evolve. It's amazing what you begin to 'see' in your painting and how it can "tell you" what it wants to be/represent. The main thing when trying abstract art, is to have fun, let your creative inspirations guide you and simply try out ANY technique that comes to mind. AHC Member [ Glenn Farquhar ] teaches people how to paint abstract art for their home, and he also emphasizes "Have Fun"! Here's a little clip from Glenn. src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/5831643?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" height="320" width="400"> Art Fusion Trailer from ArtFusion on Vimeo. [...]
How To Make Cold Porcelain Video Series by Meire Bari 2011-05-29T19:30:00.000Z Cold Porcelain Expert Meire Bari has prepared a Video series on How To Make Cold Porcelain. With the help of her son, Alek, who is behind the camera and assisting with translation, Meire takes you through her step by step process for making Cold Porcelain Paste. Video One - Materials, Ingredients and Mixing Video Two - Cooking Cold Porcelain Paste in… Cold Porcelain Expert Meire Bari has prepared a Video series on How To Make Cold Porcelain. With the help of her son, Alek, who is behind the camera and assisting with translation, Meire takes you through her step by step process for making Cold Porcelain Paste. Video One - Materials, Ingredients and Mixing Video Two - Cooking Cold Porcelain Paste in Microwave SAFETY TIP - The paste will be hot - take care not to burn yourself! Top Tip: Cook at one minute and then 30 second intervals until the paste reaches the firmness you want to work with. Softer cold porcelain clay for beginners, firmer clay for more advanced. Video Three - Kneading The Cold Porcelain Dough Kneading the dough is essential to make sure that you mix all the cooked ingredients together properly and remove any lumps that may have occurred whilst cooking. Meire cooked for her Cold Porclelain for a total of 5 minutes 45 seconds. Video Four - More Kneading - Different Cold Porcelain Pastes and Coloring CP Meire explains which paints you can use to color and paint on your cold porcelain. Acrylics, oils etc... note, oil paints give dark colors, acrylics are best for lighter colors and skin color for your dough. See the end of the video for the ingredient list. ----------------- Expert Bio Art Hobby Craft Member - Meire Bari Meire Bari is a Cold Porcelain Artist and Teacher visit her website shop - Meire Bari Cold Porcelain ----------------- Many thanks to Meire and Alek for sharing your work and contributing your cold porcelain recipe and tips here for Art Hobby Craft Members. [...]
Navigating Art Hobby Craft Website 2011-03-11T17:43:54.000Z It can be a little daunting and confusing to find your way around Art Hobby Craft website. If you are ever stuck to know where to go, please head on over to my profile CLICK HERE - The first section at the top (center) explains what you can do on AHC - and you'll see some blue linked text throughout my Profile Introduction, which you can click on to go to the relevant section of the… It can be a little daunting and confusing to find your way around Art Hobby Craft website. If you are ever stuck to know where to go, please head on over to my profile CLICK HERE - The first section at the top (center) explains what you can do on AHC - and you'll see some blue linked text throughout my Profile Introduction, which you can click on to go to the relevant section of the site.
When you are ready to add an article for example, just click on the +ADD sign and begin. Also, don't forget to use the top menu buttons, some drop down with sub menus to help you find other things. If you have any questions, queries or just get lost in here, then always head back to my profile to send me a message, I'll answer as soon as I can.
Lovely Rubina is also available if you need help
Hope this helps
best regards Diane & Rubina
Corn Husk Dolls by June Lewis 2011-02-23T17:30:00.000Z (image)Corn Husk Dolls by June LewisJune shares her corn husk dolls with us on Art Hobby Craft, and passes on a couple of handy tips on how they are created and cared for. June Says: "The Field corn is picked from the corn fields of the Amish in a community a few miles away from where I live. The season to buy the husk ( after the field corn is removed) is in the fall at the harvest. The husk are then divided with only the perfect… (image)Corn Husk Dolls by June LewisJune shares her corn husk dolls with us on Art Hobby Craft, and passes on a couple of handy tips on how they are created and cared for. June Says: "The Field corn is picked from the corn fields of the Amish in a community a few miles away from where I live. The season to buy the husk ( after the field corn is removed) is in the fall at the harvest. The husk are then divided with only the perfect husk saved ( a lot of waste) they then are bleached & rinsed with warm water then spread out to dry. They then can be stored. To use the husk and begin the process of the doll, the husk has to be softened in warm water and worked with while damp. The corn husk doll was the first hand made American colonial doll made and is very durable. I have the " Legend of the Corn Husk " that I include with the doll when it is sold. If you can notice the corn husk with the deep rose apron. [in her photo - above] - That husk was in a stored box that was at least 22 years old . A light dusting is all they need and of course you never wash a corn husk doll with soap & water. They are also sprayed with a sealer also. (image) Will be happy to answer any more questions ...and again I thank you for your interest"
Do you have a question for June?
Artist Details: Visit June's Profile : photos by June
Paper Clay Sawdust Firing When You don't Have a Kiln 2010-11-02T15:30:00.000Z Paper Clay Sawdust Firing - No Kiln NeededIf you don't have access to a kiln don't let that put you off trying paper clay as an art and craft medium. Paper clay is just as easy to use as normal clay, although it takes a little more time to prepare, it's versatile nature makes it worthwhile and it is very forgiving when fired in sawdust or the extreme heat of a pit firing. Here's how to fire in sawdust: (object) (embed) This pit firing chamber… Paper Clay Sawdust Firing - No Kiln NeededIf you don't have access to a kiln don't let that put you off trying paper clay as an art and craft medium. Paper clay is just as easy to use as normal clay, although it takes a little more time to prepare, it's versatile nature makes it worthwhile and it is very forgiving when fired in sawdust or the extreme heat of a pit firing. Here's how to fire in sawdust: (object) (embed) This pit firing chamber is very similar to the one I have in my own back yard. The video demonstrates how you can fire your paper clay or ceramic creations in a pit fire, with sawdust as the main fuel, started off with a wood stick top fire. This can also be done on a small scale, for firing one or two small items, by using say a large biscuit tin or similar metal container with a lid. There does need to be air flow to get the fire started and keep it burning. See the Craft Books Section for an Easy Paper Clay Recipe Reviews of Recommended Books by Other Paper Clay Artists
Craft Style WordPress Theme Released - A Craft or Kids Website Design Solution 2010-06-07T10:00:00.000Z (image) Craft or Kids Focused Website Design Solution: New Release - View Demo Here: Craft Style WordPress Theme Using the Genesis Framework Craft… (image) Craft or Kids Focused Website Design Solution: New Release - View Demo Here: Craft Style WordPress Theme Using the Genesis Framework Craft Style has a bright, colorful design that’s visually attractive to website visitors, has a clean layout and uses ‘white space’ effectively, providing essential uncluttered display of content and products. Just to let fellow AHC members know that I've now released the Craft Style WordPress Child Theme as shown above, with a few more designs in the pipeline. You can view the demo craft style website layout through the link above. WordPress is certainly the most affordable way to get your craft business online nowadays, I use it all the time. I'll be adding more information about WP to the art hobby site soon for you. Also my virtual spring cleaning efforts are proving positive, although still ongoing (it'll probably keep me busy until next spring haha) . We've also improved the added value content for those of you on our member only newsletter, If you've got something of added value to share with newsletter members, do let me know, you know where to find me :) thanks (image) Ok that's my short update, but before I get back to virtual spring cleaning, another big thanks to Rubina for continuing to hold the fort here at art hobby craft as Admin. She's been a godsend to me whilst I've been slowly recovering from another severe Crohn's bout. thanks Rubina x
Artists and Crafters Learn How To Use Twitter 2010-02-18T17:00:00.000Z Artists and Crafters Learn How To Use Twitter with Webmums UPDATE: If you haven't opened a twitter account yet and are a bit nervous about how to - download this free… Artists and Crafters Learn How To Use Twitter with Webmums UPDATE: If you haven't opened a twitter account yet and are a bit nervous about how to - download this free Twitter Beginners Basics Guide You should then be able to follow the webmums twitter course more easily: FREE Twitter Course. This course is completely free to you. There are no hidden costs or nasty surprises, just exceptional value provided within this course helping you with your business. We developed this course with you in mind. We didn’t want to include fillers and stuff that you simply don’t need, so we’ve filtered out the chaff and we are pretty smug about the results. We’re bringing this to you in the same format as our ‘paid for’ courses, so you'll have a good variety of audio, reading materials and some swanky video too. We’ve totally got your back with this course, because not only are we givingit to you, we’re including all of this too! The Ethos of Twitter The Perfect Profile Finding Good Folks to Follow Using Tools to Make it Fun and a Whole Heap Better Forming a Marketing Strategy Massive Traffic Generation Managing Your Tweetin’ Time The Top Things You Should be Doing (& the Pesky Ones You Kinda Want to Avoid) I'm using 'we' above, but I can assure you that the joys of being the artistic creative, behind the scenes, kind of girl that I am, I get to do the nicer creative parts or some techy bits, whereas Nikki has been slaving away writing and preparing videos to get this Free Twitter Course ready for you .. Whether you're using twitter or not, you're sure to learn something you don't know yet!Join The Course Here: Learn How To Use TwitterEnjoy...DianeTwitter is a tradename and copyright of the ownerswe are not associated with Twitter.com[...]
Art & Craft Creative Wishes on Valentines Day 2010-02-14T17:53:59.000Z (image)Art & Craft Creative Wishes on Valentines DayWe can't let today pass without sending our art & craft creative wishes on Valentines Day to all Art Hobby Craft Members and Website Visitors. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY May your day be wonderful and full of love in whatever form that may be for you. Enjoy... Red Heart Lily by… (image) Art & Craft Creative Wishes on Valentines DayWe can't let today pass without sending our art & craft creative wishes on Valentines Day to all Art Hobby Craft Members and Website Visitors. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY May your day be wonderful and full of love in whatever form that may be for you. Enjoy... Red Heart Lily by Diane
The Successful Art to Pleasing Everyone 2010-02-01T15:30:00.000Z If there is a successful art to pleasing everyone, then it needs boxing up and selling! If you are aiming to please everyone, then I'm sorry to have to tell you the obvious. You just can't please everyone all of the time and if it were possible to please everyone, all of the time, then I for one would be very worried about society in general, but especially worried about artisans. Crikey if everyone was interested in, or wanted to learn about,… If there is a successful art to pleasing everyone, then it needs boxing up and selling! If you are aiming to please everyone, then I'm sorry to have to tell you the obvious. You just can't please everyone all of the time and if it were possible to please everyone, all of the time, then I for one would be very worried about society in general, but especially worried about artisans. Crikey if everyone was interested in, or wanted to learn about, the same thing, we'd be a very dull and boring bunch don't you think? What would happen to diversity? How would individuals sustain creativity? Here at Art Hobby Craft, we're not attempting to master the unattainable "successful art to pleasing everyone". We do however aim to please YOU as a unique, diverse and creative individual. There are many reasons why people join art hobby craft and your reasons for being a member here may be similar to other AHC members, yet will still be very different to others. AHC is an organically growing diverse arts and crafts site because you are uniquely you and part of a network of diverse creative people. Some come to be inspired by other members works of art and craftwork Some come to read interesting articles in the art blogs Some come to learn new hobbies or pick up some great techniques Some come to share their valuable expertise in their art or craft Some come to teach and help others achieve more with their hobby Some come to connect or chat, make friends, with like-minded crafts people Some come to promote their work, their website, their blogs through contributions (encouraged) Some come to promote their art and craft events, exhibitions or free classes, or undertake some art marketing Some come to learn how to blog, create a website or blog, gather a few technical tips Some come to spam the network (we try our best to spot them) Some come to dump their ebay listings (we remove them) Some come to pinch our members (positive karma thoughts on that one) Have we missed your reason off the list? On a general level, from the new to crafting, to the expert, most come to learn or contribute and share and encourage others in one way or another. Fabulous! Other Benefits There's also a lot going on behind the scenes between AHC and individual members, which by its very nature is private to the individuals concerned, so you'll only hear about those things from them directly, not us, if they decide to share their private information. Whilst we can't help everyone, we help when and where we can. But rest assured, if you need help with something in particular with your arts and crafts, don't hesitate to ask your question, if we have the time or can point you in the right direction, we will. The Disadvantages Our network based email system doesn't allow us to segment our member broadcast messages, so you'll receive 'blanket' emails which may include information that you as an individual may NOT be interested in. Please accept our apologies in advance for those occasions. We'll try our best to include something of at least general interest. This information page[...]
Make Your Own Fiber Kiln for Pottery by Simon Leach Ceramics 2010-01-29T21:19:38.000Z Make Your Own Kiln for Pottery by Simon Leach Ceramics Several Art Hobby Craft Members have expressed an interest in having their own gas or electric kiln for ceramic pottery and paperclay making. Buying a commercial kiln can be restrictive on cost, therefore, this alternative budget version option might be of interest to you. Below you'll find the instructions on how to Make Your Own Kiln by : … Make Your Own Kiln for Pottery by Simon Leach Ceramics Several Art Hobby Craft Members have expressed an interest in having their own gas or electric kiln for ceramic pottery and paperclay making. Buying a commercial kiln can be restrictive on cost, therefore, this alternative budget version option might be of interest to you. Below you'll find the instructions on how to Make Your Own Kiln by : Simon Leach, a well know ceramicist in his own right and son of David Leach, a master potter. Simon's brothers are also potters. Simon built this kiln for use as a raku kiln, using a wire frame, ceramic fiber and several homemade ceramic buttons. It's gas fired via a cheaply available garden weed burner. Anyway, go ahead and watch the videos below for the how to instructions: Video One : Overview of Materials Video Two : Firing Off The Ceramic Buttons Video Three : Adding Fired Buttons to the simple ceramic fiber kiln frame Video Four : The New Kiln Firing Pots Video Five : The Finished Pots After Firing with Glaze Recipe [...]
6 Steps to Creating Seaweed and Driftwood Craft Arrangements : Part Two by Shaquayla 2010-01-29T05:29:46.000Z Part Two: Continued from Part One of 6 Steps to creating seaweed and driftwood arrangements. Tutorial Added by Art Hobby Craft Member: Shaquayla Mackie STEP 4 Sea Sponges, Driftwood, shells: After they are dyed with dylon clothes dye, in the washing machine: I lay them out on an old trampoline in the sun… Part Two: Continued from Part One of 6 Steps to creating seaweed and driftwood arrangements. Tutorial Added by Art Hobby Craft Member: Shaquayla Mackie STEP 4 Sea Sponges, Driftwood, shells: After they are dyed with dylon clothes dye, in the washing machine: I lay them out on an old trampoline in the sun to thoroughly dry.. The items photographed are thoroughly dry. STEP 5 spray with a good fly/spider spray (optional) to kill any gremlins/bugs/ that have survived the process and to rid the items of any bugs/spiders that may have taken a liking to them whilst drying outside. This is not necessary, but I live in a rental home and try my best to keep it clean and spider free, as I bring these items indoors to store and work with over the next few month's. So the spray discourages cockroaches and spiders. STEP 6 These are your finished dyed sponges. They can be cut with scissors or used whole to make seaweed and sponge arrangements. Add your sponges to driftwood, arrange other mixed media craft items and you can create a stunning display. Here are some of Shaquayla's Creations: Artist : Tutorial Added by Art Hobby Craft Member: Shaquayla Mackie[...]
6 Steps to Creating Seaweed and Driftwood Craft Arrangements : Tutorial by Shaquayla 2010-01-29T05:00:00.000Z 6 Steps to Creating Seaweed and Driftwood Craft Arrangements: Part ONE Tutorial Added by Art Hobby Craft Member: Shaquayla Mackie Shaquayla shows you how to transform found items like seaweed, driftwood and other natural materials into beautiful craft items. In this tutorial she covers 6 Steps to Creating Seaweed and Driftwood Craft Arrangements. We've split the tutorial into two parts for… 6 Steps to Creating Seaweed and Driftwood Craft Arrangements: Part ONE Tutorial Added by Art Hobby Craft Member: Shaquayla Mackie Shaquayla shows you how to transform found items like seaweed, driftwood and other natural materials into beautiful craft items. In this tutorial she covers 6 Steps to Creating Seaweed and Driftwood Craft Arrangements. We've split the tutorial into two parts for you : Part One Covers Steps 1 to 3 STEP 1 Collected beach sponges and seaweed, shells,driftwood, small beach rocks,coral. STEP 2 In Australia we are very conscious of water conservation, so bucket the seaweed enriched water onto your garden. The plants will love it. STEP 3 First: Wash your seaweed in an old washing machine on a gentle cycle with detergent or wash out in a tub. Fill machine again add 2 litres of bleach : this does a large load of sponges and seaweed..so just the amount if doing a small load in a bucket or tub..don't stress this is not an exact science..have fun.. Leave to soak for around twelve hours to a day. Rinse. Fill machine or bucket/tub add a full packet bi-carbonate of soda (to absorb odours) leave to soak 12 hours -1 day, rinse well... Fill washing machine again or tub/bucket now add dye. In a machine it can take several small containers of dylon dye (but note it is dyeing a lot of sponge and you get a lot of materials to work with) it's not an exact science and the fun is in experimenting as some sponges will take up the dye really well and some only dye a soft hue. Leave in dye for 12 hours to a day. rinse well and enjoy the experience of what you have created.. Now take them out to dry in the sun for several days..must be really dry.. I put mine on an old trampoline so air circulates..suggestion,tie a piece of shade cloth at its four corners to make a type of shade sail and place sponges on it. TAKE CARE TIP : (remember though that were you to place this the dye drains through and may stain concrete (can be washed down with bleach though to remove) Continued... 6 Steps to Creating Seaweed and Driftwood Craft Arrangements : Part Two Artist : Tutorial Added by Art Hobby Craft Member: Shaquayla Mackie[...]
Traditional Arts and Crafts : Turning Cabbage Stems into Walking Sticks 2010-01-25T14:56:48.000Z (image) photo: Jersey Cabbage Walking SticksTraditional Arts and Crafts : Turning Cabbage Stems into Walking Sticks (bbc video) is an ancient art, which continues today on the beautiful Channel Island of Jersey. The BBC Countryfile TV Series featured the couple who continue this particular art and craft. I watched the countryfile programme yesterday and… (image) photo: Jersey Cabbage Walking Sticks Traditional Arts and Crafts : Turning Cabbage Stems into Walking Sticks (bbc video) is an ancient art, which continues today on the beautiful Channel Island of Jersey. The BBC Countryfile TV Series featured the couple who continue this particular art and craft. I watched the countryfile programme yesterday and this feature about turning cabbage stalks into walking sticks caught my creative eye. Jersey kale, also known as cow cabbage, has a stalk that can apparently grow up to 18 feet high. It can be grown anywhere, but in Jersey it can attain improved height growth, presumably because of its temperate climate. According to the walking stick maker, the Jersey Kale was cultivated in almost every home garden many years ago, less so these days. As the cabbage grew, farmers would pull off the lower leaves and use those as feed for their livestock, hence encouraging additional stem growth. The stalk of the cabbage was then cut and dried out, for around 18 months to 2 years and transformed into a fashionable walking stick. You can watch this particular Country file Episode on BBC iplayer Turning Cabbage Stems into Walking Sticks (bbc video) Note: Scroll player to about 45.40 (nearer the end of the video) to see the actual film clip/section relating to the walking stick feature.
Paperclay Ceramic Birds Nest Experiment 2010-01-22T11:15:16.000Z (image)This paperclay ceramic birds nest experiment piece was made using an old birds nest that was kindly abandoned in my garden shed. By experimenting with different paperclay mixes using white stoneware and terracotta in plastic and liquid forms, I injected the paperclay slip into the body of the densely built birds nest. Not such an easy task as birds are pretty adept at packing in the twigs and… (image)This paperclay ceramic birds nest experiment piece was made using an old birds nest that was kindly abandoned in my garden shed. By experimenting with different paperclay mixes using white stoneware and terracotta in plastic and liquid forms, I injected the paperclay slip into the body of the densely built birds nest. Not such an easy task as birds are pretty adept at packing in the twigs and sealing them in tightly. The aim of the experiment was to capture, to reveal, the inside structure and textures of the birds nest, rather than achieve a replica birds nest as a finished piece. (image)As anticipated, parts of the birds nest were quite fragile after bisque firing, which made it really interesting when pulling apart loose sections. Removing fragile parts to see what you're left with is like a happy accident or gift unwrapping moment, you're never quite sure what it's going to be, and delighted when all is revealed, After 'breaking' up the fired paperclay birds nest, I chose this section of the 'remains' as my finished piece, which was clear glazed, a touch of eggshell blue on external parts, and kiln fired. Nothing else was added and you'll note that the external birds nest construction elements on this piece naturally provided it with it's own 'legs' to stand on. My photos don't really do the detailed textures justice. Whenever I look at this paperclay nest section, the detail in the birds nest construction reminds me of the skill and effort that birds put into creating their natural home. Nature is amazing...
Painting Music In Chester 2010-01-17T14:29:34.000Z (image)Painting Music in Chester
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