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Epoxy test is a hit! 0

 

   WOW! Yes, I know there is some dust and bugs and places where I missed getting the silicone off. But, COME ON, its my first try and this stuff is a hit! Epoxy is clear, shiny, sturdy and a lamination marvel. It perks up a painting and adds a good bit of structure to my cardboard trinkets.

•   if you are going to try this, plan ahead
•  READ and follow the instructions
•  watch some videos on youtube
•  try to read the primer in my last blog post on the chemistry of epoxy
•  principles will help you forever
•  it is a mess, and try it first on something you do not care about
•  wear gloves
•  think painting-with-super-glue
•  have fun
• product is Pro Marine and I am not getting paid, it just  had good reviews and price

Repairing mistakes, testimony, and a link to an epoxy primer. 0

 Sometimes, I ruin things with mistakes, bad judgement or ignorance. This was one of my first successful pours done with floetrol.  I had waited months to be able to buy the pouring medium and I liked everything about it.

   So I let it cure for a month.  It was on heavy paper and  I wanted a sturdy varnish. Polyurethane was on hand. Bad idea. I ruined a whole table of work that day with the yellow material; great for lamination on my cardboard trinkets but ruinous color.   

   It has been about a year since that day and I just purchased my very first epoxy; great for lamination and CLEAR. So I read up, then tried it on some pieces that are from the paint-over-it pile. And just WOW! Even cooler than it looks online. Who knew?

   But, as with much of life, there is a learning curve.  Getting the silicone off these paintings turns out to be the dickens; my biggest problem. Along with dust particles and tiny bugs which were incinerated until the torch failed. Chuckle.

  Anyway, lots of information on getting silicone off, right? And so many ways to do it that I know there is no perfect or best way. Ask me how I know THAT.  So am now studying, on that again,  and how to repair the epoxy coat where it failed to stick.  Turns out that epoxy is a lot like paint, so that helps to de-mystify it just a bit. I get paint. So back to work on a do-over. 

That failed polyurethane piece above (and a second one, equally cherished and ruined by me) are in the hands of my step daughters, Erin and Colene, tucked away somewhere. This is one way that I know that I am loved.  Thanks to poet kckerrie for this eye opener. 

    MOST mistakes in epoxy and life can be done over, repaired or recovered from. God made the world that way. And then He sent us His Son to help us through the mistakes that can't.

I'll post again, when the epoxy do-over  process is learned. And the other, well we can keep learning on that one until our last breath.

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Here is that  link to a great article on epoxy chemistry; helpful for anyone using epoxy for projects and art; it will open in a new window:

https://www.westsystem.com/instruction-2/epoxy-basics/epoxy-chemistry/

Planting seeds 0

The concept of planting a seed runs deep, back generations and millennia. More recently, back to days in childhood at the Museum of Natural History, in Dayton, where we saw living things between layers of plexiglass, like bees, ants and seeds. Powerful imagery remembered to this day. Nothing seen or heard can be undone. So plant seeds, carefully, wherever you can. The art, part of my personal collection, reminds me of those days and visions of a seedling reaching for the surface and the sun. Our Creator was really, really good at planning ahead.

Praise God Towel by Artist Kelly J 0

  Testimony comes in many forms and Artist Kelly J has made it a part of her life's work. The woman on the towel, arms up in praise, shows a feeling we all know well and pray that everyone can come to know. 

  This cotton towel was hand-embroidered after lightly tracing the design onto the fabric with a pencil; holding it against a bright window can help with that. And there is a special surprise on this one: scripture on the hem. You can see it on the video. We hope to bring you more of this.

   Thanks for stoppin' by.

 

 

Free Standard Shipping in the USA! 0

No one likes that shipping and sales tax surprise once you've decided to buy, so we are now offering free standard shipping in the USA by the post office. Tracking goes from my hands to your mailbox.  The post office has a pretty good track record for us with most destinations reached in about 3 days from the package's arrival at the post office. So now the price you see is the price you pay, no surprises at check out. One less thing for you to worry about! Come see us!

 

 

 

 

Rustic Applique that Suits My Style and an Update on the Red Dish Towel Apron 0

God winks. Did you know? This earthy style of applique is just my cup of tea.

Discovered while darning a mistake, raw edges provide an artsy charm of their own. The tiny bit of fray at the edges echos the style of the scribble embroidery. This is an easy and reproducible way to add color to a plain towel. If you use t-shirt fabric, the edges will roll instead of fray, another nice effect.

Top fabric is tacked down with small stitches near the edge with a double run. You can trim right then or wait until the end (I waited until the end.)  Over sew with your embroidery outline.

For this test run, the base fabric was floated onto hooped stabilizer. For towel  production, heavy cornstarch will be used on the base fabric with no stabilizer; the cornstarch will be washed out at the end, maintaining the soft hand of the towel fabric.

Embroidery design based on a sketch by Alabama artist Haley Brianna Atwell and I will be trying this on some of Artist Kelly J's ColoringBook towels.

Here is the finished little red apron project with stems and an idea for the pink linen rayon towels: