Oodles of Doodles News! A Thought About Trends, Tim Holtz Alterations Basics 1-2-3 Sizzix Dies, Brayering With Embossing Folder, Making Gifts By Hand, Square Pattern Lantern, Liquid Pencil, Dylusions Tag, "Scraps" Project, Polymer Clay, Stitching Pizazz!

Hello Fellow Doodlers!

"Trends are part of our histories; they come and they go. I watch trends but I also have a strong anti-herd mentality as well. I try to live in balance of both."

Story by Chappell Ellison

Published on Sept 06, 2012 in Read

For creative types, the blogosphere often seems like a living, breathing organism, constantly reinventing itself to suit the new style. On sites like Pinterest, it’s possible to observe visual trends pop up in real-time: the insanity of ombre cakes, chevrons-on-everything, and outlandish photo booth props. Sometimes trends seem faddish or impractical, and it’s easy to keep them at arm’s length — but at what point is it wise to give in to a trend?
This topic is especially sticky for artists, whose creativity can blossom under the umbrella of the latest fad. However, “giving in” can prove to be a double-edged sword: while bringing mass appeal to your work can be positive (and lucrative), it can also limit your vision. George Lois, the true Mad Man of advertising, warned creatives about falling into this trap. “In any creative industry, the fact that others are moving in a certain direction is always proof positive, at least to me, that a new direction is the only direction,” he says. ”The solution to each new problem or challenge should begin with a blank canvas and an open mind, not with the nervous borrowings of other people’s mediocrities.”
So how do we as creatives allow trends into our lives while maintaining individual expression? Though he comes from the the stock market realm, Jonathan Hoenig’s ”follow the trend, not the crowd” mantra is solid advice. “We need not buy into every trend, but being aware of them provides the most meaningful insight into the markets there is,” says Hoenig. “Moreover, being a trend follower doesn’t always mean you’re part of the herd.” In other words, there’s no shame in making the ombre cake. But if you do it, make it your own.

Although I worship the marvelous cuts made with my Cricut machine, sometimes I just want to make something quickly and that's where the investment of die cuts is not at all just a trend (you'll see why in the first video below), but instead a worthwhile investment. To me, this will be an ever-present necessity to card making, scrapbooking, and many other crafts. Actually, I'm addicted to playing with them using my Sizzix Big Kick!
 

ALTERATION BASICS #1-Bigz Dies ... #2-Mover's and Shaker's, and On The Edge ... #3-Decorative Strips and Texture Fades (distressed embossing folders) SIZZIX DIES - Tim Holtz shares all about Sizzix Alterations and what makes this product line unlike anything you've used before...

 

 



 

 

Talking about embossing folders - pull them out of storage ... I came across this technique, Brayering with Embossing Folders, which shows you how to use your brayer 2 different ways on embossing folders. I always keep forgetting about this technique when I'm trying to think of some element to pizazz up my embossing and glad I came across it as a reminder to get some of this done on some holiday cards! Hmmm, wonder what "I'll come up with?" Give it a try too!

 



 

Everyone loves getting those special gifts that someone made just for you. You know that the giver spent time thinking about you during the creative process, and these gifts, while often less expensive than their store bought brethren, are cherished forever by the recipients. Given pride of place on fireplace mantels and bedroom dressers, used frequently with love, each time this gift is enjoyed the recipient stops to think of the giver. These connections can't be bought at a mall, can't be selected with a gift card, can't be duplicated at all.

The Stampendous Design Team is making gifts by hand this year, and they're forging those special ties with their loved ones this season. Each day this week they'll bring you some clever and creative ideas for making some of your own gifts this year. They hope to inspire and delight you with these ideas.

Although images are Free I incur costs too
and would appreciate your "thoughtful" occasional donation of a $1.00
to help with those expenses ... Thank You for your support.

After our recent post discussion about reasons not to craft I've included three DZ Doodles Digi Freebie images of Cardinals that you can use to re-create something similar to help your cost.

This simple Square PATTERN LANTERN is available at the Hybrid Chick along with detailed "how-to" to help you create it yourself!









Pam Carriker's Liquid Pencil Sketching Ink by Derivan Matisse Product. With Derivan Liquid Pencil you can get graphite in your art without a pencil in your hand! Pam Carriker’s signature line of Liquid Pencil Sketching Ink is nothing less than an entirely new medium—a graphite ink that’s easy to use in myriad mixed media techniques. It comes in a handy squeeze bottle with a special tip usable for direct application or to refill regular ink tools. Available in both Permanent and Re-wettable formulas for a wide range of techniques, Sketching Ink can be used to ink rubber stamps, as a dip pen ink, or as paint. The Re-wettable formula can be manipulated using traditional drawing tools like erasers, blending stumps, or even wet brushes, and the Permanent formula can even be burnished to a lovely sheen. Put those boring pencils away and discover a whole new way to get the look of graphite in your art with Pam Carriker’s Sketching Ink!
 

 

 

 

 

I don't know about you, but my interests in stamps and digital is changing to a new direction with all this "new funky" images and projects. Dylusion's are stamps that I find fun! Check out Dylusion's Glitter Girl Tag - too funky-cute!

 

 

Easy Projects with Craft Scraps - Don't toss the fabric and paper scraps lying around your crafts room. Turn them into a beautiful project.

 

 

 

Polymer Clay Bangles make great girly-girl gifts - easy peasy to make too! 1.) Polymer Clay Bracelets. 2.) Polymer Clay Bangle. 3.) Bangles Baby! 4.) Bangle Biscuits Chocolate.

Want to add some stitching pizzazz to your projects? Then you need to browse around the Fat Quarter Tutorials and images to get some quick stitch lesson-motivation! I know I am.

Knot Thread Stitch presents a modern, experimental, and creative approach to thread and embroidery projects. You'll find fun and surprising project ideas, a unique artistic approach, and uncoventional mixed-media materials such as stamps, paint, sequins, paper, and shrinky dinks. These projects are designed to be quick, fun, abstract, and creative, and many offer clever ideas for personal customization. With easy-to-follow steps and project variations, this book also includes project contributions and embroidery patterns from a long and stellar list of renowned artists and bloggers, including Lisa Congdon, Camilla Engman, Heather Smith Jones, and Amy Karol, just to name a few.

Wouldn't you know it, I ran out of ink cartridges for my Canon Pro 9000 Mark II printer because I forgot to restock what I used. So, I'm waiting for my Saturday delivery to hurry up and get here to get back to printing and finishing projects. Maybe I'll do some die cutting and play around with my brayer/inks and embossing folders ... or I could finish the chore I started of cleaning my mini-blinds? What to do? :0)