Creativations, 2019: Storage

Well, not just storage.  They showed paint palettes, divided water buckets, tool and tackle boxes, rolling storage carts and bags, magnetic tool strips, etc.

Products which you can often find for less, and a great quality, at a home improvement store.  I highly recommend searching hardware stores and automotive supply stores as well.  And, of course, search Dick Blick and Jerry’s Artarama for art studio set up and storage options.  Here is my series on setting up your art studio.  There are lots of tips and DIY’s for you in this series.

Here’s the deal:  men want products that work.  And last.  They’re all about “one and done”.  Buy once and never worry about it again.  They don’t care about color, they care about function.  My husband has storage passed down from his dad.  My dad has tackle boxes he uses all the time which he bought over 50 years ago.  Look around your garage or your spouses work area and see what they’re using for storage.  This might give you ideas for your own.

I’ve recently talked about Plastic Tool Boxes for project-specific storage.

My husband gave me a large, metal rolling tool chest a couple years ago for Christmas.  It holds my hand sanders, respirator, Dremel, carving tools, jig saw, air gun, electric and cordless drills, and paint sprayers.  And I didn’t even know something like this was out there for me.

I was talking about my frustration with storing my tools.  These are not “cute” tools.  These are beat up, paint covered, hard working tools I used as a paint contractor.  So I didn’t necessarily want them out in the open, in my new work room.  (Because I wanted a pretty creative space.) I needed them in one area, it would be great if I could have a flat work surface that was heat proof, and be able to plug in and recharge tools as needed.  I guess I made an impression on my husband because he found the perfect solution for my needs.  This cart has power, several different depth drawers, large open storage, hanging hook storage, and a large flat work surface I can use hot stuff on.  It’s got sturdy wheels and rolls easily.  It has “towel bar” handles on each side.  Use these to move the cart, hang your rags and towels or store anything you wind up-like power cords, rope, wire, hose.

The point is, there is a storage solution for everything.  Sometimes it’s worth spending the money to get exactly what you need.  Other times you can make or adapt something for less that works for you.  The tool chest my husband gave me was worth every cent.  It is indispensable in my art practice.

As always, search for solutions that work for your needs.  Many of my storage pieces were made by me for specific products.  Some were found at Dollar tree.  Many were picked up at second hand stores and garage sales.  Check out what’s being offered in a variety of stores, because you never know what you’ll find that will work in your space and for your supplies.

 

90 DIY Posts

Are on my site.   Check out the Make Your Own Supplies series too.  If you’re interested in DIY supplies, just type DIY into the search bar.  There are lots of them to choose from.

I also include DIY’s in other posts.  They don’t necessarily have DIY in the title.  So if there is something specific you’re looking for, type that in and see what comes up for you.  If you are interested in a specific DIY, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.

Here’s a quick and easy one for you:  DIY stickers.  Print your image, words, phrases, quotes, alphabets in fonts of your choice, etc. onto sticker paper.  Cut out what you want and add to a page or project.  Use inkjet sticker paper with inkjet printers and laser sticker paper with laser printers.  They are not interchangeable.  Here  is a link for both types, in different finishes.  You can even buy sticker paper in colors, if that’s your jam.

 

Duh! Moment

So, I’m going through some old patterned papers. Some are partially used, some whole 12 x12 sheets.  I noticed several had colors that went together, but were just random papers from all different companies.

That’s when I had my DUH! moment.  12 x 12 papers cut into 6 x 6 four times.  I use a lot of smaller paper pads for art journaling.  Why not cut them into 6×6 size, and make a variety of coordinating packs, stored in ziplock bags.  One pack could make an entire art journal.  Add ephemera or pre-made embellishments and everything works together because I grouped them that way.  I’m even tossing in scrap ribbon, lace and other bits if oddness I have laying around.  I can either use the kits myself or sell them.

This uses up all sorts of stuff, is easy to store, is easy to use and I don’t feel like I’m wasting supplies.  I could even throw in some chipboard covers or tags, painted papers, coffee stained book pages, whatever I want really, and have a complete art journal kit.

I can’t believe I haven’t thought of this before!  It’s freaking brilliant!  Just thought I’d share the idea in case it appeals to you.

Creativations, 2019. Plaid

I love Plaid products.  This is a company with many product brands. They offer Apple Barrel craft paints, Mod Podge, Folkart craft products, Delta Creative paints, and all kinds of brushes, stencils, wood products, craft kits, fabric paints, needles and accessories- really there is no limit to what you can make with products from Plaid.

Just an aside:  you guys know my passion for paint brushes.  I have LOTS of them.  One I am always reaching for is one I don’t even remember buying.  It’s my favorite detail brush of all the ones I have.  I looked at the name on this brush recently, because I want more of them.  It was Plaid.  Outstanding brush in all respects.

My new favorite paint for bible journaling is the Folkart Metallics.  Actually, I just really love these paints for all my art projects.  Every time I’m in Hobby Lobby, I grab a couple more bottles.  The colors are gorgeous and the metallic sheen is stunning.  They are reasonably priced, and last a long time.  Well…

Remember I explained there are artist materials that already exist which do what craft materials do?  There are paints and mediums you can buy, to add to your paint, which will give some really cool effects.  Interference acrylic paints will give you a color shift.  They change from bright opalescent to the compliment color, depending on the light and angle.  There is also iridescent medium, which you can add to any acrylic paint you have.  I use this a lot.  Love it!  Here are some similar products offered by Plaid, which makes them economical and easy to find, most are carried in big box stores:

Plaid has color-shift paints (interference paints).  They introduced some new ones this year.  I think the new colors are Plum Passion, Dragon Flash and Raspberry Flash.  Really cool paints with gorgeous effects.  Plaid is also introducing Dragonfly Glaze.  This is an indoor/outdoor glaze which you can use over any paint (or on it’s own, apparently).  It makes any paint look like color-shift paint.  On each bottle, it will tell you the colors you’ll see with that particular glaze.  Again, this has great DIY potential.

Treasure Gold.  A water-based, non-toxic gold paint.  Most gold paint is solvent-based, which can cause problems for some people and shouldn’t be used by kids.  These paints come in Gold, Antique Gold, Rose Gold and Bronze.  They are lovely.  Can be used on all types of surfaces, including furniture.

Another new product coming out is Mod Podge Spray Ultra.  From the looks of this, it is a stout glue, sealer and can be a final finish on an art piece.  It holds glass tiles to a substrate, which was hanging as wall art.  So there’s some serious strength with this spray.  It stiffens fabrics, holds thick stuff like sand and sea shells to a canvas, can be used on outdoor projects as a finish coat.  I’ll investigate this further.  I have a DIY mod podge (which contains a varnish, just like the real Mod Podge) and I have some ideas for a DIY of this product.  Stay tuned.

Glitterific paints.  Multi-sized glitter in a paint.  This is paint I don’t have because I mix glitter with my paints all the time.  But after seeing some if the cool projects done with this paint, I may buy a couple bottles to try.  The glitter dries without shedding any from the project.  This prevents the “stripper glitter” (as my husband calls it) spread over everything in the house.  Honestly, I’m all about the sparkle.  My husband hates it when I use it because it gets everywhere.  And I really try to be careful with it. I usually cover a finished project with spray varnish to prevent glitter litter.  Plaid is offering new neon colors in these paints this year.

 

 

 

Air Fryer Fried Chicken

okay, this was delicious!  Here’s how I did it:

1. First, I par-baked the chicken.  This rendered the fat in the skin and partially cooked the chicken.
2. Next, I dredged the chicken through a mixture of breadcrumbs, Panko and seasonings.
3. I placed the coated chicken in the pre-heated air fryer at 400 for 15 minutes.

This was crispy, moist and delicious.  The best fried chicken I’ve ever made, although nothing compared to my moms. Hers is, without doubt, the best fried chicken I’ve ever had in my life.

Ever.

In my life.

Seriously.

But for me, what I made tonight was excellent.  I’m deep in air fryer love, people!

 

Honesty, Here

As I’ve mentioned several times, I appreciate the designers who come up with ideas for products we can buy.  I appreciate their talent and their hard work.  I appreciate their creativity.  But some give off an attitude I do not appreciate.

Most of the designers at Creativations, 2019 were very nice.  Polite, well mannered, and eager to talk with those in attendance.  They answered questions, engaged in conversation and seemed to understand the people attending this event were buyers.

They are store owners, the people who are actually going to be putting these products into the hands of consumers.  (You know, people like you and me.)  The attendees have to make decisions on where they will be spending their money, what products they’ll carry and what ones aren’t worth their shelf space.  They attend to see demonstrations of the products, take classes on how to use them and then make their decisions.

Most of these people have small businesses.  Most were not there as buyers for a big box store, although I’m sure there were some of those too.  My point is these were small business owners who spent a great deal of money to attend the event in the first place.

I noticed a few of the vendors were not what I’d call friendly.  A couple women were standing at their booth, gossiping about people and couldn’t be bothered to answer a question from an attendee.  On camera.

Another person was so arrogant in her answers to a couple questions, had I been there I’d have walked away from both her and her products.  Remember, these are questions about the products she’s trying to sell to the attendees. They asked questions about what the stuff does, what it worked with and what you can use it on.  All reasonable questions, as these buyers will also be teaching classes using the stuff.  Yet another announced this was a demonstration, not a class.  Save your questions for the class.

I mean, seriously?

Don’t these designers realize their “spectacular” products don’t matter if no one sells them and no one buys them?  Just because they might be the current “flavor of the month” doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way.  Popularity is a fleeting thing, particularly in the crafting industry.  What is “in” today might be forgotten tomorrow.  And that goes for those who design the stuff too.

All in all, I was very impressed with the products offered and the designers who made them.  Some were very clever and new-like one of my favorite you-tubers, Shannon Green.  Her product is unlike any on the market today.  And made from recycled materials, which is so my thing.  Please, check out her journals made from recycled billboards @ By Shannon Green on Etsy.  She’s a wonderful lady who has been through some pretty big struggles lately.  She could certainly use your support.

Others used known materials in new ways.  I particularly liked the designers who incorporated older products when using the new ones.  Expanding the creative possibilities for both.  It was an enlightening and fun look into what’s new in the crafting world.  And other than the few I mentioned, the vendors were all very willing to answer questions and explain techniques.  Their demonstrations were informative and showed ways to use the products anyone could do.

I am not someone who designs craft products to sell.  I design my own art, which I do sell.  If my potential customers don’t like my stuff, they buy someone elses.  I get that.  But if the reason they have rejected my stuff is because I treated them like they were beneath me, insulted them, or was to busy talking about others to pay any attention to them-well then I deserve to lose them as a customer.

And if I did any of that, I should not be in a business that deals with customers at all.  Clearly.

Please spend your money where you want to spend it.  I’m sure many people will both sell and buy the products offered by these designers.  Some have a huge fan base in the crafting community.  As for me, I’ve seen who they are and what they really think of the people who (ultimately) pay them.  I’d rather spend my money with people who respect me as a customer and want my business.

 

Vicious Weather

Has hit our area.  Brutal winds, ice, snow, very cold temperatures.  No schools open anywhere around here.  Businesses closed, highways shut down. Warnings not to go outside with any exposed skin.

So what do you do on a hideous day?  Well, you art of course!

I’m sketching an island paradise currently.  Beautiful ocean, sandy beaches, swaying palms.  Just another in my sketchbook for future paintings.  When your reality stinks, make another one through your artwork.

Imagine the warmth of the sand beneath your feet.  The soft, gentle waves lapping at your toes.  The ocean sparkling like diamonds beneath a gorgeous blue sky with bright sunshine.  A peaceful, tranquil paradise.

Yeah.

That’s where I’m spending my day.

Booth Displays and Ideas

One great thing about Creativation, 2019, was seeing the variety of displays used by the vendors.  Not everyone had big bucks to spend on their booths, but some went all out.  I’m thinking of the Ranger booths in particular.  Wow, folks!  They were spectacular, from what I could see from the videos shared.  Just gorgeous displays with antiques, huge amounts of finished projects using their supplies, wonderful lighting and great demo tables.  I was seriously impressed.

Others were really creative on a budget.  One was an all white booth with cardboard (or foamcore) cutouts with black cartoon-style images drawn on them.  So cute and simple to duplicate if you have an upcoming show and want to use the idea.  Some used Edison bulbs as their lighting.  Others used crystal-looking lights you find at Christmas time for holiday decorations.  Over and over, I saw products we all have access to used in new and creative ways.

The trend was all white displays with an accent color or two.  This showed off the new products quite well, which was the purpose.  But I like a bit more color for my own.  (Perhaps cream and burlap, with my accent color of purple…I’ll give this some thought.)   One booth had a bunch of wood/tree patterned fabric hanging as their backdrop.  It felt very outdoorsy and natural.  Then natural colored crates and shelves displayed the products.

Some booths focused on their over head area.  One hung large paper flowers, in all sizes and types, in a curving way around their booth space.  Another one looked like a pegoda or gazebo with vines, leaves and flowers hanging down.  Their lights were also hanging down from there.  Really charming.

Again, use your creativity to make your own displays.  If you have a lot of something already-ask yourself what you can do with it for your booth. If you have a lot of palette wood, use it as your booth background, to cover your table, use as shelves and make into rustic easels.  Lots of plastic storage bins?  Spray paint so they all match and use stacked upon each other as display shelves.  Tons of old books?  Slice off the spine, leaving a small bit of the covers/pages.  Glue to a piece of thin MDF or plywood.  Add a piece of trim beneath each row of books.  This looks like book shelves in a library.  Use on one area as your accent wall, or around the base of your work table.

Edited to add:  you can make screens from old doors.  I have some bi-folds that would work as a back wall in a booth.  Old, beat up regular-sized doors would work too.  Or paint them to look old, if that’s the look you want.  Use as a back wall display area, a table top, a work table-anything really.  Add old doorknobs, faucets, towel bars, metal hooks-again use your imagination and what you have-to hang products.

Cheap lattice is another option.  You can spray paint the wood stuff in any color you want.  This can be placed in front of hanging fabric or on it’s own.  Lattice is also easy to hang your stuff from.

Chicken wire is another inexpensive option.  Put in large cheap frames with a fabric covered piece of foam core behind.  I used burlap for mine.  This is a great card display.  Use clothes pins to hold them.  Or attach around your booth and display your stuff from it that way.

As an example:  I make flowers from cardboard egg cartons.  I find this very relaxing, and we use a lot of eggs.  So I have a huge amount of cartons.  I could make a bunch of flowers, put a hole in the center of the flower, and add to a string of LED Holiday lights.  Each flower would have a light in the center.  These are just a couple quick ideas off the top of my head.  There are so many creative ways to use what we already have.

If you have no money, that’s alright.  Creativity trumps money every single time.  Remember, large sizes and amounts work better than a bunch of little odds and ends.  If you have a large amount of one fabric, no matter what it looks like, use that draped and puddled in your booth.  This becomes you colors for the booth and main focal item.  If the fabric has any neutral colors in it-say gray, cream, white or black-pick one. Otherwise choose a coordinating color.  Paint shelves, stacking crates, easels, display baskets, plastic trays, tables, and chairs in it.  Everything you’re going to use in your booth.  Now you have a consistent look throughout.

If possible, coordinate your clothing to your booth.  Or dress in one solid color.  You’ll look professional, which is important.  Dress neatly, with your hair combed, teeth brushed and, above all, be clean.  I’ve seen some people who look like they slept in their clothes and spent all night partying.

Add an apron with pockets as well.  This holds your calculator, order forms, receipts, pens, and cash for making change.  I also carry breath mints, lip balm and tissues.  Nobody wants to buy from someone with bad breath.  They won’t tell you why they’re leaving, but they will flee your booth.  Always have breath mints and use them every 15 minutes or so.  One vendor at a recent show had such bad breath, I very nearly vomited from it.  (I’m very sensitive to smells.)  I could not get away fast enough.  Which was a shame because the products being sold were really cool.  But I didn’t stick around to look, much less purchase.  Also avoid perfume or cologne.  Some people react very badly to them.  No one has a problem with none.

 

 

 

Everyone and Their Brother

is offering a three tiered rolling cart now.

IKEA was perhaps the first with the Raskog Cart.  The Raskog became all the rage after being seen in so many craft room walk-throughs on you-tube.  I know I saw it and thought it would be fantastic to hold project-specific stuff.  Roll away into a closet when you’re finished.

I have no Ikea anywhere near me.  Out of state Ikea’s are closer to me than the only one we have in Michigan. And Michigan is a large state.  Why on earth is there only one Ikea here?  Seems a loss of a huge customer base, in my opinion.  Nevertheless, Michael’s, Bed, Bath and Beyond, JoAnn’s, Target and Walmart are all offering a three tiered cart in my area now.  Which is really nice.

We Are Memory Keepers is also offering their version of the three tiered cart.  It was in two colors.  Forrest green and charcoal gray.  This was another item shown at Creativations, 2019.  They were offering all sorts of accessory bits and bobs to go with their cart.  Storage boxes, a work surface, clip on and magnetic stuff to hold pens, trash or whatever.  Good ideas which you can duplicate yourself for less.

No matter your brand of cart, you can customize it cheaply to better fit your needs.  If you want to line your tiers, so nothing falls through the openings in the mesh-type bottom, use chipboard from recycled packaging or cereal boxes, cut to fit.  Cover with coordinating shelf liner for wipeability and added strength.

Add plastic storage boxes in sizes that work for you.  My art journaling cart is filled with smaller covered boxes, each holding a color or type of embellishment.  My mixed media cart is filled with cut-by-me tags, painted papers, vintage book pages, coffee and tea stained music sheets, etc.  Stuff I use a lot. All stored in ziplock bags, plastic page protectors or recycled cardboard boxes I’ve cut to fit in the tiers.

Small plastic storage boxes are my thing.  I love them and have lots in all sizes.  Long ago, I was able to find small plastic boxes which fit four into one larger box of the same kind.  They have covers which close with fold up closures.  These were my go-to’s.  I bought more every time I went to Dollar Tree.  Then, all of a sudden, they were gone.

Gone forever.  

Fortunately, I found very similar storage at Walmart.  (I searched for these on their site, but couldn’t find them to link.) Walmart still carries the boxes, they are around .87 cents per box and they’re found in the office supply area.  They also fit into the larger boxes I get from Dollar Tree, four per box.  I like this because I can pull a box with four different colors of vintage-style flowers or four sizes of flat backed pearls.  When I have several types of the same embellishment, I like to store them together.  You may prefer different storage.  But the point is, you can customize your cart storage to your specific needs.

You can add magnets to your storage.  Attach to the side of your cart.  Just make sure your magnets are strong enough to hold whatever you’re going to be hanging off the cart.  You can sew storage bags from scrap fabric, add a magnet within the bag, and stick it to your cart.

Or make fabric bags and hang from your cart with a button/velcro tab.  Add the velcro hook part directly to the cart, add the loop to your storage choice.  Stick to the cart.  Don’t be afraid to adapt, alter or add to your stuff to make it work for your specific needs.  Buy some storage trays from Dollar Tree to hold pens, glues and inks.  The ones sold for refrigerator storage are great because you can see through them.  They also offer metal, round containers with clear tops.  Four to a package.  These work well for my eyelets, brads, paper clips and flat-backed buttons.  You can fill them with whatever you want.  Use what you have available to you in ways that make your arting experience easier.

As always, I have to recommend foamcore storage boxes.  I make my own, in whatever sizes I need.  (These can also be made from cardboard recycling.)  I looked up storage I wanted to use, wrote down the measurements, and then figured out how to duplicate it in foamcore.  I really like this because it’s easy to cut with a craft knife, I can buy a sheet for a buck or less, the cut pieces and parts attach well with hot glue,  it’s all the same color (I prefer the white), and it is both light weight and sturdy.

I’ve made boxes similar to the Tim Holtz clear top lunch box-type storage.  Mine have clear plastic tops which came from kids toy packaging.  I’ve made a ribbon storage unit from foam core.  I’ve made “bolt bins”, like the Plastic bins my husband uses in the garage.  I’ve made foamcore easels to display my stuff at art shows.  Over and over, I grab a piece of foamcore and make something for a particular storage need.

Another one if my essential work room supplies.

 

 

 

Creativations 2019, DIY’s, Part 2

Here are a couple quick and easy DIY’s from what I’ve seen from Creativations, 2019.

1. Glitz and Glitter Gel DIY:  make as needed, in small amounts.  A little goes a long way.  On a smooth glass or ceramic plate, add a glob of gel medium.  Grab your super-fine glitter in the color of your choice.  Add glitter to gel medium, mix well with palette knife.  If it’s not dark enough, add more glitter.  If it gets to thick add a bit of water to thin.  You can also do this with gel medium, paint in the color you want, and some iridescent medium.  Don’t make it to runny, you won’t be able to use it through a stencil if its not thick.
2. Metalic gels DIY:  make as needed.  On clean ceramic plate, add a glob of gel medium.  The amount depends on how much you need.  Add a squirt of metalic paint, in whatever color you want.  Mix well with a palette knife.  Use through a stencil, scraped over a page with a gift scraper, use however you want.
3. Chalk Paste DIY:  Here is my recipe for DIY chalk paint.  Use either DIY texture paste or purchased dry wall spackle.  Put a glob on your plate.  Combine with a small amount with chalk paint in whatever color you like.  Again, make small amounts as needed.
4. “Succulent” Colors Paint.  This is very muted colors:  peach, pink, green, tan, yellow, purple, blue, etc.  Here’s how you can make your own in whatever color you want.  Using craft paints, grab the colors you want to use.  (I use my bottles that are partially used up, as this allows me to mix right in that bottle.)  In a container, or the paint bottle itself, add cream colored craft paint to your chosen color.  Keep adding until the shade is what you like.  Now take brown craft paint and add a small bit to your mixed paint.  This keeps the color from looking “anemic”.  Now you have a muted color, which looks vintagey or antiquey.  I mix my paints like this all the time.  Craft paints are inexpensive, but often quite bold in color.  I like vintage and steampunk journal pages, and mixing my craft paints this way works great for those.  Buy your paints when they’re on sale, stock up on the cream and brown.  You’ll need more cream than brown, obviously.  But this works to make soft muted colors for very little cost. Somewhere is a post explaining this more fully, but I can’t find it.  Found it! I talk about mixing craft paints to make more vintagey colors.  It’s exactly the same thing I talk about here, but I think it was more detailed.
5. You can use any paint you wish to make these pale colors.  I just find its easier to use inexpensive craft paints to achieve those milky, soft colors.  I prefer cream over white for the initial mix.  But you can use white if that’s what you have.  The brown adds a bit if richness, and  makes it feel vintage.
6. Some designers are offering blank faces to paint or color.  An option is blank Make up face charts. used by make up artists.  (I’m sure this is where the idea came from anyway.) There are many printable faces offered for free online.  I’m sure the images are copyrighted, so don’t use them for anything you’ll sell.  But they are great for practicing things like blending paints, colored pencils or markers, different skin tone mixes, working on specific portrait challenges like eyes or hair.  Print on the paper you need for whatever medium you’ll be using.