Pen and Ink Art

I read somewhere that pen and ink art uses about the same technique as pencil drawing. Let me assure you, going by my own experiences, that it is not.

In order to create different tones between light and dark, you really need to have some knowledge of how to apply the ink. With a pencil it is just a matter of adding some more pressure, to find the darker shade of grey that you are looking for.


I have worked with pen and ink way back when I was in college and I never could get warmed up to it. The best art I created, while using ink, were some unique, oddly shaped ink blotches. Grin.

You may be more skilled at it then I am, so don't hesitate and put pen to paper.

See also:
Pen and Ink Art II
Pen and Ink Art - Materials

Designer Art

I love watching designer and decorating shows, especially the ones where they do a total room make-over. I am always astonished by so much creativity and the use of all those different types of materials the designers come up with.

I would never have thought of using perforated corrugated metal for our interior, but I watched a show the other day where they used panels like this for defused lighting. I have to admit that it was not only gorgeous, but very unique as well.

That shows once more that there is no limit to what one would consider to be construction material: just use your imagination!

Spaced Out

Even though we work from home, every now and then my husband has to go to the office to do some work there. Even though they have a pretty decent office space, it became too small to house all the workers and an office trailer was placed right behind the building.

I consider that to be a great solution and probably a lot cheaper than renting a larger office space. To lease Office Trailers Raleigh would be a good place to start. Acton Mobile Industries can be found all over the U.S. though and I would not be surprised if the office trailer which is in use at my husband's work is leased from them as well.

You never have to be 'spaced out' again!

Tea Wrapper Art - Materials And Supplies

For this art, you will need tea wrappers, preferably lots of them and at least 4 of the same. Most figures require 8 similar tea wrappers.

Other essential materials of tea bag folding are a cutting mat, scissors, ruler, knife or cutter, and paper adhesive. There are also metal squares/molds available which you lay on the wrapper and cut around the edges. That ensures you will always get a perfect square.

In case you can not find a wrapper which lends itself for this art, you can even use wrapping paper, thin scrapbook paper or you can buy sheets of paper online with some gorgeous designs. Just make sure that all the squares are showing the exact same pattern. The end result will come out looking more beautiful then when it doesn't.

There are several books for this art/craft available, but don't limit yourself either; try folding or even gluing the figures in all kinds of different ways. One figure can spruce up the corner of a card or paper for example.

Once you tried tea wrapper art, or tea bag art as it is called as well, you may find it to be a very enjoyable hobby. I suspect you would not mind at all being left holding these bags. :-)

Black Dot Art

I have always admired people who can play an instrument and even though we had some music classes in the first year of high school, I never managed to play or Read Music. All those black dots just did not make any sense to me.

When I Read Music the only thing I remember about it is that the lower the dot, the lower the sound is. Don't ask me what all those flags and double notes are; I have no clue. It all comes across like some foreign language.

I suppose that is why my appreciation for those who can Read Music is so great. In combination with playing an instrument, I truly find that to be a wonderful artistic ability. I can listen to it for hours. :-)

Tea Wrapper Art II

Like I mentioned in my previous post about Tea Wrapper Art, this art/craft never gets boring. Even if you would fold the same figure over and over again, using different colors and patterns of paper will constantly end up in a totally different looking creation.

Only part of the wrapper is used and you get to decide which part. Make sure though that it is a perfect square and all the squares are showing the same pattern.

The larger the square, the larger the figure will be. My experience is that 2"x 2" works best.

To get you started, here is a simple example of how to fold a flower. All you need is 4 squares. Turn the square with the good side down. Then fold creases as shown in the first image.

Fold a triangle (fig 2) and fold both outer corners up, using the middle crease as a guide to line them up perfectly. After you have done this, you end up with a smaller square as in fig. 3.

Take the top of the corners you just folded in and fold them back, lining them up with the outer rim of the square. After you have done both, you end up with fig. 4. Fold the rest of the papers the same way and glue them together on to your card or other background. They make a perfect flower.

You get a different look, by turning over the same figures and gluing them on the paper. Have fun! :-)

Tea Wrapper Art

This craft actually found its origin in the Netherlands by Tiny van der Plas. She created this new art quite by accident as she sat sipping tea while thinking of how to create a unique birthday card.

It is done by using the colorful wrappers of tea bags. By folding the wrappers dimensionally and pieced, or locked together, some wonderful art is created.

I have done this myself and loved it. I made all kinds of cards; Birthday cards for him, her and children, anniversary and wedding cards, Christmas cards, you name it and I made them. Altogether I probably made around a thousand or so.

It is a craft and art which is never boring; all the different colors and patterns of the tea wrappers constantly make for a unique look and the many different ways of folding them creates all kinds of shapes and forms.

You ought to try it. With every piece you fold, gorgeous art unfolds before your eyes.

See also:
Tea Wrapper Art II
Tea Wrapper Art - Materials and Supplies

Craft And Art Ideas

We found out our newest family addition is going to be a girl. That is highly exciting, since we have two grand sons and are accustomed to cars, dinosaurs, pants and the color blue. Grin.

I caught myself thinking pink and having visions of ribbons, bows and cute little dresses. It also gave me plenty of ideas for crafting and I thought once she would be older, she might enjoy scouring through my blog and discovering plenty of arts and crafts she might want to try.

I am constantly on the look out for new art and crafts, but odd enough, right now I am on hold. Maybe we should call it a writer's block; I can not quite come up with a new art to explore and I sure could use a little help here.

So, if you have a craft or art, or maybe would like me to look into one, just leave a comment. I would appreciate it. Otherwise... you will have to wait until I get my inspiration back. That may not take too long. :-)

Towel Art - Materials

All you need is bath towels and I have a great suspicion we all have several of those in either our bathroom or closet; maybe even in both. I have not done this myself yet, but I would think that the larger the towel, the easier it is to get the job done.

I would probably use different colors for different creations; brown for a monkey, grey for an elephant, green for a turtle etc. Since the towels come in all these gorgeous colors these days, that would make it even more interesting.

You may be able to find a class teaching towel art somewhere near you, but there are lots of videos on YouTube which show you how it is done.

Books on Towel Art, or Towel Origami as it is also called, can be found in craft stores and online.

Washing towels may turn out to be a joyful occasion and you may be even looking forward to folding laundry for a change! :-)

Towel Art II

After an extensive search, the only other creativity I found using towels was embroidery. Anything else involving this art form came all down to the towel animals.

Both that and the creations are exceptional by itself and is definitely worth sharing.

It seems like these little creatures will be greeting you at most cruises, some hotels and you may even find it at the Windsor Hills Resort.

I don't see why these critters should be limited to those places and not make their way out of our bathrooms. They would bring a smile to every one's face. :-)

Towel Art

Our oldest just came back from a cruise and was telling us how she followed a course there on how to fold towels in the most unique way. Every day she would find clean towels folded in a different animal.

I took a look at it and all I can say is that it is truly artistic and very creative. I have seen napkins folded in different ways, but not towels. I love it! Just imagine how pleasantly surprised your guests would be when they find a little towel animal in their room.

If it does not work out that well the first time just remember; practice makes perfect. So, don't throw in the towel!

See also:
Towel Art II
Towel Art - Materials

Pudding Art - Materials

You don't need much to create pudding art; just a few packs of Jell-O in different flavors, milk, bowls and paper.

The different flavors make for different colors. Prepare each pudding in a different bowl. Scoop a few spoonfuls in small bowls and you are good to go.

In case you like to express your creativity by shaping the pudding in to some unique artistic form, you may need spoons, knives, forks and any other material that might come in handy to achieve your goal.

When your masterpiece is done, take a picture of it and post it on your blog. I sure would love to see it before you devour it!

Pudding Art

My husband was eating one of those Jello puddings, when all of a sudden he said: "How is this for art?" He showed me the bowl and I saw how he had scooped the pudding in to a perfect circle with a heart in the middle.

How creative, I bet there is pudding art as well. I wish I had taken a picture of his creation, because he seems to be the first and only one who came up with pudding art like that. I could not find anything like it.

Yes, there is pudding art as you can gather from these beautiful paintings, but the pudding is mainly used as finger paint and practised by children.

This art is used in pre-schooling to teach them to control the small muscles in their hands and coordinate the eye and hand movement. It also helps them to differentiate between and recognize smells and tastes.

Some mothers replace the finger paint with pudding, which not only makes good sense, but is healthy as well. It washes out easily, is quickly cleaned up and you don't have to worry about your critters sticking their fingers in their mouth.

Not convinced? Try it. The proof is in the pudding! :-)

See also:
Pudding Art - Materials

The Art Of Strategy

If you like to test your strategy and dare to battle multiple players, Hyperiums is right up your alley.

Set up a free account, conquer planets, rule your empire with this browser based and in real time running game and start your strategy art.

Pyrography Art - Materials And Tools

There are several different types of wood burning tools which can be used to create different kinds of shades.

Tools with a solid point do offer a variety of tip shapes and can also be used for burning wood or leather. Wire-point machines allow the artist to shape the wire into a variety of shapes as to create either broad marks or fine lines.

This is very time-consuming though and it would be much easier to buy a kit with replaceable tips.

Kits can easily be found online and many even include a full step by step instruction manual, a piece of select wood, a pattern and graphite transfer paper and even a piece of 400 grit sandpaper.

Most commonly used are the lighter colored hard woods such as sycamore, beech and birch. Due to their fine grain they are easy to work with and yield the best contrast. Woods such as pine or oak, are also used, although not as much as the previous woods mentioned before. I suppose it is a matter of preference.

The same tools and techniques can be used on leather. This material lends itself very well for bold designs and very subtle shading can be achieved. When burning leather, make sure to use special vegetable-tanned leather. The modern tanning methods leave chemicals in the leather which are toxic when burned!

Books on how to start and improve the art can be found in craft- and hobby stores, as well as online. You can also attend workshops and the Internet can provide you with locations near you where those are being held.

Workshops on DVD are a great alternative if you are unable to leave home, or don't like to burn rubber.

Comment Art

Some people are very perceptive which can result in a hilarious comment. I could not resist keeping the following funny, but real true occurrence from you:

I had just published a post on my health blog on the benefits of Artichokes, when one of my dear fellow bloggers posted the comment: "Why would you want to eat something that all ready choked ARTy?"

At first the question threw me for a loop and I tried to figure out what she meant, until it dawned on me: Art-is-choke. I laughed out loud when I finally got it.

I guess it would be best to keep our vehicles away from carrots, huh?! Grin.

Pyrography Art II

Pyrography requires the use of a heated tip or wire to burn or scorch designs onto natural materials such as wood or leather.

Besides using a modern solid-point tool which is similar to a soldering iron or hot wire tool, there are also other methods to burn the images on to the wood. You can use practically any metal instrument heated in a fire and even sunlight which is concentrated by a magnifying lens.

The same techniques for wood burning are applied for burning an image on to leather. Pyrography is also popular among gourd crafters and artists. The designs are burned onto the exterior of a dried hard-shell gourd, usually with dramatic results.

A great range of natural tones and shades can be achieved; from subtle effects to starker dark lines. By using different types of tips, temperatures and the way of applying the tool, a variety of effects can be achieved which all contribute to a more dramatic picture.

You just got to strike the iron while it's hot!