July 19, 2012

Acute How-To: Instagram Canvases

Ever since Instagram opened its application up to Android users such as myself, I have been seriously addicted. If you follow me (@AcuteDesigns) you will see daily pictures of my food, my dogs, myself, and everything in between.

Rather than leaving those photos in my phone or cyberspace, I decided to print a few of my favorites and transform them into canvases.

Supplies:

  • Mod Podge (I used the glossy kind)
  • Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium (I found mine at the craft store, in the same aisle as the Mod Podge)
  • Sponge brushes and paint brushes
  • Square artist canvases (I used ones that were 6”x6”)
  • Printed Instagram photos

Method One:

  1. Grab your favorite photos from your Instagram account. You can do this by emailing yourself the photos. Or, if you post them to Twitter or Facebook, you can grab them that way.
  2. Insert the photos into a Word Document and size them so that they are the same size as the canvases (in my case this was 6”x6”), then print.
  3. Cut out the photos and discard the excess paper.
  4. Use a paint brush to drop a few tiny globs of  Mod Podge on a blank canvas. Carefully set a photo on top of the canvas (right side up) and paint over the entire thing with a lot of Mod Podge.
  5. Smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles with your fingers and allow the glue to dry (about an hour). If need be, add a second coat.

Method Two:

  1. Follow Steps 1-3 from Method One.
  2. Using the Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium, paint all over your photograph with a heavy coat.
  3. Flip the paper over and carefully press onto a blank canvas so that the photograph side of the paper is touching the canvas.
  4. Smooth down any wrinkles with your fingers and flip the canvas over. Place a heavy book on top of the back of the canvas in order to press the photo onto the canvas.
  5. Let the Photo Transfer Medium dry for at least 24 hours. Once dry, wet a clean sponge brush and rub the paper off of the canvas. I started in the middle of the photo and went in slow circular motions with the sponge. I had to re-wet my sponge at least once for each canvas, but be careful to not add too much water.
  6. Once all the paper is free from the canvas you will have a nice, vintage-looking image.

Hang your canvases or display on bookshelves.


Tips:

**When removing the paper from the canvas in Method Two, you might find it easier to rub away the paper with your fingers once it has been dampened. Note, Method Two takes a little patience in order to get all of the paper from the photo. The end result is worth it, but try not to “rush” by saturating the canvas with water – you will only end up with a mess!

**Parts of the photo might wear away with the paper in Method Two, but that is ok. Each one will be unique and I think small blotches give it character!

**I found it really hard to remove all the air bubbles and wrinkles in Method One, so I gave up trying to do so. In the end, I liked the way the photos had a slightly wrinkled look. The texture gives them more depth.

Filed Under: Acute How-To, The Setting Tagged With: , , 19 Comments
May 15, 2012

is interior design really a creative art?

This is a guest post from Mike Gracia.

What do artistic graffiti, photography, and interior design have in common? They are all divisive when referred to as art forms; while some consider them creative, others do not.

Those against graffiti have the fact that it is a criminal act on their side; photographs are already an essential part of life for many for documenting their children’s development, recording special occasions, and more.

But what about interior design?

Can a well planned and stylishly decorated living area ever be as evocative as a painting or sculpture?

Can your kitchen ever inspire strong feelings like a piece of graffiti on a public wall or a perfectly timed and exposed photo can?

Do you see clutter or cosiness? Minimalism or emptiness? Just as there is no clear interpretation of a painting or piece of modern art, there is no right answer when it comes to the way we decorate and furnish our homes. Personal preference reigns supreme.

This piece looks at whether a few creative flourishes and the right choice of furniture and colours can turn a living space from a purely functional area into a feast for the eyes and soul that is inviting, reflects tastes and personality, but is also warm and comforting.

Since forever, the home has been the ultimate showcase of its inhabitants’ personal tastes and preferences; furniture and decoration can powerfully showcase a person’s way of thinking and even the kind of life they lead, and that is a very powerful effect for an inanimate object to have. The home can be an accurate representation of the self, and in very much the same way as you may hang a classy painting on your wall, furnishing your home can represent your artistic outlook and tell your guests a lot about you.



Take these designs, for example.

photo via Fashion For Home

A number of aspects shown here in this bedroom layout can definitely be considered artistic, the most obvious being the colour scheme; the basic cream contrasts with the black to create a sophisticated feel, and the brown sets a tone of warmth and friendliness, crucial in the bedroom. This ability to use colours to create a mood is an art in itself. Minimalism is created with straight edges and symmetry in this layout, influenced by the artistic movement because of its suggestion of modernity in simplicity.

photo via Fashion For Home

This living room feels very modern, with contemporary furniture design that is classy but almost post-modern as it has taken traditional ideas such as sofas, coffee tables, and bookcases and put a futuristic spin on them.

photo via Fashion For Home

This stylish living room continues the theme of minimalism, with its use of plain white – a colour that generally suggests neutrality but may project hospitality to some guests, proposing that a living room can be as subjective as any painting.

It is products like these designer beds that reinforce interior design’s demand to be considered true art. The common artistic aspects shown here, such as colour schemes and usage of space, value interior design as a valid art form.



The actress Hedy Lamarr once said,

A good painting to me has always been like a friend. It keeps me company, comforts and inspires.

She highlights the charm art can radiate, and where else would such emotional reaction be better suited than your own home?

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Mike Gracia currently writes for Fashion For Home, a home fashion retailer, who are members of the Sustainable Furnishings Council.

Filed Under: The Setting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
May 4, 2012

tooling around: and sew on

The last time we chatted I introduced you all to Shelly Miller Leer of Mod Home Ec. She and I went on and on about her upholstery know-how, but, you guys, that is nowhere near the end of her incredible talent. True to the Home Ec teacher within, Shelly can also sew! While I try to quiet my wildly beating heart, I’ll let Shelly take it away.

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As I revealed in my previous interview, I learned how to sew so I could get undivided attention from my mom. A little bit of youngest child manipulation of a parent is nothing new. What I didn’t know at the time was how sewing would become such a huge part of my adult life. Thanks Mom, I loved everything you made for me and I am always grateful that you took the time to teach me how to do it myself.

I have students in my upholstery classes who are actually afraid of the sewing machine. It’s hard for me to imagine, since they aren’t one bit afraid of getting behind the steering wheel of a car. I guess the worst that could happen is running the needle through your finger. I’ve done that too, it’s no fun, but it couldn’t stop me from using the machine. That said, let me qualify all that’s to follow. I do not like to sew, just for the sake of running the sewing machine.

I love to sew because it’s a tool for making something I want or need.

For instance, if I want to make a color blocked ottoman cover, I’m not one bit excited about sitting down and doing the stitching, but I am excited about what I’ll get in the end; a stitched together color blocked piece of fabric to cover an ottoman.

The sewing machine is one of my very favorite tools in the whole world.

The Beginner

If you are just thinking about learning how to sew, here’s all you need:

  • Sewing machine (vintage, old ones are truly the best)
  • Sharp scissors
  • Seam ripper

Shelly's Singer

To get a good start, read the instruction manual, learn how to thread the machine and the bobbin, and practice sewing forward and in reverse. Get a piece of paper and draw a big figure 8 on it. Practice stitching along the figure 8 so you can get the feel for guiding fabric under the needle.

A really easy Beginner project would be to take one of the reusable market bags from Whole Foods or another grocery, take it apart to use as a pattern, all the while noticing how it was put together. Make your own bag out of some scrap fabric.

Practice, practice, practice.

The Advanced  Novice

Once you’ve mastered straight stitching and simple construction, try your hand at sewing curtains or a pillow. Again, very simple stitching, but now you’ll be learning how to sew a hem, install a zipper, or perhaps attach ties or tabs on your items. It helps to study curtains you already have, or throw pillows on your sofa. Try to figure out how they were made, then mimic that. You’ll want to learn some simple sewing techniques that will ensure your final project looks handmade, not homemade.

There are basic tools that just make the life of a sewist easier. You’ll need:

  • Zipper foot for installing a zipper and making covered piping/welt cord
  • Cutting mat for a table and a rotary cutter that quilters use for cutting straight lines quickly and efficiently
  • Clean, hot, steamy iron

Zipper foot in action at The Purl Bee. Click on the image for additional information.

Don’t overlook the iron. A good steam pressing makes fabric do almost anything you want it to.

(Note from Janice: I’d like to rub in the multiple times we’ve mentioned the need for a good iron. For example…)

The Experienced Needle Pusher

After the intermediate home sewing or fashion sewing projects, you may be interested in tailoring. At this level of proficiency many more sewing notions are available that assist in getting garments to hang just right.

  • A sewing ham; used to steam in rounded areas like shoulder caps of a sleeve
  • Rufflers that attach to the sewing machine’s presser foot to gather and stitch ruffles easily
  • “Walking foot,” specific to industrial upholstery machines, pulls the top layer of fabric under the needle as the “feed dog” on the bottom of the machine pulls the bottom fabric through, so the layers don’t shift as they are stitched

Tailor's Ham by Katy at No Big Dill. Click on the image to see the tutorial.

The Stitch Whisperer

When you’ve entered the advanced sewist playground, you may want to invest in:

  • Embroidery sewing machine
  • Commercial tailoring or upholstery machine
  • Serger

Whatever level you are, there are always more interesting, fun, and expensive gadgets and machines you can buy, but the truth is you really don’t need more than the first three items, a tape measure, and some school chalk to allow you to sew just about anything you could want. It’s more about knowing sewing tricks and techniques that allow you to make clothes, pillows, curtains, slipcovers, and boxed and corded cushion covers. Everyone could use a strict teacher hovering over them at the sewing machine to make sure they learn exactly how to sew darts, curves, zippers, or cording.

If you learn it right to begin with, you’ll never be satisfied with slipshod.

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Want more from Shelly? Check out her Digital Apprentice: Intro to Sewing & Upholstery ebook!

Filed Under: Buy You, For You, Tooling Around Tagged With: , , , , , Leave a Comment
August 1, 2010

whatever lola wants…

lola's indie nursery

lola's indie nursery

Filed Under: home decor Tagged With: , , 6 Comments
June 4, 2010

a creative journey to satisfy both sides

pyrography by lauren gray

Lauren Gray was one of many who chimed in on the left-brain creativity discussion we had last week. Her own creative journey has taken her from paint & graphite to Pyrography…

I used to be a painter and graphite artist. Once I started Pyrography, about 6 years ago, the fluid creativity came to a crashing halt.

Pyrography is the traditional art of using a heated tip to burn images onto wood (or other natural materials). Pyrography is a full on left-brained medium. It really restricts ones ability to fluidly work but it is also an amazing medium for someone who works well in a structured environment. When I began working in Pyrography, it was more of a replacement to my interest of graphite drawing. It implemented the same basic concepts but offered a little more substance. I quickly learned my limits within the medium and ways to work around those limits. The two main reasons it is such a structured process is that it is a very slow process (with each square inch requiring many layers of varying temperature and pressure) and that mistakes are almost impossible to correct. If a mistake is made you either need to incorporate the ‘burn’ into the work or you need to attempt to sand beyond the burn to expose the clean wood underneath.

Of course, one learns quickly the importance of each move being quite calculated.

I have been working with Pyrography as my main medium for 6 years now and I have acquired so many skills from working in such a calculated fashion. Attention to detail is probably the most valuable skill that I have gained. Alternately, there are negative aspects too. When a detailed piece that is only 6″ x 6″ (like many of my tree pieces) can take around 12 hours to complete it is easy to feel like you just can’t keep up in the art community. The pressure to have each piece end in grand success can also be very overwhelming, and of course, as every artist knows, not all pieces can end in grand success.

I like to keep all kinds of art supplies in varying media around my house, so I spend a substantial amount of time dabbling with new techniques and merging different materials. I also am very into home decor and craft lately, so my collection of materials and fabric is growing wildly. This has been a nice departure for me and I can see how the new design aspect is positively influencing the way I do things with my art.

I definitely think there is something to be said for satisfying both the left-brain and the right-brain when it comes to ones creativity. If you are left-brained and tend to devote most of your time working in an analytical fashion, break out some clay and let your creativity run for a little bit. If you are more of a right-sided creative type who likes the figurative form, for example, dig into an anatomy book and explore the human form from the inside out.

There needs to be balance in just about every aspect of life, and in craft and art it is no different.

Visit Lauren Gray at her Pyrography shop and her wooden miniatures shop.

Filed Under: creativity, illustration | painting, wood Tagged With: , , , , 5 Comments