Monday, February 28, 2011

Good morning!
Had an 'off' day yesterday after I pulled a couple of muscles in my back.
Ouch!
Wasn't really in the mood to sit at a computer.
Things I have learned:
  *Write more drafts, so I just have to push a button to post on "those days".
  *Sitting in my living room chair, don't lean across to pet Tanner when he is on the adjoining couch. No matter how cute he is.

I have just been added to a treasury on etsy. Here is etsy's main site addy:
Here is the exact address for the treasury that one of my items has been featured in:

happy dance!

oooooh, and here's another treasury my very good friend Orna has made, with one of my recycled bottlecaps:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d650ce898f16d910e34b0ba/inspired-by-nature#4d6bed08c9a18eef3dc54a55

I would like to start you off today with photos of some altered dolls that are for sale on etsy - http://www.etsy.com/

This one is from:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/shell3409?ref=seller_info

This next one can be found here :
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BaudettesPlace?ref=seller_info
"Here and there we meet with one who possesses that fairy-like power of enchanting all about her; sometimes she is ignorant herself of this magical influence, which is, however, for that reason only the more perfect.
Her presence lights up the home; her approach is like a cheerful warmth; she passes by, and we are content; she stays awhile; and we are happy."
- Victor Hugo

Are you remembering to save your gum wrappers, CDs and juice pouches?
You will want a nice variety of these for upcoming projects.

ALSO: be sure to save plastic bags from different place, like a retail store, vet, anything with a logo or pattern on it. Grocery plastic bags are too thin.


Rubber Stamping Tip for Beginners:
Here's an easy way to remember card stock sizes for making cards:

one sheet of cardstock 8 1/2" x 11"
* Cut in half, and you have 2 regular sized cards (once you fold them in half).
* Cut each half in half again, and you will have 4 pieces of cardstock ready to trim and add to the inside of your card, or to layer on the outside.

So, you can cut one 8 1/2" x 11" sheet in half=two 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" pieces
OR
You cut one 8 1/2" x 11" sheet in fourths = four 2 1/2" x 2 3/4" pieces

That tip is for Marge, who is definitely a numbers/measuring person. I am not, so I actually had to get out the calculator to re-assure myself I had split 5 1/2" in half correctly!
(I had.)
I am much more visual, and measure with my eye up to 1/16" correctly.
So, one way or the other, you still have your cardstock cut up correctly!

Well, I don't want to make this blog into a book-a-day thing, so perhaps that is enough for today!

Okay, one more quote:
"Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun."
- George Scialabba

Do have some fun today! Rainy or sunny, snowing or blowing, today is a beautiful day that God has created for all of us to enjoy.
inkspired

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Scrapbooking, kirigami and St. Patrick's Day

Howdy!
Today will be a fun day of tips and quotes, and hopefully you'll start feeling a little "green"!
"For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way,
Good health, good luck and happiness
for today and everyday."

TIP: Time to check the closet and make sure you have some green to wear on Mar. 15th. If it needs cleaning or mending, do it now!

Scrapbooking and Kirigami really complement each other.
After cutting a few different designs in differing colors, spread them out on your work table/counter.
Set out a few pages of the scrapbook in progress that you have.

Get out some photos you want to scrapbook. Kirigami looks fab as photo frames! Ad one to make a big splash on your page. Use several pieces that overlap the edges and cut off the overhang. Save for later uses.

Play with color combinations. Do at least ONE that is way out of your comfort range. You might end up really liking it!
DESIGN IDEA:  Use your glimmer mists and kirigami stencils in your spray box onto sheets of 12x12 or whatever size your scrapbook is. After drying, take the shadow images sheet to your work table. Use the same cut of kirigami to layer over, slightly off center, the glimmer mist shadow image on your paper.

An example of colors: off white paper, gold and walnut glimmer mists, scrap kirigami to spray over, brown vintage look kirigami to layer. You are well on your way to completing a scrapbook page with vintage photos or memorabilia.


    Here is an original papercutting          Here is the sprayed paper
Note how the image is reversed. These 2 pictures are not my own. Unfortunately I have lost the info on who it belongs to. If you know, send me the info so I can give credit where credit is due.

Here is a  St. Patrick kirigami design for you to cut and play with:
This kirigami uses the quarter page fold. You take one square piece of paper. Fold it in half. Crease well. Fold in half again. Crease well. Print out the above shamrock design (copyrights by http://www.scissorcraft.com/). Fold using the directions above. Now you have a 1/4 pattern that can easily be cut, or transferred to your desired paper. Spread open flat and admire  your work!
HINT: make sure that your shamrocks are overlapping, and that you don't cut between them. You need the connections to keep your kirigami in one piece.
TIP: You can always iron your kirigami to make it flatter. Use a dry iron with no steam.

Wouldn't these kirigami shamrocks look pretty with a spray of Glimmer Mist over the top?

These two designs are copyrighted from DOVER PUBLICATIONS. They are found in the Stained Glass Book section. I would highly recommend that you subscribe to Dover's free downloads weekly club.
.
Here is an addy that I think will get you to the right place:

This is a heart design from the discontinued Back Street Studio line of books. It is definitely okay to use for your own personal use. I'm not sure where they stand on multiple uses, but the general rule is you can make 10 items using their designs for "pin money", but you can't reproduce it and say it is mine.

This next card is a stamp from Peddler's Pack line of rubber stamping. Excellent line! I have stamped it onto the back side of a piece of acrylic. I'll give directions on how to do this with glitter tomorrow.



"A friend's eye is a good mirror."


Friday, February 25, 2011

Punches, Quotes and Oatmeal Muffins

It's a beautiful day today. A storm is blowing in, and all the trees and grass are tipped with lovely white crystals. I love it when that happens - it is so pretty.

"Begin doing what you want to do now.
We are not living in eternity.
We have only this moment,
sparkling like a star in our hand -
and melting like a snowflake."
- Francis Bacon, Sr.

Thank you to those who have given me some feedback. After some consideration, I will try to streamline this blog and make it a bit shorter. I suppose it doesn't make sense to expect everyone to want to read an "inkspired  book" every day! :0)
Let me know what you think!

Tip:  Punches
Are your paper punches just not punching as well as when you first used them?
Fold a piece of wax paper (I use 1 sheet folded into fourths.)
Punch through the wax paper several times. Use a toothpick or sewing pin to pick out any pieces of wax paper that may have gotten stuck in the intricate design ones.

Repeat, only this time with a piece of aluminum foil, again folded into fourths.
Punch through several times.

Doing these two steps can really perk up sluggish punches that have been ripping your paper, and encourage them to punch their best!

Here is a great muffin recipe that is easy to make, tastes really good, and is good for you!
OATMEAL MUFFINS
pre-heat oven to 425'
1 Cup quick cooking rolled oats
1 Cup milk
Combine rolled oats and milk; let stand 15 minutes
while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

1 Cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/3 Cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 well-beaten egg
1/4 cup canola oil or melted shortening (I always use canola oil)

Mix:
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl.
Combine egg, oil and oatmeal mixture. Add all at once to sifted dry ingredients, stirring just to moisten.

TIP: over mixing muffins make them condensed and tough after baking.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full. You need to either grease the muffin tins, or use paper baking cups. I like the ease and no-clean-up of the paper ones!

Bake:
425' for 20 - 25 minutes. Makes about 16 muffins.
Let cool a few minutes so the paper wrapping comes off easier.

Add-ins, if desired:
3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 pared and chopped apple
1/2 cup of chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dried apricots
or my husband's new favorite - dried cherries!

Remember, laugh at least once today!
inkspired


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Kirigami, Rubber Stamping and How to build a Spray Box

Hello!
Welcome to my inkspired musings!

Here are some rubber stamping tips to get us started:

TIP: I love using egg cartons and glass custard cups to hold all my little embellishments while I'm creating. The cups have a wide enough base that they don't easily flip over or tip.
I have the custard cups from Pampered Chef, and they come with lids!

TIP: Keep a shoe box full of blank cards, prefolded. These are ready to grab and add a pre-stamped image or word....good to go!

TIP: Keep a shoe box full of stamped images that are ready to use as is or in need of coloring. I grab my shoe box and sit in front of the TV watching old westerns, and color quite a few of them at a time.

"Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters
cannot be trusted with important matters."
 - Albert Einstein

Here are some examples of using kirigami and rubber stamping together:




HOW TO BUILD A SPRAY BOX
Okay, you are going to think me ridiculous, but here goes...
Get a big box, slightly larger than a paper reams box!


HOW TO USE A SPRAY BOX
You need newspapers. Plenty of newspapers! If you are any bit messy, you want to cover your floor where you will be spraying. Sprays have a way of getting where you don't want them, so make sure any over spray will be onto newspapers.

The one time you are in a hurry, and don't want to put newspapers down will be the one time you have a humongous mess, and you'll be regretting it. So put the newspapers down!

Place box on top of newspapers, on its' side, with all flaps open to give your more controlled space.

TIP: you need a well ventilated area - garage, porch, patio, driveway, etc.
If you are spraying inside, be sure to open a window or two.

Things you will need:
Small spray bottles- My friend Shelly uses the small travel size  hairspray bottles; when empty she cleans them and has a perfect spray bottle!

Paper to spray on to - stationery, cardstock, blank paper, stamped paper or cardstock, brown bags, lunch bags, blank boxes...

Stencils - KIRIGAMI!! Opened and laid flat.
Paper doilies of all sizes and patterns.
Skeleton Leaves. Vintage keys. Dried flowers.
You can also find a number of rubber stamping sites that sell delicate patterned frosty plastic stencils that are just gorgeous.

Things to spray with:
Just a few ideas: 
Acrylic paint watered down and in a spray bottle

Glimmer Mists, as many colors as you can afford!
A mixture of water, powdered pearl ex, a bit of arabic gum (no you don't chew it, it's powdered!)

Spray webbing, sold at many craft stores

Diluted re-inkers, of the dye variety, not of the pigment family.

Okay, let's play!

Place your desired paper inside the box, on top of the newspapers. Place your kirigami cut out on top of paper. Let it hang over the edge. Start with one color of, let's say, Glimmer Mist. Do a light passover spray to get the hang of how the bottle sprays, where the spray lands, etc.

Be a bit more aggresive, and spray over your paper a couple of times. Not too much though, we are going for a light, misty look here. Just enough so you can see the outline of your stencil.

Remove your kirigami carefully. You can now add a couple of skeleton leaves or part of the edge of a paper doiley.  Choose a different color of Glimmer Mist, and again do a light pass over with the spray to get the feel of the bottle. Spray until you like the look, but remember:

If you spray over the first stencil too much, it will disappear. So keep a light spray hand! Just think about coloring Easter eggs - you dip once for allover color, then dip again for a second color or stripe. You put stickers on your egg before dipping, and after the dip, you peel the stickers off, and reveal the original color of the egg below. But if you continue to dip again and again, you end up with a brown, muddy looking Easter egg.

TIP: When layering colors of ink, always start with the lightest color. Then the middle color and last just a bit of dark color.

TIP: Choose no more than 3 colors to combine. Any more and the colors just get muddy.

Okay, you're done with that sheet, set it aside to dry. On the newspapers is ideal in case any of the ink wants to puddle. Your paper will want to curl up. That is okay, as long as the sprayed side is not touching itself.

Time to play some more!
Oops, there goes an hour!
How time flies when you are having fun crafting, or getting messy!

Once your papers are dry, you can set them under heavy books - like big dictionaries - and leave them overnight. 
Still curly? When you are ready to use them, you can use a dry iron to smooth out the sheets more.

You should have quite a pile of beautiful papers, card stock, and whatever else you chose to spray on.
After you return from the store to get more spray bottles and Glimmer Mist, you will be well supplied to use your spray box whenever you want!

Here are a few more picture examples of how to use your kirigami with rubber stamping:



Here are a few more kirigami patterns to inspire you:

with tip pointing up.

with tip pointing down.


That's all for today. Let me leave you with a favorite quote:

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments
when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."
 - Thornton Wilder

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Rubber stamping, Recycling, Scrapbooking, Recipes and Quotes!

Hello!
Thank you for being patient with me as I learn the ins and outs of blogging.
So far....some mistakes.....a lot of fun!  :0)

"Home - that blessed word,
which opens to the human heart
the most perfect glimpse of Heaven,
and helps to carry it thither,
as on angel's wings."
    -Lydia M. Child

I have promised you a super easy-to-make salad recipe:

Pea and Caulifower No Fail Salad
Bag of frozen peas
Bag of frozen cauliflower OR head of fresh cauliflower, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Original
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cashews - I like the salted ones

Set frozen peas and cauliflower out to thaw a bit. Rinse in colander to get rid of any ice crystals.
If you are using a fresh head of cauliflower wash it and snip it apart into bite size pieces. NO green stuff though, just the white stuff!

Put peas and cauliflower in mixing bowl.

NOTE: adjust amount of dressing to the size bags of vegetables you are using. This recipe will work fine with small to medium bags
.
Add Ranch dressing and sour cream. Toss well to coat and mix. If it looks a little "dry" and the ranch dressing is not coating the vegetables well, add a bit more Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, 1 Tablespoon at a time. The salad should have a slightly creamy look.

JUST BEFORE SERVING: Reserve 1/4 cup cashews to sprinkle on top. Add the remaining cashews to the salad and mix well.

When I give this as a house warming gift, or a potluck, I put the cashews into a baggie and tape to the lid of the serving container, with a note of instructions to add cashews before serving, sprinkling some on top.

Even for those non-loving vegetables types, this salad has won rave reviews.

For yummy leftovers, simply add a few fresh cashews to your serving bowl and it is ready to go.

KIRIGAMI FUN

Some history for you:
Folding paper into intricate designs (origami) has been around for centuries in the asian cultures. Pretty much as soon as we figured out how to make paper, we've been fiddling with it ever since!
Traditional origami did not distinguish between folded and cuts. We now call folded only ORIGAMI and folded with cuts KIRIGAMI.

 So, you fold your paper, but then you get to use scissors!

TIP: Don't try this running...

Today we will start with a very basic design that uses only 3 folds. Yes! you can do this - really!

Start with a square piece of paper, equal on all sides.

TIP: you can find pre-cut squares of origami paper at most craft stores.

If you can't find any, or if you just have lots of extra paper around, here is how to make a happy square out of a rectangle sized piece of paper:

Place paper face up (any pattern will be looking at you, not the table).

Take the top right corner and bring the tip down diagonally to the left side, making a big triangle. Be sure to match the edges of the paper. You should be looking at the back side of the paper now.

Crease well with a fingernail or bone folder.

At the bottom of the big triangle there should be a rectangle left over. Cut this off.

Open your triangle and you have a happy square!

Now let's do the first basic fold. These basic instructions are from



kirigamiDiagram

Instructions
  1. Fold a piece of paper in half.
  2. Fold in half again but only make a small crease to show the midpoint. Fold the bottom right corner upwards to make a 60° angle at the midpoint (begin to fold into thirds).
  3. Fold the bottom left corner upwards to meet with the folded right-edge of the paper.
  4. Trim the excess paper to form a cone shape.
  5. Make several cuts out of the cone shape and then unfold to discover your paper snowflake. Be careful not to cut too much - that will cause the entire snowflake to fall apart.
    Note that cutting half-a-heart will open to reveal a heart cutout. Similarly, cutting a semicircle will reveal a circle; and cutting a triangle will produced a diamond shape.







I am sorry about the ads above, but I can't figure out how to copy the visuals without it!

Go to their website - they have many good tutorials on origami and kirigami.
I like to use scratch paper when first making a design. That way if I make a wrong cut, or don't like the result, I haven't used any of my "good" paper.

TIP: BUT don't be afraid to use that good paper. It isn't doing any good sitting in a drawer and getting old.

Here are some samples to play with. These designs are visually set up so you start with your kirigami folded triangle, with the long tip at the bottom. The top of the designs are the uneven paper at the top of the triangle.

kirigami snowflakes

Now try some traditional "snowflake" type cuts. There are just so many fun things you can do with this base.

TIP: When you make a cut at the very tip of the base form, you get a lovely little flower shape. Save these to add later as the centers to paper flowers or stamped cards.

Here are some photos of kirigami that I have made:


front and back of greeting card


Tomorrow we will discuss all the fun ways to use kirigami, and how to add kirigami to compliment rubber stamping, cooking, and scrapbooking!

Laugh today! It will improve your blood pressure, stress, and feelings of depression!
Here are a couple of photos to get you started. This is Tanner our current Great Dane.
He is asleep...


I am having so much fun sharing recipes, quotes, photos and creative thoughts.
I hope you are too!

Feel free to tell a friend, pass along a tip or two or forward my blog address:

I have a wide variety of pop art, jewelry and more in my etsy shop:

You can also e-mail me at:


Monday, February 21, 2011

Beginning Altered Art Paper Doll tutorial, Kirigami intro and quotes

Hello!  Here is a great quote to start your day:

Like snowflakes, the human pattern is never cast twice.

We are uncommonly and marvelously intricate in thought and action.."
........Alice Childress

Altered Art Paper Doll Tutorial:

I moved around quite a bit as a child. I was blessed with parents who thoughfully provided me with the perfect portable toy - paperdolls! They went everywhere with me.

I cherished each and every one. I had Lucille Ball, Hayley Mills, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, 5 Ballerinas, 3 Nurses, Little Women, it's a small world..the list goes on and on!

So...you might say I have had a love affair with paperdolls for a very long time. In the past few years I have been very interested in altered paper dolls. By using paper dolls as a vehicle for creative release, you might say I'm STILL playing with my paperdolls!

Sounds good to me!

Getting Started:

You already have!  Using all that wonderful found treasure from you backyard, sewing kit, scrapbooking box, game room, etc. you are well on your way.

Decide what you doll will be.

Will it be a self portrait?
Will it be for your eyes only, or will you share it?
What do you want her/him to say?
Does your paperdoll represent a theme?
An emotion?
A certain time in history?
Or is she just to be a fun and quirky piece of creative art?

Now that you have started thinking about your altered paper doll, sort through your "treasures" that you picked out in the last few days. Does anything strike you for a base? This will be a head, a head with a torso, or a complete base with head, arms, legs and torso.

You can find paperdoll bases at many places on the internet for free:

Here's one:
 http://familycrafts.about.com/od/paperdolls/ig/Paper-Doll-Accessories/Paper-Doll-Body.htm

and another:
http://www.box.net/shared/n2o0zxx0rf

and another
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/TCR/0615_57-59.pdf

You can also take a paper doll that you already own, and trace around the outside of the doll, to give you a good base.
I have also had success with cutting out full length photos of someone from magazines. I also snag photographs with great body parts in them - a good set of legs, a good arm or two, etc.

You can either choose your head first or your torso first to get started.
Let's look at things that you might want to use for a head:

* doll head
* paper doll head from a tattered set
* matchbox
* copy of a paper doll head, or of a photo of someone in your family
* a sticker
* a copy of a famous painting
* small shrine box
* game piece

TIP: a doll head does not have to have 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose or 1 mouth!

Here are a few things that you could use for your torso:

* any of the above items!
* silk flower head
* playing card, or tarot card
* card stock figure
* mentos tin
* small computer component

Getting the idea?   :0)

Re-arrange and play with your pieces.
Do you want arms or legs?
Do you want your paperdoll to be moveable, or glued into one position?

Here are some photos of other talented artists' work:

The first is from ArtByDebora, an etsy artist.
This one is from dadadreams, on etsy.

This one is made by penniesfromheaven, another etsy artist and shop:


TIP: There are so many options for limbs - thread beds onto wire stiff enough to stay in place. Or use chenille stems! Be sure to loop one end of the wire to the beads don't fall off!  Thread the top of the wire through grommets, eyelets or punched holes on the body base. For a foot or a hand, make another loop at the end of the wire/chenille stem.

Get ready for tomorrow:

Look through your stacks of magazines, and catalogs. If you don't have any, go ask a neighbor to donate to your project. It beats asking for a cup of sugar!
Variety will make this next part so much more fun.
You can start clipping and tearing out body parts if you still need them. Cut out fanciful hats, or colored, textured parts to cut your own hat out of. Same goes for interesting necklaces, bracelets, earrings, shoes, skirts, etc.

Let your imagination soar into silliness!

Baking tip:
After unwrapping a stick of butter or margarine, use the wrapper to butter the inside of pans/muffin cups, etc. Anywhere that you have to "grease" the surface.

Here are some photos of kirigami that I have done. It is to whet your appetite for the next few blogs!




"If you don't like where you are,
change it!
You're not a tree."
...Jim Rohn

Have a wonderful, serendipity day!
Share your creations and thoughts with me!
hugs,
inkspired

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Altered Doll sites to look at

Hi,
I am feeling kind of punky today, so I thought I would keep things simple. I am including some altered paper doll web sites, several from etsy.

If you haven't seen my etsy shop - take a peek!
http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/


This photo is part of National Geographic's copyrighted images.
It is to inspire you!


Here are a few etsy shops that feature altered art paper dolls:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RhondasOriginals?ref=seller_info

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RememberMeEmily

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sabrinazanetti?ref=seller_info

http://www.etsy.com/shop/backporchpeddler?ref=seller_info

Once you are at the shop site, you can type in a search box "altered paper doll" and see what that shop has listed under that  name.
The box is at the top right corner. The first box should say "This shop", and then you type in what you want to see (in this case, "altered paper doll") from this shop.

If you want to do a really fun search, click on the "This shop" arrow to the right. A menu will pop up. Click on handmade, put your "altered art paper doll" in the search box to the right, and a bunch of dolls will pop up. Explore. I find it addictive!



http://www.etsy.com/listing/9023426/just-reduced-angel-art-doll
this is an address for one item. Check her out! She has scraps of sticker edges, a copy of a woman's head, gold mesh leftovers, glitter - many things that you have been collecting. Love the little silk flowers.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57933069/
This is of an altered paper doll that has been made part of the cover of a journal.

http://www.origamibears.com/PaperDolls1/paperdolls1.html
This site is one of my favorites. It is always updated (around 4 times a year) and each update shows different paperdolls. You can download these for your personal use.

signing off,
inkspired

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Mermaids & Altered Paper Dolls



"I sat upon a promontory,
And heard a mermaid, on a dolphin's back,
Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath,
That the rude sea grew civil at her song;
And certain stars shot madly from their spheres,
To hear the sea-maid's music."
...William Shakespeare

Waterhouse


I love mermaids, and thought I would share a couple today.
This next one is by Howard Pyle, a fantastic painter.



Here's a vintage ad:


For the past couple of days you have been treasure hunting, and gathered supplies to make a pretty little fairy basket.
The leftover treasures are to make your very own altered paperdoll.
Here are a few samples, just to help spark your creativity:
For more pictures, check out my store on etsy:


Here are two more from my etsy shop:



The following is a menagerie of dolls from b-muse
Check out her wonderful collage sheets and more at:

Collage Art Dolls Collage Sheets

This one is from the enchanted gallery.

pretty pink mermaid paper doll

Hope this triggers some creative thoughts.
See you tomorrow!
sending Great Dane hugs,
inkspired

Thursday, February 17, 2011

inkspired musings labels

Yes! I think I found out how to add labels to each post!
Let's see if it works...

More recycling Tip #1

Oh do please forgive me. I am so new to this blogging thing. I think I pushed a wrong button or something. Sorry!
Here is the rest of the recycling post:
       *Things to finish your recycled color water jars/Bottles"
1. Glass marbles. You can find these at your local craft store such as Michael's.
2. Add a fresh white carnation to each jar.
****TIP***
*****Cut the stems of the carnations once home. Immediately place in colored water. The carnation should draw the colored water up, and the petals will start to show the new color!
3. Add a sprig of evergreen or ivy to each bottle, or just to 1 or 2.
***TIP***
*****Always remove all leaves and bits that are below the water level. Keeps the water fresh and is better for the clipping.
4. Place a single white tissue paper flower in each jar as desired.
***TIP***
*****For a pretty table top display, arrange jar/bottles onto a mirror placed flat on the table. The mirror can have a frame, or just a plain mirror tile.
5. Shabby chic look - tear strips of gingham fabric and tie around the top of the jars. Embellish with a cameo at the center.
6. Victorian look - use several colors and textures of ribbons and lace. Tie around top of each jar. Add a metallic lacy charm to the center of each bow, or just to one or two.
7. Country look - use seam binding and rick rack to tie bow around jars. Hot glue buttons randomly all over the jar/bottles. Not too many, as you want the colored water to show through easily.

Please, show me your photos of this finished recycling craft! I love to see how other creative people interpret the same project.

My next beginner blogger goal: how to include photos!

Tommorrow's musings -
     my favorite cake recipe
     making a fairy basket
     collecting items for altered paper dolls

sending you all inky hugs,
inkspired

Welcome to my serendipity dreams.

Welcome!
Drawing from a creative pool of more than 40 years, you will find here how-to tips in numerous arenas. Quotes of the day. Tidbits to make your crafting easier. Favorite recipes, favorite websites, favorite products. An eclectic swirl of fun crafting and art!

inkspired musings will include (but not limited to!) some of the following:
rubber stamping                      sewing                   paper dolls
quote of the day                      beading                  altered art
mixed media                           scherensnitte          painting
kirigami                                  shrink art               gardening
fairies                                     angels                    die cuts
origami                                   papel picado           mermaids
glitter art                                etiquette                recycling

My creativity is overflowing...let's get started!

Quote of the moment:
"Now isn't imagination a precious thing? It peoples the earth with all manner of wonders, strange beasts and birds; angels, cherabim and seraphim.
And it has to be exercised.
No child should be permitted to grow up without exercise for imagination.
It enriches life for him.
It makes things wonderful and beautiful."
..............Mark Twain, American wit, author and traveler

Recycling for the newbie:
Recycling - taking anything that has been used for one purpose, and using it for a different purpose. Instead of using an item once, and then throwing it into the trash (and filling up our oceans, landfills, and rivers), you can be active in making a difference.
Really! You can!
What can one person do? Can I really make a difference? I am only one person.

Yes!!! You CAN make a difference. All of those single grains of sand make up an awfully big beach.

Here are some of my favorite recyclers that have made recycling into a profitable full time job!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dlkdesigns

http://www.etsy.com/shop/necessityisthemother

http://www.etsy.com/shop/FunkyRecycling

Have fun browsing around!
Here is the link to my etsy store: http://www.inkspired.com/shop
I just love to recycle things!

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE RECYCLE IDEA #1:
*Wash and dry several glass jars and bottles.
*What kind? Pick several different heights and shapes. Clear glass is preferred. Think spaghetti sauce, baby food, etc.
*Be sure to remove all labels.
***TIP***
     Still left with sticky residue? Try Goo-be-Gone or acetone. Sometimes nail polish remover (with acetone) will work just fine. Takes off any ink marks on the bottles also.
*Line up jars and bottles on a shelf in the sunlight, or in a grouping on a table.
****TIP***
     Use uneven number of jars. 3, 5 or 7.
*Fill jars with different levels of water.
*Add ONE DROP AT A TIME food coloring, differenct colors for each jar.
***TIP***
     Remember, food coloring may stain clothing or carpet.
*PLAY! Experiment with color combinations. What is the worst thing that could happen? You have to dump out the water and start fresh. No big deal.
Fun things to put into your colored water jar/bottle display: