Playing Games

When my brother was little, we had this great "game" we played with him. We would stack those old alphabet blocks up as high as we could, then call him and he would crawl over and knock them over. I remember it was just the most fun ever and we would restack those blocks until he wore out!

I don't know how, but someone got a photo of him in action - and it has always been one of my very favorite photos. So I decided to use it in this beeswax collage titled "Play".



Bind-it-all makes 6" canvas boards that you can alter and use as binder covers. But I think it makes a pretty fun wall hanging just as it is!

I'll be teaching beeswax collage while in San Diego. I have hundreds (probably thousands) of game pieces I'll be sharing. Should be a totally fun class!

Playing with beeswax

I'm still working on samples for the classes in San Diego. Just a week and a half now! YIKES!!! I'm moving part of my studio up to the main floor this week and the place is just in a total mess. So tonight, I found the bin with the beeswax in it and decided to experiment a little:



I added some blue "to dye for" to white beeswax. Melted it, took a paint brush and painted it onto white glossy cardstock. While still warm, I stamped into it. Then I poured some into a silicone heart shaped ice cube tray. Amazing how it's transparent when thin and totally dark when thick.

Then I poured some out onto my craft sheet and stamped into it. If you stamp deep enough, it's transparent and here's how it looks with a white background:



And if you put it over black, it becomes a single color.



I enjoy playing with beeswax because you can stick anything into it. Here's one I did a few months back for a Ranger Design Team assignment. Just stuck things down into the warm beeswax, painted over the copy of the photo, even stuck a mini pencil in it:



Maybe tomorrow I'd better blog how to clean out your melting pot! I used 2 pots and 2 liner pans tonight, working on multiple techniques - sort of have a mess but decided it could all wait for morning!

Challenges I've had

My life has been filled with challenges. Some more "trying" than others. I have learned that there are good challenges and bad challenges in life. Regardless of the type of challenge....I have learned and grown through each one of them.

I commented yesterday that my time as a designer for Ranger has had many artistic challenges....some better than others. When the call came to use 75% beeswax on a project, I literally thought I was going to cry. OK...I think I did! I have never really worked with beeswax in my life. True challenge....doing something you have never done.

Of course, I fell in LOVE with it!



I found a wonderful metal heart and knew that collage was what I wanted to do. I had some vintage art glass and decided to experiment and see what that looks like in wax as well. I just happen to love anything from Art Glitter Institute! And yes, I did color the wax red. And layered it onto the metal using pink tissue paper torn into little pieces.


When you stamp into hot wax, I found that the stamp went all the way to the metal which gives a cool look.



I poured leftover was into an ice cube mold and made the heart shape for the "tail". It truly looked good enough to eat!



With even more leftover and beads, I made a little dangling ornament. Just wrap wire around the molded shape as a way to attach it to something else. Fun Wire is the "only" wire to use...it's named "fun" for a very good reason!


Most of the little angels in the collage are stickers from Crafty Secrets....a truly wonderful company with an amazing, non-stop source of vintage ephemera. I met the owner, Sandy, on the cruise I taught on and I guarantee you, you will love her, love her product, love the fabulous customer service she offers....and I know you will be 100% satisfied with anything you get from her online store! If you love collage like I do....you will love this stuff. She even has rubber stamps!

I've done some amazing projects with her products....many of them have been published. Maybe my next "challenge" will be to share them in this blog!

So, have you been challenged in your art lately? If not....try beeswax! And don't get me wrong...I had plenty of failures and flops before I got this heart right! As my friend Torrey says, there are no flops, just flopportunities!!!


Vintage Art Glass
Beeswax
Fun Wire
Crafty Secrets (vintage ephemera)