PagesPat's Ponderings

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Let the Sun In!

Rise and shine, crafters! I have a mixed media project to "shed some light" on my Birthday Blowout Blog Candy today. For those of you just joining me, from April 1 through April 15, I am celebrating another trip around the sun by thanking all the crafters whose art I have admired and been inspired by. I'm doing that by offering some awesome prizes and blog candy throughout those two weeks, and you can go back to the very first post to "catch up."
All I ask is that you are or become a Follower of my blog, display my Party badge in your sidebar, and if a question is asked that day, that you answer it. I may ask you your preferences in technique, or maybe to check out a sponsor's store for your favorite image or paper.
So today I decided it would be fun to try a new technique. One should never be averse to stretching out of our comfort zones. Betty from Simply Betty created a YouTube video of a project using melted crayons. Not the drippy ones on canvas, but ones you cut into small shavings and add to a surface to give it new color and texture. You can click HERE to view it.
I started with broken crayons (slated for the trash can at the school I work at) in various shades of yellow, orange and pink. Do you see that off-white sun shape next to the foil? I got that sorry looking piece of acrylic from a Goodwill Store for 49 cents! It originally had a mirror in it, but hubby dropped it on the way into the house! Silly man, he was going to throw it away (gasp)! I let hi clean up the broken glass and remove any leftover from the base, and locked myself in my craft room (mwa-ha-ha).
I shaved those outcast crayons with a manual pencil sharpener. After a base coat of yellow acrylic paint, I used adhesive glue spray and dropped and mashed in my pink shavings. I heated the whole thing with my heat gun, then did the same for the yellow and orange. I think in doing the pink first, I lost a lot of it, and didn't have enough to add to it. Next time I will hire, I mean ask, my daughter to start shaving the crayons I need to use a couple days before I plan to start the project, using a hand sharpener took some time!
After I got the melty, textured look I wanted, I held a white crayon over my sun and let a few drops fall randomly for a little highlighting. Then I sprayed everything with homemade shimmer mist, giving it a subtle shine.
The most difficult part of this project was deciding what to place in the center. I found a great quote from the book Anne of Green Gables and misquoted it for my project, which reads, "Life is new every morning, and I feel as if I washed my very soul in that bath of earliest sunshine."
Once the quote was in place, I embellished with a ring of pearls around the sentiment and a ring of Stickles around the diameter of my sun. Too plain! So I added a butterfly and a flourish of pearls, then balanced my "canvas" with a flurry of white flowers. And I like it!!
I hope you do too, and you make that decision to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.
Now on to today's prize. I have a rubber stamp from Simply Betty from her Teen Scene collection that I want to give to someone today. So why don't you go check out her YouTube video (link above) and leave her some love?! Let me know you've done this, and you will be in the running for one amazing stamp!
Thanks all for stopping by !!
Challenges I am Entering:
Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes (no cards/ATCs)
Recycle, Re-purpose & Re-invent - Anything Goes
2 Creative Chicks - Anything Goes (no cards)
Rhedd's Creative Spirit - Anything Goes (mixed media)
Scrapbooker PhD - Focus on the Sentiment
Decorate to Celebrate #97 - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations challenges - Anything Goes w/a Twist of Flowers
All Crafts challenges - Anything Goes (no cards)

21 comments:

Unknown said...

I tried to add a comment on the video, but can't figure out how to do it. Loved her color combination, but it looks too messy a project to me. I have done the crayon melting before and loved it.
Virginia Montagna

Kathy said...

I love your project. Your colors and embellishments are beautiful. I watched Betty's video, but I don't think I'll try this. I keep an old cardboard box to spray mists and other stuff, but even with the box, spray adhesive goes everywhere. It is probably my least favorite craft product. I do like using melted crayon, but with other techniques.

Unknown said...

I left her a message on her video. I must say it sure was messy but I thought her frame came out nice. Very different. I also love the sun with the quote/saying in the center. That really did come out nice!

Judy McKay said...

Very interesting and lovely project. I will have to try melting crayons. Super recycling. Thank you for joining us at Recycle Re-purpose and Re-invent this month. Hope to see you back here again soon. Judy DT

ike said...

Oh now that is very cool :-) I have never tried that with crayons and I LUV how your little sun turned out. FABulous :-D

Hugz
IKE x

Carol L said...

That is beautiful! I love it.

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles said...

Very cool. There are so many wonderful new things that I'd like to try and learn. Problem is that I have no time for any of them.

I'm afraid that I don't have a youtube account so I couldn't comment on the video. However, it was an interesting, albeit messy tutorial. Thanks for sharing the link.

Hugs,
Lisa

steffi said...

What a cool technique (I shall be popping along to Simply Betty's tips on this) I also love your mis-quote! Great project all round - thanks for sharing with us at Rhedds Creative Spirit - Steffi :o) xx

Sandra Wright. said...

Fabulous...bright and vibrant, bringing the sunshine indoors,I love it...
Thanks for joining in with our challenge over at Altered Eclectics...x

My Side of Oz said...

Awesome sun:) Lovely project and love how you explained the steps so thoroughly so we can try to make something this fabulous! Thanks for sharing with us at Rhedd's Creative Spirit this month! ~Nanette, DT~

Unknown said...

This is gorgeous and unique and beautiful. I love it. Thank you for joining ScrapbookerPhD's Challenge - Focus on Sentiment. DT - Faith

Edwina said...

Hi Pat, I watched the video. I like the frame she made, but I like your sun much better. I left her a comment. Thanks for sharing and reminding me how much fun it is to use crayons for art. Edwina Brown

Rupa Swaminathan said...

This is so so Thanks for sharing this with us at Rhedd's Creative Spirit this month. Good Luck, Rupa, DT.pretty and a cool technique too.

Lilian said...

Wow! This is so pretty! Have to watch the video now!
Thank you for joining us at Decorate to Celebrate!
Lilian
http://theleafstudio.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Beautiful project! Thanks for sharing over at Altered Eclectics! Hugs Erin xx

Rocky said...

Wow, that's really something different, love it. Recycling at its best too. Thank you for joining us at Altered Eclectics with your fab creation.

MaxiBelle Studio said...

how very creative! my hubby too rolls his eyes at me for what I keep & give new life. Thanks for joining us for our 'Sentiment as a Focus' challenge #22.
Alicia (Scrapbooker PhD DT)
MaxiBelle Studio

LChippy76 said...

LOVE <3 the Card & the Embellishments!
I left a msg. on Betty's Video - I enjoy all her Videos...very talented lady!!!

Norma said...

WOW! so fabulous. Thank you for joining Decorate to Celebrate.
Hugs
Norma

Unknown said...

What a great sentiment, thanks for entering this at ScrapbookerPhD x

Chris Stern / CS Designs said...

Pat, Beautiful, love how your project turned out and great way to recycle crayons. I have made crayon paper using crayons and my iron but never tired my heat gun, thanks for the great tutorial will have to give that a try too. Thank you for sharing your lovely piece on Recycle, Re-Purpose & Re-Invent and look forward to seeing more from you.
:) Chris / CS Designs