Tag Archives: craft critique

Some Birthday Card crafting

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I’ve been hard at work 1) finishing up a product review, my second one, for Craft Critique, 2) trying to schedule a speaker for the NAWIC Chicago chapter, 3) getting Communion invitations together.

In the meantime, we had a few special birthdays to celebrate. It was really fun experimenting with my Copic markers on the cupcake card (shown above). I don’t even have a full blown set, but enough where I can mess around with the shading. Then I felt compelled to pull out my Lumiere paint and start this:

which turned into this… a sort of Griffin and Sabine-Nick Bantock feel. Perfect for the recipient. It wasn’t intentional, either. I so love my Nick Bantock stamps. Two of them are on the card; the archaeological glyph-ish stamp and compass rose.

And what a difference with the details when I used VersaFine ink! Tried the Copic markers again, and then went over the image with a gloss.

Other updates:

  • I was recommended for appointment to the Historic Preservation Commission. I really need to get started on some reading now.
  • Compost container is almost done. I didn’t finish it in class, but all the pieces and parts are here. Wait until you see it!
  • Exercising took a small setback with Daylight Savings. Seriously, I am having such a hard time getting up in the morning, but I got back on the bike yesterday and today.
  • A HUGE thank you to everyone who answered the survey. I used a name randomizer on www.annabet.com for the Midwest Living magazine subscription winners: Elmin Pittges and Sally Chalex.

And, I’d like to introduce a new interactive scrapbooking community, Club Creating Keepsakes! Please check out this link at Craft Critique to learn more and win giveaways!

Craft Product Review: Liquitex Ultra Matte Gel

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Been looking at my craft stash lately. Been buying more stamping supplies, too. What fun! Here’s a look at what I’ll be doing for Craft Critique in the next few months.

Update: This article is posting on April 5, 2010 at www.craftcritique.com

Liquitex Ultra Matte Gel (gel medium)

Gel medium is one of the most versatile products you can have in your arsenal of craft tools. It can turn any piece of fabric into a primed canvas for painting. It can also be a great glue for collages or protect pictures and paintings. Mix it with your acrylic paint and you’ve extended its life. I’m sure there are more uses, but being an intermediate non-professional crafter, I like to use it for my painted fabric silhouettes.

I’m comparing the Liquitex Ultra Matte Gel to the Matte Gel, which has been my preferred substrate. Both have the consistency of a smooth, non-sticky, lightweight batter, but Matte Gel (on left) is translucent while the Ultra Matte (on right) is semi-opaque. For my purposes, I needed to thin the Ultra Matte Gel so my printed fabric would show through. However, when the gel medium was fully dry, you could tell that the original color was slightly altered (see fuschia butterfly wing). If keeping the original vibrancy is an issue, I would stick with translucent or transparent gel medium.

For lengthening the life of a mixed color, Ultra Matte Gel is fantastic. Just don’t use too much, otherwise your color will lighten. Remember to do a test spot in any application.

Retails anywhere between $10-$12. Store coupons are useful since these products hardly ever seem to go on sale. I was fortunate to find this in the clearance rack for under $4.00.

Pros:
A little goes a long way
Slow drying and does not yellow
Nice matte finish
Can be thinned with a little water
Easy clean up

Cons:
May be cost prohibitive
Slow drying
May dull or lighten colors

Update: This article will also be posting on the Craft Critique site in the near future.

Disclaimer: I was not paid by Liquitex or Craft Critique for my opinion.

Busy February

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Picture by G. Feiereisel

Wow, it’s been a while… let’s update.

Holiday/birthday season is over for me (husband’s, father’s, daughter’s and numerous friends), and tomorrow our party-hosting blackout month starts. We may be taking a hosting hiatus, but that doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about it. Amidst the celebrating, we started looking for Holy Communion dresses for Abby and planning a lunch reception. We have a little less than two months, which really translates to, I have a little less than two months to reorganize and pull my house back together again.

In the next month, I’ll begin reporting for Craft Critique where I will rediscover and review some of my own crafting supplies and equipment, and be introduced to new and exciting products in the crafting world. I can’t wait! You might imagine I have quite the array of products, but my craft shed is fairly minimal. You’ll see. To jump start my creative juices and “research” current products, I’ve been visiting the local Archiver’s over the last few weekends to see the “make-and-take” projects and see product demos.

Another love of mine is Chicago history and architecture, so to celebrate that my husband and I attended “Chicago in History and Mystery” at our local library. Fabulous guest speakers, wine and hors d’ouevres, too. (Can I tell you how weird it was eating and walking around the library with a glass of chardonnay? God forbid I spill anything!) Back to the speakers: Authors JA Konrath, Gillian Flynn and Henry Perez; Rick Kogan and Charles Osgood from the Chicago Tribune and WTTW personality, Geoffrey Baer.

I’ve never been to an author panel discussion before; it was eye-opening and fun! These authors write mysteries, and being able to hear them speak about their inspirations, how they got started, how they approach their character development was so fascinating. We came home with Afraid by Konrath, who also writes under Jack Kilborn, but I’m definitely looking forward to reading the others. Have to get through my stack of books by my bed first.

It’s amazing enough to watch Geoffrey Baer’s tours of Chicago on tv, read Rick Kogan’s articles and see Charles’s photography, but listening to them when they’re a few feet away from you… incredibly captivating and entertaining personal stories. Sorry to say I didn’t bring my camera, but then again, not many people did. I might be able to link to the library website if they update their event photos. I wanted to tuck every anecdote away in my head to share with friends, but by the time we left (about 4 hours) I was so overwhelmed with factoids and fun stories. I’ll end with a few Chicago tidbits that stuck.

  • Louis “Studs” Terkel (Chicagoan author, broadcaster, historian) was one of the oldest people to undergo open-heart surgery at the age of 93. In his own words through Rick Kogan, “I’m a medical miracle!”
  • Caldwell Avenue is named for “Billy” Caldwell whose American Indian name was Sauganash which is also the name of the neighborhood that the avenue runs through. I had no idea…
  • Park Ridge is not the highest point in Cook County which many Park Ridgians believe. High point is somewhere around Barrington.
  • Park Ridge was home to many artisans and craftspeople, and included a workshop called Kalo Arts Crafts Community House where many silversmiths and jewelers started their trade.

Such a rich history in the arts… is it a wonder I feel at home here? We’ll see what happens in the next month since I also applied for a seat on the newly formed “Historic Preservation Commission” in town.

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