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I said the other day that I haven't been doing anything artsy in recent months, but actually that's not true - I've been going to some Stampin Up demos and classes, which I have been enjoying a lot. So while it may not be original artwork, I still come home with really cute cards all finished, which is great!

So here's some of the stuff I made at the last class. I doubt I would ever in a million years have made these flowers on my own, because they were kinda tedious to make. But it was sort of fun with a group!

(Also, these were taken on my iPhone, in the kitchen because it was the best light I could find at the time. But they're not bad, for all that.)

All of these were made with the same punch. The one above was sprayed with gold Smooch.

This particular class always includes a cardholder of some kind.

Malma again

I did a post back several months ago about the things you can do with Ikea Malma mirrors, and Ikea hackers just popped up with another one I really like, done with a laser etcher. I posted it to Pinterest under the heading Craft Supplies I Crave, although I'm not sure it's entirely true that I crave a laser etcher. Or at least, I only crave it in the way that a gadget-crazy person craves the latest and greatest iPad, if you know what I mean. I probably am a bit gadget-crazy, especially when it comes to art-related gadgets. I don't know what I'd do with a laser etcher if I had one, but wouldn't it be fun to play with?

I really haven't been doing much artsy stuff lately, which is why I haven't been heard from much over here. I'm taking another Claudine Hellmuth class this month, though, so if I actually manage to get anything seriously in progress, there will be updates.

Sampler

Remember back in September or so when I was working on the sampler grid thing for Claudine's class and I said I'd post a picture of it when I finished? (No, you probably don't. I barely did.) Well, I did finish it, way back then, and it's been on my wall all this time, but I never remembered to take a picture - but now I have! And here it is:

I don't think it's perfect, by any means, but it's pretty cute!

The temptation to spend money

I'd really like to take this class, but I'm trying to restrain myself. It starts tomorrow, but registration is open until April 1st, so I have until then to convince myself that I can afford it. (It's the latest thing in online games that's making me feel so broke. Game + discounted multi-month subscription = about the price of that class.)

Layered stamps

I still have not gotten hold of any of Claudine Hellmuth's layered stamps, and I still really want to. Here's Claudine doing a quick demo (I think this will embed right, cross your fingers):


Scrap Time - Claudine Hellmuth's Creative Layer Stamps from Mark Giles on Vimeo.

As I said at some length last summer, I am a huge fan of all of Claudine's products - I haven't changed my mind about that at all, in the interim. (And no, she's not paying me in any way to say so. Just a happy customer.) Her paints in particular are wonderful. And if you haven't used her Sticky-Back Canvas, you're missing something - the ring she's wearing in the video is made out of it! It has so many uses.

MUSIC PAINTING - Glocal Sound - Matteo Negrin

This is way cool.

Updates

I love to see people's updates from conventions and craft shows and such, and the past couple of weeks there have been a ton of them. In case you don't already know why, the CHA wholesale craft show was last week (see CraftCritique, among other places, for lots of updates) and now the Tucson jewelry show(s) are in full swing. Beader Marcia DeCoster has an update up on Lark Crafts' website.

I can't seem to get anything finished, craftwise, although I am goofing around with this and that. Of course I do have an excuse, since (like a lot of people, apparently) I spent most of January sick. I'm finally slowing down with the coughing, though - I think I have been keeping the Hall's company in business, all by myself. There is one thing I've been doing a lot of: updating on Pinterest. I have been having a great time with that for the last couple of weeks - it seems to be what I wanted Tumblr to be, and it failed to quite be, if that makes any sense at all. (Look, Valentines!)

Malma

"Malma" is the name of a mirror that you can buy at Ikea - this one, to be exact:

It's 10" square and is usually available in a couple of different stains, for $2.99. (Reportedly Michael's sometimes has a knock-off version for $1.) I bought a couple of the dark-stained ones the last time I went to Ikea, back before Christmas, and today I went looking for the original tutorial I saw, the one that made me want to buy these, and so far I can't find it. Darn. However, I did figure out that decorating these mirrors is apparently sort of a cottage industry - or at least a crafting staple.

Ikea hacker emulsion mirrors (look at the bottom of this post for more Malma links)
Mosaic mirror
Headboard made of Malma mirrors
Paper mosaic mirror
Another paper one

See what I mean? They go on and on, and none of these are the one I started out looking for!

(Note: if you google this like I did, you will also find lots of posts for "how to hang a Malma mirror" - apparently there's a trick to it. Or, you can use adhesive squares like the person who made the headboard did!)

I also love this mirror from Cathie Filian, which is a hack of a different Ikea mirror!

Gimp

So I fell down the stairs three weeks ago and hurt my feet - I know I'm darn lucky I didn't actually break something, like my head - but my feet are still achy enough that I skipped the quilt show this year and I'm still aggravated about that. I was intending to go right up until the last minute, but I finally decided that it was a bad, bad idea, given the amount of walking involved, and I think that was the right decision but I'm also still sorry I missed it. I'll get over it eventually. I was actually intending to take some pictures this year too. (The background there is that I used to take LOTS of pictures at the quilt show - as in hundreds - and the last couple of years I went cold-turkey and didn't take any. So there's a history with me and the quilt show pictures.)

There has actually been a bit of crafty stuff going on around here, off and on - for one thing I went to my first-ever Stampin' Up demo, and enjoyed it immensely. So I will probably be going to some more of those. I've also started making a new set of (smaller) jump-rings for my Scrap Box Bracelet, so that I'll actually wear it, hopefully, and then I'm also working on an advent calendar. I found a board one that looks more or less like this (assembled but completely unfinished) at a craft store. I bought it a couple of months ago, and I'm not actually sure which store I bought it at, either JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby, I think. I'm currently planning on finishing it fairly plainly, at least for this year. I've been putting gesso on it and I might put a layer of paint on top of that, and then I'm just going to put colored numbers (probably printed out from the printer) on it and stop, for now. Next year I might do those cute things with the paper cut out to fit the box-fronts and such, but this year I'll do good to get numbers on the thing. And soon - very soon - I've got to start working on the Christmas gifts that I promised to make.

Nevermore

Sand Fibers did a whole post full of ravens, including this one, which I adore:

Raven pendant from Etsy seller polkadotmagpie

(Also take a look at this cool mixed media piece with ravens, too, from the AS Creative Team Blog.)