Showing posts with label green craft supplies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green craft supplies. Show all posts

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Eco Art: DIY Paper From Junk Mail

Hey! Here is a video of my new eco savvy paper making project- I took old junk mail that is overflowing my recycle bin and tore by hand/cut it up into tiny little bitty pieces to make new art paper with. I wanted my paper to be pretty thick and textured, so that I could paint easily with my Poke Berry paints.
The video will show you the easy steps you can take to making some of your own eco art paper right at home for free!



XoXo

Monday, September 28, 2009

Eco Art: Drawing With Flower Petals and Natural Charcoal

Guess what I discovered today! I was in my garden and I pulled a few marigold petals off the flower and rubbed it hard against some cardboard...voila, it made an orange mark! Then I got some dark orange/red colored nasturtiums, more orange marigolds, and golden rod (yellow) flowers and decided to try and draw with them.
I didn't use a pencil or a paint brush, I simply took the petals in my fingers and mushed them, then pressed them against the paper. The paper I used in these pictures is recycled paper, four sheets taped together. I set up a mirror and used my face as a quick guide... although the end result is a wee bit more haggard then I am in reality, psychically at least. ;)
I started with the golden rod yellow flowers for an outline of the drawing since they have the lightest pigment. When drawing with solid colors it's best to build the pigments up from lightest to darkest.
The marigolds gave a full on orange, bright and full of pigment, the golden rod was a lemon true yellow and the nasturtiums came out strangely reddish mauve.
I got really excited that I remembered there was CHARCOAL in the wood stove from last time wood burned. Funny how in art school it never dawned on me the charcoal was simply from wood, since all our art supplies were bought in stores rather then handmade. When I moved out into the woods and burned wood in a stove for the first time, a piece of charcoal fell out onto the floor and I stepped on it and slide across white tile, making a huge line across the floor. I was like OH My GAWd, this is charcoal!!! :)
Adding the blackness of charcoal to any drawing, any color makes everything very bold and intense. I am also not really one for subtle art though too.
This was a eco art quickie, that took less then 5 minutes for me to draw, but shows that there is a range of stuff we can make without relying on an art store, without spending money and without harming the earth in order to create good art. We don't need to be starving artists cause we've spent all our money on art supplies or because our art supplies are so toxic it's polluting soil and water.
BTW - Next time I will draw something more happy for ya'll, like a unicorn.
XoXoXoooooo

Friday, May 2, 2008

Crafting A Green World


Want to know how to green your crafting style, and stop the out of control addiction to china made craft supplies? I know how it is, I was once a Hobby Lobby junkie- I couldn't stop buying chemical dyed feathers, miniature anything, sea shells, fake flowers, iron ons, glues, tiny starfish ... it goes on and on. But we are entering a future where the environment will need to be considered in every purchase. Crafters have the power to change the market & create not only cool DIY but also a cleaner planet. That's why Crafting A Green World is here to help, you know kinda like rehab for the slave made craft supply addicted.
Thanks CAGW for making a safe place for eco friendly craft-a-holics everywhere!

PS- I write for Crafting A Green World now, so check out my posts on Fridays :)