First Time Wood-Burning, Otherwise Known as Pyrography

From Wikipedia: Pyrography or pyrogravure is the art of decorating wood or other materials with burn marks resulting from the controlled application of a heated object such as a poker. It is also known as pokerwork or wood burning.

The term means "writing with fire", from the Greek pur (fire) and graphos (writing).^[1] It can be practiced using specialized modern pyrography tools, or using a metal implement heated in a fire, or even sunlight concentrated with a magnifying lens.

My friend Michelle recently received a wood burning kit as a present. We weren't able to see her for February Craft Day (will post later), but I was able to hang out with her last weekend. After catching up, and showing her the quilling stuff I'd been working on and the books and awesomeness that is quilling, she showed me what she's done with her wood burning kit!

Then she handed me the tool, the extra tips that came with it, and a couple pieces of wood:

The one on the right she free-handedly drew for me and I traced, then added just a little extra (the dots and the thinner line around the inner level of petals) and the one on the left is one I free-handed myself, without drawing first, following a picture of a mendhi design I found online.

I was having a little difficulty on the flower but I think what I realized was that I was trying to really burn divots/lines into the wood, when really, you're just burning the surface, making shades of color based on how long the hot tip is on the wood, but just scarring the surface. I got a little better at not trying to get into the wood on the butterfly, but had already sorta taught myself the habit first. Oh well, after I get my own kit and a book or two, I'll practice a little and see what else I can come up with.

One thing Michelle and I talked about was designs that we couldn't free-hand ourselves. I mean, how DO you get the image on the wood to draw/trace!? I looked it up with my handy, dandy, Google skills and found this nifty tutorial:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Pyrography-or-How-to-Wood-Burn-Art/

He shows you how to use graphite paper to trace the image from a printout to the wood, and then how to fix if you get marks on the wood you don't want to be there!! 

I've also created a Pinterest board here if anyone's interested in seeing some of the ideas I've found.

I also want to maybe try to paint the butterfly and lotus piece, see what happens if I use watercolors. I've seen where people have used felt tip markers, acrylics, things like that... but not sure if I've seen anyone using watercolors. If I decide to do it and not just leave it as-is, I'll make sure to show you guys!!

So yeah... I'm hooked! lol I've already told boyfriend I want a kit and sent him links to a well-rated starter book, a kit and extra tips that include some stamp-like bits!!

Don't those look fun!?

Anywho, maybe for my birthday he'll get me the kit... if I don't get it for myself first from being too anxious to get to playing!! ;)

Craft ya laters!!

Origami flower bunch in purple and black

My friend asked me to help her make some origami flowers for her wedding reception decorations. The style was this, called kusudama:

Simple enough, yeah?

Well, I got so intrigued with trying different colors and patterns, I went and got an old used copy of Jane Eyre to use those pages. It was pretty funny as I was doing this in the living room while watching a movie with my boyfriend and he looks at me funny and this is the conversation we had:

Him: Are you cutting up a book?!?

Me: Yes, yes I am.

Him: Why would you do that?!

Me: I'm crafting, duh?

Him: Well, is it a good book?

Me: *shows him the book title* Have you heard of it or read it?

Him: Oh. No. Carry on.

Now granted, I haven't read the book yet and I plan on one day reading it, but it wasn't that great a copy and I was making a flower primarily for personal practice and to recall how to make them, then the 2nd was going to be for my bff, Airon.

I used regular Elmer's glue for the pieces to be closed on themselves and to each other in the pairs, but then used hot glue to attach to these silver foil-like pipe cleaners I had in my stash, folded in half to be sturdier.

Then this last weekend I decided to make a whole bunch of flowers to give my boss cuz she's awesome!! Her favorite colors are purple, black and silver so I went to Hobby Lobby and got some 12"x12" sheets of scrapbooking paper, cut out 4" squares, painted some 1/8" (I think) dowel rods silver with acrylic paint, 2 layers and...

There are 8 total flowers in this bouquet and my hands didn't really start hurting/cramping until flower 8, so I call that a total win! I think it also helps when you assembly line the flower parts and then space it out with gluing together. Fold petals for 2-3 flowers...glue...fold 2-3 more...etc.

I tried to get a picture of the full bunch at a distance in front of one of the windows at work... didn't realize the colors were so bad, but you get the idea of how they look, right? I used some simple white/clear/AB glass marbles in the vase to give it a little more color.

Needless to say, my boss LOVES them!! ^_^ I'm thinking I might have to try making myself a bunch or two or ten! I do however want to try making them smaller, maybe see how small they would be with 3" square pieces of paper, but I also saw this and want to try it as I had the idea in my head and seeing it really does encourage me to have some to display cuz they look awesome!!

I just LOVE how that looks!!! I like the idea of using the alternate color as the leaves, but I'm also wondering how it'll look to have the 6 petal flowers (like what I did) and use an alternate color that's a little darker or lighter and try to mimic a real flower with layers of petals....

Don't worry, I'll definitely show you guys what I try and how they look!!

Anyone that hasn't heard of these and/or wants to try making some, this tutorial is fantastic and the site also has a bunch more tutorials for making all kinds of other origami things!!

http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-kusudama-flower.html

Craft ya laters!

Monthly All Girls Craft Group - April 2013

Hey guys! We actually had a pretty mild Craft Day in April as it seems it's just the 4 of us regularly showing with the exception of 1 guest along with my mom visiting for a couple hours, but not to make anything. I did get pictures of what we did get done however so...

First of all, this is a polymer clay brooch/hair-pin piece Michelle made to test the viability of use for bridesmaids in a wedding. The green is only tissue paper to hold up the petals during baking so imagine those gone, and the in center is a black button pressed in there.... Pretty awesome, don't you think?! We thought so!! Can't wait to see if she kept with this idea and made more! ;)


Leena was able to make a couple of pieces of jewelry I believe (pics to come soon!) but spent most of her time being an awesome hostess!!

Airon and I apparently decided it was time for more perler bead pieces!!

Mine

Airon's.. and no, the 'A' isn't for her, it's for a friend who's an Atlanta Braves fan :p

I know this isn't much to show for you guys, but it was a short and simple craft day for us. May's Craft Day should have a bit more going for it as attendance sounds much better this time (darn school and kid's schedules! :p)

Craft ya laters!!