10 meter paper yarn

i must be crazy...lol...but coiling the paper made me looking for something easier and quicker.....like making paper yarn.it is an "ancient" method i knew already form my childhood when we actually coiled the corn shuck leaves into many shapes -must say much easier than doing it with my beloved paper-so if i calculated well i made up about 10 meter paper yarn.i did not made into a ball but as you see little circles were born and these are the "bodies" of my future necklaces and earrings (and fun ******* yet a secret,lol)
the technique is different form coiling the paper you don't need the straw like paper shapes you just tear the paper in stripes and twist it carefully not to tear it .it is hard to describe the steps it would be better a video show but no time for that.meanwhile you may found a good tutorial on youtube or blogs ...so as i am very familiar twisting the corn leaves into yarn it was my pleasure seeing the recycled paper yarn grow,hehe...you need a bit of practice for a smooth and equable yarn but it is not impossible :)

everything upcycled on this necklace but the mauve leather cord ;) i bought that.except the cord everything is rolled yarned twisted newspaper and ......sawdust!.more will come but first i want to strengthen with a glue mixture the obtained yarn circle.it is not as sturdy as the straw-coiled circles.

also finished this little house which stood enough under the bed and luckily was found a week ago!
bie bie see you next with 100 meter of paper yarn looooooooooooool

swirlin' around

my lately tin cup embossing addiction is not even cooled down i'm already messing up with paper circles...many of them already around all over the house...a new addiction? is it going to last? i have no idea if it will be a bloom i will see it in spring lol.
about 4 years ago i was tempted to make a paper basket and i managed to do the bottom of it then get bored and left in a box until now when i was already sure i will never get to make that basket so was thinking to upcycle the recycled and unfinished basket part.this way the paper sticks were swirled together and my little one was very happy playing with the 40 different size newborn paper snails.
later  i searched the net to see similar examples and some of the seen swirls made me paying more attention to the snails quality.then i found out that their "perfectness" is due to the store bought quilling paper and i cooled down a bit but still trying to make my best by recycling some magazine pages.
i'm still improving the coiling steps that i want to show you hopefully sometimes.i was already told to make a few coiled jewelry so i'm sticking with the snails a bit right now...

there are many things you could use the bounded swirls-i saw coiled bowls,plates,wall art,hot-matt(very practical i was thinking of that!),new banner (lol)etc...

this is also my entry to #17 "Show and Tell on Saturday" for artistsinblogland.blogspot.com
check out for other artists work by clicking the link!

stay warm and practice.............ildi

paper mache fishes swimming in blogger ocean

wishing you Happy 2012!
besides the owl some paper fishes made them way to surf the web...
they are already in their new home and i'm happy they are so welcomed and loved!
this gift was made in three days i must confess that the microwave was a real help to accomplish the "task".
now i will spoil you with a lot of before and after pictures...fishes are the symbol of Christianity and stand for a plentiful prosper new year.we eat fish or pork in new years eve not a dram of chicken as they say chicken burrows in the past lol...

they were meant to be a hanged colorful catching decoration for a little baby....hopefully the forms and colors will catch her attention and make her leave mommy alone for a while lol...


Va doresc un An Nou Fericit !!!
Boldog Uj Evet!!!


be good.......................................ildi

w.i.p. bowl and ready necklace

hello! first of all  Big thanks for my lately followers :) & a Big thanks++ for my earlier and earliests followers who still stands by me :)
no time for many words i just want to show you what i am working on when the alignment of planets allows me

all the bests and happy recycling!

don't make my mistake

here i'm working on a new bowl using the same type pulp as seen on the mirror but this time" the rush " partially ruined the bowl. though i knew the time i was making it that it is risking i was curious to see how long thin strips are working.i pressed them well into the form but was greedy and added to much at a time.the result...you know...the inside is perfect,no problem with the edges but the exterior (see the pencil marked areas) has to be rebuild.it it soft because of the cavitys.i added a few strips of brown paper over the week parts (like a lazy gal hiding the garbage under the carpet )but didn't solved the problem so i better remake that....

see you next time !

zsuzsika

she is gessoed ,now it comes my favorite part-the painting !!!

and there she is........my first doll................

yesterday i finished her...
well this is how our traditional suit looks a bit stylized though(the dress in original is longer and not so round.the models on dress and vest are different depending on the aera from which they comes-anyway the red color and wolf teeths on the vests are omnipresent,while the apron is not ) the tenis shoes are my contribution lol,they usually wear long black boots or lacquer shoes but i couldn't resist....
i don't know how to make the final touch-varnish it or just coat it with a diluted pva glue...i would go for the varnish but all my varnishes shines too much.
...........i love the way she hangs,hehe...............

i'm back

this new impuls to restart mache-ing happened about 10 day ago when my husband wanted to throw away a bag full of fax paper.quickly made 5 circles having in mind christmas .the ornaments are still not ready BUT at least i scoured all my "treasure"boxes and even started a few new things like my very fist paper doll.my hand are again soaked in flour paste and it feels sooo good.my residence has not changed,the kitchen,lol and i use the same flour to cook,the same big working table and everybody is happy :).yes,winter is good for paper mache...
so here i'm showing you a few shots of the doll which slowly takes shape and i can't wait for the painting part.hopefully soon it will be ready...

the cup was the original idea but as you can see some legs has increased inside
and changed the direction...

the legs were removed and reshaped...

she even got a handkerchief and ribbon...

now,almost ready,i hope in a day or two she will shine in her traditional suit i also worn as a child...
have a great weekend !

study on coils

it was in my mind to try coiling some paper while ago and now the moment become actual.i found many artist using coils to decorate their stuffs mostly the edges of their works and i could have been able to show a link to them if i wouldn't be so skilled to erase my favorite paper artists link while ago when i added another item.now i have to find them again and it will be not be easy.i'm not very sure if they used just the paper and flour mixture i usually do or if it was the so called fast mache or better said paper clay.i never worked with paper clay but i found out that it is a mixture which allows you to sculpt very fine details .coil is a detail i was willing to know more about.i remember very vague a sheep maybe sawn on etsy with a superb coiled fur.
i sad i should give it a try using my knowledge about corn shuck coils. this is a tradition in my grandmothers village where almost everybody makes objects from it .the coils are all the time needed and put over a wooden frame and some nails.the wide shuck end is cut because it is too rough then soaked in water for a minute or so and kept wet while working with them.i was doing it also with pleasure when i was a child and spent my vacations at my grandparents.of course the shucks advantage is that it won't tear apart like paper does if too wet or too soft.
the coils i made are recycled gifts paper but it will work well with shiny magazine pages too.i tried to imitate the shuck coils which with a little practice of course came uniform and round and thanks to their V shapes makes easy the continuity.that will be another study later on hehe.what i found important here is that after i twisted the paper i covered it with narrow strips of toilet paper,kind of v rough.we can still find it some place.it looks v much like crepe paper lol.i just put it over the coils dry they will soak enough humidity when it came twisted again.that would smooth out the coils and gives the look i want. hope it is understandable.a video would be word saving and easier to understand but no time for that.

what i did here was to recycle about 8 egg holder,actually the upper side ,the lid of the egg holder.i soaked in hot water for about 2 hours then teared it and pasted over a balloon with flour paste.this is what i call fast mache,you don't have to deal with the pulp.it is already ready.two layers of this "pulp"is enough for a bowl project specially if it cames hardened with the dragon skin. the coils came as an ornament i dreamed one morning lol but if you could take a look outside our window you would see the same pattern made from iron lol.i just figured out this yesterday.but inspiration come from many places....though mostly form the kitchen lol.i take a lot of shots while cooking not artistic photos but of anything that grabs my attention.like an onion for ex.my next painting idea lol.i must see to can paint.
enough for words huh,here some pictures


i used for the first time modeling paste.i asked for white acrylic ink and received this.my husband sad it is better this than nothing.lol.it is a lightweight paste which covered very well the wholes between the coils and body of the bowl but a bit expensive as art supplies are usually.ehe



this is the final result and i got some very good advices to enhance the texture from Magdalena and Marilyn my flickr friends.thank you!i will sure try both methods!
Magda " I would slightly enhance the texture: dip a sponge in diluted black/dark blue acrylics and just touch the outer texture. It will give it more dimension. If you make it too dark - you can just wash it out by rubbing with damp sponge/cloth :) "
Marilyn "If you'd like to "enhance the texture", as studiomurano suggested, maybe you could rub a soft lead pencil onto paper, then get some of the lead onto your fingertips and rub it onto the high spots of your bowl. You could also use pastels or conte, maybe charcoal or even soot from a stove; anything that gives you the look you want. "
please don't mind the quotes i rush to the end...my baby has to wake up.thank you again!

in ciuda

because the big birds right leg has broken again and it seems just paper won't fix it or i have to remake the whole leg -arrrrrgh-i continued to make beads.they are so tiny and i can see them finished in two days.more to come...



modele noi care se asorteaza foarte bine cu orice culoare,desigur va trebui sa mai cresc armata de bilute ca sa am din ce sa le potrivesc in colier.acum doar astea au mai ramas din "colectie"dar hartia s-a inmuiat deja ;)va mai sta ,azi n-am chef de mixare,voi reface citeva bilute nereusite si gata.o zi buna!

hartie reciclata sub diferite forme

i've decided to quit for a while with this bead mania...i have a lot of unfinished staffs i'm bored to look at as they stare at me from every corner of our room leaved months even one year ago...i guess i'm the type of person who can hardly finish a job and always dive in something new...
but how can i quit beads when i always run out of pulp or have to wait broken legs,wings or remodelling shapes ,staffs to dry i'm not contented with?see how decided i am?
the good thing is that i do everything i'm making with love so it's a pleasant time to spend. i also pay to much time according to my family digging up other people's amazing creatures,paintings,techniques.this are other "everyday news" i need...at least 30 minutes.
here are some necklaces i've made last week




and two of my birds getting finished i hope this or the following week...


i can't wait to see them painted!it will be a difficult job for me!

i tried the handmade paper recipe-thank you Joanna
and see the result -this is only a sample

i only could have a gauze for this purpose but you can find beautiful patterns on Joanna's site.