The Artoholics Box Design Team Call Out

The Artoholics Box

An Australian Monthly Art Supply Subscription Box

Design Team Call Out

 

I have some awesome and exciting news, I have begun the journey into small business!!!  It's a scary and unknown time, but I am determined to make this work, and to make this the best Art Supply box ever!

Just some quick information on the boxes, they will be starting in March, so you need to get an order in before February 22, as the boxes are very limited in number at this stage.  They contain 6+ full sized art products, in different mediums and techniques each box.  We will venture into sculpting, sgraffito, drawing, painting both oil and acrylic, copics and lots lots more planned.  The box comes with a full description of the techniques involved and a tutorial that can be made with the items in the box.  With plenty left over for other projects.  

Shipping will be free in Australia only.

So please check out my website and make a pre order of the March box, you won't be disappointed.  I am putting everything I can into making these boxes awesome.  

Website is here https://theartoholicsbox.com.au/ 

Facebook Page....https://www.facebook.com/The-Artoholics-Box-590475004726475/ 

 

Here is a sneak peak of the tutorial included within the March box, which is Acrylic based.

And the even bigger news is that I am looking for a design team.  You will need to have a YouTube account with at least 500 followers.  Instagram is also a must.  You will be required to unbox on YouTube and also make a tutorial on YouTube with the products in the box.  This means you must be confident in a number of different mediums, pencils, painting, sculpting, charcoal etc.  This is only open to Australian residents, and applications must be in by January 22nd 2019.  If you wish to apply please pm me at the facebook page listed above, with a short bio, all your social media links, and a quick list of what art mediums you are confident in.   

I will be more active in my blogs and YouTube account this year, because I am determined to inspire the world.

Please like, comment and subscribe!

Please follow me on facebook........... KristinaObrienart
I am also on Instagram.......... https://www.instagram.com/kristina_obrien_art/
Aaaand Pinterest....... https://www.pinterest.com.au/krystalrose316/pins/
And now on Etsy.........  https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/KrystalRoseCreations?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
And now Youtube.......https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpgFuUdFo0dyREOhcSgXBrw

The Artoholics Box Website is here https://theartoholicsbox.com.au/ 

Artoholics Box Facebook Page....https://www.facebook.com/The-Artoholics-Box-590475004726475/

Until next time.........

 

Xmas pudding cake shoes handmade.

Xmas Pudding Shoes and Decoupage shoes

for less than $12

Good Morning, Afternoon everyone in the blogging world.  I decided to put away my Bah Humbug for the day and I designed these awesome Xmas pudding shoes, with Santa on the heel holding it all together.  I also did a quick decoupage xmas canvas shoe, that took less than ten minutes to do, and honestly cost me less than $2.  I bought the black canvas shoes from the Op Shop for $1, and everything else I already had on hand.  Here are the glamour shots of these festive beauties......

To begin with you will need a pair of high heel shoes for the Xmas pudding design, and almost any kind of shoe will work for the decoupage shoes.  

These are the products I used from Helmar:

Crystal Kote Matte or Gloss Varnish

Helmar Craft and Hobby PVA Glue

Scrap Dots 

Premium Craft Glue and 

Super Tac Glue

Other required items are:

Shoes

Xmas decorations

Brown Acrylic Paint

White Acrylic Paint

Wrapping paper with xmas designs you want on the decoupage shoes

Ok so to begin with I sat down in front of the television and began watching Xmas shows, yep, I did that. 

I cut out lots of xmas pictures from wrapping paper, and xmas tissue paper ready to be glued onto the black canvas shoes.  

Once I had everything cut out I just glued them onto the canvas shoes where ever I wanted them to be with the Helmar Craft and Hobby PVA glue. 

I used a paintbrush to put the glue on the shoe, then I placed the pictures on top, then another layer of glue on top of the pictures. I added some tiny little xmas bows using the I had to decorate the edges, to add some sparkle to it.  Must have sparkle!!

Once I had done this, I decided to get some of the xmas ball decorations that go on a tree, and I used the Super Tac Glue to adhere them to the edges of the shoes.  Once dry, spray with the Helmar Crystal Kote Varnish spray and there you go.  A quick, inexpensive and unique pair of everyday xmas shoes to wear around town.

Christmas Pudding Shoes

I found these cheap pair of high heels in the Op Shop, $5, absolutely perfect for what I wanted them for.  The only type of shoe I didn't want was a fabric one like canvas, it would just make it a little harder to paint.  It can still be done though.

The first step, or it can be the last step if you think Santa will get in your way, is to glue santa, or a bauble onto the heel of the shoe.  Now I tried a number of different ways to do this and I found the Premium Craft Glue to be the best way to adhere Santa in the shortest amount of time.  

After Santa was happy, I glued on some more of those little xmas balls across the bottom seam of the shoe, using the scrap dots from Helmar.  It is quick and easy to apply and I could raise and lower the little balls as much as I wanted.  

I had two little bells with some mistletoe attached that I thought would look perfect on the front of the shoe.  I attached them using Super Tac Glue.  Some red ribbon added to the front of the shoe with PVA glue makes them look like a wrapped up pudding.

I'm betting no one else is going to have these festive shoes at that work Xmas party!

Now for the icing of the pudding I wanted it to be layered and dripping.  Premium Craft Glue is the perfect choice for this part.  I applied a thick layer across where I wanted the icing to approximately end, allowing for some dripping,  I then filled in the rest of the top of the shoe with the glue and allowed it to dry.  It took less than fifteen minutes before I could paint the icing.  It honestly is that quick.

I tipped the shoes a little before the glue dried to get the drips of icing.  I then painted the icing in white paint, it needed about two coats.  I painted the rest of the shoe in raw umber (brown) acrylic paint, and they are completed.  When the paint is fully dry I recommend using the Crystal Kote Varnish spray just to protect everything.

This is the first coat of paint, to get a nice even coverage at least two coats of paint are required.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.  Fingers crossed for an Arty New Year!!

Please follow me on social media for lots more arty ideas....

Please follow me on facebook........... KristinaObrienart
I am also on Instagram.......... https://www.instagram.com/kristina_obrien_art/
Aaaand Pinterest....... https://www.pinterest.com.au/krystalrose316/pins/
And now on Etsy.........  https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/KrystalRoseCreations?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
And now Youtube.......https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpgFuUdFo0dyREOhcSgXBrw
Helmar Blog.......https://helmarusa.typepad.com/blog/

Three Storey Popsicle stick Fairy House, with swing and doors and windows.

A very hot hello all of you crafting Helmar readers.  Kristina here with my latest blog post, a three storey rainbow fairy house made entirely out of Popsicle sticks.  I have wanted to make something like this for over twenty years, I honestly just never had the right glue for it.  The first time I used Helmar's Premium craft glue, I realised this was the glue that would do everything I wanted for my fairy house.  So let's begin!!

First off the items required for this project:
Helmar Spray Adhesive
Helmar Gemstone Glue
Helmar P.V.A Professional Woodworking Glue
Helmar Fabric Glue
Helmar Premium Craft Glue
Popsicle Sticks, a lot.
Glitter, your choice of colour.
Craft Knife
Dremel (not required, was just handy).
Lots of decorations, like small flowers, rhinestones, xmas beads, anything your imagination desires to decorate the house.
Cotton wool balls unpeeled for the roof as snow.
Some wood for the base, or you can make the base from Popsicle sticks.  I used Ply wood.
Procedure:

To begin with it is necessary to glue together the popsicle sticks and let them dry.  I started by gluing two sticks together, then when they were sturdy I glued them to another set of two popsicle sticks as shown below.  I used Helmar Premium Craft glue for this and most of this project.  It dried so quick, I had no problems with walls falling down.  I was actually so happy.

The amount of sticks you need to glue together will depend upon the size of your base board.
I also rubbed some of the wood glue on all the panels of the walls just to give them the extra strength that the wood glue should give.  It worked like a charm.  Once you have the required amount of sticks glued together to fit the base board, go ahead and make your design.  I cut out one window before I glued that wall on to the base, and I decided where my front door would go.


I used both Premium Craft Glue and the Wood Glue to adhere the walls to the base.


**Make sure if you want any boards, or interior designs on the windows or doors, do it before you put the roof on.  Yep, guilty as charged here.  I can say it is definitely easier to do this without the roof on**
The whole process is gluing all the sticks to the base board, and cutting out the windows required and making the door.  To make the door I just left a gap of about 6 Popsicle sticks, then I glued three sticks on one side slightly open, and three on the other side even more open.  Using the Premium Glue for the initial bond then the wood glue for the strength.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The Front Doors.

After the base seemed dry enough, about 2 hours, we are very hot here in Australia at the moment, so in the colder areas it might be a longer wait.  I began the roof/second storey floor.  It is the exact same procedure as I did for the walls, the only thing that needs to be thought about is it you want a verandah and where you want that to be.  Just so you can make sure that you have the sticks overhang in that spot.  Much easier to do it now, than later.  For the roof I glued two sticks across the row that was glued together, just to keep them straight and give them more strength, as pictured below.



I wanted a large verandah on both short edges so I made my overhang quite large.  I put Premium Craft Glue and Wood working glue onto the roof and stuck it on to the bottom level.
Then I just began the second storey the exact same way as I did the first.  Just make sure you plan your windows and doors.




                                                                                                    
 Almost finished the building part, and then on to the imagination part, the decorations!!!

For the top of the second storey walls I used a firm but light weight cardboard (the insert out of a soft drink box).  I glued this on, and the final part of the house building is upon us.  I wanted a pointed roof, but if you want a different kind of roof, go ahead and do it!!  I used Helmar Premuim craft glue to join two sticks together.  I did approximately 20 pairs, because I calculated how big I would need the roof by counting the sticks on the second storey.  I put glue on the base and top of two sets of two sticks, leaned them on an angle on the roof cardboard and added some woodworking glue to ensure it's strength.  The picture below shows the angle of the roof.  I just followed the step of gluing sticks to another two sticks until I reached the end.






Now for the time to let your imagination go wild.  Decorate the windows with any trimmings you want.  I used Helmar fabric glue to make the curtains and to glue them to the house.  Anything that requires fabric I do recommended using the fabric glue, it just works so amazingly well.

I made this verandah fence just by using off cuts and gluing them across the verandah.  I did warn the fairy involved that I am not a certified builder and it may not be amazingly perfect, luckily she is a hippy fairy and didn't much care.  Yes I have made up a whole story about this fairy, it helped me to decorate her house.



I used Helmar Gemstone Glue to apply the door knobs (large rhinestones) and any other beads and gems I wanted applied.
No my fairy has not lost her legs lol, she is just sitting down.  She's a hard working woman!

Curtains and gold embellishment glued on with fabric glue.  Go crazy....have fun.... go overboard!  I did.  I have made a YouTube video on the whole process of the making of this fairy house.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfinjhDF0ww&t=44s





Just one last note, while making this fairy house my two youngest boys seemed to hover a lot over me.  Then they saw my stash of wood and embellishments and they just started to glue and glue and design their own houses.  We all had so much fun sitting in my garage just building our houses, it was a great family night in.  They are both so proud of their houses, they too used Helmar glue.  So sit down with your kids, grandkids, dogs (yep my pugs definitely had to sniff and knock over everything) and have a wonderful and memorable day with Helmar, creating a fairy house.  I am so thankful for the premium craft glue, I couldn't of done this house without it!
Here are my wonderful boys and their awesome creations!  So proud of them.





Thank you for reading, watching the video of the making of this fairy house, and I cannot wait to show you my next project.  It's based on Christmas (shhhhhh).