Monday's Makeover: Using Mica to Repaint Candlesticks!

Guest post from fellow member of Upcyclers, Jason Bosh of  
JTB Metal Designs on Etsy.

Mica Powders in Arts and Crafts

What are Mica Powders
In this article, I will discuss mica powders as inorganic pigments.  More specifically, I will refer to their addition to paint mediums and coatings and applying them as metal finishes.  Usually, a specific color of mica is made by grinding a natural mica to a specified particle size and then applying various inorganic additives that create the desired color by creating and interference layer.  The light strikes the modified mica and bends creating the color needed.  This is very similar phenomenon that you will find in a parking lot where oil and water meet.  For a more technical essay on this topic click on this article about polarization and interference colors.  A good place to buy micas is cosmetic and soap maker suppliers as these are the largest nonindustrial consumers of these pigments. 

How my use of micas differs

Most crafters just use mica powders for scrap booking, embossing, or perhaps for precious metal clays. This link is a typical example of these uses and does link to related articles.  What I am offering here is a truly unique perspective on using mica in art.  First, I will talk about the adding the mica to a clear painting medium and second, I will relate this to applying a painted finish on metal art.  In this article I will talk about my experience with a water based acrylic medium.  More specifically, the 3D crystal lacquer made by Sakura craft.  This seems to be the most preferred 3D lacquer for crafters.  It is water based acrylic that is thick and dries especially shiny.  More on acrylic paints can be found here .  All water based acrylics are opaque but dry clear as the water evaporates.  This is because water based acrylic paint is an emulsion.  Later, I will write about adding micas to oil based mediums.

An Application example

The pictures I am adding show two candle holders my wife asked me to repaint for her.  We paid $2.99 for them at Goodwill and they where cheap steel artifacts mass produced in China that had the most hideous fake brass paint on them.  This was chipping off so I used my steel bristle brush to finish off the coating.  I applied Rustoleum white primer and flat black spray paint.  The black finish was to be my canvas to which I would work.  Since these works are our personal use,  this was an experiment in technique and a learning experience. I learned that you need very little pigment for a given volume of medium.  Especially if you are using the special interference micas that appear white but have coatings that change color on light angle.  Too much of these leaves the finish very frosty looking.  I had this problem with the moon holder and I used hot soap water to strip down back to the black finish.  As you can see using cautions in mixing works very well.

This particular finish was a deep blue metallic blue with a light coating of interference purple.

This gave the moon a peculiar blue violet look which I feel the real moon possesses.

You can see how the other one, a sun, turned out as well on my blog~ JTB Metal Designs! You will also find a wealth of tutorials, informative articles on metal processing and more!

Here's a peek at Jason's shop on Etsy!

Monday's Makeover: Old Shutters Turned Jewelry Display!

Guest Post by Tricia from Upcycled Stuff!

I kicked off a pretty busy month of fairs and festivals this weekend at the Simpsonville Labor Day Family Festival.  In preparation I pulled together a fun little display for my upcycled jewelry out of two old shutters, I was pretty proud of it, what do you think?

Here's what they looked like when I picked 'em up for $10 from Craigslist:

 

Besides being filthy, there were big chunks of wood missing.  So, off to the hardware store for wood putty and hinges.  After applying the wood putty I ran over the surface of the shutters with a few different grits of sandpaper and had something that looked likes this:

Stop by my Upcycled Stuff Blog to follow the rest of my steps to the complete makeover!


Tricia is a member of our Etsy Team of Upcyclers~ Here's a peek at her shop!

 

Monday's Makeover: Anatomy of a Bathroom Facelift!

This week's Makeover is a repost from fellow Upcycler~ Jacqueline Arroyo from HandArtDesignStudios! Jacqui creates "unique handmade items to bring enjoyment and pleasure to those who have them, and help beautify and enhance their environments." She is also an interior designer and shares her budget and space saving solutions for your home~ that are also eco-chic and beautiful!

Anatomy of a Bathroom Facelift

Creating a new look in the bathroom does not have to cost an arm and a leg.  It can be done inexpensively, with a few well thought out changes.  First of all, think of a concept or theme.  What is this room going to say about you?  What do you want it to do for you, functionally and aesthetically?  Is there a particular feel you are trying to accomplish?

Secondly, you have to think about what colors and color scheme will go with your concept.  Try to not have more than 2-3 colors in order to be most effective.  The more colors you try to integrate into your design, the more potential for something to go astray.

Thirdly, what is your budget, and what can you honestly afford to change in your bathroom?  If your budget is very limited, you can at least minimally change the following:

1)  Wall color
2)  Flooring
3)  One major accent piece in the room, and/or accessories

You can still make a strong impact changing just these few things, and once again, it will not cost too much.

If your budget for both time and financial resources is more generous, then there's a few more things you can add to the list:

4) Resurfacing/painting/ or staining the cabinetry
5) Changing/resurfacing countertops
6) Changing cabinet hardware

Great impact can be achieved with these few changes, but if you are still looking for something more significant in terms of the functionality of your space, then you can add a few more things to the list such as:

7)  Changing the lighting (can make a huge impact on the room)
8)  Changing the cabinetry
9)  Changing the plumbing fixtures.

Take a look a few of the changes I made in my own bathroom to create a completely different space:


First of all, let's talk flooring.  Here's an example of how to make lemonade when life gives you lemons.  After coming home and noticing that one of the boxes of tile I had gotten was a slightly different color than the rest, I figured, well, let's make this work.  So here the slightly darker tile was used as a broken tile border.  In other words, it was made to look as if it was planned that way.

In this photo you can also see some of the cabinetry.  I could not afford to change it, and didn't want to put the time into refinishing it (at least at this time), so I just changed the hardware.  It looks like new cabinetry.  It's amazing what a little elbow grease and new jewelry can do!
 

I spoke about changing one big accent piece in the room.  In this case it was the mirror.  I got rid of the dated wall to wall mirror and instead bought a round piece of wood, a mirror to fit inside of it, and tiled the border with leftover pieces of broken tile from the floor, pieces of broken mirror, glass beads and shells.  This becomes a significant piece for the room not only because of the size, functionality and aesthetics it brings to the room, but also because it is a piece that brings forth and emphasizes the concept for the room.  Can you guess what it is?  I call it "Ocean Tranquility".  You can also see the color of the walls, a nice shade of blue with gray undertones.

 
In a bathroom the shower curtain can also be an impactful accent piece since it is large, colorful, and again can do a lot towards conveying the concept and color scheme of the space.  The only thing is that shower curtains can also be budget busters.  Since I really couldn't find something within my very restricted budget, I figured, if I can't find it, I can make it. But again, I didn't necessarily wanted to go to the fabric store and do the whole thing from scratch. Instead, I sort of improvised and put together a few pieces into a cohesive whole.  I knew I wanted to emphasize the color scheme of chocolate brown and aqua blue, so I found not a shower curtain, but a regular fabric curtain panel in the right color.  I cut it in half and just had to hem the cut edges (actually used iron-on tape, no sewing necessary).  I then found another panel in a shimmery aqua fabric that looked like the pearlescence that is often seen inside a shell, and that became my middle panel.  I then got lucky and found the string window valance also with pearlescent sequins, and it just capped off the curtain beautifully.  In terms of functionality, I didn't have to worry about this being a shower used often, so I didn't bother with the fabric being water resistant, but if I did I could have put a clear shower liner behind the curtains.

And then came the accessories.  Instead of a painting or expensive wall art, this is just a store bought dressing long mirror with a wall paper border affixed to it.  It gives the impression that the piece of art has a mirror matting.  The wall paper border of course is quite special.  I bought just a little piece of it at a historic wallpaper factory (at their once a year sale). Not enough to put around the room, but pretty enough to showcase as a piece of art.

For the other wall, just some shells in some simple boxes on the wall.  Very simple, but effective.

And there you have it, a room transformed with very little money, some effort, and a lot of bargain shopping.

We love Jacqui's ideas and can't wait to share more of them here on our blog~ but if you want to see more right now, head over to her blog:
HandArt Design Studios!

How~ Tuesday! A Tute from The Chic Pea!

 

Raise your hand if you have an old Hawaiian Lei kicking around that you're saving for the next time somebody happens to invite you to a luau!  Or maybe for the next time you go on a tropical vay-cay? Perhaps you are better at not being a pack-rat than I, but a few of these faux-bits of the tropics have hula-ed their way into my pile of not-very-useful things.

 As I'm cleaning out my house and getting ready to move, I came up with this lil DIY to share with you.

...and you know I love a good Flower Crown!

Now just hula your way over to my blogspot, The Chic Pea, and I'll show you "How-Tue" make it!


Oh, and here's a little peek at my shop on Etsy~

Monday's Makeover: Bring a little Summer Inside!

Here's a few ways to 'lighten' up your indoors and brighten things up!

Try tossing this fresh linen pillow from bylina onto a chair for a cozy look!

Have your own 'butterfly garden' on your wall~ Abounding Treasures creates these 3D collages!

A rag rug from Deb's Crochet is perfect for that cottage chic look~

Or this one from Sally Rags~ 'Welcome Sunshine!'

And denim blue coasters from Sunflowers by Design for your iced lemonade or tea? These are even big enough for mason jars!

And you can get the mason jars from Sparkklejar!

So give one of your rooms a Summer makeover for those rainy days when you need to provide your own sunshine indoors! You'll find lots more upcycled accessories from Upcyclers, on Etsy! Take a look at our galleries to find more ideas!

Monday's Makeover: Home Sweet Home~

You can show some love for your
'Home Sweet Home' and for
Mother Earth at the same time! These upcycled beauties are available on Etsy, from Upcyclers,
our team of artists and crafters who  
Love 2 Upcycle! Add them for a simple makeover project to any little nook or spot that needs some new life, just like the 'new life' these creative Upcyclers gave these items!


Vintage Child's Wooden Chair with Mosaic by Rush Creek Mosaics~

CoffeeSack EcoChic Pillow Cover by Brin & Nohl~

Natural Rustic Wood Shelf made with Old Growth Lumber by Reclaimed Trends~

Carburetor Lamp by Matt Johnson Designs~

Upcycled Wooden Chair with Bicycle Parts by Matt Johnson Designs~

Be sure to check out our Galleries to see more 'Makeovers' by Upcyclers.
Our winners for the April Team Challenge: Hakanasa~ The Frailty of Life, honoring Japan's victims in their recent disasters, have been chosen and can be seen on our page: Featured Upcyclers. First place winners, Verdant Violet and Upcycled Stuff are also featured up above in the sidebar!
Our May Team Challenge is now open and this month's theme is:
Respect Your Mother~ Earth!

Monday's Makeover: From Broken to Bling!

Ann Marie's blog and shop is aptly named: Very Creative Creations! She entered this creative creation in the recent Green is Universal contest, The Art of ReUse. And even though it's a bit early (or late?) for Christmas, this is an idea you might want to file away for later this year. You could also change it up to a flower bouquet design or maybe a another kind of tree... hmmm~ now I'm feeling very creative!


Material List: old picture frame (garage sale find), broken costume jewelry, scrap of velvet, pieces of cardboard and glue.

This upcycling project is relatively easy but time consuming to make.

1. Cut a piece of cardboard to fit the opening of your frame.
2. Cut a piece of velvet about an inch larger than your piece of cardboard.
3. Glue velvet to cardboard with fuzzy side facing out.
4. Place velvet covered cardboard into the frame.
5. Lay out broken costume jewelry into a Christmas tree form.
6. Start gluing jewelry pieces into place.
7. When finished gluing all the pieces in place let piece dry over night.
8. Cut a second piece of cardboard to fit the back of frame.
9. Glue cardboard into place and let dry over night.

Now display your Recycled Christmas Bling.  Set up your upcycled Christmas tree and enjoy all year round.

Here are some other 'makeovers' by Ann from her Etsy shop~

Have a DIY or Makeover idea to share? We'd love to feature it, just drop us an email:
teamupcyclers@gmail.com and we'll be in touch!

Monday's Makeover!

Mary, Mary, quite contrary~ How does Your garden grow? With the first official full day of Spring in bloom, it's time to finally head outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. But what if your space isn't so inviting...Neither were these, until a little makeover magic took place~





From MyHomeIdeas.com, this "Peaceful" space was featured in their Amazing Home Makeover Series~

And here's an upcycling DIY makeover project from Studio G~

If you really feel like taking on a DIY doozie~ try upcycling some pallets into an outdoor seating area! Upcycling guru, Wendy Tremayne will walk you through it in her tutorial~

Have a great idea for a garden makeover or upcycling project? Share it with us here or check out our Facebook page and share there!

Monday Makeover with Upcyclers!

upcycled t-shirt pillows 

from things i Green and do not Green 

         a.k.a. thevicagirl on Etsy!

I have collected a lot of t-shirts over the years, shirts that I can't get rid of because I love them so much. A lot of them do not fit me anymore. Most are not in style. It is a bit odd to be wearing my high school choir shirts in my 20's. Some people can pull the look off, but I am not one of them. So what did I decide to do with them? Pillows.


Step 1) Gather the shirts to be transformed.

Step 2) Choose what part of the shirt will be saved, and cut a square out of both the front and the back.

Step 3) Put the 'wrong' sides together (aka: the front and back outside of the shirt) and sew around the edge. Make sure to save a few inches to turn inside out and stuff.

Step 4) Turn inside out, and stuff.

Step 5) Sew up the hole. And enjoy!

Another fun idea is a bag instead of a pillow. Just don't close one end, hem that side up, and add handles.

thevicagirl is a member of Upcyclers and you can check out her blog:
things i Green and do not Green and her shop on Etsy!