Category Archives: Skills

Art journal techniques : : sgraffito with acrylics

Posted on August 14, 2012 by smallestforest

This technique is pretty much like scraperboard work…or those oil pastel drawings you made in primary school art class, with the advantage of being fully smudge and waterproof once dry, because you only use acrylic paints, which makes it a great technique for the art journal. Continue reading →

Posted in art materials, mark-making, Skills, Stash | Tagged Acrylic paint, art, art journaling, art journals, how to, illustration, journals, Paint, Sgraffito, tutorials | 2 Comments

Displaying embroidery in a hoop

Posted on January 15, 2012 by smallestforest

Q: Why shouldn’t I just take a pair of scissors and hack off all the excess fabric that sticks out behind my wooden embroidery hoop? A: 1) Because you’ve gone to all this trouble to stitch something nice, it’s a shame to rush through the finishing like a knucklehead. 2) Because you are not a knucklehead. Continue reading →

Posted in embroidery, fabric, Hell2Breakfast, sewing, thread | Tagged craft, Embroidery, embroidery display, embroidery finishing, Embroidery hoop, hoop display, Needlework, Running stitch | 27 Comments

Exercises in Imagination

Posted on August 25, 2011 by smallestforest

Prompts can help you draw, but not if they come from some outside source. The only way to make something authentic is to use prompts taken from your own life, and having personal significance. This is a good way to stretch your imagination. Also, a great way to use up those sktechbooks and hoarded art materials. 🙂 Continue reading →

Posted in art materials, mark-making, paper | Tagged Drawing, drawing exercises, imagination, parameters, prompts | 6 Comments

Ice-cream sandwiches part 2

Posted on August 12, 2011 by smallestforest

Part 2 of the felt Ice-cream sandwich tutorial. Continue reading →

Posted in felt, sewing | Tagged cookies, felt, felt food, felt sweets, ice-cream sandwiches, kawaii, Needlework, stitching | 1 Comment

Ice-cream sandwiches part 1: Biscuits

Posted on August 11, 2011 by smallestforest

Part 1 of the Felt ice-cream sandwiches tutorial…making the biscuits. Continue reading →

Posted in felt, sewing | Tagged Crafts, felt, felt food, felt sweets, ice-cream sandwiches, kawaii, Needlework, softies | 5 Comments

Homemade stripey giftwrap

Posted on July 17, 2011 by smallestforest

Just something quick that you can do when you’re in a pinch and need to wrap up a present, so that it still looks nice. Continue reading →

Posted in cutting & pasting, paper | Tagged Gift wrapping, Masking tape, packaging, Paint, Paper, parcels, present, X-Acto | Leave a comment

Fabric Bunting Beads

Posted on July 1, 2011 by smallestforest

Nothing says “Fiesta!” like bunting. These are tiny stringable fabric bunting flags that you can make using stuff in your home. Another quick way to use up those teeny-tiny-but-too-pretty-to-throw fabric scraps. Continue reading →

Posted in cutting & pasting, fabric | Tagged beads, bunting, cloth beads, Crafts, fabric beads, fabric scraps, flags, how to, miniature, necklace, recycled, Tutorial, wearable | 6 Comments

Low-brow patchwork

Posted on June 16, 2011 by smallestforest

This is a favorite method of mine for putting together quick fabric patchwork pieces that I then use to cover my handbound books with. Want to give it a go? Here’s the how-to. Continue reading →

Posted in fabric, sewing | Tagged Crafts, crazy, low-brow, Patchwork, patchwork cheating, quick, scrappy, Sewing, wonky | 8 Comments

Tutorial : : Felt Doughnut Softie

Posted on April 29, 2011 by smallestforest

Posted in embroidery, felt, sewing | Tagged craft, doughnut, felt, plushie, softie | 4 Comments

How To : : Headbands (bookbinding)

Posted on January 9, 2011 by smallestforest

Most frequently used by bookbinders today, the Headband with a Bead on the Edge features a two-color stripey band with little ‘beads’ of alternating colors that sit right on top of the paper and just underneath the headband itself. Continue reading →