gg designs' Gazette

DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO START......NOW DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP!!!

When we started the choices were endless....picking a place to start and attempting to "tame" the wild encaustic beast was a bit overwhelming.

This exploration was aimed at rubberstampers and card makers primarily. Serious art and super sized "installations" were beyond the scope of the investigation these last several weeks.

Even "total cards" seemed ambitious.

We hope that even if you are never interested in doing whole projects using encaustic, you will remember it for touches and accents. Slivers and small pieces of larger work that you've saved will come in handy. AND remember, encaustic can pretty much be reworked at will!

There definitely is a crayon/encaustic crossover.

While crayon art is similar and can be combined with encaustic it does have its limitations. Use it knowing that the crayon, like its cousin paraffin is brittle and may "crack" or flake off......but go ahead and have fun with it. It's a good introduction to encaustics as well as a "technique" in and of itself.

A "crayon hint" before we move on......They do roll....so.......accordion pleat a piece of card stock to hold them. This is also a good way to keep "color families" together as you work with them.

 

A word of caution about ggd's favorite "Make Do with What You've Got" approach. It can be misleading. While it's a great start, until you decide how much time, effort and money you want to invest in a project, it can be misleading. Some times you don't get the "feel" for the technique, particularly when substituting items that are not designed specifically for it.  Also, if you are not careful you can end up paying as much for "make-shift" and "make-do" items as for the task specific ones. (Examples....mini iron that didn't work....larger one that worked but was too heavy to be comfortable to work with.)

 

HOW TO STOP was solved for us.
Even though we cautioned all of you about how HOT encaustic can get.....we got careless and burned a crucial craft finger!!! (Not badly but painful!) So, that will wrap it up for now.

We wish we could say "permanently" but we fear we've been bitten by the encaustic bug and will be playing with it for some time to come.

Did We Tell You about ggd's "Helping Hand?" When working with encaustic painting (or your glue gun or embossing tools) a glass of ice water is good, a bowl of ice cubes better (less chance of spilling) and a "Helping Hand" is best. A latex glove filled with water and frozen can be kept nearby for the inevitable"owies!" 

Remember, with encaustics the key is to play and have fun.....and save everything.......it's sure to come in handy......be just the right touch......some creative time down the line, when you most need it and least expect it.

 

Now....to switch gears............. 

Where do we go from here? 

Since most everyone visiting this blog stamps and makes cards, we are pretty sure you do many other crafts as well.

So........tell us......
    • What crafts have you done over time?
    • What is your favorite craft?
    • What craft or other activity are you doing right now?
    • Do you sell your crafts? 
    • Do you use your projects for gifts?
    • Do you have a favorite web site (yours or someone elses) that  you'd like to call attention to?
    • Is there a craft or technique you'd like to know more about? (It's a good bet someone among the viewers here will be able to help you.)
    • Want to share a craft or technique or idea with us?
    • Most basic of all.....WHY do you do crafts?
AND........
    • SHOW US YOUR STUFF.......Send scans of anything you are working on right now that you'd like to share.
Something you're really proud of or something you'd like some help with.......your choice.

We will be back next Wednesday.........hopefully with LOTS of input from you.

 

Don't forget to read (and add to) the COMMENTS below!

AND......send your address, in order to be eligible to receive a prize.

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