Intentions Mixed Media Paper Dolls Tutorial

There is no better teacher than experience, 

that is why I believe it's important to experiment,

in any area of life, experimenting will teach you for sure.

The inner student is always hungry for knowledge and lessons
are always there to be acknowledged,  stay open for lessons,
that is what makes our lives richer and our understanding
of life and the meaning, even more profound.

This requires that you want to, nothing will be pushed
forcefully in to you and growing is not easy.

It  means that you will be vulnerable and that you may fail,
many times, sometimes in a big ways but like in science,
if you not fail, you can never learn what is right, specially for your self,

you are unique and your answers will be very different from others,
but that is OK, you are in your own path,

let us respect that and be patient with our selves as we grow, this is Love.

Fortunately, life doesn't have to be hard or boring all the time,
we can have our delights and be content while we are discovering who we
are and who we want to become, this changes and evolves and that always
amazes me deeply, we adapt and manage, we re write and re paint,
we accept and let go, we re new and continue, we survive and grow stronger.

Here are the materials I used:

Watercolors

Watercolor paper cut in the size you want for your paper dolls

B2 pencil

Kneaded eraser if needed

Soft brushes

Fabric, I used linen 

Sewing machine

Thread in darker color

Cutting tool

Heavy gel medium

Draw and paint softly your dolls, I go for layers

allowing each to fully dry, I used ochre for mine.

I used a fine cutter to remove the white part I don´t want.

Add more details with a fine pen, I used dark brown and then

painted over with more color until happy.

Make some halos and sew around them, paste them on the back

using some medium, sew some fabric around the the body, 

I used a square shape.

In the Chinese culture, the circle means heaven and

the square the earth.

Simple shapes can be powerful and with meaning!

This is the back, I covered the sewing and adding this

can be used to write a quote or signing your work!

Trust

The ability to feel deep inside that everything is good and 

that this good will be in our lives.  Understanding that everything

happens for a good reason, we might not see it at the moment but 

time will give us perspective to see clearer. 

*

Peace

The opposite of stepping in everyone so you get what you want,

peace means allowing and respect, slowing down and listening

what life is telling you, truly listening.

Peace is to live the days gracefully, in content with what you are doing,

knowing that you are in the right path.

Peace is going to bed at night with the knowledge that tomorrow

is a new day and that you will be having many more opportunities.

Open

Open, allowing, receiving, trusting, learning,

this word is many things, we have to dig deeper into words

to be able to understand more of them.

How are you open? 

How are you allowing?

How are you trusting?

Only you can do this for your self.

*

Love

The true force of it all,

The strength that resists and also lets go,

the energy that sustains everything,
us, life, the universe,

allows and reveals, teaches and embraces,

brings peace and fulfillment,

the base and the sustain, 

the self.

Life

Our journey, what we are, what we experiment with,

what we are allowing, were we are expanding, what we

are giving shape.

Here

In the here and now is were we live,

how is it you want it?

peaceful, loving, harmonious, trusting?

The power of intentions will be so as much as we understand the 

meaning of the words, you can write in your journal the words you

want and write more about the meaning of each, research and

understand so when you see your doll, it will tell you much more,

it will be the conversation you and her will have!  

Hang them on a 

place were you can have this conversation with them and keep 

writing in your journal this conversation, it will grow richer in time.

Thank you for being here, blessings!

Stamp carving tutorial

If you like DIY projects as I do and having tools custom made for your 

creative duties, you will love making your own stamps, they are so 

addictive and it's a great way to have your own mark added easily into 

canvas or art journals, cards, scrapbook, etc.  I have a large collection and 

I haven't get bored of making new ones yet and I've learned a few tricks 

along the way and I am feeling generous so I am sharing with you this time

 how to make yours.

Over the years I have reassured that drawing is the best skill an artist can

 develop, it's applied in many areas and forms and it's the root to every creation, 

at least, it is for me.

For this design, I found a silver heart over Pinterest and copied it, free hand 

drew it until I was happy, you could also make a trace with a pencil and a vellum

 paper, the continue to transfer it to the carving block, this time I use a speedy 

ball carving block and tool, you should find them very easily over Amazon or in a

 good art store.

I transferred my drawing to the vellum and now I am transferring it to the carving block, use a tape so it doesn't move out of place, transfer with a spoon or a bone folder, make sure all lines are transferred by taking peeks.

Once the design is transferred we'll cover the does and dont´s on using the carving tool.  

You should use a small tip, the smallest for a better detail finish.

Don't use is as if it were diving, except for specific needs, mostly, you should go horizontally, following the block, you should be able to see both ends of the metal tip, only the tips is under, see photos bellow.

This should never be done!

Or this, were you can't see both sides of the tool, see how you can see a little baggie being lifted in the front of the tip?  That will brake.  Make some tests, practice in a side so you can learn the ways of the carving block and tool.

You should go around the entire design as if you were drawing it again, just be aware that you won't be able to erase anything so you should be very precise all the way from the beginning till the end of the carving, go one way, focus your view in were it starts, then were you will be finishing.

You may use a larger carving tool for cleaning the outer parts of the design, just be careful not to go over the previous carved line. Always go towards outside the design.

You should have something like this when finishing cleaning the design!

Now use your cutter to remove the unused parts, notice the direction of the knife, it goes inclined and outwards.

This bellow is the wrong way! Inwards will weaken your base!

Make sure it goes out or at least horizontally, leaving a firm base under your

 stamp so it won't brake later.

You should end up with something like this...

Now you can finish carving your design, also keep being creative using the spaces

in blank, think how you could add more lines with your carving tool.

Now give it a test by using some water based ink, the spots that aren't perfect will show so you can clean them up easier by being able to see them, then stamp it to see how it prints and if it needs some final touches or little pieces to clean up and that's it, enjoy your stamp!  Usually I keep them flat and some I mount on a heavy piece of wood, they last longer that way. 

Enjoy carving and thank you for sharing this tutorial with your friends and family! 

Sometimes commenting on the posts won't work so I ask you to please write me to monicatlink@hotmail.com if you need assistance or simply saying hi, thanks! ✨