Ever since I moved into my own apartment in August I have wanted to hang up pictures of my "baby." This is my hedgehog Sebastian. He's going to turn 3 years old in January, and since I've had lots of free time, I put together a special piece of art featuring this little guy!


Materials:
A picture of your pet and a printer
Craftwell Cut N' Boss
Die cuts
A gluestick
Scissors
Pens and pencil
Book page, or any paper with writing on it that won't mess up ink
Frame (I used a 5"x7")
Stamps (optional)
Collected pictures from magazines, flyers, mailing stamps, etc.


 First you need to choose a picture of your pet. I edited my picture to look faded, and removed the background with a regular paint program on my computer. The paper I used was printer paper with pages from a book copied onto it with a scanner. Use your print preview to adjust your picture to fit just right so you won't have to make multiple prints...

 After printing, place the backing of your frame onto the paper and line it up the way you want. Then take a pencil and lightly outline it, then cut along your lines.

 Next I chose heart shaped cutting dies for my picture. I played around a bit and did a heart into the picture itself. I made another heart out of a picture from craft flyer (I love grabbing these up in craft stores, they're excellent for collages!)

I found and cut out a picture of the perfect word for my hedgie, then glued it behind the heart shaped hole. The edges didn't show up well, so I outlined it with a fine tipped marker.

I wanted his name in it somewhere, so I asked my boyfriend where I should put it, and he immediately answered, "In the heart of course!" So I used the fine-tipped marker for writing Sebastian.

I love steampunk, so I put some things like clocks, keys, locks, and stamps in the corner where Sebastian's bum didn't quite reach the edge.

Lastly, I used a stamp and black ink for the really empty areas and drew in a chain for the heart to hang from. There was really no predicting to where I would finish, and at one point I just stepped back to look at it and suddenly realized I was done!

Here's Sebastian himself looking at the finished work...

He took a quick look at it, then went exploring. He's terrible at having his picture taken! His little nose is always moving to sniff everything around him...so cute.

Peek-a-boo!

In this project, I'll teach you how to paint clear cabochons or resin to make eyes with Dixie Belle chalk paints. Also, I'll show you a neat way to use the Ebrush without loading it with markers or paint!

Materials:


Start by dipping your brush in black paint and getting a big clump on the tip. Dab it into the center of the back of the cabochon to make the iris.


 I decided to make one of my eyes look reptilian by dragging a toothpick from the black dab of paint into a thin line. Reptiles have very interesting eyes, I recommend you look some up.
 After the iris has dried, choose the colors of Dixie Belle chalk paint you want for your eyes. Start with the lightest color and when adding each color, lightly dab your brush in water. You want just enough water to thin it enough to where the colors will run into each other. If you get it too wet, wipe off gently with a paper towel and start over.

Tip: Outlining the edge with the darkest color will make the eyes really pop!
 Now comes the most fun part! While the paint is still wet, take your Ebrush and put it on the highest setting. Then, with the air from your Ebrush, your colors will mix and swirl together into a more natural looking pattern.
 Let the paint sit for 5-10 minutes to dry on it's own a little, then finish with a hairdryer. Make sure it's completely dry before painting an acrylic sealant over the painted part.
The finished eye!
For the blue and purple eyes, I speckled some white around the iris with a toothpick and let dry before using the same painting technique with the reptile's eye.

Now you can use your one-of-a-kind eyes for dolls, sculptures, and jewelry!

Ebrush Design Team: Yolie Burke Week 12 Cycle 3