Lil Blue Boo

My Painting Jeans

September 9, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 1 Comment

These aren’t the originals. My original pair that made it about 10 years and were deemed “toxic and flammable” a few years back and had to be thrown away. I did a lot of experimenting with alkyds, resins and solvents long ago. When I became pregnant with my daughter I gave up the oil paints and the chemicals that went with them (plus the movers that moved us across the country insisted that they weren’t HAZMAT equipped and made me leave my “laboratory” behind).

I made the patch from a piece of “Frida” fabric. From the looks of these jeans I really need to get into the studio more! I am working on a commissioned portrait right now of a darling little girl and some nursery paintings but not much else.

During the intensely hot desert summer I don’t wear my “painting” jeans, so I have paint on just about every pair of shorts I own.

Filed Under: Life, Painting Tagged With: jeans, painting

Fabric shopping today…..

September 8, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 17 Comments

….and Sienna once again terrorized the entire store. I had five minutes where she made a fort in the cart and I covered her in fabric bolts….then that got old and she was across the store again yelling “WHUUUUHT MOMMY……I’M OOVVEER HERE” I just wish I could keep her away from the buttons and ric-rac…..I spend more time re-stocking than I do shopping!

Have you ever seen so many hideous fabrics in one place? They are for one of my new fall patterns. Ok, don’t get turned off yet. It is SO cute! The ladies at the cutting table were gagging over my fabric selections until they saw Sienna’s outfit and then they were drooling. I can’t wait to share it…..and do some giveaways!

Fabric shopping today via lilblueboo.com

My other purchase of the day…..seam rippers. I have never ripped apart so many seams in the matter of a few weeks. I’ve dulled TWO already! My hands are SO sore.

Fabric shopping today seam rippers via lilblueboo.com

One of my recycled T patterns is back from my awesome testers. My bloggy friend/tester Nicole (visit her blog full of creations here) had some great suggestions so I am going back to the drawing board for a bit to make sure it is perfect before I put it out there for you……as much as I would LOVE to release it this week. Believe me……after weeks and weeks I am starting to be OVER it

Filed Under: Sewing Tagged With: fabric, seam rippers, sewing, shopping

You is talking loco and I like it.

September 7, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 13 Comments

Can you guess the movie?

I was looking for some journal pages to share tonight and it hit me…..I’m kinda random. All over the place. Maybe it has to do with my ADHD. Oh, and Zoolander is the movie the quote was from. I’m wondering if a person can be so random that they become non-random? How does my OCD fit into that?

Anyways, below are a few pages I picked out and some quotes that were intermingled…..I wanted to share because so many people get hung up on journaling because they don’t want to “mess up” or they want to be consistent. Just decide that “anything goes”….and you won’t be paralyzed. Just say “I meant to do that.”

Ok, I’ll stop rambling….here are the pages:

I have a thing for Sylvia Plath…. maybe because my great-grandmother took her life the same way Plath did. I read and reread her unabridged journals when I can’t sleep. I created the page below around a random journal entry Plath wrote about being tall….I’m 5’11″ and I thought she described the “hip slouch” perfectly….I used to do that when I was younger…..before I appreciated my height.

You is talking loco and I like it via lilblueboo.com

“He was the type of fellow I can’t stand. I’m five foot ten in my stocking feet, and when I am with little men I stoop over a bit and slouch my hips, one up and one down, so that I’ll look shorter, and I feel gawky and morbid as somebody in a side show.” – Sylvia Plath in Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

The page below was just a paint palette I was trying to figure out. Why not put it in your journal, right?

“For years I struggled with who I wasn’t. But seeing and believing in who I truly am has given me an unstoppable faith and conviction in what I can do with my life.”

- Sabrina Ward Harrison

“If you are going to send your thoughts in an email again, please attach an Advil with it.”

-a managing director at my old investment banking job

For a while I was experimenting with mailing labels. I printed out a picture of Marilyn Monroe and stuck the labels onto some image transfers I botched (or as I have called them since Kindergarten art class: a “happy mistakes”). Any-hoo, I love how the labels break up the picture.

Memories from a Dolly Parton concert my sister and I went to. We had to drive through an ice storm to get there. I love Dolly. Ever use a bleach “stain” pen to write on a photo? Try it. That is how I drew the flowers and dots onto the photo pasted on the page…..

“How very.” -from the movie Heathers

“I’m fine. I just threw up in my mouth a bit.”

-from the movie Dodgeball (I have a thing for Ben Stiller movies)

I worked on this page on a flight back in my investment banking days. Great quote. I always use it when a friend is down on themselves for doing something stupid. Medium: crayons and Sharpie markers.

Lyrics from the song Burn it Blue, sung by Lila Downs in the movie Frida. The words are stamped onto a collage I made from rice paper and a skeleton photo. Don’t worry Mom, I’m in a good place!

I used to get my car serviced at this great auto shop in NC. The guys were so honest and could fix anything. They had these great big white birds. The photos were taken with my izone Polaroid camera and I borrowed the receptionist’s stapler to attach them to the page.

A flu diary (did you expect me to actually write more than this when I had the flu??)

You is talking loco and I like it 8 via lilblueboo.com

The page below is an excerpt from two pages I did after our friends’ wedding & rehearsal dinner. I didn’t want to post their personal information so I cropped most of it. I photocopied the two full pages and gave it to them a few years ago and now it hangs framed on their wall……so now it is a permanent plaque for everyone to see just how much I drank that night (no lectures please, I am aware that it was too much)

You is talking loco and I like it 9 via lilblueboo.com

So my journals are totally random, you never know what you’ll get from page to page. But it keeps it interesting right? And I feel no pressure to stick to a script…..have I scared anyone off yet?

Filed Under: Journaling, Life Tagged With: art, journaling

In the desert we "fall" clean….

September 6, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 9 Comments

……because we are cooped up all summer in the 115 degree heat and are ready to spend all winter outside!

Mr. Lil Blue Boo spent the morning up on the roof cleaning skylights.

In the desert we "fall" clean skylights via lilblueboo.com

Boo pouted because she wasn’t allowed on the roof with Daddy. She also wasn’t feeling so hot…..horrible allergies this time of year. Her dress is made from the t-shirt dye mess…..and actually turned out cuter with the colors that ran. It is part of a new pattern set that went out the past few days for final testing. Stay tuned for the release and giveaway in the next week or so.

In the desert we "fall" clean Boo via lilblueboo.com

But she did get to go swimming. It is so refreshing when the pool water temperature starts to feel less like a hot bath.

In the desert we "fall" clean Boo swimming via lilblueboo.com

Check out the creepy sunset last night…….I think some of it was smoke from the LA fires. There were two layers of clouds.

In the desert we "fall" clean creepy sunset via lilblueboo.com

Hope you all are having a great holiday weekend!

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Boo, clean, dress, fall, skylights, sunset, swimming

Embellished Placemat Clutch (A Tutorial)

September 4, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 36 Comments

How to make a clutch from a placemat via lilblueboo.com

I’ve had the same handbag/diaper bag for 2.5 years now, so this is huge. My sister is getting married in November and I was experimenting for some bridesmaid ideas (BTW, she is coming out here next week for the LPGA qualifying….and she has promised to do some guest craft posts!)

Back to the purse: Jessica at Happy Together came up with this Placemat Clutch Tutorial. Here is the one I made today….and it took 30 minutes. That might be a record craft time.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) via lilblueboo.com

I picked up the placemat at the 99 Cent Store.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) step 1 via lilblueboo.com

I folded it and sewed up both sides. I didn’t have to cut anything. I even followed the existing stitch line.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) step 2 via lilblueboo.com

I made a frayed flower out of some brown scrap fabric (R.I.P. frump shirt)……..

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) step 3 via lilblueboo.com

……..and went through my jars of buttons for the perfect “center.”

I attached a magnetic clasp (I used a heavy duty one that goes on with metal prongs)……

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) step 5 via lilblueboo.com

…….and tested the “volume” potential with my mini notebook and phone. It holds a lot!

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) step 6 via lilblueboo.com

My husband loves it so much he thinks I should sell them. So funny…step right up ladies…folded placemats for sale! And I’ve filed it under OPT: Other People’s Tutes.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) finished via lilblueboo.com

Update: A tutorial to create the fabric flower attached to the clutch!

By request I put together a quick tutorial showing how I made the fabric flower on the placemat clutch:

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) flower via lilblueboo.com

Step 1: Cut three long strips of fabric varying in width. Mine were 25 inches long and 3.5 inches, 3.25 inches and 2 inches wide, respectively.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) flower step 1 via lilblueboo.com

Step 2: Starting with the widest piece I han

d stitched along one edge (I secured the thread starting point to the fabric itself). Tip: Use polyester thread…..it won’t break as easily as cotton.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) flower step 2 via lilblueboo.com

Step 3: I pulled the thread to gather the strip of fabric…..

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) flower step 3 via lilblueboo.com

……and carefully formed it into a spiral, overlapping the gathers carefully. I stitched up and down through the center to secure the fabric.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) flower step 4 via lilblueboo.com

Step 4: I repeated this process with the next “narrower” strip of fabric and then placed it on top of my other gathered piece and secured it by stitching up and down through the center.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) flower step 5 via lilblueboo.com

Step 5: Repeat the entire process with the last strip of fabric. Stitch around the center to secure the gathering evenly.

How to make a clutch from a placemat (tutorial) flower finished via lilblueboo.com

The last thing I did was fray the edges the flower and added a button to the center. Feel free to email me if you have any questions!

Filed Under: Gifts, OPT, Sewing, Toys and Accessories Tagged With: accessories, clutch, placemat, purse, sewing, tutorial

Distressed Folk Art Painting (A Tutorial)

September 4, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 19 Comments

This tutorial was featured on U-Create last week. I had the hardest time narrowing down what type of tutorial I wanted to put together for my “guest appearance” but I had recently gauged interest on my blog by posting a painting I had done using the same process as I outline below and thought this would be the perfect opportunity!

So here it is:

How To Make a Distressed Folk Art Painting*

*If you’ve ever been scared to paint before, here is your chance….anyone can do this. Acrylic paint is VERY forgiving. If you mess up, just paint over it!

I love Mexican Folk Art and I was inspired by this Frida-themed fabric for my painting:

I’m a little obsessed with Frida Kahlo. (I was lucky enough to see most of her works in person at the Tate in London a few years ago. They had to kick me out at closing! Did you know Madonna owns Frida’s famous “My Birth” painting? I wonder where she hangs that?) Frida and her intellectual circle brought Mexican folk art to the forefront in the early 1900′s. Frida surrounded herself with paper-mache figures, traditional weavings, brightly colored embroidery, ribbons etc.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial 4 via lilblueboo.com

I’ve worked bright colors and paper mache into my own painting process to reflect the Mexican folk art theme. You can use the following steps to make your own.

Materials needed:

Canvas

Newsprint or phone book pages

Matte medium or glue

White gesso or white acrylic paint

Acrylic paint in several colors

Crackle finish kit (any brand)

Acrylic gloss varnish

Sandpaper or an electric sander

Step 1: I took a small 5 x 7 canvas and covered it with matte medium (I prefer Liquitex Matte Medium …I save my 40% off art store coupons JUST for this stuff!). You could also substitute watered down glue for this step. Once the canvas was covered with a generous amount of medium I took small sections of old phone book pages and adhered them using the excess medium. You may have to add more medium as you go. It is similar to making a paper-mache layer (you can use newsprint as well, I just prefer the way the small font looks from the phone book pages).

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 1 via lilblueboo.com

*I use matte medium to make my art journal pages as well. It leaves a matte stiff texture when dry.

Step 2: Once the paper layer was completely dry, I used white gesso to cover the canvas and make it an opaque white. This prepares the surfaces for paint.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 2 via lilblueboo.com

I let this layer dry completely.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 2 dry via lilblueboo.com

Step 3: I don’t use any fancy kind of paint. I actually prefer the small bottles of acrylic craft paints like the one shown below because they run about $1 a bottle and you can get so many colors (I am lazy when it comes to mixing custom colors).

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 3 via lilblueboo.com

I painted my entire canvas a base color of “Patina.”

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial painted canvas via lilblueboo.com

Step 4: I sketched my Frida image on to the canvas. If you aren’t comfortable drawing your image you can always print one out and trace it using graphite paper.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 4 via lilblueboo.com

Step 5: I blocked my colors in using the craft paints. I use a generous amount of paint in this step and did several coats (you will be sanding the layers down later in the process so you want to make sure to get enough paint on the canvas).

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 5 via lilblueboo.com

Step 6: I took a regular wall stencil and used it to draw some “flourishes” around the canvas. I even drew them onto the sides by wrapping the stencil around. Then I blocked these shapes in with paint.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 6 via lilblueboo.com

Step 7: I took a small paint brush and painted little dots around all the shapes to add some more detail (again using a generous amount of paint).

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 7 via lilblueboo.com

Let your painting dry for a while to ensure your layers are completely dry. This may take several hours.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial let dry via lilblueboo.com

Step 8: I took my small mouse sander (you can do this by hand with a sanding block as well) and carefully sanded off portions of the painting. Places where your paper layer has wrinkles will sand off easily and give a very random “wear” to your painting.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 8 via lilblueboo.com

I sanded the edges as well paying attention to where an old painting would get the most wear.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial sand edges via lilblueboo.com

Here is what my painting looked like at this stage:

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial at this stage via lilblueboo.com

Step 9: Take some dark brown paint and water it down a little to make a thin glaze (I use Golden Fluid Acrylics because they thin well and are a nice glaze layer, but any paint will work).

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 9 via lilblueboo.com

Spread the brown glaze layer making sure to get it into the places where the paper is showing through. The paper layer will soak this glaze up and turn a brownish color. Take a cloth or paper towel and wipe off the excess paint. If it dries too fast just wet your canvas a little and try to wipe it off again. Let this layer dry.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial spread glaze via lilblueboo.com

Step 10: You can get a small “fragile” cracklekit like the one below at your art or craft supply. It is two step process and you can follow the directions on the bottle…..

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 10 via lilblueboo.com

…..but basically you are going to cover your canvas with a thin layer of the “step 1″ bottle, let it dry until it is clear and then repeat with the “step 2″ bottle. As it dries, tiny hairline “crackle” will begin to form.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial thin layer of step 1 via lilblueboo.com

Step 11: Once the crackle layer is dry, I sanded the painting again to give it some extra distressing. Wipe any dust off with a damp cloth or paper towel.

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 11 via lilblueboo.com

Step 12: I spread another layer of brown glaze making sure to work it into the cracks and then wiped off the excess. You may want to do this several times until you achieve the “aging” effect you like.

Step 13: The last thing I did was brush a thin gloss layer over the top for a slight sheen. I like the Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish shown below because it dries almost instantly and isn’t too shiny.
Here is the finished painting: old and decrepit-looking. Now it looks like it has an interesting past life!

How to make a distressed folk art-style painting. DIY tutorial step 13 via lilblueboo.com

Here is another painting I did of Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Filed Under: Painting, Tutorial Tagged With: canvas, DIY, folk art, frida kalho, painting, tutorial

My Biggest Critic

September 3, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 11 Comments

Every once in a while something I make is a “homerun” with my daughter (although it is very rare occurrence). It will be a sad day when Sienna outgrows the recycled t-shirt skirt and matching top I made a few months ago. We only have about 1 1/2 seasons here in the desert, so it could be a year-round outfit if she would stop growing.

And please don’t report me to CPS because of all the bandaids. There was a little incident with a bag of popcorn at Target yesterday. The bandaid on the arm is from her flu shot today. How cute are the shiny new “skater” shoes? $12.99 at Target.

Filed Under: Life, Sewing Tagged With: Boo, critic, sewing

Poladroid a Photo

September 3, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 5 Comments

I’m still in mourning that I used the last of my stinky, spoiled stash of Polaroid film. You can check out the last photos Sienna and I took with the Holgaroid here. My poor film was expired and had been stored in the desert heat for a summer so I was surprised any images showed up at all!

Holgaroid, Polaroid, Poladroid…….say that three times, fast.

But I am loving the Poladroid site….I guess it is the next best thing until I get a chance to track down some more film. A few favorites…..

First Day of “School”

“Mommy take a photo of me”

Poladroid a Photo Boo via lilblueboo.com

North Lake Tahoe Fire Station

Poladroid a Photo Boo Fire Station via lilblueboo.com

Mr. Lil Blue Boo

Filed Under: Photos Tagged With: family, holgaroid, Photography, pictures, Poladroid, Polaroid

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial)

September 2, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 23 Comments

I love art that looks old, a little rare, antique…….like maybe it was acquired from an estate sale or maybe even an auction at Sotheby’s. But I don’t like to spend large amounts of money on art…..so I have to improvise. Here is a quick and easy painting tutorial….I promise anyone can do it as long as you can follow some directions.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) via lillbueboo.com

Here is the color palette I used. I also used some white gesso and a small crackle finish kit.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) colors via lillbueboo.com

Step 1: I was out of 8×10 canvas so I used a thin piece of hardboard. I covered it with newspaper, matte medium and then gesso. See my painting tutorial from last week for details on this step.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) canvas via lillbueboo.com

Step 2: Start blocking in some of your colors: some sky, some hay fields or marsh land (who can even tell the difference), and some green tree lines.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 1 via lillbueboo.com

AND….this is the MOST important part: you have to give up painting with your dominant hand. I am right-handed but I paint with my left hand. Most of the problems I see when teaching people to paint is that their dominant hand is too “controlled” and they think too hard. As soon as I get frustrated with a painting the first thing I do is switch to my left hand!

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 2 via lillbueboo.com

Step 3: After your first coat of paint dries a little start filling in some of your larger sections by applying paint with a palette knife.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 3 via lillbueboo.com

Use the point of the palette knife to draw in some texture….as if you were drawing in some plants. It will look like you are just making a mess but it will work out…..

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 4 via lillbueboo.com

Every once in a while move your palette knife to a new section without cleaning it off so that you get some colors mixed in where you think they “shouldn’t” be.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 5 via lillbueboo.com

Step 4: Take a small paint brush and work in some some lighter colors randomly where your “scrape” marks are (I mixed white in with my yellow for this).

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 6 via lillbueboo.com

Work in some dark green and some dark blue where your tree lines are…….

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 7 via lillbueboo.com

…….don’t focus on one area too much….work in a random fashion using a “dabbing” motion.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 8 via lillbueboo.com

Here is what my painting looked like at this stage:

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 9 via lillbueboo.com

Step 5: Take your palette knife and work in some darker blue where the sky meets the landscape. I work in “dabs” and small horizontal strokes.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 10 via lillbueboo.com

Work some white and lighter blue into some areas of the upper sky.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 11 via lillbueboo.com

Step 6: Work a little white and yellow into the lower landscape….using different dabbing motions.

Take a darker yellow like an “ochre” and work it horizontally into a few areas.

Step 7: Take a paint brush and with short and long horizontal strokes blend some of your paint across in areas. Then work vertically in few areas to give the illusion of some long “grasses.” Then let all your paint dry thoroughly.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 14 via lillbueboo.com

Step 8: Sand your painting down until you start to see some of the paper areas show through.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 15 via lillbueboo.com

Step 9: Take some dark brown paint and water it down a little to make a thin glaze (I use Golden Fluid Acrylics because they thin well and are a nice glaze layer, but any paint will work). Spread the brown glaze layer making sure to get it into the places where the paper is showing through. The paper layer will soak this glaze up and turn a brownish color. Take a cloth or paper towel and wipe off the excess paint.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 16 via lillbueboo.com

Step 10: You can get a small “fragile” cracklekit like the one shown in my Frida tutorial at your art or craft supply. It is two step process and you can follow the directions on the bottle….but basically you are going to cover your canvas with a thin layer of the “step 1″ bottle, let it dry until it is clear and then repeat with the “step 2″ bottle. As it dries, tiny hairline “crackle” will begin to form. Then I spread another layer of brown glaze making sure to work it into the cracks and then wiped off the excess. You may want to do this several times until you achieve the “aging” effect you like.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 17 via lillbueboo.com

Don’t forget to sign your painting! This isn’t my signature I use for my portraits and nursery art….it is my “fake masterpiece” signature I “made up” today.

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) step 18 via lillbueboo.com

Just make sure to pick a frame worthy of your painting….. and one that makes it look even older!

How to Fake a Landscape Painting (A Tutorial) frame via lillbueboo.com

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Filed Under: Painting, Things I've Made, Tutorial Tagged With: canvas, DIY, fake, frame, landscape, painting, tutortial

Scrapbook Punch to Fabric Stencil

September 1, 2009 By Ashley Hackshaw 11 Comments

I don’t do a lot of scrapbooking (I am YEARS behind unfortunately…it is on my “list” to catch up)…..but I do LOVE those little paper punches. I use them to make freezer paper fabric stencils…my simple, inexpensive way to “screen-print” at home.