(Crickets Chirping...)

Sorry for the random silence here on my blog. I got very bogged down working on filling up my vendor space at a local antique store, was preparing (and still am) for an art show this
Sat., and then I ended up in the hospital last week. I had chest pains and went into the ER, where they said my heart rate was too high, so they kept me overnight. It was my first time doing so, and boy was I glad to go home the next day. They found a "lesion" on my adrenal gland, so now I have more tests to take. I am trying to stay positive, and keep myself busy. I am prone to being a worry wart. So, please forgive me for my failed daily post attempt. I hope to resume again soon!

Entire Ad : Weekly In-Store Specials : Hobby Lobby - Hobby Lobby

Hello crafty peeps! I'm back from vacation, and still drowning in laundry, but I wanted to share the current Hobby Lobby in store specials with you. Once again, you can print a 40% off coupon from their website. I have oodles of clip art to share, as I stocked up on vintage magazines and books while I was up north. I'll stop back in soon to spend some more time with you. Have a fabulous day!

Entire Ad : Weekly In-Store Specials : Hobby Lobby - Hobby Lobby

Pardon my silence...

I am taking a little vacation, and will be away from my computer. I'll be back in about a week...with more clip art! I have new vintage magazines on the way, and plan to do some antique shopping while I am up north. Stay crafty....and see you soon!

Antique lovers clip art

Hello everyone...the storm missed us down here in Florida, but we feel much more prepared now. There's always more one can do to prepare, just like there is always something we can improve upon in our lives. It's important to continuously learn, to practice the skills and talents we have, and to be brave! On that note, if anyone has any fabulous new products or tips you have discovered and would like to be featured on this blog, just drop me an email at: loriramotar@gmail.com
I'll start the week out with a "flapper" era pic of two lovers. Hope everyone has a great week!

Pardon my pause...

Man, this hurricane preparedness sure does put a cramp in my creative time. I've been busy making lists shopping, making more lists, doing more shopping, and constantly checking the weather reports. My poor art studio is getting lonely. It now looks like we are out of the "cone of probability" but no one can predict these things with 100% perfection. This is our first hurricane season as home owners, so there has been a lot to plan and learn. So, this is my formal apology for my lack of posting the past few days. My spare time has been minimal. I will soon be back to my regular blog-y goodness with new clip art, reviews, and deals! Thanks for your patience!

My favorite crackle paint medium: Deco Art One Step Crackle

Because I love texture, and the look of antiqued pieces, I am a crackle paint fanatic. In fact, the last time I went shopping for it, I bought all the bottles they had on the shelf! I use it a lot. The only thing I dislike, is the small bottles. I would love to be able to purchase larger containers and use this on small home decor or furniture pieces.
Deco Art One Step Crackle is easy to use, too. After painting a first layer of acrylic paint, I take a smooth, flat brush and apply it on top of the first layer in single strokes. Try to not go back over a first stroke, or it may not crackle in that spot. If you missed a spot, you can simply wait for it to dry and go back to do that spot later. After the surface has completely dried, you should be able to see the cracks. At this point, I pic a color I want the cracks to show (I usually choose brown, cream, or black) and mix it (acrylic paint...by the way) with a bit of Golden or Liquitex acrylic varnish, I wipe the mix onto the surface with a small sponge, making sure to push the color into the cracks. I keep another sponge that is damp, and some paper towel, around to wipe off any paint that may sit on the top of the piece (not in the cracks). I will post a pic later...I am being called to dinner by hubby...lol Happy crafting!

Sale on Artist Gallery Wrapped Canvas at Michael's

No coupon needed on this one! The sale ends at close on Sat., Aug. 20th. Buy one, get a second one for 1 cent! So, basically, it's like a 50% off sale. This would be a great time to stock up! Click HERE to see this and other promos that end on Saturday. Happy creating! ~ Lori Ramotar

Antique woman on pocket perfume compact

It's Friday! We have a busy weekend ahead of us, after a very busy week. I am going to post and run, to see if I can get ahead on things. After 2 weeks of dealing with car repairs (turned out to be the alternator) I have gotten behind in my business stuff...like posting new art and jewelry to my website, and Etsy. Yesterday, I spent about 3 hours doing photo editing and resizing...until my arm hurt too much to continue. Anywho, here is a really cool lady from the cover of a purse sized perfume compact. I believe it is from Spain. Hope you like her! Have a good weekend!

The war of the spray paints: Krylon VS. Rustoleum

They say that we learn from our mistakes, and today, I hope to pass on some knowledge to you. I wish I would have done some more research before buying my first choice of spray paint. I had a few metal items I wished to spray paint a light ivory, for a shabby chic feel. We have this color of trim on our Victorian style home. My projects consisted of a small birdcage, a metal filigree round stand (that I plan to use as a base for my bird bath), and a metal filigree wall decor piece. I had two bottles of Krylon, and both specified they were appropriate for outdoor or indoor use, and on metal surfaces. The Krylon bottle spattered big drops of drippy paint, bubbled on the surface, and didn't provide good coverage. I had plastic gloves on, but the messiness ended in my hands being covered with the stuff. I tried soap, pumice, nail polish remover, hair spray, lotion, and oil to get it off. I actually had to go to my husband's dental practice and use some heavy duty chemical to get it off.
After that failed attempt, I headed to my local craft store. I was informed, after discussion with an associate, that Krylon was not preferred, and most people (including herself) preferred Rustoleum. I got some and was excited to try it. It was fabulous! It went on evenly, didn't run or drip, and had great coverage. I was able to cover up the mess made by the Krylon, and my projects were saved. So, my advice is to stick with Rustoleum. Krylon makers: you REALLY need to work on your paint formulation and fix that messy nozzle. Seriously....I'm not kidding.

Fabulous antique sailor girl from a 1920 song sheet cover

Monday flew by, and Tuesday is already here! Here is a wonderful, large piece of clip art I found of a sailor girl/woman that was on a 1920 song sheet cover. Isn't she fabulous! I have had short hair for ages, and love seeing all the short hairstyles the ladies of the 20's had. It was considered rebellious back then. Hope you enjoy it!

Worn antique book cover

This is one of my recent finds while thrift store shopping. It is an old German grammar book from the early 1900's. I love the cover, and thought I would share it with you. Happy Saturday!

Studio car vintage ad

Happy Friday folks! Actually, in a little over 2 hours, it will be Saturday for me. Yesterday was crazy busy, and I felt like I was on the phone and running errands all day. I made a sweet pepper avocado soup from scratch, and forgot how much work goes into "from scratch" anything...and the mess it leaves. I was so tuckered out last night, I completely forgot to post anything. Today I had some time to start on a larger painting, with a background of palette knife acrylic paint and collaged text papers. Once I get on a roll with a large collage, I find it hard to stop. Alas, we had to eat supper at some point, so I threw in the towel after 3 hours of painting, cutting, and gluing.
Today's clip art is a vintage ad for a studio car that would tour around and offer portraits. This company was based out of St. Paul, MN....a place near and dear to my heart. I thought it was a fun little piece of history. Hope everyone has a safe & happy weekend!

Gibson girl and vintage map clip art

I missed posting yesterday, so today I am posting two new clip art freebies. The first is one I have had for several years, and is one of my favorites...a Gibson girl. She appears to be swimming, but it is kind of eerie. The second is a map of Spain, that came from a vintage book. Happy creating!

Antique German Dictionary Page Clip Art

Today's clip art comes from one of my weekend finds. It is an old German grammar book from 1907. The cover is fabulously worn and faded. Here is a page you can use as a background or whatever else you come up with. Happy creating!

Monday, and new goodies on the way!

I received my new business cards with my Hip Heart Studio logo on them this weekend, so I will soon be listing new items for sale at hipheartstudio.com!
Saturday was my birthday, and hubby and I did some thrift store and antique shopping. I didn't find much, but my 3 items are definitely treasures. I found a 1932 magazine with awesome ads and graphics, and 2 books that are 1900 or earlier. They are beautifully aged and fragile, which I find alluring. The magazine was only $2 at a thrift store, and I later saw the same magazine, from the 30's at an antique store for $22. I got a great deal on that one!
I will be posting some new clip art later today, in the evening most likely. For now, I am off to do a quick antique finish on some "crackle finished" canvases, then off to run some errands. Happy Monday! Let's make this a creative, productive, joy-filled week!

Hobby Lobby weekly coupon

I love a good coupon...in fact, there are certain items that I will only buy when I can use a coupon....like Liquitex Matte Medium, or Varnish. I am thrilled that a Hobby Lobby store just opened up yesterday, right down the road from me. I am headed there tomorrow morning, after having a nice large breakfast, and plan to spend as much time there as I want. It's my "pre-birthday" present to myself. My birthday is Saturday, but I didn't want to drag my poor husband along on another craft store shopping trip. He already was nice enough to wait on me this last weekend, when we went into a Hobby Lobby store in Orlando for the first time. I nearly fainted when we walked in! I had no idea what aisle to go down first. My creative brain went into hyper-overdrive. So, for all of you fellow coupon-ers, here is a link to a weekly Hobby Lobby coupon.
I also got an email from Blick.com today, announcing a sale, but I need to look into that first. I spent the day today in Miami, getting my MRI and nerve tests done. I left our house at 8:30, and didn't get back until 5:30. It was a very long day. I am turning in early, but will pop in tomorrow with some more clip art! Good night creative minds! Happy dreams!

My product review & mixed media paintings made with 7Gypsies tissue collage paper

As soon as I got an email from Stampington/The Shoppes at Somerset, I drooled over this tissue paper. I love using tissue paper for texture in my mixed media paintings and I immediately had two project ideas pop up in my head. I completed the first one, which is this set of four 12" X 12"mixed media paintings. I used the tissue paper as a background. One tip: when working with tissue paper, cut the size you will need ahead of time, and apply the matte medium (or whatever you used as a collage 'glue') to the base ahead of time. Do not try putting the matte medium onto your tissue paper. I suggest not using a lot of the medium or the paper gets soggy and easily tares and you are smoothing it onto your canvas/surface. I used a rubber brayer and gently smoothed areas with my fingers, allowing crinkles and light layering to occur. I waited until it had dried well before I put a topcoat of medium on it to seal it. After that, I was free to paint, draw, stamp, and collage on top of it.
Final conclusion: Try it! You'll love it! I have plenty left over for another project and am looking forward to playing with it again. However, since it is a bit pricey, practice with regular tissue paper first, if you have never used tissue paper in your collage pieces before. You will learn what mistakes to avoid, so you can move on to the fancy stuff without fear. The paper is available Here or you can look for it on Ebay, or other places where you buy your craft goodies.

An apology and a new honey bee clip art

I usually work on this blog in the evening, and yesterday, we had one heck of a lightening show. We had a storm that stuck with us for quite some time, and I didn't dare plug the computer in after hearing from someone else that their WASHING MACHINE, of all things, was fried by lightening the previous week. Florida definitely isn't fun this time of year. So, tonight I do have a new piece of clip art to add. I will also do another post on my product review of the new 7gypsies collage paper. I love it!

Monday clip art: hand marbled paper

Another week has arrived, and it is gearing up to be a busy one for me. I have another Dr. appointment in Miami this week, and will be getting an MRI and an EEG (to hopefully diagnose the cause of my nerve problems that I have had for about a year now). I will do my best to share something each day, but if I don't, you will at least know why. So far, one person has told me to think about food I would like to eat, another said to think of a song, yet another told me to just take a nap, and all have told me to KEEP MY EYES CLOSED before and during the MRI, so that I don't get freaked out by it. I may be tired from the stress of driving and being repeatedly shocked (EEG), and just take the advice of napping.
Today's clip art freebie is a piece of marbled paper that I made by using craft acrylic paints, swirled on waxed paper, and then laying down a piece of thick paper on top. It turns out really neat if you use some metallic paints along with some darker opaque colors. Hope you enjoy it!

Saturday's clip art: Dramatic Dancers

Thank goodness the weekend is here! I'll be hitting some more antique stores this weekend, and hopefully a few art galleries. Before I leave though, I wanted to send you into the weekend with some fancy dancers! This is a BIG full page size piece of clip art. Enjoy, and happy Saturday!
On tap for this coming week: two new product reviews, and join me as I make my own bird bath from repurposed items.

Thrifty artist money saving tip for leather crafters & today's clip art freebie!

Happy Friday! We've been hosting a small dog this week, and it has been a loooong week. We had hoped she would be fine with our cats, but it was hate at first bark. The cats were interested in befriending her, but she only wanted to chase them. So, tomorrow, she goes home, and things will be back to normal.
I wanted to share a tip with anyone who works with, or would like to work with leather to make jewelry, accessories, wallets, etc. I am a big fan of thrift store shopping and upcycling. My fluffy felted flowers are all made from repurposed felted sweaters. I also like to use leather for making jewelry and hair accessories though. My favorite treasure hunting tip for this is to check out the skirt, pants, and coat sections at my local thrift stores. Vintage 80's leather skirts are my favorite. I also got a fabulous pair of metallic silver leather pants on Ebay recently. You can get a lot of projects out of a cost of $3.99! If I find a leather purse that has seen better days, I may also use it for scrap. So, check out your local thrift store, and see what goodies you can find this week!
Finally, here is today's clip art....an old aged page from a Shakespeare tragedy.
Have a fabulous weekend!

Antique gold pointing hand clip art

Today's freebie is an odd looking golden pointing hand. Hope it comes in handy for your creating endeavors! ( ;

Crackle Black Bird clip art

Just doing a late night, drive-by clip art posting before heading to bed. Here is a bird silhouette that I made, cut out, painted black, and crackle finished. I played a bit with it in Photoshop, but my program is acting glitchy tonight. Tweet Tweet! (that's "bird" for "See ya tomorrow!")

Wooden House Plaque Tutorial

Our new home is a Key West "orange" kind of home, yet this 2 story house is done in a someone modern Victorian style. We have a wrap around porch, with white columns, and may of the houses in our neighborhood have lovely medallions on the front. We didn't, so I ordered one on Ebay. We had boring black house numbers stuck on with some kind of putty, and I wanted a more regal house number plaque. They were expensive at the local hardware stores, so I decided to custom make our own. Our front door is a darker terracotta orange, so I made it to match that. I got my plaque at JoAnn's with a 40% off coupon. It was about $8. I got the wood applique (that came in a set of 2) at Lowes. They were $11, so the single one was $6.50. The numbers are painted aluminum, which I then spray painted with an exterior cream colored paint. I painted the plaque with exterior house paint from Home Depot. I chose one that was a primer and a paint in one. I used a permanent, waterproof glue (there are many choices out there) to adhere the wood applique, and hammered the nails into the numbers to secure them. I actually took a bit of paint and painted the tops of the nails the same color as the numbers, so they would blend in. I am posting the pics in order of the steps. It's pretty simple, and shows what order I did things in.

My antique shopping treasures...

Here are the spoils from my girl's day out antiquing trip from last Saturday. We had it planned in advance and were so excited when the day finally arrived. I made treat bags filled with snacks and bottles of water, as I knew we would need the extra energy. I had to include some chocolate, of course! I plan to refinish the piano bench and add a padded fabric top. It will become a window seat for the cats, most likely. I also have plans to paint and "shabby up" the other pieces. I got some great old cookbooks for a grand total of $5, and one has awesome pages that would look great framed. The old glass mason jar is from Italy, and even though it is antique, it will become my "homemade refrigerator pickles" jar. I have been having the hardest time finding a glass container large enough to make them in. I have my new project pics ready to post tomorrow, along with a new piece of clip art. My eyes are starting to roll back into my head though, so I think it is time to head to bed. Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you tomorrow....

New Free Clip Art: old optical glasses store sign & a handmade painted texture paper

I promised two new clip art pieces today, since I slacked over the weekend...so here they are! One is an old optical store sign that would hang out front for passers by to see. The second is a piece of hand textured & painted paper that I made using acrylics. You can play around with it in Photoshop and come up with all kinds of different ideas. Try changing the color, increasing or decreasing the contrasts, cut shapes from it, etc. Have fun, and happy creating! I will be back tonight with some pics of my recent project, and my antique shopping finds from the weekend!

Who knew?

Who knew that antique shopping could be so tiring? I had so much fun today, though, that it was worth the energy loss. ( : I got some really cool finds at great prices, including a huge antique printer's drawer. My friends and I left for our trip at 11 this morning, and didn't get back until after 4. Two of the places didn't have any, or had a lack of good air conditioning, so maybe I lost some weight while shopping. Between the 6 of us, we packed the vehicles chock full of goodies. I don't have a clip art to share tonight, but I will make up for it at the beginning of the week with some extras! Enjoy part 2 of your weekend!

Vintage Teen Dress Pattern

Today's clipart comes from a very old pattern that I purchased at a garage sale last last spring. I am kicking myself for not buying more! The lady used to sell vintage patterns on Ebay and was liquidating her stock. I have some more to share, and some are flapper dresses....so neat!
I am a thrift store addict, and would be even if I was filthy rich! I love finding a good deal, and today I happened upon a local thrift store in Stuart that is run by the Humane Society. I found a vintage wooden bread box to "restore" a half moon shaped wooden piece to used as a display piece over our front door, some leather pants to cut and use for accessories (hair and jewelry pieces) and a few other things. It was nice knowing I was helping a cause dear to my own heart. My rescued kitties would approve. Hope you all have a great weekend! I am going antiquing with some friends tomorrow and am excited to see what kind of treasures we will find!

Canvas Sale...

Just a heads up....I just received an email from Michael's, showing that their Artist Gallery Wrapped red and green label canvases will be 50% off from July 24- 30. That's a great deal, and perfect to stock up on your favorite canvases. I love getting my canvas from www.blick.com, but Michael's is good if you don't feel like paying shipping, or need some in a hurry. Just make sure to "eyeball" them well. I have gotten some home before, and the frame was not at 90 degree angles at the corners, making them irregular shaped.

I'd love to post the new pictures.....

I'd love to post the new pictures of my house number plaque tutorial, but SOMEBODY took my camera cable without telling me. Let me just say, it wasn't either of my cats, so that's pretty easy to figure out. I don't have another here, and the implicated individual will be gone until Sunday. Boo!
Today has been a random, time-sucking day, so I haven't gotten much done. I cleaned my hubby's office this morning, ran errands, and by the time I got home, hubby had come home in the middle of a huge storm. The check engine light was on in the car he had planned on driving on his trip, so I ran off to the mechanics while he packed. Somehow, between that, and making sure he had everything he needed for his trip (and a nap after all the commotion), I found myself looking at the clock, and seeing it was already 7pm....thus my late post today. Anywho....here's today's clip art! It is a Currier & Ives postcard from 1872. Have a happy Friday!

Hand written Benjamin Franklin Letter clip art

Here's a neat historical piece of clip art to use in your mixed media art. I can't make out all of the words, but maybe some of you can. I love using handwritten text in my pieces, and do so quite often.
Today's project was making a new house number plaque for out new home. We currently have the plain plastic black numbers, and with the Victorian style of our home, I felt it needed something a little more fancy. The total cost will be less than if I bought a premade plastic plaque like they sell at Home Depot and Lowes. I will post the pics and a tutorial tomorrow. Have a good night! I hope to see you again soon!

Dollar store deals!

I'll be adding a new clip art piece later today, but first, I wanted to share some Dollar store ideas. We just moved very close to a Dollar Tree store, and I am in there all the time! Yesterday, I found they had put out their new Halloween items (Yay! That means fall is on the way!) and I found this packet of black cat paper cut-outs. I already have ideas for a cute 3 piece, small canvas mixed media piece using these cats. Those of you who know me well, know that I adore cats, and one of mine happens to be black.
What else can you use from the dollar store? Toothbrushes for spattering paint, plastic plates as reusable paint palettes, craft foam sheets for making your own stamps, scissors, sandpaper for distressing your art pieces, coffee cups for holding your brushes, and tissue paper for wrapping your pieces for mailing or gift giving. I prefer the Dollar Tree, because EVERYTHING is a dollar....AND they have great chocolate. I am a self-proclaimed chocolate snob (usually, I prefer European brands), but the Dollar Tree has their own brand made by Landmark Confections, that is soooooo good!
On another note, here is a picture of my studio in our new home. I finally have my own room, with tiled floors, so I can spread out and make a big, creative mess. I am a complete clean freak when it comes to the rest of the house, but I am really good at making a mess when I am in my creating mode. Well, off to eat some breakfast and get on with the day! Stop back later for some clip art!

Folk Art Heart

I came across some fun finds at the local dollar store to use in some projects, and I will share those with you tomorrow. The dollar store is a fabulous place to find things to use in mixed media artwork.
For today though, as promised, is a new free clip art that you are free to have fun with! I hand painted this piece and have had it sitting around without a purpose for a while. Hope you enjoy it!

Adorable vintage grumpy piano girl postcard

Here is the first of my clip art freebies! I got this cute vintage postcard at a local antique shop and every time I look at it, I laugh! To save the pic for yourself, just right click and save it to your computer. Have fun with her! She would be great to use in scrapbooking or in a mixed media art piece.

Christmas in July Sale at Michaels

Here are some great coupons for Michael's Christmas in July Sale. It runs July 17 through July 23rd. You can get 25% off your entire purchase including regular and sale items (not including clearance, as usual). Make sure to read the exclusions. There are a few others you can print and use also! Happy shopping...now....go and MAKE something!