DIY » by elke

Photo Rubber Block Print

A couple of years ago when I started getting into carving the rubber block prints I figured out how to get pictures transferred onto them to create these more realistic prints. If you have Photoshop this can be very easy. Getting the right picture can be tricky because you really need to find one that translates well into black & white. This basically just takes trial & error playing in photoshop with different photos in stamp mode. Once you find the photo that works well, it’s just a matter of transferring the picture to the rubber block & VERY CAREFULLY cutting away so the original feeling still remains. As you can see, the copy from my printer & from the rubber block are very similar but not exactly the same. That’s the fun of it. You never really know if you succeeded or not until you apply the ink with the brayer & have a go at it. I haven’t done this for a while & felt a bit rusty. It also didn’t help that my ink was very light on the block. In the past I’ve had a much better image transfer. Well, all in all I’m happy with the results & the real test was when I showed my son. He approved!

More Print Examples

Scandi-Necklace

For the past couple of months my jewelry has leaned toward brass & leather. I like how both materials tarnish & change over time. I’ve also simultaneously become enamored with the simple, natural wooden bead. Yesterday was cashmere & beads, today it’s brass & beads….. I especially like the scandinavian vibe going on.

This necklace can easily be made in less than 5 minutes. I get the brass ball chain by the foot at my local hardware store. At a bead store I found the brass rings that keep the chain together. It’s not fancy but it does the job. You can do any arrangement of beds that you like & just string them on. I’m thinking of trying a triple strand with 1 bead (small to large) on each strand. I also like that I can wear this arrangement for a day then change it & reuse the chain or beads for something else. It’s like temporary jewelry.

Sweater Tote

I made this across the body tote out of a scrap of cashmere. I’ve been taking many walks with the dog & find that often I don’t have enough pockets for all the little necessities. I constructed this little bag for just those days. The body is a simple cashmere square & the straps were attached by small pieces of leather with a d-ring. I found some cream colored leather cord and added wooden beads for the strap.

Once I Was A Collar

….Now I’m a furry purse! I found this detachable faux fur collar at a local vintage store. When I folded it in 1/2 it instantly looked like a warm fury & very hip little purse. The following is a step by step DIY. It wasn’t complicated but because of the material all the stitching had to be done by hand. I use heavy thread so I only need 1 strand. The zipper is hand sewn in first then I very carefully tucked the fur inside the bag as I sewed around the outside. In the end, I added a long wooden bead pull that can be used as a wristlet or a functional zipper pull. I’m heading out tonight & plan to break it in!

Now I’m A Blackboard

I found this artists pallet at a local antique store. It was just the right size for a back door blackboard in our house. I especially like how there is a clip attached that holds the kids lunch calendar for the year or any other papers that are floating around. Anything is a vehicle for blackboard paint….

(*I also do not claim to be a chalk artist)

Thread Storage

I found this letterpress tray at a local antique store. After the Holiday market it was just sitting in my office taking up space until it could be put to use again. A couple of eye hooks & some cotton cording transformed it into my new thread holder.

Billboard Bag

This bag is definitely not a cutting edge design, rather it is just about the most simple. The reason I made this was because some time over the holidays I misplaced all my reusable shopping bags. A while ago, someone gave me a giant old tyvek billboard that was headed for the dumpster. Of course I thought ,”this could be used someday!”

So here we are in “someday”. I took some sissors to it & made myself some super heavy duty reusable bags. One down & one to go. The challenge was turning it inside out after it was all sewn together. The material is incredibly tough & not the least bit pliable. Perfect for carrying home the groceries. The straps are from a roll of great heavy nylon harness webbing. This is just the first project of many to come with this billboard…..I have about 15 feet left!

DIY Fur Muff

Yes folks, the Muff is back! I had one growing up in the north east. It was the white rabbit fur type & we got to use them when we’d head into New York City at Christmas time. My friend came over last week with a challenge. She has been holding onto 2 sleeves from an old fur coat & was convinced that we could create a muff out of them. After ripping out the lining & cutting the cuff seam a tad wider we were able to literally fold it inside itself & the muff was born! I cut a thin piece of leather cording to loop through it & secured it with an antique shirt stud so she could wear it around her neck. She is singlehandedly committed to bringing the trend back & so far she’s told me that we have 3 more customers. Now we just need some old fur coats……

I’m not so sure the trend is actually back in the true fashion sense, but it should be!

Cashmere Baby Hats

Here are the first trials of making a baby hat from the top part of a cashmere turtleneck. After making some of the animals, I have kept all the extra pieces just knowing that they were good for something. The more I looked at those neck pieces the more that started looking like baby hats. I finally just did it! Below is a visual tutorial- It couldn’t have been easier & they look so cute & boy, trust me, they are super soft. Now I just have to find a baby to try them on…..

It definitely pays to invest in these beautiful sweaters as it’s a quality of knit that you never get tired of touching.

Home Made Paper Bag

Just before the Gypsy Farm Market I had a bunch of the braided bracelets ready to sell then realized that I had no bag to offer them in. I looked around my office & saw a roll of craft paper. I cut out long rectangles & sewed them together with red thread. When I was finished, I thought they looked like they were missing something so I printed a braid pattern from a rubber block in silver paint. At the show, I closed them of with a nice logo sticker.