Homemade gift ideas

This week we will be posting on our Facebook some ideas or inspiration for handmade simple gifts this year that don't cost you much or you might even have all the stuff for at home! Do you have ideas? Or favorite handmade gift traditions that you want to share? Feel free to post your ideas or how-to links here on our FB or shoot us an email! The holidays are so much better with handmade gifts & fun!

Handmade paper lanterns

10 Ways to Reuse Vinyl Records

Recycled Plastic Lid Mosaics

Homemade Stripe Sidewalk Chalk

Recycled Paper Holiday Ornaments 

Homemade Chalkboard Frame

Make your prints for cards

Paint your own Clay trinkets and pendants 

Block print on Textiles

25 handmade gifts list

Shrinky dink buttons

Make your own prints with Foam

Recycled magazine woven coasters

Clay feather ornaments

Glitter snowflakes

Duct Tape Christmas tree

TP tube owl decorations

Homemade Christmas cards with salt glitter

Thankful Tree

We brought out our annual thankful tree and we'd love to invite you all to participate with us! Every November we set up our tree and decorate it daily, by writing something that we are thankful for on a paper leaf and hanging it up. It's such a fun way to remember all that we have and all that is beautiful in our lives. Finding something to be thankful for in every situation is good to practice every single day of the year, but it's especially appropriate this month as we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving.

So what are you thankful for? 

I know I probably sound like a broken record by now, but what we are most thankful for at the store is definitely all of you. We have the most amazing customers and because of that, our business has been blessed beyond what we could imagine. So thank you for all of your support over the years.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” 

― Meister Eckhart

Acrylic Flow Release medium

Acrylic Flow Release is one of the paint additives created by Golden Artist Colors that I had yet to play around with. I knew only vaguely what it was for and I suspected that once I understood what it was capable of doing, it could very well be something that I might find useful in my own art. I did some reading on Golden's website and watched a few videos before I decided to experiment on my own. Below is a product description straight from Golden. If you'd like to read more or watch a video demonstrating it's use, you can follow the link here.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

GOLDEN Acrylic Flow Release is a surfactant. A surfactant is a concentrated surface-active liquid which reduces surface tension, thus improving wetting and increasing the flow of acrylic waterborne paints.

A surfactant is used several ways in acrylic paint making. Surfactants are used to "wet out" pigments to ease their introduction into an acrylic resin, medium or gel. They can also be added to thinner paint mixtures, such as stains, to help reduce surface tension.

Acrylic Flow Release is very useful for staining techniques, as it dramatically reduces the surface tension between the stain (paint/water) and the support. Certain supports, especially raw canvas, are inherently water repelling in nature and require the use of such a surface-active agent to allow the stain to wet and penetrate into the support.

 I decided to try the technique of mixing the  Flow Release with water and using it to coat the canvas before I poured on the paint for a wet-on-wet application.

Next I used Golden's airbrush paint for the color wash since it is already watered down to a very fluid consistency, perfect for staining effects.

To demonstrate how the paint reacts to the Flow-Release/water mixture I splashed a few drop of the paint onto my canvas. The dab of paint on the bottom was applied over the Flow Release and the dab of paint on the top is without Flow Release. As you can see, the Acrylic Flow Release dramatically brakes the surface tension and allows the paint to wet-out and absorb into the canvas instantaneously instead of balling up as usual. 

HOLY SCIENCE! ;-) 

Notice the bubbles in my Flow Release mixture above? This was caused by stirring the Flow Release into the water too vigorously. Next time I will be more careful to prevent this from happening. I tend to always do things the wrong way the first time around. This is how I learn, because reading the directions is just too painful!

Next I covered the entire canvas in my Flow Release mixture and then proceeded to squirt generous amounts of magenta, yellow and white airbrush paint over the top.

Lastly, I used the end of a brush to swirl the colors all together, sort of creating a marbled effect as you can see. I then lifted the canvas and rotated it, allowing the paint to drip and spread out until it covered the whole surface area.

I LOVE how it turned out and I think this is a fantastic way to create an interesting base for a painting and I'm sure i'll be using this technique again soon.

Here is an up-close of the marbled paint. After everything, all I had to do was lay it flat to dry untouched... which is easier said than done when you live with a two year old. I would show you the finished product but needless to say, it now has the addition of several finger prints, scratches and even part of a foot print  (not even joking). 

Hopefully you found this little experiment of mine useful, and if not, I hope it at least inspired you to experiment with a new medium you've never explored before. I was really fascinated with what I could do using the Flow Release medium and I'm sure i'll be using it again in the future. A couple of things that I think are very important to be aware of with this product is to remember that it is VERY concentrated and your paints will become tacky and unable to dry completely if you add too much, so use the proper mixing ratio that is stated on the label. Also, remember not to mix too vigorously! Nobody wants to deal with those pesky bubbles in their art.

Happy painting &

Thanks for reading!

-Heather @ IBF

Pretty new items!

Poetry magnets

 Pretty Journals!

Smash journals!

Paper Love!

Great news for all you fellow paper lovers!

In a few weeks we will be receiving a big order of new papers. The majority of them will be discounted at $1.50 each per full sized sheet! 

We also have tons of really great scrap bundle sets that are priced anywhere from $1.99-$4.99.

These scrap bundles are a great way to get a variety of different decorative papers for those little projects like scrapbooking, card making etc..

Because I get asked fairly often by customers at the store..."What do you do with all these pretty papers?"

 I thought i'd include a little project that is fun, quick, easy and a great way to use up your scraps!

DIY Paper beads

1. What you'll need.

Toothpicks. Acrylic Gel Medium (I used Golden's Regular gel gloss.) Mod Podge will also work fine. A ruler. Cutting mat. (not pictured) Scissors and a pen.

Grab an assortment of your favorite decorative papers. This project also works well using magazine pages. Keep in mind that the prints on the paper wont really show on the final product, it's more about the color selection.

2. Draw out your bead shapes.

Using your ruler and a pen, draw vertical lines on the back of your papers, alternating the ruler at a slight angle to create a long triangle shape. The width of the bottom of the triangle shape will wind up being the width of your bead so keep this in mind when mapping out your cutting lines. you can make the width shorter or longer depending on how you want your bead to be shaped. Also, the strips should be at least a foot long,. The length of the paper strip will adjust the thickness of your bead.

2. Cut them out!

Cut your paper where you drew your lines. Your paper should wind up in strips like this. Be sure to use papers that vary in design and color so you wind up with a bunch of bright and unique beads.

3. Roll them up!

Starting with the longest side of your paper strip, begin to roll the paper onto the toothpick as tightly as you can. Once you've rolled it a few times around nice and tight, apply the acrylic gel to the inside of the remaining paper strip like an adhesive and roll it up the rest of the way. When it's completely rolled up it should resemble the picture above.

4. Cover with Gel medium.

Apply a generous amount of Acrylic gel medium all over your bead, making sure to cover to the entire thing. 

5. Last step!

Pull your paper bead off of the toothpick while it is still wet. Place it in a safe place and allow it to dry!

There you have it!

Once they're dry, they're ready to be strung into a pretty bracelet, necklace, earrings or whatever you'd like to make!

ENJOY!

Home made clay recipes.

CLAY RECIPES

From clayrecipe.net

Cinnamon Apple Clay Recipe

Simple but great smelling clay recipe. Add some food coloring to make the clay stand out a bit more (or don’t, up to you).

1 cup applesauce

1 cup flour

1 cup cinnamon

1/2 cup white glue

Food coloring

Mix all the ingredients together until smooth. Add food coloring if wanted. Put the clay in the refrigerator for a few hours until firm.

Coffee Clay Recipe

Would you like a clay with an amazing scent? Then the coffee clay recipe is for you. Enjoy the coffee scent while your creations are baking in the oven.

4 cups flour

1 cup salt

1/4 cup instant coffee

1-1/2 c warm water

Dissolve the instant coffee in the warm water. Using another bowl, mix flour and salt. Make a hole inside the flour mixture and add 1 cup of coffee water into it. Mix with your hands until smooth. If needed you can add more coffee water.

Create the designs you want and bake in the oven for about 1 hour (until hard) at 300 degrees.

Edible Clay Recipe

Why stop at making and playing with the clay? Might as well eat it. Luckily this clay recipe tastes good.

1/2 Cup Light corn syrup

3/4 Cup Peanut butter

1/2 Cup Soft margarine

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Flour

Mix all the ingredients and knead into a smooth, well tasting clay. Try not to eat all of it at once, atleast not until after dinner ;)

Glittery Clay Recipe

Want a clay recipe that sparkles? With some glitter added to the clay, Disco fever is brought into clay making.

Glitter image

1 cup flour

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup water

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

Glitter

Mix all the ingredients in a cooking pot and heat, stir constantly until ball forms. Knead until smooth. Store in airtight container. For improved result, knead while listening to Disco music.

Vanilla Clay Recipe

This recipe makes for a delightful vanilla smelling clay recipe. The taste is sadly not as delightful as the scent.

1 cup flour

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup water

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

vanilla extract

Mix all the ingredients in a cooking pot and heat, stir constantly until ball forms. Knead until smooth. Store in airtight container.

White Bread Clay Recipe

A clay recipe based on white bread dough. I would like to point out that it’s not edible in any way due to the glue, if eaten anyway, best of luck.

White Bread

6 pieces of day-old, white bread

3 Teaspoons white glue

2 Teaspoons Water

Remove crusts from bread, and cut the remaining into small pieces. Use a large mixing bowl to add water and glue to the bread pieces. Knead the mixture with your hands until it has the consistency similar to pie dough.

When done the clay can be rolled out on newspaper and cut with a cookie cutter or perhaps rolled into beads. Allow to drie when shaped as desired.

No-Bake Clay Recipe

Many clay recipes requires some form of baking, this does not. The clay can easily be colored or the natural color can be kept. If you choose to color the clay, it can still be painted or sealed with polish when modelled.

1 cup cornstarch

1 1/4 cups cold water

2 cups baking soda (1 pound)

Food coloring (optional)

Tempera or acrylic paints (optional)

Clear shellac, acrylic spray, or nail polish

Combine cornstarch, baking soda and water in a saucepan; stir over medium heat for about 4 minutes until mixture thickens to a moist mashed-potato consistency. (For a fun colored clay, add a few drops of food coloring to the water before it is mixed with cornstarch and baking soda.)

Then remove from heat, turn onto plate, and cover with a damp cloth until cool. When cooled, knead until smooth.

Jewelry Clay Recipe

This is a fun recipe which allow your kids to create jewelry treasures! Easy and simple clay recipe, but very appreciated.

clay beads

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

warm water

Begin with mixing all the dry ingredients. After that, slowly add warm water (not boiled) until the mixture sticks together and can be shaped.

To begin the jewelry creation, roll the clay into small balls, pierce the balls with toothpick or a thick nail (if you intend to string the beads), allow to dry. When dry, paint as desired and once again allow to dry.

Paint or spray paint balls with acrylic finish to seal off. After finish dries, string beads on jewelry thread, invisible fishing line, elastic cording or just place all the jewelry in a treasure chest (if desired, bury in the backyard for safekeeping).

Basic Modeling Clay

Basic but functional clay recipe. Based on easy to find and cheap ingredients.

1/2 cup potato starch or corn starch

1 cup salt

1 cup boiling water

Boil the mixture until its texture reminds you of a soft-ball, then use a waxed paper to knead on. To keep the clay moist, you can place it in a air-tight container and wrap a wet cloth around it.

After modelling, the products should be allowed to air-dry. The pieces can be painted after drying is complete.

Peanut Butter Clay Recipe

This is a very simple and edible clay recipe. The clay making can be an excellent excuse just to get something snaxy.

1 part peanut butter

1 part dry powdered milk

Honey

Mix the peanut butter and dry powdered milk. Slowly add the honey until desired consistency is achieved. If the mixture is too sticky, add more dry milk. If it’s too dry, add more honey.

Then it’s just to let the creating (and eating) begin. It will be appreciated by the kids in the family.

Summer fun for the kids

    I just wanted to share some links to great project ideas for the kiddos since it's that time of year where they are home from school on Summer break and constantly needing something to keep busy. It can be difficult sometimes to come up with ways to spark creativity and keep them away from the television and computer, not that those kinds of activities aren't OK, but everything in moderation, right? What are some fun things you do with your kids over the Summer? If you have any great art project ideas for the littles you'd like to share... Please do!

  -Heather @I've Been Framed.

Check out our Pinterest board for the links to fabulous ideas!

Also, drop by the store for some supplies and grab a free home made clay recipe flyer at the front counter!

We have ALL KINDS of fun stuff for kids at the store.

Air dry and oven bake clays

Pom poms

feathers

 Glitter

Finger paint

All kinds of paper

crayons

markers

glue

coloring books

paint by numbers

yarn

googly eyes

magnets

numbers and letters stencils and stickers

chalk board paint

sidewalk chalk

scissors

And the list goes on....

DIY Paper Poms!

Lately, we've been a little obsessed with these paper poms at the shop. They're fun, they're bright, they're the perfect Summer decoration and they're surprisingly simple to make once you get the hang of it. All that you need is a pack of tissue paper, which you can pick up at your local art shop (wink wink). We currently have a great color selection at very reasonable prices. I've seen these poms used as a delightful pop of color in many situations such as; weddings, room decor, birthday parties, baby showers, patio parties and more! I also love that you can change the size and shape of these by using less or more tissue and by cutting the edges different ways.

Click the link for a tutorial of how it's done via Martha Stewart. 

Here's a few pics of the poms we've made at the store.

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How many pencils?

It's contest time again! This time we are taking guesses for how many pencils are in this cart. The rules are simple. One entry per customer. The closest guess will be chosen on June 8th and the winner will receive a really awesome gift set put together by the I've Been Framed staff. You must submit your guess at the store in our entry box, make sure you also write down your name and number and or email so we can contact you. Thanks for participating. We love you guys!

Mother's Day gift ideas

Sunday is Mother's Day so perhaps this post is a bit late, but there's still a couple of days left to get your craft on and present your mother, or any special woman in your life, with a handmade gift. I wanted to give you a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. 

How to make a modern Silhouette

Homemade Votives 

Mother's day shrinky dink Bracelet

Tin Can Treats

Cute Bookmark 

There's just a few links to some great ideas I came across online. Some other ideas that we have at the store are... Framed prints, journals, pens, fabric paints and block printing supplies (make your own shirts, hand towels, cards and more!) If you still need some pointers please come in! We'd love to point you in the right direction and help you find some great deals. 

Mention this post and get 15% off of your decorative papers purchases starting now through Saturday.

Handwritten letters and homemade cards.

When I was given the task of writing a blog entry about the beautiful art of handwritten letters I was absolutely thrilled as this is a subject I feel very passionate about. I immediately went to my closet to pull out the big cardboard box that holds my collection of letters and cards that i've saved throughout the years in search of inspiration. It is a collection of decent size as I value every card that I have ever received, especially the handwritten and hand crafted ones. I have cards dating all the way back to my 3rd birthday and I can vividly remember enjoying cards and letters at a very young age, after all, I still have the cards but no longer have the gifts they went with. I kept all of my favorites, like the pop up cards, the fuzzy cards and the cards that came with stickers. This box has always been a place that I go when I need  a pick-me-up or a reminder of how blessed and loved that I really am. It never fails that as I thumb through my box, I am filled with joy and if I stop to read I'll often find myself a teary mess on the floor. A letter from my Great Grandpa that is no longer with us, encouraging words from my mother when I was going through hard times, birthdays, silly notes, letters from my best friend during the time she moved away when we were young, drawings and notes from my little friends that live in Africa, wedding cards, anniversary cards, baby shower etc... These are the things that you'll find in my box of memories, it tells the story of my life really, these letters are priceless. I can hold them in my hands and feel the care that was portrayed by the sender, I can smell the smells and feel the textures of the different papers used. There is no replacement for something so thoughtful and so special as a hand written letter. There is no email, facebook message, tweet, ecard or text message that will better portray that you care for someone than sitting down, grabbing your finest stationary, jotting out your message in your best hand writing, adorning the letter with pictures, stickers, a spritzs of perfume or maybe even a lipstick mark. Sure computers and smart phones have opened up a whole new world of communication and it is really a wonderful thing to be able to shoot a little note over to Grandma who is half way across the country, I won't deny that I am in better contact with the far away people in my life than I have ever been simply because of facebook, but there's a part of me that is saddened by the dying art of letter writing, it is an art after all, a beautiful art that should never be forgotten.


 "Snail mail" has been under attack for the past several decades, with the U.S. Postal Service reporting a drop of 10 billion letters in the past 20 years. Literally billions of e-mails and text messages are sent each day." -May 27, 2010|By Rachel Rodriguez, CNN




What do handwritten letters have to do with an art store you ask? Here are some thoughts my manager had that touched on that subject and I couldn't agree with her more.

  "As artists we have the need to involve all of our senses. We have to see things, touch them, taste them, hear them and smell them. I feel that is such a necessary part of who we are and how we interact with everything around us. I love doing that for people in the store. Looking at the actual paint, not just seeing the computer printed label for it... you have to see the color! Paying attention to these things more over the last decade and helping artists find supplies here makes me notice it more than I used to. 

    While there's many awesome things about the technology that surrounds us these days, there's nothing quite like a handwritten letter! It may seem faster, or easier, to send an email or text to a loved one but I don't think it will ever compete with getting a handwritten note. There's something about the look of it, the feel of it and the way it invokes our feelings and memories of the ones we love. Is it the unique style of their writing? or the way that it feels so much more personal to us? or that we have a tangible, touchable thing from the hands of a loved one directed personally to us? or all of those things?"

   We like to try our best to carry on the handwritten letter and home made cards here at the art store. Some of our traditions include one of a kind personalized birthday cards for each of our employees every year and handmade Christmas cards to all our friends every Holiday Season. It's the little personal things like this that create a stronger bond in our work family and a more personal relationship between our customers and us. Do you have handwritten traditions like this in your home or workplace? What do you do?

   If I haven't convinced you to get our your pen and paper yet, here's a great blog entry on 

The Power of Letter Writing that actually lists 7 great reasons why you should take the time out of your week to write.

   So all that being said, I want to personally challenge you to write at least one letter this week to someone that has been on your mind, let them know you're thinking of them, draw them a picture, send them a quote. Decorate your letter, personalize it! Give somebody the joy of opening their mailbox to find a message addressed to them from an actual person, a friend, a family member, a secret admirer! Ready set go, DO IT!

If you feel lost on how to begin, There are plenty of pictures and articles online to help you search for inspiration. Take a peep at this website, it is full of pictures and videos that will get you started. If you don't have anyone to write to get yourself a pen-pal! Adopt a sponsor child in another country. Write you're favorite art store ;-) 

There are lots of ways to dress up a letter. Here I've used paper bags, lace, buttons, magazine clippings and a sewing machine to create a one of a kind note to a friend.

Thanks for reading, love to all of our wonderful and creative customers!

And as always, Don't forget to thank your postman.

Shout out to Doug the mail slug! 

-Heather

 Mention this post at checkout and receive an extra 10% off your next purchase of decorative paper, stationary or pen purchase at I've Been Framed. Offer good through 5/1/12

I've Been Framed gets a store cat!

Meet Jordy! Our new buddy here at the shop. He just came to live with us this past Monday and he's still getting used to his new friends and surroundings, so you may not see him around much for a few weeks. But when you do get a chance to meet him you'll find that he's very friendly and well behaved. We are very excited to adopt this little guy at the store and I am positive that he is going to be the world's most spoiled cat.

Jordy does request that you make sure and close the door behind you when you visit so that he is not tempted to leave the building. Thank you!

We have a winner!

In case you hadn't heard, we held a contest this past month for kids 13 and under to enter a name for our newest manikin. We asked that each child write down a name that they like and why they chose it. On Valentine's day our employees went through all the names and we voted on our favorites. It was a difficult decision as all of the name entries were great! We did finally make a decision and we'd like to proudly introduce you to.... ARTIE MCFLY and our winner, 8 year old Zadie. Zadie's reason for chosing the name in her words were "Because Artie has the word "art" in it and it's an at store!" Good logic if you ask me! Above is a picture of Zadie and the fabulous all you could ever want art set that she won. Congratulations girl! Hope you have a lot of fun making art with your new supplies!

Also, as promised here are the runner up names that are just too good not to share. Thanks to all who participated! We had a lot fun with this one and look forward to many more contests and giveaways.

(I kept the spelling as it was written in by the kids keep in mind!)

Anatole	because he's a boy
Angelina	Because she is in a ballet poze and angalina is a good ballet name
Artsy Maniac	because he's at an art store
Arty	because it sounds like art and it is an art store. Think it would be cute :-)
Awesome	He is AWESOMG!
Becca	because I ued a bic pen to write this. I found it on the floor by the door
Bella	because in french it means beautiful
Blue Moo	She was my best friend since I was 5 years old. She had to move away I miss her a lot. So when I come to visit you I can visit her too.
Bobby	because his head is bobbley
Brien	I like the name Brien
Caden	It's not always spelled like that. Also it's my brotther's name
Caleb	becaue he's as tall as me
Caraline	That's my Ant's name <3
Charlie	Because that's my brother's name and I love him
Crazy Dude	because he's a dude and he's crazy
Dabada	her syllables
Degas	because he was an artist and can be posed like a ballerina.
Doodle	Because it's an art store and what a name it's very creative.
Duncan	This is the name of her brother (cat) that went missing on Nov 15th
Elf	He looks like an elf
Elfman	Beecus he has a elf hat
Fabrica	It means art in Latin ;-) cuz it's in an art store!
Gingerwood	because it is like christmas
Gordan Norward	I think I like name because its unique
Grafico	spanish for visual
Harry	because he looks like a harry
Ichabad Van Foster (IBF)	Similar initials similar to I've Been Framed + Foster St.
Ichabod Barnabus Forest	because I love that name
Ima Dahl	N/A
Jacobi	Funny cute name
James	beacus it sownds like a little bruther name
Jammy	because he looks like a jammy
Jeff	Just like it "it's a name"
Jenga	because it reminds me of the type of wood he is
Jingle	beacus HeS Waring a elf Hat
Joe	I think he looks like Joe
John	because he looks like a woden person that just looks like somebody
JoJ	N/A
Jollywood	because he is strutting like he's jolly and hes made of wood
Jordan	Because I reely like the name
Landraw	Because this is a land that you draw.
Lemony	I think lemony is a cool name
Leo	For Leonardo da vinci and his many masterpeices
Liam	he is my brother
Luckina	because it looks like it could get lucky.
Magma	N/A
Martin	Because I want to name it after a character in a book I like.
Marvin	he looks bored like him
Max	it's a good name for a boy
Me	because I like wiggeling his fingers!
Mogersen	N/A
Oliver	School friends name
Osiris	because the way he stand makes him look like a king
Patty boi	because it reminds me of Irlend. We lived their for a while.
Pinnochio	Why? To win a prize
Poblo	for poblo pecaso
Ponyboy or Baudelaire	because I love that name and it's from the outsiders.
Ruby	She wanted to name her after herself
Santa's little frankenstein	made by santa's spare parts he is often misunderstood
Scout	It's my dog's name <3
Sellvester	N/A
Shining Star	N/A
Sletch Man	I use it for sketching
Sylvester	N/A
Teddy	becaue bear have feet
Tet	N/A
Tim	because I know how to spell tim!
Timothy	N/A
Toby	Name of a train and she really likes it
Ty	I picked ty because that's my friend's name
Waldo	because he is prfit.
William Willy	because that's my name
Zane Funk	because the name reminds me of white snow