Recently I have become quite addicted to doing alcohol ink art. I will be doing a series of tutorials on various techniques incorporated when using alcohol inks.

Today I wanted to show how to make pendants using alcohol ink, dominoes, and resin. This will be a long blog. Grab your favorite beverage, art supplies (or bookmark for later)  and follow along. I will be happy to answer any questions not gone over in this tutorial.

First, we will need to gather supplies. 

1) alcohol ink of  choice (Copic, Prisma, ProMarker, Spectrum Noir markers, Kaszazz markers, Pinata ink, Tim Holtz Adirondack ink)

2) Alcohol ink blending solution or rubbing alcohol 91% or higher strength. I use both.

3) Paint brushes if you choose to use them. Make sure they are not good expensive ones!

4) Any easy clear 2 part resin like envirotex lite, Crystal Resin from Pebeo etc.

5) Spray Sealant. I use Rustoleum Clear Coat Enamel

6) metal jewelry bails to glue to the back of  dominoes

7) dominoes (or any flat non-porous substrate in the shape of a pendant)

8) ribbon or cord necklaces

9) jump rings

10) Gloves

11) E6000 jewelry glue

12) Most IMPORTANT: A well ventilated area. You can get very sick from breathing in fumes from too much alcohol ink or spray sealant. Make sure the work area is well ventilated! Take a break if you feel dizzy or just not quite right.

**Optional supplies that I use... Silicon Baking mat, dimensional modge podge for sealing backs of tiles with signature of artist, glitter, Faber Castell Pitt Pen for signing signature on back, canned air.

To get started, I clean the domino first with an alcohol pad or just pour a little rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. This removes any fingerprints, dust, or dirt from the surface of the domino. It will dry pretty fast so there is not wait time.

Next, draw, paint, drop ink in dots etc on the domino tile to make a unique piece of art work. Play with the inks. They do some really great patterns and come up with designs sometimes all on their own. This is where we would use more alcohol or blending solution to get various effects in the ink. A light touch is very important to get detailed effects. The inks spread very fast so if  details are desired, get a very slight amount of ink on the tip of the brush and work quickly.

To get some really neat effects, drop the ink straight from the bottle onto the domino and blow it around with canned air. Do this is layers and the art will end up with a truly unique design no one else can duplicate exactly. This can also be done using a simple drinking straw.

One tip to note when using brushes is to put a drop of ink into a plastic cup. Let the ink dry. Dip the very tip of your brush into alcohol ink blending solution to reactivate the dried ink. For some reason this works very well when trying to get fine details. The key to fine details is to NOT saturate the brush with ink or blender. Markers can also be used for fine detail. Again a light hand is key here.

When I do my dominoes, I usually go around the sides with a copic marker to give them a finished look. Sometimes if I am doing a blowing technique, I will just let the ink run over the sides and let it be part of the design of the pendant.

Now here is where it gets a little tricky. From the voice of experience, make sure you seal your art before you attempt to resin. If the ink is not sealed prior, the resin will absorb the ink. If any color stays at all it is a muddy mess.  It will feel like someone popped your favorite balloon. Yes this happened to me. Yep I felt like facepalming myself!

This is what happens when resin is poured over ink not sealed....(also when it gets stuck to the table).

Once the design is finished, take the domino pendants outside and spray 2-3 coats of a clear protective sealant. I use Rustoleum Clear Enamel. Sealants are constantly evolving for alcohol ink artists. Everyone has their favorite. I love this one. Some people love Kamar or Krylon. It really is up to you to experiment with the sealant of your choice. My recommendation would be to play with some different sealants. Paint some designs you don't mind losing on ceramic tiles and experiment with the sealants. Use the one that works out  the best. After spraying the sealant, cover the dominoes with a box top or one of those mesh food cover umbrellas to keep dirt, pet hair or flies off of the work. I work a lot outside. Flies are the devil and can mess up a beautiful piece of work just by landing on it.

Follow the directions on the sealant for drying times between coats. Let sit over-night before applying resin.

Now, make sure the pendants are on a perfectly flat surface. If it is off by just a little bit, the resin will end up thicker on some parts of the pendant than others.

Ready to Resin

Mix the resin according to the directions that come in the box. It is very important to follow specific brand directions. 

Here are the directions for the Crystal Resin Gedeo from Pebeo:

1) Make sure your work surface is leveled.
2) In a dry and clean recipient begin by pouring 1 dose of Crystal Hardener B followed by 2 doses of Crystal Resin A
3) Mix well the two components all the way to the corners of the recipient (incomplete mixing does not guarantee the hardening, mixing too strongly can create the appearance of bubbles). Transfer the mixture into a second recipient and mix again to ensure homogeneity of the resin and optimum hardening.
4) Pour onto the surface of your choice
5) Let dry 24 hours away from dust. Hardening is progressive and varies according to the room temperature.

*Newbie tips: do not mix vigorously. This will cause air bubbles and they are a you -know- what to get out. A torch is not needed with this resin. Mix slow to avoid air bubbles. If air bubbles happen, let sit about 5 minutes so they can rise to the top of container.

Resin will not be completely clear until it is mixed all the way. When properly mixed, the resin will resemble thick water. If it is still cloudy, slowly mix a little bit longer.

Put dominoes on top of a silicon baking mat if one is at hand. The dried resin will peel right off and you will not have to worry about losing a good piece of art if it sticks to the table. With bigger pieces, use tarps underneath or lift them up by placing plastic cups underneath.  I actually stuck a coaster right to my working table top. My husband was able to remove it with a screwdriver and hammer but no one really wants to experience that.

Instead of "pouring" the resin, drip it right off of the mixing stick in small drops in the middle of the pendant. Work from the middle to the edges and smooth the resin to the corners.

Work slowly. Eyeball the domino at table level to see if  the entire piece is covered. Work slowly to avoid spill over on the sides.

Resin is on. 

Look close at the picture above. A few uneven spot show. While the resin is wet fix the uneven spots. 

Once the pieces are covered with the resin, place a box top or other covering over the top to protect from the before mentioned dust particles or pet hair. Let it dry for 24 hours before removing the
covering. Obviously make sure the covering is not touching the pendants.

Now you are ready to make some beautiful necklaces! Get out the jewelry supplies here.

I like to choose bails with some type of ridge or depression in them. The ridge/depression goes against the pendant and helps to hold the glue better. Today I have chosen these cute little flower bails. Bails come in all shapes and sizes. You can even make your own if you are good at wire wrapping. (that will be a different tutorial)

Apply a small amount of E6000 glue to the ridge side of the bail. Be careful if opening a new tube of the glue. It will come out of there like gang busters and get everywhere if squeezed too hard.

Place bail flat against the back of pendant. E6000 dries fairly quickly and should be completely set in about a half an hour or sooner.

Once the bail is secure to the back of the pendant, attach pendant to a ribbon, cord, or chain necklace with a jumpring.

*optional, sign the pendant with name of artist and date on the back. I sign with Faber Castell Pitt Pens and seal with one thin coat of modge podge dimensional magic. How the backs of the pendants  are finished is completely up to you. I have left them in their natural state and also covered with papers or pictures. This is your art. Do with it what you will.

Viola! Done. Now you are the proud owner of something gorgeous and one of a kind made by you!

These take some time to do properly but once experimenting is done and a groove is found, gorgeous wearable art is really easy to make.

To see more of my artwork or keep track of art show or new projects I am in, please follow me on Facebook here.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog.

**A few questions that keep popping up...

Do you resin the sides? 
No. I do not resin the sides. The sides are covered with the sealant spray. I only want the fronts glossy for the purposes of my pendants.

Where do you get the ribbon/cord necklaces/bails? 
I order my supplies directly from the manufacturers. I put in big bulk orders for these items. However, if you cannot afford to do that, I can always order for you or you can find tons of great sellers on Etsy who sell these items.

One great shop for supplies is:

Supply in Style

https://www.etsy.com/shop/supplyinstyle?page=30


Where do you buy your ink?

I buy my Tim Holtz Adirondack ink directly from the manufacturer. If you would like me to order ink for you I can order any color they carry. My prices are $2.75 a bottle plus shipping and handling. I cannot ship the ink overseas so this is for US only.

I buy my markers from Ebay/Michaels/Dick Blicks/JoAnns and Hobby Lobby. Most often with coupons.

Domino tiles were bought from Walmart, The Dollar Tree and KMart.

Review Propresser Garlic Press

So recently I became a reviewer of products on Amazon.com. Sometimes I review not so great things, sometimes I review awesome items. 

This my friends is probably my favorite by far of any item I have ever reviewed. Let me tell you why.

Right out of the box it was just beautiful. The design and stainless steel finish make this a utensil that looks straight out of a professional kitchen. 

Ease of use was just a breeze. My smallish hands can use this press with no problem. You take your clove of garlic, peel it, pop it into the press (after you open it of course), and then squeeze. The garlic comes right out of the bottom of the press. Easy Peasy. 

Clean up is also a breeze. All you *have* to do is flip up the basket and run it under a faucet with a bit of soap and water. Then it is all done. Now I did put mine in the dishwasher and it turned out just fine. 

My husband and I cook a lot of food from scratch and this is going to be a great addition to our cooking utensils. 

Garlic has numerous health benefits. It is my firm belief it should be included in at least one meal a day. Now granted, my husband would kill me with garlic if he could. He loves that stuff. I am more of a light touch but we both agree this press will be used quite a bit. 

To find out more about this awesome Propresser Garlic Press click here.

I give this product 10 stars.. not 5. Nope 5 is just not enough. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review Almost Perfect Ebook Download

I am a judge a book by it's cover kind of girl so I was originally attracted to this new Ebook by the wonderful cover art. 

The story centers around the mysterious murder of a young lawyer in post WWII era. Three women are all connected to the young man in some way. Through the twists and turns secrets are revealed and each woman has to deal with her new reality. 

This is a murder mystery book with plenty of twists and turns with enough secondary story lines to keep everything interesting while still managing to be a light read. 

I would highly recommend this book if you are traveling or need something to do for a few hours. I am a very fast reader and had the book read in one day. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Cassani Fogless Shower Mirror Review

Recently, I received a Cassani Fogless Shower Mirror in exchange for an honest review. I have to admit, I was completely skeptical at first about whether or not this mirror would work. I had bought shower mirrors for my husband before but they always seemed to fog up anyway so what is the point right?

Well I am happy to report the Cassani Fogless Shower Mirror did exactly what it claimed to do. When we got the box, it included the mirror, the hanger and a hanger for my husband's raizor. The instructions were clear cut and easy to understand.

I hung the mirror before we went to bed and by the time my husband was getting ready for work in the morning the sticky on the mirror hanger worked fine. The only issue we had was completely caused by myself. My husband being a very tall gentleman and I being on the shorter side, I hung the mirror too low. We were not sure if we could adjust the hanger or not so my husband turned the mirror upside down and it worked just fine. It actually sat great upside down with the hook holding it up.

The shower length was about 15-20 minutes and the mirror did not fog up. I have to say my husband is one for taking very hot showers so this is a plus. As a wife who hates cleaning whiskers out of the sink after he shaves, I give this product 5 stars. Anything that saves me extra work is great in my book!

On another note, being able to shave in the shower provides a closer shave due to the steam helping your skin to be softer when you shave. This is something I have recently learned. Also ladies, there is something sexy about watching your husband shave in the shower, knowing you do not have to clean that mess up when he goes to work. =)


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Couponing, The Stress, The Work, The Exhilaration!

For the past three weeks I have been doing an experiment here in the Walker household. Desperately needing to find a way to help my family save money, I stumbled upon TLC's Extreme Couponing show. Now, obviously my first reaction was, these chicks are nuts. No one can do that. My stores don't let you have coupons like that. I don't need 800 cans of dog food. Wait... or do I? Yes... I kind of do.

I am the mom of 6 (5 actively in my house) children, 2 dogs and the wife of a man who thankfully has a love for the food I cook. Where has couponing been all of my life? They don't call them starving artists for nothing. When I am not doing a show or actively selling my art or beads online, times can get a little rough around here. My husband has a great job but these days it really does take two incomes or some really fancy footwork in regards to shuffling bills in order to make ends meet. Having a family is not cheap.

Everyday we hear about amusement parks raising prices, gas prices are skyrocketing, even dairy products are more expensive. How is a household supposed to get the things they need to just get by, let alone get to do something as a family?

Well my fellow couponing newbies, let me show you the way.. so far as I understand it.

First let me say I have not yet gone to the store and had a huge coupon haul and paid nothing or only $5.00 for $700 worth of groceries. I am still learning and hopefully will get there someday. I may faint from excitement if that day comes.

Second let me just give the disclaimer that you really will have to do a lot of work and research for this to work for you. Not everyone has that kind of time on their hands. However, if you desperately need to save money for your family I am starting you on a way to do it. It is my firm belief that the United States needs to implement a program for people in need. There should be free classes mandatory on how to coupon and save money at the store if you apply for help. I was there once. We needed help and I had no idea there were ways to save money like this.

Let's start with gathering supplies. You will need:

1. A binder. You can start with a 1 inch but if you really get rocking with couponing you will need a 3 inch binder.
2. Coupon insert pockets like the ones you can get for baseball cards. Some Walmarts actually sell ones for couponing with different sizes in the package. You can also google or Amazon for these.
3. Binder dividers. You will want to label your sections for ease of flipping right to what you need at the store.
4. a note book
5. a calculator (unless you are a math whiz)
6. scissors or a handy scrap book paper cutter. I love the cutters myself. They make life easier. 
7. Subscription to the local newspaper. 

This is my binder.. be gentle with me (it is only 3 weeks old)

Next you will need to either visit your favorite stores and ask about their coupon policies or google the coupon policies. For instance, quick go Google search "Walmart Coupon Policy". Then come right back. It will take you right to the policy. It is my humble advice for you to print out the coupon policies when applicable. Sometimes, you will get the associate who is not really sure. Having the policy in print will someday save you time and frustration. 

The secret to successful couponing is to know what is actually on sale. Use your coupons on items that are on sale, preferably at stores that will double coupons. My local Fry's grocery store does not double coupons. What they will do is if you have a manufacturer's coupon that is under $1.00 they will bump the worth up to the $1 limit. So if you have a .50 cent coupon for something like Suave shampoo your coupon will automatically bump up to $1.00. If that Suave happens to be on sale for $1.00, which is frequent for this brand, you will get that item free! 

Ad match, ad match, ad match. How many of us have gotten stuck behind the crazy coupon lady at the store? She has her fliers and her coupons and she is ad matching every thing in her cart. Makes us mad to get stuck behind her huh? Guess what? That woman is not giving a diddly squat while she is saving 70% off and we are paying full price because we are too impatient to ad match or coupon. She is laughing all the way to the bank as she should be. If you do not know if a store ad matches, ask them! Most do even if they do not advertise it. 

Don't be fooled by crappyyyyyyy coupons!!! If you have a .25 cent off coupon on something you have to buy 4 of to get that coupon, it may not be worth it. Do not be fooled. If you will never ever use that item and the only reason you thought to buy with it was because you have a coupon, that sucker better give you a great deal on something else. Do not waste time with worthless coupons. This is where your research will come in. 

Don't ignore stores you have never shopped at before. Target, Walgreens, CVS, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree all take coupons. Yes that's right. The Dollar Tree where everything is already $1.00 will take coupons. They won't double them and they have to be for the exact item but you can rack up savings here if you know what to look for. Think toothpaste. With Walgreens and CVS some of your best savings will come from their rewards programs. Take time to familiarize yourself with these programs. 

If you have a favorite brand, do not be afraid to write the company to see if they have coupons available. You can find a "contact us" button on almost every brand website. Tell them why you love their product. Tell them what you would like to see more of. Companies love customer feedback especially when it is constructive. 

Now let me show you a few of my recent receipts. These are all within the past 3 weeks. For my groceries/cleaning supplies/personal care we have spent in three weeks only $335.87 (around 112 a week).Before the last 3 weeks our average grocery bill was $4-500 per week. We spent around 2k a month for groceries trying to feed a family of 7, two dogs and any neighborhood friends that show up. 

I have not saved less than 60% for the last 3 weeks on groceries. I buy manager specials on meat and shop at the local farmers market for produce. I will do a series on how to buy your produce cheaper and how to save money on meat in a different post. I am afraid you would get bored with this one if I go on and on. 

One more picture. This was a just for fun trip to my local Ulta Cosmetics store with my 15 year old daughter. With Coupons and a free gift with purchase deal we spent a total of $49.70 and saved a total of $183.00. This was our haul. 

There are many tricks to be able to save money at the stores of your choice. You can even pay a coupon clipping service to cut your coupons for you. To find out more about these Google Coupon Clipping Service. While you are at it look up some shopping list sites. There is tons of information just waiting to be discovered. I will address some more ways to save in further blog posts. Stay tuned! You can learn with me. I am sure there are things I have never even thought about yet! 

DermOrganic Soapless Facial Cleanser

Today I thought I would step out of the world of art and give a review on this awesome new product I received in the mail this week. Artists have to take care of beauty needs too my friends! 

Last week I stumbled upon a company called DermOrganic. I have never tried organic beauty products before. I have been experiencing a few break-outs and other things no 36 year old should have to go through. So I contacted the company to ask them what makes organic better? Did they have a product that would be good for the issues I was currently experiencing?

Almost immediately I heard back from a fantastic lady named Brittany. She explained to me DermOrganic's products were vegan, did not conduct testing on animals, are oil and fragrance free, paraben free with no artificial  preservatives, sulfate and gluten free, no sodium chloride, salt, MEA, DEA, or dyes, and the are pH Balanced.

Brittany went on to say a lot of people who experience break outs do very well with organic products because they do not have extra added junk to irritate the skin. She offered to send me a few samples to see what might work best for my skin type.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the mailbox to find these awesome samples waiting for me. Yes these are the actual sizes received. Right away I was very impressed they sent me enough to actually try instead of a drop or two.

The first item I tried right away was the Hand & Body Moisture lotion. I rubbed this on my elbows since that is where I need the most help. Leaning into my paintings has left me with alligator elbows and this is just not sexy. I have now been using this product for two days and I can already tell an immediate difference. My elbows are starting to get their softness back and I am happy the product was not tested on animals.

So now we come to the absolute star of the show. Ladies and gentlemen I have to absolutely RAVE about the soapless facial cleanser. I was a bit skeptical before I started using this cleanser. I love getting that tight tingly feeling after I was my face, but hate that soap strips away the natural healthy oils from my face.
DermOrganic has made my whole week with this product. To use it, simply apply to face with warm water and wash in circular motions, rinse and feel that wonderful clean feeling. I experienced the clean tight feeling but my skin stayed soft, it did not instantly dry out prompting my pores to overstimulate and produce too much oil. I do believe this is my absolute favorite product sent in this sampler. My face is already a bit softer and I do not feel that I am putting harsh chemicals on my body when I use this product.

I have not yet tried the other products in my package. I am so impressed with what I have tried, I will be purchasing full sized bottles of all of the skin care products. The customer service I experienced through email alone has made me a believer in this company. I would encourage anyone to try DermOrganic.

If you are interested in these products you can buy them here or at your local Ulta Cosmetics store.

Recycled Old Newspapers, Magazines and Scrap Paper into Beautiful Beads

     So here it is. My very first tutorial. I am a great fan of couponing. As a Mom of 6 who doesn't need to save a little money? A grand scale side effect of all that couponing is a mountain of left- over newspaper no one can quite figure out what to do with. Other than using it as drop cloths under my paintings, what else can I use it for? 

Never fear! If you are a crafter or just need a cool project to do with the kids, you can turn your old newspapers into some very unique beads. If you follow the steps here the beads will turn out very durable with an almost hard plastic feel to them. They are water resistant but I would not advise submerging in water for an extended period of time. 

To get started lets gather some supplies. 

1. Newspaper, old magazines, scrap paper
2. Glue of some sort. I prefer the glue pen from Close to My Heart or Modge Podge but I have done these with elmers in a pinch and it works fine. Elmers tends to get a bit sticky fast and can sometimes be a little "filmy" so you have to work fast with it. 
3. a slim rod/wooden dowel or paper quiller to wrap beads around. You can use different sizes for a different hole size. The metal rods I use are called "mandrels". You can get these at any lamp work bead supply store. They are typically really cheap. Wooden dowels work fine and can be found at any crafting store such as Michaels, Hobby Lobby or JoAnns. 
4. paper cutter (or scissors), a ruler if you are a stickler for exact sizes. 
5. a finishing "glaze". I used Modge Podge dimensional magic or Close to My Heart Liquid Glass. 
6. a paint brush to spread the "glaze"

To begin, you need to first cut the bead shape out of the paper. If you are a stickler for having all the same size beads, I advise using a ruler to mark off equal tick marks for cutting guidelines. I however, love the different shapes I can get out of the paper so I do not overly worry about doing this. 

Next comes the fun part. When I cut my favorite bead shape, I cut at an angle and make a long triangle. Remember, the longer the paper, or the thicker the paper (i e cardstock), the fatter your bead will be. 

Next you want to position your mandrel or dowel at the beginning of the paper on the fat end. ( pic 1) You will want to roll the paper a few rolls before applying glue (pic 2). If you apply glue too soon, the paper will stick to your roller and you will rip your bead. Once you have a good start, apply the glue and finish rolling your bead to the end. I always put a little drop of glue at the tip to secure the roll of the bead. 

This is the glue I use:

Once your bead is rolled up, it should look something like the following picture. Please note here, newspaper is extremely thin, for a fatter skinnier bead you will need to cut longer, skinnier strips (or use thicker paper). This is just to get you started on the general idea. For some great patterns, google "paper bead patterns".

For a more cylindrical bead cut straight strips and roll them up. 

Once you are done rolling your beads, apply a thin coat of "glaze" I used Modge Podge dimensional magic for these beads. The more coats you put on the harder the bead becomes. Allow time to dry between coats. 

There you have how to roll paper beads. Now they do come in all shapes and sizes. This is just the easiest one for me to teach in a tutorial. Below are some pictures of beads I have had fabulous luck selling. You can add anything you want to your beads. Acrylic paint takes very well and looks great under the modge podge. You can even 

add glitter or special textures to your beads. 

Have fun! Please let me know if you have any questions!