Back Issues Project Playbench Articles

Heart Lights (Volume 7, Issue 2)
Vision Maps (Volume 7, Issue 1)
Recycled Garden (Volume 5, Issue 2)
Kitchen Kitsch (Volume 4, Issue 1)
Fountains (Volume 3, Issue 2)
Dream Books (Volume 3, Issue 1)
Kaleidoscopes (Volume 2, Issue 1)
Beach Preserves (Volume 1, Issue 1)

Heart Lights

A little bit of tissue paper can turn an ordinary glass votive cup into a shimmering mosaic of light and color. I call them heart lights because I light one as an opening ritual when I follow my heart’s desire to write fiction. You can use yours as a way to honor your heart’s desires or simply as a fun, colorful candle holder.

Here’s what you need to make your heart light:

• 6" squares of tissue paper in 3 to 5 different colors
• glass votive cup and candle
• Mod-Podge (water base glue and sealer)
• 1" foam brush
• Party confetti in heart or other shapes (optional)

Step 1. Begin by tearing the tissue paper into irregular shapes no more than 1" long and 1/2" wide.

Step 2. Brush Mod-Podge on about a quarter of the outside of the votive cup. Press the tissue paper pieces onto the glass, alternating the colors and shapes to give a mosaic look you like. Use the foam brush to soak the tissue paper with Mod-Podge. Don't worry about the cloudy appearance; the Mod-Podge will dry clear and shiny.

Step 3. Continue coating the glass, adding the tissue paper and more Mod-Podge until the entire cup is covered.

Step 4. If you wish, you can wet the entire cup again with Mod-Podge and sprinkle confetti on it.

Step 5. When the Mod-Podge is dry, add a lighted candle and enjoy the dance of shimmering color.

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Vision Maps

When you set out on a journey, it helps to know where you’re going. In physical space, you need a road map. In liminal space, you need a Vision Map – a collage of your dreams, hopes and intentions. Your Vision Map will reveal and combine your ego desires with your spirit’s higher vision. It will remind you of your intention and give you a meaningful answer when you ask "Why am I doing this?". It’s also just plain fun to make.<

1. Gather images and words that represent your vision of where you’d like to go and who you want to be. Look at magazines, catalogs, greeting cards, stock photo books (available at ArtScraps in St. Paul), etc. Stay open during the search – you probably won’t know what you’re looking for before you start.

2. Select a 20 x 30" piece of foam board (available at art supply stores; Dick Blick has the best color selection).

3. Arrange the images and words on the board and glue on.

4. Place your Vision Map where you will see it often.

A collage is a powerful union of words and images that balance left- and right-brain thinking into a whole brain effort. (For more information: The Alphabet vs. The Goddess is a fascinating look at the split between word and image; Chapter 12 of Dancing in the Dragon’s Den discusses how different modes of thinking influence the creative process.)

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Recycled Garden

When I visit, my mom seizes every opportunity to clear stuff out of her attic, basement and garage. This spring Claudia and I ended up bringing home, among other things, some old tin wash tubs and watering cans. The wash tubs became home to strawberries and a herb garden on a cement slap that couldn’t otherwise hold a garden. The watering cans decorate our porch with purple petunias. When it gets cold, the watering cans will come inside. Seeing seeds sprout in January is a great winter tonic!

The essence of creativity is seeing extraordinary possibilities in ordinary things. With a few easy steps, you can create beautiful new mini-gardens from the junk cluttering your storage spaces.

Step 1: Wander through the places that collect "junk." As you wander, wonder, "How could I make a garden out of this?"

Step 2: Clean your finds. Be sure to (safely) get rid of motor oil or other toxins, especially from stuff you find in the garage.

Step 3: Paint your new garden containers. Or give yourself permission to destroy, a necessary part of the creative process, and try mosaic, smashing clay pots and old dishes to decorate with the pieces. Or leave your find as is, and relish the simple look.

Step 4: Prepare for planting. Put rocks in the bottom for drainage and use good soil. We discovered that the tin tubs also needed several nail holes pounded at the dirt line for extra drainage.

Step 5: Plant, water and enjoy your recycled garden!

Kitchen Kitsch

This project comes from an inspiration Claudia, my roommate, had when she looked at a clock with a clear glass face and said, "That needs rhinestones, beads and baubles." After she beaded the clock, she looked at a switch plate nearby and said "More beads, more baubles!" She was having so much fun, I had to join in. The result is a little kitschy and a lot of fun.Here’s what you can do to transform the boring switch plates in your house with a touch of kitsch:

Step 1. Buy silver or chrome switch plates so you have a shiny background. Or you can spray paint the switch plates you already have.

Step 2. Buy baubles, rhinestones and beads in a variety of different shapes, sizes and colors. Make sure the baubles you select have a flat back to make gluing easier. We used round ones, square ones, faceted rectangles, stars, teardrops, diamonds, and even a few small seashells.

Step 3. Put the switch plate on a table. Place the beads on the switch plate WITHOUT glue to get a feel for how you want to arrange them.

Step 4. Glue the beads in place. We used a hot glue gun at first, but discovered that adhesive made for mosaics is easier to work with.

Step 5. Leave the switch plate flat while the glue dries. Then mount it on the wall again. You’ll smile every time you enter the room.

• A waterproof bowl deep enough to cover the pump with water. There are many stores (with names like Paint Your Plate, China in the Nude, etc.) where you can paint a ceramic bowl and they’ll glaze and fire it for you.
• A barbed plastic Tee joint. I found mine at a garden store.
• About a foot of plastic tubing that is sized to fit your Tee joint, probably about ½ inch diameter.
• About 2 inches of plastic tubing that is sized to fit your pump, probably ¾ inch diameter.
• Rocks or shells or other waterproof objects you will use to hide the pump.<

Step 1. Make sure your bowl is waterproof; it is has a slight leakage problem, use Marine Goop to seal the inside. Treat your rocks and shells with bleach or boil them to make sure they won’t introduce algae to the water and create cleaning problems later.

Step 2.Cut a piece of the narrower tubing 1½ inch long and place over the middle arm of the Tee joint. Slip the tube-covered arm inside one half of the wider tubing. Slip the other end of the wide tube over the pump outlet so that the wide tube is a sleeve connecting the Tee joint and the pump.

Step 3. Put your pump in the bottom of the bowl and arrange rocks or shells to hide the pump and Tee joint.

Step 4. Cut and attach the rest of the narrow tubing to the Tee joint so that it directs the water to those rocks and shells you want water to fall on.

Step 5. Use filtered or distilled water to fill the bowl so you won’t have to worry about cleaning your fountain.

Step 6. Plug in the pump. Adjust the rocks, shells and tubing to get the effect you want. Relax and enjoy the soothing sounds of running water.

Dream Books

I’ve made so many collages, I’m running out of room for them. So now I make Mini Collages on notebooks. These Dream Books give me a place to play with images of my wishes and dreams and to express my art in a small way.As an unexpected bonus, they are so appealing, I really like using them for morning pages and dream journals.You can make your journaling FUN by personalizing a Dream Book of your own. It’s easy!You’ll need:

• Magazines and catalogs

• Glue-stick

• Wireless notebook

• 1 inch foam paintbrush

• All purpose glue, thinned a little with water (or Mod Podge()

From the magazines and catalogs, gather images that represent your dreams or that you just find appealing. Glue-stick them on the covers of a wireless notebook.Use the foam paintbrush and all-purpose glue thinned with a little water to cover the entire surface with a protective coating.

Violà! You’re a collage artist!

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Kaleidoscopes

I love kaleidoscopes. They offer endless possibilities of color and shapes, like a moving mandala. Here’s how you can make your own kaleidoscope for under $10. You’ll need:

• Pringles can (minus the chips and cleaned out) with plastic end cap

• Decorative paper 9.25 by 10 inches

• Rubber cement

• .03 inch thick butyrate plastic cut into a 2.75 inch circle

• .015 inch butyrate plastic cut into a 2 inch square

• 8.5 by .5 inch strip of corrugated cardboard

• 3 pieces of mirror 2.25 by 8.25 inches (get your hardware store to cut these and smooth the rough edges)

• 3 strips of duct tape 1 by 8.25 inches

• Objects for viewing (glass beads, trinkets, confetti, feathers, cloth strips, etc.)

Step 1. Decorate the outside of the can with the paper. Be sure to squeeze the air bubbles out.

Step 2. With a Phillips screwdriver or metal punch, hammer an eye hole in the center of the metal end of the can.

Step 3. Drop the 2 inch plastic square inside the can. The mirrors will hold it in place so that it will protect your eye from any objects that might become loose inside.

Step 4. Lay the mirrors flat, shiny side down, with about a quarter inch gap between their long sides. Use two pieces of duct tape to tape them together. Pick the mirrors up and make a triangle out of them, shiny sides in and the angles as equal as possible. Use the third piece of tape to tape the mirror assembly together.

Step 5. Put the mirror assembly in the can.

Step 6. Put the butyrate circle on top of the mirror assembly.

Step 7. Roll the cardboard strip into a circle and place on top of the butyrate, keeping it as close to the inside of the can as possible. Have the ends butt together, but not overlap.

Step 8. Add objects and seal with plastic end cap. Experiment with different combination of objects and Enjoy!

Beach Preserves

Children of all ages love to collect shiny rocks and shells. But when the water is left behind and the rocks lose their shimmer, the treasures that delighted us so on the shore lose their power to remind us of the relaxing hours we spent finding them. Luckily, there is a way to preserve those beach memories. With a common Mason jar and a few simple instructions, you can "put up" your own "beach preserves."

Step 1. Gather rocks and shells in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors.

Step 2. Fill a Mason jar with a layer of sand or small gravel. Place a few of the larger rocks or shells in next. Wedge small pieces of driftwood in strategic spots, then add the smaller treasures. Add enough local water to fill the jar completely. Screw the metal lid on tightly and wrap the jar in a towel to prevent breakage on the way home.

Step 3. Using a kettle that holds enough water to cover the lower three-fourths of the jars, heat until the water boils. Then simmer for about fifteen minutes. This "cooking" kills any algae that would discolor the inside of your jar. You'll know your beach preserves are done when the bubble on the lid sinks in.

Step 4. Most Mason jars have a two-part metal lid. You can loosen the outer ring and slip a circle cut to size from a postcard or photo as a reminder of where this particular jar of beach preserves came from.On your next trip to the beach, bring along enough Mason jars so that everyone can enjoy this relaxing project.

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