recycling – Gia Aloha

Hello hello! It’s Saturday and I am actually posting this edition of S.M.A.K a week after we actually did this project because I have had a LOT going on and this blog always seems to be the thing to be last priority on my list. I honestly think social media is ruining it for us creatives- I mean who wants to spend more time glued to a screen than they do getting their hands messy with paint? That’s why I love doing art with my kids. Kids just want to make stuff and show people what they made. Is that so hard?

Acrylic paint pouring is usually done on canvases on a bigger scale, but for this project we are making small art pieces on wood rounds with a plan to use them in a R.A.K. project. (More on that later.)

Here is a little background, which I will try to keep as brief as possible about acrylic paint pouring itself. You take acrylic paint of any kind, add pouring medium (there are many brands) and after mixing literally pour from a disposable cup of some kind on to your surface. There are infinite ways to pour, blend, create special effects (like “cells”), and add sparkle! There are no rules really, except that the intent is to NOT manipulate the paint with brushes very much and the result is abstract and process oriented. It is anything goes really- but there are definite techniques and additives that result in specific outcomes. Here is a link to someone who knows hella more than I do. The site is an Amazon affiliate and has a lot of “ads” within the content but there is a lot of good info there.

We are using inexpensive, non-toxic paints from Target and using recycled plastic condiment cups to mix and pour. In my house we save plastic packaging of all kinds- tubs from yogurt, etc. Lots of stuff most people throw away we can re-use in the studio. If you use anything toxic- you would want to wear gloves. You also want to protect from splashes and splatters when doing anything on a larger scale.

Amy Tangerine wrote this blog post about using a kit from American Crafts brand. In the kit, you get pre-mixed colors (paint + pour medium) and things for set up. This is the least expensive brand of pour medium (from Deco Art) if you already have paint and want to mix your own:

So my R.A.K. idea (random act of kindness) is to write little messages on the back of these pieces and have the kids leave them for people to find who might need to have a little pick me up. People have done this with random pieces of art and also with little rocks and I think it’s such a nice idea. What do you think?

-xGia

My top 3 reasons to start a gratitude journal this year:

November is of course known for its association with gratitude because of the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.
#30daysofgratitude is a thing
The Healthy Lifestyle Plan I have been following called “Bright Line Eating” makes keeping a journal-preferably a gratitude journal– mandatory to the program

I found Susan Pierce Thompson’s book “Happy, Thin, and Free” by accident in my library and did her 14 day challenge last year in January. In the first month I dropped 10 pounds and then was able to lower my cholesterol and decrease some chronic pain in my back and legs. So I kept going, and by the summer had lost a total of 25 pounds. Since July, I have been maintaining and holding steady. But I have gradually started to…well Halloween candy. Enough said!

In order to re-zoom and re-boot Dr. Thompson recommends going back to basics -commiting your food choices in advance and writing them down, journaling, weighing and measuring food, and the hardest ones: no sugar or flour AT ALL. These are the so-called bright lines that keep things very black and white and straightforward, reducing the number of decisions your brain is taxed with making every day.

It is hard enough to deal with every other kind of stress and decision, which is the main source of erosion of willpower, Dr. Thompson explains. Further, sugar and flour are not foods they are actually drugs. When removed from the natural, fiber lattice framework they grow in, grains and carbohydrates in the form of any kind of sweetening substance are highly concentrated and highly addictive! Of course, everyone has their drug of choice and not everyone is equally susceptible to every illicit substance– which includes those in processed food.

That is the very quick and dirty summary of the science behind the program. It also explains the rationale for the bright lines and how they restore your brain to its healthy, natural state when it comes to eating behavior, appetite, craving, and physical well being.

So, even though this is not a health or lifestyle blog but a scrapbooking, mixed media, and paper crafts blog I thought it might pique the interest of some of my friends and worth sharing!

One of my favorite mixed media techniques is to collage my backgrounds. I save magazine clippings of fun sayings and pictures which is a great way to also recycle!

Here are some pages I made shown “before the pen.” I used one of the Artsy Traveler’s Notebook Kits in my Etsy shop. I also used some scraps from my stash and some Tim Holtz distress oxide inks.

You can pick up the exclusive Clique Kits Travelers Notebook Insert that I designed last November here in the Clique Kits shop while supplies last- on sale for only $2.99.

Use my code GIA15 FOR AN ADDITIONAL 15% OFF YOUR PURCHASE!

-x Gia

Tag: recycling

S.M.A.K: Acrylic Paint Pouring

What’s on my desk Wednesday: Gratitude Journaling 2018