Alphonse Mucha Pocketbook Mirrors by Deirdre

Begin with your favorite Alphonse Mucha pictures. This project uses the four precious gem paintings by Mucha entitled Topaz, Ruby, Amethyst, and Emerald. The pictures have to be printed on regular printer paper at a 1 inch by 2 inch size.

Start with the Mucha Topaz picture, cut it out, rounding the corners, and make sure it fits the blank side of a new domino. Cover the backside of the picture with glue (Aleene’s Instant Decoupage) and carefully press the picture into position on the blank side of the domino. Edge the domino with gold paint pen (Elmer’s Metallic painters ) Then spray with a few layers of fixative (Krylon) then a few layers of sealant ( Krylon) Let the domino dry overnight.

Take another brand new domino straight from the box and use a yellow sharpie marker to cover the entire blank side. Let that dry for a minute then add a second layer of yellow, but before that layer dries, blot and twist a tissue all over the surface to create a pretty mottled look. Heat set with a heat gun, then use Black Ink (StazOn) and alphabet stamps to write the word TOPAZ on the yellow domino. Edge the domino in gold paint pen. Then coat with a few layers of art fixative (Krylon) and then a few layers of sealant (Krylon). Let the domino dry overnight.

Mirrors that fit the inside dimensions of a domino can be found at local craft stores or online (http://www.craftking.com/crafthtml/mirrors.htm) Glue a mirror (E500) to the center of the inside of the yellow domino, let dry for at least an hour.

Place the domino with the Mucha picture on top of the mirrored domino and secure them together with 2 rubber bands, one at the very top, the other at the bottom.  You should have the Mucha picture on top, the mirror in the middle and the yellow domino on the bottom. Turn the dominos to the side and glue (E500) a small hinge ( local hardware store) to the center of the two dominos. Let that dry and then turn the dominos over and glue a small clasp (local hardware store) into place, centered on the two dominos. Leave the rubber bands in place on the domino overnight so the dominos stay in the correct position while the glue dries.

The next morning remove the rubber bands and the pocketbook mirror is done; now you can get started on the other 3 in the collection!

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Mucha Art Nouveau Decorative Hanging Art featuring Square Dominoes by Bean

To create one of the projects slightly roughen up the surface of 2 square dominoes with an emery board and wipe off any residue with a damp cloth.  I taped tissue paper to an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of printing paper and ‘googled’ a website with Mucha art prints. Finding one I liked with no copyright I then saved the picture to my computer and printed it onto the tissue.

Cut the tissue so that you do not lose too much of the image, and line it up on the domino. Using Elmer’s white glue, spread lightly with a wet finger over the top and sides of domino. Carefully lay tissue onto front of domino, and again with a wet finger, rub it smooth and over onto edges. Rub lightly as the tissue will tear easily. Repeat the process with the other half of the image & second domino so you have a top and bottom. Let dry.

TIP: If the tissue does tear a small amount, all is not lost. It does give a very vintage look to the image and you can enhance this by dabbing very small amounts of walnut ink on with a finger randomly to antique.

Using double sided tacky tape, run it around all four sides of the domino.

Dip the taped dominoes into ArtAccentz mini beads and press firmly with a finger to set.  If you are going to use Diamond Glaze as I did for a finish, now is the time as you will want your charms or other ephemera to sit above the glaze.

Add assorted charms, ribbon and jewels to accent your piece. You can do this while the Diamond glaze is drying as it also acts as an adhesive.  On one of mine I even stamped the words ‘reminisce’ on a grubbied piece of twill tape. I also used a ribbon charm and a thin piece of ribbon, which I quite liked. Once the piece is thoroughly dry, cut a 1/2” ribbon approx. 12” - 14” long and fold in half leaving enough of a loop to thread a chopstick or dowel through at the top. Attach with adhesive to the back of your dominos, leaving a 1/4” – 1/2” gap between the pieces. Trim the bottom of the ribbon in a style you prefer.

Voila! A Lovely mini wall hanging which can be hung by a tack or run a dowel/chopstick through the loop in the ribbon.

D’Art Nouveau Formica Key Ring and Domino Necklace by Karen Bourke

Take a sample piece of Formica and drill a hole centre top.  If it has a serial number stamped on the front gently sandpaper off.  Take some alcohol inks, in this case Eggplant, Stream and Gold Mixative, and decorate the Formica until you are happy with the shading.  In this case I made sure there was eggplant and stream in the shape of the dragonfly that I was going to stamp onto the Formica later.

Take a domino and use the alcohol inks to colour it.  Take your rubber stamp – here they were both stamps I made myself (one large and one small to fit the domino), ink it up with clear embossing ink and stamp centrally over the Formica.  Pour black embossing powder over and heat set.   Do the same to the domino.  Take Glossy Accents and outline the body of the dragonfly on the Formica and then fill in.  Do the same with the domino.  Carefully pour accent beads over the Glossy Accents.  On two opposite sides of the Formica and the domino trace a pattern with the Glossy Accents and cover with accent beads.  Set aside to dry.

Glue a necklace bale to the domino and thread it through a leather thong and then thread beads of your choice onto the thong to complete the necklace.

Attach fibres and your keys through the central hole in your Formica to complete your key ring.

Click here for a larger view of this project.

La Vie en Rose – Art Nouveau Domino Bookmark by Lis Whiting

The Bookmark Base: Cut gold glossy cardstock [The Paper Cut] to 2-3/4 x 6-7/8.  Cut Blue/gold Stardream cardstock  to 2-1/4 x 6-3/4.  Cut moss green cardstock [Bazzill] to 2 x 6-1/2.  Layer the blue/gold Stardream cardstock onto the gold glossy cardstock starting in the lower right hand corner edge of the gold.  The corners of both pieces should line up here.  This atypical mat helps with the feel of Art Nouveau.

Creating the Image: Select an Art Nouveau-themed rubber stamp [Celestial Lady by Judikins used here.]  Stamp the image on the plain, non-patterned side of the moss cardstock.  Stamp toward the lower end so that there is room for the postage cancellation stamp [Paris].  Stamp using a small flower stamp [Rubberstamp Tapestry] randomly around the figure.

The Tiles: Rubber stamp the head and feet on two Ma Jong tiles using StazOn Black [Tsukiniko]. Color the tiles using Twinkling H2O’s [LuminArte] in Cinnamon Stick (for skin), Mustard Green (dress), Blue Flame and Copper Penny.  When using the H2O’s, make sure that you use a slightly thicker mixture so that the colors are really vibrant. Use a fine tipped brush, not a waterbrush [NB-38 #2 Silverado by Yasutomo used here.] When finished heat the tiles to dry.  Color dust ochre [Marvy] on outside of the images.  Edge each tile in gold [Pilot]. Heat set the inks.

Attaching the Tiles, Finishing Touches: Use double stick tape to the backs of the two tiles.  Place tiles onto image, making sure to align the tile images with the card image.  Add acrylic jewels in dark blue to the flowers on the lady’s dress.  Add clear jewels around her head on the tile.  Attach the jewels using Aleene’s Thick Designer Tacky Glue. Attach the final piece of the bookmark by adding double stick tape to the back and pressing it onto the base of the book mark, aligning the moss green piece with the upper left corner of the blue cardstock. Attach rosebud to lower tile in lower right hand corner. (This rosebud was done with paperclay and painted with Twinkling H2O’s in Mustard Green.)

Attaching the Ribbon: Using a 1/8 hole punch, punch two holes in the top of the bookmark.  Attach eyelets in moss green.  Thread two lengths of variegated ribbon yarn through one hole in the bookmark from the back.  Pull the ribbon through about 4-5 inches and thread the two lengths through the other hole from the front.  (You should have two loops in the front and four lengths in the back.) Do NOT pull all the way through.  Pull from the back gently and leave about 2-3 inches of ribbon on the front.  Separate the ribbon into two loops.  Take the two loops and tie a single knot.  This is now your bow.  Take the rest of the ribbon (you should have four lengths in the back about 4-5 inches each).  Trim the ribbon to about 4 inches, beveling the ends.  Take another piece of ribbon about 5 inches in length and tie the four pieces of ribbon together about 1-2 inches from the card.  Make a second bow.

Absinthe Mahjong Tile Pin and Matching Altered Tin by Susan Chong

On 1/2 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 inch Glossy White cardstock, make a Polished Stone background using the following colors of Alcohol Inks:  Lettuce, Pesto, Butterscotch and Gold Mixative.  Apply all colors of ink and the Mixative to your applicator or a piece of clean felt.  Pounce onto the cardstock until you achieve the look you desire.  Allow to dry.

Stamp Absinthe image (Frantic Stamper) twice onto the Polished Stone background with Forest Green StazOn ink.  Keep the images close as you will be cutting out only a portion of the image.  Allow to dry.

Pin: Prepare Mahjong tile by edging and distressing with Forest Green StazOn ink.  Allow to dry completely.  Cut out the image of the woman as shown just SLIGHTLY smaller than the Mahjong tile.  Edge the cut out image with Forest Green StazOn ink.  Allow to dry.  Glue image to tile with your favorite craft glue.  After glue has completely dried, use Twinkling H2Os to highlight the woman’s hair (Ginger Peach) and dress.  (Key Lime and Golden Jade)  Allow to dry.  Trim a small section of beaded fringe on satin ribbon in coordinating colors to your image and glue to the back of the Mahjong tile with your favorite craft glue.  Allow to dry.  Affix pinback to back of tile with the same glue.  Allow to dry.

Tin: Using a tin of your choice, cut out the Absinthe image to fit the top.  (A 3-1/2 inch circular tin was used for this project)  Edge the cut our piece with Forest Green StazOn ink.  Allow to dry.  Affix the cut out image to the top of the tin with foam mounting tape.  Using the Twinkling H2Os, highlight the woman’s hair, dress and (in this image) wine in the wineglass.  Allow to dry.  Cut piece of coordinating ribbon, fiber, or trim to fit around the tin.  Affix to the side of the LID of the tin with Terrifically Tacky Tape.  Cut 2 strips of leftover Polished Stone background to fit the side of the BOTTOM of the tin.  Cut to the proper length and affix to the tin with Terrifically Tacky Tape.

"D'Art Nouveau card" by Stephanie Loomis

Trim and round corners of vellum picture (http://www.alteredpages.com)

Run through Xyron sticker maker and adhere to square domino.

Apply gold leafing pen (Krylon) to edges of both domino and picture.

Trace and cut out Wildcard Template # Z017 (Wordsworth) from black cardstock.

Use an Exacto knife to cut window as shown on the template. Edge the window with gold leafing pen.

Edge top and bottom of card with gold leafing pen.

Stamp ART (The Stamping Studio) with Stamp and Stick Glue Pad (Stewart Superior.) Heat as indicated by directions.

Brush Sparkle Gold Pearl Ex powder (Jacquard) over glue. Gently brush away excess.

Glue decorated domino to inside of card so that it shows through the window.

Cut three 5" lengths of 1/4" red ribbon (source unknown.)

Attach ribbon to top of card with a gold brad.