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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

i ♥ cardboard rolls!

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If there is one thing I have learned by spending a good part of my life creating on a limited budget- it's that you can always use something- ANYTHING to make art and you don't need lots of money or fancy supplies. My favorite place to go "shopping" is in the trash or the recycling bin and I have a bit of an obsession with cardboard rolls. There a so many different ways to use them when working with painted surfaces- here are a few of my favorites.


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I ALWAYS have a paper towel towel roll on hand when I am painting lots of layers. I love dipping it in paint and using it as a stamp- it is a really quick and easy way to add circles to your surface.


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You can even bend or manipulate the cardboard into simple shapes.


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I tend to work fast so I enjoy applying a layer of texture or pattern in my mixed media surfaces quickly. Inspired by my own creation a while back (see here) I have started using my cardboard rolls to roll on my texture and pattern. I cover the surface with all kinds of everyday things. Bubble wrap makes for great polka dots!

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Wrapping string, twine, yarn or just about any fiber is another great way to roll texture onto your surface.


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Use scrunched up saran wrap to wrap around a roll, cover in paint and roll onto your surface.



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Or tightly wrap saran wrap around the cardboard roll and then paint designs all over it. While the paint is still wet, roll it onto your surface.

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Use 3-D paint to cover the surface of the cardboard roll with designs and while the paint is wet roll it across your surface.

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43 comments:

  1. Great ideas, I'll have to try some. I keep saying my rolls just in case I might need them for something.

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  2. I love everything that you make and the tricks you doing are very nice. Have a nice afternoon!

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  3. very creative ideas to do from the throw away cardboard box,Alisha!

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  4. you are a genius!

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  5. Great ideas! The wrapped twine creates a nice design! You can also use hot glue to create a design on the role, let it dry, paint and roll!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Love these ideas xx

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  7. Great ideas!! I love all the different textures. And...the price is right!

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  8. I just love it!
    Can put this tutorial on my blog in post "What I loved in this month?" Of course I'll link it back here :)
    Love this creative idea!

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  9. Anonymous6:18 AM

    ça me fait penser à une phrase de Picasso: " fais tout avec rien sinon tu ne feras rien du tout" !!

    Alisa you're great , I love your work
    see U on your blog

    Corinne from France

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  10. those are great ideas. i love that you keep it real and cheap but explore each idea!

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  11. Love these ideas! I've used the end as a stamp and etching "tool" but didn't think to wrap stuff around it -fantastic! Thank you!

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  12. ditto - love love your economical easy practical ideas -- wish you lived closer so I could take a workshop from you in person -- you are such an inspiration to me --

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  13. Love your ideas! I've been wanting to try bubble wrap "stamping" for a while now. I just might give it a try tonight!
    Thanks for the inspiration and great ideas!

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  14. DonnaL7:49 AM

    Simply brilliant!

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  15. OH YEAH BABY...you are on a roll! (:-) One other idea to throw in...use tar gel to create loose intuitive design on the roll, and then apply paint. Plus the tar gel lasts for repeated uses.

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  16. Wonderful inspiration to stay inside and create on this HOT, HOT day! Thanks so much for sharing these ideas.

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  17. WOWW. Simply amazing patterns out of the simplest objects. LOVE it. Just the other day I was so inspired by your very yellow flats and I created journal pages out of it!. SO INSPIRING!. Loving your art ever more now :)).

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  18. How creative!!! That is such a simple way to create unique designs! Perfect for arts and crafts time with my niece :)

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  19. Very cool Alisa - always a breath of fresh air visiting you! And I totally agree that you can make art with just about anything. Awhile back I made a small series of mixed media pieces on the cardboard inserts that came w/ my art supplies :> Have a great week, xo

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  20. Thanks so much for sharing these great ideas! Just when I needed them too! ♥

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  21. As always Alisa, you are a treasure trove of cool creative ideas! Thanks for sharing your brain!

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  22. You are such a fabulous inspiration :-)

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  23. So simple, but brilliant. Thanks for sharing!

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  24. some fantastic tips here ...thank you :)

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  25. astounded, delighted, & inspired! :D

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  26. I save all my paper towel rolls not knowing what I was going to do with them......now I know!! Great ideas.

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  27. Oh my .... I just love EVERYTHING you do. These are soo cool. I am kind of getting to be a pack rat just to do things like this. I so wanted to take your class in Irvine ... but my husband had to have surgery. I just love your style.

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  28. love love love everything you do

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  29. So simple and so cute! Love the bubble wrap one. I´ll try it out this weekend!

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  30. This was EXACTLY the inspiration I was looking for! THANK YOU!

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  31. Anonymous12:20 AM

    Awesome <3

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  32. So inspiring!! Thanks so much for posting - who knew? I love that it won't cost me a thing - just a trip through my kitchen and the recycle bin:) Love your stuff, have a Blessed week.

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  33. This is so great!!! Thanks for sharing – very inspiring…now I want to experiment!

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  34. L-O-V-E the bubble wrap idea! I could see an entire canvas of just multi colored polka dots hanging above my couch. Delightful!

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  35. Wonderful idea :) Thank you for sharing it.

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  36. All such awesome ideas! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  37. Anonymous4:17 AM

    Thanks a lot for sharing these beautiful pieces os art with all of us.
    You are a very sharing person - that's something beautiful about you.

    http://timebite.blogspot.com

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  38. That’s an interesting use of cardboard rolls. I particularly like the one where you used the saran wrap and 3-D paint, though the one with the strings look great as well. Though the one with the bubble wrap might tend to look limited, since you’ll mostly get polka-dot patterns with those, and you’re mostly limited to just changing colors.

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  39. whyducks4:49 AM

    Very cool

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