May 2006 - Dawn Houck
"Domino Bracelet"

dlhouck@hotmail.com
Carbondale, PA

(Click on picture for instructions)

How long have you been stamping?
About 5 years now. I went to North Carolina to visit my best friend during my birthday and as my gift she had booked a double class at The Enchanted Cottage, her local stamping store. I had no interest what so ever but went along with her to be gracious. We walked into this store and my mouth dropped. To this day I have not seen a store with so many different stamps and I have been in a lot of stores. If you can't find it there it doesn't exist! The teacher was Carolyn Hearst who is one of the most talented teachers I have ever seen. She made it look so easy, I couldn't believe what I had made and I was hooked. I left the store spending a king's ransom and I return there at least once a year to stock up.

What is your favorite technique?
I love to make my own pigments by mixing Pearl Ex powders with different mediums. One of my favorite mediums is Future Floor Wax. It makes the most lovely luminescent paint.

Favorite stamp company?
Wow, I really don't know! Magenta has always been one of my favorites and I like the older Hero Arts images, but some of our OSA vendors have some of the most beautiful images and there is just not enough time, money or storage space!

Favorite Asian stamps?
I think that OSA's elite vendors have some of the most beautiful Asian images found anywhere.

Favorite stamp accessory?
JudiKins color dusters. I have one for each color.

Favorite colors?
I love jewel tones. Purples, blues

Favorite embellishment to finish a card?
Beads and ribbon

What is the one tool you couldn't live without?
My Xyron machine!

Any helpful tips for the group?
I keep a damp towel on my desk so I can clean my stamps after each use.

As a member of the Oriental Stamp Art Group, why do you like stamping in the Oriental theme?
I think the images are beautiful and invoke serenity and tranquility so I find it very calming when I am stressing..

Is there any one place you'd like to visit to find rubberstamps, supplies or any other Asian elements?
It is my deepest desire to visit Japan and has been since I was very young. I have a dear friend whose mother was Japanese and we hope to go to her mother's birthplace together someday.

What other stamping lists or clubs do you belong to?
RSwCC (RubberStamping with Creative Cards), Hero Artists, A to Z Artists, Artiologique, Rangerinklink,and Stamp Zia

What favorite stamping magazines would you recommend?
My favorites are Somerset Studio and Inspirations. I think that Stampington publications are awesome.

Published in any magazines? If yes, please list.
No, not as of yet. Hopefully, someday.

Any other hobbies, crafts or art interests?
I've always done crafts. When I was a young girl my grandmother taught me how to knit, crochet, and embroider. I taught myself needlepoint, silk ribbon embroidery, and numerous other needle arts. Some of my on-going projects are counted cross stitch (I always have at least one project that I'm working on) and quilting. Appliqué work is my passion. I am currently piecing a quilt of Japanese Lanterns. (When I am finished I will post a picture.) I taught beginner quilting classes at a fabric chain store for a few years. I am also a jewelry designer and collage artist and have a small business named Artistic Obsessions and I do artisan shows to sell my wares and am looking into setting up an E store. Last, but not least, I am a professional cake decorator and gourmet cook. To sum it up I keep busy!!

What inspires you to be creative?
Life in general inspires me, but if I'm ever at a loss I just go to our website and get inspired.

Any art background?
Not formally. My art teacher in high school was very disappointed that I went to beauty school instead of art school.

Have you used any unusual item in your stamping?
Not really but I like to try to stamp on just about anything. I'm always looking for something different to turn into a project.

Any favorite websites you would recommend for inspiration?
www.artellawordandart.com and www.trishbayley.com

Do you have a day job when you're not stamping?
Yes, I am a home health care aide. I work Mon - Fri 9 am - 1:30pm and right now have 2 elderly clients that I help with bathing, meals and housekeeping. It is a very rewarding job that makes you take stock in the blessings of life.

Tell us about your family and where you live.
I live in northeast Pennsylvania about 2 hours north of Philadelphia in the Scranton Wilkes Barre area with my DH of 7 years Bill, 1 dog (Oscar) , 3 male cats (Jazz, Fred and Twister), and 4 female cats (Mischief, D-Minor, Midnight and Diddles). I have a wonderful son Dan, who is 26 and lives in West Chester PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. He went to West Chester University for music vocals and theater arts. He has the voice of an angel and is my greatest accomplishment in life.

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DOMINO BRACELET
By Dawn Houck

Since discovering using dominos as a base for art, I have been possessed. I make these bracelets and sell them. I love the pre-drilled dominos but I make do with the undrilled if I have to. The possibilities are endless between the combination of dominos, stamps, and alcohol inks.

Supplies you need:

8 small or 7 medium side-drilled Dominos
Ranger alcohol inks
Ranger alcohol blending solution
Staz On ink pad or Brilliance in your choice of color
Stamps of your choice
Heat gun
Paint brush
Double sided tape
Nonstick silicone craft sheet
Krylon gold leafing pen
Gloss polyurethane
16-18 6mm Swarovski crystals
25" of Jewelry wire (I use Beadalon Flexible 7 strand nylon coated stainless .015 diameter.)
Lobster claw clasp
Split ring
2 crimp beads
Jewelry pliers or crimper tool
Optional: Ranger metallic additives

INSTRUCTIONS:

Put a piece of double-sided tape long enough to fit all dominos side by side on your non-stick craft sheet. Line up dominos close together. Pick a color of ink and start randomly squeezing drops on to dominos. Take another color and do the same. You may use as many or as few colors as you want. I start with 2 because it sometimes gets too muddy. And you can always add more color later. For the project bracelet I used butterscotch and stream. Take the paint brush and drag it through to disperse the color. When you have enough color on the dominos take the blending solution as shake it all over and watch the colors dance. Without blowing air directly on to the dominos dry the ink with a heat gun. At this point if you are not happy with the results drop more color and repeat the process. I have found that there is no such thing as bad results. After these are dry, you can add some of the new Ranger metallic additives to give even more dimension. Now you stamp. I have used allover patterns and individual images - all with beautiful results. Heat set your ink. (I even heat set StazOn.) Edge dominos with Krylon gold leafing pen. Coat design area and leafed areas with polyurethane. This particular bracelet was sealed with crystal lacquer, but my preference is polyurethane. The leafing does not wear away as much. After your dominos are completely dry its time to assemble.

Cut a piece of wire 25" long. Feed wire through hole of lobster clasp, bring ends of wire together and pass both ends of wire through crimp bead and push to clasp, squeeze bead with pliers or crimp tool. Start by feeding one crystal on each wire, add domino and then another crystal on each wire until your bracelet is long enough and ends with crystals. My wrist is larger so I use 8 medium dominos. Bring wires together, feed both through a crimp bead, then a split ring, and then pass both wires back through the crimp bead and pull tight. Squeeze crimp bead tight. Feed each wire individually back through crystals and dominos, (this takes patience) so it is doubled through entire bracelet and cut the wire before the last domino or as far as the wire takes you. This way if it loosens, you have lots of wire so you don't have to restring the whole thing.