CraftMe.co Keeps Surprising The Art and Craft Community in New Zealand with free download of art and craft articles and added features

www.craftme.co Roy Rodriguez, the founder and manager of CraftMe.co keep surprising the art and craft community in New Zealand.

This time the development team behind the http://www.CraftMe.co project website adds some great features to their most advanced system in the world. “It is all about connecting artists and craftsmen in New Zealand”, says Roy Rodriguez, CraftMe Founder. “From today, you can add up to 5 YouTube movies with your listings. Think about the opportunities: get people excited about their art and craft...” he adds.
“Art and craft involved in so much fun. So why so many online art and craft suppliers and shopping websites taking it so seriously?...” Rodriguez says.

CratMe.co team also adds a new section for members only: art and craft free articles.
The team at CraftMe want to share free tips with the rest of the craft lovers in New Zealand. To start with, they agreed to give us their first article about Decoupage. So enjoy the tips, go to CratMe.co and register. After all, buying and selling your art and craft on CraftMe is totally free and there is no commission charged. What a fresh idea!

Tools and Equipments Required For Decoupage Project
Http://www.craftme.co  -Decoupage (or Découpage) is the art of decorating an object by gluing coloured paper cut-outs, combining special paint effects, silver or gold leafs onto a flat base and then varnished. Commonly an object like a small wooden box or an item of furniture is covered by cut outs from magazines or from special purpose manufactured papers. Each layer is sealed with varnishes (most often multiple coats) until the "stuck on" finished product appearance disappears and the result looks like painting or inlay work. The traditional découpage technique used 20-50 layers of varnish which were then sanded to a last polished finish. This was known in 18th century England as The Art of Japanning after it was presumed its origin in Japan.

One of the advantages of decoupage is that it requires very little equipment, and it's likely that you already have the tools that you need to get started with your first project.
Only few tools are essential for decoupage. Among them you can find scissors, glue, varnish, cotton swabs, damp rag and an assortment of images of all kind of sources. You can also take advantage of more tools, which are not always necessary for your decoupage project. These tools may include : paintbrushes, rollers, tweezers, craft knife, cutting mats, craft sponge, long metal ruler, coloured pencils, water-soluble pen and decoupage medium.
You can create your Decoupage project at home while you need the following ingredients. We give you some tips how to create most of them at home, without the need to buy expensive materials in art and craft shops. You need:
Good Glue. There are so many brands of glues available, some made specifically for decoupage. From my experience, white PVA glue makes excellent glue, although some glues may need to be diluted a little with water before using it. For simple Decoupage projects, you can mix two parts clear drying craft glue with only one part water. Decoupage glues may be used full strength most of the time, except on glass where they should be diluted.
You can simply use the following recipe for making your own glue if you find it difficult to obtain decoupage glue: ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of powdered alum, 1¾ cups of water, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon oil. Simply mix the sugar, flour, and alum in a medium sized saucepan. Increasingly add the one-cup of water, stirring strongly to break up any lumps. Boil until clear and smooth mixture while you stir it constantly. Remove from heat and add the remaining water and oil, stirring until it is thoroughly mixed. Put into a screw top container and use it for your Decoupage projects.

Glaze. You can mix together three parts PVA glue with one part water. Then, you add more water if necessary. Add two tablespoons of varnish, for shine, to enhance the glimmer of your work . Put into a screw top container.
Cotton Swabs. These are used to spread the glue around. They are a very cheap alternative to paint brushes, so get yourself many of them and keep them handy.

Scissors. Keep your scissors as sharp and clean as possible, because certain paper cuts can gradually blunt scissors. It is better to have a pair of scissors put aside solely for decoupage and always try to use them in cutting fine sandpapers. It will keep them sharp and clean. Embroidery scissors, which are well known by it’s sharpen are great for decoupage and curved scissors can be helpful also in cutting out unique awkward shapes. You also may need to use a craft knife or scalpel when cutting intricate parts of decoupage or parts from inside the illustration itself.

Damp Rag. Damp rags will help you to wipe up any excess glue that leaks out, as you don't want the residue to lie on top and ruin your Decoupage artwork.

Clearly, Decoupage can be one of the cheapest crafts around. Although you can buy expensive supplies made specifically for decoupage, you can also use supplies that you probably have lying around the house. Good luck with your new Decoupage project!


Have a crafty day, and thank you for your reading,
Roy Rodriguez, MBA
http://www.CraftMe.co
Founder and Manager


Roy Rodriguez has been appointed Chief Executive Officer for Auckland ecommerce solutions software developer http://www.CraftMe.co  Ltd. Rodriguez joins the company from Up4Sale Ltd, where he was general manager. Before joining http://www.CraftMe.co , Rodriguez gained an extensive experience in business development, management, sales, marketing and engineering roles in the software, technology, communication and security sectors in New Zealand. Rodriguez brings his technical expertise, entrepreneurship flair, vision and leadership required of this significant role. Rodriguez holds MBA and 2 Electronic Engineering degrees.

http://www.CraftMe.co  is a growing collection of quality NZ art and craft online stores, where you can showcase your art, craft, hobbies and artistic services in one location, tell more about yourself, sell your items, accept credit card orders and invoice your customers directly.
It is a place to buy and sell all things unique, handmade, vintage, handcraft and supplies.