Unlocking Creativity: Crafting Exquisite Vintage Domino Charms with Mixed Media

Hey there, fellow creators and vintage enthusiasts! We’re thrilled to present an inspiring journey into the world of mixed media art today, featuring the incredibly talented Lynne Morgado of Mockingbird and Main. Lynne, a distinguished member of our Mixed Media Design Team, is here to unveil her captivating Vintage Domino Charms – a testament to creativity, repurposing, and the timeless appeal of vintage aesthetics. Each week, our platform shines a spotlight on innovative mixed media projects brought to life by the fantastic designers on our team. Their mission? To ignite your imagination using the rich trove of images available through our Premium Membership Site, providing a wellspring of inspiration for your own unique endeavors. Stay tuned each week for stunning photos of their finished artwork, accompanied by insightful details into their creative process. And don’t miss our exclusive Show and Tell Video that brings these projects to life! Scroll down to the very end of this post to immerse yourself in Lynne’s enchanting video – prepare to be thoroughly inspired! Now, without further ado, let’s hand it over to Lynne as she shares the fascinating story behind her art in her own words…

Transforming Old Dominoes into Beautiful Pendants and Charms

Hello everyone! I’m delighted to be back this month, eager to share a cherished project: my collection of vintage domino charms. For years, I’ve harbored a deep passion for discovering innovative ways to repurpose vintage items, breathing new life into forgotten treasures. This fascination led me to begin collecting vintage dominoes, recognizing their potential as miniature canvases for unique jewelry pieces. The Graphics Fairy Premium Membership site has been an invaluable resource in this journey, offering a magnificent array of gorgeous domino collage sheets. What makes these resources particularly user-friendly is that many of the images are already perfectly sized for standard dominoes. However, if, like me, you’ve amassed a collection of dominoes that vary in size – perhaps smaller or larger than the typical dimensions – fret not! The beauty of digital images means you can effortlessly resize them during the printing process to fit your specific domino canvases.

Choosing Your Perfect Sealing Medium for Domino Art

When it comes to creating durable domino jewelry pieces, I often gravitate towards resin for its professional, long-lasting finish. However, I understand that resin might seem a bit intimidating for some, especially beginners or those crafting with children. That’s why I also frequently employ a variety of decoupage and paper sealer mediums, which can offer a simpler, yet still beautiful, alternative. These mediums are often more accessible and user-friendly, making them perfect for a fun afternoon craft session with the family.

You have a wonderful selection of mediums to choose from for adhering and sealing your images, each offering a slightly different finish and application:

• Mod Podge: A classic in the crafting world, Mod Podge serves as both an adhesive and a sealer. It comes in various finishes, including gloss, matte, and satin, allowing you to customize the final look of your vintage domino charms. It’s incredibly forgiving and ideal for beginners.
• Collage Pauge: Similar to Mod Podge, Collage Pauge is a versatile medium designed specifically for collage and paper arts. It provides excellent adhesion and a protective seal, ensuring your images stay vibrant and secure.
• Glossy Accents: This dimensional glaze creates a clear, glass-like finish that adds depth and shine to your domino pendants. It’s perfect for achieving a highly polished, jewel-like effect without the need for resin.
• Diamond Glaze: Another fantastic option for a high-gloss, crystal-clear finish, Diamond Glaze provides a durable, waterproof seal. Its precision applicator makes it easy to control, ensuring a smooth, bubble-free surface on your domino art.
• Any artist medium for sealing paper/art: Don’t limit yourself! Explore other artist-grade sealers that you might already have on hand or prefer to work with. The key is to find a medium that dries clear and provides adequate protection for your paper images.

For those seeking a highly durable finish without venturing into resin, both Glossy Accents and Diamond Glaze are exceptional choices. They create a beautiful, hard protective layer that rivals the look of resin. If you’re aiming for a more subdued, truly vintage aesthetic, I particularly enjoy using a matte medium paper sealer. This imparts a lovely, non-shiny finish that enhances the antique feel of the images. Should you feel a bit hesitant about trying resin, especially without clear instructions, I highly recommend reviewing my comprehensive resin domino charm tutorial. This step-by-step guide is readily available on The Graphics Fairy Premium Membership Site, providing all the necessary information to get started confidently.

Mastering Resin and Embellishments for Enhanced Domino Projects

Working with resin, and even some of the thicker decoupage paper sealers, opens up a world of possibilities for adding extra dimension and sparkle to your images. Before the final layer of sealant or resin cures, you can embed a variety of delightful embellishments to truly make your domino charms unique. Imagine tiny sparkles catching the light, adding a magical touch to your repurposed dominoes!

Consider incorporating elements such as:

• Glitter: A sprinkle of fine glitter, whether iridescent, metallic, or holographic, can add a stunning shimmer and depth to your designs.
• Micro Beads: These tiny glass beads create a delicate, textured surface that’s both visually appealing and tactile.
• Rhinestones: Small, flat-backed rhinestones can be strategically placed to mimic jewels, adding a touch of elegance and glamor.
• Small Charms: Miniature metal charms, gears, or other tiny findings can be embedded directly into the resin or sealer, becoming an integral part of your mixed media narrative.

These additions transform a simple domino charm into a miniature artwork, full of intricate details and personal flair. Remember to ensure your embellishments are small and relatively flat to avoid creating too much bulk or uneven surfaces, especially if you’re aiming for a smooth, finished look.

Finding Your Canvas: Beyond Vintage Wooden Dominoes

While vintage wooden dominoes possess a certain undeniable charm, they aren’t the only canvases available for this easy and rewarding craft project. If you’re struggling to find authentic vintage dominoes, or perhaps prefer a different aesthetic, you can easily adapt this project using newer plastic or wooden dominoes. These readily available options offer a clean slate for your creative expressions. Don’t be afraid to experiment! In my ongoing effort to reuse and upcycle leftover supplies, I’ve even started saving wood scraps to create my very own faux dominoes. This not only minimizes waste but also allows for complete customization in terms of size and shape.

During my creative sessions with dominoes, and after browsing the incredible variety of domino images available from the Premium site, an exciting new idea sparked my imagination. I decided to try my hand at crafting mini journals, cleverly using my decorated dominoes as sturdy and beautiful book covers. And oh, how I fell in love with the process! This truly is such a fun and versatile project, offering a unique opportunity to let your creativity flow freely within a charming miniature journal format. You can delve deeper into this delightful endeavor by reading all about them in my last post, which you can find HERE on The Blog. For those eager to learn the craft themselves, a comprehensive domino journal tutorial will be coming soon to the membership site!

The beauty of mixed media is its endless adaptability. I recently had a wonderful chat with Kelly from Book and Paper Arts, another immensely talented artist on this Mixed Media & Collage Design Team. Kelly creates breathtaking altered Altoid tin shrines and shadow boxes, which you can marvel at on The Graphics Fairy Blog. We briefly discussed the brilliant idea of incorporating dominoes into these tins, and I immediately thought, “What a fabulous idea!” This conversation truly reinforces the versatility of the humble domino. Think of the lowly domino not just as a game piece, but as a tiny yet mighty blank canvas, brimming with potential for creating intricate, personalized art. It’s an invitation to unleash your imagination on a small scale, transforming everyday objects into extraordinary pieces.

Featured Images: Kits Used to Craft These Charming Dominoes

For both these exquisite Vintage Domino Charms and the charming mini journals, I delved into the treasure trove of The Graphics Fairy Premium Membership Site. I specifically utilized a selection of both dedicated domino Collage Sheets and regular Collage Sheets sourced from the following fantastic bundles, which provided the perfect imagery to complement the vintage aesthetic:

• Bird Watcher Bliss Kit
• Delicate Butterflies Kit
• European Maps Image Kit
• Steampunk Images 2 Kit

These kits offer an incredible variety of beautifully curated vintage images, making it easy to find the perfect motif for any project, especially when crafting miniature mixed media pieces like these domino charms and pendants.

Vintage Domino Charms: Show and Tell Video

To truly appreciate the intricate details and vintage allure of these domino charms, I invite you to watch my short video. It offers a close-up look at each piece, allowing you to see all the nuances and embellishments that make them so special:

Thank you so much for taking the time to explore my April Design Team Project. I hope this glimpse into the world of vintage domino charms has sparked your own creative spirit. Remember, the beauty of mixed media lies in experimentation and personal expression. So, gather your supplies, delve into The Graphics Fairy’s wonderful image collections, and most importantly, have fun creating!

Take care and happy creating!

Lynne

You can discover my unique journals and other handcrafted items available in my Etsy shop:
lynnemorgado.etsy.com

Come by and say hello to me on Instagram, where I share more of my creative endeavors and inspiration:
@mockingbirdandmain