the adventures of bluegirlxo

velvet kiss...valentine matchbox tutorial

2012-01-19T11:32:00.012-07:00

yesterday i dyed a new batch of crepe paper ruffles. love the nude pink and velvet kiss for valentines day.

last night just before going to bed i made this little lunch box valentine. such a sweet little surprise...

any little matchbox will do, i like these waterproof matches by coghlans as they are a bit deeper.

gather together your matchbox, some old book paper, ribbon, tinsel, a button, and some crepe paper ruffles.

here is the bundle in my shop i dyed with a velvet button, tinsel and pleated paper heart all ready to go.

step 1. cover your box with the book paper, i just use a glue stick.

step 2. wrap the crepe paper ruffles around the box. i wrapped mine so there was a double ruffle layer on the top and a single layer on the bottom so it would sit flat.

step 3. tie the ribbon around the box to cover the stitching. thread on the button and tie the ribbon again to secure.

step 4. punch out 6 paper hearts and sew them down the middle. fold up each layer.

step 5. wrap the paper heart and tinsel around the button. viola!

now just tuck a sweet note and a tiny treat in your box and hide is somewhere fun like on a pillow or in a lunchbox.

oh and this is new today, a french valentine hot air balloon gift tag kit. so adore these beauties.
xo julie

diy valentine heart box tutorial

2012-01-17T12:18:00.011-07:00

its a month until valentines day and time to get out all my pretty pink trims...
this little glittered heart box is so fun to make and would be such a darling gift for one of your sweethearts filled with chocolates.
this little kit is available in my etsy shop today! special sweet treat for my blogland friends, get 10% off your valentine order in my shop. enter 'sweettreats' at checkout thru friday 1/20.

you will need a heart shaped paper mache box, decorative paper, some tiny trims, tulle, ribbon, tinsel, acrylic paint, glitter fabric (or glitter) and some millinery flowers and stamens.

step 1. paint the inside of your box and lid and also the bottom of your box with acrylic paint. a soft pink, pale aqua, or spring green would be lovely. i am using plaid's apple barrel paint #202011 Light green leaf. let dry.

step 2. spread tacky glue over the top of the lid and press down on your glitter fabric. i found this great glittered fabric trim with wired edges, it is 4 inches wide. smooth the top down to the lid and let dry. (if you don't have a glitter fabric trim available, coat the glue with a fine glitter, martha stewart and hampton art both make a great kit with lovely colors~both available at JoAnns)

step 3. cut a decorative paper strip to go around the sides of the box. start at the point of the box so your seam is at the bottom. glue in place with tacky glue.
i am using a wonderful old french wallpaper with a moire pattern and little buds.
cut your strip with a ruler and exacto blade for a super straight cut.

step 4. with some tiny sharp pointed scissors cut around your heart lid to remove excess glitter fabric.

step 5. cut a decorative paper strip to go around the sides of the heart lid. glue in place. add a narrow silver trim around the lid. i like to add the glue to the trim and smooth the trim around the lid, pressing firmly in place as i go.

step 6. decorate the top of the box. here is the basic layout. i folded a pink sugared stamen in half and glued that in place first at either end. then i added a piece of tinsel on top of the stamens. i cut 2 pieces of tulle and tied them around the glittered stamen bundle. then i tied the pink silk ribbon to hold in place. tie a double bow and notch the ends of the ribbon. next glue on the ribbon posy to the middle and last glue the cream flowers in place. let dry overnight.

i found these adorable aqua blue pressed paper berry baskets and used them to tuck all the goodies in for a fun diy kit with everything included to make your own valentine box... all you need is glue, scissors, and paint!

the scalloped tag was perfect, just love the hot air balloon. a little sweetness.
happy crafting, julie

little angel swap...

2011-12-18T16:56:00.011-07:00

i had the most lovely email from margaret bloom at we bloom here. a while ago. she wanted to host an angel swap and had seen some of the angels that were inspired from the little angel pattern in my book. of course i was thrilled with the news and signed right up. here is the image from pretty little felts~

i didn't make the december 1st deadline and only just this weekend was able to sit down and make my little angels. i have enjoyed so much receiving the lovely angel creations from around the world. i am hoping the sweet artists in my group will forgive the late delivery. and i hope to plan a bit better next year....

i wanted to use this sweet vintage paper angel made in japan for my inspiration.

we started out using a wooden base, i liked these from darice that i bought at hobby lobby. you can also buy them online at the silver penny.

they are super easy and fun even for kids to make.
step 1. paint the head and body. when the paint is dry on the head add the features. if i mess up i just turn the doll around and paint another face. the
hair covers up my mistake :)
step 2. glue on gown using felt, fabric, wool, or batting i used this great vintage twinkle mat i found that was used as snow for the tiny paper houses.
step 3. decorate the gown using trim, beads, sequins, glitter, etc

step 4. add the hair. use paint to paint on the hair, glue on wool, or glitter
step 5. glue on pipe cleaner arms. these great vintage ones i found on etsy
step 6. add wings. use german paper scrap wings like the vintage angel i bought, pressed paper or silk leaves look gorgeous, or this year i used tiny ribbon bows.
step 7. add a halo. use metallic paper or pipe cleaners, punch out a paper disc, or use a large vintage sequin.
step 8. add something sweet to hold. a jingle bell, a wreath, a paper banner, some stamens, or even a candle. this one was made from a cut toothpick, painted and glued in a vintage glass garland bead.

these are the sweet angels that were mailed to me.
Anna from Australia made these wonderful wool angels nestled in a little wool nest.
beautiful silver stitching embroidered on their wings.... lovely!

Ronnie from Australia made this delicate and lovely paper angel cut out, just stunning!

and here is her crocheted angel chorus...

Margaret sent these glittered angels with the darling faces and sparkling halos...

and this adorable snow angel was made by Angie in Wisconsin~

so sweet! hope you are all having a lovely week baking, sewing, decorating, caroling, and loving your dear ones.
warm wishes for your holiday, julie

paper mache class with terri brush....

2011-12-02T20:14:00.012-07:00

there were a few snowflakes falling this afternoon when i finally caught a minute to take some photos of the projects i made at my paper mache class with terri brush.
this little snowman necklace has a glass bottle filled with vintage pearls and mica snow. its so tiny the whole thing measures 1-1/2 inches tall!

i am still a beginner working with clay, it is such a fun change from fabric--i just love it! in fact i have been having so much fun i decided to sign up for terri's online holiday workshop that starts today!

here is the jolly santa box i made. he is holding a tiny bell next to the little pink bottle brush tree that started my whole tree dying extravaganza...
i didn't do a very good job gluing everything down before i soldered the box and now santas hat is shaking around inside... oops...
i like how the soldering finished off the edges though. it just doesn't come off for hat fixing :)

so i decided to leave the glass front off this snowman. he has a little bottlebrush wreath collar, a glittered snowflake hanging beside him, and a wee little bottlebrush tree all decorated from top to bottom to keep him company.
the little tree was a vintage earring i rescued. (that thing would have been scratchy!)

the outside of the box is decorated with crepe paper ruffles, vintage trim, and a little lacquered holly leaf sprig.

lorraine had a beautiful tree on her landing that was decorated with little plaster angels. i was so taken with them i created a couple of my own. dusted with mica they turned out so lovely. the next ones i make i am going to add little hangers to the top so i won't have to drill them.

the two of them are very different but i like them both.

here are some of the gals in my class and their pieces. cute em and her santa.

shannon with her lovely piece.

terri helping aimee with her box.

the gorgeous box olga made with her paper mache queen.

deb with her darling snowman.

these two images are by lorraines daughter in law. such cool faces.

and here is terri's snowman that was on the counter all decked out in glittered glass dome for inspiration. it was a wonderful 2 days at your workshop terri, thank you!

a beautiful mess....

2011-11-13T20:52:00.004-07:00

i blame lorraine, she gave us all the sweetest tiny pink bottle brush tree to use in our paper mache class with terri brush this past weekend at her lovely home. i tucked mine in with a wee santa and then i had none :(

i came home saturday night to a quiet house and promptly made a beautiful mess...
got out every bottle brush tree i had and bleached and dyed them all. next morning i had blue fingers, a pink countertop, and all these pretty trees!
i dont' know if i can stop....

can't wait to post photos of everything we made.

artful thursdays #29 spun cotton snowman winter shadowbox tutorial

2011-11-06T00:52:00.004-06:00

this little spun cotton snowman just stole my heart away! i couldn't even wait till after halloween to make this little scene... i used lots of little pieces from my holly jolly decorating kit to make this winter shadow box, just listed today in my etsy shop.

i first saw these boxes by tim holtz decorated for a birthday treasury swap my friend amy at inspire co hosted.
i just took one of them to decorate my little winter scene.

step 1 paint the inside two side walls and ceiling of box with acrylic paint
step 2 cut paper scraps to fit the back and bottom of the box. glue in with a glue stick.

step 3. cut squares of paper to glue to the top, sides and outside back of the box.
i think it helps to put the glue right on the box and smooth the paper over it, trimming the ends off if necessary.

step 4. glue 4 round beads to the bottom of the box using a generous amount of tacky glue. let the glue dry a while before turning your box over.

step 5. for the top half-medallion decoration cut a paper circle to reinforce the foil garland. fold it in half and glue together. gut a piece of foil garland and glue it in a fan shape over the paper circle. glue in place the holly leaves, tinsel nest and glass garland bead.

step 6. dig through your pretty trims and cut 3 pieces to go around the two sides and bottom glue in place.

step 7. now glue in place your foil half medallion. you may need to support it in place for a few moments until it dries.

step 8. make a tiny winter flag with a piece of book paper glued around a paper wrapped wire and topped with a little pearl.

step 9. remove the chenille stem from your snowman and glue inside your winter box.
right next to the winter flag. spread a bit of glue around the bottom and shake some mica flakes inside to coat.

step 10. make a mini bottle brush tree by cutting a piece of bottle brush wreath and trimming with scissors to a tree shape. add a bit of 'snow' to the top cut branches with some white paint. add a few mica flakes to the tree and glue in place.
shake out the excess.

and you are done!
happy winter wishes, julie

an artful thursday with netties gnomes....

2011-10-20T19:38:00.011-06:00

today my darling friend renette barnett was hosting her annual witches ball. i stopped by to leave a few things to sell and took some photos of her wonderful witches. she has been making these gorgeous dolls for as long as i have known her, her studio is amazing! it is so fun to go to her house when it is all decorated for the holidays. her website is netties gnomes where you can see more of her work.

i love the painting she has done in her home!

the glass coffin on her piano with a skeleton inside....

a sweet little baby in a basket. love the fur lining and branch of blossoms....

love this great green witch, and how cool to have a moon hanging in your living room!

i made some of these stuffed cats to sell, this is coraline. the little vintage pumpkin cupcake topper in her hand just makes me smile. the tiny half sized cats turned out just darling.

gave this one to my art friend lorraine for her birthday at our witches night out and kept the other one to keep dolores company :)

happy halloween, julie

what happens when you leave all your paints out....

2011-10-20T18:09:00.003-06:00

so i left all my paints out on the kitchen table for another day and my family couldn't resist joining me. we stayed up til past midnight all together painting...
it was even a school night! i just couldn't make everyone go to bed...it was too much fun. here is what everyone made~
i made the little owl above. it is hard to see the crackle finish on the darker colors, but i love the eyes.

my husband walked past the table several times before we just handed him a brush and he made this amazing harlequin.

olivia 9~ made this little cat and witch. she can't wait to make some more...

my high school daughter painted the creepy skeleton, isn't it fabulous!

i painted this green man also, love his striped nose.

we weren't ready to quit but i ran out of little pots to dip.
hope you are enjoying a lovely fall evening.
julie

artful thursdays # 28....halloween treat container tutorial

2011-10-13T14:47:00.014-06:00

i finally just set up shop on the kitchen table today while the kids were at school to finish these halloween treat containers. you need a big space to get messy and really experiment so i rolled out some paper and turned on the tunes. after the first hour i had a painting emergency and had to call my daughter in north carolina for advice, then went to get a coke. worked like a charm....

it was a blast, haven't had this much fun creating in forever! i am so happy with the results and with every project/mess/experiment i learned a lot. this is a multi day process so get ready.

step 1. plaster dip.
mix up a thin slurry of plaster in a disposable container at least 4 inches deep. (don't even think about washing anything down your sink!) i followed the directions on the box and then thinned with water until i had a nice dipping consistency. dip your peat pots in the plaster and roll around to coat the inside and out. lift out with a wooden chopstick and tip up on wax paper to dry without touching the pot at all. leave these to dry overnight. plan on making a batch at a time, so you can use up your plaster mix.

step 2. paper clay faces.
set up a paper clay working station with a cup of water, a paintbrush,some paper clay, and your dry plaster pots. paint some water on the front of the pot with the paintbrush and start shaping your face. i started with the nose, then added eyes and the mouth last. mold the features with your hands, dip in water constantly to smooth. you don't want to sand much later so use your paintbrush dipped in water to wear down any edges and blend the clay into the plaster so it looks seamless.
let dry over night. your faces can be creepy or fun, think pumpkins, cats, witches, monsters, owls, skeletons, and clowns. the round one is a plastic pumpkin i tried dipping. cool shape but the plaster cracks off really easily :(

you can see from these faces the pots have irregularities, bubbles, weird glops and stuff that dried from the dipping process. just go with it and don't fuss, its a great texture after you add the paint.
step 3. gesso pots.
now you have a collection of little pots with faces just waiting to be painted. get out your acrylic paints, paintbrushes, big nail file, water pot, and dry rag. first take your big nail file (the fake nail ones from the beauty supply work great)and smooth off the rim and any other bad spots. i started by coating the pots inside and out with gesso, black gesso inside and white gesso outside. let dry completely. the paint soaks into the plaster and clay differently that you may expect. it is good to work in stages here so you can gesso all the pots at once and then begin painting.

step 4. paint the little faces.
i squirted out a fun halloween pallet of colors to get started. paint the outside of the pot your main color--i didn't paint the eyes or the mouth. start adding washes of thinned acrylic paint to layer your color. next paint the eyes and mouth. the last thing i did was add the detail to the nose and add the teeth.

step 5. crackle finish.
i decided to crackle finish the outside of my pots. paint a thin layer over the whole thing and let dry. when dry smear a bit of brown acrylic over the finish with your finger and wipe off with a damp cloth. (click on the photo for a close-up of the crackle finish.)

step 6. drill holes and finish.
use a dremmel drill on the slowest setting and drill two holes in either side of your pot for a handle. thread a wired tinsel handle through both sides and crimp on the inside.

pumpkin jack got a crepe paper fringe puff tied on with black and white string.
fill with little halloween treats and goodies and enjoy!
happy halloween wishes,
julie

spooky halloween wishes....

2011-10-06T11:39:00.005-06:00

we go straight from summer weather to fall in one day here, it dropped 20 degrees last night. definitely feeling like fall around here with a wet snow coming down outside!
i am so excited about october and halloween. i made this little spooky card today to send with my halloween packages. the old owl is a vintage dennison seal i found.
i have started a messy project/experiment that i hope to finish this week. i bought these great paper mache halloween treat containers and wanted to try making a smaller version.

i started with small peat pot containers i had left over and dipped them in a thin plaster mixture. here they are drying and waiting for a coat of paint.
i think i will add some paper clay to the faces to add some noses and other features.

i had in mind to use this copper and black wired tinsel for the handles.

if all goes well i will post a tutorial how to make your own.
happy fall day, julie

no more excuses!

2011-09-06T13:30:00.009-06:00

it has been months since i posted on my blog. a family crisis just swept away any time available for blogging. i am back on my feet again, my family is doing well, and i have a new computer that is whiz-bang lighting fast loading images. i even have photoshop on the new pc. it was hard to bid goodbye to my old mac, but now i find i have no more excuses....

except so much has happened in the past couple of months i don't know where to start again. all my bookmarks from the old computer are gone so it took me 15 minutes to figure out how to sign in to my dashboard again, i thought maybe i had lost my blog for a panicky minute. here goes the test post. still collecting little dennison treasures. these little sewing boxes had the sweetest designs. mostly empty except for these little spools of thread. they would make the cutest traveling sewing kits wouldn't they...

a few more turquoise and yellow treasures i have gathered...
1950's yellow buttons for a house dress

the earings i would wear if i were hosting a bbq this afternoon serving roasted corn on the cob.

the only turquoise bordered dennison labels i have ever found, bright and fun.

sunny yellow daffodil crepe paper ruffles. so cheerful and summery, i feel like i have to hold on to the last few days of summer weather here. i can feel fall coming with its warm afternoon light and cool evening breezes.

and the little trailer from 'Oh so Lovely Vintage' i have been dreaming about ever since i saw it...
maybe one last little trip before autumn.

enjoy, julie

a little etsy love givaway....

2011-04-20T12:23:00.011-06:00

this week i made an all pink kit easter decorating kit as a special request and just LOVE how it turned out!

if you find yourself still wanting one of these little easter basket decorating kits, i made one especially for jolly goode gal to celebrate jerusalem greer's big anniversary. head on over to enter the give away and win this kit!

here are a few other spring surprises i have been keeping up my sleeve...
frosted spring sugar stamens

vintage pastel eyelet trims with a sweet little bouquet.

sweet vintage cafe curtain ruffles. sewing the little blossom medallions was my favorite part. vintage dennison paper labels, wallpaper, and tiny flocked flowers, easy and so pretty.

cherry blossom stamens

and the last one, this little wool felt egg with a bunny tucked inside. happy spring, julie

strawberries and cherries

2011-04-11T09:36:00.007-06:00

probably don't view this collection before breakfast...

i love it when i get a little note that one of my items has been featured in an etsy treasury. i just adore this one! you can even click on the images and go right to the item in the sellers shop. and i am kind of excited i figured out how to put it up on my blog. i have a whole week off from school for spring break and there is some sun outside my window today instead of snow. happy day, julie

'Strawberries and Cherries ' by ParisPhotographer

Luscious Fruits Pho... AmeliaKayPhoto... $39.00	tis the season - 8x... shannonpix $25.00	Strawberry and Vani... magalerie $20.00
The cookie jar (8x8... MayaLee $25.00	Straight Macarons -... PetitPlat $25.00	Extra Moisturizing ... greenbubblegor... $6.00
Guimauve a la Ceris... littlebrownpen $25.00	HELLO LOVE, a sweet... ORphotography $23.00	BOGO SALE - Strawbe... Lori411 $15.00
Chocolate Sprinkle ... janetsaw $19.00	cherry blossom doub... juliecollings $3.50	NEW DESIGN Wall dec... walldecors $85.00
Original fine Art P... PhotographyByA... $18.00	Fresh 8x8 Fine Art ... TheLightFantas... $11.00	Cherries the Luscio... VivienneWard $15.00
Milk Chocolate Cove... tookies $16.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

in case you would like to do the same, here is the link to the page i found with the quick tool to add an etsy treasury to a blog or web page.
here is the treasury if you want to see it all big and beautiful...

vintage 1920s dennison crepe paper

2011-03-11T08:40:00.008-07:00

my weakness....vintage crepe paper.
this lovely set is on its way to my house, can't even wait. i'll be sewing ruffles all week i expect.

the box of vintage floral wire on spools is for making crepe paper flowers.
i found this book made by the dennison company, how to make crepe paper flowers. look how cool the patterns are:

blush and bashful has a lovely tutorial for making crepe paper flowers. i love this photo from her blog showing how the crepe paper is cut and rolled up.

martha stewart decorated this whole cake with crepe paper flowers, isn't it just a delicious tower of spring and cake? happy weekend, julie

something pretty to sew this weekend.....

2011-03-05T18:27:00.006-07:00

thanks for the darling email from leslie at essisews, she sent me the link to how about orange where my crocheted flower tutorial is featured. love the images all together of these darling projects to sew. makes you want to get out your stash doesn't it....

Crocheted flowers by me
Appliqued pillow at Fiskars
Retro apron at Sew4Home
Tea wallet by Handmade Therapy
Gathered potholder by Prudent Baby
Zipper brooches at Craft Stylish

baby bird ella....

2011-02-28T10:42:00.007-07:00

(hey, did you notice baby ella got a make-over? thanks lorraine, just love the new background!)!)
i was shopping on amazon a bit ago and found this darling book little birds. the tiny chick on the cover was enough to make me order the book on the spot....i just had to make one of these little wool chicks by margaret oomen.

baby bird ella is the first little wool birdie i have sewn from the book. something weird is up with the pattern in the book i think. the first body i sewed from the pattern was really too small. i had to enlarge the body and beak, to look like the photo. i made the tail a bit bigger and scalloped the end and added little glass bead eyes with embroidered eyelashes... i used these vintage pipe cleaners that stephanie sent me for the legs instead of wrapping wire with torn fabric. its so fun to shape the little feet so they look like they are ready to take a tiny step. this little bird really was so much fun to sew, and used such a tiny piece of wool! a great take along project to hand sew while you are waiting somewhere.

i found a great pink jacket at the thrift store that i felted for the body. **felting note** if you are machine felting a piece of old wool clothing be sure to remove the iron on interfacing. i did an experiment this time to see what would happen if i left a piece on the wool and it felted right to the fabric. might be useful, might be nasty.
i used a sweet little girls cotton shirt for the wings and tail. i decided to stitch around the wings and then stuff them with a bit of stuffing and then stitch through it all for some definition on the wing.

there are some other great projects in the book i can't wait to try:

the stork mobile by amy adams would be such a fun baby gift

this little birdhouse by abigail brown is such a wonderful idea. just browsing her website creature textiles was incredible.

and i love 'mildred and the baguette' by samantha cotterill.... her etsy shop mummysam is one of my favorites!

samantha has a new book out 'fanciful felties' that is on my new book wishlist after i have had some fun with this one first.

here's the back cover of little birds with more fun images to get you thinking about sewing again.

happy monday all, julie

tweet and the love birds....

2011-02-14T18:06:00.007-07:00

its so luxurious i can't stand it....
i'm relaxing after work in my studio and my sweetie is in the kitchen making dinner tonight. somebody scored a few points tonight bringing home dinner, flowers, and a heart shaped box of chocolates for everyone.
thought i would send you a little love from tweet and the love birds for your valentines day.

embroidered fabric collages on book covers. i made tweet at my art group and came home and made love birds the very next day.
tips for picking out book covers: choose different sizes and colors that might be fun to work with. don't worry about a different color spine or a some wear on the cover.
'tweets' cover has some cool brown scalloping and even a bit of the authors name showing through. to punch holes through the top to hang with ribbon use the Crop-A-Dile - Eyelet and Snap Punch Tool. i thought my japanese screw hole punch would do the trick until i tried this beauty! punched through like butter!

'love birds'
cut out fabric shapes by free hand or use a sketch. lay out all the pieces on your cover to get an idea of how you want it to look. i added some baby ric rac behind the heart and then pinned each of the bird pieces in place to sew on in this order-
1. bird body cut from linen 2. bird wing cut from printed cotton 3. bird beak cut from felt 4. bird eye cut from a cotton millinery flower petal. the brown cotton leaves were sewn on the machine and then cut out.

the linen embroidered banner was first penciled on, stitched, and then cut out.
glue it all in place using aleenes tacky glue. the little stamen bundle was first wrapped in silk ribbon and then glued to the top of the heart.

'tweet'
cut out fabric and felt shapes and arrange on your book cover. the leaves and twig were part of a design printed on fabric that i cut out and arranged like a branch.
glue the stitched pieces down in this order 1. branch 2. feet and beak 3. stitched felt body with tummy and eyes embroidered on using little glass beads. 4. stitched wings-2 pieces one felt and one printed fabric and 5. collage letters to spell tweet.

feels so light and airy today, must be spring. i just wore a sweater to school.
love it all. happy day to you, julie

inspired ideas...the spring issue

2011-02-10T14:00:00.007-07:00

have you been over to amy's blog recently? the spring issue of her on line magazine inspired ideas just came out this week. so many lovely photos and projects in all my favorite spring colors. i am so ready for the snow to melt.....

isn't that tiny easter basket adorable? for someone like me that likes everything tiny i nearly quit breathing when i saw it. i have a little lovebirds tutorial the spring issue as well as some of my favorite photos. the cuff challenge amy sent out gave me the idea to make this pale blue blossom cuff. so easy when you start with a pre-made base, just cut the cuff off an old shirt. it already has the button closure and is so quick to make. you can enter the give-away to win my cuff on amy's blog.

i cut a piece from a vintage hanky that had a hand crocheted edge and gathered it into a rosette. then i sewed little millinery leaves, flowers, and stamens on top. it got me thinking about making wrist corsages again.

i also dug out my wool stash this week and put together this bundle of yummy spring wool pieces. i can't wait to start making some little wool birds.
i hope you find a little piece of spring to brighten your day. julie

keep moving forward....

2011-02-03T12:50:00.004-07:00

well i have been thinking this past month everytime i stopped by my own blog about what i wanted to do this year. so far no incredible idea has fallen out of the sky and hit me square on the head...

i have decided since it is february just to move forward with the three things i keep thinking about:
1. i want to sew, it makes me happy.
2. i want to find a way to make my sketchbook part of my daily creative life.
3. i want to make my creative space more user friendly...

so with these thoughts in mind i embark on a new year (a month late). however if you have been following my blog for any time at all you will recall my mantra is "keep moving forward", so with that in mind i will say what is a little old month anyway?

my photos for today are for a birthday celebration. a group of sweet gals in illinois wanted to give something special to their dear friend diane on her 50th and asked me to make this card for her.
i took a few photos before i mailed it off. it was so fun to hear later about the party and the reaction of the birthday girl when she opened the card and the gift from her friends. i loved being part of this wonderful memory.

i used a vintage cabinet card folio that opened to show the photo inside. i secured a piece of vintage paper underneath the corners of the mat and built the birthday cake collage on top. each of the elements i used for the cake were vintage. the layers of the cake are a thick brown satin that was used to make an evening gown. the frosting trims are vintage crepe paper, trims, tatting, and hand crocheted lace. the little flowers are from a vintage ladies hat and the mercury glass beads i found in san francisco.

the folio is tied with a band of vintage hat netting and a large millinery bloom secured with a vintage rhinestone pin.

cabinet card folios are a sturdy and lovely presentation. just remove the old photograph to use in another project and have fun. i would love to see what you have made with an old cabinet card folio so please leave a link to visit.
best wishes, julie

a year in pictures.....all my 2010 artful thursday tutorials

2010-12-30T22:30:00.046-07:00

#1 artful thursdays challenge and flower clip tutorial
it all started here with this flower clip and this button:

i have been planning all year for this post...i have imagined how it would look with the photos from all of my artful thursday projects together. i can't quite believe it looking back, it has been a wonderful, artful year. i'm a bit sad it is over as i haven't thought of what to do this year yet...

a huge thank you and congratulations to each of the artists that have participated with me all year. i have enjoyed so much your lovely photos and ideas and especially your encouragement to keep going.

some things i have learned about embarking on a year long creative project:
1. it is a huge commitment that lasts well, a whole year.
2. i felt accountable for showing up and doing just what i said i would. i didn't post every week but i decided that was ok. my goal was to 'pick a project i have been wanting to try or an idea that has been patiently waiting for just the right time and do it' looking back over each of the projects i did do just that.
3. some weeks were wonderful, i had an idea all lined up i was excited about and the photographs tuned out and i got it posted on thursday--best case scenerio. other weeks i was too busy, couldn't figure out what to do, had a messy house that needed cleaning and laundry to do or i just needed a break. these were the weeks i either pulled off something wowie at the last minute, or felt like a flake and didn't post anything. but the key is i moved on to the next week and another thursday.
4. it feels great to have given something of my own to the art community that has so patiently 'raised' me over the years. thank you for your notes and emails about the projects you created after reading my posts.

artful thursdays #14.....zipper purse tutorial

everyone's favorite tutorial was the zipper purses, i just bought 2 bags of vintage metal zippers at the thrift store yesterday...time for me to get sewing :)

artful thursdays #8.....nut cup easter basket tutorial

my favorite tutorial was the little nut cup easter baskets, something about those little chenille chicks get me every time.
but the best thing was the tiny book swap. i still can't believe all the little books that were mailed my way, the look on my mailmans face as he brought them all up to the door, and opening each package up to the surprise inside. i remember how wonderful it felt to auction off 2 complete sets of tiny books in their handmade envelope and sending the money to Haiti right after the terrible earthquake.

well, here they all are starting with the first one last january and my original challenge. i hope you have enjoyed the journey with me. i would love to know which one was your favorite! happy new year wishes, julie

birthday wishes....artful thursdays #2 tiny book tutorial

vintage tablecloth dishtowel....artful thursday #3 tutorial

my heart..... artful thursdays #4 valentine envelope tutorial

love birds....artful thursday #5 paper collage tutorial

vintage velvet heart.....artful thursday #6 tutorial

artful thursdays #7......post it note mailing labels tutorial

artful thursdays #9.....wonderland paper banner tutorial

artful thursdays #10....paper mache egg tutorial

artful thursdays #11.....stuffie bunny tutorial

artful thursdays #12.....a tiny spring nest tutorial

artful thursdays #13....vintage wrist corsage tutorial

artful thursdays #15.....party kitty paper doll tutorial

artful thursdays #16.....paper clay bird tutorial

artful thursdays #17.....wire bird cage tutorial

artful thursdays #18.....a little art nesting

artful thursdays #19....crochet flower tutorial

artful thursdays #20....framing tutorial

artful thursdays #21....sewn tag tutorial

artful thursdays #22....cupcake envelope book tutorial

artful thursdays #23....emilee the tiny stuffed kitty tutorial

artful thursdays #24....easy no-sew embroidered button tutorial

artful thursdays #25....halloween witch tutorial

artful thursdays #26....halloween cat tutorial and adopt dolores...

artful thursdays #27....bottle brush wreath make-over tutorial

Holly Kitty and Christmas greetings from Utah Artful Gatherings.....

2010-12-16T11:00:00.011-07:00

this year as our art group met for the our annual holiday retreat we decided instead of making gifts for each other we would create a holiday tree and donate it to the Christmas Box House. we also decorated christmas kitties that are now up for auction on Lorraine's blog. she will be taking bids for all 10 kitties until saturday night. go take a peek, they will be shipped on monday and arrive in time for christmas. the best part is 100% of the donations will be sent to the Haiti Gospel Mission. i feel overwhelmed and grateful to have been a part of the beauty and blessings we created as a group of like minded women that put their heads together and decided to spread some JOY!
(um, we totally had fun doing it....)

this is my holly. i had a little bundle of vintage santa crepe paper ruffles on my desk when i went to work on her and so she looks rather festive in her party skirt. she is all dressed up for her office christmas party and ready to come home with you for the holidays.

i hope each of you are enjoying a little holiday sparkle today, julie

artful thursdays #27....bottle brush wreath make-over tutorial

2010-12-03T06:38:00.018-07:00

it is time to start december with a tutorial for the holidays i decided today...i love finding ways to make-over new items to look like vintage. my artful thursday tutorial for today will take a nasty little bottle brush wreath ornament and turn it into something lovely you will want to use....
i tied mine on this little ruffled wool stocking for a sweet holiday treat.

here is your supply list: gather together a little wreath (tacky and new is best), some tinsel, stamens, mica, narrow ribbon for a bow, and some tacky glue.

start with a package of those dark green bottle brush wreaths at the dollar store and get busy. here is a before and after shot just so you know where we are going. work with me here people.

step 1. it gets ugly, rip off the ratty red bow and the gold string hanger. they might be glued on with a big gob of industrial hot glue. try to pull this off and leave your little wreath intact.

step 2. lightly spray paint the little thing with some off-white or cream spray paint. just dust it a bit with little quick sprays. you just want to give it a bit of a frosty feeling without turning it all white.

step 3. if you are tying your wreath on to a stocking or using it as an ornament, attach the little string now. glue it in place using a bit of tacky glue. glue on a little nest of tinsel and a tiny bow.

step 4. add some tiny berries. i like to use little stamens cut apart. glue these in your wreath with tacky glue. i use tweezers for the tiny stamens, depending on the size of your wreath use some little red berries that will work. i have two sizes of stamens in my shop right now if you are having a time finding some small enough.

step 5. dust the top with mica. i spread the glue over the surface of the bottle bush bristles with my finger and then shake on the mica to coat it well.

thats it..now you have the cutest ever tiny wreath to hang for the holidays. this one measures 1-1/2 inches across!

for those of you that are really adventurous, check out these darling dyed bottle brush trees by karla nathan
i haven't tried to dye them yet, but that is next on my list.

lots of the vintage bottle brush wreaths had tiny mercury glass beads on them and little candles or fruits. this pink wreathis a classic.

here are a couple more bottle brush wreath make overs to give you some more ideas. this little fat flocked wreath was very bare when i found it. i added some laquered holly leaves, a vintage tinsel ribbon off the spool, and a few mercury glass beads.

these one just needed a glittered bell.

and this one was just perfect as is. i love the little millinery flowers and the mercury glass candle. funny how many of the little red bows look a little orange after 50+ years.

enjoy, julie

one for me and one for you....

2010-11-04T08:47:00.004-06:00

thanks so much everyone for your lovely comments about dolores. lucky number 21 was picked by the random number generator i used this morning.

Heather that is you! i can't view your profile to send you a note, so please email me with your mailing address. dolores has an identical twin! i made the first cat at witches night out, and her twin for my artful thursday project last week.

so there is one for me and one for you.
dolores and dolores, two sisters on an adventure.
happy thursday.

a red letter day...

2010-11-02T16:27:00.003-06:00

i just got started and really couldn't stop myself....
it is just one of those red letter days.

cutting out labels.

wrapping things with tinsel.

sewing tiny ruffles.

getting my shop ready for a vintage holiday...

i will be taking comments for anyone who wants to adopt dolores till wednesday night, then it will be time for a new artful thursday project.
happy 50 cent refill tuesday, julie

artful thursdays #26....halloween cat tutorial and adopt dolores...

2010-10-30T18:24:00.011-06:00

this week we had our art group witches night out halloween party at candice's house. i got home at 2:30am so it is a good thing there wasn't any school the next day! the food was spectacular, my favorite was the spiced sweet potatoes that candice had made with roasted sweet potatoes with melted butter and milk steeped in mulling spices. with a bit of fresh ground black pepper it was divine...
here are a few of the costumes. cheryl in her vintage black dress

em and amanda

lorraine and her winning cats costume

me and candice

can't believe i didn't get a photo of everyone! here are all the girls last year at our witches night out.

our halloween cat project turned out so fun. lorraine sewed together all the cats and stuffed and painted them ahead of time so we had all the fun of decorating them. here is the whole basket of little kitties just waiting for the party to start.

lorraine gave me an extra cat to decorate and give away on my blog so here is dolores, she needs a new home. i have never had a give away before so how fun is that?? i will draw a name from the comments and then send her off to you...
we all finished our cats and lined them up for a photo shoot. so cute, right.

my artful thursday tutorial will start with the sewn cat so see this post for ideas how to draw, sew, and stuff one of your own design.
lorraine bought this darling cat from olive rose at art unravelled a while back and used the basic outline for her inspiration.

the cats are sewn out of muslin and painted with black milk paint.
we started out with a cat looking like this:

the one on the left has the seam up the back. i have always hidden the seam down the side, so this is fun and new for me.
step 1. cut out the felt pieces for the face. i used some cute vintage flower sequins on top of the felt eyes because i couldn't find any black buttons the right size.

step 2. sew on the face. i have this pretty thread set from valdani that i bought at the quilt market. the colors are overdyed and varigated autumn hues.

step 3. make a little bow bundle using a piece of gold tulle, a piece of polka dot black tulle, an orange felt flower, and a bit of tinsel. sew the bundle next to the cats ear.

step 4. tie a crepe paper ruffle around the neck. i used a piece of 1 3/4 inch ruffle wrapped around the neck twice and tied with some striped string. fold the ruffle in half over the string and smunch it and squish it down so it lays down flat like a collar.

step 5. make a wee skirt. i gathered a 17 X 6 rectangle of gold tulle folded in half and a 17 X 3 inch rectangle of brown and aqua cotton for the base of the skirt and tacked each layer to the cat with thread. then tied a bit of ribbon over the skirt. it looked too bland so i added a bit of loopy orange trim and an aqua wool medallion with a tinsel center.

step 6. now for some little mary jane shoes. these are just painted on with some acrylic paint and a fine brush.

i love how some of the gals in my art group painted the clothes and faces on the cat body. with the painted muslin the cat is a great canvas. here are a few more group shots of the cats.

just leave a comment if you would like dolores to come live with you. i'll pick a winner and let you know.
well now, hubby just came home with 14 pounds of trick or treat candy...
spooky halloween wishes, julie

artful thursdays #25....halloween witch tutorial

2010-10-07T13:48:00.010-06:00

we met for our art group last week and i taught everyone how to make these halloween witches. their bodies are made with wool or cotton wrapped pipe cleaners. i thought you might like to make one of your own, so today's artful thursday project will walk you through the steps to make a wool wrapped doll for you to decorate for any holiday.

the basic supplies you will need to make the doll are wool roving, cotton pipe cleaners, and a paper face. for decorating you might gather bits from your little art shop: crepe paper, vintage book paper, tinsel, stamens, lace, stars, felt, anything sparkly, and some tiny trinkets.

step 1. fold two 6 inch cotton pipe cleaners in half and shape into a body by twisting the two pipe cleaners as shown. my pipe cleaners are the ones really used to clean pipes made by dill's.

step 2. start wrapping your wool roving on the figure in this order: arms, legs, then the body. start at the end of the hand or foot and wind your way into the body with thin wisps of wool pulled off your roving. never cut the wool fibers as they won't wrap back and catch on themselves as well. you can get some great wool roving at ornamentea.

step 3. wrap wool roving around the head to finish the figure and tuck the ends around the neck. use a bit of spray sealer to hold the wool in place if you need to or i like just a bit of tacky glue smeared on my fingers to tuck in any stray bits.

step 4. start designing the clothing. i made a little crepe paper skirt and glued it in place.

step 5. glue on little sleeves. i used some vintage loopy trim tucked over each arm.

step 6. glue on a bodice. i used a piece of halloween garland from last year. the tiny stamens are just glued in place with a black bit of seam binding tied around the middle for a sash. the sparkly tinsel is glued on top.

step 7. make a little witch hat. cut out a cone shape and glue the ends together. i decorated this one with a bit of ribbon trim and a glittered star. the black paper is vintage photo album paper. add a circle base to the hat if you like. glue on your paper face for your doll and then the hat. any old photo copied onto paper will do well. my face is about 3/4 inch tall.

here are the spooky girls made by some of the gals in my art group. i usually don't bother to take photos as the building we meet in has horrible overhead lights and a bad background. this time i just went for it. it was totally fun using just the stuff on the table to set up the photo. thank you my art friends for such a lovely evening!
this one is by Diana and photographed on her gorgeous carpet handbag.

with roller skates and a lovely porcelain head, this little witch is by cheryl.

this sparkly baby with all the ruffles is by candice

lori made this darling doll using a vintage jello mold!

amandas happy girl holds the cutest mask...

heidi was making a doll for each of her kids in their favorite costume. luke skywalker was going to be next, awesome right.

this cutie by lorraine looks like she just won the trick or treat pageant

amazing how each one is so different even though we started out with the same kit. this little pumpkin fairy i made for my pretty little felts book. her pumpkin is a wool bead with a bit of embroidery. hope you enjoy this project. spooky wishes, julie

artful thursdays #24....easy no-sew embroidered button tutorial

2010-09-30T19:22:00.007-06:00

i am so excited to get back to my artful thursday projects. today my tutorial is how to make super easy no-sew embroidered buttons.

as i was digging through the vintage sewing supplies at one of my regular antique store stops i found this prims, cover a button kit. inside there are four sizes of buttons to cover. apparently they are washable and rustproof. splendid.
it is so easy you don't even need a tool. and just in case you didn't find a little cover a button kit do not fret, i found a similar button kit at joanns.
i like the buttons with the little teeth on the back.

it all started with an old embroidered pillow case. i had cut off the hand crocheted trim to use and couldn't quite discard the little embroidered daisies, so i made a little covered button and liked it so much.

i started looking through my old linens for bits of embroidery i could use.
there it was, the perfect little hankie. stained and torn but with lovely bullion roses and chrysanthemums hand embroidered to the thin cotton.

step 1. wrap your embroidered fabric over the button form to position your design.

step 2. cut out a circle of scrap fabric to test the size then lay your scrap pattern over your embroidery. position, pin, and cut out. my hankie was so thin i used a circle of plain cotton to back the embroidery so the silver button wouldn't show through.

step 3. tuck the circle ends all around the back of the button pulling the fabric taught and positioning your design so you like it.

step 4. place the back over the loop shank and press until the button snaps closed. after the backing is in place you can't take it off and reposition so make sure your edges are smooth and you like how the stitching is centered.

i will never know who stitched this gorgeous piece of embroidery, but i love that i found a way to use it a little bit longer...

happy thursday, julie

a love story...

2010-09-17T04:14:00.014-06:00

yes, well you might ask where i have been these last couple of weeks. last month my oldest daughter announced she would be getting married in 3 weeks. the wedding was planned for april (they have been dating for 4 years!) but the two of them decided they wanted to be married before he swore in to the marines in 21 days. i went into shock at the announcement. actually it can be done, pulling off a wedding in 3 weeks... but i don't recommend it...

i love this photo of the two of them, it does tell a love story doesn't it. they are blissfully happy together now and they thought the wedding was perfect. it rained on the lovely garden reception. drops puddled around the frosting on the wedding cake and the tablecloths were damp. still the couple was glowing. at one point in the evening i saw him twirling her around with her dress billowing. i just caught a glimpse of their faces, they were laughing as the warm summer rain fell on them. how else do you start a life together?

its just that she was ready to go, and i wasn't quite ready to let her...

my sister katherine had her camera and was taking photos, i just love this one of the gorgeous green ruffled shoes and the bride bouquet. a mix of long stemmed roses and english roses from her grandmothers flower garden wrapped in long strands of silk ribbon.

i ordered these gorgeous sugar hydrangeas from sweet petal bakery. 100 sherbet colored flowers and pale mint colored leaves were dusted with edible shimmer and arranged on a the buttercream frosting cake. they were gorgeous and the cake was delicious. a little summer rain never hurt a good cake....

these are a couple more photos we used to plan the decorations and flowers. this photo was from a site all about flowers...

this photo was on etsy, can't find it now. it was from a seller that had baskets full of vintage tablecloths i guess.

flickr always has gorgeous color collections!

we didn't have time to order fancy invitations so we bought two boxes of these pretty printed blank cards from paper pigeon and set up the text on the computer and had them printed at our copy shop. the paper store had precut photo tissues to put on top of the photo and we added a little insert in a glassine envelope and tied the bundle together with vintage string.

so now it is back to our regularly scheduled life. there is now one less plate at the dinner table and one empty room downstairs.

yet in the way life continues to surprise and delight me, where before we had one now there are two.
julie

super sale today.....

2010-08-03T09:08:00.010-06:00

...............$...$ SUPER SALE $...$..................

i am headed back to school in 3 weeks so i am clearing out
my etsy shop today, august 3rd.

everything marked 20%-40% off. all handmade items, vintage paper goods,
crepe paper ruffles, felt zipper purses, and stamens.

***i will be listing and adding items all day tuesday, SUPER SALE DAY,
as i photograph and package things up***

have fun, julie

artful thursdays #23....emilee the tiny stuffed kitty tutorial

2010-07-23T06:45:00.007-06:00

ok, so i was totally wrong about this whole summer thing...

i thought that once the long lazy summer days arrived i would have the whole day to post my artful thursdays projects and tutorials. i guess i didn't remember what summer was like having 4 kids home all day (3 teenagers!) with friends over, eating constantly, needing a ride here and there, staying up late talking and watching movies. i must have forgotten how fun it is and that i would want to be doing everything with them.

so i am giving myself a break, letting myself off the hook a bit and will just decide to be happy with posting a photo of what i am working on instead of feeling like i have to photograph and post a complete tutorial every thursday. there you go, i now have permission to have all kinds of fun these last 3 weeks before i am back teaching again and having thursdays to myself again.

it is very hot here, nearly 100 degrees every day. july really feels like a desert. it is cooler downstairs and a great place to sew. my daughter marina has been sewing a stuffed army of these little guys, i had to make one.

the supplies are so simple to make your own tiny stuffie:
a piece of cotton fabric, some stuffing, and embroidery floss. it is fun to add beads and other little bits like ribbon and a little pink balloon. dig through your stuff and use up whatever you have left over.

step 1. draw a little outline for your animal on tracing paper. everything shrinks when you stuff it so plan for a little shrinkage.

step 2. sew around your outline leaving a little opening for turning the thing inside out. cut out and tear off the tracing paper.

step 3. turn you little guy inside out and stuff with stuffing. sew the opening closed with a needle and thread

step 4. with a needle and embroidery thread sew on a nose, mouth, whiskers, add eyes or use beads with little french knots in the centers.

step 5. decorate with a collar, ribbon, balloon, birthday hat, or tiny sundress. have fun!

happy summer wishes, julie

a blossom passing fair

2010-07-12T18:36:00.002-06:00

from a line by william shakespeare in one of his sonnets....a blossom passing fair.

my favorite pale green cotton stemmed millinery flowers, tiny composite buds, velvet blossoms line up their stems. embroidered with hand dyed threads on a linen ground.

in the evening felicia would don her blossomed bonnet tied with a large bow beneath her chin and stroll hand in hand with eugene under the sycamore trees.

'thy sweet graces'

2010-07-07T11:01:00.003-06:00

summer evenings on the porch swing, ruffled aprons, and tall glasses of lemonade. flowery tablecloths hanging on the line to dry.

a charming piece of a vintage quilt is the background for 'thy sweet graces'. the quilt pattern is called postage stamp as even the smallest squares of cotton were sewn together and quilted. old dresses were cut apart after they were worn out and the pieces were shared with friends and made into quilts.

even after this quilt was worn to shreds, this piece remains to remind me of the sweet graces that are found in everyday beauty.

artful thursdays #22....cupcake envelope book tutorial

2010-06-24T16:25:00.009-06:00

i might have to call this my artful week...
first i spent the most lovely time at the art nest, then went to my art group last night and now today i am making a sweet little cupcake envelope book to tuck in my purse for my artful thursday.

this is such a fun and easy project. you can make up a whole stack of these little books in an hour. i like that there is a little pocket in the front and back of the book to tuck in a surprise or two.

you will need: 1 envelope, a little stack of paper, a big needle, some string, and a little image for your cover. so the crazy numbers came from a box of subtraction cards i found this week, just felt like cutting them up for the cool numbers....

step 1. fold your envelope in half. cut the flap up the center fold.

step 2. fold the envelope in half with the flap opened. with a pencil mark the cutting lines for shaping your envelope flaps. trim with scissors.

step 3. cut a stack of papers 1/8 inch smaller all around than your envelope. i like to use ledger paper, graph paper, or cute recycled notebook paper. use a corner rounder to round off the corners if you like.

step 4. use a pencil to mark three holes for stitching your book together. thread a piece of string or waxed linen through a large needle. sew your pages in using the pamphlet stitch. here is how to do it.

poke your needle down through the center hole.

poke your needle up through the bottom hole.

poke your needle down through the top hole.

poke your needle up through the center hole again.

now tie the two string ends in a square knot and clip threads.

step 5. decorate the front of your book with a square of cute paper and a cupcake image. i love the cupcakes in this nook and pantry paper pad from basic grey. use an image from a scrapbook paper, piece of wallpaper, wrapping paper, or from a worn out vintage book.

wrap your book up with a bit of ribbon and a tiny pencil for the quickest ever little handmade gift. enjoy, julie

artful thursdays #21....sewn tag tutorial

2010-06-10T12:14:00.010-06:00

today i am sewing all the name tags for the art nest next week. looking at a cute little stack of these sewn tags on my desk i thought what a fun project to show you today for my artful thursday! the little tags are quick to make and let you use little bits of leftover stuff you have already. i am painting names on each one to be worn as name tags, but you can tie your sewn tag to an old suitcase where you keep your paints or write a little note on the tag and tie it to a gift.

gather from your art room a piece of cardstock, a scrap of fabric, a punched out piece of decorative paper, and a little ribbon.

step 1. cut a rectangle out of cardstock and one from a fabric scrap 3 1/2 inches long and 2 3/4 inches wide.

step 2. use a glue stick to adhere the fabric to the paper rectangle. round the corners with scissors.

step 3. punch out of decorative paper a 2 inch scalloped square. the punch i use is made by marvy by uchida and can be purchased here. glue the scalloped square to the fabric with a glue stick.

step 4. make a little template and mark a square for your stitching lines.

step 5. sew along the pencil lines.

step 6. use a japanese screw hole punch and punch two circles in the top of your tag big enough to thread a ribbon through.

step 7. thread a length of seam binding through the two holes like this. tie a knot with both ribbons together and trim. the prettiest hand dyed seam binding i have found is made by my friend marilyn.

make up a little stack of these tags and keep them in a bowl on your desk. you will be surprised how fun it is to use one of your own hand sewn tags.

next week i am creating a special artful thursdays post on making little trades to exchange with new friends. i will be posting photos of the tiny trades from the art nest when i get back. see you then and happy artful thursday, julie

artful thursdays #20....framing tutorial

2010-06-03T07:38:00.018-06:00

last thursday was our last day of school and my daughters sweet 16 bash...the day was so full of celebrations and fun. it really feels like summer this week. i am back riding my bike up the canyon in the mornings and the kids got the slip and slide out,
i am in my studio working on some art nest goodies getting ready for the retreat in two weeks. its wonderful...

today for my artful thursdays tutorial i wanted to show how to recycle old frames to hang art throughout your house. i like to buy old frames at thrift stores, usually for less than a dollar each. i want to have frames filled with my kids art all around the house. this is my daughters 2nd grade self portrait that hung outside her class for parent teacher conference.

choosing one color to paint several frames unifies them when they are hung together. black is a classic. try using a flat black paint with a matte clear coat for the finish. cream is also a great basic, or go for a whole collection of red frames to make a bold statement.

step #1. remove the backing from the old frame and take out the cardboard and the glass.

step #2. lay the empty frame on an old piece of posterboard outside in the shade. choose a warm day without any wind. the heavy weight posterboard works better than newspaper or plastic, it always seem to blow up and get stuck to the drying paint. spray the back of the frame first. let it dry then spray on a thin coat of paint to the front of the frame.

step #3. spray on a second coat of paint. make sure you move around the frame and spray from every angle to get paint in all the recessed areas. let the paint dry completely. spray on a clear coat to finish.

step #4. replace the glass if you are using it and layer in the backing pieces and close the back of the frame by bending in the metal tabs or staples.

i like to use repurposed frames for little shadowboxes like these these little gold plastic frames that were painted blue and then wiped off some of the blue paint to expose the gold underneath.

here is my mom on a dancing day. i used tiny german dresden paper borders to frame the image.

frame a collection of buttons, stones, beach glass, or millinery flowers. use scrapbook papers, fabric, or wallpaper for an interesting pattern in the back of your frame. 'just sad' is my daughters watercolor painting with vintage lined paper in the background.

use a clip in a frame like this one to quickly change out pictures or tiny sketches. my son uses this frame to put in cool pictures of cars.

collect vintage frames with the same finish. the details on these frames are gorgeous.

take apart an old picture book that is damaged and frame your favorite illustrations. our kids bathroom has framed prints from the book 'Go. Dog, Go.'

frame your own art and hang it where everyone can enjoy it. change things up frequently and group several frames together for a greater impact.

before....

after.....

whatever you decide to frame, have fun.

artful thursdays #19....crochet flower tutorial

2010-05-20T11:57:00.009-06:00

today i am crocheting little flowers getting ready for my art group tonight. we are making crochet flower necklaces like the one lori gardner made. (i'll link to her photos when she posts them) she wore it to art group one night and stunned us all.

i almost gave up with the tutorial today.... the lighting was too bright, the yarn was too fuzzy and my camera wouldn't focus, i forgot to ride my bike up to the school to pick up the kids. (the little voice on the phone- mom, aren't you coming to get us?) does that spell mom failure with capital letters or what? then there is that voice asking why are you doing this again?

then everyone got home, we had a bit of a snack, and my project didn't look so awful any longer. i took a few more photos and had to be out the door. the last week of school is a killer for sure. are you feeling it?

these are the little cherry blossom flowers my daughter marina uses to make the hair clips and pins in her shop. i think they are so sweet.

i wanted a tiny project to fit in my purse this summer that i can do anywhere. this is it, all you need is a size 10 crochet hook and some #8 DMC cotton perle or thin yarn. a pair of clippers in your purse will even cut the thread. i was given a bag of crochet hooks, threads, and patterns that were my grandma beaulah's after she passed away when i was 16 years old. i love using her old metal crochet hooks now, having one in my purse will be a little memory of her.

*note* this isn't a step by step crocheting tutorial for someone that has never crocheted before in their life. if you need a bit more help check this youtube video tutorial out.

step 1. make a loop and chain 7 stitches with inside color.

step 2. slip stitch to join circle and chain one to begin round one.

step 3. you are going to crochet 5 petals around the circle. the pattern for each petal is this: crochet one single crochet through the circle you made(sc). double crochet (dc) 2 times through the circle, then single crochet(sc) again through the circle and finish the first petal with a 1/2 crochet through the circle. the pattern would read r1 sc dc dc sc 1/2c. repeat this pattern for each petal 4 more times.

step 4. slip one stitch to join round one. clip thread and pull through to tie off.

step 5. round 2 begin crocheting with outline color. join thread and single crochet through the center. this is the stitch that will shape each of the 5 petals so keep this one snug.

step 6. now single crochet around the first petal with your outline color following this pattern. single crochet once in the first stitch, single crochet twice in the second stitch, single crochet twice in the third stitch, single crochet once in the fourth stitch, single crochet through the center and begin second petal. continue crocheting around the remaining four petals following this pattern.

step 7. slip one stitch to join round 2. clip thread and pull through to tie off. use a large eyed needle to hide the thread ends on the back of the flower and clip off. your first little crochet flower is finished!

sew a small button or seed beads in the center of your flowers, sew them on a pin back or hair clip, a tiny purse or package and you might be on your way to making a whole collection of these little cherry blossoms. enjoy, julie

artful thursdays #18.....a little art nesting

2010-05-13T20:14:00.007-06:00

today in the mail i got this little paper doll welcoming me to the summer art nest. so sweet, just like opening a little party with the darling confetti spilling out. we had a cancellation today so if you are interested in joining us in june send me a note.....

today for my artful thursday i went shopping for some art nest inspiration. candice and i are designing the mailers we will be sending out next week. i found these sweet daisy napkins that i plan on using for the envelope edging.

we'll use the hand crocheted edging instead of the paper lace we used on this one we made when amy hanna and pam garrison came the the nest.

here are a few of the things we bought at anthropology to use at the cabin and for color inspiration.

of course we had to taste test some cupcakes to pick the flavors we wanted to order! hope your thursday was lovely, julie

artful thursdays #17.....wire bird cage tutorial

2010-05-06T17:33:00.008-06:00

welcome to artful thursdays part 2, the little wire cage to go with the bird you made last week. i added a few extra goodies to my cage when i made it today, i couldn't resist...

you will only need some inexpensive 20 gauge craft wire, wire cutters and pliers, some junk chain from a broken necklace, and your paper clay bird from last week.

tools left to right: beadsmith needle nose pliers , lindstrom flush cut wire cutters (totally worth it!), and craftsman bent nose pliers.
step 1. cut a piece of wire to form a 3 inch circle. twist the ends together.

step 2. cut 3 pieces of wire 11 inches long. these wires will form the dome of your cage. twist the end of your first wire around your circle and crimp tight with your bent nose pliers. this will keep your wires from sliding around your circle.

now twist the other end of your first wire straight across on the circle.

step 3. attach the other two wires following this diagram for the placement of the six wire ends around the circle.

step 4. to make the swing cut a piece of wire 8 inches long and shape it into a gothic arch. hold your bird inside to be sure she will fit comfortably.

twist one wire end around the top of the swing to secure. make a wire loop with the other wire end using your needle nose pliers. thread a piece of chain on the wire loop and then twist the wire end around to secure and clip off excess wire.

hold the swing inside the cage to measure how long you want the chain. mark the chain and clip.

step 5. now attach your bird to the swing. wrap one leg wire around the swing. the wire legs are short, only about 1/4 of an inch long after wrapping. to be sure your bird doesn't slip forward on the swing crimp wire to secure and clip off any extra wire. repeat for the second leg wire.

step 6. to hang the swing from the top of your cage cut a 4 inch piece of wire and bend it slightly in the center. slide the chain attached to the swing onto the wire and let it fall to the center bend. slip one end of the wire under the top of your cage where the 3 wires cross right in the center.

twist the wire ends around to secure the chain for the swing. with your needle nose plier curl up the wire ends. twist two more wires around the top and curl up the wire ends for a total of 6 curled up wires.

step 7. to make the wire loops twist the wire around a paintbrush, remove the paintbrush and place it next to the loop and wrap the wire around the paintbrush again to form another loop. keep forming loops until you can make a circlet of wire loops that will fit around the top of your cage.

slide the wire loop circlet over your wire cage and secure by bending the loops around each of the 6 dome wires. here is where you need to learn the word 'wonky'
working with wire forms will cure you of any perfectionist tendencies... i try to shape the wire so it is fairly even and symetrical, but there is always a bit of wonkiness about it, i think this just adds to the handmade feel of your piece and give it a lovely charm all its own.

note: this wire cage is definitely better than the first one i made (just look at the last post!) mostly because i cut the three wires that form the dome all the same length to begin with...

now it is time to add a bit of fun if you like. i tied some of vintage ribbon around the top and let it curl down both sides. i threaded silver lined seed beads on a spool of very fine silver wire and wrapped it around the top of my cage leaving the beads to slide along the wires for some sparkle and a little movement.

the beads came from this broken vintage necklace.

here is a close-up of the wire loop circlet in place and the beads strung around the cage.

the paper tag is the final touch. i removed the string from the tag and slipped a vintage button with a wire loop shank in the hole at the top of the tag. then i tied the string through the button shank and tied a strip of tulle around the button and curled a painted paper leaf around the button as well. a lovely gift for someone very special. enjoy, julie

artful thursdays #16.....paper clay bird tutorial

2010-04-29T14:41:00.009-06:00

oh bother, i had some fun things and photos to post about this week and here it is already artful thursday again. there is only a month left of school and it seems like time is flying. then there will be the long lazy summer for me to catch up....

today i will be showing how to make a paper clay bird. (the wire cage and swing i will show next week if you are interested, leave me a note) i made this little swinging bird at art group this month. we all experimented with wire forms and senta showed us how to make and paint paper clay figures. i have tried crackling mediums before but never had any success so i am thrilled to find something that actually works! i hope the photographs will let you see close-up how it turns out.

you will need:
paper clay, some wire, paints, and crackle medium. the paper clay birds are quick to make but need to dry over night before you paint them.

step #1. shape your clay figure. i used creative paperclay, an inexpensive brand that is only $7 for 8 oz. we made 12 birds using 1/4 a package. the clay dries out quickly so keep the package tightly wrapped and only take out what you are working with. smooth out any cracks and lumps with your finger dipped in water.

step #2. when you like the shape of your bird cut 4 inches of 20 gauge wire and bend it in half for the legs. (or for a hanger cut 1 1/2 inches of wire and bend in half)
insert the bend end into your clay bird for the legs. i left the wires long so i could have some length to wrap them around the wire swing and trim later. shape the clay around the wire and smooth with a rubber tipped clay tool or a smooth paint brush end.
step #3. stand up your bird in a piece of modeling clay and let dry overnight.

step #4. sand your bird with a fine sandpaper or fingernail file and wipe off sanding dust. sketch your design with a sharp pencil.

step #5. using a fine paintbrush and acrylic paints paint your design on your bird. let dry completely. here is lily on my desk for painting inspiration, even though she is a chicken....
step #6. squeeze out a bit of one step crackle. it is milky white like diamond glaze if you have worked with that product. paint on the crackle medium in an even coat over your bird and let dry. a thin coat makes a smaller crackle. you can see the cracks start to appear as you watch, cool!

step #7. after the crackle glaze is completely dry squeeze out a bit of brown acrylic paint. add some water to thin and paint it over the crackle glaze. wipe off the excess with a damp cloth if you get too much color.

your darling bird is done! isn't the crackle glaze so easy, i am excited to try it out on a painted canvas to see how it works.

here is why i have wanted so much to learn how to make little things with paper clay, i bought this little elephant in a hot air balloon and the tiny squirrel from my friend senta plyer at the winterfrost sale last december. i absolutely adored everything she made and wished i could have purchased it all! these two pieces were my favorites.

happy thursday, julie

artful thursdays #15.....party kitty paper doll tutorial

2010-04-22T12:35:00.008-06:00

today we are exchanging paper dolls at my art group. i finally got an idea last night of what i wanted to do. i was looking through my 2008 day book at some sketches and paintings i did and found this little kitty...

i like how the little painting turned out on ledger paper so i used the same idea for my paper doll.
gather together a few supplies: nice, smooth paper that you can water color on, pencil, eraser, permanent pen, watercolors, brushes, goache, scissors, tracing paper.

step #1. sketch out a figure in pencil. draw over the lines with a permanent pen. when the ink is dry erase any pencil marks.

step #2. paint your figure using acrylic, watercolor, or guache paint. let dry.

step #3. lay a piece of tracing paper over your figure and sketch out little clothes and hats to fit. i draw simple outlines and decorate later.

step #4. turn the tracing paper over and lay it down on your decorative paper or painting paper. trace over your pencil lines. this will 'transfer' your design onto another paper.
step #5. for the little pink dress i inked the lines with a permanent pen, then erased the pencil lines.

step #6. cut out the dress and decorate with little trims and glitter. the little green and blue party outfit was painted with water color and has a crepe paper sash and a flower cut from a silk petals. i also made a little cake and a mouse balloon for party kitty to play with.

step #7. when all your pieces are cut out and decorated, glue them down to a paper base and color copy.

here are a few of my favorite paper doll artists:

alice in wonderland and the queen of hearts by marina.

these darling halloween costumes by danita.

perhaps you will make a paper doll of your own, or start your own collection of tiny dolls. enjoy, julie

artful thursdays #14.....zipper purse tutorial

2010-04-15T15:38:00.020-06:00

ok, huge confession here...i have the biggest wool collection in my state, i think.
plus i never, ever pass up a vintage metal zipper at a sale. i buy even the used ones that someone clipped out of a skirt. it seems i always see a vision of something new that could be made with old vintage wool skirts and coats. time to get busy making some zipper purses for my artful thursday project this week...
my favorite thing to tuck inside these little purses is my jewelry when i travel, next i like to corral all the little things that collect at the bottom of my purse: lipstick, gum, nail file, that sort of thing. once you make one you will be making them for everything. 4 seams on the sewing machine and a bit of hand stitching is all it takes.

gather together scraps and pieces of wool felt. i use washed and felted clothing and hand dyed wool. even the tiniest pieces will make a flower.
you will also need a zipper, any length will do, i always cut off the extra, some embroidery thread and something sweet to sew on top like a vintage button or bead.

step 1. cut your wool felt into a rectangle. my tiny size purse is 8 inches by 5.5 inches.

step 2. scallop or zig zag cut the short ends of the wool rectangle.

step 3. pin the cut edges to your zipper and sew both ends to your zipper. i use my zipper foot and a smaller stitch like 2.5.

step 4. close the zipper and turn the purse inside out. pin the two ends closed. you can either center the zipper down the middle, or move it to one side a bit. sew the zipper pull end first. unzip the zipper just a bit and sew a 1/4 seam allowance. i sew this seam twice to make it extra sturdy.
step 5. now sew the other end closed. it is a bit tricky sewing over the metal zipper teeth. i have a sturdy jeans needle i use and i 'walk' the needle over the zipper teeth with my hand. sew this seam twice also.

step 6. cut the zipper end off with utility scissors and turn the purse right side out. poke all four corners out nicely and press your zipper purse using a wool setting on your iron and steam. i iron right over the zipper.

step 7. now for the the decorating part. for this little purse i added a felt flower embellishment and stitched it on with embroidery thread.

my friend cassondra walters mailed me these gorgeous vintage wool flowers. you can make your own with tiny scraps of felt.

first i cut out the two felt circles using a circle template and trace the circles with a pencil. cut out the green felt stem and leaves and place them on the purse where you like them. sew through the two circles and attach the little applique and bead.

step 8. using a pale green thread sew tiny back stitches to attach the stem and leaves. so adorable! these little purses feel so thick and scrunchy in your hands and can totally go the distance with their metal zippers.

here are a whole stack of ideas to get you going.

these two purses have millinery flowers sewn on them.

i couldn't resist this polka dot fabric to line this purse, plaids are my favorite!

fancy buttons make great flowers!

these two purses have tiny seed beads and embroidery for the design.

if you like you can attach a fun bead or button to the zipper pull with a jump ring. this little bell shaped glass bead looked like a little mushroom to me.
happy thursday, julie

baby buggy spring wishes....

2010-04-06T14:31:00.005-06:00

i went on a little spring holiday with my family last week so i didn't post an artful thursday project. it was such a great break, lots of hiking in the red rocks and swimming at the pool. we came home with red sand everywhere and a few new freckles.
i'll see you this week for a new artful thursday project.

happy baby buggy spring wishes, julie

artful thursdays #13....vintage wrist corsage tutorial

2010-04-01T14:19:00.008-06:00

easter just seems like the perfect time to wear a flowery bonnet or corsage. my artful thursday project for today is a little velvet wrist corsage bursting with blossoms. i gathered together a few vintage finds: a vintage linen with crocheted edges, flowers and leaves from a squashed dolls hat, velvet ribbon, and some buttons.

step #1. cut 10 inches of velvet ribbon. mine is almost an inch wide.

step #2. fold one end of the velvet under 1 inch and hand stitch in place. sew a button on the right side of the velvet. this little crocheted button is 1/2 inch wide.

step #3. wrap the ribbon around your wrist and have someone pin the velvet band to fit comfortably. notch cut the ribbon end.

step #4 i haven't sewn a real button hole in years so my button hole is a shortcut. (you can even use some vintage snaps or a hook and eye closure if you don't have a sewing machine) mark where the button hole should go. I placed the button on the ribbon and marked with a pencil a dot on either side of the button. then i drew with pencil the rectangle lines to sew for the button hole.
step #5 sew around your pencil lines with a small (size 2) straight stitch on your machine. cut inside the stitching with a button hole cutter.

step #6. button your velvet band on your wrist to mark where you want your flowers. i like my crocheted button so well i want it to show. you may want to have the button be on the inside of your wrist.

step #7. cut a strip one inch wide and 12 inches long from a vintage hanky or other linen that has a pretty hand crocheted edge. this arm rest piece was very stained and worn thin so it was only 50cents.
step #8. sew a straight stitch with a needle and thread along the edge and gather the strip into a flower.

step #9. sew the gathered flower to your velvet band.

step #10 start layering on your little flowers, leaves, and ribbons one at a time and sew them in place.

the little wristlet when it is done feels so soft on your wrist, it would be so lovely to wear to a dance and then keep in your jewelry box.
happy thursday, julie

artful thursdays #12.....a tiny spring nest tutorial

2010-03-25T17:43:00.010-06:00

today little bits of green are starting to grow outside. i have some miniature daffodils and crocuses blooming, and with easter just over a week away i wanted to make a little spring nest for the center of my easter table with the fresh green of spring...

start with: a little 3 inch twig nest from the craft store, some brown wire, moss, a feathered bird, a few leaves and flowers, and a piece of tulle to tie on the top.

step #1. wire a handle to the sides of a twig nest. shape the wire in a curve over the top. my handle is doubled and stands 5 inches tall. twist the wire ends around and nest to the nest and clip.

step #2. clip or glue your bird into the nest. the birds i found at micheals are already glittered with clips on the base and are made by 'ashland signature accents'.

step #3. arrange the moss around the base of the bird. i used a dyed reindeer moss, it is soft and such a great color.

step #4. add some tiny fern leaves, flowers and stamens.

step #5. make a little bundle of velvet leaves and flowers and tie on the top of the handle with a piece of tulle or polka dot swiss fabric.

this project is so easy and quick, you might make one for each place setting. i am planning to arrange my spring nest on a pretty square creamware platter with some miniature daffodils and chocolate foil eggs. happy spring day for you, its snowing here.....

artful thursdays #11.....stuffie bunny tutorial

2010-03-18T14:20:00.015-06:00

i have had this idea for weeks, a sewn wool egg with vintage trim stripes and a little bunny tucked inside. this is what i had in mind from the beginning for artful thursdays, time for me every week to just make whatever i can imagine. it was so much fun making stuffie bunny and i can't wait to make a whole basket of them.
this darling vintage book got me started today. the the easter egg artists by adrienne adams. it was published in 1976 by weekly reader books, one of my favorite children's publishers from my childhood.
i started with a bit of wool and polka dot tricot from a vintage lounge suit (i actually tried it on, comfy but hideous...), little ric rac and trims, stuffing, and some embroidery threads.

step #1. sketch the size of egg you would like on a piece of paper and cut out 2 patterns. mine is 4 1/2 inches tall and 3 1/2 inches wide. draw a simple bunny shape inside one egg so you know he will fit.

step #2. pin the pattern to your tricot or other non-fraying soft material and stitch along your pattern lines leaving a small opening for stuffing. i like to sew first and then cut out the bunny as this keeps the fabrics from sliding and i can cut really close to the stitching.

step #3. carefully tear off the paper pattern. the stitching perforates the paper and it comes right off.

step #4. stuff your bunny using a chopstick to get the stuffing up in the ears and sew the opening closed.

step #5. embroider a the eyes and nose using a satin stitch. sew the little mouth with a back stitch. i anchored the whisker threads with one back stitch and left the ends long then trimmed them to length.

step #6. now to make the wool egg. cut out one full egg out of wool using your original egg pattern. cut the paper pattern in half with a big zig zag for a cracked half egg and cut out of wool. stitch along the cracked edge of your egg.

step #7. select a few trims you like and line them up in stripes on the half egg. stitch them in place letting the trim ends hang over the sides of the egg.

step #8. pin the cracked egg to the full egg back and stitch all around the full egg. cut off the trim ends.

now all you have to do is tuck your stuffie bunny in your egg with a little paper grass and a baby chick to keep him company. a few tiny treats would fit in the bottom of the egg for a sweet surprise. enjoy, julie

a little bit o' irish

2010-03-16T21:15:00.007-06:00

the story is she was an irish gypsy and he was an irish priest. they fell in love and ran away to america. i came along a couple of generations later and i happen to know for a fact that explains the following about me:

stormy weather is my favorite, i love the ocean, i have two redheaded daughters with feisty tempers, and i always keep my eyes open for four leaf clovers...

this is a fun leprechaun wallpaper my daughter marina designed. mind blowing isn't it. download it to your screen saver at retro and ruby here:

i wore a bit o' green today and i am going to see 'leap year' tonight to celebrate. irish boy that runs a pub gets girl romantic comedy.
its my lucky day, julie

artful thursdays #10....paper mache egg tutorial

2010-03-11T21:52:00.011-07:00

this week candice and i put together our very first nesting kits for spring. all the lovely goodies to make your own paper mache eggs here in the art nest shop, just opened up today! other big news, we are working on a quarterly magazine, can't wait to show you how it is turning out... and the art nest summer retreat will be up next week.

i have always adored these paper mache eggs made in germany. one year i decorated a whole nest of them. this year i had the idea to cut out the back of one of the eggs to make a little window. then i found these little glittery white birds and my artful thursday project just flew together....

gather together a paper mache egg, tinsel for the nest, glittery bird, silver dresden paper scrap, ribbon, and a few millinery bits.

step #1. draw a window on the back of one half of your paper mache egg. cut out the window using an exacto blade.

step #2. use a finger nail file to smooth the edges of your window.

step #3. paint the outside of your egg with acrylic paint. i left the inside plain so the pretty pink floral pattern would show.

step #4. punch a hole in the top of your egg using a 1/8 inch punch.

step #5. glue a strip of dresden paper daisies or small trim around the edge of your egg.

step #6. glue some millinery stamens and a spun cotton mushroom to the bottom of the egg.

step #7. shape the tinsel into a nest and glue in place. glue in some flowers and a glittery bird.

step #8. thread a glass currant on a chenille stem through the hole in your egg and twist it into a curlicue.

step #9. tie some ribbon and stamens to chenille curlicue

hang your lovely little paper mache egg where the sunlight can shine through the back onto the little nest. see candice's egg she made today here. and a peek at the new nesting kits.

hope you all had a happy thursday, julie

tiny books for Haiti......

2010-03-09T07:11:00.005-07:00

can you even imagine getting this package in the mail? hosting the tiny book swap was absolutely amazing! every day as a new package would arrive filled with tiny books for the swap i couldn't believe how lovely each one was. my mailman seriously thought something was up, the packages just kept arriving...
one weekend we got out our big banquet tables and lined up the wallpaper envelopes i made and my family helped me divide up all the books and package them up to be mailed. i had to drag this huge box to the post office.

we ended up with two extra packages of tiny books from the swap so everyone agreed we would love to donate them to rebecca sower to be auctioned off for haiti. i have been so impressed with all the work she has done to help us contribute to relief efforts. you can bid on them here and see more lovely photographs of our project.
what a beautiful gift combined from each of the artists, another reminder that together we can accomplish great things.
xo julie

artful thursdays #9.....wonderland paper banner tutorial

2010-03-04T22:20:00.020-07:00

in celebration of tim burton's new movie coming out tomorrow i made a little paper banner to celebrate wonderland...
well, that and my college daughter wanted a tiny crepe paper banner to hang in her dorm that looked like spring.
here is the alice in wonderland photo i used for my color inspiration.

i started with: stack of vintage papers, crepe paper streamers, string, stickers, letter stamps, ink, glue.

step #1. cut out a pile of paper diamonds and glue them to crepe paper.

step #2. fold the paper diamonds in half and cut the crepe paper border with zig zag and scallop scissors.

step # 3. using alphabet stamps and black ink stamp the letters for 'wonderland' on flower stickers and attach to each paper triangle.

step # 4. fold the triangles over a length of vintage baby yarn and glue in place.

step # 5. cut a piece of black and white striped crepe paper and wire into a little rosette. (rosette tutorial here)

step # 6. wire the rosette and a piece of ribbon to the end of the yarn.

step #7. glue a tiny applique to the center of each crepe paper rosette.

i hope to invite a little more wonderland into my studio... cross your fingers i can get tickets for this weekend, julie

artful thursdays #8.....nut cup easter basket tutorial

2010-02-25T16:31:00.026-07:00

spring is on its way i can feel it. the other morning as i left the house at 5am i heard birds for the first time in months. living in utah with a blanket of snow that lasts through the winter the first signs of spring are a cause for celebration.

that and the tiny chenille chicks and easter candy that they just stocked at the market....

today's artful thursdays project is a quick one you can make in 15 minutes once you gather your supplies. you will need some little white party nut cups, pipe cleaners, crepe paper, tiny blossoms and stamens, a chenille chick, and a bit of trim.

step 1. nibble a chocolate easter egg.

ok, real step #1. cut your pipe cleaner to 6 inches and fold into a handle. (try not to get chocolate on the pipe cleaner) glue the two ends (3/4 of an inch) on either side of a paper nut cup and clip until the glue dries.

step # 2. cut a strip of crepe paper 1 inch wide and 36 inches long. gather down the middle with your sewing machine or needle and thread. fold crepe paper ruffle in half along the stitching and glue around the top edge of the nut cup. glue another folded ruffle on top of the first so you have a nice ruffly edge.

step #3. gather a strip of tulle or vintage curtain 1 inch wide and 20 inches long. glue it on top of the crepe paper ruffles.

step #4. glue a strip of pretty 1/4 inch trim along the center of the tulle. this darling spool of trim was at joann's. they had lots of pretty spring colors of narrow vintage looking trim and each spool was only $1.00!

step #5. gather together a tiny posy of millinery flowers and stamens. wire them tightly together and clip off extra wire.

step #6. wrap the posy with ribbon or string and tie to the pipe cleaner handle on one side.

step #7. fill the basket with tiny paper shred. make your own by cutting a folded up piece of crepe paper into 1/8 strips.

step #8.
cut text strip from a book with words you like and fold it in half and notch the end. glue around a paper millinery flower stem and tuck the banner under a little chenille chicks wing. glue in place. the little banner could have a name on it and your basket could be the place card for a friend coming to tea...

fill your basket with little candy eggs and pop your chick on top. its as sweet as you!

here are a few other tiny easter baskets i made. the vintage crocheted nut cup holders came in an old chocolate box. i imagine they were brought out for bridge night with the girls. i dressed this one up a bit...

i made a few easter decorating kits for you with all the supplies to make 8 little easter baskets on a lovely sunny afternoon.
happy thursday, julie

can't wait till march 1st!

2010-02-24T05:25:00.006-07:00

just got the email from my cute friend marilyn that my encaustic wax piece made the cover of somerset apprentice! you can see marilyn's wax collage here. scroll down to see the piece 'No. 5'
we were just messing around with wax at one of our art group nights and had the best time. it is definitely messy, but fun!
i can't wait till march 1st to get my hands on a copy....

**update** postman just delivered my copy only one hour after posting, wow somerset is lighting fast!

artful thursdays #7......post it note mailing labels tutorial

2010-02-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

today is actually going to be the ultimate artful thursday for me. i am taking the whole day off! first candice and i are meeting up in salt lake to plan our summer art nest retreat, so excited about that! we will shop at a few of our favorite antique stores, go out to lunch, and then in the evening head to our art group for our monthly meeting making sewn bird collages on book covers. what a great day right...

so my artful thursday tutorial today is all about quick and easy using what is sitting on my desk. i love, love mailing packages (almost as much as getting them). to make them extra special i make my own mailing labels. it is great to have a few on hand when dashing to the post office.

i have quite a few vintage paper scraps on my desk since i have been packaging up the tiny book swap bundles. (i am waiting to post about the swap until everyone gets their packages..) all you need is some paper scraps, scissors, a glue stick and some post it notes or small bird images. i found these sweet bird post it notes at a little gift shop nearby. they are made by cavallini paper and can be found here.

step 1. cut out rectangles of your scrap ledger papers. 4 1/2 X 3 inches is an average size, they can be a bit bigger or smaller to use up your scraps.

step 2. stick the post it note images on your label papers. i like how the ledger paper already has lines to write in. when you like the placement glue them in place.

step 3. print off a page of text that says to: from: i downloaded a free font called 'coffee tin' from 1001 free fonts. they have mac and pc downloads. just be sure to restart your computer to see the font in your font book after you install it. i printed my page using dark brown ink and 24 point text. print off a test sheet on printer paper and then double stick tape the first blank page in an old book to your paper. run the paper through your printer again to get the text on your cool old paper.

step 4. cut out your to and from labels and glue in place. thats it, you are done!
you can make them a bit more fancy if you want by stitching or doodling borders. have fun and make a whole pile of labels as there are 480 post it notes in every tin....
until next time, julie

cupid's arrow

2010-02-14T20:29:00.009-07:00

cupid's arrow captured in vintage rhinestones. ..february

today is a day for sweet little bouquets of flowers, for cards on your pillow and kisses.

a day for romance...
i still swoon when Mr. Darcy strides through the mist rising over the moor to see Elizabeth and says "you have bewitched me body and soul." that one nails me every time....

a day for handmade gifts....
i was beyond thrilled when Somerset Life sent me the note my valentine had been selected for the February image in the new Somerset Life 2010 calendar! it is the most gorgeous calendar filled with romantic images to take your breath away.

'the gift of lavender' by kellene giloff ..september

'charmed bottles' by molly quoyeser ..october

'kindness, beauty, truth' by ruth rae ..august

'a wreath of grace' by carlene federer ..january

today is a day for heart shaped boxes of chocolate....
xo julie

vintage velvet heart.....artful thursday #6 tutorial

2010-02-11T15:48:00.014-07:00

welcome to artful thursday today. i was so looking forward to just sitting and stitching today since i knew i would be cutting into the vintage silk velvet dress i found for my project. i had to make myself stop sewing just so i could take a few photos.
the day was cloudy with a few snow flurries, i sat and looked out my window and pulled the needle and thread through the velvet as i added each bead and dreamed. after yesterday's craziness that started at 4am and went non-stop even through lunch until 11pm last night i needed a quiet day today.

if you have ever come across a piece of vintage silk velvet you know how luxurious the velvet feels. it feels warm to the hand and incredibly light and supple. i found this beautiful pink velvet dress for just a few dollars at the antique mall. it was hanging on a nasty wire hanger, torn in several places with its covered buttons hanging limply in place. i folded it over my arm and carried it through the store, almost too distracted to keep shopping.

at home in my studio the dress has been waiting for valentines day.....
the heart pattern came from a piece of blue cotton fabric i found outside on the ground, already in the shape of a heart. weird huh.
i thought about maybe using the back of a worn out handstitched quilt to stitch the heart on, but then chose the flowered linen instead.

step 1 cut out the velvet heart

step 2 sew the velvet heart to your background with small running stitches close to the heart edge. leave a one inch opening for stuffing.

step 3 use a wooden chopstick to poke the stuffing in your heart. sew the opening closed.

step 4 sew tiny seed beads around the heart edge.

*tip* keep your tiny beads from rolling all over by placing them on a square of wool felt.

the beads i chose to use came from this vintage beaded bag. it must have been gorgeous when it was first made, lined with silk and adorned with a lovely beaded tassel. the seed beads are cut steel made popular in France around 1830. the cut steel beads were sewn around buckles and on buttons. i love how the beads look nestled into the velvet.

step 5 sew a tiny bunch of buds and leaves to your heart.

here is the spray of millinery flowers i unpicked from a squashed hat and some vintage crocheting thread i use for stitching.

thats how my little heart turned out. i can't decide if i want to use it as the cover of a book, the top of a pincushion, or sewn to some watercolor paper for a lavish card like this one i made last year.

a few more hearts to get you thinking about what you might want to make.
here is the lovely linen heart that came in cheryl's baby book swap package. love, love how she covered the tyvek envelope with red dots and sewed on all the labels.

the heart that was in somerset life magazine sewn around with pearls from a broken necklace on a stack of flocked vintage hankies.

my all time favorite sewn heart.

have fun sewing your own little stuffed hearts. until next time, julie

love birds....artful thursday #5 paper collage tutorial

2010-02-04T22:24:00.012-07:00

well, it is 11:20pm here in utah and i am just uploading my photos for my post and baking sugar cookies for school tomorrow. (if i finish by midnight it will still be thursday) yup, one of those days. you may have noticed i haven't posted anything since last weeks artful thursday.... yup, one of those weeks.

my love birds project idea came from a sweet little shirt one of my students wore to school last week. i asked her mother if she would send me a scan of the image.

i wanted to make a paper collage with the little love birds on a swing. here is how my afternoon went:

first i googled bird silhouettes and printed off my favorites. i didn't like how the birds on the shirt had their necks tucked weird and how the two love birds were facing away from each other.

here is the sketch i did to make a pattern. i cut out both birds using some pretty french book paper and set them out on my background paper. (kitchen spice rosemary by BoBunny) you never know how collages will grow so i placed the birds in the middle of the paper and drew the swing and text around them.

next i sewed along the swing sketch three times. i like the metallic silver thread by Coats. it is rather fragile for sewing on paper so i always use regular thread in the bobbin. roll the paper up like this to fit in your sewing machine.

then before i glue anything down i always letter the text, just in case i choke.
using my favorite 10/0 royal gold paint brush and some golden's fluid acrylic in titan buff i paint along my pencil lines first. after the paint is for sure dry i carefully erase any left over pencil marks. then i outline the letters using a 005 micron pen.

using a bag of small millinery flowers from my desk i lay out some around the swing. it was then that my son came home from school to report that he had no homework, wanted to hang out, could he not do a job today, and then pointed out three really great ideas to add to my collage.

go figure. he suggested i needed to use the green velvet leaf laying on my desk, some coral crepe paper from the pile, and some tiny plastic stamens from a dish nearby. he was quite pleased with himself and left with no job to do...
with everything glued down the collage felt like it was still floating so i framed it with some wallpaper and crepe paper ruffles.

i have been buying frames at the thrift store to spray paint and use for hanging all the art my kids are doing. this frame was $2 and ended up fitting perfectly. ever notice how a frame really finishes a piece? fair warning, there is one more thursday until valentines day and i am planning to make some silk velvet hearts. then i will move on to something un-heart related.
happy thursday, julie

my heart..... artful thursdays #4 valentine envelope tutorial

2010-01-28T15:32:00.013-07:00

i adore ruffles. they are so sweet and feminine and make me all nostalgic: sheer ruffled cafe curtains, layered and ruffled crinoline skirts, pink ruffled glass cake stands, little ruffled lace panties for your 3 year old.

so there is no wonder i have been sewing piles of crepe paper ruffles. i finally rolled up a bunch and put them in this jar next to some vintage pink hats i have collected. they are at least a bit contained in the glass and look so fancy.

this week for my artful thursday project (it's not too late for you to join me!) i wanted to make some ruffled valentine envelopes. if you haven't ever tried to sew on paper with your sewing machine check out this sewing on paper tutorial i did a while ago.

gather a few supplies from your stash:
sturdy paper you can sew through, music paper, ledger paper, old notebook paper, etc.
crepe paper, pretty trims, tulle, stamens, paper die cuts, glue, a pencil and some scissors.

i have been making my own envelopes forever because i like interesting paper for an envelope. the easiest way is to take apart an envelope you like, trace it to your paper, cut out and glue. if you need to design your own envelope for something here is a basic easy pattern to get you started.

cut out a scrap paper rectangle 10 inches long and 5 inches wide. fold in half lengthwise. (this gives you your center) measure and mark off with a pencil 1 3/4 inches from left and 6 inches from left. these are your two folds. corner round the two left hand corners. now mark 1 1/4 inches from the right edge of your rectangle. draw a shape like mine and fold paper in half lengthwise and cut. this makes a little dip inside your envelope for your card to show through like this:

trace your envelope template onto your envelope paper with a pencil and cut out. fold the envelope paper like your template. now you are ready to add your paper ruffles or trim. you could also use lace, ric rac, gathered tulle, or ribbon for your ruffle.

open the flap of your envelope and lay it down on some scrap paper. apply a thin line of glue stick along the edge and attach your ruffle. this will hold it in place while you sew. make sure the glue is dry before you start sewing. (if you are not sewing your ruffle use tacky glue instead to attach your ruffle)

after the ruffle is in place open the flap of your envelope and lay it with the envelope opening facing down on your sewing machine. leave the bottom half folded up so you can sew it together. stitch around the ruffle and the three sides of your envelope.

now you are ready to decorate. i glued a bit of tatting over the stitches holding the ruffle in place. (did you just say, "she used what!") yes, part of using up my stash is using lovely pieces of old tatting instead of saving them forever....
this tatting was wound around an old cardboard photo mailing tube with a hand typed label.

tear a piece of old tulle (mine is from an old wedding veil) and glue it to the center of your envelope flap.

next i painted over a vintage heart shaped paper die cut. after it dried i sanded off a bit of paint with an emery board. you can paint any german paper scrap borders this same way. from an old thrift store copy of shakespeare's love sonnets i cut the words my heart and attached them to the heart with some glossy modge podge. this creates a glossy coating and makes your paper die cut a bit more sturdy.

now layer on a few glittered stamens. wire them in the center and glue in place over the tulle. if you don't have any glittered stamens make them with a little glue and some glitter.

last step is to attach your paper heart in place on the envelope flap. since the embossing on my heart is almost 1/8 inch i used some scotch brand foam poster tape.
you did it! you now have your first, completely gorgeous valentine envelope. my guess is now that you have your template you will be making a few more....
go ahead, use up that stash and make someone else feel adored this valentine's day.
xo julie