artful thursdays challenge and flower clip tutorial

thursdays have always been my favorite day... this year i have started a new feature on my blog. it will be titled 'artful thursdays' and will come with an open invitation for you to join me every thursday this whole year. it all started with three things:

1. i am a wonderful shopper of vintage treasures. i enjoy sifting through old grandma sewing baskets, crumbling cardboard boxes filled with old letters, and dimly lit antique stores. this has resulted in #2.
2. i am being buried alive with all my cool stuff. the carpet has surrendered to towering piles. this leads to #3.
3. my studio is slimming down this year. it is time to either use the cool stuff i have collected or send it on its way.

here is the artful thursday challenge: pick a project you have been wanting to try or an idea that has been patiently waiting for just the right time. gather your materials, experiment a bit, and post about it. your post doesn't need to be a tutorial, just show us how your artful day went.
dig into all those cool treasures you have collected. then at the end of the year we will both have 52 cool things made out of stuff that would have just been otherwise hanging out in a dark box or suitcase. i love the idea...

hopefully you will think this is just the inspiration you need to live a more artful life and you will take the artful thursday challenge. send me an email at juliecollings2003@hotmail.com and i will add your blog to the artful thursday blog list on my side bar reserved for the regulars.

or if you want to just post once in a while leave a link to your post in the comments section of the most recent artful thursday post so we can visit. here is my artful thursdays button made by my talented niece rachelle:


i thought of a few things that will help me get ready for thursday each week. pick up my sketchbook again and start writing and sketching ideas. one friend i talked to about this project said she was worried if she got digging through her stuff she would spend the whole day sorting. right, i can see myself doing the same thing so i plan to gather the supplies i will be using during the week so they are all ready on my desk thursday morning. also how about a little wednesday night straighten up in my studio. all that is left is to pick a time for thursday and plan not to answer the phone.

the inspiration:


i bought this sheer dress off the $5 rack from a vintage clothing store. it has gorgeous aqua flowers but the dress was stained and fraying beyond repair. i have kept it around thinking it would make the greatest little flowers. well today is the day especially after getting the january anthropologie catalog yesterday. love this sweater!


here is my collection of things i thought might be fun to use. circles cut from the vintage dress, an old wedding veil and some lovely silk. i also set out some glass beads, velvet flowers, thread, tinsel, and some funky old hair clips. (i bought all they had and have been storing them all ever since. that lady worries me.)


first step is to set up an old birthday candle and lightly melt the edges of your circles. this glitter bottle worked just as well as some sand and was handy.
any man made fiber will melt and curl: polyester, rayon, and nylon. natural fibers just burn and turn to ash. wool, cotton, and linen. burning plastic is toxic so ventilate.


the circle on the left is perfect, the circle on the right got cooked a bit too much and feels crunchy. each fabric will melt differently so experiment and plan for a bit of shrinkage.

here is the hair clip with the first two circle sewn on. sew around the clip several times to secure and use a dot of tacky glue if needed to hold in place. (no glue gun)


i even burned around the tulle a bit. hold the tiny circles in a set of tweezers to keep your fingers happy.


layer on a bit of tinsel, tulle, and more sheer flower petal layers.


here is how the silk burns. just rub the edges with your fingers to remove the ash.


sew on the tiny seed beads for the center. i like the blue thread in the taupe beads.


finished clip on a vintage music paper oval. try a bigger flower for your hair or a pin for a scarf. hope you will join me next week. julie

winter frost holiday art market

this past weekend my art girlfriends and i got together for our first ever holiday art market. the snow outside added the perfect frosting to our winter creations. this poster was designed by our own senta plyer so fun to hang up around town. gals traveled from near and far bringing their handmade jewelry, hats, paintings, dolls, tiny paper mache figures, toffee, purses, and vintage decorations aplenty. it was magical.
of course, i was an excellent shopper. it is such a treat to buy something handmade especially when you know the artist.






my favorite thing from the things i made were these vintage wool wreaths made with all vintage supplies gathered from old christmas corsages, millinery hats, and christmas decoration boxes. i can't resist the desire to save an old vintage wool sweater or coat and give it a new life.






i sold some of my glass garland beads and my tiny bottle brush tree boxes. some glittery winter cones and stars, and these fun candy striped ornaments made with my ruffled crepe paper.






my two daughters both brought paintings, paper dolls, and little kitty ornaments to sell. a few of them are in my shop until they are gone. wishing you all the merriest of holidays, julie

hey look, lola ended up on the creative jar!

easy crepe paper rosette tutorial...

today i figured out a really easy way to make crepe paper rosettes to decorate little holiday packages. forget about gathering the edge of your crepe paper with a needle and thread! i was decorating the front of some tiny boxes and wanted a crepe paper rosette about one inch wide. here is what i did:

step 1.
cut a piece of ruffled crepe paper garland 2 1/2 inches long. (instructions for a flat piece of ungathered crepe paper is at the end of the post) and piece of thin craft wire 4 inches long.


step 2.
gather up the center of the crepe paper ruffle along the stitching and fold the wire over the middle of your bow tie. twist the wire a couple times in the back until it is snug and trim the wire ends. fold the sharp ends over flat.


step 3.
spread out the ruffles evenly around to unfold the rosette into a full circle. it worked out that the one inch wide piece of crepe paper made a one inch rosette...
simple huh.
i left the sides a bit open at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock for you to see how it unfolded and if you look closely you can see the wire band around the center.


step 4.
to finish decorating the rosette i used aleenes tacky glue to attach two velvet leaves on the front of my little paper box, then added three tiny stamen buds on each side and glued the crepe paper rosette in the middle. i added a nice round glue blob to the center of the rosette and sprinkled coarse silver glass glitter over the glue and shook of the extra. let the glitter dry with the rosette right side up.


such a sweet little box to package my holiday selection of vintage glass garland beads. brand new in the shop today. happy weekend, julie


here are the instructions for starting with a flat piece of crepe paper.

to get a piece of crepe paper one inch wide i either trim off a one inch strip from the flat fold crepe paper all in one go without unfolding it. you can use a rotary cutter and a ruler for this or just eyeball it and use some sharp shears.
or if you are using the 2 inch wide streamer rolls, unroll a length and cut the strip in half. for a one inch rosette like the one i made above here is the first step.

step 1.
cut a piece of crepe paper one inch by 10 inches. lay it on your work surface straight out from you. gather the center with your fingers pinching the crepe paper as you move up the strip. when you have your bow tie shape continue with step 2 of the instructions above. have fun. j.

vintage holiday art kits

i have been shopping all year for wonderful old vintage holiday treasures. each time i would find a glass garland, some flocked jingle bells, or strings of tinsel i tucked them in boxes waiting for today....

last night i got out my boxes and spread their contents all over the carpet as i unpacked each lovely, sparkling thing. i started organizing the pretty bits by color and put together my first three vintage holiday art kits.

if classic red and green is what you adore this tiny velvet stocking would be perfect on your tree.





if whisper pink sets your heart all aflutter then this collection is for you. glass balls and garland, crepe paper ruffles, and the tiniest silver tinsel string wrapped around a vintage playing card.






or open the vintage flocked ribbon bag and find inside these beautiful old gold garlands, german paper stars, and metal tinsel.








i just couldn't wait to share them with you. happy tuesday wishes, julie

little art kit.....

i have always adored sending out little packages. this little art kit went to one of my favorite students headed back to school. i tucked in a few of my favorite tiny art treats to keep her busy (when she is not studying....)



i can never resist the feel of a new journal. the paper is smooth and clean, the binding fresh. this darling hand bound journal came from huishbooks on etsy. i love the tiny grommets and the waxed linen thread.

these little pop a point pencils are my silly fixation. i used them as a little girl, marveling at each new sharp point when i tucked the old one in the end.



vintage dennison office supplies are another one of my weaknesses. i would love to travel back in time to a five and dime store just to see their display of gummed labels, holiday paper decorations, sealing wax, and crepe paper. whenever i find a whole drawer full of this old stuff dumped into a box at an estate sale i swoon.






sweet little ruffles are at the top of my favorites list. i have been making piles of these vintage crepe paper ruffles in every color. trying to figure out how i can make some gold and silver ones for the holidays.



all nestled together and tied up with ribbons and strings it makes going back to school decidedly fun. your back to school student will surely thank you...
(scalloped oval punched from a vintage whitman playing card)

healing...

i began this summer biking up my canyon every morning uphill into a stiff headwind. i would curse the wind and wonder everyday if i could make it to the top of the trail.
each day i would return. each day the wind was always blowing.

i have had so many lovely notes wondering how things are going, why my last blog post was the first of may. thank you for your thoughts and genuine kindness.
without knowing why i knew i needed to take some time to heal myself, to find a peace and stillness that was missing in my life, and to make a place for something new.

some days i would click on my blog and stare at my last post and wonder if i would find a place for it again, if i would feel the connection and desire to share again my journey. then i would walk away from the computer feeling sad and confused.

the floor of my studio piled up with things, dust gathered around and wispy cobwebs attached themselves to my glass glitter bottles in my window sill. i became afraid that maybe this part of my life was over, that i had let it dry up.

i didn't even really know why i was drifting...





i watched the flowers bloom alongside the canyon trail, the sun rise each morning, the colors change as the grasses dried in the heat, and watched the path of the sun as it traveled across the sky.

i learned to be still.

i feel like now a few months later i understand a bit more why i followed that voice inside that said make a little space.

i had to learn again how to lay in the fresh summer grass gazing up at the leaves fluttering in the wind, losing myself in the beauty of the trees. there have been too many voices in my head. i had to be still until they all went away.

i had to learn again how to look and see the people around me. not as they are when they are simply passing by with their voices trailing behind them but as they appear before my eyes, glowing with life and dreams, and sometimes aching and broken.

i had to learn again how to care for myself so i had something to give. i needed to heal my own aching heart so i could feel brave enough to share it.



today i headed up the canyon for an early ride. the wind was blowing. i felt it gust against my bike and blow across my face. as i came to the first long climb i realized i was smiling as i cranked the pedals. i called out loud to the wind 'do your worst' and then pedaled on to the top.



these are a few photos of the book 'Living Praise' i created after my husband's father died just before Christmas. it was published in the first issue of Art Quilting Studio this summer. it is one of my favorite pieces of work and i am so happy i had the opportunity to share it.



the folded linen pages were sewn to a wool felt backing that i glued to the inside of the book.




self adhesive book binding tape being applied to strengthen the spine.



spreading tacky glue to the book binding tape just before pressing in the wool felt backing.

(photos 4 and 5 are from Art Quilting Studio)

the song 'little pieces' by gomez