Sea Gypsy Studio

How to make!

2012-01-17T08:01:00.001-08:00

You might be surprised that the little flower sprig all started with the leaves. It started out with just wanting a vine of leaves for the fairy house I am working on. One thing leads to another and this is the end result.

I love coffee filter paper, you can paint, dye, glue and it is stronger and more durable than most papers. Let’s begin this tutorial. Follow the folds of the coffee filter with a pencil and this will be your guide for laying down the cut pieces of 28 gauge wire. I will guess here and say I cut the wire 2 inches. Spread your glue over the coffee filter. I used a piece of cardboard for my spreading tool. Don’t you just hate getting glue all over your hands! After all of your wires are placed on the coffee filter, take another coffee filter and place on top, pressing down and smoothing out wrinkles( be sure to press around each wire). When dry ( I used a hair dryer to speed up the process ). Take a pencil and draw flowers. Make them as big or as small as you want. If you are going to make large leaves you might would want a longer wire down the center.

Cut out your leaves, but be sure to save the inside circle of your coffee filter, you will need that for the flowers.

Wrap wire with floral tape.

Paint and glitter the leaves. I used a light green paint watered down and when dry added a little clear glitter. Sometimes I use stick glue to add glitter, but in this case I used the glue shown in pic below.

For the flowers, I am showing one way here , use a dime and trace your circles and draw petals like shown. You could paint them if you wish, but I did not for the flowers shown. Before cutting out, I covered the whole sheet with the adhesive gel and sprinkled with glitter and let dry.

I cut the flowers out with these scissors, but if you do not have the scissors then just follow your pattern and cut the old fashioned way. Poke a hole in the center. Cut a strip tulle 4 inches wide. Cut a piece of wire about 4 1/2 to 5 inches, string on a small pearl bead, gather tulle with your hand and place under pearl and twist wire. Pull tulle over the bead and cut, so the bead will still show. This is why I just leave the tulle in a strip and that way less waste of the tulle .

Add a dab of glue, string onto the wire, when dry, add floral tape to flower.
Now it is time to take your wire and cut to the size you want the stem to be. I doubled the size and folded in half so, I was wrapping two wires, the stem was a little thicker than I would have liked, so next time I will probably use just a larger single gauge. Wrap your wire with floral tape and add flowers and leaves, spacing as it pleases you. I have a few ideas to go along with this tutorial and will share that a later date. One thing leads to another here in Sea Gypsy’s Studio! I hope your week is filled with lots of creative fun!

Making my own flowers for fairy houses

2012-01-13T18:59:00.001-08:00

What I am doing in the studio you ask. I know, you did not ask, but I will tell you anyway. I am so proud of myself because I was in the studio by five-thirty each morning this week. I am making little fairy houses and furniture. I needed some flowers to go on the little houses, so I decided to make them myself. I am having to be a little more thrifty these days. I try to stay out of the craft stores as much as possible, because I want every thing I see! I will go in for one thing and will come out with way more than I intended on buying.

My next post will be a tutorial on how I did it. I really like how it turned out, but the next one I would like to be a little more dainty, so in order to achieve that, smaller gauge wire for a smaller stem.

A simple beaded heart

2012-01-09T19:15:00.000-08:00

I just love hearts! I have a large window above my kitchen sink and I want to make lots of beaded hearts to hang for Valentines Day. I need to make many, so I needed them to be fairly simple and fast and this is what I came up with. While making them I thought of some other uses for them and will share that with you in a future post.

18 gauge Dark Annealed Wire was used, but any 18 gauge will work

Added single
beads
and wrapped
wire around heart and randomly
wrapped seed
beads also

String bead and seed bead

It was faster to do all the little clusters and then go back and add the larger beads.

A Better Pic

2011-07-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

Still working on head wraps. The video seems to be a little blurry,so I am posting a better pic of the little flower. I have been playing with the straw and yarn and have come up with a flower I like even better. I will try to get that up next week. These are great for adding a little fiber texture to any project.
I finally tried on the head wrap. I love it! I am going to add this one to my store next week

Straw Flower

2011-07-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

A fun little embellishment flower!

You have got to see this!

2011-07-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

OMG! This is just the most inspirational video!
IIona Royce Smithkin rocks 90 years old! You can find all of her videos at Advanced Style

The Pirate House

2011-07-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

It is Monday and I did say I would be back. I really did not get as much done today as I had planed. I have all kinds of projects in the works, but they are ready for the details and I really have to be in the mood for that and that never happened today. I did manage to take a walk on the beach. There is a storm out in the Atlantic. It is kicking up the waves a bit and producing some very much needed wind. A break from the terrible heat we have been having. While taking my walk, I felt like someone was watching me, so I looked up and what did I see, but a roof top full of pirates!

Zac Brown Band - Knee Deep (ft. Jimmy Buffett)

2011-07-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

This is what is playing in the studio today. I hope all of you have a fun filled weekend and I'll see you Monday! This Sea Gypsy is taking her chair down to the waters edge and going to watch the tide roll in.

Fun To Make and Fun To Wear

2011-07-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

This one took a little bit more time than the other one because of embellishment. I have not had a chance to try it on yet. I have already started working on another one this morning.

Over the years I have been asked about where I live when I share pics of the beach.
The little town I live in is on a barrier island. The Intercoastal is a two block walk from my house and the Atlantic ocean is also a two block walk. Like many places we have our beautiful spots and in the future I will share some pics of my favorite places. Flagler County Chamber.

Sea Gypsy Head Wraps

2011-07-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

I have been working on some head wraps.I really like this one made with the ticking. Good with jeans and I am a jeans kinda gal or jean skorts in the summer. I am going to make some more of these for my shop and will take better pics.
I was going through some of my pictures and noticed a little black spot. I did not know that I had captured a porpoise jumping out of the water. How cool is that!

I made a bracelet today!

2011-07-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

A vintage junkie

2010-12-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

I have a confession. I am a vintage junkie! I was so excited to find these ornaments. There was a whole table full of all shapes and sizes. When I arrived at the table no one was looking at them so, I was taking my time looking over each one and then all of a sudden ladies were pushing and shoving trying to get the ones they wanted, so I scooped up as many as I could hold. If you could have seen all these ladies( It was war!). Vintage junkies everywhere!

Winter White Pixie

2010-12-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

I have worked on her all week and she is finally finished. She is a Winter White Pixie and they only appear hear in Florida when the weather is very cold (it has been a little on the chilly side). She is only here for a short stay. Another photo shoot and she will make her way to my store.

Painting roses and crafting pretty little shoes

2010-12-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

I decided this year to add a little pink to the tree. Last year it was all about stars and this year it seems to be shoes. I have decided they look like something Cinderella might wear. I am still in the process of making more. I love painting roses!

I Won A Giveaway!

2010-12-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to win this christmas bell and it is just a perfect ornament for my tree! I know you are wondering who gave this beautiful gift and the blogger is Just Lilla. I just love her blog and her work! What I love about her is that you never know what the next post will be about. She is a very talented in many mediums and she also shares her creative journey with the readers and followers of her blog. Thank you Lilla!

2010-12-08T18:48:00.001-08:00

What to do when your stuck inside and feeling a little blue? Let's go visit a lace museum! Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles Look at those beautiful gloves!
Irish Lace is one of my favorites.
White yo yo quilt with rick rack lace. I just love the combination of the two.

I can just imagine wearing these beautiful dresses!

My head is spinning with ideas of leather and lace!

2010-12-08T18:15:00.001-08:00

My driftwood angel found her way to the top of the tree. I tied her to a cross and she made the perfect tree topper.I want to make some more to put in the shop, but all I seem to be able to find are little pieces and they need to be a pretty good size(driftwood).
I am not ready for this Christmas season to be over. I had so many ideas, so I have decided to dedicate most of my studio time this coming year to Christmas.
My angel Praise watched over all the Christmas festivities and was a reminder to me of how awesome it is to have a God who watches and cares for me. What would the world be like had he not come to this earth. A scary thought!
I had to dig in my picture files to come up with a post for this week. I thought I would share my dressing table. I have the smallest bedrooms in this house, but a girls got to have a place to put on her makeup and this is mine. My daughter in law gave me the little vanity. I think she purchased it at Target.I remember having something like it as a teen, small but it works. The piece in the back was a junking find. The mirror in the middle was broken, so I covered the wood backing with batting and material. It gives me a place to hang things and pictures that are special to me.

One of my sons inherited my love of old things and this is one of his finds.
Many years back, I worked in the framing department of Old America store. Every week a lady would come in with five or six of her pen and inks to have them framed. All Victorian ladies, but most very large pieces that I could just not afford, and then one day she walked in with this size and I just had to have one. This one is called Secondhand Sarah by La Forge.
This is a picture of my beautiful mother. She left this world to be with the Lord in 2005. She was also my best friend and I miss her something terrible. She started collecting frog pins( they are below her pic). I asked her why, and this is what she said:
F- fully
R- rely
O- on
G- God
Why the deer horns you ask. I was tired of them laying around, so I thought they could hold hanging things. They belong to the Dh and are a must keep.
The textile collage is in my store.

2010-12-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

I thought my Seaside Santa would be the perfect pic to share. I made him a couple of years ago. What I love about him, is his coat. It really took more time than I usually spend on a piece. Lots of beading and ribbon embroidery and then right before sending him off to Art Doll Quarterly to be published, I added the shells. The little bears were made a few years ago and I hope to make some more in the coming year. I just love bears, but I am not crazy about how much space they can take up, so I designed this size(twelve inches being the tallest). If this is your first time to my blog, this Christmas season has been all about stars here at Sea Gypsy Cottage. I did not get as many made as I would have liked, so I will be working on them into the new year.There is just never enough time! If you would like to see how they are made just click here.

Mrs. Harvey's White Fruit Cake

Yesterday I spent the day gathering up the ingredients and making this fruit cake. It was in my Grandmothers recipe collection and it has been a while since I have made one. I am not crazy about dark fruit cake, but I love the white. I have a couple of recipe's for the white fruit cakes, but this is the one made this year.
Mrs. Harvey's White Fruit Cake
5 lg.eggs
1/2 lb. butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 lb.candied cherries
1 lb. candied pineapple
4 cups shelled pecans
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. lemon extract

Chop nuts and fruit into medium sized pieces; dredge with 1/4 c. flour. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add well beaten eggs and blend well. Sift remaining flour and baking powder together; fold into egg and butter mixture. Add vanilla and lemon extract and mix;then add fruit and nut mixture. Blend. Grease a 10 inch tube pan, line with paper and grease again. Pour batter into prepared pan and place in a cold oven and bake at 250 degrees for 3 hrs. cool in pan on cake rack. makes 5 lbs (cook small gift cakes at 250 for 2 to 2 1/2 hrs.
Fill pans to within 1 1/2 to 2 inches from top.
just a note: I did not use the paper. I just greased and floured each pan.

I wonder?
You might find this hard to believe, but each year the hair is whiter than the year before. I am married to Santa.LOL

2010-12-08T18:03:00.001-08:00

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.I just have to tell you the story of my white flocked tree. Years ago my husband and I ran across a white tree and it was just so beautifully decorated and I told him one day I would like to get a white tree. We started out buying a real trees, but my oldest son was allergic to them, so then came the artificial trees. We bought a really nice green tree and it lasted many years. Five years ago I was out shopping and ran across this beautiful white flocked tree and the memory of me telling the Dh so many years ago made me want to get the tree, but I just could not pay what they wanted for it. I came home and told my DH about the tree and went about getting my decorations out and ready to put on the old green tree, but little did I know, my dear sweet husband was out buying the tree for my Christmas gift. He also remembered our first christmas together and wanted me to have that white tree. Every year after christmas I would put my beautiful tree in the box up in the attic. Two years ago I took the tree down and opened up the box and my beautiful white tree was yellow! The acid from the cardboard box had ruined my tree. I thought maybe if I left it in the box another year it would turn more beige and that is what happened and here it is. Shabby chic for sure, but I think I love it even more this year!

2010-12-08T18:00:00.001-08:00

Fridays junking find was a very nice curtain panel. I had a plan for it the minute it caught my eye. I am a very big slipcover fan. My love affair with slipcovers started when I had children, not to mention a couple of dogs. I also love them because I like change. I placed the curtain over the chair, making sure that it was long enough to go from front to back, but it also needs to be the right width and that means covering the seat and reaching underneath the arms. The side of the chair under the arms will show, but it always works out when you fold the excess front and back it cover the sides of the chair. Think like you are wrapping a package.
The next step is what makes this work. Take a needle and upholstery thread and just begin gathering the fabric wherever it needs to fit the shape of your chair. If you are careful and do not sew the piece to the chair. It can still be taken off and washed.

I just had to add a little lace and guess what it is. Did you guess that the lace on the back was a pillowcase?

It took half a day to do this project, but the red chair is now Shabby Chic.

2010-12-08T17:58:00.001-08:00

It is Friday and if you have been reading my blog for a while, you know it is junking day for me. I usually give myself a twenty dollar limit and because of that it makes the hunt much more fun. A week ago I found the little lamp, shade and lace. It all cost a total of three dollars. Yesterday I went to work transforming the little wall lamp. It is for my kitchen. My Kitchen is a work in progress. I painted the cabinets a while back and still need to antique the buffet turned sink cabinet. I drive my family crazy with my projects.lol
When we moved into this beach cottage. It was a mess from ceiling to floor. Everything had to be redone and I was going to do it all myself other than the new windows and roof. I started with the popcorn ceiling and then I tiled the floors and the rest is a work in progress. My Dh is a disabled veteran (Vietnam) and is not able to really help, but he does what he can. My reason for telling you this is we can do whatever we set or minds to do. In the middle of the redo, I became sick and found out I had two autoimmune diseases and because of it the redo came to a screeching halt, but to make a long story short, up until a few month ago it was hard for me to hold my arms above my head, but I am back at it again and so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with this healing. The one thing I have had to learn through all this is patience. It may take a while, but it will get done! There is still so much to do and that is why I started this blog, thinking it might help me get motivated to get back at it. I hope you all have a great weekend. I have a number of projects going on in the studio, so that is where I will be this weekend.

2010-12-08T17:53:00.001-08:00

In my world there are two things I just can't get enough of and that is lace and roses. I love anything that is white, cream or in between. A little tattered, a little torn, a little rusty and a little worn means comfort for me and a place I call home. I am no decorator by any means, but my home is the inspiration for many of the items I make. I love everything vintage. Most of the item in my home have special meaning. Just on that little table the lamp sits on holds treasures that may not mean much to anyone else , but priceless to me. The lamp was my Grandmothers and was kept in the guest room I would sleep in on my visits. The white bible was my mother in laws and what a gift this lady was in my life. The little dog on the table is wearing a little collar that belonged to a sweet little angel that passed away last year. The little tree holds pictures of family members who lived, loved and have gone on to the next life. Gone, but not forgotten. I got carried away thinking about the items on the table and almost forgot what it is I wanted to blog about. The lamp shade is a small square tablecloth. I Folded and found the center, placed the lampshade upside down and cut out a hole, then put a little fabric tack around the top and glued in place. Then I just started folding and gathering different ways until it was pleasing to me. I would hold these folds in place with big paperclips and ended up deciding to leave them as part of the design. It works for me!

Trick or Treat

2010-10-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

I really did not spend too much time decorating for Halloween this year, but I pulled out these little blackbird witches and placed them around my dishes and kept my little cup filled with candy corn and since I can't share my candy with you I thought another "How I Did It" might do for a treat.You will need a Styrofoam egg and a small round. You can make these any size you wish them to be. I just went to the craft store and played with the different sizes until I liked the look. I seemed to like the head to be very small in comparison to the body.
The beak is a diagonal cut from the stem of a black plastic rose and about an inch in length.

I used paper wrapped florist wire for the legs and broom handle and also cut a small piece to attach head to body. Put glue on wire and insert wire into head and body.
insert beak to make a hole and position, but do not glue just yet.
Tear your strips of fabric as small a width as you can. I was able to tear my strips a little under 1/2 inch.
Take the beak out and fill the hole with a little Fabric Tac. Tie a strip of your fabric around the beak and place beak back in the hole. Hold in place for a few minutes and then add a little Fabric Tac around the beak and face area and just start wrapping.I did use the glue to hold the strip in place around the face, but once you get to wrapping your strip around the bird, you will only need to use glue at the beginning and end of each strip.

Glue a little rhinestone on for an eye.
Bend your wire like this to make the feet( I ended up painting the legs black ).
Add the legs to body. I used a pen to punch through the fabric to the Styrofoam and glue in place.
For the tail feathers grab a few strips of your fabric and tie a knot, cut and glue in place.

To make the hat. Form a cone out of a piece of paper. Glue and trim. When dry decide how tall you want the hat to be and cut off the bottom.
For the brim cut a circle out of the same paper and glue cone to circle. Add a little ribbon and Ta-da!

Glue hat on head.

Happy Halloween!

If I were

2010-10-29T04:52:00.000-07:00

I were a month, I’d be April
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Monday
If I were a time of day, I’d be sunrise
If I were a planet, I’d be earth
If I were a sea animal, I’d be a dolphin
If I were a direction, I’d be south
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a grandfather clock
If I were a historical figure, I’d be Betsy Ross
If I were a liquid, I’d be water
If I were a gemstone, I’d be turquoise
If I were a tree, I’d be a magnolia
If I were a tool, I’d be a dremel
If I were a flower, I’d be a gardenia,rose or orange blossom( I could not make up my mind!)
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be sunny and cool
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be an guitar
If I were a colour, I’d be red
If I were an emotion, I’d be laughing
If I were a fruit, I’d be a watermelon
If I were a sound, I’d be raindrops on a tin roof
If I were an element, I’d be earth
If I were a car, I’d be a vintage ford truck
If I were a food, I’d be vidalia onion
If I were a place, I’d be a farm
If I were a material, I’d be denim, leather and lace
If I were a taste, I’d be vanilla
If I were a scent, I’d be Night blooming jasmine
If I were an object, I’d be something that sparkles
If I were a body part, I’d be eyes
If I were a facial expression, I’d be a smile
If I were a song, ? I have too many favorites
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be cowboy boots

A Purse From Drab to Fab

2010-07-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

I found this purse at one of my local thrift stores and it had never been used, but lacked a little pizazz, so this is what I did.
That is much better!
First I tear a 1 inch strip of fabric about a yard in length.I love raw edges!
Stitched along the edges with a large zig zag stitch and then added a little trim.
Pin the strip to the purse.
Grabbed a little raffia and what kind of needle is this? LOL (I now know this is an upholstery needle)Thank you!
Stitched the strip to the purse with the raffia.
I kinda like it, but it needs more and I think a few rag roses will do the trick.
Why not add a little lace and a raffia bow.
It works for me!

I make my rag roses a little different than ribbon roses.I begin with a 3/4 inch strip of torn fabric a yard in length and tie a knot.
Keeping the knot loose.
Turning the edge end down and putting in a few stitches to hold before I begin wrapping.
Then I take the long end of the strip and begin turning and wrapping. There are many tutorials on the web for making ribbon roses, so I will not take the time to show that, but that is the technique used.

I tack with a needle and thread every now and then to keep everything in place.

For the leaves, I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

All that is left to do is attach the leaves to the roses with needle and thread and sew to the purse. I am not big on glue, but you could tack them to the purse with fabric glue or even hot glue would work. I just have this thing about sewing things on if at all possible and I like to use upholstery thread in most projects.

Fairy Whimsy

2010-04-26T04:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you! Thank you! For all the great names and I will be using them all. I decided to go with Tracy's Laila for the little folk Art fairy. I have already added her to my store. I love the size of these little folk art whimsies. I am also making some fairy houses that I will be sharing very soon and this size fits perfectly.I finished another little fairy this weekend and decided to go with Susan's name Penelope. I had so much fun making her. I could just imagine her making her little dress from some fabric she might have plucked from someones clothesline. A little bit of this and a little bit of that and not really caring if it should match. This little fairy is sporting a style all her own. She was so lucky to find two little buttons for her shoes. Usually they only find one. I just love her hairstyle. I might try that hairstyle myself, just tie it up with a couple of rags and add a few braids with findings at the bottom of each braid( Yes, I would do that). She is also on her way to my store.

Folk Art Fairies

2010-04-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

I know you must have already heard about the new magazine Prims by Somerset. I have read every article and have just poured over every picture. I think so much of what is going on in the art and craft world today is folk art. I just wonder why the word is not being used more. It would sure make things easier when it came time to list an item for sale or even to buy. There are way to many categories out there. I think even art dolls are folk art for the most part and then they could be divided up into categories from there. I bet there would be more selling going on if the buyers knew they were purchasing folk art. I know there are many who would differ with my opinion, but it's a thought and I have many!LOL
I have been in the studio making little folk art fairies. I have eight of them in the works. They are teeny tiny, seven inches to be exact and they are made of polymer clay. Their little face is about the size of a quarter. A challenge to paint, but so much fun! This little gal is headed to my store, but I just can't think of a name for her. Any ideas?

If you have not seen the magazine, just click here and it will take you to a sneak peek at a few of the pages.

Altered Barbie

2010-04-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

I was searching antique dolls on ebay and found this. I just loved it! I think the seller said it was used for display. Love it! Then inspiration hit. I have all these Barbies, so why not try to alter it to look like a vintage display mannequin.

I have an idea, so I'll be back later to share what I do with her.

A New Doll In The Works

2010-03-08T04:50:00.001-08:00

It has been a little crazy here on the home front and I have not been able to do some of the things I am itching to get to. It has also been just so cold this winter. They said this morning that the water temp is in the 50's, so even though the sun comes out it is still cool and damp from the wind and water. Winters at the beach can sometimes be just down right chilling! Enough of the weather report and back to what I managed to do last week.

I love the way this one turned out!

I am going to do a few more of these, but it is time to move onto some new things!

Another Paper Clay doll in the works. I am exploring the use of pencils on the face and I do like the softness. Like a drawing. My sculptures never turn out the way I want them to, but I just have to keep working at it.

I love working with Paper Clay, but it is challenging, but maybe that is why I like it. I am learning that even though you have sculpted the face, when it is hardened, if you do not like the results by just taking a few tools you can carve into it and if that does not work take the face off and start all over.

Fun!

Look what came in the mail!

2010-03-06T04:07:00.000-08:00

I recieved a couple of fantastic gifts in the mail yesterday and just had to share them with you!

My first gift was from the OWOH Event! I just loved this movie and was thrilled to be the winner. This gift is from Nancy, check out her fabulous blog Her Art Nest

The packaging was so beautiful, I did not want to open it!

Thank you Nancy!

The next gift I am sharing was a surprise from my bloggie friend Susan of A Walk In The Park.

A beautiful neckpiece and bracelet.

I love these colors!

I wish you could feel this yarn, it is made from sugar cane and it is just so soft.

Thank you Susan!

I love them!

Freeform Crochet

2010-02-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes my head gets a little too full of all the stuff I want to do, so to center myself and calm down, I turn to the crochet hook. I only do freeform crochet during these times. No pattern and no counting! It needed to be a quick project, but something I would use.

My head is clear and ready to move on to the next thing.

OWOH and the winner is

2010-02-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

Barton Originals

New Paperback Dolls

2010-02-14T16:37:00.000-08:00

I could not miss out on a chance to decorate the Paperback Dolls for Valentine's Day!

The first one to arrive on the scene was all dressed in pink.

How many ways can I fold paper? I get lost in the details. I wonder what will happen if I do it this way or maybe this might look better. I get lost exploring the possibilities.

What next!

A Lady all dressed in Valentine red!

What next?

Then came the Queen of Hearts

What next?

I have just finished my first PDF and it is in my store.

What next?

Why not turn a few doodles into an Artful Paper Doll!

One World One Heart

2010-01-25T16:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my studio! I love this event! I hope everyone is having fun and I'm looking forward to meeting all of you! I am sitting on the magic carpet and ready to ride! Before I go let me tell you a little about myself and the giveaway. I work in many mediums, but lately paper is getting most of my attention, so my gift is a Paperback Doll. I love Victorian Fashion, so when I ran across this lady she had to become a doll. Many more are in the works, but this is my first one and she is ready to go to a new home. I made her to stand next to some antique books on the shelf, but she ended up on the Christmas tree and she does make a wonderful Christmas ornament. To be eligible for my giveaway you must have a blog. I will pick the winner and post it the morning of the 15th.Click on the OWOH button on the side bar and it will take you to our fabulous hostess and all the participants. See you soon!

Paper Hats

2010-01-15T17:05:00.000-08:00

Have you ever made something and wondered why? I am making paper hats out of news paper. I really do not know why, but its fun! The stars that I made during Christmas are coming in handy for embellishment. I am making all kinds of shapes and sizes. I will share them when I find a better model.LOL

One World One Heart

2010-01-01T04:24:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning thinking about the "One World One Heart" event and the banner is up and ready for us to put on our sidebar. Last year my giveaway went to Australia. This is a chance to meet bloggers from all over the world. I enjoyed this event so much. I did not get through the whole list last year because I just could not sit at the computer that long, so I have a game plan this year, I will not get on the computer three days prior the event. LOL If you are interested in participating just click on the picture and it will take you to our hostess A Whimsical Bohemian.

2009-12-31T10:24:00.001-08:00

This has been a crazy year for me. Like many of you, I have had hard times and good times and something in between. Life, not always easy, but so worth the journey. Most of my time is spent in the studio, so for someone like myself the friendships I have made her in blogland are priceless. I will make a toast to the New Year: My wish for you all is that 2010 will be the year that dreams come true, that you will have more joy than sorrow and health that will allow you to climb mountains, but mostly that you are surrounded by love. Happy New Year!

Victorian Fashion

2009-12-21T14:40:00.001-08:00

I just love Victorian fashion, so when I ran across this page out of The Delineator, I just had to come up with some way to use it and this is what I came up with. My intentions were to make it to stand beside some old books on the shelf, but somehow she found her way to the tree. I could do a whole tree in the Victorian ladies next year. I better get to work!

Sea Gypsy Cottage

2009-12-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

I have started another blog called Sea Gypsy Cottage.

A sneek peek

2009-12-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

Since I live in sunny Florida and can not make a real snowman. I will make one out of paper.lol
Who says we need fancy paper! The advertisements from my favorite magazines will do just fine.

Coffee Filter Stars Tutorial

2009-11-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

It seems this Christmas season I am star struck. I wanted to share this tutorial so you can have as much fun making these as I am. I must warn you these are addictive. This is a great going green project and you can recycle your coffee filters. I am using new ones because I am making so many of them, but recycled are the best. The white coffee filters turn out that old vintage color we all love and if you do not drink coffee you can always use the natural coffee filters. This is such a fun and fast project. To begin you will need to iron out your coffee filters. You can use one coffee filter or two. Two will give you a stiffer star. I am using one. Coffee filters are a great paper to work with because they have long fibers.
Fold in half
Fold the half in half
Do again to find your center. Open
Fold the two outside edges to the center and fold one more time.Tape together. I am using paper tape, but anything will work. You can also staple together, but I like using the tape, so I can rearrange if it does not look right.
You will need five for the bottom part of the star and another five points for the top layer.
When laying your points out make sure they are only touching enough that you are able to tape together. It should look something like this, a five point star.
Now take your other five points and put them in between each point of the five pointed star.
The top layer of points should be shorter than the bottom.
Grab your stapler and give the center a few staples.
To make the center ruffle you will need two coffee filters that have not been ironed. Stick your finger in the center and pull the coffee filters up and tie a piece of twine around the filters
Cut off the bottom.
Open up and fluff.
I am using Aleene's quick dry "Tacky" glue.
Place your ruffle on top and add a pretty button.Now lets turn over to the back and place another ruffle on the back. If you want a hanger this is the time to add one.
If you would like the little pillow top center. It is all of the same steps as the ruffle, but you just add a little fiber fill to the center before you tie with the twine. After you have tied and fluffed take a needle and thread take a few runs from front to back and tie off and this will give you a place to glue your button. While drying I put it under a leg of a chair to give it a little more poof. Make sure not to stuff too much or you will have a problem with the paper tearing when you pass the needle through.

Paper Roses, Paper Pixies, Paper Stars

2009-11-27T18:27:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since my last post. I am a diabetic and when my sugar is too high my eyes let me know it and so being at the computer just drives me crazy. To get my sugar down it requires lots of walking and watching calories, so that is what I am doing. It seems to be getting better every day.
I am still working with paper and I must say it is an interesting medium to work with. Below is just a few of the projects I've been working on. I will share some more soon, but I must go and catch up on my favorite blogs!

Paper Pixies

2009-10-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

Today was spent working on some more Paper Pixies. I am also working on a PDF file on how to make them. It will be offered through my Etsy store. I think I need to make a boy pixie to go along with her? What do you think? These are so much fun to make. It would be so much fun to make them even smaller, put them in a decorated birdcage and maybe make some paper birds to go with them! It sounds like another project!

Another Doll In The Works

2009-10-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

It has been a productive week for me. I managed to get one doll sculpted and two more are in the works. Do you ever wonder why you do some of the the things you do? That is the question I am asking myself after working on these fairy boots for three days and still not finished with one and the little fairy in the background needs two. I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend. We have had record temps here this week. Hot and muggy! We have a cool front that will make its way here this weekend, so I hope to spend some time working in the yard and just enjoying being outside.

Doll

2009-10-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

She is finished! After 3 days of embellishing I have had enough! I have a story to tell about her. She was at one time almost complete, but I did not like her face, so I took a knife and actually cut the head in half and started over sculpting a whole new face( One of the great things about paperclay!). It is hard to get a pretty face (with paperclay), but that can be a good thing if your trying for primitive or rustic look. I am going to have to set up a background and lighting so the pics will be better.Click on pic for larger view

This picture can also be clicked on for larger image

Almost Finished

2009-10-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

This one is paperclay.
Another piece I am working on. I actually have three pieces going on right now. This one is sitting out in the sun right now and after a little bit more embellishment she will be finished and then I will share the details.

What I am working on this week

2009-10-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

This is what I am working on this week. She is sculpted with polymer clay. I am not sure where I am going with this, but I like her so far!

Beautiful People

2009-10-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.
-Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I know and have known some beautiful people and this statment rings truth for me.
Maybe all of lifes battles are worth it if we become one of the beautiful people!

Textile Collage Added To My Store

2009-09-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

I have held on to this piece for a few months now trying to decide if it needed more embellishment. I have come to the conclusion it is finished!!!!! It is hard for me to let some things go and this is one of them.

Angel Assemblage

2009-09-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

I decided a few months ago that I would start putting things in my store in October, I will be sharing on my blog each item when it goes in and when the time is up on etsy it will be moved to the gallery page and can be bought right from there. When I go to shows I can just close the blog and take off anything that might sell. Now someone needs to start up a Blog Buy it Now directory! LOL

Painting Furniture In The Kitchen

2009-09-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for all the comments on my last post! I love painting! I have not posted much because other things needed my attention. When life gets in the way of creating it can be very frustrating, but after raising a family you learn to roll with the punches.
My kitchen is a work in progress.The below pic is a buffet, but I took off the top and put a 1920's side wash sink in. I decided to go with a little black and white theme. I finished painting it last night and hopefully will be able to give it a light antiquing tonight. This is a little cabinet that sits above my stove. This piece has already been antiqued, but still needs a little more highlight on the roses and I also need to add the glass knobs and it will be finished.I will share more pictures when it's done. I wanted my kitchen to be pieced together with my junking finds. It is very primitive in a sense. I have no dishwasher and no garbage disposal, but it's a workable space and that is all that matters to me. When not in the studio the kitchen is my next favorite place to hang out. I am ready for the weather to get a little cooler, so I feel like cooking. Summer for me is salads and sandwiches.

Painting Finished!

2009-08-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

I finally finished this painting. I know there must be..... hundreds of dots! Twenty something years ago I painted furniture something like this( the background without the girl). Sometimes the pieces would take months depending on the size. I painted a floor lamp and it sold the minute it came in the shop. I would love to do another lamp for myself. It just takes so long to do this type of painting, so I have to dig into the bag of patience( which I do not seem to have much of lately). There are things I do not like about this pic, so I'm anxious to start another one.

I am calling this piece "Dream Weaver".

Learning New Things

2009-08-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

I decided this week would be spent trying to learn something new. I purchased one of Somerset's Magazines, The Art Of Paper And Mixed Media. There is an article on DJ Pettitt and one of her techniques for painting faces. I hesitated to share my first attempt, but I learned something and thought it was important. I sketched out this first face from my head and the picture at the bottom was scratched out from a photo. I could not believe the difference, so I will definitely work from a photo for reference. I spent no more than fifteen minutes on the drawing of each face( I really need to take a little more time) because I was anxious to get to the painting. I am going to incorporate this style of painting in my future dolls, so before that can happen I need to keep on exploring and playing in the paint. I hope everyone has a great weekend. I started cleaning up my computer room this week, so I am going to finish that up this weekend. I have discovered digital collage and am spending more and more time in this space.

Painting Roses

2009-08-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

I love to paint flowers! It just makes me feel good! Oil on Canvas 10x10
Acrylic on Canvas 5x7
Acrylic on canvas board.
I will be showing this painting again because there is more to it than my pic is showing.

Another Purse

2009-07-26T05:45:00.000-07:00

I usally make my own patterns, but a couple of weeks ago I found this cute purse pattern, so Friday I started working on it. It is a little smaller than I thought it would be. I am changing a few things here and there. I am using batting instead of interfacing and a combination of fabrics. So far, I have the main part of the bag put together and I am now adding embellishments. I want to make another one, but bigger. I am not sure where I am going with this yet, but this is what I have so far.

A Rag Bag Purse, Crochet Headbands

2009-07-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

It's time for me to get back to blogging. I have been playing in the rag bag and this is what came out of play time My headbands are taking on a life of their own. I have decided that I need to put labels inside so it will be an indicator to what is the front and back. I just love them. It keeps the hair off my neck and out of the face. I made one out of ribbon last night and it seems to not want to stay in place, so I am trying to work on that because I love the coolness of the ribbon and it is pretty.I am also playing with T shirts and crochet. I did not want to try this on a good shirt, so I used this one just in case it was a flop. I will have to cover up the wording. I did not have any green thread for the leaves, so I ended up using embroidery floss. I hope it is colorfast.

I decided I needed some dishcloths, so I pulled out the knitting needles. If you have never tried these in the kitchen, they are a must have.
A little Irish crochet
I made a little lace because that is never a waste of time in my world
The beginnings of a new headband

I am not sure why I made this , but it will find it's way somewhere.
You can never have enough flowers.

Bella Sinclair Award

2009-07-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Sue of Barton Originals has passed along to me this beautiful award. Thank you for thinking of me! After reading the meaning of this award, I knew I wanted to pass it on to some of my special blog friends. The award was created by Ces in honour of her friend Bella Sinclair. You will find the history behind the award here. Now it is time for me to pass on this special award to bloggers that I admire for their creativity, friendship and fellowship. You brighten my day with your lives and work. There is reason for the two. I started blogging about two and half years ago and these two lady's were the first friendships made here in blogland.
Susan A Walk In The Park
Jenn Shabby Accumulations
I am so glad we have had the chance to meet in this ever growing land of blog.

Crochet Headbands

2009-07-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am making fun and funky headbands. I am going to add beads to the braided pieces that are hanging down to just add a little sparkle. I have always frosted my hair and my roots are a little too long and this is a great way to hide that fact. I took the pic down in scale so you would not see how much gray is mixed in those roots.lol I thought you might enjoy seeing the idea before it became reality.
The color of the ocean has just been amazing and so calm. I have enjoyed it so much this year.
I added this picture to the post so you could see how the studio is stacking up with stuff. See that table in the background it is already a mess and I'm not even finished getting things in order.

Surf and Sand

2009-06-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post. I have been taking a little time to stop and smell the roses and play in the surf and sand. I have been in the studio and coming up with new things that I hope to get published. I would like to share them, but I just recently read an article that said if you are trying to get things published it is best not to put it up on your blog. I am also working on instructions to go along with each project and that is the reason for not spending much time blogging. It is harder to tell how to do something than it is to do it. I am a visual learner, so I am taking lots of picture to go with the instructions. A step by step in pictures! I definitely enjoy designing more than telling how I do it. I will get back into blogging soon, but you would just not believe how beautiful the ocean is right now. The water is crystal clear and just so refreshing in this 90 degree weather we are having. I love Florida, but it does get hot and sticky and when that happens there is only one place to be. I wake up and pack my lunch and grab the umbrella because I have to take something to work on so I do not feel like I am wasting my time. The DH thinks I am a workaholic and I have no idea how to relax. He might be right, but I am trying.

My Inspiration Board

2009-06-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

I am working on the studio and working on my house, so thought it would be great to every now and then share a pic from my inspiration board. I hope some day to make a similar shoe for my dressing table. This pic came from Victoria Magazine. You can click on the picture to see a larger size and the creator of this beautiful shoe I have been collecting for this shoe for a while. I have bought pieces for it and end up using it on something else, but one day it will all come together and I will have my decorative shoe!

A Mad Tea Party

2009-06-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

The very talented and whimsical Vanessa Valencia of A Fanciful Twist is hosting a Mad Tea Party, so come and join in on the fun!

Do you see what I see?

2009-05-31T06:01:00.000-07:00

I walked into the kitchen or maybe I should say stumbled and eyes half closed making my way to the coffee pot. I sit down at my little table waiting for the coffee to get finished. I look out the window and Wow! Is it pink or what?

Is that coffee ever going to get finished!

I have just got to share a few pics, so you can see what I see.

It really is kind of fun!

My new thing to go junking for is fans. I just love them. I am even making some and will be sharing them soon.

I've had my coffee, so it's off to see what all of you are up to.

St. Augustine

2009-05-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to post these pics since Mothers Day. My Daughter in law is going to Flagler College in St. Augustine. St.Augustine is one of my favorite places. I am so lucky to only live thirty minutes away from this Florida treasure. The Oldest City. As you can imagine antiquing here is about as fun as it gets. I am getting off track, but any way this is the entrance hall to Flagler College. There was a tour guide going on while I was taking these pics. This Florida girl needs to be a tourist for a day so she can get her facts straight, the guide said that it was at one time a hotel, but I just thought you might enjoy seeing this beautiful entry way to this beautiful college

I have to be honest and tell you that I am just exhausted from all this painting and organizing of the studio. Yesterday I slept most of the day and that is really not me at all, but I must have needed it. Two years ago I was hit with two auto immune diseases and at times I suffer with fatigue, but I am bound and determined not to let it stop me from doing what I love! I just have to learn not to push so hard. I find it very hard to chill out. I must learn to chill! LOL!

Update on the studio

2009-05-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

I am putting inspiration up on my inspiration board( which is really a vintage screen that is in really bad shape). I cut my gypsy scarf and added to the skirt of the work bench. That was really hard to do because I wore that scarf all the time!

I made a little skirt for the sewing machine table ( because I needed a larger table I took the leaf of another table and added it to the top) I attached the skirt with upholstery tacks. I am really trying not to spend any money on this project and use things that are sitting around and taking up space.

See you would never know that ugly useful plastic thing is hiding under the skirt.

I found this very gypsy style lamp at an estate sale last week and I just love it.

My little bead fairy is patiently waiting for me to get back to work.

I painted this dresser a while back , but it has found its rightful place and seems to fit perfectly

Handpainted Ceramic Victorian Boot

2009-05-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

I painted these not to long ago. I would love to have a pair just like them to wear! I have six of them that I am painting right now and they will be in the gallery soon. I am going to be setting up a buy it now blog. I think this will be a good idea for me because I sell in my local market and this will allow me to change out items quickly. I am also going to be doing a few shows and this will allow me to just close the blog while the show is going on and then reopen when over and delete items that have sold.

Studio

2009-05-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

Curtain rods and curtains are not just for windows. Yes, That is what was used to skirt my table. I love no sew projects and quick results! Not enough color yet. I have an idea for the wall above the table, but I need to finish up the painting around the windows before I start another project I had this jewelry organizer and thought it would make a great place to store some of my beads. I was thinking about that plastic you can buy by the yard. So many things can be organized with pockets, and that way I can customize it to my needs. So much to do and not enough hours in the day!

2009-05-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

I am still painting up a storm. It has been a very busy week. The problem I was having with my computer was a browser issue. I have broadband, but it was moving like a snail. Every time I would go to make a comment on someones site my computer would freeze up and I would have to shut down the whole thing. It was very frustrating, but everything seems to be working ok so far. I will go make a few comments and see how that works. It is so funny how the computer has become just as important as a phone. When I started doing this room, it was just going to be a room. But I have decided to make it a workspace. I struggle with trying to keep everything from running into my living space. This is a large area and I think if I am clever enough, maybe I can get everything in this one space. It has gone from a gypsy room to an artsy room. I painted the table last night an ugly gold color, but I think if I take that black curtain panel and make a skirt for it that might help tone down that ugly gold. Black has a way of grounding color. It tones things down a bit.

Digital Collage

2009-05-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

I spent the day playing with digital collage and my header is the result of that play time. I can't wait to try a few more. I want this blog to be a journal. I want it to be a place where I share my thoughts on the creative life. I did not get a chance to work on the studio today. I have already painted the walls and have started doing a little decorative painting on the walls and the door. I am desperately trying to get more organized. I also set up another blog. I named it Sea Gypsy Gallery. The gallery will be a place to sell my finished works.

Inspiration

2009-05-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

I was doing a little web surfing this morning and found this website called Polyvore. So much inspiration! I could spend the whole day looking at all the eye candy. I love this!

An Oriental Beauty (for Neca D.) by Satinee featuring Miu Miu shoulder bags

melancholy blue by little-flower✿ on Polyvore.com

I am wondering :)

2009-05-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

I am thinking. Why not make a room full of pattern and color. Like a quilt. Why not? It may be busy, but it will be interesting and fun to do. I will just look at the walls as a big blank canvas. Maybe I am a little wacky in the head, but lets go for it!

My computer is back up!

2009-05-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post to let you know I am still here. I have not been able to blog due to computer problems. I am still having a few problems but we are working on them. I have made good use of my time off line. I have been painting one of my rooms and will share that in the next post, but you will need a pair of sunglasses.LOL. I have decided after years of keeping it neutral that I am going to just go for it and surround myself with color like the pictures below. I am actually using the first picture as my inspiration. It was really hard to use that green on the ceiling, but I did it and I love it! to see more of this fabulous gypsy style visit Jeanne Boyol

Happy Friday

2009-04-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know how I love to give myself little challenges. Yesterday I thought to myself how tired I am of digging through the really ugly jewelry. This stuff is just plain ugly. I pull it all out on the table and told myself to make something or throw it away.
Waxed linen just happened to be in that same box and that was just perfect.
So I made a pouch out of the waxed linen and then began to embellish.
That little gold piece was an earring.
This is what I came up with. I would by no means call this a masterpiece, but I thought considering the junk it turned out pretty good. I'll wear it! The DH was not to crazy about it, but I never listen to him anyway.LOL.
Have a great weekend!

Did you hear about the party?

2009-04-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

The French Faeries are gathering, the guests are arriving and a sweet giveaway is planned. You will need to go here Kaerie Faerie to find out date and time

Paper Tape Roses

2009-04-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

The tape was sitting on the table, so I picked up a piece and just started playing and this is what came out of my play time. I ended up making four sets of three. I have never seen anyone make these, so I did a search for paper tape roses. I found roses made of crepe paper and duck tape, but no paper tape. I am sure it has been done. I made them like you would ribbon roses, but better than ribbon because it sticks to itself, so it keeps it's shape. I then ended up giving them a wash of color. I needed this color for a project I am working on or I would have tried rolling them in glitter.

What to do on a rainy day?

2009-04-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

It is raining and I am sitting here at the computer finding all kinds of cool things. I thought this was interesting and really pretty accurate

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Easter Tussy Mussy

2009-04-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

I was reading one of my favorite blogs and inspiration hit. I had to make a tussy mussy. It is funny how something will hit you and you know exactly how you will make it. I wanted to make it out of wire and Victorian in style. I will be making more of these. I can take everything out and add a little glass bottle and add fresh flowers or silk. I just love it!

I made the eggs last year.

I hope you all have a very Happy Easter! My Birthday is tomorrow also, so I am off to bake a cake for myself. I don't really need that cake, but I am going to make it anyway. My Mom always made it for me and I am just so hungry for it I can taste it. I found her recipe. Coconut Cake. This coconut cake is a little different. The coconut and sugar are cooked together and it makes a syrup, You drizzle this over the cake and it sinks in making the most moist cake you have ever tasted. My DH does not like coconut, but he does like this cake. I will post the recipe on my next post.

Good Friday

2009-04-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up thinking about Jesus, so I set out in search of artists who have painted Him. All I can say is, wow! But one artist stood out for me and his name was Warner Sallman. This one of Jesus would be on my top ten list of modern paintings. In my search I discovered that this picture of Jesus head is one of the most popular artworks of all time.
I love all of these!

Victorian Ladies

2009-04-08T06:44:00.000-07:00

I am just so excited with my junking find this weekend. It seems like I have seen these before in my childhood, but I just can't seem to place where. I love all things Victorian. I have been a little lazy this week, so I am just going with it. As much as I love creating it can be exhausting. I have been rearranging things in the studio and doing a little spring cleaning.

Abstract Painting

2009-04-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

I am heading out to do a little junking today. My other favorite thing to do. I am still working on my painting. I am hoping to achieve a very lacy effect in the end. If not on this one maybe the next. I also want to thank you all for your comments and I want to tell each one of you how much you inspire me. I have not had much in the way of support or positive encouragement and sometimes it is hard for me to know what to say, but I do thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I hope you all have a great weekend. I am going to try and have a little fun and I hope you do to. I think sometimes we work too hard. Not only are we all working on art, now we have to learn the computer, learn to network, photography and that darn printer! :)

In The Studio

2009-04-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Since last week I decided to put down the clay and pick up the paint brush. I have a number of paintings in the works. I do it this way because it gives me a chance to see what needs to be changed. Sometimes I may paint a face three time before I decide it is ok. I am also working on some jewelry, but I am not happy enough with it to share yet. I took one of my dolls that was made of paper clay and sanded the face completely off. It was hard for me to do that because she has so much embellishment going on, but her face just didn't work for me. That is what makes paper clay so great. I also painted a mermaid on muslin. This will be a textile collage. The fairy with the roses is going to be very embellished. A dimensional piece. I hope everyone is having a creative week.

Inspiration ( This is not my work)

2009-03-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

Every now and then we run across an artist that makes us want to try new things. I am not sure why some things hit us more that others, but this artist is speaking to my soul right now. To see more of this talented artist work, click on her name Gerda S- Rijisdijk

More Fairy Decor

2009-03-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

What would a fairy do with an oyster shell?

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I am going to follow the sign.

Products Used For Junk Birdhouse

2009-03-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

I forgot to tell you what was used to make the junk birdhouse. I first painted the house with acrylic. Two coats of paint on what would show. I used sanded grout and buttered each section I was working on with a palette knife. You do need to do it pretty thick to make sure the pieces are embedded securely. If the piece did not feel secure I would pick it back up and add grout to the piece itself and place it back down. I let the birdhouse sit out in the sun most of the day. It really should probably sit up for a few days before the next step, but me being the inpatient person that I am and wanting to see it finished, gave it the antiquing treatment. To antique: I mixed Antique Gold and Burnt Umber acrylic paint with antiquing medium(equal amounts on this project). Wipe off excess with a damp cloth. I took a ceramic class way back in the day, and learned that you can add colors to antique gold to achieve beautiful results. One of my favorites Antiquing mediums is the Antique Gold and Burnt Sienna. A good combination for dolls or when you want a pink tint to a project. It would be so cute to do small birdhouses for a Christmas tree, but you would have to use something like Apoxie Sculpt because the grout would be to heavy for the limbs of the Christmas tree. Just a thought!

Birdhouse

2009-03-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

A wood birdhouse sitting on the shelf. It has been sitting there for years. A box full of old jewelry in really bad shape and not really good enough for most art projects. The really bad stuff! I can not throw anything a way because I might just use it someday. Today was the day it would finally be used and it turned out better than I thought considering the junk that was used.

Another Gift In The Mail

2009-03-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

I went to my mailbox this morning and another giveaway gift was waiting on me. This one is from The Artful Life. If you get a chance go by and check out Tina's Etsy store. I love my necklace! My family often laughs at me because I have a tendency to wear a little to much jewelery. I am sure their must be some gypsy blood somewhere in the tree. LOL. I do have a little of that Native American blood and they also seemed to love adornment, so maybe that is where it comes from. I also have a thing for leather moccasins which I have worn all winter. I exchanged them a few days ago for flip flops. My shoes of choice for the summer! After receiving my gift, it seemed as if the day wanted to be about birds. I walked down to the beach and watched the seagulls and the shorebirds run in and out of the surf. I come home and these beautiful pigeons were in the yard. I have always heard that the male is the most colorful, so I am thinking the one with the touch of color on his neck must be the male. They did not mind posing for the camera at all. Birds are everywhere. I guess they are as happy as we are for a little warmer weather.

Dreaming Of Fairy Decor

2009-03-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

It has been so beautiful here. It feels like spring. I have been sitting outside and playing with sticks. Making tiny wreaths out of crab grass. Taking a piece of driftwood and making a place for a fairy to sit. Making little pillows from rabbit fur. Chairs made with shells. I love my little dream world!

Paper Pixie

2009-03-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

I have received a few emails and one of my bloggie friends wanted to know more about the paper pixie. I will share more pictures of the one holding the heart soon. She is almost finished. I have a little bit more to do on her. I am in the process of making a booklet with step by step instructions. I began making the booklet for myself. I make so many different types of dolls and they are all constructed differently and I wanted to have some kind of documentation of how I did it. I have already used it since making the first doll. How quickly we forget.LOL! She really is completely made out of coffee filters, even the face.
I punched out lots of flowers from wallpaper and decoupaged to the filters.
I love the tone on tone.
I made lots of little flowers to embellish with.

I am making one right now that is totally different. The coffee filters will be painted. I can't wait to see what that one will look like. It is really interesting to me to see how many ways you can change a piece simply by your choice of media. They are so much fun to make! More coming soon!

Gifts in my mailbox

2009-03-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was like Christmas. I went to the mailbox and tiny packages were waiting for me. The first was a gift from OWOH event. I was the winner of this heart ornament from Gypsy Mare Studios. I love her paintings! Thank you! My Paper Pixie( made with coffee filters)thinks the heart is hers, so I am letting her have her way until Christmas and then she is going to have to give it up for the tree. The next package I open up was a gift from Susan of A Walk In The Park I am thinking of using the face for a wildart doll. I love it! I opened up the card and there was one of Susan's awesome drawings. I went and grabbed a frame and put the card inside. I thought the frame might be to much, but I like it! He sits on a shelf in my living room. Thank you!

More Fairy Shoes

2009-03-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

As you can see I am still having fun making these tiny treasures. I have always loved miniatures and used to collect them, so this is just too much fun. They are close to being an inch. They are made of polymer clay. I gave each pair varnish and sprinkled with a little fairy dust.

Fairy Shoes

2009-02-26T16:24:00.000-08:00

One day I was searching the web and ran across a pair of fairy shoes and I just had to make a pair. This is the first pair but it will definitely not be the last. they are two and half inches long. I still would like them to be a little bit smaller. It was just so much fun! I have been sculpting for three weeks. Stopping only to eat and sleep. I have managed to keep up with my New Years resolution of being in the studio by 6:00 am. I am hoping all this hard work will pay off with some new and improved skills. I have pulled out every sculpting book I have and am trying new things.
My tip if the week: After smoothing with the hand sanitizer and before the clay goes in the oven I use cornstarch to smooth the clay a little more.

Tip of the week

2009-02-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

During a week you learn so many new things and so I thought it would be really good to put it in a post on Fridays. I will call it Tip of the week. So here goes the coolest thing I learned this week (by accident). Hand sanitizing lotion is great for smoothing polymer clay. I use a variety of clays and so I tested them all. It worked! I used a fabric brush to apply and smooth. When baking the clay I do multi baking's and so I cover my pieces previously baked with a barely damp paper towel.

Sculpting faces

2009-02-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is my two weeks worth of work. I have been sculpting faces and making a few beads while waiting for the dolls to bake. I get so frustrated with how much time things take. I have been trying to come up with pieces that do not take up so much time for selling purposes, but before I know it these simple little pieces end up taking close to a week to make. I guess things just have to cost what they will. The great thing about art dolls whatever the style, they are one of a kind. I see so many doll artist selling dolls way below value. I see dolls in Walmart( a doll) that cost more than some of the Art Dolls being sold. I just don't get it! Maybe it is that age old problem of the artist devaluing their work. I was looking through all of my old Art Doll Quarterly magazines and it dawned on me weather you like the art or not all of the dolls that grace the pages of that magazine are art. It took creativity, time and skill. There are different degrees of skill, but some pieces just shine for the lack of it. This is something else I have been pondering in my little pea. I am so hard on myself and yet I love all types of artist and all types of skills. I heard something this week that has made me think about this subject. Art has never been about perfection. It is the creative spirit expressing itself. When you really get down deep and think about this, it is freeing. Sorry this post is so long.

Mango Paints

2009-02-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

I know I can paint if you will just give me the chance.
I told you I could do it!Are you watching me?

OWOH Winner

2009-02-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

The winner for the OWOH is Liv of Liv Luvs Scraps

OWOH

2009-02-11T04:59:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick post to let you know that I will close comments for OWOH at 12:00 tonight. I really enjoyed the event and look forward to it next year! I will plan for it and offer more than one giveaway. I will do a little more searching today, but I was not able to visit every participant. I would find a cool blog and end up staying and reading all their past posts. I think it is probably better just to hit the comment section and then go back when the event is over and read blogs. I am going now and hit as many as I can before this great event is over!

Picture Tag

2009-02-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

I have been picture tagged by the very talented Sue of barton originals. I am supposed to go into my picture files and pick the fourth picture in the fourth file. I am then to tag four more bloggie friends. I feel like I got lucky on this one! My fourth file is called " blog ready" This is one of my rose paintings. You will be seeing this piece again because I just printed it on fabric a few days ago with the intentions of using it in a textile collage. The four very talented bloggie friends I tag are: Pinkglitterfae Art
A Walk In The Park
The Window of My Life
Kaeriefaerie

My Doodle Journal

2009-02-03T04:20:00.000-08:00

I have a journal that is just for doodles. When I started the journal I thought it would be filled with colorful pages. My doodles are just that, a doodle. Each night before hitting the hay, I grab my pencil and begin putting graphite on the clean white pages. I look forward to this quit time of pencil in hand.

Inspiration is everywhere!

2009-01-30T07:37:00.000-08:00

I like to try to post at least twice a week and because of this I post pictures of things in the works. After this doll, I am going to start working on some jewelry. Six months ago I bought everything needed to do a little soldering and I am itching to get started.I just love her little hairdo! I thought it might be cool to see where the inspiration came from. I am reading Kelly Rae Robert's book, "Taking Flight" and she has a painting on the cover and her girls have hair like this.
Also in keeping with the theme of collage from the book, I decided to make the dress out of paper cloth. I was going to do a little painting and stamping on the fabric, but I liked it so much I decided to leave it alone. The collage elements seemed to go together. I will add a little embroidery and maybe some crochet and let it go at that. Keeping it simple. I have decided she will hold three balloons, so now I have to figure out how I will do that. Wire and styrofoam is what I am thinking.

Driftwood Angel

2009-01-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

I just love her! The pictures really do not do this piece justice. I may do a little more embellishment, but not much. I have been just fascinated with embroidery of late, but knowing I wanted to take this old craft and give it a little modern twist. What really made it pop for me was taking a pencil and shading the face after doing a very simple back stitch. It gives a very organic feel to the face which goes so will with the natural materials. I am sure this is just the beginning of much more exploration. I am going to have to start taking my daily walks just to find more driftwood.

Folk Art Fairy

2009-01-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

Another little folk art fairy. She is only 6 1/2 inches. I love doing these because of the primitive type sculpting. They really come to life because of the painting. It is hard to paint something so small. I will get the hang of it before long. I have decided if I can paint a little rose on a tiny button. I can paint a face the size of a quarter. I laugh as I say that, because my eyes are not what they used to be. Every work area I have has a magnifying light. I never had this problem until I turned forty. I did use a liner brush for most of her features, but I think I still need to go to a smaller brush than what I am used to for a little finer detail. Live and learn!