Altered Spoons

Claudia made this one as an ornament for her daughter.

I shared my latest obsession of altering spoons with my friends at Sunset Shores on a recent retreat. They loved them as much as I did!

Sandy made this one … I love the paper cut to fit the spoon and the Piccolos behind the berries.

I wanted to share their beautiful spoons so you can see how any style or theme can be incorporated. These are made with an antique store or Goodwill found spoon, Piccolos, Piccolo Enamel Powder, ribbon, Art Glitter and leftover charms, beads and other items.

Marty made this one. She was frustrated waiting for the Glastique to dry, but it was so worth the wait! Just look at that shine!

I apologize for the quality of the photos … I was taking pictures in a basement, rather than in my light studio.

Christina made this one with Breast Cancer as a theme.

Claudia made this one for her other daughter.

Christina made the grapes to match her kitchen. I love how the paper mimics the shape of the spoon. Lynnette made the butterfly one — although my photo is awful, you can see how the ribbon became almost a little dress on it. Love it!

Sunset Shores Retreat

I’m back from Sunset Shores and, as usual, we had a wonderful time.

I spent four days with some of my closest friends and made a few new ones, too. It was four days of fun, laughter, cropping, sharing, learning and eating. I spent part of Friday and all of Saturday teaching, so I didn’t get very much done, but I love to teach, so it was still fun. We even managed to fit in a movie and two Detroit Tigers games.

Although what happens at the crop, stays at the crop, I thought I would share a few photos from the weekend …

Linda is working on a page I did that she saw on display at Capture A Memory. She took photos and measurements and bought the supplies and brought it here to work on. I was so honored!

 

Croppers know how to improvise. When Lynnette, Claudia and Janet couldn’t find shot glasses, they made do with bowls!

 

Elaine completed several layouts over the weekend.

This is the view from my crop space. We may be in the basement, but there is still a view of the lake!

Vivian, the owner of Sunset Shores, always puts out an amazing spread for every meal.

 

Hungry croppers …

These are the ornaments the girls made in the class I taught. I love how different they each are.

 

Sandy used Distress Markers to color in her Elizabeth Craft’s image.

Can you believe how much stuff we bring to a crop!?!

 

Christina is working on Halloween photos …

So much fun … I can’t wait until next year to do it all again!

 

Snowman Ornament

Today is a quick post … I’m off to Sunset Shores for the weekend where I will be cropping and teaching four classes! Each of the classes is completely different — we’re making a card, an ornament, a mosaic page and an altered spoon. I still have lots to pack and get ready for the event, but I wanted to share the ornament we’ll be making …

This is a group of experienced croppers, so I expect lots of variations on my sample, but we’ll all be starting with a snowman ornament from Globecraft Memories. (If they aren’t available in your area, click on the link to the right to order direct.)

I used a bit of paint and flock to cover the snowman (and discovered after the fact that I should have painted the snowman white so the flock remained white!). For the background, I painted the globe and then added Pure Sparkle Silver glitter.

For this frame, I kept it simple and just used Mermaid Tears Enamel Powder.

The insert and little Piccolo pieces are painted with Cool-Set Enamel. The leaves are coated with Mossy Glen Enamel Powder.

After I finished the pieces, I coated the ring and accents with Glastique for a durable shine.

I think he’s cute and I cannot wait to see what spin my friends put on theirs.

 

Altering Spoons

I have a new addiction … altering spoons. I cannot seem to stop.

Part of the fun is in finding the spoons. Since I am going to be teaching how to alter them at an upcoming retreat at Sunset Shores, I have been searching for them for the past month or so … antique sales, flea markets, Goodwill stores. I have quite a collection that my husband has lovingly either bent or drilled holes into so they can be hung easily.

Yet, although I have more than enough, I can’t help myself from looking for more!

But the fun of altering spoons is more than just hunting for treasures. They are so small and so easy to work with that decorating them is exciting, too. I have been using up a lot of those spare parts I had laying around from other creations, as well as cutting up some Christmas paper.

The one at the top is wrapped in twine. Then, I added a few cutouts from so old paper, which I had inked with Distress Ink. (I found that Glue Lines, made by Glue Dots, and dimensional foam tape seem to work the best at attaching things.) I coated the paper in Glastique to give it some additional strength and a bit of shine.

Then, I added a Piccolo (laser-cut, compressed chipboard) which I coated with Vintage Black Enamel Powder to the front.

Finally, I added a bit of sparkle with some glitter from Globecraft Memories.

 

I fell in love with this print on a sheet of paper from KaiserCraft. I didn’t want it to be a plain rectangle, nor did I want to cut out the children on the sled, so used a Lifestyle Crafts die to cut out an interesting border and then inked it with Distress Ink.

I added Art Glitter Dazzlers to the bottom of the spoon to replicate the snow and tied a bit of tulle to the top.

I sprayed a Maya Road flower with Perfect Pearls Mists to give it a hint of blue and attached that over the tulle.

Then I coated a Piccolo key in Vintage Gold Enamel Powder and added a little plastic flower from Bazzill. I love how soft it turned out and this is one I can keep up all winter …

This last one was inspired by the Piccolo bird cage and little birds. With the exception of the Piccolo parts, tulle and paper, all of the items on this spoon were sitting on my desk in a little bowl my daughter made when she was little. I toss all unused and leftover embellishments in there for later use — although I rarely use them later! Anyhow, I wrapped the spoon in tulle, coated the cage in Vintage Bronze and the birds in Cool-Set Enamel, also from Globecraft Memories. Then I wrapped around a bit of red tinsel (Tim Holtz). I cut the saying out of  a piece of Reminisce paper and added Distress Ink and Glastique to it. I added a bit of Distress Ink onto the flower and attached it.

The crochet flower is handmade by a customer at Capture A Memory in Flint Township. The center piece was a Maya Road plastic flower I airbrushed with a Copic marker and then never used. I think it works perfect here, don’t you?

I hope you have fun trying your own altered spoons … I know we will this weekend in Clare!

 

Goodwill Vase

I am a frequent shopper at Goodwill. It is the perfect place to find things to alter and you all know how I love to alter.

This little jar has been at my local Goodwill for several weeks. Each time I walk by, I want to buy it, but I never know what to do with it.

I finally decided to buy two of them to try a painting technique I wanted to use on larger jars. That experiment did not go so well. Let’s just say, this little jar’s friend will spend his days in the garbage dump.

I was totally frustrated when my husband suggested enameling the jar. Thinking the jar would shatter under the intense heat, I said no, but then decided to try it anyway. I figured the worse that could happen would be a mess to clean up and a trip to the ER.

First, I wrapped a bit of Tissue Tape by Tim Holtz (masking tape would work as well) around the lip of the vase to mark off an area and then coated it liberally with Piccolo Enamel Powder Adhesive and then with a layer of 24K Gold Enamel Powder.

The glass didn’t break, so I kept going — coating the entire jar with Enchanted Aubergine.

 

This is the point I remembered to take a photo … you can see it was just a clear jar. I have about 1/3 of it coated at this point.

 

 

I went very slowly — doing a section and then allowing it to cool completely before doing the next section. I used scissors to hold it after a while, because the entire jar heats up each time you heat a small space.

 

 

And this is how it looked when it was done. I decided to redo a bit of the gold along the top, since I wrecked some of it trying to hang onto the vase.

I love how the different-sized particles stuck to certain areas of the vase. It makes it very interesting.

Then, I decided to add some Piccolo decor to the top. I coated them with Cool-Set Enamel in white. Because they are cut very intricately with a laser, I was able to mold the compressed chipboard Piccolo around the vase.

Here is a closer look at the Piccolo pieces. (These are from Card Decor Set 1, if you are interested in buying them).

And here is my finished vase. My husband said it reminded him of art glass and that’s the biggest compliment I can get!

 

 

 

So Much To Be Thankful For

Sometimes life is tough. It is easy to get caught up in the negativity that surrounds us. So, it is important to keep reminding ourselves what is the most important.

In my life, I am thankful that I have two beautiful children who are happy and healthy and starting their own adult lives.

I am also incredibly thankful for my amazing husband who does everything humanly possible to make me smile — even if it means telling bad jokes or doing silly dances — things he would probably deny if questioned.

To help keep me focused on the positive and important things in life, I created this 8×10 canvas to hang in my home. (click on the photos for a larger view)

I created the background with Glimmer Mists in oranges and yellows.

The paper is Authentique’s new Thankful line.

I used dies from Tim Holtz/Sizzix to cut out the leaves, then added a bit of Distress Ink and molded them with my fingers to be dimensional.

Then, I added a few acorns, cut out from the paper, and topped them with Distress Stickles. They give a soft sparkle without it being in-your-face bling.

The word Thankful is cut out with my Cricut and the smaller words are cut with a Lifestyle Crafts die.

The globe is from Globecraft Memories. I ran the frame through an embossing folder and then coated it with enamel powder. I made the family photo sepia toned to match.

For the final touch, I added a few Piccolos — tiny, laser cut pieces made from compressed chipboard — and coated them with enamel powder. I love the elegance they provide.

 

What are you thankful for?

 

 

 

New Piccolos from Globecraft Memories

Have you seen the new holiday Piccolo Accents from Globecraft Memories? They are really cute …

Here are a few cards I created with them …

This one is the Night Before Christmas. I coated it with Vintage Gold Enamel Powder and then glued a bit of embroidery floss behind for the string. The stamp is from Stampers Anonymous and the papers are from Reminisce.

This one uses the Lil Christmas Accents (well, a few of them …). I painted them white and black and then covered them with Glastique. The “buttons” were created with a Glaze pen. I used papers by Moxxie and velvet paper for the background. The saying is a sticker.

Finally, this one I have shown before, but I love it so much, I thought it was worth another look! It features the My Own Wreath Design Accents, which are a lot of fun because it comes with several accents and you pick what you want to go on the wreath! The dark green is Mossy Glen Enamel Powder. The red and light green are paints by Claudine Hellmuth Studio. I covered the entire thing with Glastique.

The stamp is the same one used above. Papers are from Authentique and the sentiment is stamped on paper cut out with a Lifestyle Crafts Die.

Are you making Christmas cards this year?

 

Merry Christmas Card

It may be the beginning of Autumn, but I’m feeling a lot like Christmas.

I decided this is the perfect time to get started making Christmas cards.

This year, I have a special project I am doing in conjunction with Capture A Memory. I am creating holiday cards using only items the store has in stock. Then, I am putting the cards, a recipe to make them, and all of the products needed to create them in a special section in the store. Think of it as one-stop-card shopping. I think it will be fun for both me and the customers and I am excited to get started.

Naturally, with my brain that easily gets overloaded, I left the new stamps and papers I purchased to make some of the cards at the store last Thursday. Then, my husband offered to go with me to the store on Sunday to pick up the items and run a few errands. We were almost to the store when I realized I didn’t bring my keys and since the store isn’t open on Sunday, I wasn’t getting anything!

So the project is already behind schedule, but I despite all of my issues, I did manage to create one card this weekend …

Supplies: Authentique papers, Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Festive Berries Distress Ink, stamp by Stampers Anonymous, die cut by Lifestyle Crafts, Wreath by Globecraft Memories, Mossy Glen Enamel Powder, Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paints, Glastique, and a little gold cord.

Most of the items are available at Capture A Memory in Flint Township. The Globecraft Memories products (Wreath, Mossy Glen, Enamel Powder Adhesive and Glastique) can be purchased through the new link on the right side of my blog. Easy, easy!

If you choose to make your own version of this card, please send me a link or jpeg and I’ll share it with everyone!

Thanks for reading …

 

Technique: Piccolo Enamel Powders

It’s Back!

After a brief hiatus for the summer, Technique Thursday returns today with a brand-new product: Piccolo Accents, Charms and Enamel Powders.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you have seen me use them a lot. I cannot help myself. They are made in Michigan and the US, the owners of the company are amazing people and, most importantly, they are quick and easy to use, yet provide a huge impact on a project.

Piccolo Accents & Charms are laser-cut images made from compressed chipboard (or bookboard). Bookboard is stronger and thinner than chipboard, so you can get the look without so much bulk. Once coated with Glastique, a clear, glossy adhesive that will not yellow over time, they can be used as jewelry, like you see here …

Piccolo Enamel Powders come in a variety of colors — all sorts of metals, as well as some unique color combinations. They work like embossing powders, but the results are very different. Enamel Powders provide the look of metal or enamel, complete with dimension.

The enamel powders work great on Piccolo pieces, obviously, but you can also use them on chipboard, Grungeboard and metal.

In this picture, I coated the Grungeboard hinges, and the washer at the bottom, as well as the tiny gears with enamel powders.

I wanted to show you how easy it is to create your own metal looks, so I made a video.

You can watch it here ….

If you want to try out Piccolo Enamel Powders and make a Piccolo piece for yourself, stop by Capture A Memory in Flint Township today from 2-6 p.m. I’ll show you how easy it is — for free! Hope to see you there.

 

 

Altered Window Art

My favorite project during the retreat at Sunset Shores was making an altered window.

When I first learned we would be creating these, I will admit that I was a bit skeptical. While I am a country girl and I love antiques, I’m not really into the primitive, paint-peeling, dirty sorts of things that old windows are. But, I figured I would give it a try and see what happens.

As you can see, here, it turned out amazingly wonderful!

My house is a little lake cottage, so I took measurements of the only wall I could think to hang it on before I left. Fortunately, I was able to select a window that fit — just barely — into the space.

I forgot to take a photo of the old window before I started, but here it is after just the first step:

It was plain, devoid of most paint on the inside and came with two tiny nails and a screw where a handle used to be.

The first step was a technique I had not heard of before … gesso and a stencil. We just spread the gesso on like frosting over a home decor stencil and let it dry. It is absolutely amazingly beautiful and I am sure I’ll be trying it on different objects soon … it added just a bit of depth.

Next came the paint. I used Adirondack Paint Dabbers (although I used a brush) in Butterscotch, Hazelnut and White. I kept going over the layers using a dry brush with little paint until I got close to the patina I wanted. Then, I went back with a lot of water and a little paint and created sort of a whitewash effect.

(click on the photos for a better view)

Next came another technique I hadn’t tried before, but loved … printing clip art on tissue paper and then using Glue ‘N Seal to adhere it to the frame. I added another coat of whitewash over the top to tone down the colors a bit.

After that was done, we made a banner. I brought my own paper and modified it a bit (I’m not a fan of rosettes), so I used the Tattered Flowers die from Tim Holtz and two layers of dimensional foam adhesive to make mine. The letters are cut from chipboard and cardstock (adhered together), inked with Distress Ink and then covered with UTEE. It spells out Family, although it is hard to see in the photo.

For the bottom two windows, I glued a piece of chalkboard paper to the front side of one (still have to get some chalk) and then used Glue N Seal to glue a photo of my kids on the back side of the window on the other. The color you see on that pane is the wall.

For this pane, I used Alcohol Inks to alter a piece of chicken wire and stapled it along the edges. Then I used cute little hooks to hang a couple of photos of my chickens on them. The vintage buttons are glued on the front of the window pane. The color behind is the wall.

For the final pane, I taped a piece of printed paper to the back side of the window.

On the frame, I screwed in two screws and wrapped some wire around a tiny glass bottle to hold it in place. The bottle is decorated with Tissue Tape and filled with rye grass. I made a charm with paper, Glastique and a tag from Tim Holtz.

 

I used the same technique to attach this old insulator the frame. I plan to use it as a chalk dispenser.

 

These pieces of faux metal hardware began life as corrugated cardboard.

 

I ran them through an embossing folder and then used Piccolo enamel powders from Globecraft Memories to make them look like metal. They were too shiny for the window, so I sanded them down and applied a bit of Ranger Archival Ink to them. I still didn’t get the look I wanted so I used a friends brown wash to paint them a bit. Eventually, I got the look above, which was perfect.

And, there you have it … one amazing window. I still would like to hang something off of the screw at the bottom, but until I figure out what I want, it’s done …

Now I’m thinking of making another for my living room …