Storage Grates

RAD idea here.
Don't know where I'd put some, but the colored enamel has my mind turning....

Line Love

I remember being quite young, probably in junior high when I saw a piece of art in one of my Mom's fashion/home magazines. It was simple: a model was posing in a chair placed in the corner of a white room, but the chair was a metal sculpture that looked like a huge scribble or drawing of a chair. This big, metal outline and she was sitting in it. I absolutely LOVED it. I tore it out and kept it for years in a binder I had full of images that inspired me. I have never forgotten that great idea. I don't always see work using metal that blows me away but do keep my eyes out. There is something very mid-century about having a metal wall sculpture. They can be so cool, right? But I'm surprised at how hard they are to find. So WOW!!! Found this guy's site and flipped. His name is Frank Plant and his work is amazing. A-MAY-ZING. Some of the content is a bit political, but still: the execution and style is just incredible. Sometimes I'll confess to people that this is a medium I've wanted to try and usually get funny looks. But this is what I'd love to create with it. Ah!

Fun Frivolity

Quick post to share the banner I made for Jess's blog. Looks nice and chewy, eh?

I have wanted to make one of these for a few years. A custom valentines box. I know, weird. I'm not even into those anyway or their bland red execution, but as I was browsing MS.com looking at craft ideas, I found this link and decided to do it, just a wee bit smaller. You can view her video for a better idea on the steps to follow, but here's a short version (and my few alterations).
She suggests using matboard for the box top and bottom, which I used here. First, cut out one heart shape to trace using grade school techniques here: fold a paper in half, cut out a heart 'half' and unfold, resulting in a perfectly symmetrical shape. Trace this onto a piece of the matboard and cut out. Now cut out a second heart from the mat board using the first matboard heart, NOT the template. This will give you a slighly larger heart, which, once walled will fit snugly over your bottom piece. (this is a tip not noted in her tutorial) Then use posterboard cut into 1" strips and hot glue around each matboard heart. I won't go into detail- but her video demonstrates this part well. Voila! The first picture you see is my box top and bottom and all the glue goop that is flapping around. No matter. Let's hide some mess by making the top and bottom panels. Martha suggests using posterboard for this, but I feel it's too flimsy, esp. since you'll be using the edge for pulling the box open so I used more matboard. It was a little tricky to cut with pinking shears but easy to trim down and reshape. Cut those and glue on with your glue gun. Done- see picture #2. Now what? That's what I asked myself. I liked my little box but now had no idea what to do to it. So many options- paint it? fabric? paper? do I stamp it? glue things on it? Try tons of things- could be way fun to see. The box itself doesn't take long to make- about 20 minutes or so. For this one I used velvet paper, cut again in 1" strips and glued them to the side of the outer box. I then coated the upper edge and lower visible edge with a pale pink, chunky glitter. After that I busted out some first grade whoop-art and did some tissue texture! Used a pink-edged circle punch from Martha and punched out a lot of tissue circles, then wrapped one around the end of a pencil, dipped it in glue and placed it on. Yeah- kind of tedious and more work than it was probably worth, but look at how frilly and obnoxious! Perfect for the possibly frilly contents inside... if you know what I mean. Topped the tissue with a little vintage foil cupid and it's done! Fill with candy, naughty little things, what have you....

Lofty Love

I don't really get into Valentines Day much but wanted to do something with these cool vintage valentines I found. This is what I decided to do. I nearly made a garland of some kind but have wanted to try making a mobile for a while, so the valentines were my 'guinea pig'. It ended up being easier than I thought and now I want to try some more cool varieties. When will I do this? Who even knows?!
Here is all I did:
I used 3-4 long pieces of 20 gauge wire, the longest was used on the top (and that bend in the center was an accident when I was tying the string, so be careful). I cut the remaining others in half. I used pliers and looped each end closed. Then I used a cotton red/pink striped yarn to tie everything on. This worked well because it wouldn't slip or move easily. I hole punched each card and continued to tie them on, adjusting balance as I went. Had the thing done within about 30 minutes. Now it floats above our kitchen counter and rains love and happiness down. Okay, not really that last part but it's at least festive and we can enjoy it for ONE WEEK. Sheesh. This is why I need to start things earlier. But think of all the cool things you could do! Paper cut out letters, mod shapes.... I'm excited to play.

Skirts, be gone!

See... this is how I do things. I get an idea and I acquire. I have found that I really enjoy the sourcing and gathering of materials... finding the time to execute is an entirely different story.
Case in point; the girls Christmas gifts. I already posted some dance skirts that I wanted to make them. Well, when I bought the fabric, I kept getting inspired and ended up with about five different versions to make. Long story short, I finished them. Done. The fabric piles on my desk are gone and I have moved on to more things. Whew. They turned out really cute, esp. the big pink tutu's. If I had a surger these would have gone so much faster. I formulated a plan as I painstakingly hemmed the yellow/blush pink one. If I had 3 other friends who wanted one, we could all share the cost and share the machine. Anyone?..... :-)