Candle Project

Here's a fun project idea:

Collaged Art Candles

1. Choose Candles - We use a pre-poured candle in clear glass. Be sure to choose a glass surface that is clean, smooth and large enough to hold the collage elements that you wish to include. You may want to find a container that has a lip or rim around it that would be used to tie ribbon, yarn or twine around.

2. Decide on background paper (you may use a background paper as a base for your collage, or let the glass show through the pieces of your collage), choose additional materials (photos, stamps, labels, torn paper, tissue paper, etc), make sure they fit
When choosing elements for your collage, keep in mind color (do you match the wax to the outside or contrast? Will the wax show?), theme (is it holiday, personal, nostalgic, cultural?), texture (will you use handmade or refined papers, will you add a yarn or ribbon at the top?), components & details (wax color, base paper, detail papers, photos, ties, tags, charms, words)

3. Apply ModPodge one section at a time, in one thin layer, apply paper or item, smooth to remove bubbles. Note about ModPodge: It is a non-toxic, non-flammable, glue and decoupage medium to be used as glue and as a top layer

4. Allow the first layer to be moderately dry before applying collage items. When you're pleased with your collage, add one or two layers of Mod Podge for durability.

5. Be sure to look at the candle for completeness
Does it need a ribbon or twine tie, should it have a charm, Milagro, tassel, or tag?

These candles are great gifts or accents for your home decor. We make them several times a year to coordinate with a holiday theme.

Enjoy your project and let us know how it goes.

Oh Baby!

Two of my friends have had babies recently. I decided to try my hand at making baby blankets for their wee-ones. I have been drooling over the super-soft polka-dot fleece at the fabric stores for quite some time, but had no reason to buy pastel blue, pink or yellow for myself. So now the occasion arises. Having never made a baby blanket, it was a learning experience.

My concept was simple. One side of the blanket would be a super soft fleece, the other a cute cotton print, all bound together with one of those satin blanket bindings.

The execution of the concept was a learning experience. The fleece, I found, tends to bunch up in the sewing machine. The satin, I found, tends to slip. The woman at the fabric store gave me a tip, use a walking foot on my machine, but I don't have one. My solution was to use lots and lots of pins to hold all the pieces in place while I stitched. ( I really hate pinning! It's so tedious.)

First I borrowed one of my daughter's blankets to figure out what size. After washing the material, I cut the two pieces to the appropriate size. Cutting the fleece was an exercise in fuzz-making. Then I pinned the two blanket sides, right sides together and went to the sewing machine to stitch...and realized, I needed to pin them with the right sides facing out. So, I un-pinned an re-pinned the blanket--did I mention, I don't like to pin. Next tip, stitch so the cotton is on the feed-dogs, not the fleece, that will help avoid the bunching. After the two pieces were stitched together, pin (again) the satin binding on the edge of the blanket. Working one side at a time, I attached the binding and mitered the corners. Again, the stitching worked better with the cotton side down.

With one blanket done, the second one was a breeze! Wow! Two blankets done in one day! What do you think? I will put them in the mail, and hopefully my friends and their babies will be happy with their new cuddly blankets.

Fairy Gardens

The four girls were off last Friday. They came to the studio to do a project.

Supplies: We bought four large plant saucers, potting soil, and bedding plants with tiny flowers. We also bought miniature birdhouses and birds, as well as some wooden shapes. Kerry and I got out lots of our studio supplies for them to use, too.

• pistachio shells
• silk flower petals
• glass pebbles
• rocks
• sea shells
• chunky potpourri
• buttons
• small wooden shapes
• paints
• glass and plastic beads
• hot glue to make permanent "ponds"
• colored sand
• moss

The girls were thoughtful in their planning. They collected more materials from the yard. They were very diligent in painting their fairy houses and creating interesting items to attract fairies to their new little homes.

• mailboxes
• sea shell and pod boats
• nut shell dishes
• "food" for the fairies
• twig fences and arches
• ponds and rivers
• twine nests
• houses with chimneys
• shingles
• shell treasure chests
• gardens
• stepping stones and pathways
• bark bridges
• benches and seats

The results of the day were fabulous! The girls (ranging in age from 6 to 10) worked steadily for 2 hours. They each came up with original ideas, their own magical vision of what a fairy house should look like with its own sparkly magic.

What fairy wouldn't choose one of these lovely homes?

last minute...

I am sure you have been there, if not for your kids, you did it for yourself.... scrambling at the last minute to finish that costume, diorama, book report or term project. This time, the story involves me, my two girls and two costumes for school presentations.

On Sunday we discovered that the Mermaid tail that my 9-year old wanted to borrow from a friend was no longer available. No problem, I can make one, right? So, off to the Internet to Google "easy mermaid costume." Jackpot! There are lots of links with photos and directions for easy to make costumes. She chose some lovely electric blue lamee material, (think Xanadu) and three watery shades of tulle (think bridesmaids of the 80's). We also had a lovely navy blue, crushed velvet dress to modify for a cover-up. So armed with yards of tulle, blue lamee, satin ribbon, and pinking shears, we set out to work. Thank goodness for pinking shears and for fabrics that don't unravel, we may even make it to our Thursday deadline! Happy with our progress on Monday night, she showed her sister the beginnings of a mermaid costume.
And then it happened, my 6 year-old looked at me and said, "Mom, will you make me a camel costume." By Thursday?!? I nearly fell over. Back to the computer. Unfortunately camels are not nearly as popular as mermaids, there aren't many entries when you Google "easy camel costumes." And they are not nearly as glamorous, either. At the fabric store I choose a camel colored felt. Thankfully pinking shears will work here, too. Hmmm, maybe I will throw in a little fabric glue and we might all make it to Thursday with our sanity.

Weekend Project

Looking around my house, I am itching to bring spring inside. I am tired of the cold, the wind, the snow and mud trudged through my kitchen. I can't wait for the tulips to peek out, the robins to start singing and the birds to come to roost on my front porch. I am itching to make beautiful things to have and enjoy in my home. Making bright and beautiful things is one way I try to battle the winter doldrums.

My weekend project, which encorporates two of our goals --using our materials and living a more artful life-- was to recover two of the little foot stools I had sitting in our living room. Reupholstering furniture, wait, is that part of this blog about craft and art? Stay with me here, it is not as hard as you might think.

These stools were old and frayed, to say the least. They certainly didn't yell out, "I come from an artful home." They are the ones who put the shabby into shabby chic. Actually, there was no chic there.

Maybe I could rescue these two before they ended up at the dump. I had two fabrics in my stash that would make great new covers for these old stools. A smart red chenille and a springy yellow brocade might do the trick.

First, I gathered the tools I would use to do the job. I needed a Phillips head screwdriver, a staple gun with mid- to heavy weight staples, pliers, wood glue, new batting, scissors, and fabric.

Next, I removed the legs from the stools. Each was attached with screws. Then, I used pliers to remove the upholstry nails and staples holding the old fabric in place. I used the old fabric as a pattern template for the new material.

Each stool received a new layer or two of batting to improve it's cushy nature. I trimmed the batting and secured underneath with staples. Then I fitted the fabric. The rectangular stool was a bit more challenging, I had to sew seams at the corners to create the fitted look. Once the fabric was in place on each stool and secured with more staples, I reattached the legs.

I am pleased with the results. The ratty-tat stools have new life. The bright red chenille picks up the bright reds of our living room rug. The yellow brocade, with it's springy pattern of flowers and leaves looks lovely with my grandmother's antique chair. The touches of red, green and blue are nice to break- up the yellow background.

So, I think that I have successfully re-habed these two; they are no longer destined for the dump.

30 resolutions

Inspired by other blogs we read, we have decided to make a joint list of our resolutions for 2008. We are aiming high with 30 resolutions . We feel confident we can achieve them all if we work together.

We, Kerry and Rachel, do solemnly swear we resolve.....

1. To wear our cute clothes on a daily basis instead of saving them for special occasions.

2. To light candles nightly in our homes.

3. To greet our husbands in 1950's style, with a smile on our faces and a clean welcoming home.

4. To drink more wine

5. To not complain about doing laundry and how it never ends.

6. To not complain about our children putting clean clothes into the hamper because they don't want to fold them.

7. To wash our cars more than once a year.

8. To find out and share better gossip on our friends and enemies.

9. To drink less wine.

10. To stop wasting hours looking at the internet and forwarding links to each other.

11. To eat more meals consisting solely of appetizers.

12. To find more amusing cards to send to each other.

13. To actually sew instead of just staring in awe over our fabrics.

14. To water our plants regularly not just when they turn brown.

15. To shop sales more diligently.

16. To take more pictures of our children, and less of our craft supplies.

17. To use the fabulous craft supplies we have and not save them for a "special project"

18. To make every project special.

19. To not learn another craft until we finish all the projects we have bought supplies for and never started.

20. To throw more parties.

21. To drink more fine wine.

22. To be brave enough to cut the pretty fabric and papers and not just look at them.

23. To make fabulous tote bags for every occasion.

24. To use the fabulous tote bags on a regular basis.

25. To make fantastic bags and accessories for our children so they too can have an artful life.

26. To walk more.

27. To read more blogs and to comment with witty feedback.

28. To write more witty, crafty blog entries.

29. To have more art give-aways.

30. To host an art swap with all our artsy friends and throw a party to celebrate!

More Decor -- Black and White

Oh -- I feel like I have been absent. I have been an absent blogger, certainly. But, today, I return!
As Kerry told you in the last post, we both strive to live artful lives. What is an artful life? There are so many aspects I can think of; hanging fabulous, original art on the walls of your home; wearing unique clothing items; carrying a fun purse or tote bag; making art (for art's sake); owning a pair of crazy shoes (and wearing them); making and sharing beautiful food; choosing or making home accessories that reflect a sense of artful style. I am sure there are many more ways to let art filter into everyday life.

Taking pictures around my house, to look for the sense of artful life, I found myself in the bathroom. What, the bathroom?!? you may ask. Yes, even a bathroom can reflect a sense of art and style. I have used my guest bathroom as a display for various black & white objects and pictures that I already owned. It is amazing what an impact things can have when grouped together. I framed a number of old black & white photos and art pieces in black frames and hung them together. Some of the photos are family shots, some of them are vintage finds. The sketch is one my great uncle did. I love the overall effect.

I looked for a tissue box that would complement the vintage theme. I had no success. Why buy one, when I could make one? Using a wooden tissue box from Michael's Craft store, and vintage images from Dover Publishing, Somerset, and others, I created this box. I love it! It really completes the look I was trying to achieve. The candle is one I made, also. I used black and white tissue paper on a tall white, prefilled candle.

I, too, will continue to look for ways to let art be a focus in my life. As I find those ways, I will share those worthy of photos. In what ways to you live an artful life? Let us know how you express your creativity.

Puttering

As I mentioned, we have been puttering in the studio. I decided to make door tags for my girls' rooms. It was purely an experimental project, not too difficult, but I didn't really know what the end result would look like when I started. I just wanted to get my hands working with some of our new materials: papers, letters, and stickers. The frilly yarn, clips, and rubber stamps were ones we already had.

I assembled the tags using Mod Podge as a glue and sealer. The papers came from a large paper stack (on sale) at Hobby Lobby, and ones we had ordered last year from Oriental Trading Company. The stickers are new ones from one of our favorite catalogs, 7 Gypsies. The letters are a pale sparkly green from the dollar section of Target.

The girls were pleased with their new door signs, which made me proud of my work.

Don't forget to sign up for our great giveaway. Check out Monday's blog for the details.

It's all in the details

Kerry and I hosted a garden party last Saturday. We decided to have the party primarily to launch our new line of jewelry. We also wanted to thank our former customers for their past business. And, we both enjoy throwing parties.

We tried to think of all the details that would make that evening special: printed invitations, candles, decorations, wine, nice cheese, and of course, goodie bags.

We filled each "Swag bag" with handcrafted items. Kerry painstakingly cut, folded, hole-punched and tied each bag. We choose the familiar brown paper bag for our container, that way we could spend more on the contents. Each bag was tied with a colorful, printed ribbon and had a hand stamped tag to express a wish. All in all, the bags were an interesting addition to our decor. Hopefully each guest enjoyed the things we put inside, too.

Under Construction

Our studio is currently under construction.... nothing too major. Kerry and I wanted to get organized. We also needed to clean! For the most part, we close the studio during the summer to be with the kids while they are out of school. While the studio is closed, it is hot. There is no air conditioning in the tiny building that was once used as a school for coal miners children. Imagine that... the little room filled with hot, sweaty, rambunctious children.

Instead, we had creepy, crawly bugs move in during our absence. Mostly harmless spiders and a few box elder bugs (which our children affectionately call Love Bugs). After lots of sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping, we feel much better. Our space is, once again, ship-shape!

As an added project we decided to install a new ceiling. And by "we" I mean that "we" asked my husband, Jeremy, to do it. The first photo shows the installation process. Jeremy said it looks a little like Denver International Airport. But the finished result is beautiful!

Now that school has started and fall is fast approaching we are back to work. We have been working hard to rev up for the Fall Launch Party in September, and our Fall Art Sale on October 19 and 20. The first peek for the "public" will be this Friday at our Coffee Hour from 9 - 11. Stop by for a cup of Joe!

Tray Project, Part 1

The end of the school year is jam packed with so many activities, my head is spinning. Regular field trips, end of the year field trips, literacy night, the learning fair, teacher appreciation week, and the other culminating activities are enough to make kids, teachers, and parents batty. Then you throw in the nice warm weather, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day we all end up with spring fever!

This year, I was the parent coordinator for the teacher appreciation gift for my eldest daughter’s 2nd grade teacher. I liked the project so much; I thought I would share it and the directions, so you could do this project, too. It would be a great gift for a teacher or grandparent, or even a wedding or baby shower.

I made a decoupage tray (actually 2 trays, one for the teacher and one for the student teacher)and tissue box. In order to get ready for the project, I had each student write a message to the teacher. I provided an artist quality paper, cut in a 3 x 3 inch square and some archival, non-smudge, fine tip markers and pens. Each child had to think of their message, use their best spelling and handwriting, and sign their name.

This was a wonderful part of the project. Each child put their best effort into thinking and writing something wonderful to their teacher. One child even wrote “You changed my life!” It can’t get much more heartwarming than that!

When I took the messages home, I began assembly of the tray. Check back in tomorrow’s blog for step by step instructions.