2011 July

Twilight Pushpins

July 25, 2011 1 Comment

OK, this project was totally just for fun. I had an old Twilight calendar sitting in my studio for the last couple of years. I wanted to repurpose some little images that were on the back cover. So I decided to use some glass tiles and turn the photos into pushpins!

Now please excuse the quality of this photo. It is very difficult to get a good clear photo of these 1″ glass tiles. Between the texture of the glass and the small size, I can’t get a perfectly clear shot. But I think you get the idea.

I just took my pictures and cut them out with a 15/16″ square cutter. I used silver tape (for Memory Glass) to adhere the photos to the back side of the glass tiles. Then I stuck upholstery tacks to the back of the tiles with hot glue. Probably some E-5000 glue would have been a better choice, but I was in a hurry. LOL

They’re cute little Bella and Edward pushpins that are now on the bulletin board in my office.

Filed Under: Everyday Crafts, Glass Art Tagged With: Glass Craft, Glass Pushpins, Glass Tiles, Twilight

1950 Canvas

July 25, 2011 2 Comments

I created this Altered Art canvas for the latest challenge at the Gingersnaps Creations blog: On the Road. We needed to use things in our project that would be found “on the road.” So I used a vintage photo of my mom on a car as my inspiration for my project.

I started with an 8″ square canvas, which I painted with black acrylic. Then I spritzed it all over with a mixture of pearlescent white paint and water to give it some sheen and texture. Next I added some red patterened scrapbook paper with torn edges. I used a black ribbon near the top of the canvas, and then added an over-sized black and white hangtag and another cut piece of the red paper to serve as the background for the vintage photo. After I affixed the photo I embellished the canvas with metal gears and keys, some black satin bows, pearl gems, and a white a flower. And I added a metal bracket to frame “1950″ under the photo, which is when the photo was taken.

Wasn’t my mom adorable?!

Filed Under: Canvas Tagged With: Altered Art, Altered Hangtag, Gingersnap Creations, Vintage Photo

Vintage Rose

July 18, 2011 5 Comments

In the summer issue of Somerset Life that I picked up over the weekend, there is a wonderful tutorial for making vintage roses out of coffee filters. I’ve done a Coffee Filter Roses Tutorial in the past, but that one was for a much quicker and simpler rose–one that is easier and less realistic. The one is Somerset is much more realistic.

Somerset Life

I am always on the lookout for new flower tutorials and I loved theirs so I had to try it out. It was time-consuming to make, but it turned out so pretty…even if it wasn’t as pretty as the ones in the magazine.

Click to Enlarge

Click to Enlarge

I wouldn’t want to make a bunch of these, just because they take so long to make. But they really are pretty and would look so nice just sitting in a vase–one all by itself, or two or three. And they would make really nice gifts too, which is what the designer in the magazine was using them for. They’re very affordable to make too since you’re just using coffee filters and things you probably already have one hand.

Check out the magazine next time you’re in the bookstore to see the full tutorial. Somerset Life is one of my favorite magazines…but of course I love almost all the Somerset publications. I only wish they were cheaper!

Filed Under: Everyday Crafts, Flower Tutorials, Paper Arts Tagged With: Coffee Filter Roses, paper crafts, Paper Flowers, Somerset Life, Vintage Rose

He Loves Me Altered Envelope

July 18, 2011 2 Comments

Time for another fun challenge at the Gingersnaps Creations blog. This time the theme challenge is 3 Papers, 3 Buttons, 3 Words. My He Loves Me altered art is my creation for this challenge.

I love using Kraft Envelopes from time to time when I’m doing Altered Art, and that’s what I used this time. I added a piece of torn paper bag with a vintage newsprint pattern onto the envelope first. Then I tore some scrap wallpaper with a red color and pattern and added that to the top and bottom of the envelope, over the paper bag print. Then I added some lace trim to the bottom. I embellished this with a vintage photo transparency that I adhered to some grungy paper; I also added paper flowers affixed with button brads, some gems, a 3D paper butterfly, and the words He Loves Me. I finished off the top of the envelope with some black ribbon.

My 3 Papers are the grungy paper behind the transparency, the red wallpaper, and the newsprint paper bag. My 3 buttons are the 3 button brads. And my 3 words, of course, are the He Loves Me words I added.

I love how this turned out, and I like that it sort of looks like a paper purse when it’s hanging on the wall.

Filed Under: Kraft Envelopes Tagged With: Altered Art, Gingersnap Creations, Kraft envelope, Vintage Photo

Water Lily Digital Sketch

July 10, 2011 Leave a Comment

I took a photo of a lagoon filled with lily pads on a recent trip to Bay City, Michigan, and there was only one water lily visible in the entire lagoon. So of course I had to photograph it. And then I also decided to have some fun with it so I can add it to My Digital Sketchbook.

Click to View Full Size Water Lily

It was such a pretty flower just floating there on that perfectly sunny day. It was just begging to be photographed…and I could resist but do some digital editing to get this result.

Filed Under: Digital Art, Flower Digital Sketches Tagged With: Bay City Michigan, Flower Digital Sketches, Flowers, My Digital Sketchbook, Photography, Water Lily

Bay City Michigan Photos

July 10, 2011 Leave a Comment

The Hubs and I recently went to Bay City, Michigan for our anniversary. I took some Nature Photos and Flower Photos while we were there, so thought I’d share them here. Of course, I always manage to find some birds while on vacation too, and I love birds, so I got one to add to my collection of Birds and Animal Photos too.

Click to View Full Size

Click to View Full Size

Click to View Full Size

These were all taken at the State Park that is on Lake Huron. This is our third Great Lake we’ve visited now. I usually take beach photos too, but the beach itself wasn’t as scenic as the others we’ve visited, so these were really the only photos I took on that day…they were on a little lagoon that was right at the entrance to the lake. That was really pretty at least!

Filed Under: Flower Photos, Nature Photos Tagged With: Bay City Michigan, Flowers, Lake Huron, Photography

Fireworks Photo Edits

July 9, 2011 Leave a Comment

Even though I love digital art right now, sometimes I don’t need to do anything but a bit of editing to be happy with a photo…especially when it’s fireworks. So for these next two images, all I’ve done is a bit of filtering to enhance what was already there in the photos.

Click to View Full Size

Click to View Full Size

The filtering I did was only to enhance the photos existing colors. But it really made them pop even more in the photographs. I think they look pretty cool.

Filed Under: Fireworks Tagged With: Fireworks Photos, Photo Edits, Photography

Fireworks Digital Sketches

July 9, 2011 Leave a Comment

Around the 4th of July I decided to make some fireworks digital sketches to add to My Digital Sketchbook. These kind of photos are really perfect for creating digital art, even though they are usually really awesome just the way they are. But since I’m all about the digital art lately, I had to have some fun.