Lost Art Creations

Last Two Etched Covers

These are the last two (for now) etched copper covers.  The Secret Garden cover (on the right) doesn't have the title plate attached yet - it's curing.  Remember when I was talking about not being able to plan your patina?  No matter what I did I couldn't get the patina to stick in that big spot on the bottom.  Luckily the title plate will cover most of it so it won't stick out like a sore thumb.  The cover on the left is painted with the new Patina Paints from Vintaj/Ranger.  I think I like the effect even better than the natural patina.  What do you think?  Can you tell which patina is real and which is faux?

Etching Copper

4 out of 6 covers are etched and patina'd  and ready to be made into pocket journals.  These are 3" x 4" and I decided to try Perma Blue to patina the metal.  Perma Blue is a gun blueing solution.  It's what gives guns that 'Blue Steel' look.  I think it worked very well on the copper - just the look I wanted - Yeah!  Three of the images are stamps from Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz and the Inspire Butterfly is Memory Box.  One new thing I discovered is Frog Tape.  It is a patented Green painter's tape and works like a CHARM at blocking the etchant solution from where I DON'T want it.  Much better than regular painter's tape or masking tape.  A little more expensive, but so worth it! 

Should finish the bigger covers today - those etched beautifully so hopefully the finishing will work on them too.  When using patina solutions it's always a crap shoot - you never know what will happen, you can't plan it and good or bad, you're stuck with it.

 

SCORE!

First I have to say that I NEVER have luck when it comes to finding a treasure at a great price.  It just doesn't happen to me - until now.  My MIL and I went out antiquing & junking when she visited last week.  I told her she was my lucky charm - VBG!  At the first store I got a Lot of vintage hankies, an old fashioned stamp stand (to hold my ink blending tools) and a beautiful Daguerreotype, all at FABULOUS prices.  Next we went to a little antique store across the street and I found some beautiful old postcards for only a buck a piece! 

The next store we visited had all kinds of delights and curiosities.  Looked kind of like something you'd see in a movie - very cool!  After wandering around a bit I noticed three large books on the floor tucked between a dresser and an old wing back chair.  Two of them were vintage wallpaper books but the third was an unassuming black leather post-bound album that looked like it had been taped up at one point with masking tape (or something similar).  It took both hands to pick it up as it was large and heavy.  I set it on the chair and opened it.  And this is what I saw:

Be still my beating heart!  The book was full.  Every single page had these gorgeous, stunning hand tinted prints of Godey's Ladies Book & La Mode Illustree.  In excellent to mint condition.

Page after...

lovely page.....

My eyes must have bugged out of my head because my MIL came running over and asked if I was all right.  All right?!!  I showed her the book saying that there was no way I could afford this book.  The price had to be over $300 - dare I ask?  Well, I did ask.  The owner said the price was $175.  I gasp! Oh Lordy!  But she took my gasp as something entirely different and said that she would sell it to me 50% off.  Ok, I about fainted then and there.  Keep calm, keep calm, just pay for the book and get out of there. 

When I got home my husband looked at me like I was nuts because I was pretty much skipping into the house - which really is a hysterical picture - really - a 51 year old woman skipping!?

So, while everything was bought for a good price the book is my prize and I will treasure it always!

Holiday Round Robin AB

My altered book from the Holiday RR is finally complete and on display in my dining room corner unit.  I went over  my friend Fran's house where we had an art day of fun!  I brought my book and a collection of papers, ribbons and doo dads to work on the December spread.  I used a few images that another friend sent me to play with, a recycled gift topper (large snowflake), sweet little embossed felt poinsettia flowers from Red Lead, Authentique papers and K&Co glittered borders.

The Noel border at the bottom is a really cool embroidered ribbon I discovered at one of my absolute favorite local stores; Nest, in Mystic CT.  If you are in Southeastern CT you must check out the shop.  They have a delightful mixture of Vintage, New but Cool and Sparkle!  Everything is arranged in smaller vignettes that are so inspiring and beautiful.  They have all kinds of treasures to adorn both your home and yourself! 

What's On Your Art Table?

I have had extra 'parts' floating around on my art table since doing the 12 Tags Of Christmas.  In the process of cleaning up my space to start the next project I took items that I didn't know what to do with or where to put (Not in the trash though!) and made a little tag art.  [sigh] I'm so easy distracted these days!

I started with a glossy black #8 tag that had a white core and sanded it to remove much of the glossy black leaving a scratchy look.  Then I used the limited edition Fall Distress Inks and Festive Berries from the Winter LE set to color the tag.  Stamped the background image (Judikins) with Archival Black Ink.  The dapper man (Oxford Impressions) was already stamped and cut out - I just added a little Festive Berries to his tie with a eyeshadow sponge applicator  - these are great for detail coloring with ink, and a little jewel and washers to his hat.  I glued the gears in place (left over from a tag in Dec), then the dapper man.  I finished with some touches of Tim ;0) namely the lettering, metal gears and tiny spinner.  I also used Lost Art Creations stuff; the vintage cloth tape measure (the real deal) and pleated ribbon were little bits left over from a LAC Creativity Kit and a solid brass gear.

I eventually finished cleaning off my desk and have moved on to the next project; a class sample featuring painted canvas and Dylusion stamps.  Stay Tuned!

So, what's on your desk?

T

Last Blast Of Christmas

I finished my tags for the LAC Group swap which meets on the 19th.  The theme is All That Glitters and is all about a Vintage Christmas.  I decided to use many of the new techniques I learned from Tim Holtz during the 12 Tags of Christmas, giving each my own spin.  I haven't had this much fun creating in a long time.  Tim seems to have woken up my Muse - thanks Tim!

13 Days Of Christmas Exchange Day 10

Today is my day!  Everyone gets to open my giftie - I hope they like it.  I always like to make the wrap part of the gift.  So I stitched little muslin bags, stamped the text in Brilliance ink  This is my favorite ink for fabric - so long as it won't be washed - just make sure your pad is well inked.  Then I backed the striped fabric with Ultrabond and cut out simple tree shapes and pressed them to each bag with an iron.  I edged the trees with faux stitching using a Micron pen.  That was the simple part!

Next came the closure.  I didn't want a drawstring, but something more mechanical.  In my studio I found these old fashioned candle clips for Christmas trees.  Perfect!  One problem - I didn't have enough clips, so off to Ebay I went.  I found the clips easily, bid on them and won them - woohoo!  Just a note:  according to Ebay I had not bought anything there since 2005?!!  WOW! 

Once getting  the clips I cut out the candle holder part with tin snips, then glued vintage tinsel in place, punched out 2 circles of cardstock, stamped the smaller circle with the #10 and glued them into place.  Voila!

Next came the ornament itself.  I wanted something that reflected all the artistic sides of me.  Collage, sewing, jewelry and vintage were all aspects of my creative personality that I wanted to convey.  Again in my studio I found a bag of old wooden thread spools.  Hmmm... those would be perfect except they were full of thread and WAY to big.  So again - off to Ebay - VBG!  Of course I managed to find exactly what I needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the local used book store, The Book Barn (an incredible used book store like none other you have ever been to) I found a children's book of Christmas Carols.  I tore strips to fit each spool and glued in place.   Next I applied glossy accents to the spools top & bottom edges and dipped them into Diamond Dust glitter (gotta have glitter!).  For the hanger part I formed wire with a loop on the bottom, fed that through a Vintage MOP button and glued the button to the bottom of the spool.  Once it dried I thread on a giant glass pearl and a crystal and finished forming the hanger.  I added a crystal dangle on the bottom and I was done!

13 Days Of Christmas Exchange Day 7, 8 & 9

Today is catch-up day!  Time has just gotten away from me the past few days.  Decorating the house, Christmas shopping (almost done - one gift to go!), laundry that I ignored during the 12 Tags of Christmas.  I have my priorities you know!  Hmmm...art... cleaning, art... cleaning - kind of a no brainer for me - VBG!  Well I finally got to the point where I HAD to do laundry, if you know what I mean?

While I opened my gifties each day and photographed them I just never got around to actually posting them so here goes!

 

Day #7; Vivian

Viv made these most adorable snowman ornaments.  He (or she?) has the most expressive face!  Isn't it fabulous!?

 

Day #8; Corrine

Corrine had the most incredible garland using hand painted papers, fibers & buttons.  It's not the best pic and it certainly doesn't do it justice.  This is a garland I can leave up year-round so once I get it hung in my studio I will take a better pic.

 

Day #9; Hope

Hope had made the most amazing pin!  Fabric, blingy trim and a hand painted face on a wooden button.  Another stunning face!

 

 

 

Tomorrow is Day #10 when everyone gets to open my giftie - woohoo!

 

 

12 Tags Of Christmas ~ Day #12

Oh crap, what will I do now when I wake up at 5AM?!  Today is the last tag in Tim Holtz's 12 Tags Of Christmas 2011.  And what a beauty is it!  So feminine, shabby chic, soft colors - dreamy.

For once I actually had everything he used!  Sort of.... I don't have his fragment dolls, however when I went up to Absolutely Everything in Topsfield MA to take a weekend of classes with him a few years ago he brought all kinds of cool treasures to sell.  In that mix were real Frozen Charlottes and I picked up a couple.  So 3+ years later I actually got to use one.  Hey, I was waiting for the perfect project! :0)

The only thing I had trouble with was the Faux Dresden Trim.  I think that the cardstock I chose to back the metal tape wasn't thick enough and it cut unevenly and was very difficult to separate.  Next time I will try it with glossy card like he suggested.  The wings and crown are real Dresden trims that I just 'shabbied' up with black then white paint.  The decoration on the Frozen Charlotte is a vintage embellishment that I sell on my Etsy shop.  I LOVE these little embellies!  They are slightly dimensional, soft metal - silver on one side, copper on the other.  They come in a mixture of shapes, from the cross that you see to stars, diamond cabochons and thistle stems. 

I had a little trouble with the tissue flower.  The first one was too big, the second too small, but like Goldilocks the third one was juuuust right!  Such a simple technique and so pretty!

12 Tags Of Christmas ~ Day #11

Today's tag was surprisingly quick.  It was my additions that took so long to dry - VBG.  The shrink plastic/UTEE technique is SO cool and has so many possibilities!  Even my husband thought the holly leaves & branch looked like glass.

I don't have the stamps he used - or the die for that matter, so I had to improvise.

I stamped Santa and Merry Christmas on Glossy cardstock.  I added glitter glue (Distress Stickles Peeled Paint & Stickles Xmass Red) to Santa's hat and a cabochon crystal to the greeting.  I loved the effect of water drops on the colored glossy cardstock.  Tim was right ( as always!)  the effect is stronger on Glossy than on regular cardstock.

Because I didn't have the die I hand cut holly leaves.  Easy enough - I just had to cut them big enough to start with.  My first attempts were way to small.  Other participants talked on their blogs about how they had a hard time releasing the tweezers from the plastic once they pulled it out of the UTEE.  The trick is to pull it out and drag it quickly across the craft sheet and release.  Don't fuss with it too much or the tweezers will stick to the plastic.