Announcing the November Project!

My apologies – a week late posting up the new cards! I think I’m getting a bit of senioritis as I near the end of the year. ;)

I will say, I’ve picked some killer card combos throughout the year, and this is just another one! I’ve been waiting all year to pick Vintage Aviation as a theme! I’ve already been scouring the internet for old aircraft parts, images of old war planes, gages, rivets, and more. I’ve also been wanting to make jewelry for years… another of my many “someday projects”. I’m very grateful that my 12 Month project is now helping me to finally get my hands into this! More to come soon including gobs of research & inspiration!

 

The Table is Built!

Well, I’ve been trying to get this post up for 2 days now, but have been away from the computer almost entirely (a nice change!). I am happy to announce that we finally got the table into one piece! We decided it was best to do this the right way, so the beau went to pick up his drill and put pilot holes in before trying to attach the screws. The legs and frame were attached to a thin piece of birch, since we measured wrong and could not attach directly to the old window. As it were, I think it turned out to be a happy accident, as it really added some extra strength and stability to the whole piece.

The pictures below show the underside as the glue is drying and the final table done with the wallpaper laid of top of the panels. Next week, I will be ordering some custom cuts of glass to fit over the wallpaper panels to weigh them down and protect them, as well as putting a final coat of sealer over the table paint.  For now… i’m going to enjoy the rest of my weekend trip down to the countryside of south-central Texas before heading back to the busy, bustling city. Tata for now!

Etching Process Complete!

I finished etching the final piece of glass today. Although the final photo will not be done until next week, I went ahead and took a few shots of the process and the finished piece. I’ve got to remember to be better about taking pictures during the process – as I’m often so into actually making the thing that I often forget about pictures! I did manage to get a few of the process for this one. First, I taped off the edges of the mirror to make a nice border, and then placed the vinyl stick-on letters (found in the drafting section of Hobby Lobby) on a piece of plastic laid over the top of the mirror. This was to get the letter spacing and positioning of words where I wanted them before putting directly on the mirror.

Next, I drew some guidelines with a pencil onto the mirror to help keep all the letters straight. Once I had some guidelines in place, I began peeling the letters off and placing them directly on the mirror – one at a time. This was a little time consuming to get just right – some words were spaced too far out and I ran out of room and had to remove and restick. Fortunately the vinyl stick-on letters worked well for this. Once I got all the letters in place as I wanted them, it was time to put on the etching cream. Gloves on first – as this stuff is very corrosive and you don’t want it touching your hands! Working quickly – and with an old brush I didn’t mind damaging with the cream – I laid on thick layers of etching cream to the glass. All the areas where mirror is visible will be etched. The cream sits on surface for about 5-10 minutes and then rinsed off in the sink or tub. I washed the glass with soap as well after, just to make sure none of the cream remained. Now for the best part! Pulling off all the letters and tape to reveal the final piece!

 

 

 

 

Inspiration: The Art of Crystal Gregory

This isn’t really related to my monthly project, but every now and then I like to share especially creative and inspiring things I stumble on. Fellow creative Miriam Sagan happened upon my blog today and left a comment. Upon tip-toeing on to her blog to see what sorts of creative wonder she had to share, I was delighted to find a post about this artist! Crystal Gregory puts an interesting spin on the craft of crochet by introducing it into urban areas and places you would not otherwise associate with something dainty or beautifully nostalgic. She states “contrasting materials reflect the dichotomies I explore in my work: domestic interiors and architectural exteriors, nostalgia and modernity, fragility and strength, femininity and masculinity.” Be sure to watch the video at the end, showing a time-lapse process of creating one of her urban works. To see more from Crystal, visit her website! Thank you Miriam for turning me on to this clever artist!

On the Fence from Ryan White on Vimeo.

Reflections on February

Hi all!

The lovely people who helped to make my February project a reality were nice enough to share a bit of their experience and thoughts on our event (they are awesome like that!), so I thought I would share it with all of you. Who knows, maybe our little friendship art party will inspire others to try something similar with their friends! =)

A few thoughts from my ever supportive boyfriend, Andrew…
“It was nice getting out in the ‘wilderness’ away from the seething mass of humanity and getting back to basics with the sculpture. We walked out into the woods having no clue as to what we were doing or how we’d do it. It just emerged somewhere along the way, and made me really appreciate the primitive nature of just sitting around, gathering twigs and shaping them into something special.”

The wonderfully crafty and creative Becky added…
“I am so glad I decided to participate in this event. There’s something indescribably special about the simple activity of gathering bits of nature and arranging them. The four of us easily took on roles, worked together, and in just a couple of hours, made something cool. It was also a great excuse to get some needed exercise, and quality time with Mother Nature. The site was PERFECT. What wouldn’t look great on the white stones? And the water moving over the rocks next to us provided a natural soundtrack for our creation. Thanks for getting me off my butt to make something! I am left inspired and wanting more!”

And joyful and grace-filled Micaela chimed in to say…
“This was one of my favorite days. As always, I am constantly inspired by you. Thanks so much for being part of my life and infusing me with your vibrant love of life!” aw shucks =)

Indeed, we are definitely going to have to plan more friendship art parties to keep on spreading all this goodness! I encourage you to try one with your friends. You don’t even need a plan really, all it takes is a little courage. I think the scariest part was actually sending out the invite. As soon as I sent it, I was instantly overcome by that horrible childhood fear.. you know the one.. “what if no one comes to my party?!?!” But I guess if you really want to do something you just take a deep breath and have faith that it will work out. Before you know it – you’re making something really special with some pretty cool people.. and you leave knowing that you have left it there as a gift to all who will visit after you.

Farewell for Tonight!
*st

Hand-made Valentine’s Card

Hi all!

Just thought I’d take a moment to share the lovely hand-made card my friend Kellye Kimball sent me! She and I are participating in a little project called “Hand it Forward”. I recommend trying it out! Just post this in your Facebook status below and watch the hand-made goodies spread! =)

“Hand it Forward in 2011: I promise to send something **handmade** to the first 5 people who leave a comment here. You must in turn post this as your status and send something you make to the first 5 people who comment. It must be handmade by you and it must be sent sometime in 2011.”

Thank you Kellye!

Introducing The Lil’ Felt Heli!

Hey there!

Just wanted to take a quick moment to share my latest creation!

This lovely little aircraft was made for my boyfriend – who is a helicopter pilot – for Valentine’s Day. The first flight he took me on was in a blue helicopter like this – so I thought it was fitting. This is also my first attempt at adding wire into the process – really love the mix of the two! I finished it off with an inspirational handwritten note on a paper tag and my initials stitched into the back. I’m really having way too much fun with this felting stuff… as soon as I finished this little guy I was already trying to figure out what to start next. No idea where this sudden burst of creative energy came from… has some alien life form taken over my mind? lol.

Oh well, going to ride the creative wave as long as it lasts!

cheers!
*st