A Great Birthday Gift - A visit from June!!

A few weeks ago, June called with a great surprise for me. She decided to come visit me and my family in Littleton! She flew from San Antonio, Texas and we have spent a wonderful weekend together.

We did alittle shopping at a thrift store, went to Fancy Tiger Craft and The Creative Needle on Friday. On Saturday, we spent time at Denver Fabrics and saw the Movie Eclipse. Sunday, we went to a great Fine Art Festival in Evergreen.

During the evening we did a little crafting and shared our skills with each other...that is always the best part of our friendship, we always teach each other something new.

Unfortunately, today, June must go back home. We will miss her but are grateful that she came to spend a great weekend with me and my family.

Butterfly and Flower Canvas Artwork #1

I finally got around to creating some canvas artwork. These have also been inspired by Donna Downey who frequently paints on canvas and adds flowers, butterflies, wires, text, and favorite quotes.

I used rolled frayed fabric flowers with button centers, stems and leaves that I created. I painted the canvas with various colors and used Tattered Angels stencils and Glimmer mist (a product by Tattered Angels). I purchased the butterfly from Prima. I wrote the quote with black india ink. I am happy with the results. I created three different canvas artwork, this is #1.

Kids back to School and Frayed Colored Muslin Fabric Flower Pins

My kids went back to school this morning! Laura is now an 8th Grader and Alex a 1st Grader. Both kids were excited and happy to be back to school...hope it stays that way.





On August 3, 2010, I blogged about creating frayed & twisted flowers from Muslin fabrics, ivory and white. I sprayed them with Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels.


A few days ago, I created more of these muslin frayed flowers and again, sprayed them with Glimmer Mist. Except this time, I added centers with little seed beeds. I liked the results better than my original attempt as blogged on August 3, 2010.


And, just like the other pins I created, I added leaves from felted wool sweaters and tulle. These will also be available for upcoming craft shows this fall.

Upcycled Lace Tablecloth into Flower Pins

During the spring, I came across an old cottonlike lace tablecloth at the thrift store. A week ago, I cut it up to create these flowers. The original color of the tablecloth was ivory or cream. After I completed the flowers, I sprayed them with Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels. I also added my polymer clay buttons created from molds of vintage buttons. Like the rolled flower pins, I decided these flowers needed leaves from felted wool sweaters and a leaf from tulle. After these flowers were completed I added a pin. Closeup up photos of flower pins, I chose some fall colors since I plan to have these available for upcoming craft shows.

I sprayed this flower with two Glimmer Mist colors, Fully Purple and Turquoise Blue.

This flower has the original color of the old tablecloth. I did spray some Marshmallow Glimmer Mist, it gave it a little shimmer or shine.

Upcycled Atlas Map Paper Flowers and Magnets

These atlas flowers were fun to make. The paper is thicker than the text pages and music paper so it gave these flowers a different feel. I added my polymer clay buttons to the center of the flowers. Creating the rolled roses from the atlas paper was perhaps my favorite. Flowers can be used as embellishments....I added a strong magnet to a few and they make great magnets.

I plan to use these on travel scrapbooks and have them available for craft shows this fall.

Frayed Fabric Twisted & Rolled Rosettes or Flowers - PINS and Embellishments

Using an assortment of fabrics, including a fabric with text, I created several frayed fabric twisted and rolled flowers. Intially, I was just going to create the flowers with the fabric. Later, I decided to use some of my vintage buttons, they seem to add some character to these fabric flowers. I thought these would be great flowers that could be used as embellishments on scrapbooks, cards, pins, hair accesories, etc.

I made these in preparation for upcoming craft shows. I thought it would be fun to take some of these flowers and make them into pins (for the craft fairs). The only problem is that I felt the flowers needed "something." I decided to add some leaves from several felted green wool sweaters. It still need something....that's when I added a leaf made from tulle. I really like the combinations of the fabric, felted wool, vintage buttons and tulle.

So, here is my version of a Frayed Fabric Twisted and Rolled Rosette Pins:

Here is the picture of the rosettes I left to be used in future projects.

Closeup of a pin with a vintage button.

I layered two buttons for this pin:

Again, layered two buttons to create this unique pin:

One of my favorite things about crafting is how so much of what I make is unique. Using materials that are vintage and limited in quantity (felted wool from wool sweaters purchased at thrift stores) always lends itself to creating something that is one of a kind. I think that is the beauty of handmade items. We add a part of ourselves and the materials used along with all the inperfections adds to it's uniqueness.

Upcycled Text Pages Flowers with Bling Centers

I used a flower punch and six layers of them to create one upcycled paper flower. The pages came from one of our favorite novels, I have an extra copy and have been using it to create paper flowers. The centers are various forms of bling.
I am preparing for the fall craft shows, so I have started to work on extra items for the sale. These paper flower embellishments are among those items. I added magnets to a few of these flowers and they work great!

Later today, we will be going to Laura's middle school to get her school locker set up. It is helpful to leave all of Laura's school supplies in her locker so she does not have to carry them on the bus next Monday. But, for Laura, the most important part is to decorate her locker! She is my daughter.

Laura will have an assortment of these paper flowers magnet (text paper from the novel Eclipse and Music Paper) in her locker. They are pretty and functional....can't beat that! It is so appropriate Laura has these in her locker since she is a huge Twilight Fan and she plays the violin in the school orchestra.



Closeup Photos:

And, like the Music Paper flowers, I also created some of these text flowers with centers filled with seed beads...

I also placed some of these flower magnet on my black refrigerator...they look great.

Music Paper Flowers with Bead Centers

It's been about two weeks since I have updated my blog. I have been busy working on many new upcycled projects. All involve making more flowers...I just love flowers!

I have been creating flowers with papers from an old outdated World Atlas, a favorite novel (duplicate copy) and a music book. I have also been busy creating some fabric flowers from an old lace tablecloth I purchased at the thrift store. The table cloth was ivory but after I created the flowers, I painted them with Glimmer Mist so now they have color!

Not all of my projects have been created from old things. Some are with new fabric; however, the center for these fabric flowers have vintage buttons on the centers (not the polymer clay buttons that I have used but the original buttons).

I have more projects that are currently in progress and once I complete those, I will post them as well.

To start, I am posting my Upcycled Paper Music Flowers first. The centers have little beads. Since I love color, I had to use different colors for the center of these flowers.

A close up photo of one of my favorites, black beads in the center.

The kids will be going back to school next Monday. Hopefully, soon after, I will post some of these flowers on my Etsy shop.

Tomorrow, I will post pictures of more flower projects...

"Vintage" Polymer Clay Buttons

I love vintage buttons! During this past year, I have found some but found myself in a little dilemna. I want to use them but then again, I did not want to use them. So, I found out that I can made molds of just about anything so that is what I did. I created molds of some of my favorite vintage buttons and some not so vintage but unique.

I used Polymer Clay on the molds and almost like magic, I re-created my favorite buttons in clay. The wonderful thing about clay is that it comes in many colors and I can mix the clay to create new colors! After I bake the buttons, I spray it with a sealer and they are done...ready to be used. I use them in many of my layered felted wool flowers (embellishment and pins) and scrapbook pages.

Now, whenever I want to use a "vintage" style button, I don't have a problem using them on my projects because I can always make more!

Frayed Colored Muslin Fabric Flowers

I can always find inspiration when I visit Donna Downey's blog. About a week ago, she posted a video of her creating a journal page. On that journal page were beautiful frayed fabric flowers. She created them using muslin fabric, then....using Glimmer Mist, sprayed the flowers with two color combinations and added seed beads to the center of the flowers. I was so inspired, I had to give it a try. I created a few flowers similar to what Donna Downey created. I also added my own twist. On the purple flower, I added one of my own clay buttons. I created those buttons from a mold I made from a vintage button. I plan to create more of these flowers and just have fun applying glimmer mist colors. Glimmer Mist is a product by Tattered Angels. Visit the Tattered Angels blog for more inspiration.

I plan to use these flowers on my scrapbook pages, cards and even make a few pins!