Handmade Butler's Tray: Summer Collage Project

Summer in Wisconsin - and just about anywhere for that matter - means family and friends getting together for BBQ'd delicacies while enjoying the warm summer breezes with a cool drink.  This season those evenings may be few and far between with temps the highest they've been in 90 years, however they do present a unique chance to work some special magic and get all crafty!

At least - that's what I told myself when I decided that I needed a tray to serve drinks, food or just to carry things from one place to another.  Often called a "butler's tray" these wonders of convenience were, at one time,  made of silver and highly polished.  There's no way I can afford either the money to buy one of these or the time to polish it, however that didn't stop my wanting one.  So, I did some research, and some crafty designing and here's what I came up with.

You will need

Picture frame, 11-inch by 14-inch, 1-2 inches deep with glass

1/8" piece of wood - cut to fit the frame

Paint to match the frame

Screwdriver
2 handles
Screws
Cordless drill
Patterned Scrapbook paper
Scissors
Glue stick

The first step is to take the frame apart.  Set aside the back and glass - you'll need them later.  Put the handles against the frame so that they may be fastened at least halfway up the outside side of the frame. They should be easy to use - so you'll have to test them (I used painters tape to hold them in place until I was ready.) Predrill holes for the screws to keept the frame from splitting. Make sure the screws are only as long as the frame wood is wide. For example, if the frame wood is 1/2 inch then the screws should only be 1/2 inch long. Screw the handles in place - but make sure they don't go all the way through the frame.

Lay the paper or cardboard backing that you removed from the frame on a table.  Place your paper on the backing and cut it to size.  Get creative, no one said you just had to use 1 piece of paper! Glue it into place.   While the glue is drying, paint your piece of wood. I painted mine the same color as the frame - but you can use your imagination (or any leftover paint you may have).  Allow it to dry completely before assembling your tray.

Turn the tray upside down and place the glass in first, then the scrapbook backing, then finally the piece of wood.  Secure it all by placing screws or nails (at a slight angle) into the frame making sure they overlap the back to hold it in place.  Test it before using with anything heavy as you may need to reinforce it before using it to serve heavy items. 

There you go - you're very own serving tray.  Now if I just had the butler to go with it!

~ Dani

Bind Your Life: Homemade Scrapbook /Journal Covers

I spent some time wandering the "Inspire Me Monday" blog hop and can honestly say I was definitely inspired by the sheer scope of the creative talent that is out there.  All I can say is WOW!   From cooking to freehand design elements - how in the world did all these wonderful people connect before the internet!  And what incredible ideas are floating out there to latch on to!  Which brings me to my "inspiration" of the week!

Once more, my other half and I traveled to the north woods of Wisconsin last weekend.  It's great now that he's retired that he can do the driving after I've worked a full day.  Gives me the chance to do some closed-eye creative thinking.  All weekend long - while hanging drywall and laying subfloors (we'll talk about that project sometime later) - I was thinking about what I could do to creatively capture this huge long-term project.  I've already got a "building book" that holds the plans, color squares, ideas, measurements, and photos - but I wanted something more.  Something that tells the "story" more than the details.

Not long ago I wrote an article for an on-line help site on creating a travel journal.  How you take a blank notebook and as you travel you make note about what you've done, seen, experienced. Complete with some sketches (if you are artistically inclined) and special small mementos, this then because your trip "story".  Similar to what the old Banana Republic catalogs featured (for those old enough to remember those really cool catalogs).  Could I create something like this for the happenings we experience at our home away from home?

I'm thinking to include not just the humorous stories that happen (like holding a piece of drywall on my head as Leo screws it into the ceiling) but written expressions of amazement at the sight of a triple rainbow arching over the house, or the doe stopping in the center of the orchard to look in my direction and standing there, perfectly still, for all of 5 minutes before taking off down the forest path.

Not content with keeping my artistic slant inside the pages of this journal, I also want to capture it on the outside as well.  The question then becomes how?  I could create a free-form beaded cover similar to this one found at www.why-not-art.com.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or I could create a felted cover like this one created by Barbara Potoczny  (http://www.barbarapotoczny.com/classes-detail.php?ID=6).  

 

 And if I want to personalize the outside, am I doing an injustice to the book itself by using plain old paper or should I create my own book by binding together different types, colors, styles and sizes of paper and thereby make something uniquely mine.  And if I make one for me - should this be my gifts for the holidays for my more artistic friends and family members.

I'm giving myself a headache!  So much inspiration - so little time!

 

~ Dani

3D Art Around the World: Boggling Minds for Years

People who can do this.... Amazing. 

A woman poses in U.S. street artist Kurt Wenner's 3D illustration of an open vault containing British currency, fluttering out at Waterloo station, London, July 24, 2008. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

 

The 3D street painting "Crevasse" by artist Edgar Mueller is seen in this undated picture during the "Festival of culture" from August 21-24, 2008 in Dun Laoghaire, Irland. Edgar Mueller put a part of the eastern Pier into the ice age

 

1. A girl poses at a 3-D chalk drawing in an exhibition entitled "The house of 3D Art Illusion" at a shopping center in Hong Kong Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Where O Where Did I Put Those FREE Patterns?

Ok - I freely and joyfully admit that I LOVE free stuff.  Like all good artsy people - this is especially true if the free stuff comes in the form of craft items or - yes - say it with me - patterns!!  Oh those most glorious of items that fill our filing cabinets with ideas and projects we really want to do when we have a few spare minutes but never get around to.  And with the invention of the internet - and best of all EBOOKS - I can now expand my paper collection of directions to the wide and all encompassing world of electronics.  

Where, you ask in wonder, could I possible get the gigabytes of patterns, designs and ideas that make up the collection of flashdrives (I've exhausted my hard-drive limit) that reside in a place of honor on my desk?  I don't even have to go searching for them - they come directly to my e-mail!  How's that for convenient!  From painting to knitting; jewelry making to fiber art, there is a "Daily" or "Today" type e-magazine that provides a crafty person with imaginative plans to drool over.  Just today, for instance, I received free e-books that contained patterns for spinning, quilting, card-making, crocheting, jewelry making, something done on an "inkle loom" (if anyone can tell me what that is I'd be forever grateful), painting, beading and fabric dolls.  Oh the humanity!!

What do I do with all of these great e-books and patterns?  Well - of course I share them with my friends and family members (all in the hopes that I'll actually GET something made from these patterns!)  For example, Diane receives all the cool knitted things, Dominique receives the bags and sewing patterns (she's making a great purse that will be featured soon on our blog and store), Carol gets the bead-weaving patterns (although I'm still waiting for that beaded bookmark!) - I'm sure you get the picture.  The rest get stored for the time when I actually run out of my own designs and am looking for something new and different to try.

Hmmm -- those fabric dolls look a little like zombies - that may have to be a Christmas present for Diane this year......

FYI -- Interweave produces the following e-magazines.... enjoy all the cool free patterns:  Knitting Daily, Quilting Daily, Sew Daily, Bead Daily, Craft Paper Scissors, Crochet Me, Jewelry Making Daily, Artist Daily, Spinning Daily, Weaving Daily.   Enjoy!

~ Dani

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175 Days Till Christmas: What Are You Working On?

Do you know what I realized just today.  It's only 175 days til Christmas!!!   How could I let the time fly by so fast without at least starting all my holiday projects.  Sure, I've been busy with a full time job - writing and creating things for the ATA Girls blog and shops, planting the garden, working on the house, coordinating the charity auction for Angel On My Shoulder - but that's no excuse!  I only have 174 days left (have to allow 1 day to wrap) - even less if you consider that some of the presents have to be shipped!   ARRRGGGHHHHHHHH!!

So - know that my meltdown is over (and I don't mean the one caused by the 100+ degree temps here in the Midwest) I have to actually come up with something to make for each person.  While the possibilities are endless - I have to  consider what I've actually given to people in the past year or so.  After all I don't want people to get tired of crafty gifts.  Let's see - - cousin Trish got a painting, lots of people received decorated eggs (wish I could remember who! ), I gave Diane an afghan - or was it a scarf? I know I made jewelry - but can't remember who those pieces went to either. (Maybe this year I'll make a list.)  Not to mention the batches of cookies and breads that were sent out far and wide.

While I love to do the things I know so well... I can't help but want to stretch myself to try something different.  Last year it was the painting.  I did my first Bob Ross inspired project on January 1st and loved it.  And I could create artwork for everyone - not all have wall space for my inspired pieces of imagination. 

So, basically my options are open.  Do I want to crochet, embroider, paint, egg, make jewelry, quilt or make some kind of mixed media new thing?  Do I want to explore bead weaving (something I really want to work on) or maybe some beaded embroidery project?  I found some great afghan projects - but do I want to work on those when it's so hot outside?   I'm soooo confused!

HELP ME!  Let me hear about your possibilities. 

~ Dani

Interactive Art: What an Inspiration!

Check this out!
from : http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/07/interactive-paintings-on-the-streets-of-malaysia/

Interactive Paintings on the Streets of Malaysia

A great new street artist is making a splash in Malaysia this month. Painter Ernest Zacharevic created four new works where his painted figures of mischievous children are seen interacting with their physical surroundings: an old bicycle, a motorcycle, or even windows on the side of a building. His most popular piece of two small children on a large bicycle has become a major destination in the city with dozens of people stopping to take creative photos. I want to thank Annie and Ross of the very fine AsiaDreaming blog for providing many of the photographs for this post. The rest you can see on Zacharevic’s Facebook. (via lustik, art and seasons)