Something new. I’ve been working on this shape for a very long time. More on this bird and answers to your questions ( it’s about time) and some new things in the shop next week. Have a lovely weekend.
A new owl shape. He’s made from a variety of antique garments and his eyes are antique faceted glass buttons. (please join my mailing list if you would like to be notified when perching owls are available in my shop )
You can see the beginning of the thought for him (and a couple other projects) in pages from an old notebook here (click the image for a larger version).
Acquired this past Sunday at the park slope fleamarket:
A vintage ceramic hand- I don’t know exactly what it is, what it’s for but I like it. There’s a hole in the palm – for flowers maybe?
A tiny purse /wallet- just fits in my palm. It has a coin purse and a space just big enough for bills. I like the oversized clasp.
And a vintage apron – I love the print. It’s a smock really that snaps down the front. I have it on right now. It is not sexy. It has a whole other effect.
regarding the projects I share:
Mostly people are respectful and gracious. Occasionally someone isn’t. Mostly I ignore that. Once in a while I feel the need to say something. I came across my paper mache teacup tutorial published by someone else as her own work. That is unacceptable. I asked her to remove the post. She has not and changed the date of her post to predate mine - find her original post here or here (click on the image for a larger view). It is also published on instructables.com and I have asked them to remove it.
I love making projects to share and will continue to. I love seeing what you make:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1315046@N23/
I really hate it when someone does something like this. I experimented with the cardboard teacup shape for over a year. I didn’t find something and rework it. It didn’t come out of thin air.
It was a lot of work, a lot of experimenting and template making and taping cardboard together and failing and trying again and again.
I would really much prefer to say nothing about this but there is a level of dishonesty here I won’t tolerate.
ann wood
* Update: sinclair and a couple other owls and spiders are available in the shop.
Sinclair is made mostly from this midnight blue antique wool and velvet jacket.
I had hoped to make two or three owls from this jacket but it was too fragile – sinclair was kind of impossible and he will be the only one.
I’ve fallen out of the blog rhythm, gotten postaphobic, so to get myself moving again I’m sharing one of my new terrariums and a couple favorite treasures I picked up on the beach at dead horse bay lately:
Besides this blog, lots of things around here have been neglected and are in need of attention ( including email – if you’re waiting to here back form me hang in there – I’ll be catching up this weekend). My little victorian fishbowl terrarium ( a truly inspired gift from my sister becky) has slipped into chaos and disarray. Maybe I have a little too – we are definitely both a little extra dishevelled. I’ve collected some moss and tiny plants and will correct the terrarium situation this weekend. Next week I’ll be back with some new boats and owls and spiders and other stuff in progress. For now here are a couple recently finished things pictured with the gowns they are made from and inspired by:
queenie and french
And constance and o.
And be sure to checkout BHLDN’s new decor line – it’s beautiful and I’m flattered to be included.
I have been pretty occupied lately with this group of birds. They’ve been finished, packed and shipped off and later this spring, for the first time ever, sweetheart birds will be available someplace other than my shop.
I’ll let you know where you can find these limited edition birds very soon .
There is a spring regatta in the shop!
Boats ready to ship and some available to order.
This dress turned up here in brown pieces – I’m not even sure how it really goes together. I soaked it for days and days and then had lots of fun pinning it into a dress shape. The under and over skirts are weighted and the overskirt has a lovely tulip shaped hem.
I’m making some things from it now – I’ll show you next week. I’m also working on a new kind of little boat -they’ll be finished and in the shop next tuesday .
A paper mache teacup pattern to mark the 5 year anniversary of my blog, my experiment. A perfect time to say thank you and give you a present.
There is a template you can download here. And lots and lots of photos and instructions. If you do make teacups I’d love to see and you can upload a photo here if you like or leave a link to your photo in the comment section below.
What you need:
- Click here to download the template
- paste – I use golden harvest wheat paste ( wall paper paste)
- light cardboard – cereal or frozen pizza box is great and a bit of thicker cardboard for a base
- newspaper – it’s nice to have different colors
- scotch tape ( not the invisible gift wrap stuff- the shiny sticky stuff)
- glue – elmers, glue stick, hot glue - whatever you like
- pencil, scissors, exacto knife, and paint and brushes, glitter, fabric – whatever you’d like for decoration.
Click the photos for larger images.
Cut out the templates for the teacup, handle and bottom and trace them onto your cardboard. I had the best results with a Kashi frozen pizza box. Cut out your pieces and very lightly and gently score the the teacup where the dotted lines are on the template with the BACK of your exacto knife.
Make a very tiny snip - really tiny -just a 16th of an inch or so where the sections meet. Next bring the bottom sections together one at a time and tape together on the outside (the printed side). Then turn it over and taper the bottom inside. Do this for each section – always taping both sides…….
Continue reading “paper mache teacup pattern” »
Stephen Szczepanek of Sri Threads sent over another surprise package of magnificent things. Exquisite, inspiring things, thoughtfully chosen and gathered and kept for me that just magically appear on my doorstep. Here are a few highlights.
There are fragments of garments with wonderful surprise linings.
And beautiful wear and eccentric mending.
I already have owls in progress and I’m thinking about using the blue silk bits below for spider bustles and some new flowers I’ll show you soon. Thanks you, thank you Mr. Szczepanek!
A fancy valentine, for you to print and make and give. Download a zip file here with images and some instructions. Just print the images on card stock and follow my instructions or come up with your own stuff.
Happy Valentine’s Day! And if you make one I’d love to see – you can share a photo here.
I like velvet and have been on the lookout for it lately. This antique jacket came with the bonus of owly eye buttons. Lots of them. There are 6 on the back as well. You can click the image for a better look.
It looks like it has come for a visit – lounging on the couch. My BRAND NEW couch that I will go on and on about later, it’s been a saga ( you can see a bit more of it here). I like the lining fabric too - there is some wonderful mending I will preserve however I use it.
This was a wonky little experiment, something I made to entertain myself one evening lat year. I came across the photo while doing some organizing last night. Here is a look at the shadow casters:
I’ m making some one of a kind fancy girls from this antique ball gown. I used most of the large sections of lace for the pip and estella set and it’s almost gone. Now I’m using the chiffon and appliqueing tiny motifs I cut from the lace that is too damaged to use.
The under skirt of that gown was kind of a surprise, after several days of soaking years of grayness away it’s a beautiful pale pink and blue floral tulle. I’m making a little troupe of blue ballerinas from it.
