Heirloom soldered pictures

This is an altered art project I did a few years ago and I realized I never shared this you. I was looking at it  because it was my father's birthday this past week and I was feeling a bit sad because he lives 10 hours away I couldn't be with him to celebrate.

This was a class that I took that involved soldering. These are glass pieces cut in the shape of a house that are about 3x5 and are beveled which you can't really see in the pictures. I had to photograph them so the light didn't reflect off the glass which in turn didn't show the beveled edge. I decided I wanted a vintage keepsake of both of my parents so that is the theme I went with. The one on the left is of my dad when he was about 10 years old and my grandmother on vacation in Europe. I made copies of the photos onto regular copy paper and then sponged some sepia ink on them to make them look old, then I started to collage with stamping and collage pieces which are sandwiched between the two pieces of glass and then soldered together. The other image is the back side and is of my father when he entered the Air Force.

 

 

 

This one is of my mother when she was a teenager. I didn't think I would ever be lucky enough to find sentiments to fit the images, but I did. I remember I found this sheet of sayings at a stamp store that was going out of business and I bought it not really knowing what I was going to use it for. Figuring out where I stored it when I was going to make this project was a whole other story and a few days of hunting. The image on the right is a picture I have used before on another project. It is a picture of my mother and my father's mother and me when we came to New York from Spain where I was born. Below is a larger image so you could see the detail in what I used to collage. Along the left side of the image below I used a bronze metallic beaded sticker and a piece of ribbon along side it. The "Espana" is an old stamp and the numbers were stamped along the right side.

 

 

The image below was to show you how thin the piece is (about 1/4"), not to show you how terrible I am at soldering. It was a fun project and it showed me a whole different technique and media for altered art. If I got good enough at the soldering I could attempt some jewelry pieces- maybe!

These two pieces sit on a shelf over the love seat in the front sitting room of my house. This is the room that I like to watch TV in because it is more cozy and the ceilings aren't as wide open as the room that has the big screen TV the DH watches. It still has 18 foot ceilings but it is angled and not open to any other room. I love to curl up on the couch to read a good book and with several of the altered pieces I have tucked here and there in this room it feels like me and is comfortable. I guess that is the key in life-Be in a place where you are happy and brings you comfort.

~Have fun and enjoy

Believe- in a rhinestoned frame

 

It finally happened, after a week of rain we are actually seeing the sun this morning. I guess we had better take a mental picture because they are calling for more rain this week. It sure was a welcomed sight this morning though. I almost want to go out and lay flat down on the deck just so I can soak up some of that warmth but being that it is only in the mid 40's, I think I will wait. I will be heading to Florida next month so enjoying the sun isn't too far off. I do believe there are better days coming!

 

Today's card is very simple even though it may look lavish. The image is a clear stamp from KaiserCraft called Vintage-Believe. I stamped it in brown and then used a rhinestone frame from Prima that I got on clearance at Hobby Lobby. The package contained this frame and  a rhinestone bird on a branch was inside the frame. They were two separate pieces. I am sure I will find a use for the bird on some other project. I wish I could say I had the patience to make the frame myself but there is no way I could get all those rhinestones evenly spaced without pulling my hair out first.

 

 

 

I just had to include a picture of one of my twin nieces that I took the day before I left for Hawaii. This is one of Lara and I am so in awe of their blue eyes. They almost look they are white around the pupil. Anna wasn't feeling the best so she was a little fussy. The one nice thing about identical twins is that if you have a picture of one, then you don't need one of the other because she looks almost exactly like this one. I did end up getting some nice pictures of them together but not close up like this one to show the color of their eyes. At least you have a have decent chance of getting some good pictures out of one of them. They are 10 months already. Hard to believe they will be a year old next month. I am sure it is even harder for their parents to believe. They thought the endless sleepless nights were never going to pass. I guess I might be a bit bias but this picture to me is the epitome of a baby- the wide eyes with long eyelashes, the pudgy rosy cheeks and the baby teeth showing through their little lips. I do believe this could have been a Gerber baby- that's just an auntie's observation! 

 

 

 

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

 

A Zig-Zag card

 

 

 

You will have to forgive me for my photo editing today. I don't have access to photo shop which is on my computer. I am still posting from my DH's laptop which has Windows 8 and it takes some getting used to.

 

I found this card on a blog that was in German but there were some pictures and the measurements were in English which helped. It wasn't difficult in fact the hardest part was figuring out where to start the scallop punch along the sides. It is called a Zig- Zag card if you do a search for instructions.

 

 

I used two different papers from Authentique. The sage paper is from the collection Renew called Spring and the rose floral paper is from the collection Lovely called Fancy. I used the Martha Stewart Doily border punch along the sides. The belly band that holds the card closed was created with the same punch, some seam binding ribbon and a fancy brad that I cut the tabs off of. The image of the woman is from a clip art collection of fashionable women. There is a slight alteration that can be made to the card and that is to create a flap so the whole inside would lift up for the sentiment. I figured I would just write on the side panels that I left cream. This area could have had the same sage paper if wanted. The sentiment could also be made into a fancy tag that goes on the band. I think I will try another one and do just that.

 

The DH and I went to see the OZ movie this afternoon. Quite different than the Wizard of Oz that I grew up watching. Those darn monkeys always use to scare me. It was pretty awesome that it was filmed about 50 miles from here. I don't remember seeing the Emerald City anywhere around the Detroit area. They must have had that well hidden! We had to get home right after because University of Michigan is in the final four of the basketball tournaments. That gave me a perfect opportunity to hide in my stamping studio and create today's card. Tomorrow I am going over to a friend's house to help her make one.

~Have fun and enjoy!

Back but tired!

 This was card I made awhile back but I always like to have something in my stash in case I haven't been as creative (or ambitious) as I would like. This 6 hour time change from Hawaii has really kicked my butt. I didn't get home until midnight a week ago Saturday only to open the Sunday paper and find out a dear friend of ours had died. She was like a grandmother to my children, in fact they even called her Nana Sue. She was elderly and not in the best of health lately, but it was still a shock to see it in the paper. I was thankful I had made it back in time to attend the showing as tired as I was. I realized just how much the kids meant to her when I saw their pictures up on her picture boards at the funeral home. They loved her just as much.

 Honolulu was beautiful but we also flew over to Kauai and spent a few days there. Kauai was even more beautiful. The locals said that is where the Hawaiians go to vacation and I can see why. It was only a 35 minute flight from Oahu- much more relaxed and a much slower pace. It is also greener and less metropolitan than Honolulu.
It looks like I need a new video card for my computer so I am using the DH's new laptop to post today. Aside from being so tired the computer issues were also a reason I didn't post when I got back. For today's card I used Spellbinder's Shapeabilities Venetian Accents and French Frills. The designer paper is from Pinkpaislee's London Market. I put some silver accents across the bridge of the Eiffel Tower to add some bling. You can see it better in the picture below.

 

I had to include one of my pictures from Honolulu. We climbed Diamond Head on St. Patrick's Day. Still can't believe I made it all the way to the top. This is the view of Waikiki in Honolulu once you have made the climb- very much worth the pain of getting there.

 

 

 

 

I hope you all enjoyed my altered book in the last post. From the hits to my blog it looks like it was.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

 

A different kind of altered book

Ok, here it is as promised. Another altered book but in a different fashion. To me it is sort of a diorama. One of my sweet friends saw an altered book like this in a shop and asked if she could take pictures. She did and then brought them right over to me. She said "here, I know you can make this". Without any instructions, just the picture, I jumped right in and of course it is a "Paris" theme. So here is my version. I didn't have to buy anything for this project. It was all bits and pieces, some of which I had stored in my "I know I will use this some day" drawers. I hope you enjoy it.

You can see in the above image, the pages in middle of the book are folded back and the others are just glued together. This gives it a very 3D visual image. I was rather pleased at how it turned out.

 

 

One more week and I am off to Hawaii. And the best part is- it is snowing as I type (sorry my Michigan friends). I am actually going over to my sister's place in Chicago by train next Saturday morning. I will get there just after lunch and as if this trip couldn't get any better- my brother and his wife are coming down from Milwaukee with the twins. Remember the ones I did the photo shoot with when they were 6 weeks old? Well that is the last time I saw them in person. I have seen tons of new pictures but it never captures their personalities. I can't wait to kiss those chubby cheeks. I still can't tell them apart in the pictures. I'll see how well I do after spending some time with them. My sister and I will fly out the next morning and arrive in Hawaii at 2:30 in the afternoon their time. A nine hour non-stop flight. What will I do to keep myself busy! 

 

I don't know if I will have time to post next week before I leave. If not I will try to post something the weekend of the 23rd when I get back. It won't be any vacation pictures because I think I am going to be too exhausted from the time change when I get back to upload images. I do have some neat watercolor technique cards ready to post that I would like to share with you.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!

From the heart

 

Here is another example how your designer paper can really be a focal part of your image. I stamped the foliage and bird cages (which is all one stamp) directly onto the designer paper so it actually looks like they were a design on the designer paper. Then I stamped the birds. The stamps are from KaiserCraft called Clear Hummingbird. I stamped them in SU Midnight Muse one of my new favorite colors. The sentiment is from Hero Arts. It was one of four in a box called From the Heart Greetings. I have two other sets that are the same four per box and the sentiments are small enough to fit almost anywhere. I like them because they work so well with punches. The punches used on this card are from SU- Decorative Label and Designer Label.

I used remnants from some silver trim stickers to look like chains on the cages. I also used the same over the top of the lace below.

 

My computer is giving me fits today. I have tried to post three times already so I am going to keep it short in hopes that I can it posted this time around. I have a special treat coming up in my next post. I have been working on another altered book. It is nothing like I have created before and I am sure you will all really enjoy this one. With that I am not going to say any more and you will just have to check back next week. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

 

~Have fun and enjoy!



Altered Keys

 

 

I have a thing for keys. I love to use them in my altered art whether they are old or new. My favorites are the skeleton keys but I have not been lucky enough to find many of them. I had seen some altered keys on Pinterest last year and I decided to make some of my own. My favorites are the three that have faces and wings on them. The one on the top right I used a mustache to look like wings. I used gems, rhinestones and very small bottle caps to glitz them up. If you click on the image you can get a closer look.

 

I thought I was excited about my trip to Hawaii but after 5 inches of new snow, I am beyond ecstatic. It still doesn't seem real because it was such a spur of the moment trip. I always imagined a trip like this taking a lot of planning. Several people have told me that the best trips are the ones that aren't planned- I hope they are right. I didn't think I would go to Florida this year because of the cost of the Hawaii trip but my friend was disappointed I wasn't coming and my DH said the Florida trip doesn't cost that much so I should do both. It didn't take me long to start planning the Florida trip and I even found a flight that is cheaper than last year.  I have to admit I was really torn about the Hawaii trip after thinking I was going to miss spending time with my pal in Florida. As I said before, being in Florida is such a relaxing trip and I come back ready for anything. It is going to be a very wild spring.

~Have fun and enjoy!