Shabby Dressed Papier Mache' Heart Keepsake Box

Hello sweet friends.

It's another day to CeLeBrAtE life's

goodness and beauty. 

It just has to be a choice sometimes.

And, today, I wish for you the strength

to look beyond those bumps in your road

and find the exquisite in the everyday.

*********

In the following photos,

I'd like to share with you a papier mache' 

heartbox that I found at a Goodwill 

several years ago.

As you will see, it's

all dressed up Shabby. 

This is one of my favorite things to do!

Find something with so much

potential and just let my heart and

hands go while trusting the process.

Sometimes it can be a little scarey because

I don't know where I'm going but

that's all part of the journey and learning!

 I always forget my before photos and so I 

cheated and found this one online.

So... TaDa!

This is before her makeover.

I don't have photos of the entire process

because it was very involved.

But I will share the basics and I

would be glad to answer any questions.

The first thing I did was to Gesso 

the box. This covers and 

water-resists the paper 

for painting or glueing, inking, or 

whatever wet medium 

you may want to use.

 I also gessoed some old sheet music.

It gives it a washed sort of look that I love.

There are many places online where you

can learn how and where to use 

this very versatile product. 

I then dry-brush painted the box with 

Vintage White acrylic, craft paint. 

The little texturing that you see here

was done with a gesso 

and Vintage White paint mixture.

Gesso is white and I wanted 

the creamy look and so I

 just mixed some of the paint with it!

Another wonderful thing about gesso (love it)

Is that you can tint it any color you want!

I spread a little on and then I took 

my french script rubber stamp 

and stamped the image on it.

After it dried, I rubbed 

a little Victorian Velvet Distress Ink and

 Frayed Burlap over it

to give it that color.

This tearing back of the paper

was a look that I had seen all around online 

in mixed-media projects and in 

card making. It's very simple.

I just dampened the paper and very carefully

 tore the size opening that I wanted. 

The gesso makes the paper a bit stiff

when the water dries which helps

it to hold it's shape. I then, 

with my finger, just carefully

rubbed some Frayed Burlap 

Distress Ink on it.

I also distressed the edges of the box 

and the sheet music 

 with a mix of dark and pink inks.

I really like to mix 

tattered and grungy with

 sparkle and elegance. To me,

they just seem to compliment 

each other so beautifully.

Do you like the grayish-green leaves?

I wasn't sure at first but the fabric

matched the color hues and so I went

 with it. Do you think it blends well?

 (I am not good at color blending! 

I have learned a lot from

others but I still have to  

ask my family for their input at times :)

To get the the pink splattered look,

I used the Perfect Pearls Forever Violet

spray from Ranger. It can be messy!

I hold my piece over 

my large trash basket and spray carefully. 

It takes some experimenting. 

You can add a little or a lot and 

the shimmer of the pearl 

is very subtle.

The embellishments were 

just what I had on hand.

 Fabric yo-yos...

shabby flowers... rhinestones... tulle...

I just love the mauve flower.

It's made from a thrifted, silk shirt. 

That's where I come by most of my 

fabrics for my crafting.

I wanted the inside to be somewhat finished

so it could be used for special keepsakes

but I really didn't want to line it. And so 

 I decided to paint/gessso it and then I made this

little lacey pillow to lay in the bottom.

It's up-cycled from a thrifted curtain.

The sweet bear came home with me from

a thrifting adventure as well. This post 

wasn't supposed to be about thrifting

but you can sure see how many ways

to save on your crafting supplies!

Well, I hope that you've 

enjoyed the project

and that I've shared some tips 

that have been helpful.

This project was a lot of fun but it

did take a while in the thinking of

the design. I'd love to hear about any projects

that you've been working on. 

Or just say hello!

Have a wonderful day and thank you so

much for stopping by.

Tamara xo

I'm joining the party at
Share Your Cup Thursday!
The Enchanting Rose

(oh my! I just noticed that the corners of some of my pictures are
edited differently. And it would take a lot of effort to fix them all,
including re-doing this entire post!  I'm sorry.. It seems that no matter how I try,
my "fine details" are a bit quirky.. I guess that's partly who I am.
Thanks  for understandin'!)

Moldy Magazine Rack Re-Dressed in Shabby Chic

Hello and Happy Friday!

I hope you all found many blessings in your week.

I am always amazed at how many things in an ordinary

day can be

a joy.

 

****************************************

 

Today I wanted to share a little project that I took on.

I found this poor abandoned magazine rack

sitting outside at a thrift store. You can see for yourself the kind

 of shape it was in.

I picked it up. It was built solidly enough

and so I paid $2 for it and brought it home.

 

 

After cleaning it all up and sanding it a little I gave it several

coats of paint. If you like the paint color,

it's Mocha Breeze by Do it Best, which you can buy at

True Value stores.

 

 

There are such pretty little hankies that I find at thrift stores. 

The little front panel

is cut from a piece of one of the dainty treasures. 

 

Flower and rosette materials:

*Feather

*Strips from white cotton sheet

*Strips from pink cotton sheet

*Old lacey curtain

*Fresh water pearls and pink beads

*Ribbon from a blanket packaging

 (the center rosette)

*Strip from faded tan curtain

*Lace edging cut from curtain

 

Everything in this project was attached with hot glue.

 



~Rosettes touch the heart~





 Each end has two matching buttons.

Here's the back. The top piece was torn from an old cotton

sheet and the lower half is thrifted lace.

 

The final outcome!

This was my first re-do painting project.

It took longer than I thought. I never considered how

 long it would take to paint all of the little dowels!

But I am happy with the results.

 

Thank you so much for stopping by!

I hope your weekend

is blessed and peaceful.

 

Tamara  XO

 

Linking up today at:

 

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

 

Thank you, Linda!

 

 

 

 

Previous link parties!

 

The Cottage Market

 

Shabbilicious Friday

 

French Country Cottage

 

Partying today at:

 

furniture feature friday

Scrap Fabric and Mixed Media Valentine Book

Good Saturday morning to you. Today I wanted  to share my first "book" that I've made. I'm excited about it and I hope you like it. The desire to use up some of my scraps brought about the

thought of putting this little book together.

With Valentine's Day coming, this theme seemed the natural choice.

I just love the contrast of the warm, rich red and the purity of white together.

Mixing textures is one of my favorite ways to create.

 

And LOVE is:

 

the thread that binds all people together.

No matter the place or circumstance.

 

 

 

 

 

Well, there it is from the front to back cover. 

Do you have a favorite page or something that you would add

or do differently?

 I'd love to hear your suggestions!

 

There is such GORGEOUS work out there and

I know I have A LOT to learn yet and techniques I want to try

and experiment with.

 But at least, this a bit of a start.

 

 

I have to set a limit on embellishments because my mind goes

on and on with what I could do. But I wanted to get it posted a

while before Valentine's Day.

 

Thank you for stopping by. 

A blessed Saturday to you,

Tamara

 

 

A Sweet Vintage Tag

 

 

 

 

 

Hello.. It's another beautiful day here in the mountains.

We are praying for snow as it is so dry. I've been doing more

personal posts lately. My days were so full of sweet family and  lovely festivities during the holidays.

Now I'm trying to get re-focused in my little

room where I'm learning to write and create!

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Today I wanted to share with you this tag

that I came up with. It was a lot of fun putting the details

together.

I started off with a plain shipping tag from an

office supply store. I covered it with layers of yellowed,

white streamer paper and let the glue dry.

{I found an unopened roll at a thrift store for $.25}

 

I like to choose my colors and lay out my design before

I start attaching the pieces.

 

I chose some mottled, rose colored paper along with

the ruler image and the number 2 from the vintage Traveler

collection from Stampin' Up! I tore a piece from the sheet

to roughen the edges because I really like that look.

 



The vintage 20's Ferris wheel image is from the Stampin' Up!

set 'Celebrate'.  The partial image is stamped on with

 burgundy ink and then glued onto the tag.

 

I rubbed a smidgen of ink on for a blended background

look.  The butterfly image is from a punch. 

The butterfly, ruler and#2 are all crinkled to give

an aged look. I also rubbed a little Chocolate Chip ink

around the edges to give a

distressed sort of look .

 



  

Do you like the teal glitter?

 

 

The snippet of white burlap was unraveled a little

and placed and the ruler was glued on and then I

 machine stitched over them.

 

 

The little rhinestone was

 cut from an inexpensive, elastic bracelet

that I had found at Wal-Mart for $1.99.

 {They have several pastel, iridescent colors!}

 

 

 

  On the burlap, there's a tiny little rosette that is made from

this old linen napkin. And the tea stained strip of lace that you see  below the Ferris wheel, is just bunched up and glued on.

Nothing fancy here!

 



The word "Sweet" and the postal cancellation are stamps

from the "Lovely Little Labels" set. Sweet being stamped with

Marina Mist and the other with black!  And I'm sure you noticed

the little, bronze brad attached to the butterfly wing.

 

The tie came out just as I had envisioned.

If you're a crafter, you know that that doesn't always happen!

In my fabric collection, I remembered that I had this piece of

teal velvet. {Thrifted!} And so I cut a narrow piece of that and

threaded it through the tag hole with a thin piece of jute

string and a torn strip from the vintage {60's ?} linen napkin.

First a teal bead was strung onto the jute.

Then wrapping the strip of linen only around them all,

I tied it with a little knot. {I had originally tied them

all together but it came out looking too bulky.

So I tried something different.}

Keeping it all very loose.

It looks very shabby and old! I love it.

 

I have to tell you that I use those linen napkins more than

any other item when I want that soft, frayed, shabby look.

It frays perfectly when I tear it.

 

Anyway, I hope you like it and maybe were

inspired a little, too.

 

Blessings to you,

Tamara



 



Handmade, White Rosette and Vintage Hymn Book **JOY** Christmas Ornament

 

Glad greetings to you on this bright morning! I hope you're all having a wonderful

season of celebrating. Being able to enjoy the spirit and beauty with a peace in your heart!

Does it seem to you that this time of year seems to overflow with

goodness and bring hope for miracles?

 

Well, today I wanted to share a project that I've been working on.

For me, the season is a joyful time and I want to share that with others.

And that's where the inspiration for this ornament came from.

I hope to make several to give as gifts.

 

I love old, printed music. And rosettes are so festive looking and so I wanted to

work them together somehow to make them look like a snowflake. Have you ever thought of a snowflake as a little miracle? I'm so amazed at how each one is unique;

just how God created us.

 

The project is easy. I hardly ever plan my projects out step-by step. I try to have on hand

what I know I like to work with. (Much of which I find at thrift stores.)

 I used my Martha Stewart scoring tool to make the rosette.

 

The little sheet music spirals are made from hymn book pages quartered, rolled

and glued to the underside of the 4" rosette. I smudged the 6" doily with a bit of

Chocolate Chip ink to make it look a bit aged and then I glued it to the back of the rosette.

 

With a paintbrush, I applied glue to the front side of the rosette and sprinkled some snow-white

glitter on it to make it sparkle like snow! I then took another

 hymnbook page and with my Bigshot and Sissix Perfect Pennants die,

I cut the center medallion and glued it on.

 



 

The letters for the Joy were cut out of thin cardboard from a cereal box using

the Tim Holtz Wordplay die. I brushed them with glue and applied the silver glitter.

The letters were then glued onto the center medallion.

I finished it off with a torn cotton bow and a button. There's

a piece of silver, elastic cord attached to the back for hanging.

And there it is. I hope you like it. Thank you so much for stopping by and

may the rest of this Christmas season and your new year be lovely and filled with

joy and blessings!

 

Tamara 

 

 

I'm linking up at:

I Gotta Create!
Sugar Creek Hollow

Come join the fun!



Shabby Heart Wreath

 I have been so busy with company and more travel. All in the family.  However, there is always time for working on a project or two. AND defining and re-defining my special place where I create and celebrate the blessings of this life.

Here's a list of some of the projects I will be working on and sharing.

*Altered, ball caps made feminine
*A calf-length jean coat that I have been longing to embellish
*Chalkboards of a variety of shapes and sizes
*Earrings made from scrapped jean pieces
*A re-do on a pretty metal container (it has burlap ruffles which are so pretty but E-A-S-Y!


God is so good to give me ideas and I give Him all the credit.


Today I want to share with you this Shabby Heart Wreathe. I picked the heart up at a thrift store many years ago and have hung onto it because I really wanted to make something with it.

I really had a fun time putting this together. Sometimes I just and make flowers of different
styles. I enjoy the process of picking out the textures and colors that compliment each other.
For these I used tulle, velour, velvet, some lining fabric and lace.

I didn't make these flowers for this project in mind but I thought they would go with the shabby
soft look that I wanted to try to create.

I dry-brushed the wreathe first and then layed the flowers all about in the pattern that I wanted.

There is a rosette and a couple of yo-yos which are super fun and easy. These are all easy flowers to make and great way to use up scraps.

Among the flowers, I also wove in a small piece of eyelash yarn that gave it a little whispy look.

The large, crème colored flower is my favorite. I really love the soft, full appearance. This was made of pink paper ribbon and lining fabric. If you want to make these flowers, they are easy but a little more time consuming. Choose lining fabric or any type that will melt with the heat of a candle. Sheer curtains work well also. ( I just thrifted a pink sheer that I'm eager to try!)

You'll need:
*fabric scissors
* tea light or votive candle
* fifteen round pieces of fabric cut in three different to layer
(None of this has to be exact. It depends on the size flower you want. The fabric does shrink when melted so this will affect the finished size. You probably lose about 1/2 inch in your melting process.)
* paper ribbon cut in flower shape. I used my Tim Holtz tattered flower die. (I only used a piece or two of this to add just a splash of color to add blending and balance.)

After your circles are cut, then cut petals in your circles. Remember, it doesn't have to be exact. Then just hold your piece above the lit candle turning it they melt,being careful not to get your fabric IN the flame. You do feel the heat and there is a potential for burning your fingers. PLEASE BE CAREFUL!! You may have to experiment with a piece or two to attain the look you want.

After all of your layers are complete just add the paper ribbon (or not) where you want the color. Sew your layers together in the center with a few quick stitches. It doesn't take much to secure them. The flower overall  does take a little time but they are so pretty and well worth the time for me.

To make the ribbon and bow, I used some old linen fabric pieces that I tore from thrifted napkins and the hanger from a piece of lace. The large, pretty buttons came from an old sweater that belonged to one of my girls!

Before I hot-glued the flowers on, I took some pinkish fabric, lace and more linen and made strips to
attach behind the flowers to hang down.

I hope you've enjoyed this and that it has been helpful or inspiring. I would love to hear about a project that you've been working on!

Have a blessed day.
Tamara

Vintage Tag Valentine with Waxed Paper Envelope

I enjoy giving cards and gifts to people. And sharing a small token of friendship or kinship

is such a warm way to communicate to someone how special they are.

 

While thinking of my daughters, sisters and friends,

I was inspired to make these little Valentine tags.

 

To make the tags, I cut some vanilla card stock 4.75 x 2.75. 

With a ruler, at the top corners, I measured one inch across diagonally

 to cut the corner off

to give it the cropped look. A paper punch works fine for

the hole at the top.

 

One of the funnest parts of the project is choosing the stamp.

Followed by the color of ink and fabric that

matches the design and effect I am looking for.

 

 

 I scrunch the paper to give it that aged look. I then took a light brown inkpad

and rubbed it over the crinkles. It picks up the color very nicely.

 

I cut the donuts to cover the holes with the Tim Holtz Tiny Tags and Tabs die.

The small hearts were made with a Stampin' Up punch.

 

Lacey trim really added the feminine feel that I wanted. When cutting it, measure

 one and a half times the width of the tag.

I just held it into place while sewing  it on. I really enjoy working with

mixed media!

 

Ideas flow and the heart just creates as I go. The feeling of

 unbound creativity is like....

 

A river that has no end.

Flowing, flowing.

 

 

  

 

The strips of  frayed rag that thread through the eye of the tag were just torn from scraps

and tied at the end. Finding a bead with a hole big enough to pull the pieces through was a

bit of a challege. But I happened to have the perfect hues to compliment the fabrics.

 

I learned something about tearing strips. You can't tear against the selvage! I

never realized how strong it could be.

 

 

And in the next photo, you can see the little punched heart that

I stitched to the lace. To me, the look of stitched paper has such a neat

 look to it.



 



 After the little cards were finished, I really wanted to put something

together to slip them in. A special type of packaging that would

add a little elegance. I decided to try waxed paper. I wasn't sure if it was going

hold up under the sewing machine. It was a bit fragile but taking a little extra care,

I was able to do it.

 

Here's how I made the envelope:

 

1) With the brand name paper, I tore off a piece wide enough to cover

two of the tags with about an inch or two to spare

because you will need to trim the excess waxed paper off

after you sew your side seams. (This will depend on your tag size.)

Then I folded it with the finished sides together and this

made the perfect length envelope.

 

2) I wanted a pretty, fabric ruffle on it and so I found a scrap that

matched the colors of ink and fabric strips that I liked and used.

The strips can be the width and shape of the ruffle size and look that you want.

  I had planned to give it a tapered look and so I cut my pieces at

an angle. I didn't measure the length. But you want them at least

one and a half times the width of the envelope if you want

to gather and make a ruffle. Mine weren't exactly the same but this

is part of the charm of handmade items.

 

They are one of a kind!

 

 

3) Next, I gathered the fabric and then placed it where I wanted it on the

waxed paper. I didn't pin the ruffle to the paper. I was afraid that it might tear.

Setting the stitch length at 3.5,

 I gently held it in place, lifting the presser foot to help it over the thicker spots.

  Because the paper is so thin, the feed dog doesn't grab it

as securely as it could. So, it helps to gently ride your fingers on each side of the

presser foot to push just a bit. 

 

 

 

 

 4) The side seams are next. Fold the paper in half bringing the smooth edges

together until they meet evenly. Crease the bottom and then stitch just to the outside

of the ruffle. Trim off the excess to the desired seam width. To finish it off,

I added some lace that matched the ruffle on the tag and topped that with a pretty

little vintage button.

 

 

 

Over all there were some colors that were a little too plain or stark looking for the design.

To fix that, I found some complementary colors and just did some softening and

blending by inking my fingertip and applying where needed.

 

 

And I was very pleased with the final appearance. I thought that it

 

 turned out very sweet and so I made three more.

 

***********************

 

I would enjoy hearing your opinions on it!

 

Thank you for visiting and a very

 

Happy Valentine's Day

 

to you all.

 

Blessings,

Tamara