Under The Red Roof

Vintage Wallpaper Scrap Packs!

I've been forcing myself to put scrap packs together. I'm overwhelmed with scraps and need to get rid of them. Doing these packs is the absolute most boring thing I do so I put it off until I have rubbermaid tubs full to the brim. Sometimes I'm tempted to throw them away, but don't worry, I'd never actually do it. The guilt would cripple me. I've had a number of people ask me to contact them when I get these packs available, but I have completely lost track of who has asked to be notified. Hopefully, you will see it here. They are in the shop now. Let me know if you want more than what is listed. I can fit 2 packs into a flat rate priority envelope.

 

I've been stuffing the cello bags while re-watching this season's Project Runway. I am saving the finale to watch later tonight. Can't wait to find out the winner. Probably Irena, but I would love for it to be either Carol Hannah or Althea. I've enjoyed revisiting all the challenges this season. I'm gobsmacked by the incredible talent these designers have.

I'll be back soon with some information about a class I'll be teaching next month in Oklahoma City. I don't know if I have any local readers or not, but, if so, stay tuned:)

Do you like this garland??

Remember those tarnished tinsel pipe cleaners from last year?? Well, I've been playing around with them and created this fun garland.

 

 

I'm playing around with various color versions, but it's hard to beat this tarnished tinsel look. I'll be making up a number of these to offer at the Holiday Open House at Paper Crown in Oklahoma City on Saturday, December 5th. If you're local, we would love to have you come by:)

Cute and Simple

My inspiration board is an old screen door (hanging on the wall horizontally) with chicken wire in place of the screening material. I use tiny wooden clothespins to attach things to it. I've always intended to do something to make the clothespins look nice, but painting those tiny things seemed like more of a hassle than it was worth and even worse would be covering them with paper! Can you imagine how tedious that would be?? The other day an idea struck me. I got out my 16ss rhinestones and quickly and easily glued them to the clothespins. For this I used Aleene's regular tacky glue. No need to worry about the glue that plops out when you smash the rhinestone down. Don't try to toothpick it off. It's really better to leave it because it's important for preventing the rhinestone from popping off. I just quickly spewed out a line of glue all the way down the clothespin and didn't worry about how much was showing once the rhinestones were attached. You can't see it at all once it's dry.

 

Not that I can ever take a decent picture but you get the idea.

I've also listed my Reed Diffusers on etsy. They come with reeds and a 2 oz bottle of mulled cider scented oil. It's such a yummy smell. The bottle label will have the ebay seller's information so you can reorder from them if you want. They have an enormous number of scents. I've tried Buttery Caramel, Mulled Cider and Almond. Buttery Caramel smells good, but it's not as strong and doesn't last as long as the mulled cider. Almond smells like public bathroom soap which made me sad because I love the smell of almond extract. Anyway, it's obviously hit or miss when buying scents online.

All the vases are adorned with vintage millinery, mercury glass, vintage silk ribbon, sterling bullion wire and Swarovski crystals. I'm thinking they would make great teacher's gifts.

 

 

The Swarovski chain hangs down to sort of suggest a flower stem. I'm in the process of making a neat garland out of the faux tarnished pipe cleaners. Should be able to share that soon.

Listing Some Swarovski

I've just listed a lovely assortment of Swarovski crystals. Various chain pieces and jewelry components all in silver plate.

 

 

 

I probably have enough to sell 10 or 15 of these packs. I've experimented with soaking these in Liver of Sulfur and I love the results. I'll take a photograph and show you. Really makes them look old. It's a bit stinky but worth it.

I've also listed my flocked assortments for Christmas crafting. Here's a sampling:

 

 

 

 

I'm going to make myself get started in individually photographing my Reed Diffuser Vases so I can get them listed:)

Little Wallpaper Covered Boxes

Over the summer I got on a roll of covering these boxes. I have absolutely no idea why I made so many. I can't possibly use this many. My hope is to sell them in my etsy shop. They will be cheap because I want them OUT OF MY WAY.

 

I've also got some journal pages to share. Sometimes I just like to glue down random papers. All stuff from my scrap drawer. I don't think they would look good to most people, but I like all paper so they make me smile. This first shot has a picture of my son when he was about 5 and me when I was the same age. If you cover our foreheads we look so much alike. It's weird.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a background ready to go:

 

These next pictures are doodles colored with Copics. I totally forgot that I hadn't finished coloring this and I'm so happy to have something to color now:)

 

Christmas Crafting Time!

Hi everyone:)

I completely skipped Halloween and went straight to Christmas. I've been working on several crafts to sell in my etsy shop this season. I had fun making these little vases that will be sold with bamboo reeds and scented oil. I'm pleased with the way they turned out.

 

 

 

 

 

I should have these listed towards the end of next week. I've just finished listing some nice wallpaper assortments for Christmas crafting so go check my etsy shop when you get a chance:)

xoxo

Halloween & Fall Flocked Wallpaper!

I've just listed several fall theme flocked wallpaper assortments including......
Halloween!

I've been spending most of my crafting time journaling. I'm about to place another Copic marker order. This place has the best prices I've found so far but I've not yet ordered from them. I will use them for my next order. They also carry all the Copic accessories and the various inks (ink refills). Here's some copic coloring....


The next one is both copic and watercolor.....

I guess I should start some fall crafting, however, I might go straight to Christmas this year. Maybe then I won't be so far behind:)

A FANTASTIC Cold Coffee Drink

This is a homemade Starbucks caramel frappucino with a couple of affogato shots:) Affogato literally means, "to drown." In this case you drown the frappucino in espresso. Seriously yummy.

Brew your espresso however you choose. I use this nifty little pot. Works nicely and lasts forever. I use Starbucks French Roast Extra Bold ground coffee.

In your blender mix the following:
1/2 cup cold coffee
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp caramel sauce (for ice cream)
about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of ice

Looks just like Starbucks doesn't it??

Pour your frappucino into a cup, squirt some caramel sauce on top and drown it with your brewed espresso.

Stick a straw in and get ready to be delighted and energetic! If you're not an espresso person just have yourself a frappucino:)

Etsy Shop Update & Journal Pages

I've finally updated my etsy shop. Thanks for your patience:)
I've been coloring away. I tried to get better photos of my Copic color charts, but the photographs are no different than the first set. By my monitor the scans are truer to color. At any rate they are much better than computer generated charts. I can't wait to buy more colors! They are such an expensive supply, but well worth it. Just like Golden paints....the difference is worth the expense.
Here are a couple of pages I colored over the weekend. Another advantage of wanting to color all the time is it forces you to practice drawing and doodling.

Next is a scan of a partially colored page:

I really want to add paints, crayons and pencils to this page. The purity of it is sort of putting me off. I'm just not sure I'm brave enough. I'm going to try and force myself.
I've been enjoying the most delicious coffee drink lately. I've been buying it all summer from Starbucks, but have learned to make a home version and, believe it or not, it's even better than Starbucks! Not kidding. I'll tell you how to make it next time I post.

Copic Color Chart

While trying to figure out which Copic colors to buy online I had the hardest time figuring out what each color actually looked like because, of course, none of the computer generated charts are accurate. I found this chart (click to enlarge) which gave me the most help of anything else I could find. Since her chart helped me so much I thought I would put my own chart out hoping it will help you. Maybe between her colors and my colors you can find some you like. I realize the colors may vary from monitor to monitor, but I know this is way better than the computer generated charts.



Hopefully, if you click on these to enlarge them, you will be able to see them clearly. As I add colors to my collection, I will update the charts:)

Okay.....I just looked at this after I published it on the blog and some of the colors look pretty true and some not so true. For instance, Cadmium Red is a much truer red than it appears here. I think I will go scan the charts and see if those come out any better........okay, here are the scans. I think they might be better.

 

Well poo. When you click on the scans they don't enlarge enough to read them. I'll work on this a bit more and post another set of charts in the next couple of days. I do think the scans are pretty true to the actual colors. Maybe if I take photos outdoors tomorrow they will be better.

Paint Chip Cards & Copic Coloring

This summer I played around with one of my favorite free art supplies....paint chips. There are SO MANY things one can do with paint chips.

This was done with a simple technique called chalk resist. You rubber stamp the paint chip with Versa ink (pads available at Hobby Lobby), let it dry a bit. Then get a cotton ball and ink it up with Color Box Fluid Chalk ink (pads also available at Hobby Lobby) Rub the ink all over the paint chip. After you've achieved the look you want polish it with an old t-shirt or other smooth cotton cloth. You can then assemble them into cards or use them in collage. This technique also works on glossy cardstock.

You can also have a bit of flocked wallpaper or any other pretty paper peaking through the provided window. Soon I will have a flocked set of diminutive papers in my etsy shop. They are very handy for cardmaking. The card on the right above was done by drawing a frame with a Micron pen then coloring with Copic markers. Here are some other samples.

These were fun to make. Remember, if you use Copics on glossy surfaces, color carefully because if you let the Copic touch the Micron line it will smear. It's really not hard to keep that from happening.

Here are a couple of doodle pages that I've colored with Copics. I would have made different color choices, but I'm limited to about 50 markers at this point. Once you start really using these markers you realize you MUST HAVE lots and lots of them! I've just ordered 30 or so from Dick Blick and I'm going this afternoon to a local art supply store to get the markers Blick was out of stock on. The thing is you really (or I really) need 3 markers for every color I want so I can blend light, medium and dark to get a lovely effect:)


The first page has no blending and still looks nice. The Copic colors are so vibrant and lovely they stand alone nicely, however, they are just gorgeous when blended. Most of the flowers on the second page have 2 colors blended together. The coloring gets even better when you blend 3 colors, but my choices are pretty limited at this point. My recent order was done after I figured out exactly what the letters/numbers on the end of the markers actually mean. Knowing that makes all the difference in the world. Wish I'd bothered to figure it out before buying my first 50 markers!
I'm off to meet the teacher then attend high school orientation. For some reason I've got butterflies.

Wreck This Journal

I bought this yesterday because Luke totally loved it and wanted to do it.

Teenage boys love destroying things. We decided we would collaborate and do it together. He did a bunch of pages this morning then passed it to me. It's SO liberating! It really seemed kind of silly when I bought it, but you can't believe how much fun it is. Luke did some destructive things.....

Like burning and flinging coffee.

This done while running around the yard. Wonder if anyone happened to see him doing it?? They'd be sure that Layton kid is on drugs.
For my part I made a pretty page (of course).

The instruction was to fill the page with circles. Even though it didn't involve biting, wadding or slashing it was still fun and carefree. Quick and careless. I promise I'm going to do some of the destructive things as well. In fact, in the morning, I think I'll take a walk with my journal....dragging it behind me on a leash. People will be thinking the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree:)

Here's a sweet little journal not to be wrecked.

 

 

Just love the Rebecca Sower style of it. I think I'll start by doing a page of circles like I did in the Wreck journal. LOVE coloring with the Copics. I'm about to order 30 more. There is just no end to the accumulation of art supplies is there?

I recently watched this documentary about the 1,000 Journals project. I'm sure most of you are familiar with it, but if not by all means check it out here. I have always dreamed that one of those babies would  fall into my hands. If I ever got one I would monitor the crap out of it and make sure it got back to Someguy. I want one so bad!! I'm fascinated by the whole concept of it. It's like a message in a bottle. I'm seriously considering starting an *anything goes* journal at 1001 Journals. I like the idea of doing a journal with strangers, but I'm so afraid it would go missing. That happens a lot. I guess it's just a leap of faith and that's really the point isn't it?? Do any of you have a username set up at 1001 Journals?? Curious.

Well, I guess I better go clean the kitchen and bathe Jackson. I was trying to remember exactly how old Luke was when I quit doing the actual bathing of his body. I just cannot remember. It seems I've been responsible for more than my own personal hygiene for centuries now. So weary of it.

I really want to have a Copic discussion in my next post. I'll gather all my thoughts and try to make that happen. I have lots of questions myself. Need to pick Jeanne's brain.

The kids have been fun but I'm over them now

At some point I decided stressing over blog updates was more than I could handle this summer. I guess I should have bothered to make that announcement on my blog, but it sort of became a Mount Everest climb undertaking in my mind so it never happened. I'm totally ready to get back in the online swing. Thanks to those of you who have checked on me. I have some emails to answer and will get to them soon. Although most of the summer has been devoted to kids and keeping the house somewhat livable, I have managed a little creative time. I guess none of us could live without our creative outlets. I've made little greeting cards for my stash and played with paint chip samples with some fun results, but mostly, I've just done pages in my art journal. It's easy and worry free without the stress of completing anything. The benefit is that my painting has improved so I've been working on some little canvas paintings. Lots of inspiration this summer as come from this wonderful artist as well as Pam, of course. Always inspired by Pam:)
I snapped some shots to show you, but it's just a small drop in the bucket. It was nice to concentrate almost completely on one thing for 2 months.






That middle boy is Luke (my 14-year-old) on his 1st birthday. How cute is he???

These pages were done in my good watercolor paper journal. I also keep a few moleskins going for jotting down ideas and rough sketching. I take a moleskin when I'm mobile and at risk of boredom. I always refer to them when deciding what to draw in my watercolor journal. I try to keep the watercolor journals as visually appealing as possible although I'm always careful not to EVER think about perfection when journaling. I've got enough of that with everything else I do!
I've been REALLY playing with Copic markers this summer. I've found some good advice on youtube, particularly from stampers. Stampers know everything! I've been enjoying using the markers on varying types of paper. I'll share my findings in my next post. One of the best tips found on youtube is a quick way to go right to the brush tip end of a sketch marker. It's the end with the gray line under the cap. Loved knowing that. I've spent a small fortune on them and I'm not finished yet. I've found them to be well worth the investment. Jeanne took a Copic class a while back. I'm hoping that class gets offered in my area at some point. Would love to take it.
I know my etsy shop is a barren wasteland at the moment. I've had little motivation for keeping it updated lately. I've had quite a few inquiries so I promise to move the shop to the top of my priority list.
My back to school prep is pretty much complete. The kids start a week from tomorrow. I love the beginning of summer, but when August rolls around I'm always wishing I could afford boarding school. So sick of constantly hearing, "Mom, can I....", "Mom, would you....", "Mom, where's the....", "Mom, what's to eat....", "Mom, come here....". As cute as they are and as much as I love them I'm still TOTALLY ready for school to start!
Hope all is well in blogland. I've looked at Flickr quite a bit over the last couple of months, but haven't done much blog visiting. Hope to have more time starting next week. Be back soon:) xox.

New Flocked Wallpaper Assortments!

I've just listed six new flocked wallpaper assortments in my etsy shop.

Caribbean

Pacific Sunset

Pink Tiara

Prairie

Rural Oklahoma

Seashore

Lace Fabric Cuff

The other day I decided to wash a bunch of old lace that had a funny odor. I came so close to throwing it away because I was stupid enough to stick the whole pile in the washing machine which caused it to garble and jumble together in horrible knots.  OMG....it was a mess. Finally I forced myself to sit down and patiently untangle the whole thing. It wasn't too bad once I resigned myself to it. After that task was complete it was necessary to iron it since I had let it completely dry in jumbled form. I'm not big on ironing, but it was oddly satisfying watching the lace transform from a smushed up mess to gorgeous, old, hand-tatted loveliness. The whole episode made me want to make a lace covered cuff. Once covered with 3 different laces it, of course, needed something else. I particularly love the strip of antique metallic lace covered in patina (on the right above the ruffle). The old Swarovski component is set in raw brass which I think looks particularly good with pink or amethyst rhinestones.

I have quite a few more cuff ideas. Still want to do more with scanned wallpaper. I think a retro geometric has great possibilities. I also have some antique French floral fabric I bought specifically for cuffs so I certainly need to give that a go. These are pretty time-consuming. Lots of hand stitching. I couldn't possibly crank out more than one a day and that's if I had my days to myself which I DO NOT. So, not sure when I'll have another one to show. THE CUFF IN MY PREVIOUS POST IS SOLD (thank you Jan).
I'm hoping to have some new flocked assortments within the next couple of weeks. New patterns. I've also got a Mega Pack listed in my etsy shop:)

I'm planning to try very hard to be a better blogger so please don't forget about me:)
P.S. I'm pretty sure those are freckles and not liver spots on my arm. I think......I hope.....yikes, now I'm not sure.