FROM OLD TO NEW
I have a large stack of old hardcover books that I use for the pages in many mixed media painting pieces.

This week I took some of the covers to use as a canvas to create some small wall art pieces I want to take to the Springfair Artisan Show at Linden Hills. 

It is a great way to recycle  some supplies and materials you have too much of anyway, and have fun making art.





The Process

Remove the front and back covers from a hard cover book.
Cover with gesso.
Fill with your creation!
Optional: cover the back with decorative paper or paint.
Punch two holes in the top, string a hanger- you can use string, rope or wire.

So simple! And alot of fun.

Here are a few more I have made.  They are not finished yet.  I want to cover the backs and need to add the hanger.

Who would know these are old book covers being recycled into hangable wall art!

​

   JUNK! So much junk- I hear this alot from so
   many people. 

   Those little things we don't know what to do
   with or where to put, but just can't seem to 
   get rid of- often are condemned to a lifetime
   of junk drawer living.  Imagine- being tossed
   aside, never to be thought of again!

   How sad.  

   That tends to be the sceniro for the ordinary
   person.  Mixed media artists are a different
   breed- they don't have a junk drawer or two-
   but STASHES, and lots of them. Tucked in
   any nook or cranny of space that is left to be
   found in their studios.

Well, maybe I'm over generalizing, trying to make myself feel better about all the junk I have collected that has artistic potential.  

This week I decided to make an attempt to put a dent in the some of things I have collected and stashed. Why not give some of these things a new lease on life- so they could be enjoyed?

It's as simple as that!  

​From the  wood and frame stash pile, a lucky old plaque was plucked into service.  First it was sanded down, then given a layer of clear gesso.  The background was applied using acrylics, gelatos, and inks.  Additional detail
​was added using stamps, Tim Holtz tape, scrap paper, and distress inks.

The background is completed in layers.

Between each layer is a coat of white glue thinned 50/50 with water. This allows each layer to applied on its own, and I can remove something I don't like without affecting the previous layer. 

​Next is a visit to the shelf that holds boxes of wooden pieces that have been collected.

I decided to do a grid type piece. So three
pices of wood were picked. These were covered with pages from an old book, which were lightly stained and distressed.

The three were centered then glued onto the 
plaque.  Once dried,  nails were were
put into each corners.

Next step- go find some pieces of junk that
can be transformed.  This takes awhile because there are so many stashes to plow through.

I decided to go with a metal theme.  

Individual metal pieces that were not very interesting on their own, were selected to be paired with other pieces.  An old key was
picked for the focal point,  Each piece was painted with metallic paints, then distressed and attached to the wood.   Placed at the bottom was a piece of a stamped metal Tim Holtz  piece that says- Capture Life's Moments.

The entire piece was finished with a polyacrylic sealer.

This was the second piece I did using the same process as described above.

End result- was able to make 2 new pieces of art, but didn't really put a dent into the stash I was trying to whittle down. But then again, what kind of artist would I be if I didn't have stashes of junk! 

SO, why not look through your junk and get creative and make a piece of  altered art!

These pieces are available at Joanne's Frame Shop and Gallery in Quakertown. PA.

  A few posts back I showed a picture of some of the great finds I scoffed up at the local junkyard.  I just love going there to find whatever treasures are laying on the ground that can be transformed into unique pieces of jewelry. So this past week I have been working with this particular stash.  







FROM JUNK TO JEWELRY

The first step is to somewhat sort what I have. Here is a plastic bag filled with some of the pieces I plan to work with. 

Notice they are all rusted.  They had been sitting for a few months outdoors in a bucket with a little bit of water.  Then I set them out to dry for about a week longer.  

My intent is to keep the rusted look, so each piece is coated with a sealer to preserve the rust so it doesn't come off.  The  first layer of sealer is hand painted  on carefully to keep the rust from falling off , then hung to dry.  See the next photo.

The second layer is done using a  a plastic baggie with some sealer inside. Put your piece in the bag, squish around it to get it all covered, then drag it to the top of the bag to remove the excess sealer.

My drying system:  I use old Christmas tree hooks and hang them from a rack I found, where else but the thrift store.  After the second coat of sealer is dry I apply a  layer of  clear gesso, this is done so I can add paint to each piece. The gesso gives it tooth to hold the paint.

After that is is just a matter of playing around with your pieces to see how you want to assemble your jewelry. Once the jewelry is made, I give it a final layer of sealer.

SOME SAMPLE PIECES

I can't tell you what this is made from because I don't know what these parts are called. This piece has three layers of metal parts and a blue turquoise howlite stone.  To create the bail, I wrapped copper wire along each of the sides with loops so a chain could be added.  Each layer was separately painted before attaching using metallic paints. After it was assembled it was dipped in liver of sulfur to give the copper wire a patina.  

This pieces is available at my Etsy Shop.

This piece has two layers made with washers.  The base layer was all bumpy giving it great texture, the top layer was smooth. Again, each was separately painted, then attached with a copper wire wrapping, A bail was formed at the top to attach the chain. A dangle was attached below the junkyard pieces. I used an abalone bead topped with a hammered copper spiral.
 

This piece has 4 layers.  Three from the junkyard, and the top is polymer clay.  The base layer is metal, the next layer seems to be that heavy duty plastic that is used in headlights, the layer on top of that which is not seen, is another washer to give it a bit of a lift.

There are two holes in the polymer clay bead which are wire wrapped with copper.  the top to create the bail, the bottom to hold a dangle which is a stone spiral wrapped with copper, then connected with a small amount of chain.

More pieces are in various stages of completion.  I'll share them when done.

                  
Here is an idea that my friend Wendy and I came up with to display jewelry for an art show exhibit I did recently at Joanne's Frame Shop and Gallery.

I needed to find some way to display the jewelry so individual pieces could be viewed and accessed easily. It also  needed to be easy to store, not overly bulky, assembled and set up quickly.


This idea was the result of  a lot of brainstorming, trial and error and rummaging through my large stash of thrift store finds.  To be perfectly honest, it does take a good amount of time to put together, but once done, it is something that can be used over and over again.  The final result looked wonderful and received rave reviews.

It started out to be used in the gallery show.  I was showing both mixed media art and jewelry, so my exhibit space was limited.  This panel hung on the main wall and was able to hold many pieces.  I liked the way it looked so after the show, I decided to make another panel and  modify them for use in outdoor shows to hang from the sides of the tent.  This would allow me to use just one table, and have many pieces on display. Rather than flipping through many boxes with jewelry, it will now be easily viewed.

THE PROCESS
I started with an old wooden shade from the thrift store. In our area, they always seem to be available and for just pennies.  I took the length needed by cutting away the row of extra slats, then tied the ends off with the string from the shade and added additional security by wiring the edges.

The materials you need are wooden clothespins, wire and something to cut your wire. The cutter shown below in the picture was to cut down the slat row, I used regular scissors to cut the wire since it was a thin gauge.

The next step was to lay out my jewelry cards on the panel to figure out positioning space and lay the clothes pins where they needed to be.  Beginning at the bottom of the panel, each pin was attached.

HOW TO ATTACH THE CLOTHESPINS
The side hole in the clothespin is threaded with wire.

Lay the wired clothespin in the position you want it located on the shade,then  thread the wire through the sides of one slat, turn over and twist to secure it from the back. Continue until all the clips are placed on your shade

Here is what the shade looks like before any jewelry is added. There are several advantages to this system.  It rolls up compactly for storage.  The jewelry is quickly clipped to its place on the shade.  It allows the customers an opportunity to view a large selection.  If someone wants a closer look, they can take it off the clip and it can be replaced back to its original spot easily. 

To hang this in the gallery, it was attached to a wall using staples and small nails between the slats.  It was very sturdy and durable.

TRANSITIONING FROM GALLERY TO TENT

To make the transition from the gallery wall to the side walls of my tent, I had to come up with a system to hang it.  This has been a lot of brainstorming, trying different materials to see what would be strong enough to hold it yet easy to assemble.

My first idea was to create a wooden frame around the border and attach it to the shade by slipping wood frame slats through loops I would place on the back.  I decided against this - not wanting to transport and store 6ft long pieces of wood.

So Plan B was to attach some kind of hanging clips to the top, then thread chain through the clip, at the desired length, and secure the other end of the chain around the side walls metal brace.  The chain can be cut  the same lengths, so the panel would hang evenly.

Having 2 panels to clip, became a challenge. Once I found what I would use, I didn't have enough material for both. So I'll show you the way each was done..

First Panel:  My husband had some metal parts in his stash that would work, but only had 8, which was enough to go across the entire top of the small panel.  This metal thing was wired to the shade as close to the top as possible.  A key ring was placed through that.  I determined I need 15" of chain.  One end will be placed into the key ring, the other end I'll loop around the top bar of the side wall of the tent and S hook it in place.

Second Panel: After trying different options, I decided to go back to the clothespin.  I used these on the larger of the shades, which was the one hanging in the gallery.  I opened the clothespin, placed a key ring in the opening, then glued it shut with E6000, leaving them to dry overnight.

Then I wired them to the top of the shade, as described above.  This panel used 11 clothespins.

I have not cut the lengths of chain yet, so it is not pictured here.  I have a show at the  Sellersville Gallery of the Arts, this Sunday. I'll take pictures and add them to the post, sometime next week.  Or, if you are in the area, come by and see it in person.

I still need to come up with a simple way to tether the bottom of the panel so it is stable when it hangs, so that will be pictured as well.

Compact System
Here is a picture of the two panels all rolled up and ready for transport.  Very compact and won't take up much room in the car.

I hope this gives you some inspiration for your next display project.  I would love to hear what other jewelry artist are doing as well!

I have a week of reorganization and getting ready for my daughter's graduation from Temple, who knew they had a September graduation!  My inlaws are coming in for the event, which I love the ideas of- with the exception that it presses my back against the wall in cleaning and reorganizing. No lazy pace, no getting distracted and slipping off to the studio, nope!  I'll need laser focused attention- which will be a real challenge!

But after that, yes!  I get to play again!  Here is a peek of what I have had sitting in a bucket of water rusting for the past few months

My junkyard trip jackpot!  I love going to the junkyard finding all kinds of interesting hardware pieces on the ground that become the inspiration for the next jewelry making project. And I can't wait to get my hands in this bucket.

So this will be my next project to get some new pieces made for the end of September Art Festivals.  Check back later to see what I cooked up!

Upcoming Shows:
Gallery of the Arts, Sellersville, PA  Sunday Sept, 20, 2015
Souderton Art Jam, Souderton, PA Saturday Sept 26, 2015

I have been busy getting ready for summer art shows and wanted to share a few of the pendants I recently completed.  I love exploring and trying different materials as well as using old rusty things I collect.  Here are some examples of using metal sheeting, rusty hardware and broken seashells.

The photo to the left is created with 2 cut out pieces of sheet metal.  The base piece I cut a bit longer than I want the pendant to be so I can thread a piece of wire through and roll the top of the metal backwards. It is then hammered flat and makes a tight cold connection. But I'm getting ahead of myself, that is one of the last steps.

After cutting out the sheet metal, I first hammer each piece to create texture then
sand all the rough edges.  A hole was  drilled  on the each piece of metal so I could apply a copper rivet later to connect the top and bottom.  

Each piece of metal is coated with  a layer of clear gesso on  the front and back.  This must dry thoroughly.  I do this so that when painted the paint adheres well to the metal.  Many layers of paint are applied, sealing each layer with a satin acrylic sealer each time.  

Once it is painted where I like the look, I rivet the two pieces together.  An old rusty washer was glued on, centered over the rivet with E6000 and left to dry for a day.  

When completely dried, I then roll the top of the metal backwards.  The wire at each end is closed and jump rings were threaded through them.  A final layer of sealer was applied.

A chain can then be put through the jump rings to finish the pieces.

Metal Pendant with Sand Texture

 This piece was created the same way as described above with a few changes.  There are 3 pieces of metal on this pendant.  The middle layer I  wanted to add more texture to so I mixed sand with the clear gesso and applied it. Again this must dry thoroughly or it will peel off.  

Instead of creating two closed loops with the wire at each end of the top, I created a hanger like bail and added a jump ring so a chain could be threaded through 









Using Old Hardware Components

This pendant is made with 3 metal hardware components. Each piece is painted and sealed, then glued into place.  Copper wire was threaded through the center open washer to make a bail.

This piece can be worn from either the front or back side.

Using Broken Shells to Make Pendants

Last summer I collected a huge stash of shells while walking on the beach.  This is a broken shell piece that I have painted in the manner described above.  

Once painted it was wire wrapped with copper wire then embellishments were added to the top- this one has an old blue bingo chip with a metal rim which is then topped with a polymer clay disk.

 
One of the really fun things to do as a kid was to just PLAY with friends in the neighborhood.  Most of the time this involved using our imagination and creativity.

I remember having a dress up box in the basement with old fox fur coat collars, discarded clothing, worn fancy hats, high heels, well, you get the picture.

So for a few hours of a lazy afternoon, we would alter ourselves- into some interesting and fun characters.

Another thing we would do was cut up old magazines, taking pictures of people and putting the heads on different bodies to give ourselves a few laughs.

This might involve cutting the body from an older person and putting a baby's head on top, or taking a picture of a grungy farmer working in the fields, with the head of a beautiful model. Sometimes we would just make pictures with bodies and heads at really strange angles.  Then of course, we would have to cut words out of the magazines to make intriguing captions. Oh what fun we had!

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that starting as a kid, creativity was encouraged, and a lot of times it involved making changes or altering what existed to make something new and more exciting to hold our attention.

So today I would like to share with you some fascinating pieces of altered art. I think you will see why I love this medium so much!

One of the big things among artists today is Altered Art.  It is the process of taking something old with one usual purpose and transforming it into a new piece of art.  This is done with books, bottles, jewelry, and boxes just to name a few.

To your right is an altered book I converted into a travel journal.  I love to take old books  apart and then reconstruct them into another one that becomes more of a functional piece of art.

 

Then there are artists who really elevate it to another level, like in this example of the Edgar Allen Poe altered book. 

How cool is this?  Imagine the creativity  involved in this type of design work!

Here the artist actually created a sculptural landscape by carving through the book.

Absolutely stunning!

Look at the next one below, amazing!  You have to ask yourself, how was this done?

ALTERED BOX

Here is a very cool  box designed in the style of a 1920’s Vintage Victrola Phonograph. I found this at Unique Papercrafting  Graphic 45, and if you are really ambitious, here is the tutorial to make one yourself.

ALTERED CLOCK

Do you remember these old alarm clocks? At  Layers of Ink they have the tutorial for this as well. 

Feeling inspired yet?  Wanting to go dig through your boxes of old stuff to make something new?

ALTERED BOX

This is a little altered keepsake box I made.
Using an old wooden box, I covered it with paper inside and out, distressed it to look old and embellished it with rusty hardware, arms from an old thrift store doll and a compass. 

It is so much fun putting these things together!

ASSEMBLAGE

  Meet the Time Keeper!

   I saw her on Pinterest, and love the vibrant colors used.
   Sadly, no other information was available on this piece.

     ALTERED GAME PIECES:   
 
     Look at what was done with old Scrabble
     tiles.  

     Hmm, now what game pieces do I 
     have sitting around ready to be shape
     shifted into an interesting piece of art?

ALTERED BOTTLES

Don't throw that empty bottle away!  Just imagine what you might be able to do with it.

For more inspiration, check out Valeriana Solaris, she has an amazing collection of altered bottles on Flicker

This is an altered bottle I did, but unfortunately I didn't take a very good picture.  It started life as a gin bottle and then reincarnated  into a decorative oil lamp.

It was at Chimayo Gallery in Perkasie until last week, when it left with its new owner.

ALTERED JEWELRY

Awesome altered necklace.  I just love all the earthiness about this design.

A tutorial can be found at Altered Alchemy, the really nice thing about this is that no soldering is involved.

I hope you have been inspired by some of the art work you have viewed here today.  The nice thing about Altered Art, at least in my mind, is---there are no rules!  My kind of style.  Just think like a kid.

So what do  you have lurking around ready to have new life blown into it? Don't be timid, jump in, make something, and above all have fun. 

Well that's it for now, my housekeeping was waiting for me hours ago, so I should at least make some attempt so my husband thinks I was doing something today besides playing.

Leave your comments, I would love to hear if you are going to start a project, have one in the works, or show pics of something completed!

   
Copper Casing Trash to Treasure          

I can't deny it- I'm a junk collector! 

Everywhere I look it seems that what might appear as a piece of trash to someone else is really something with artistic potential, waiting to be rescued.  "Oh don't get rid of that, I can make something with it" is my mantra.  

Unfortunately, my husband has been bitten by the same trash to treasure bug, but the good news is there is always something to work with.

So I figured I'd start this series to show what I do with my junk to save it from an untimely death at the landfill. A very Earthy idea, don't you think?

Copper Casing Earrings

Some kind electrician I meet gave me a lot of copper wire he wasn't using.  It came in what I would call aluminum casing, which needed to be removed to get to the wire. So the trash  was a huge pile of aluminum snake-like casings, which of course I just could not bring myself to get rid of because I was sure it had an alternate purpose and could be transformed into something spectacular.  Well, I was right!

Follow me along in my studio as I show you the process of reincarnation!

Here is a small piece of what this casing looks like.

Next I hammered the tubing flat.

The first thing I did was cut a small section of this tubing using heavy duty wire cutters.
Then placed a thick piece of aluminum wire through it, leaving wire at both ends for wrapping later.  

I wasn't sure how much wire was needed so I just guessed, since this is my first attempt.

You end up with really sharp edges that need to be filed.  I use one of my favorite tools I got at the Thrift Store for $1.99 it is meant to be use with fingernails, but has all kinds of attachments, runs by battery and is very light weight. I'm using the sanding head in this photo.

Once both sides are smoothly sanded, I applied a layer of black metallic paint and let it sit for about 1 minute.

Using a paper towel, I removed most of the paint. Then repeated this steps a few times until I was satisfied with the results, really using the brush to get the black paint deep into the crevices. 

The nice thing about using this casing is that it already has built in texture.

Now I bent the longer wire up over the casing and hammered it flat.

The wire is a challenge to manipulate so I put the piece into a bench vice to hold in place so I could wrap 2 loops at the top of the casing.

I used thin gauge copper wire and wrapped the top of the casing.  I like to use a messy wrapping technique.

Here you can see the wraps 

 Ta! Da! Completed transformation!
Each earring was finished with an acrylic sealer and fish hook ear wires made from copper were added.

I feel very proud that I was able to save this lowly piece of casing from uncertain destruction.  I bet Mother Nature is smiling!


So, now your turn, do you have a story of something you saved and gave a new life to?  Leave your comments, I would love to hear about it!