Altered Five Point Star Tutorial

I'm just loving these five point stars.

I apologize in advance for some of the dark pictures, did I mention my workspace is in a poorly lit basement?? Don't forget you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Here is a list of supplies I used:

-Five Point Star diagram from Lost Button Studio, print and cut out template (linky)

-heavy weight patterned paper

-pencil, scissors, ruler, bone folder, foam brush, white glue

-hot glue gun

-ink pads

-stamps (I used an acrylic Christmas set from Art Warehouse)

-Mod Podge or gel medium

-Crop-a-Dile eyelet setter and an eyelet

-rub-on adhesive (I use Design Adhesives-Ornate Border)

-glitter

-vintage image of child( I love using images from Shabby Chic Papirskatter)

-various embellishments

1.Trace star onto paper, cut out.

2.On backside, use template to mark center of the star, with a ruler mark all lines to star points outside and inside (if you have a tool to score paper this works to, I really like Scor-Pal). Fold according to template directions.
3. Adjust folds into a desirable shape, star will be flimsy at this point. On backside, fill center of star with a good amount of hot glue to hold the desired shape, let cool.

4. Ink edges and folds to give an aged look.

5. Stamp images onto paper . I have a large stash of old readers digest, I like the discolored edges so I use the margins to stamp on. Cut into strips. Adhere with Mod Podge. Clip ends.
6. Set eyelet if you want to hang star. (I could have done this after step 4, but forgot)

7. Cut out rub-on adhesive to fit desired area, peel backing, place on star and rub. Peel back to expose adhesive then apply glitter.

8. Cut silhouette of child's image, add wings or other embellishments (I used half of a snowflake die cut and inked it). With white liquid glue adhere image to star and let dry.
Success!!! At this point you can add other embellishments you have on hand to dress it up even more.
I'm still at a loss on how to make the backside look good, so if you come up with any good ideas please share!

A Perfectly Haunted Day

And here is the big reveal...this year we have a robot and a pirate. Not very spooky, but really adorable. Bob usually takes them out for trick-or- treat while I hand out candy, when they got back he said they got rave reviews.

Mr. Robert was a good sport, the costume turned out heavier than we planned with all that computer hardware, plus it wasn't the easiest to walk in. Miss Maria had a blinged out pirate hat, a handmade eye patch and a fair amount of plundered jewels around her neck.
We did get our pumpkins carved, Miss maria made a cat and Mr. Robert worked on a scary face.

All in all it was a good day, the rain and clouds moved out around noon, we had to dress a bit warmer but it wasn't anything a pair of thermals couldn't handle. The trick-or-treaters count was really low this year, not sure why, perhaps more people attend parties when Halloween falls on the weekend. By the end of the evening we were handing out candy in big handfuls. I still have more left... bummer...I guess I'll have to eat it.

I hope everyone else had a great Halloween.

Halloween Costumes(Part Two) and A Blustery Day

It was a very windy and wonderfully mild 82 degree day. The wind pulled down most of the leaves off the trees and the rain is just an hour or so away. Along with the rain there will be a thirty degree drop in the temperature. Luckily it looks like the front will move out by noon tomorrow and there will be no threat of rain for the trick-or-treaters.

We decided to head out of the house for the evening to enjoy this unusual weather, so pumpkin carving will have to wait until tomorrow. I did pick up the last minute costume necessities for Miss Maria. We are going to add a little girly-ness (ok ... now I'm just making up words) to this costume that is on loan to us..I bet you can guess what she wants to be.

Final reveal is tomorrow evening.

More Craft Ideas

I did my weekly search of Craftig last night and added these to my "I want to try this" list.

Paper Tombstones from Cheeky Magpie. These little guys are made to stand upright but I think you could use them on handcrafted Halloween cards.

Look more garland...I haven't even tried the leaf garland yet...but I could see this idea being changed up for any season or theme. This tutorial is from Quiltish.
Finally take a look at this Playful Partridge Ornament from Retro Mama. It reminds me of my Grandma Rechtin, her tradition was to make each grandchild an ornament for Christmas. This looks like something she might have made for us.
Guess I'd better get back to the costumes..

Halloween Costumes- Take One

Can you guess what Robert wants to be this year????

Daddy will take apart an old computer...

Mommy will add some silver spray paint then find some appropriate clip art online...

Robert will determine final placement and Mommy will secure the hardware...

Can you guess????

A Little Art History

I'm a history major according to my degree, but an artist by nature. Today I'm going to combine the two for a very brief art history lesson:

WPA (Work Progress Administration) posters date from 1936 to 1943, they are part of the New Deal spending programs to help unemployed artists while providing a service to the American public. You can read about the program in more detail here. All the posters fall under public domain so you can save any WPA image you see here and on the website.

The posters would serve several purposes including to promote cultural programs,

educational programs,

community activities,

health and safety programs,

and my personal favorite travel in the US,

One day I tried my hand at duplicating the lithograph style of the WPA travel posters in Photoshop. Here's a before and after of my tinkering, somewhere I wrote the steps it took to get the image I wanted I hope I find it again some day.

Halloween is almost here and I will be spending a few days making costumes. After that I will post a tutorial on how I made the 5 point stars, promise.

WIP - Five Point Stars

I am always on the lookout for ways to use my stash of recycled goodies; I have been holding onto some decorative greeting cards hoping to find some use for them. Well as a recent recipient of last winters Somerset Studio magazine I was inspired to pull out my directions for making five point stars.

In the magazine the artist altered a metal star, I was hoping to make a much smaller version. This is what I came up with:

It is still a work in progress (WIP), I need to come up with an idea to cover the back the paint isn't enough.

If there is any interest I can try my hand at a blog tutorial when I make another, taking pictures through the process and posting it here.

Happy Little Tree

Just outside my front window this Sweet Gum tree makes me pause each fall to take in it's beauty...

It gives our family much needed shade on the hot summer afternoons, beautiful color in the fall, and the knotty bent branches are exposed just in time for Halloween.

If I were a psychologist I could claim this tree has multiple personalities. Some leaves turn an incredible red to deep eggplant, so deep it almost looks black. Another part orange and the leaves closest to the house turn a light yellow.

That is not a steadfast rule though...

this little guy is definitely beating to it's own drum in a sea of yellow.

As much as I do love this tree it does have one drawback, sweet gum balls, prickly little foot hazards that fall to the ground all winter and must be raked up in the early spring.

Oh, I see you hanging there all innocent but I know what you plans are...

Bargain Hunting

I love bargain shopping, yes I am frugal and without remorse. Especially when I find deals like this. I do try to plan my spending but sometimes I just can't pass up a good deal. I was in Tuesday Morning "browsing" when I found these beautiful items. The stamps were 99 cents, that is crazy cheap. Did I mention I work/teach occasionally at my local stamp store, I know this was crazy cheap.

I heard this once "A bargain is something you don't need at a price you can't pass up" I was amazed by the clarity and truth in it. I agree I don't need any of this. What we do need is love, shelter, food and drink; all the rest is icing on the cake. So here is where I will remind myself that while I don't need what I bought, I will appreciate it and give it usefulness.
The details: Stamps 3 @ 99cents, stacked ink pads 2 @ $1.99, set of paper ribbon rolls $1.99. Seriously beautiful things at a great price that is my kind of shopping.
Are you a bargain shopper? If so where are your favorite haunts...inquiring minds want to know.

Many Wonderful Things

This post may be a little long, but I have so much to share. You may remember I was chosen the winner of a giveaway by Marie at Spun By Me. I heard a knock, knock, knock on my door Wednesday afternoon, which is odd only because most visitors use the doorbell. I ran upstairs, looked out the door, but no one was there...strange. I asked the kids if they were knocking on the floor, "not me" was their reply. I went back to the door and noticed a postal truck making it's way down the street...oh a package, yippee! It came all the way from Maryland and it had the this wonderful issue of Somerset Studio. Oh but there was more...

just look at all the goodies Marie included. Miss Maria instantly laid claim to the sparkled tissue paper~ true to her mother's sensibilities ~ we use everything! I just love the ceramic bootie and the violets, they are a perfect match. A wonderful old handkerchief that reminded me of the one my mother would give me to take to school when I had a cold. (sad to admit that my kids only know of travel size tissue packs). Beautiful glitter... how did Marie know I had a glitter obsession? A Mary Englebeirt post-it pad and a tag for a future project.

Did you notice the heart charm tied to the flowers? It's stamped with "Love" on the back and I do feel loved. Marie, it was so sweet of you to send all this to me.

Onto this bit of exciting news, one of my hot air balloon pendants was chosen for an Etsy Treasury! I just mentioned two days ago that I hoped to one day post a picture of a treasury I was in and well here it is. I'm so thankful the curator sent me a convo to let me know she was adding me to this treasury. I know it seems like I have a lot to say, but really I'm speechless.

After so much was shared with me this week here are a some images for you. Halloween is right around the corner, and I have yet to get started on costumes.