Let's Get SideTracked with Paper Flowers

It's probably a rose based on the foliage

As if still maintaining a blog isn't throwback enough, I currently work above, get this, a Barnes and Noble store. This hanger-on always has paper flowers for sale and, well, my bedroom has two vases, one of which has a fallen-off bit of my pampas grass stuffed in it and nothing in the other. Also, it appears that Winblaad's Tusind og en nat bride is holding, let's call it a peony. So, combine these two things plus a visit to the library for a book called Paper Flower Art and I am distracted again. The bonus of this new tangent is I need not buy one thing. I used:

• 

  My paper peonies and
  the amazing effects
  alcohol inks can give. It is 
  giving off rose vibes without
  manipulation!

  craft paper
• 93% isopropol alcohol
  
• food coloring
  
• alcohol ink - Ranger alcohol pearl alchemy and was in Clearance at Michael's
• crepe paper
• iridescent pigment powder - Jacquard micro-pearlescent
• craft paint - Americana Hauser Medium Green
• hot glue, hot glue, hot glue

All of this I had on hand. The 93% alcohol was bought previously to use the iridescent pigment powder to try to make my plastic flowers iridescent. I have been on an iridescence kick for a bit. After trying to brush it, spray it, and just dump it onto the plastic, I realized that the one alcohol ink I did buy to see if the problem was my formulation (it wasn't) did not color the plastic bottle it was packaged in and therefore, my experiment was never going to work. Why does it say on the bottle that it works on non-porous materials? 

Now, the book tells me to buy 180g crepe paper from Italy, but I have left over crepe paper streamers from Tootie Pie's piñatas, and so I just used that. It doesn't stretch or cup like the Italian stuff, sure, but it looks 100 times better than the ones sold in Barnes and Noble which are just cut from tissue paper. Oh, and you get to push the crepe paper roll into the alcohol solution which makes each roll unique. And your hands red. I even used gel food coloring, which didn't mix well into the alcohol and so it looked like the roll had deep red pustules, but with time, the pustules spread out across the paper creating a lovely pink. I doused this same roll with the yellow-gold alcohol ink that I actually purchased and my homemade iridescent concoction. After drying, I wrapped the crepe paper around my hand 10 times or so, and then cut out peony petals. I also read that you need a styrofoam ball to make the bud, but I just wadded up some of the leftover crepe paper from my cutting.

I used card stock for my stems and leaves and lots of hot glue to attach them and the petals. Each peony was created using different crepe papers. One red one took a bleach bath, and the white got the above-mentioned pustule treatment. I did the red for the bath on all, but the gel one got a second dosing with what was supposed to be orange, but just became pinker and yellow - no real blending of gel colors there. I have one more roll and bought more food coloring to try again. Here they are: 

I sprinkled some petals around the 
vase to make it look legit

This seems like a good way to make money! The worse looking ones sold at B&N are $8 a stem. I created four stems, including a bud. I actually like mine better than the cupped ones in Paper Flower Art, despite mine not having pistels and stamen. The author, Jesse Chui, used double sided crepe paper and for her stems, tubing. Her pistels were created from floral tape - I'll leave this for the clients to ask for. 

I have now a bowl full of petals, but this will only create 2 stems most likely. My version's stems are awful and I bought clear tubing for my refrigerator from an aquarium store years ago, so maybe! This is currently pure profit but if I end up purchasing supplies for Tootie Pie's room, who knows? If I sold my bouquet above at $5 a stem that's a nice $20, but I do believe I spent an inordinate amount of time drying my crepe paper and all sorts of other inefficiencies and it took the better part of a day. A fun day, but $20 a day, man, that won't get you far.

Back to Milk Jugs - Tord Boontje Dup Bouquet Garland Light

Yes, I ripped off the design completely.
If you have 100 hours to cut one out by
hand, more power to you!

I really messed up my linen pendant lamp. The finial, which was attached using hot glue, fell off, necessitating an entire pull down to address. During its time away from the ceiling, I got carried away with the doodadding and it is tragic. No photos of the devastation will be shared, but suffice it to say that the clean lines had left the building.

The inspiration

The Midsummer Lamp, by Tord Boontje, has always been coveted by moi. Personally, I like the chrome version, but the paper one was lovelier, somehow. Well, I never forget a lamp, and during my research I found this:

This could be a painting,
but, no, it's a lamp!

And everything changed. My calcium intake is probably reaching unhealthy levels now. I need milk jugs! 

It does get easier and 
faster, but this took forever

Depending on what parts of the container I have left determines the length of the stem, so the set of 3 leaves is on a GMO stem, and the fig leaf's stem was severely reduced. But, all in all, I like my modifications. I even added my own branchy thing at 1 o'clock in the photo, and there will be other additions. I am underwhelmed at my daisies and one of the flowers needed its stem to grow at a Chernobyl angle because someone got carried away with the flower and forgot. The lilies of the valley are daunting and may not be attempted. But, imperfections is what make this OOAK, and the price is FREE!

The possibilities that this opens up is endless. Between the Marimekko rug dup and cutting out Boontje inspired florals fueling my creativity and filling up my time.

When I drink up the milk backlog, I will be making more. I seem to be able to get 5 from a half gallon container, so we'll be increasing in multiples of five. I also like using the bent part from the spout to make the attaching circles, because this makes them splay out more. 

A week's worth of tracing and cutting,
cutting, cutting. 

Update! I found 2 large water dispensers that created some longer garlands. I made nine more in 6 days, upping the count from 14 to 23. Well, that hardly seems sustainable. My poor fingers need another project for a bit, and I have just the one! Let's see how it looks hanging now.

Here it is. So wonderful, I'm in love! I had a selection of incandescent bulbs that will last throughout my lifetime, so I worry about the plastic melting, so I might look into one of those light cages that contractors use to not start fires. In the meantime, this should encourage Tootie Pie to not leave EVERY light on in the house.

I was worried about the fullness, but 
varying the sizes of the branch lengths
results in nice bushiness.

Pelmet and Macrame Window Treatment Tutorials

Two beds ago and three window treatments later,
her room looks nothing like this

There are more window treatment options than just a curtain rod holding curtains. Since changed to a blind, but at one point, Tootie Pie's window once had a velvet pelmet made from a t.v. box and a scallop template, covered in light wadding and then pink velvet. I also found natural linen 108" long panels, 4 in all, that I dyed a peach shade and then made matching wall art and painted my fauteuil to match. Now, I have gold sequin panels held back with mirror placemats cut and glued to a cheap tie-back. In the living room, these are paired with light turquoise velvet panels.

Using the templates to make the
scalloped edge and an X-acto knife

So now I wanted to make a macrame curtain featuring branches and leaves, and a test project where I tried using the twine I bought years ago for $0.50 for 2 giant spools proved disastrous. Remember that knot tying guild I mentioned back in the Christmas in July swap? Well, Celtic queen that I am thought it would be fun to try those infinity knots and, well, my home is now full of tiny yellow twine filaments. And, for some reason, I was only able to complete two knots when all knotting sense left me and I could not, after 10 attempts, make the third knot. I also need shuttles. 

Chandelier and bookcase are the only clues that this
is the same room as above, but now occupied by
a teenager, Tootie Pie! Oh, the curly curtain that 
she HATED.

Well, my blonde Tootie Pie once justified a $750 communion dress by using the logic that her favorite things about herself was her lips and hair (solid choices, both) and the bubbly style of the dress reminded her of her curls. Well, take my money, now! Well, it so happens that those twisted cones of twine that stayed in my garage for close to two decades remain curled, and so, I added a few ribbons, and now I have a blonde window treatment. Only one knot needed for this project.

After keeping this wonderous tentacled creation in curly girl's room, she wanted it OUT and so I moved it to the kitchen, where it does nothing to block out the afternoon sun, but it does dangle on the wet countertops, so it should get nice and fuzzy by the summer. Not fuzzy as in frizzy hair, but as in growing bacterial fuzz.

Curly curtain's new home

3D Sea Art - How to Really Get Your Money's Worth of $1.25 Thrift Gift Wrap

During my summer pilgrimage to my New England origins, I picked up a beautiful piece of art paper at a thrift store in downtown Foxboro, MA. Do I remember the name of the store, no. Artist, no. After a time-consuming internet search, I found that the paper is called Whale Song. This explosion of whales reminded me of my wonderful trip to Alaska, and all the wildlife I experienced there. When we went whale watching in Juneau, I expected to see a fluke or maybe, if lucky, a breach. What we got was a pod of 17 whales working together in what is called bubble netting, and it is the most amazing sight! Over and over they signaled to each other to dive, make bubbles, and then all at once, WHOOSH! Up came an inescapable mass of giant mouths, scooping up the frantic and confused fish.

Whale song is a dreamy underwater seascape with occasional little girls riding the mammals. I couldn't choose just one side. So, how to display its beauty?

So, on reverse, we have pairs of whale
 sharks and humpback whales.
Background dolphin didn't make cut.

I didn't have a plan for this beauty,
but I knew I needed it.

My scary freehand sperm whale with eyeball

First, let me free-hand a sperm whale and cut it out. Add a googly eye, and attach it to wall. This paper was two-sided (back side was monochromatic green and white background mammals). But there was much remaining of the once rectangular paper masterpiece after I cut this wonderous monster out. So, now what?

Finwhale face is in single shade

of green, tail end of humpback

is in full-color.

I set out to cutting out one each of the SMALLER mammals on the monochrome side. The blue whale and an even larger version of a finwhale that I couldn't get whole were lost to eternity. Okay, technically there were two "background" whale sharks, but who's looking that closely? Then, one of every multi-colored mammal and shark and octopus. OKAY! Two full-color humpbacks. I am looking that closely. Many, many individual fish. Many. And corals and seaweed. All these things were layered: monochromatic marine life on scrapbook paper backing, then multicolored large creatures on transparency, then random fish and octopus. Even within these layers, I used foam two-sided glue doodads and tiny floor protectors (originally to go under cache-pots, natch) to create levels on levels.

Not where I planned it to go, but how

can I deny that custom fit?

The green die-cut seaweed was purchased and was attached only at the bottoms, the better to pop out on the Z-axis.You can see their shadows which is cool. I am still debating taking one of the green ones on the left and painting it coral. We shall see. Maybe add some red fish over the top? I found one final scrap with 5 whole red-orange fish and 3 nice blue tang fish. Not sure. I so think the left side needs more orange. Also, lights. We do have left-over LEDs from Tootie Pie's room. This will be the 3D Sea Art Improvement - Adding Lights post to be added soon!

New Bedroom Rug

I love the size, I love the colors, I love 
the ocean theme.

It has sparkle!

And my final coup de ville for the bedroom, the rug refresh. So, it is a poorly advertised fact that I like to take trash to treasure. And, so, now Manhattan is coming to Queens, and Queens trash is pretty bougie recently. Take last Thursday, for example. I scored a rolling tri-level cart for Tootie Pie's room, and what looked to be a knock-off Claire Murray! With shimmer. Into the car they went. Too late, yet again, to claim the crystal lamp, alas! 

Now, after lugging and unfolding, we discover why this gem was cast aside. A cat added texture, let's say... So now I need to decide between 3 options:

1) Leave as is because it will be under bed

2) Get crochet hook and start pulling from the back

3) Cut flush on front and hope for best?

Which option seems the most worthwhile? 

So, what on earth was this beauty doing
in the trash? Well, there's this...

Night Side Table Refurbish

Tootie Pie's Gloucester, England, handmade, stained glass sunrise. Handmade by Tootie Pie. Obviously, still some wood gluing and paint matching still on to-do list.

I get to walk around my neighborhood now, and of course, there is much to discover. Like, this cute little black wall table that has inlaid mother-of-pearl and hand-painted detailing. 

Pretty dirty when I first found her. But, to find such beauty tossed casually aside! So I washed it off with soap and water and looked like this when it dried. 

What I think happened is those small, hand-painted flowers smeared across the surface? So, after taking off the support, I took out the trusty bottle of TSP, and then it looked like this:

Now we're starting to see potential. Now to add gloss. First, a nice rub down with wood oil, then linseed. 

Boo! Another Halloween costume! 2023 Version of Melody Ellis, American Girl

Happy Halloween! OMG, tomorrow/today's going to be long if we need to get candy after school and ballet but before too late. Okay, so, this year's theme is Melody Ellis, the 1960s American Doll. Here she is:

Okay, so, now, we got the eyewear  (not shown) just right, missed the colors a bit, and never figured out a purse. But, she will have something to hold.

Front after handpainting coat #45...

We strayed away from the bows (there is ONE at the collar now), and filled in with cheap bling to detract from the uneven application of 4 coats of paint. Next to shoes, looking like a headstone, is an album (not to size).

So, are you ready? Album front visible here. Glasses are spot on. Socks are on point. Shoes patented but not yet blinged. We sorted the hat to look less Carol Burnett and more 60s after the photo: pulled it way down. Still refusing the upflip-do. Should I spray down her hair with water and set it in rollers for the a.m.? Child abuse, you say? I will get an up-ending, you say? Kay.

Fully worn without jewels on shoes. Red, white and blue button worn, but not poppin! Too much going on with this print, but the album cover looks tropical, so she's on theme...

I guess I never got a picture of the dress before I added green. Bonus project underneath, because now I need to paint the back!

Here's the mock-up copy of her brothers' new album. Working out the colors. She is delivering it to Barry himself. They've known each other almost her whole life. (okay, I'm really deviating from the story now).

Back has pointers on messed up coloration on album cover and an address. All in my stroke-afflicted attempt at 1960s handwriting. I think that's a fail. Should the cover be bi- or tri-colored plus black? Add a border or leave edges free? Groove Records obviously a placeholder for an actual label. I think Motown will want the top half, and they've already put them there. Might swap colors there. Too much emphasis on the label.

Bling about 50% visible in this photo. It is now physically impossible to stand far enough back from Tootie Pie indoors to take a complete body shot.

Okay, so do you know how hard it is to find a houndstooth mod dress in shades of turquoise, green and yellow, maybe? Well, I never encountered one, and I live in thrift shoppers utopia. Anyhow, with the button and shades, I probably should have gone with turquoise for the shoes and I could have figured something out better for the hat. Well, that didn't happen and the shoes are popping! IMHO. Good night, and Happy Halloween!

Welcome Back, Dear Readers!

Still living in Queens

Warning: many, long-saved, not posted, blogs are on-deck now. I am mostly home alone during the day, making phone calls (remember those?), getting costumes ready (it IS that time of year), getting to the bottom of the laundry (that trip to Bushwick didn't help in that department), etc. Very interesting stuff!

These posts aren't about costumes or cake. No. They're about the DOE. That might be a problem. Whatever. Buckle up, people. There's a lot of them.

In the meantime, I am looking up bathroom codes on my phone when studio women appear in the middle of your triangle of bathroom would-be enterers. And opens the door with the keypad on the handle. Editing videos of skating and the Nutcracker. Living life.

For those eager students out there, start by looking up the 3020a process. Charlotte Danielson. Michael Bloomberg. I'll stop...

So, be warned. I'll see about adding an unsubscribe button to the homepage.

Retirement! Art! Murano Glass!

Hi all! I have been gone quite some time! I did Grand Jury duty here in Queens in February of  2020, and after that, everything is a blur.

Now Tootie Pie is 16 and a junior in high school. We still second-hand shop and I found a Ziploc bag full of Murano glass. Actually, I found 2, but I left the one with just the balls behind and took the one with the flowers! I retired just under three weeks ago from teaching, and I'm getting creative again.

Found canvas from former gym near Tootie Pie's former dance studio.

Gold paint, glitter, iridescent medium...all is off to a great start!

Extended lighter shade of gold up higher. Added blue.

Trying to arrange the glass. Not quite it with the flowers and bursts. Certainly the stems aren't popping against the black. Added green middle.

Green stems on white background?

Glass finding its home now. New York, New York, New York is on fire!

Flower color explosions.

Firework explosions.

Adding in a detail from my niece!

Now adding some origami from Tootie Pie.Green stems obviously stay on green background.

Paint containers temporarily supporting the more vertical structures.

Process in detail, and then a detail. I call it, Find the 14K Cultured Pearl (with tear and misfire). It will go in Tootie Pie's room where the star chart is temporarily.

It is an ode to New York, obviously, but with heirlooms and treasures unearthed in Sarasota and in the bead district and during our still current crystalling phase, and from Rhode Island (I challenge you to find the Avon daisy earring! My first communion cross! I Spy!) and little girls in the Midwest and love. It is also a redoing of the little girl undoing I did to my Nana's lovely shell doodad, a memento of her one tropical vacation, the Bahamas. I picked off every pearl and shell on that thing. I couldn't help it. Guess what I had to physically restrain Tootie Pie from doing when I unveiled this? And most of those pearls were my Nana's...

Almost found its way into the thrift bin (sadly, the thick custom acrylic shelf DID), but then...

I peeled off the circle scale things, painstakingly removed the hot glue, and had to cover up the poorly hidden Corona, Queens based art that was originally, um, flesh-colored...

Made with: thrifted AND reused canvas, white paint and gesso, vinyl tarp, Liquitex iridescent medium, Murano glass, coral, semi precious cut and smoothed gems, faux and one real pearl, barnacles, beads, sequins, origami paper, hand lettered beaded chain, turquoise, Mod Podge, E6000, Aleene's fabric glue, flat back crystal glue, walnut in shell, shells, charms, sterling silver, craft paint, fabric paint, 3D puffy paint, 3D puffy glitter paint, stickers, Testor's oil gold paint, Dutch and Swiss coins, a Euro, pendants, glitter, glitter card stock, tassels, Jelly Belly, Scrabble tiles, ceramic tiles, math manipulatives, plastic, pompoms, nail polish, buttons, plushies, bells, wood, earrings, many custom Golden products from long-ago A.C. Moore's closeout sale, marbles, Angelus leather paint, faux fabric flower, rocks, metal fittings, matching faux peridot earrings from Ann & Hope that didn't go through my sister's digestive system, thank you. 

It feels good to get this out of my system!