Recycled Halloween

Recycling items we already have or saving items from the trash can open up a whole new world of possibilities when it comes to creating.

For years I have always loved old frames. They are just so timeless. Whenever I head to a thrift store or rummage sale I go right for the frames. There are always so many of them left over, I usually take the whole lot of them and get a great price as well.

Last Spring I received a lot of 12 big wood frames w/o the glass for $2.00. Then 2 days after the sale there was Spring clean up week in my town. As I was walking I found a bunch of discarded frames waiting to head to the dumpster, so I rescued them. Now I had a bunch of open frames waiting to turn into some kind of art and this Fall they did.

A few weeks ago I mounted the open frames onto the wall and decided to create a Halloween scene in each of them using black paper owl cutouts from the dollar store. There are about 18 in a pack, just attach some scotch tape to the back of each owl cutout and attach inside the frames to create a scene.

This whole project cost about a $1.00 for the cutouts and the free frames from cleanup week. You could do this for any theme, holiday or family silhouettes. Fast and easy project with an artsy, vintage feel. Recycling is a great way to preserve our past and to bring discarded items back to life again.

Happy Recycled Halloween!
xoxo
Lisa

Wizard Soiree Necklace

 

Wizard Soirée! A new necklace I created using muted distressed gold findings, chains, beads, rhinestones and pin. I photographed this piece on my favorite dichroic stained glass boxes and books!

All the findings are from Bead Landing and the beads are from Halcraft USA, all available at Michaels Craft Stores.

Long ago there was a Magician named Oliver who believed in magic, he believed that he was a direct ancestor to Cornelius Morvette.  Cornelius was a wizard from Brush Hollow, a city which some how just disappeared, just as OZ did.

Oliver recently discovered a trunk period under heaps of copper scraps while fixing his flying air machine. He dusted the top of the trunk and opened it with the gleaming key still inside the trunks key lock.

They a puff of golden light sprinkled some glittering powder and the contents were made clear. An old large ornate book, some smaller books, journals, potion supplies, bottles, jeweled amulets and a map. What was all this stuff? he wondered. Could it be, could it really be true, was he the great great grandson of Cornelius Morvette. Afterall they shared the last name and finding this trunk just proves it.
Now Oliver must go on a journey to find the truth about his ancestry and see if he is really the great grandson of Cornelius Morvette. Also what happened to Brush Hollow? How could a town just disappear?

Are the disappearances of Brush Hollow and Oz a coincidence?or completely separate? Oliver packed the trunk and map on his air ship and set sail with his friends Miranda Sicklesby, Doey Muddstone and his pet Owl Puffs.

 Where will their first stop be? I'm thinking Jaggerville or Tuckerton. Who knows, as soon as I find out, I will let you know. In the meantime enjoy one of the necklaces from Cornelius's trunk.

 I hope you enjoyed the necklace and its story.
xoxo
Lisa

The Candy Carnival

The Candy Carnival is a fun paper assemblage I made with a character from my illustration "Candy In Wonderland". In addition I used a cupcake cup, vintage cake balloon and clown toppers, paper straws and embellishment wheels! 

This project is a great recycle project that can be created with birthday or party leftovers such as cupcake liners/cups, paper straws, toppers, crepe paper, party bags, party bag fillers and images from the invites and cards. Which makes for a great memory piece from that special day.  You could even use your child's image, your image or a friends.

Materials:

-Paper straw
-Cupcake liner or cupcake cup
-Cupcake sticks or bamboo grilling stick
-Cupcake/cake clown, balloon toppers
-Paper or party bag scrap (for banner)
-Chipboard
-Wood wheel or scrapbook wheel embellishments
-Pink party shredding (filler)
-Illustration, greeting card or invite images.
(I used an image from my own illustration)
-Glues: hot glue sticks, paper glue stick
-Tools: hot glue gun, scissors
-Other: white paper floral wire, scrapbook embellishments

Directions:

1. Cut image from greeting card or invite, layer onto chipboard or sturdy cardstock and glue using paper glue stick. ( This makes the image more sturdy )
2. Attach a small piece of a cupcake or bamboo stick to the bottom of the cupcake cup using hot glue. 
3. Fill the cupcake cup with pink party shredding using more hot glue. Then cut a paper straw in half and attach to each interior side of the the cupcake cup.
4. Insert a clown cupcake topper into the top of each straw, hot glue in place. Then insert floral wire into the balloon toppers and hot glue. Wrap the balloons in a groups of 3 around the base of the paper straws. (See project photos)
5. Wrap floral wire around the base of the left paper straw and extend the wire to the top of the right paper straw, hot glue in place.
6. Cut small square shapes from papers, party bag or invite left overs. Then cut a small triange shape into each end of the cut square. Make about 6 to 7 of these shapes, use to form the banner.
7. Insert the layered image into the cupcake cup, hot glue.
8. Finally add extra embellishments, lettering, found objects or glitter.

Tips:
-Use uncooked pasta wheels in place of wood wheels.
-Cut of words from your invites, greeting cards or ephemera and personalize your piece.
-Vintage clown toppers give your piece a more nostalgic look.

xoxo 
Lisa

Piddlestixs Vol.7

Its finally ready. Piddlestixs vol.7 w/5 extra pages, now 45 pages. featuring so many great artists, and 2 pages of collage sheets. Now available in print. Follow the link below to purchase your own copy!
http://www.lulu.com/shop/lisa-kettell/piddlestixs-vol7/paperback/product-21837069.html
 To submit an article, project, story, artist spotlight, recipe or collage sheet to piddlestixs magazine, email: lisakettell@yahoo.com  Place Mag. Submission in the email header.

Piddlestixs Mag, ArtStixs and Faerie Zine come out 2-3 times a year. All publications are available as print or download. Please note there was no Spring or Summer edition for 2014 only Winter and Fall.

Enjoy!
xoxo
Lisa