Midsummer Fun, Exploration and Fairy Specimens!

Its late August and that can only mean one thing, Midsummer Season. You probably thought I was going to say Back to School, didn't have the heart to blurt it out. In NJ students go back to school after Labor Day which is September 7th this year.

Midsummer is such a magical time of year, sunflowers glowing in the warm light, fireflies flickering in the night, last minute vacations and explorations. There is just so much to do this time of year.

After a month's break from heavy creating, I found my creative muse and started making a ton of projects from jewelry to paper craft and everything in between. I have a huge parcel from the Canvas Corp Brand of families that I just couldn't wait to dig into. Everything in their brand speaks to me.

I have started a series of exploration projects reflecting on the 1920's Egyptology era, African adventures, specimens and wizard-ology.  Some seaside whimsy and storybook tales mixed in there some where. 

The first series of projects are the fairy specimens, The first one is labeled "FAE" no.1, she is a Fairy Queen discovered off the coast of South Africa by a Museum Archaeologist named Brady Winthrop who discovered an old map and legend in the museum's private library chamber. Professor Winthrop along with Blake Davis, Cooper Vanderhoff and Casey Mellon sailed off on an exploration to prove fairies do exist.  What they found was more then just fairies.......

The first in the series of 12 specimens is "FAE" no.1, who has been named Ciara and  carefully placed in a specimen box with branch samples from the site. Legend has it that these specimens are actually mummy casings which cannot be opened until the Fairy Life Rites Spell is said. This secret spell can be found in the Ancient Book of Fairy Rites and must be read on a blue moon....

For now I'd like to share the first series of specimens, "FAE" no.1-Ciara.

Materials:

• Clear 3 by 5 inch Plastic Hinged Box (craft and dollar stores have these)
• Serengetti 6 by 6 inch Paper Pack-7 Gypsies
• Maritime Mini Ephemera Pack-7 Gypsies
• Printer Tray Label Holders-7 Gypsies
• Pearl Glimmer Mist Spray-Tattered Angels
• Tattered Leather Glimmer Mist-Tattered Angels
• Flat Back Frozen Charlotte-Lisa Kettell Designs
• Rhinestone Strand-Simplicity 
• Glues/Tools: Hot Glue, Hot Glue Gun, Glue Stick, Scissors
• Other: Copper Tape, Thin Branches, Beige Lacy Floral Leaves, Glitter, Stamped Lettering

Directions:

1. Line the bottom of the plastic box with two types of paper from the Serengetti paper pack using a glue stick.
2. Hot glue thin branches to the right side of the base and side of the plastic box.
3. Age the frozen charlotte with walnut inks, rubbing off excess with a soft cloth or napkin until desired amount of aging is achieved.
4. Cut the leaves to form whispy wings, age with more walnut ink and hot glue to back of the frozen charlotte. 
5. Next hot glue the winged frozen charlotte to the box center. Spray the whole box contents with mist spray a  few times. Embellish the frozen charlotte with copper tape and rhinestones.
6. Attach the plate to outside of the front rim of the box and add lettering.
7. Finally add any extra pieces to the box.

Tips/Tricks:

• The frozen charlottes I use are from my line of products and are perfect for painting, aging w/inks and gluing in paper projects and assemblages.
• For a realistic porcelain frozen charlotte coat these frozen charlottes from my line with resin glaze or spray glaze.
• I used the wrappings from ground cherries as my wings. But you could cut open floral chinese lantern flower pods or use bark shards or shells.
• Try vintage images in place of the frozen charlotte.
• Make a faux map and add a metal tag for more fun. 

Stay tuned for the rest of the exploration projects including more specimens, the book of Fairy Rites, Professor Winthrop's Journals, Casey's Treasures and more.

Witches Tea Party Event:Book of Spells Project, More Layouts!

Come Join us for the 3rd Annual Witches Tea Party at Piddlestixs, located in Historic Lafayette, NJ, this years project is the Book of Spells.

Come create a spellbinding vintage book of spells using a variety of vintage, found and new objects, resin, parchment, clay, metals, broken jewels, all sure to add some magic to your day.
The Layout in the book of spells, was made using my line of steampunk scrapbook papers: Steampunk Fairy, Storybook Grunge, Steampunk Apothecary, images, diecuts, vintage supplies, glass glitter, vintage trims and more!w


All my scrapbook papers and products can be ordered online or bought in person at my store: Piddlestixs!

To register send an email to me at:
lisakettell@yahoo.com
or at www.artoperanj.com

For payment options please contact me!
xo
Lisa!

Fantasy Fabric Blocks Art and Crafts!
I am proud to announce that I am a new artist on board at Fantasy Fabric Blocks. My illustrations are now available at Fantasy Fabric Blocks Art and Crafts. Now you can incorporate my illustrations into your fabric works from quilts, handbags, atc's stitched assemblages to fabric books, stitched jewelry and more!

The first set of illustrations I released are the Enchanted Carnival Collection of illustrations. The originals were created using Strathmore Watercolor paper, pen, ink, watercolors and tea/coffee aging, you can find that quick recipe and technique in my book: Altered Art Circus!
Each one of these have a rustic meets whimsical look and are inspired by vintage storybook images, The carnival/circus, parties, primitive art and Indie art all set in a whimsical tone. The aged backgrounds give the illustrations a distressed and prim look.

This series of images are available in the form of printed fabric blocks made from the highest quality, ready for you to use in your works. When you purchase these fabrics, I'd like to see what you do with them to put on the blog and showcase at Piddlestixs.

To start purchasing my artwork designs and other artist's designs on the fabric visit: http://www.fantasyfabricblocks.com

Magic and Joy, Lisa!

Nine Days of Christmas, Post Two!

"Enchanted Woodland Christmas"

Miss Flora Van Huysen, Little Bo Peep's cousin from Switzerland's Sugar Mountain!

For decades decorating with pine cones has been a design treat, using them in home decor, as a vase filler, turned into a wreath, a swag, used in floral arrangements, glittered, turned into dolls, ornaments, holiday decorations, trees and in partyware.

During my move a few years ago, I came upon several boxes of vintage ornaments and holiday decor, inside were some pinecone ornaments, some were pinecone elves, birds, angels, santa's, and a wreath doll ornament. They were glittered, some had knitted hats and gloves, felt clothes, clay, spun cotton heads, wings, a halo and pastel paint.

After studying their homemade presentation, I decided to create a few myself, a carnival of pinecone dollies. If you love to recycle, then this is a great eco friendly/green project by simply recycling pinecones from outside or pinecones from older Christmas/Fall projects. Then glitter them, or turn into dolls and ornaments.

Miss Plume Sugarite, Miss Webb and Miss Flora's Fairy-ology classmate, all are from Switzerland's Sugar Mountain!

Miss Plum signed up for sugar plum magic at the Luppin Stahl School of Magic, just outside Sugar Mountain.

In class she met Flora and Adeline. Miss Plume Sugarite, is learning sugar plum magic, so she can one day open her own sugar plum farm on her vast estate. She already knows how to make magic sugar in 12 colors. She is waiting for the Nutcracker Music Studies Corse, which starts next week.

Miss Adeline Webb, Miss Flora Van Huysen Fairy-ology and Flowers classmate, both are from Switzerland's Sugar Mountain!

Adeline decided she wanted to study Fairy-ology and Winter Magic, so she signed up at the Luppin Stahl School of Magic, just outside Sugar Mountain.

In class she met Flora, both became instant friends. Flora also met Miss Plume Sugarite, who is learning sugar plum magic, so she can one day open her own sugar plum farm on her vast estate.

I have created a project for this which can be found on the Art Glitter Blog:
http://artglitterblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/pine-cone-tinsel-ballerinas-by-lisa.html

and at the Spellbinders Curiosities Project Blog:
http://spellbinderscuriosities.blogspot.com/2009/12/tinsel-pine-cone-dolls.html


Hope you enjoyed all the Enchanted Woodland Creations I have made, my take on a vintage Christmas w/Cupcake Chic Colors!

Christmas in NYC: Martha Show, Macy's Windows and Tinsel!
On Wed. Dec. 10, 2008, I ventured into the city on the 5:30 am train to Penn Station NYC to meet my dear friend Theresa from Middle School, for the live Martha Stewart Show, we had to be there around 8:00am for our seating.

It was an unusually warm day with temps around 68/70 degrees so waiting on line wasn't bad, with a cup of Dounkin Donuts in hand, good conversation, Theresa and I were ready to watch Martha Live with special guest: Paula Abdul, and Katie Steuernagle, who makes these adorable animal pull toys, funny thing is I have circus cart pull toys and circus rubber animal toys/dolls in my new book: Altered Art Circus, Quarry Books, Feb.2009 (Now available), buy pre-sale now at: http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Art-Circus-Techniques-Assemblages/dp/1592534872 or visit http://www.quarrybooks.com/
Katie's adorable pull toys put a smile on my face and was by far the best part of the show, even though Paula Abdul looked fabulous and mentioned her new accessory line, which is gorgeous and full of sparkle and glam, a must have for any true diva or for the inner Queen in you.



Here is the link for Katie's Pull Toy Project:
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/handmade-holiday-gift-papier-mache-pull-toys?lnc=38f9cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRCRD&rsc=showmain_tv_the-martha-stewart-show

The set was decorated in true Martha Stewart Holiday Glam, this 7 segment show was wonderful and so was her staff, I recommend if you get the chance try to go to the show, you will not regret it. Pictures are allowed before and after the show airs, you can take pictures from your seating area, but do not wander around, I think this is a very fair request! Plus you will leave the show with a surprise, we received Giradelli Chocolate, which I'm saving for my opera cake which I make before New Years!

After the Show Theresa and I walked a few blocks over to Macy's (Miracle of 34th Street) to look at all the holiday decorations and window displays. Here are some of my favorite window display pictures from Macy's:






After walking around and looking at all the enchanting Window Display's, Theresa and I walked on over to Phoenix Beads and Tinsel Trading. I had to visit with Marcia and Miss Linda Ashton


while I was there, she is one of the most amazing milliners and super talented, we met through my dear friend Terri, visit Terri's blog to read her post on Linda and take a glimpse in the New York Times for the article http://dimestoedaze.typepad.com/ and NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/11/26/fashion/20081127-runway_3.html Heather and Terri are wonderful! Love them both!

Now once you enter Tinsel Trading, trust me you won't leave empty handed, I love what Marcia and her staff did with the store displays for the holidays, they had tinsel, vintage holiday goodies and real mica throughout the store, it was pure Tinsel Wonderland and of course I stayed for over an hour chatting with the girls and treasure hunting throughout.

Isn't this adorable, this girl display sits right in the front of the store, for more info on their wonderful findings, books, events, please visit: http://www.tinseltrading.com/

After Tinsel I headed over to Phoenix beads, and then back for to Penn Station for my 4:30pm train home, it was a wonderful day filled with lots of Holiday Magic and Joy!

XO!
Lisa!

Altered Art Circus, Quarry Books, Lisa Kettell, Now Available!


Hi All,

My new book:Altered Art Circus, Quarry Books, came in the mail 2 months early, due to the amount of sold advance copies!

Thank You All who are supporting my works. The book is now available! Look for my book signings, tv appearances, workshops, products and more this year.

Here is a scan of the cover and back cover, the cool thing is the lettering is in a metallic pink/violet color emboss, its beautiful! LOL, I think so! The Best Christmas Present I could receive this year! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Filled with my magical storytelling before each project and/or chapter, filled with real facts, artful techniques/tips/tricks and project variations, Loads of Projects for every level or crafter, artist and designer, create for kids, family, friends or yourself.

There is a contributing guest artist photo gallery in the back with wonderful artists, and several pages of collage images to make many of the projects in the book.

There is loads of artful eye candy here, so pick up a copy, sit in your fave chair or couch and prepare for a magical adventure into my world!

XO!
Lisa!

Visit The wonderful review by Teresa McFayden: http://teresamcfayden.typepad.com/minutia/2008/12/bring-on-the-color.html
Visit Gina Smith's Wonderful Post at:
http://lillysoflondonish.blogspot.com/
Visit Mandy (MayGreen Fairies) Post at:
http://www.maygreen-fairies.blogspot.com/
Visit Laurie (Bewitched Magic) Post at:
http://happy-as-a-lark-designs.blogspot.com/

Studio Additions: New Antique!
Hello all,
Just when you think everything is in place, boom, you get a surprise, dear friends of my mom's own a wonderful tea shoppe in NJ and were giving her an antique hutch that they didn't have room for, well my mom, can't fit it, so they have given it to me for my studio and let me tell you, its a vintage beauty.

To some distressed wood, is boring, but to me, it looks like it came straight from an olde apothecary shoppe from the turn of the century, a wizard shoppe, a magical shoppe, so vintage and when decorating with silver glittery things, bottles and glam, this beauty will compliment my studio which I have themed: The Faerie Apothecary Shoppe!

Glenn wants to re-finish it, but I kinda like the scratches, gives it more of a natural distressed look, some character, What do you think? Well my new piece will be sitting in the garage until I get back from Silver Bella, then I will be able to devote serious studio time, as I have choosen to not do any swaps, or big deadlines until the first of the year. I've done that so I can update the websites, the stores, work on the zine, take care of things I haven't been able to get to, like finishing my product line items, and preparing for new books.

To test my antique I added some new hat box pieces I made for Silver Bella, by placing them on its shelf and photographing it, I really liked how they looked in there, now I will be envisioning what treasures to store in there, I'm toying with dolls such as my new Vintage Charlotte inspired doll line

or vintage glitters and apothecary bottles, or will it be a specimen case, not sure yet. But when I get it complete, I will share with you the pictures.

Starting Tomm. I will be running 2 blog giveaways, the first is to celebrate my birthday which is Nov.16, and Glenny's is Nov.15. As a surprise to one lucky blogger I will be sending them a free Collage Cd: The Vintage Greeting Card Collage CD, which is available in my web store, etsy and ebay.

Stay tuned for the details tommorrow!

Have a magical night!
Lisa!