Design Team Project
By Marfi Bradford

Whimsical Paper Dolls!

When I was 8 I had a friend that had a huge collection of paper dolls, fortunately she was generous and didn't mind sharing. We'd play for hours, changing accessories and outfits.One of the best things was being able to keep all the outfits that were damaged...I'd bring them home and "repair" them, adding glitter, construction paper, photos from magazines and fake flowers.
This week's project for Lisa Kettel Designs helped me remember how much fun that was.
I used an image from a collage clip art CD which you can find in Lisa's shop.

Marie Antoinette Materials
Vintage Image
ribbon
pink ruffled ribbon
cage and bird stickers
red glitter heart sticker
resin rose stickers
glitter in dark pink, iridescent pink
paper flowers
small artificial rose
white pompom trim
rhinestones
decorative scrapbook paper
card stock
white craft glue
hot glue
glue stick

Directions
1.print image onto card stock
2.glue decorative paper onto card stock using a glue stick, press out air bubbles,
3.cut into skirt shape
4.attach image to top of skirt
5.hot glue ruffles to lower half of skirt, starting at the bottom.
6.add pompom trim using white glue
7.add paper flowers to dress
8.brush white glue to flowers and sprinkle with iridescent glitter
9.arrange rhinestones onto doll
10.attach artificial rose to skirt using hot glue
11.place cage on her head and bird sticker to her hand
12.add glitter heart sticker to hip
13.hot glue ribbon to back of doll to hang if you wish










Flower Fairy Materials
Vintage image
glitter paper
fabric roses
silver glitter tinsel
artificial leaf
crepe paper flower
pink pipe cleaner
ribbon
coarse glitter in pink and gold
plastic wings
card stock


Directions
1.print image onto card stock, cut out
2.draw arms onto remaining card stock, cut out and glue to torso
3.glue leaf to bodice
4.add fabric roses to top of arms to form sleeves
5.glue tinsel ribbon to 'waist'
6.hot glue torso and head to tissue paper flower
7.drizzle white glue to flower and cover with pink glitter
8.form legs out of pink pipe cleaner and glue to inside of skirt
9.add more fabric flowers for shoes
10.cut out crown shape out of gold glitter paper attach to top of head
11.glue wings to back of doll.
12.add ribbon to back of doll to hang




Tip:
use butterfly wings or stickers instead of plastic wings
tissue paper flowers can be found in the greeting card/birthday section of Target
use crepe paper instead of fabric ribbon

Visit Lisa Kettell Designs, her artfire shop or her beautiful blog for more inspiration !!
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How amazing are these paper dolls that Marfi did? I love them! xoxo

Its Summer, Try Something Different: a new art form, food and more!Its Officially Summer, Is there something you wanted to try last summer or in general, perhaps a new art form or technique, a new recipe or food. Did you want to color your hair or try a new clothing style, then try it now, you have a whole summer to embark on a new adventure of ideas and inspiration.

Some idea's to ponder:
1. Try a nice refreshing old fashioned Rootbeer Float, a cherry soda float straight from the soda fountain w/cherry syrup and soda fizz.

2. Do you always wear darker colors, try on some brighter and cheerful summer colors, or add some sparkle and glam with a bevy of rhinestone jewelry or some of your own handmade artful jewelry and make a cool statement.
3. How about learning to knit, crochet or tatt, perhaps take that course you have been wanting to take on the art form of your choice.

4. What about reading a new novel while at the beach drinking a pina colada and soaking in the warm summer sun.

5. Maybe you always wanted to try fishing or camping, now is the time to do it, bring a seafood recipe and camping cookbook with you or turn your camping excursion into an exploration, bring a tent, a safari hat, some linens, moroccan anterns, a carpet and have a whole new experience of the outdoors.6. Try a new food or prepare a recipe you always wanted to make. What about lemon lavender cupcakes, an edible flower salad, baked figs w/cheese, Tandoori Chicken, Thai Green Curry Chicken or Peanut Butter and Garlic Spareribs, these are something cool to try.

7. Ever go searching for sea shells after a storm or renting a metal detector and combing the beach, Geo Tracking Devices can start you on a treasure hunting experience!

8. Is there a historic place you always wanted to visit or a museum you have been wanting to explore, then do it.

9. Perhaps for a few years you have been wanting to re-vamp your garden, add a trellis, roses and a garden ornament, maybe re-configure your yard, wait for some sun and start that project.

10. Been wanting to try your hand at attending a garage or yard sale, don't wait for someone to go with you, just go and find those vintage finds, but grab a cup of coffee and some single dollars before you go.

11. What about taking the leap of faith and painting a spare room a bold color, branching out of your color comfort zone, bringing to life those ideas whirling around in your head.

12. Volunteer somewhere for the day, and feel good about helping others, help out at a funraiser or take a walk to help in the fight against the many diseases out there, or just show support for a friend, loved one or stranger who might need your help.

13. Love amusement parks? Want to feel like a kid again, head out to one, eat kettle corn, cotton candy, funnel cakes or ice cream, ride the carousel, roller coaster and ferris wheel, feel the excitement
14. Hate bathing suits, but love the beach? Just grab that long sarang or maxi dress, pack a bag with a towel, a book, sun block, snacks and just do it, grab a friend go to the beach early during the week and relax reading a book, searching for shells, followed by a trip to the boardwalk for some fun, you don't need a bathing suit to do that.
15. Go to the library and walk to your favorite section, close your eyes and let your heart pick a book, open your eyes up and choose that book, read it and enjoy, try something new.

By trying something new you are fueling your craving for adventure, an exhilarating feeling, a surge of energy, an awakening, a challenge to get out of your comfort zone, trying something new will open your mind to new things, leading to new ideas, a belief in yourself, to conquer your goals and over come your fears.


These are just a few ideas to get you going on your new journey! I hope you enjoy the photographs I took from my travels which I added some more color and magic too, they are altered a bit from the originals to show the variation and different interpretations, I hope you enjoy them and get energized to try something new this summer.

Faux Cabinet Cards, A Digital Journey into Fairyland!I am addicted to cabinet cards, they are beyond timeless and have such a magical quality to them, whether its a victorian gentleman in a top hat and suit, a victorian lady getting ready for a soiree, a civil war family posing for a portrait, a child in communion or confirmation gown, a costumed actress or fave opera heroine, a halloween or holiday portrait event, no matter the image, these old photos are beautiful.

During the 1870's photographs were usually mounted on cards measuring 4 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches or 5 1/4 by 7 1/2 inches. They had ornate letering on the front bottom of the image card and on the reverse side. The cards were mounted on a stiffer board backing due to the thinness of the photograph, which also acted as a photographer's calling and advertising card. The more ornate and elaborate the cabinet card backing, the more more expensive and high end the photographer.

Now finding the elaborate cabinet cards, the opera, costume and soiree styles are hard to come by and can fetch a handsome amount of money. That's when I thought why not make my own using a variety of images I already have.
How To Make a Faux Cabinet Card Image:
1.Simply scan into your computer a photo cabinet card
2. Next Scan in a main image and a few images you like with fun elements in them such as butterflies, flowers, etc.(copyright free of course)
3. If you are photo program savvy color in your images using paint tools in the program, for my faux cabinet cards I used Corel Paint Shop Pro, but you can use Photoshop as well.
4. On the main image layer some cool butterflies, flowers or add digital sparkle to it by cropping, copy and paste.
5. Next copy the finished main image and layer over the cabinet card image, save as a new image, boom instant faux cabinet card.
This is an image from one of my collage cd's which I hand colored in on the computer Now here it is with added elements such as butterflies and digital glitter.Now here it is layered on a cabinet card photo I had, leaving just the frame of the card showing. I call this collaged piece: Esmeralda The Butterfly Queen!
Here is a wonderful vintage image of Miss Marie Doro, from the 1900's. I love this image, there are a few versions of this too! This is from around 1907 per the copyright and is in the public domain.

I have 2 other versions in postcard form, in black and white, hand colored, the other versions are available on the Victorian/Teatime CD, and the Fairytale CD!. I used one of the other versions as the main image for one of my faux cabinet cards! Below is the other version I have colored in, collaged and layered onto a cabinet card, I call this new collaged piece:Lilly, The Fairy Queen! Here is a vintage image I have of Ethel Barrymore which I again digitally hand colored, collaged, and layered onto a cabinet card, I call this collaged piece: The Rose Queen!Below is another version I made called: The Butterfly Keepers!

Now if you aren't computer or photo program savvy, here is another way for you to do this project:
1. Gather up a few cabinet cards you like, paying attention to the beautiful and elaborate lettering and design details on it.
2. Now look for some images you love that can fit the photo frame of the cabinet card.
3. Take your perfectly matched cabinet cards and images to your local photo copy or office supply shop. Next using double sided acid free tape (so you don't ruin the original photo's, tape the main image of your choice onto the cabinet card. This will replace the original image that's on it.
4. Then photocopy, boom a faux cabinet card w/ new image.

Directions on how to make your new faux cabinet card print as sturdy as the original:
1. Find Black matte or chip board, using a glue stick, glue your print onto the matte board. Cut out with sharp scissors, I use industrial scissors for this.( Be careful these scissors are sharp, not recommended for small children).
2. Next using scrapbook paper rounders or rounder punch, round the edges of the layered matte board.
4. Now cover the back of your matte board with a photocopy of the back of the original cabinet card or with a victorian style rubber stamp, using gold embossing ink and gold embossing powder for a more ornate look.

For those of you who work with originals, color right onto the cabinet card using dabbers, q-tips or make up eye applicators rubbed into Ink pads, I use Ranger Inks such as Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads for coloring in photos.

For images to use in your artworks visit my flickr set of vintage images at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonfaires16/sets/72157603511546861/

You must be an approved friend of mine on flickr to use the images, I will approve your friend request, just email me who you are.

Or you can get various images in different collections on my collage cds as well available in my web store, etsy and ebay stores.

The Charlotte Costume Party!Meet Queen Esmeralda, Queen Millie, and Harlequin Maude, look for Violet, The Candy Fairy and Sugar, The Mer-Cupcake Queen!Sugar The Mer-Cupcake Queen and Violet The Candy Fairy are the newest additions to The Charlotte Dollies, who are all getting ready to go to their Costume Ball Tonight and Tea Party Tommorrow.
Here is a close up of Violet, in her party best.Here is Sugar in her sugary best!These girls just love their cupcakes and candies, they have even made a special batch of their cupcakes for tommorrow's Tea Party at Mermaid Cove!In this picture we have Miss Taffy, part of the Dollie Wand Series, look for Sadie, Shelby, Taylor and Tilly!Each of these wands are made from my rounded doll heads and other enchanting embellishments!

See you tommorrow at The Mermaid Tea Party! Don't forget to bring your cupcakes, tea hats and mer-tails!

Magic and Joy!
Lisa!