Come Sail Away, DIY Large Driftwood Boat

"Come Sail Away" with me on a seaside adventure. This project is for a large 3 foot driftwood schooner boat made w/products from Canvas Corp Sails & Shells line, 7Gypsies trinkets, ink from Tattered Angels, shells and driftwood I found last week near my house. This boat is now sitting proudly in my loft space!

The benefits of living in NJ, means quick access to many lakes, and the shoreline. Some rivers such as the Raritan river stream to the bay, which extends into the Atlantic ocean at the Perth Amboy points of the state. Whenever I get the chance, I head over to Duke Island Park to explore and look for natures gifts and washed up treasures such as sea/river glass, tile shards, coins, shells and drift wood, which stream up line from the bay and wash up onto the land edges.

After a storm or high water, is the best time to explore, as new treasures surface. I never know what I will find on my exploration. This always leads to inspiration and a bevy of project ideas such as this project. After receiving a fabulous package of paper and goodies from Canvas Corp., line of products, I new my found objects would become a form of art.

I stumbled onto several pieces of driftwood, and new they were destined to become a large boat assemblage, the result this project; "Come Sail Away".

 Materials

• 2 large pieces of driftwood or thick tree branches
• Scrapbook paper, Sails & Shells Sampler Pack, Canvas Corp 
• Findings, clothes pins, 7 Gypsies
• White paper floral wire, seer sucker bakery twine (Hemptique), trims and muslin fabric ribbon
• Shells, tiny starfish 
• Parchment color treat box, vintage sailor ephemera
• Inks from Tattered Angels (fine wood, aged mahogany)
• Tools; scissors, hole punch, thin nails, hammer, hot glue and hot glue gun
• Extras/Optional: German glitter, small branches, tags, metal grommets, grommet setter, ink pad and number/letter stamps, cotton pad or cheese cloth for inking

Directions

1. Decide which piece of driftwood will be the base and which one will go on top.  Then hammer thin nails into the two pieces of driftwood to hold in place. I used 3 nails. Hot glue any openings for extra durability.
2. Crinkle a piece of parchment earthy color paper from the scrapbook sampler pack, punch two holes into one side of the paper. (one hole at the top, one hole at the bottom).
3. Cut 2 pieces from fabric ribbon measuring 12 inches each. Thread through each punched hole and tie onto the upward piece of driftwood.  
4. Hot glue a treat box to the middle of the upward piece of driftwood. Insert a small branch into it, decorate with tiny shell, vintage sailor image and wording from the paper sampler pack. Again, hot glue in place. 
5. Cut small rectangle strips from another sheet of paper in the sampler pack, hot glue to the bottom of the sail, line with trim of choice. 
6. Attach a piece of white paper wire to the top of the upward branch, and one end at the bottom right of the downward branch (the base). Cut triangle shapes from more paper and hot glue to the wire. 
7. Stamp lettering onto the muslin fabric paper sheet and cut into tile shapes. Trace two tag shapes onto the same fabric, cut. Then add metal grommet, and stamped tile shapes to the tags, tie to the top left of the sail with bakery twine. 
   
8. Create an anchor shape onto the front of the sail with more paper.
9. Spray tattered angels ink of choice into a cheese cloth or cotton pad, spread all over the edges of the sail and any areas you want aged or distressed.
10. Finally find a space in your home or studio for your driftwood masterpiece.

 Tips/Tricks

• For a truly sturdy boat use clear caulk and caulk gun where the nails and branches are.
• Try nautical ribbons instead of the muslin fabric ribbon.
• Created various sails instead of one large one. 
• Add more pieces of driftwood to form a larger boat, wider boat or make a row boat base.
• Add German glitter and chipboard lettering.

Stay tuned for more driftwood projects this weekend. Smaller in size, fast and easy to make, perfect for table settings and memory projects.

xoxo
Lisa

Design Team Project: Mermaid Mini Card

Design Team Project

by Kim Smith

Mermaid Mini Card....Faerie Enchantment Seaside Image! 

Here is a quick and enchanting project created by design team member Kim Smith using card stock, collage images from Lisa Kettell Designs Seaside CD and various other fun embellishments!

Kim made this little 1x3 inch mini card for the swap on JoAnne's VintageDragonfly Mermaid Mini Card swap on her Flickr group. So much fun making these small cards and seeing how much you can add to them!

For this swap Kim used an image from Lisa Kettell's Seaside Images CD and then embellished with glitter, tiny seashells, metallic fish stickers and pieces from a garland. In her words: "Love the images from this CD"
Imagine all the possibilities, these cards remind me of moo cards, you could make your own moo cards for your business using vintage images and embellishments, writing your company or artistic name w/info on the back of the card! This sized card is perfect for pendants and as small book marks, the list goes on. I hope Kim's project inspired you to create some cards of your own, let's see what you come up with!

xoxo
Lisa

Mermaids Exist By: Lisa Kettell  
Here is a scrapbook/mixed media layout I made called: Mermaids Do Exist! It was inspired by the turn of the century exploration, seaside adventures, the Fiji Mermaid, and the question: Do Mermaids Exist? Another thought would be imagine transporting yourself into a Jules Verne Novel, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea", look out of the portals under the sea, viewing creatures that came straight out of your imagination. This is a fun scrapbook layout with a mixed media/altered art approach, that will bring you on your own underwater adventure.
  Materials:
 -Piccolo cut-outs, Globecraft Memories 
 -Medium sized Globe Bubble, Globecraft Memories 
 -Scrapbook Papers, variety 
 -Vintage images of choice 
 -Pigment Ink, Colorbox 
 -Mixed media ink, Colorbox 
-Acrylic paints: aqua, brown, beige, white 
-Pigment powders: copper, gold, patina 
-Shimmerz molten metal, Shimmerz 
 - Glitter: glass glitter: brown, clear and silver 
 -Doll parts, Painted Bailey Head, Lisa Kettell Designs 
 -Tools: scissors, decorative scissors, hot glue gun, pencil 
 -Glues: hot glue, modge podge, tacky glue 
 -Other: ribbons, mica flakes, jewelry components, clock/gear punches, chipboard lettering, floral wire, tiny light bulbs
   
Directions:
 1. Place scrapbook paper of choice onto flat surface, this will be your base. 
2. With a pencil, draw a free hand mermaid fin. (See photos for drawing inspiration) 
3. Next choose a scrapbook paper with details for the mermaid fin, then cut out 1 inch strips using decorative scissors, start layering inside the drawn fin, glue in place with hot glue, set aside. 
 4. With another piece of scrapbook paper, trace the width of the medium sized globe onto it. Now start building a seaside scene inside of it with more paper, vintage images and embellishments. 
 5. Center the assembled globe layout at the tip of the mermaid’s waist, glue in place with hot glue, attach globe with tacky glue. 
 6. Now draw in the rest of the mermaid and paint with beige paint, distress with mixed media ink pads, then distress the rest of the outer layout with more of the mixed media paint pads. 
7. Build the character of the fin with a mixture of mixed media paint pads, ink pads, modge podge, pearls, shimmers and embossing glitters. 
8. Apply a coat of modge podge over the mermaid’s body, coat with clear glass glitter. 
 9. Start embellishing your layout with a floral wire banner, paper rosettes, shells, more vintage images, cut out piccolo pieces, and glitter. 
   
Tips/Tricks: 
-When using hot glue, be extra careful -If you dislike hot glue work with a sturdy glue that works for you. -Create a smaller mermaid or two using the small bubble globes from Globecraft Memories. -In a small plastic disposable bowl, make a mud mix using modge podge, brown paint, glitter and embossing ink, paint onto certain areas of the fin, when dry extra embellish with pearl powders, shimmerz and patina paints. -Make a Mermaid Wall hanging instead of a layout.
  Happy Creating, Lisa!

Mermaid Tea Party, Giveaway and Fun!Post Six, Final Post of Party!
I hope you are all having fun at the party, so many fabulous sites to visit (located on the right hand side of the blog.
First I want to show you the giveways, the first is a wand from my new line of Dollie Wands, your wand will be similar to this one shown here: Taffy's Delight!The next is a Custom Charlotte Doll, here are some examples: and a package of my custom cupcake chic doll heads
I will also be sharing with you a seaside/mermaids collage sheet for each of you to use in your works.
The Giveaways in Order:
1.Dollie Wand
2.Custom Charlotte Doll
3.Package of Doll Heads
4.Free Digital Collage Sheet for all

Sign up here during your mermaid adventure, deadline to enter is April 21, 2009
at 8pm.
P.s. All past giveaways form Carnival Soiree are either mailed or in the mail now. All current swaps are en-route and everything will be received before I leave for California.
P.P.S These items in this giveaway will be mailed the in 3weeks, when I get back from California, as I need to customize the doll.

Magic, Mermaid and Joy!
XO!
Lisa!

"Did Someone Say a Tea Party By The Sea?" Post One!
WHO would be
"A mermaid fair, Singing alone,Combing her hair, Under the sea,In a golden curl
With a comb of pearl, On a throne?I would be a mermaid fair;I would sing to myself the whole of the day;
With a comb of pearl I would comb my hair;And still as I comb’d I would sing and say,
“Who is it loves me? who loves not me?”I would comb my hair till my ringlets would fall,Low adown, low adown,From under my starry sea-bud crown,Low adown and around,
And I should look like a fountain of gold, Springing alone,With a shrill inner sound,
Over the throne, In the midst of the hall;Till that great sea-snake under the sea
From his coiled sleeps in the central deeps, Would slowly trail himself sevenfold
Round the hall where I sate, and look in at the gate,With his large calm eyes for the love of me. And all the mermen under the sea,Would feel their immortality
Die in their hearts for the love of me.""But at night I would wander away, away,I would fling on each side my low-flowing locks,And lightly vault from the throne and play, With the mermen in and out of the rocks;We would run to and fro, and hide and seek,On the broad sea-wolds in the crimson shells,Whose silvery spikes are nighest the sea. But if any came near I would call, and shriek, And adown the steep like a wave I would leap, From the diamond-ledges that jut from the dells; For I would not be kiss’d by all who would list, Of the bold merry mermen under the sea;They would sue me, and woo me, and flatter me, In the purple twilights under the sea; But the king of them all would carry me, Woo me, and win me, and marry me,In the branching jaspers under the sea;
Then all the dry pied things that be, In the hueless mosses under the sea
Would curl round my silver feet silently, All looking up for the love of me.
And if I should carol aloud, from aloft, All things that are forked, and horned, and soft, Would lean out from the hollow sphere of the sea, All looking down for the love of me."-The Mermaid, Afred Lord Tennyson, 1830.Now that you have reached Neptune's Gate, it is time to show the guards your inviteNow you can enter through the gate to a world of magic,mermaids and sweet tea. Are you ready yet? I am! "Hello Sir, here is my invite, may I enter through the gate, I have traveled through sea, land and now to the great Coral Reef down to Mermaid's Wharf?" "Yes, you may!" replied the guard, now I am in, exploring around this fabulous place!I couldn't help to collect some shells along the way, afterall they were too pretty to just leave, can you pick some shell favorites?, I can!Okay, I must say, I'm a bit hungry and had to pick up a cupcake to snack upon:There is a nice seat by the seaside balcony, I think I will go and eat my Cherry Vanilla Cupcake and wait for some of my friends to arrive!