31 Wishes, Canvas Corp and Giveaways!

Last week I headed down to Texas for a Spook-tac-ular Halloween Event called; "31 Wishes" hosted by AnnDenise Anderson.  For several years now AnnDenise has been hosting this festive event every October with new themes every year.  This time she opted for a favorite theme of mine, vintage circus. Now if you all know me, you know I love creating vintage styles, circus themed projects and Halloween magic.  When AnnDenise asked me to teach, I accepted within seconds and knew 31 Wishes was going to be over the top.

The new challenge, creating a fast and simple project that the attendees could make within 1-2 hours. A project they could mix in with their Halloween decor throughout the house, something with a vintage feel and worked into the events theme.  The supplies I used needed to have all these elements and had to excite the attendees. So without hesitation I knew the Canvas Corp Brand of companies would be the perfect choice. With 7 Gypsies and Tattered Angels, Canvas Corp helped me customize the perfect supplies for my project.

The result a Vintage Style Halloween Paper Cone filled with sparkling tinsel shards, layered with vintage images, labels and Halloween tags. Finished with tiny potion bottles, crepe paper fringe and ink. I used the orange and black striped paper as the cone base, then layered all my pieces inside. A very simple project to create with such a great impact. All the attendees each made paper cones that screamed vintage, screamed circus and screamed spook-tac-ular.

 

After my project, AnnDenise taught her gorgeous circus-y dolls. Everyone made a doll which fit their personality. Some were tattooed, some were glamorous and some theatrical, all with a touch of vintage flare. The whole process for each doll was amazing. So what kind of doll did I sit down and create? Any guesses? Give up? A tight rope circus performer who I named; "Tippy Cornwall, The Greatest Tightrope Ballerina of the Century".

There was way too much excitement at 31 Wishes from the food, to the supplies, the projects, the decorations, the ladies who attended and AnnDenise.  Everything was absolutely magical, that's why I had to bring back some magic for all of you and one lucky reader to win one of my 31 Wishes Kits and a surprise treat bag from the Canvas Corp Brands; 7 Gypsies and Tattered Angels.  There's just too much goodness I had to share.

So here's the scoop on how to enter:
Enter on the Rafflecopter Link below w/this info
1. Share your favorite Halloween movie with me.
2. Like the Canvas Corp Instagram and Facebook Page
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Giveaway starts 10/17/15 and ends 10/21/15 at Midnight.  The winner will be announced on the blog and contacted for their mailing information.  The package will be shipped as soon as the winner sends me their information.

Good Luck Everyone, stay tuned for more of the 31 Wishes Event recap w/project highlights, set up and Texas snapshots.
xo
Lisa

My Countdown to 31 Wishes

In just a few short days I will be heading southwest to Fort Worth, Texas for the fabulous 31 Wishes Event.  I'll be bringing some Halloween magic with me as I leave NJ courtesy of the Fabulous Canvas Corp Brands: Canvas Corp, 7 Gypsies and Tattered Angels. 

From magical project kits to spook-tac-ular goodie bags, all the attendees will be squealing in delight from all the Canvas Corp Brands products they will be receiving and creating with during my fun and fast project at 31 Wishes on Oct. 10, shhhhhh. its a surprise.

Every year AnnDenise Anderson puts together an over the top amazing Halloween spectacular.  Her attendees enjoy a full day of creative bliss with scrumptious treats, whimsical projects, treat bags, and social fun.  All of this is set in a world of magic allowing all who attend to escape into a realistic fantasy world.  I promise the spirits are friendly just like Casper and Wendy.

This year's Halloween theme is one of my favorites, a Vintage Circus.  Seriously? A Vintage Circus theme?  Once I heard this, I knew I had to create something special to share with all the attendees. It has to be spooky, spellbinding and magical, after all AnnDenise is all about the enchantment.

My project series this fall have all the elements of world travel focusing African Safari's, the Australian Outback, Egyptology and Old London. With hints of hidden magic, enchanted circuses and wizards.  I focused on lots of aged and rustic textures. Navy, leather, parchment and burnt cream color palettes,  Plus I never forget the shimmer, its important to add shimmer for a more magical feel.

What better brand to use in my projects this fall then the Canvas Corp Brands.  7 Gypsies creates one of the best series of vintage papers and haberdashery I've seen, they fit perfectly with my projects, as do all the products in the Canvas Corp line. I just can't wait to share them with my students.

Over the next week I will be blogging snippets of my journey to Texas, my time at the 31 Wishes Event, project diy and a series of giveaways that will get you really excited.  So hold on tight, the magic is just beginning.

xoxo
Lisa

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.

Under the Boardwalk, Altered Book Project

Here is a great altered book project I created, perfect for using vintage ephemera. images, mixed with modern day papers, inks, found objects and recycled items.

Under the Boardwalk was inspired by the history of boardwalk communities by the shore. It was inspired by my adventures to the Jersey Shore particularly Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, Seaside, and LBI. Vintage beauty pageants, and Victorian Seaside Splendor. By 1950's amusements and confections, candy apples, calliope music and summer nights.

If you love to recycle and use recycled items in your works, this is a great way to do that.

To make your own follow these instructions below: 

Materials:

• Sails and Shells Paper Pack, Canvas Corp.
• Seashore style ephemera, and vintage images, Lisa Kettell Designs
• Vintage or modern bingo cards,and wood bingo tokens Lisa Kettell Designs
• Chipboard style card stock, Canvas Corp.
• Basic office folders
• Paper Straws, Recollections Line, Michaels Stores
• Vintage style embellishments, 7 Gypsies
• Inks, Tattered Angels
• Found Objects: broken glass bottles, wood shapes, branches, cake balloons.
• Other: crepe paper, German glass glitter, tiny star fish, shells, muslin fabric, ribbon.cocktail honey combs stirrers,color clothes pins
• Tools/Glue: hot glue, hot glue gun, glue stick scissors, small paper hole punch, white floral wire

Directions:

1. Cut 2 pieces of the chipboard style card stock to 8 by 10 inches for the cover. Then cut out 4 pieces of basic office folders and 4 pieces of chipboard style card stock about 5 by 7 inches, for the interior pages,
2. Begin layering the cut interior pages with scrapbook paper from the Sails and Shells paper pack, Glue in place with glue stick.
3. Assemble all the pages together and punch 1 hole into the pages with a hole punch about 2 inches in from the top and another hole 2 inches from the bottom. Make sure you punch the holes 1 inch from the side. ( the side I'm referring to is the area where the book pages will have its binding.)
4. Thread each whole with white floral wire and twist around 3 small branches. This is your binding.
5. Start decorating the top cover with bingo board, scrapbook embellishments, paper straws, found objects, images, additional scrapbook paper cutouts,
6. Cut various strips of scrapbook paper from the Sails and Shells paper pack and cut fringe into them, then hot glue to the cover sides and interior sides,
7. Age ribbon, scrapbook paper and objects with inks from Tattered Angels.
8. Finally add the remaining embellishments: honey comb stirrers, ribbons, clothes pins and bingo tokens.

Tips/Tricks:

• Use old book covers or bingo boards instead of basic office folders or chipboard paper.
• Layer the whole cover with paper straws.
• Create these books with your kids or family on a rainy summer day.
• Turn this book project into a family vacation heirloom.
• Make a theme book. Example: fairies and pixies, flowerland, candyland, wizards, Santa Claus, etc.

I Hope you enjoyed this project and have fun making one of your own. If you do please post pictures and share, so we can all see the magic.  Stay tuned for more fun projects.

Thanks So Much,
Lisa :-)

Patriotic Splash, Paper Cone Tutorial

"The American Flag is a symbol of our freedom, national pride and history" -Mike Fitzpatrick

"Patriotic Splash" is a paper project inspired by the seashore, vintage Boardwalk, and primitive summer patriotic holidays! This huge paper cone was made the w/sails and shells sampler pack from Canvas Corp., paper straws, wood accents, vintage ephemera and stained ribbon using Tattered Angels.

I recently came across a box of vintage ephemera containing old patriotic costumes, bathing beauty scenes, and seaside amusement. All ornate, detailed and some had color. Blues, whites, tans and creamy reds. Everyone of them screamed old boardwalk, old patriotic Americana with Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day scenes by the seashore. So inspiring and fun. The result was this project and a few others I will post soon, think bathing beauties and flags.

To make your own paper cone you could photocopy the template out of my mixed media art book: "Altered Art Circus", Quarry Books, Lisa Kettell. If that''s not available to you, here is the full set of instructions to make a paper cone and this project.

Materials:

• Scrapbook paper sampler pack, Sails & Shells, Canvas Corp.
• Paper straws, Michaels Crafts
• Wood accents, stars and crescent moon
• Vintage image ephemera cd, Lisa Kettell Designs
• Old bingo card, Lisa Kettell Designs
• Creamy white or beige ribbon
• Fine wood spray ink, Tattered Angels
• German glass glitter, silver
• Other: white paper floral wire, light blue paper shreds
• Tools: hot glue gun, hot glue, scissors

Directions:

1. Starting from one corner, roll a 12 by 12 inch piece of scrapbook paper into a cone shape. Hot glue in place and cut any excess paper. Fill with light blue paper shreds, set aside.
2. Hot glue a 12 inch piece of white paper floral wire to each end of the paper cone, arching it around the front. Cut various square shape images from the scrapbook paper, and hot glue to the white paper floral wire to form a banner.
3. Attach a crescent moon shape to a paper straw to make a wand, set aside.
4. Begin dying white or light color cotton ribbon with fine wood spray ink. Spray until desired ink color is achieved, let dry. Then tie to the crescent moon wand and insert into the paper cone, hot glue in place. 
5. Cut a 2 inch by 12 inch strip of seer sucker scrapbook paper from the scrapbook paper pack. Begin cutting fringe into the cut paper strip, when complete, hot glue to the paper cone rim.
6. Layer your cone with more images cut from the scrapbook paper, vintage image and ephemera.
7. Make a paper fan rosette from the scrapbook paper, add that to the paper cone.
8. Finally embellish with German glass glitter and a wire to hang your paper cone. 

Tips/Tricks:

• You can make smaller sized paper cones, paper cone wreaths, paper cone banners.
• Turn your cone into a seaside party hat or large table center piece.
• Add shells and more ephemera to your paper cone.
• Distress your paper with more inks. 

I hope you enjoyed this project and get inspired to make your own version.


Happy Monday,

Lisa xoxo

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