March 16, 2024

Delectable Eggs

Long time no see! After over a year, and a difficult one at that, I am finally back, creating from my heart and enjoying the chance to share with you all again. I've always said creating art is like therapy to me. Always wonderful to get lost in a project.


This project gave me the chance to go "over the top". Each egg, ready for little treasures and lots of bling. Items I never thought would be possible to use became part of a puzzle with each piece forming a perch when attached to one another.



Although many of my delectable eggs look complicated, each was quite simple and only required patience and some good glue. 



First thing you have to do with each egg is to figure out where you want to cut a window so that you can make a beautiful scene within. 


I used a pencil to trace the opening I needed to remove onto the egg and then carefully began the cutting process.


I was a bit nervous at first about cutting myself while trying to use the blade. But I started out slowly and found it to be like a knife cutting through butter. Very smooth with little effort. 


If you aren't comfortable cutting with a blade, you can just insert the blade to create a spot to place scissors into, then the scissors easily cut through the plastic egg and the paper mache. 


Below is an egg with the cut out area still attached. It allows you to see what your blank canvas looks like. I should have made that into a type of door with hinges and a latch lock. Next time.


I added a layer of Modeling Paste inside of the egg to make a better surface for painting 


The next egg almost became scrambled. I loved putting the silver glass glitter inside of the egg. But the blue paint was stark and I didn't know what to put within the shell. 


After deciding to cover the rich blue paint in clear glass glitter, the rest fell into place. 


I'm glad this egg didn't have a "great fall", because it was fun deciding what items would fit together to make a stand for the finished egg. This egg included a Medium Wooden Finial which I used a nail file on to make the bottom a little bit flatter. 




Many of the items I used were from the Mini Cakestand Kit




Another great idea was to use the White Dresden Boarder Sampler Set which comes with a variety of strips that can be easily colored with paint or ink.




For the nature egg, I created a border with Tiny Lace Boarders. I made a small small snip cut to seperate each design on the strip. This helped to attach the boarder more easily because the boarder can be fitted around the curved edge. Then the designs can be pulled forward to protrude like a lion's mane. 




This cute egg took little effort and more then a tad of glue. And who doesn't love a cute Tiny Resin Bunny Rabbits? I bet they put a smile on your face. 





I'm so happy you visited and I hope I inspired you to create and have your moment of "therapy" while your hands and mind meet for a break. Wait till you see the detailed miniature store I've been working on. You'll find lots of bargains there. Coming soon!

xoxo
Rhonda...

January 7, 2023

My Victorian Feminine Writing Room

Welcome to my my little place to create and collect. Not only do I have this wonderful nook of a room on the top floor of my old home, I also have the attic space to store things and to use as a cozy reading area. You know what else I have? A sweet ghost who likes to make their presence known.  


Lucky for me, I've had a lot of experience with ghosts, so it just makes my little nook that much more welcoming. I feel like I have someone watching out for me. Maybe it is visiting, maybe it belongs to one of my antiques, or maybe they used to live here. 



All of the life sized supplies featured came from my mom's desk and my grandmother's. My grandmother always used a fountain pen, and there are some of my mom's powdered pigments and items from her "Suzuri Bako" Japanese brush set. 


The way the sunlight shines through my window brings such an amazing ambiance to my nook.


I have a wonderful collection of paintings and even began to paint some of my own. 


I used two sets of the Freestanding Shallow Stairs and placed one on it's side so that I could have a double staircase, leading up to the top. 


After slicing the bottom piece off of this Single LED Light, I created a lamp shade with the same set of Written Memories 12x12 papers and attached it to the top of the light. Just a flip of the side power switch and I had instant warmth and glow. 



To add more character to the Leafy Swirl Desk, I took some 3-3/4 Inch Wooden Posts and sliced them in half with an exacto blade. It was an easy task and turned out better then I imagined.




Did you notice that the desk matches the Leafy Swirl Ceiling Inserts? 


Above you can see the "ceiling" and how I attached this strand of 6V Warm White Fairy Lights, twisting and turning behind each Leafy Swirl Ceiling Insert. It was easier then I imagined and each section was glued down with a small section of the "wallpaper". Then I attached the battery pack/off/on switch with a piece of Velcro. 




Here are some pics during assembly. I had to get all of the lights that I wanted done first, so that I could then attach it all together. I also built the "attic floor" so that it could hold my mom's old box of Cray-Pas, also lined with Fairy Lights.
 



Next, it was time for the fun part, creating the space into a maximalist dream hideaway. 



Would you like to see the attic? I have some amazing treasures up there and on rainy days I sit on the old rug and create.


Some might be creeped out by my old dolls and doll heads, but I always remember that they were once loved by a child and now are loved by me. Each has it's own little personality, don't cha think?


Funny thing is when I leave the attic, I always turn the fairy lights off and tidy up. But time after time, I come up to toys strewn about, drawers opened up and the lights turned on. But it doesn't scare me in the slightest. 




The light switch is there beside of the cabinet of drawers (actually there to disguise the battery box) and I have had numerous electricians in to check on things, but there never seems to be any problems. 




Once I came up to find my roll of brown wrapping paper unrolled with little crayon marks all over. But I didn't get mad and told the ghost they were welcome to enjoy anything up there, as long as they are careful.



The roof of my home has been taken over by some beautiful ivy. My neighbor told me I really should remove it because it could damage the roof, but I just love the coziness it brings to my home and the extra touch of mother nature is always welcome.

 











My staircase is tiny, but gives me just enough room to store a few things and display favorite ephemera and family photos. There is even a nifty storage area underneath where I keep spare canvases and frames. 





5x4 Window Frame Box - Easily put together, use rice paper for window scenery, place 6V Warm White Fairy Lights behind rice paper to create the sense of sunshine beyond.








Here is that little under stair storage area I told you about. 






When I created the attic area, I glued each item into place and made sure each item fit within the Cray-Pas roof.



Again, I love these Single LED Warm White Lights. Using one is an easy way to get some warm light into different parts of the room, yet disguised as something cool. One is attached to the back of the dresser on it's side, and another one is attached to the back of a dollhouse collage sheet image. I placed some Collage Sheet Images, (top hat doll, dollhouse) onto a board and then added more layers, to make flat collage sheet images stand up on their own. 






This stool has always been my pup's little spot. His name is Brownie and he loves to play with our ghost as well. Sometimes they play fetch with a ball which is always a bit startling, but Brownie enjoys it so much.


I found this chair, lamp and desk in the attic when I first moved in and was so excited to place them in my room. I love the distressed areas and wouldn't change a thing about any of them.


I drool over the amount of area that I have on top of my desk. It's nice to have some of my current favorite collections, like this stereoview, but lots of space for supplies like watercolor pencils and a home for tools, like scissors, magnifying glasses, and more. 




I found these keys in the attic as well, right behind a wooden beam near the back of the house. About a year after, I found a tiny locked box inside of one of the fireplaces that I do not use. There were also some photos inside that I framed and hung. I still have a few keys that I don't know what they go to, but hope I do find out one day. 


This is a painting I am still working on. I don't know who she is, but I see her in my dreams and sometimes I feel like it might be my ghost. I also saw her in one of the photos that I found, which happened way after the dreams and when I painted her.



I hope you've enjoyed this tour of my tiny, creative space. Everyone should have a place like this to call their own. 

xoxo
Rhonda...