Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Terrarium Jewelry by Ruby Robin

Kay Bells lets you take a little bit of magic with you wherever you go. The Cork, Ireland based maker handcrafts tiny terrariums “using a range of strange and beautiful curiosities, found in the woods and on the mountain sides, combed from the windswept beaches and picked in the wild meadows.” But that’s not all–Bells also does custom pieces, if you’re willing to send her your precious memories.
“I especially love making personalized keepsakes pieces,” explains Bells. “So if you have an idea for a piece you’d like to have made, perhaps with a scrap of your mothers bridal lace, a flower from a bouquet or even a strand of hair from a loved one, then please do get in touch so I can make something beautiful for you!”

Except to state her work can be acquired at her Etsy Shop, I'm not going to write a lot of words about these marvelous miniature works of art - I'm just going to post photos and let your jaws drop the way mine did!

 























Now,  go make something beautiful!
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´ 
(¸.•´♥ Tristan
 
 

My Gardens Are Filled with Faeries and Butterflies!


 Shakespeare's Garden

When I found out this month's theme at Alpha Stamps was 'Gardens,' I thought "Oh, brother. I live in the smack middle of the city - what do I know about gardens? And as far as growing things, I have the least green thumb of anybody I know!" But, then I remembered a funny little song from the turn of the century, "Faeries at the Bottom of Our Garden."

Beatrice Lily singing "Faeries at the Bottom of Our Garden"

So, immediately I realized I needed to do a Faerie Garden Mini Album (what better way to use so many of those wonderful faerie Collage Sheets from Alpha Stamps?) But, as I was looking through all the enchanting faerie images, I came across beautiful butterfly after butterfly and knew that I needed to make two albums this month - one for the Faerie Garden - and the other for a Butterfly Garden. 

So, please take a little stroll with me through some of the album pages, and then click on the video so you can see all the interactive pages.
The Faerie Garden Mini Album

The cover of the Faerie Garden Mini Album uses the arched door laser cut album cover, with black Stickles covering the arched door. I hinged the doors with three micro-mini hinges and used a metal leaf for a door knob. It opens on an Alpha Stamps collage sheet with a fussy cut fountain from another collage sheet layered on top with the water lightly outlined with pale blue Stickles. I used the laser cut Brick Wall 2 stencil to put gold mica stucco 'bricks' on the album front and then used Twiggy Leaf Garland to frame the cover.
This is one of the many spreads in the album. The garden image on the left is the perfect spot for a large photograph to be showcased - and framed by more Twiggy Leaf Garland with 1/2" Pale Pink and Bright Pink Roses. On the right, the page base is the Provincial Hedge Scrapbook Paper with a pocket created from a garden gate image. The faerie image is one of many on the Alpha Stamps collage sheets.
Here is a quick little video tour of the album with its interactive pages
 

The Butterfly Garden Mini Album

With all those winged faeries in my head, I couldn't get the idea of butterflies to go away, so I used a Shellie Geigle inspired album design to create a Butterfly Garden Mini Album. She is also the artisan who created the beautiful gold frame on the cover of the album. I used the glamorous rhinestone ribbon from Alpha Stamps on the cover (down the left side and around the picture frame) and some of the Leafy Twig Garland on the frame. There are two butterflies, both luxurious with 'jewels' and the closure to the book is a vintage piece of jewelry.

 
Again, on the left side there is a space for a large photograph with a heavily glittered and lacquered butterfly and a side pocket (just out of view on the left). On the right is a flip page with a small pocket using the lovely satin leaf trim from Alpha Stamps and the miniature paper posies, along with more of the white rhinestone ribbon. When the ribbon is untied, there is another pocket with pictures mats for more large photos and again trimmed with the same rhinestone ribbon.
On the left side of this spread there is a 'belly band' which will hold man photo mats. It is decorated with two strips of laser cut ivy chipboard and mini light pink rosebuds. There is also a large 1" white paper rose on the side pocket. On the right side, which is trimmed with white rhinestone ribbon, there is a butterfly, fussy cut from the butterfly collage sheet pack.

I hope you'll take a little video stroll with me through the Butterfly Garden Mini Album
I hope you've enjoyed your time here at Enchanted Revelries and seeing my Faerie Garden and Butterfly Garden Mini Albums created for Alpha Stamps.com. Almost all materials and supplies are from Alpha Stamps, and the supply list for the faerie album can be found by clicking here, and click here for the supply list for butterfly album.

If  you are interested in acquiring either of these albums, please feel free to contact me either through my email at this site or through Facebook.

Now, go make something beautiful!
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´ 
(¸.•´♥ Tristan




 

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Unfolding the Story Behind Paul Johnson's No Fold Pop-Up Books

The pop-up books of Paul Johnson wouldn’t look out of place in a museum or art gallery, but to really understand Johnson’s work you have to imagine seeing these pieces in a classroom. “One half is working in books. One half is teaching literacy to children,” Johnson says. For him, the pop-up books were a way to get children excited to read and write by first getting them interested in the book itself. And these books are exciting, not just as works of art, but as works of inspired engineering.
Instead of folds, these books are held together entirely by paper piano hinges and dovetail joints. Avoiding folds has many practical benefits: there’s less paper fatigue, individual pieces can be easily replaced, and the books can be packed completely flat — perfect for the many and far-flung workshops that Johnson teaches.

Once he has an idea for a story, he begins work on the structure of the book. First comes a rough model, constructing its architecture while playing with the structure. Then the individual pieces — there can be around 200 of them in each book — of this template get traced onto large sheets of dyed watercolor paper and assembled.
One piece, when held downward, looks like a loose stack of papers. Turn it right-side up and the book expands before your eyes with little more than gravity acting upon it. “There’s an element of surprise, there’s an element of performance,” Johnson says. The same two elements, he says, are critical when it comes to teaching.

Special Thanks to Lisa Johnson and "Make: We Are All Makers"

Now, go make something beautiful ...
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´ 
(¸.•´♥ Tristan
 
 
 

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Anyone for a Cuppa?

Teapot styles tend to parallel the styles of other objects, from buildings, to art works, to furniture and clothing. Baroque and Rococo are very similar styles, and sometimes Rococo is referred to as “Late Baroque.” Both are known for their frills and embellishments, with Rococo being rather extreme. Some used the term “Baroque” initially to underline the excesses — redundant and noisy details.
 Baroque-style silver teapot with some detail — This teapot demonstrates the beginnings of embellishments that did nothing for functionality but everything for adding visual appeal to teatime.
 
The Baroque period started around 1600, while the Rococo period in the arts is closely associated with France and two of their monarchs: Louis XV (ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death on 10 May 1774) and Louis XVI (King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, then King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before his deposition and execution during the French Revolution). However, the two styles prevailed in Britain, Germany, and other countries.
Baroque-style Newark Museum display teapot with replaced spout — Porcelain, silver, 1675-1700 (late Baroque). You can see the ornate Asian influence here, a common practice as trade routes with China, India, and other countries brought exotic treasures to the attention of European potters and ceramic artists. They competed by imitating. 

 
 A Rococo Porcelain Veilleuse-Théière — The Porcelain Veilleuse-Theireres style of teapots date from 1750 to 1860 (late Rococo to Victorian). Rectangular stand, oval pot, rococo, highly decorated with panels of roses and gilding, other panels rose pompadour. Vieux Paris. Acquired in Paris for the collection. Cream colors and gilding are typical.

During the Baroque period, the influence of this style was everywhere. In Italy, Caravaggio was perfecting his chiaroscuro painting style. In Bavaria, Czech lands, Poland, and The Ukraine, pear domes appeared on churches and survive today as a quaint and very recognizable feature. Rubens, a Flemish painter, was a proponent of an extravagant Baroque style that emphasized movement, color, and sensuality. Teapot makers picked up this style trend in their wares.
Another Porcelain Veilleuse-Théière — Figurine, man seated on rococo base behind square pot, animalistic spout, boy and girl on stand gaily dressed in flowered clothes in front of shield, white background, much gilding. Acquired in Paris for the collection.
Silver teapot bursting with details — It almost looks like it’s going to walk away on those ornate legs.

Of course, you are going to want to serve Baroque or Rococo style teas in these. They are going to be teas that are artful and tasty. I would go for Lapsang Souchong which dates back to the 17th century during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). You may even want to try a nice black Ceylon tea (tea growing started in Ceylon as early as the 1700s). A nice Chinese green tea is another choice that will take you back in time. Lots of choices!

... so make a cuppa and then go make something beautiful!
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´ 
(¸.•´♥ Tristan

 ~ With special thanks and acknowledgement to 
The English Tea Store Blog and On-Line Stores, Inc ~
 

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Pink Saturday Round Up

I know that I've been neglectful ... I haven't been posting on Pink Saturdays for quite a few months ... and there have been months between each posting.

But when I saw these images, I just knew I had to jump in again this week!

So, yeehaw, get yo' pink on!
 


Now, y'all get out there and make something beautiful, hear?!

¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´ 
(¸.•´♥ Tristan

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