Starshine Salon: April 2013

Time Flies Altered Sakura Milk Can

I altered Sakura’s little milk can into a personalized treasure tin using Sakura Crystal Lacquer, paper, burlap and ink.

Here’s the milk can:

I measured the can and cut my paper to fit. I have a stack of clock faces printed on heavy paper. You could also use a stamp, a printed graphic or patterned paper.

My paper did not fit all the way around the can, so I cut a little extra piece.

I stamped my phrase on the paper with Colorbox Chalk Ink in dark brown (“Tempus fugit,” or “Time flies”).

I colored the paper with 7 Gypsies Color Wash (pastel green) and let it dry.

Crystal Lacquer is a great adhesive and it works on metal! I coated the back of the paper with Crystal Lacquer. You could coat the can instead, but I felt like I had better control this way. I poured a little Crystal Lacquer onto a plastic container lid and used a foam brush to apply it to the paper. Then I placed the paper on the can.

After it felt dry, I applied a coat of Crystal Lacquer on top of the paper.

I made the burlap wings from the Angel Wings die by Sizzix. The wing was too big for my can, so I cut one out of paper and trimmed it to use it as a template for trimming the burlap ones.

I cut out the burlap wings and then trimmed then, using the paper wing as a guide:

For tips on diecutting fabric, please visit my tutorial here.

Then I added a little distress ink to the edges of the wings (vintage photo and rusty hinge):

I adhered the wings to the can with more Crystal Lacquer. I put one on and let it dry before I added the other. I put some Crystal Lacquer on the can and some on the back of the top part of the wing, then held the wing tightly to the can for a couple of minutes so the Crystal Lacquer could set. Then I set the can on its side with the wing up and let the Crystal Lacquer harden before adding the second wing.

I added clock gears to the wings with more Crystal Lacquer and stabilized the can so they wouldn’t fall off before the Crystal Lacquer hardened. I inserted a bottle into the can and then used two full bottles to keep the bottle/can combination from rolling:

Once the gears were on securely, my treasure tin was ready!

Sakura is hosting a blog hop on May 18^th! The theme is “Fantasy” and Sakura’s Design Team is dreaming up amazing art to share with you on that day! There will be prizes, too! So be sure to check back here on May 18th!

During the month of May, you can get 20% off your total order at Sakura Hobby Craft! If you haven't tried Crystal Lacquer, now is the time to get some! Sakura also has beautiful powders for coloring the Crystal Lacquer, and lots of jewelry findings! Enter the code Sakura05 at checkout.

Starshine Wishes,

Karen

Posted at 09:01 PM in Art, Handcrafted, Mixed Media, Paper Crafting, Sakura Hobby Craft, Starshine Salon | Permalink | Comments (1)

Needle Case with Sin City Stamps Dressform Stamp

I made a needle case featuring a new dressform stamp from Sin City Stamps!

I sew a lot, and I’ve been having more and more trouble getting my hand sewing needles in and out of the manufacturers’ packages. I’ve been thinking about making a needle case for a while now, but when I saw the new Antiques & Dressforms rubber stamp plate from Sin City Stamps, I knew it was time!

This plate has three different dressforms, corset lacing, a candelabra, a chandelier, a typewriter keyboard, a jumble of old fashioned keys, a strip of lace, the D for the Roman numerals set and several phrases.

The purpose of the needle case is to give you a place to park your needles, so they are protected and you know where they are. I have needles everywhere, stuck into little pieces of fabric. This is a bad idea if you have little ones or inquisitive kitties in your house.

The needle case is basically just a rectangle folded over like a book. You can add a closure if you want to keep little hands away from your needles. You want to choose a fabric that won’t harm your needles and that will keep your needles in place. So I would avoid burlap and satin, in general, for the inside. Otherwise, it’s pretty open. You can use as many layers as you like and any embellishments you like.

I had a three-layer rectangle already assembled, and I decided to use that. It was supposed to be a jar cozy, but one of the seams became crooked somehow, so it didn’t look right on the jar. I loved the fabric in it, though, so it was hanging out in my studio waiting to be used for something else.

You could make your needle case with one layer, but this works really well because there are several layers to grip the needles in place. If you want to make a really simple one-layer needle case, I recommend using a piece of wool or cotton batting.

I used one of the dressform images from the Antiques and Dressforms plate for the cover of my needle case. I stamped the image and the word “Needles” onto a piece of teadyed muslin. It helps to put a piece of craft foam under the fabric. I used Chalk Ink and heatset it with my iron after it dried.

I added some lace trim. First, I pinned it in place:

Then I stitched it down with my sewing machine.

Then I pinned the muslin piece in place onto the outside of my rectangle:

I attached the muslin piece to the rectangle with four mother of pearl buttons and some hand dyed embroidery floss. You can attach it any way you want. If my rectangle hadn’t already been assembled, I probably would have stitched the muslin down to the top layer before sewing together the rectangle pieces. That way the stitching wouldn’t show.

The finished needle case measures about 5.5 by 6.25 inches when closed (5.5 by 12.5 inches when open):

I hope you will try your hand at making a needle case! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Starshine Wishes,

Karen

Posted at 09:01 PM in Art, Handcrafted, Mixed Media, Sewing, Sin City Scraps, Starshine Salon | Permalink | Comments (0)

Brass Charms with Crystal Lacquer (and a coupon)

This necklace was inspired by some charms I saw online. The original charms were made with wire, paper and resin, but my version is made with brass blanks and Sakura Crystal Lacquer. Crystal Lacquer made these so easy!

I’ve seen lots of projects made with pattern tissue paper, but I don’t think I’ve seen any using the instruction pages that come with the patterns. I wanted some interesting text for my charms, and decided to use pattern sewing instruction sheets. You could use any kind of paper, but as a sewer, I have lots of memories involving these pages.

I had some brass blanks:

You could use any kind of metal. Just make sure it’s hard enough that it won’t bend when you wear the necklace. You could use precut blanks like these, or make your own. If your metal seems too soft, you might try adding additional layers of metal, paper or Crystal Lacquer. I think you could even make these charms with plastic as the base.

I chose my paper and then decided to add color to some of it. I used watercolor paint, but you
could use almost any kind of paint or ink. I liked the way the text still showed through very clearly with the watercolors. I let the paint dry before proceeding.

Then I cut my paper to roughly fit my blanks. For the first one, I traced around the blank directly onto my paper and then cut it out. For the next few, I just held the paper on top of the blank and ripped the paper around the edges of the blank. Then I tried holding the blank in place under or over the paper and cutting around the edges with the paper. All three methods worked. Tracing
around the blank will allow you to decide exactly what you want to appear on your charm. Tearing was much less exact, and I wasted some paper when it ripped in ways I didn’t want it to. Holding the blank to the paper and cutting was simple, but I did get a few crooked cuts that way.

After I cut the paper to roughly fit the blanks, I shaped the paper to the blank more accurately by holding each piece of paper on top of its blank and dragging sandpaper across the edges. It removed excess paper best when I pulled the sandpaper down in sort of a swiping motion.

Then, for each charm, I lifted the paper off the blank and applied a thin film of Sakura Crystal Lacquer with an inexpensive paint brush. Then I laid the paper in place and put some Crystal Lacquer on top of it. When it was dry to the touch, I added another thin layer of Crystal Lacquer.

The Crystal Lacquer acts as an adhesive to hold the paper in place. It also strengthens and
protects the paper and gives it a pretty sheen. Crystal Lacquer is water soluble, so you can clean up messes as you go and you can clean and save your paint brush when you’re done!

Here are some charms I made from the instruction sheets without adding color:

And here are some I made with watercolor paint:

I made the necklace from the second set. I punched holes in each blank after the Crystal Lacquer was dry. You could also drill the holes.

I love mother of pearl, and I thought buttons would be fun on a sewing-themed necklace. Then I
added my favorite jewelry components, freshwater pearls and Austrian crystals.

Here’s another view of the necklace:

During the month of April, you can use the code TERRI04 to save 20% on Crystal Lacquer at Sakura Hobby Craft. Now is a great time to try Crystal Lacquer if you are new to it, or stock up if you already love it!

I hope you will make some Crystal Lacquer charms for yourself! As always, I would love to hear about your projects!

Starshine Wishes,

Karen

Posted at 09:01 PM in Art, Handcrafted, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Sakura Hobby Craft, Starshine Salon | Permalink | Comments (2)

Steampunk Card with Sin City Scraps Clock Stamp

I found a little stitchery kit in the bargain bin at a craft store. The frame reminded me of a pocket
watch, and I thought it might be the right size for one of the clock stamps from the Sin City Scraps Clocks & Birds plate. It turns out it was a perfect fit!

The frame was black and white, and made out of some kind of plastic or rubber:

I decided to paint it with metallic paint to make it look like a pocket watch. First, I went over the white parts with a black permanent maker, so the color would be even:

Then I gave it two coats of metallic paint on each side. I had planned to patina the paint, but enough of the black showed through that it looked aged without any extra treatment:

I stamped the clock stamp onto grey cardstock. I made extras, just in case. I hate to clean off my stamp and then mess up my image and have to ink up my stamp again!

Sin City Scraps will send your stamps as rubber plates, cling mounted or wood mounted. I get the
rubber plates. Then I just cut them up and use them with acrylic blocks. I put a few pieces of double sided tape on the blocks and the stamps stick perfectly. Sometimes it helps to put a piece of craft foam under your paper; other times a hard surface works better.

I cut out one clock image and painted it with two coats of Crystal Lacquer (letting it dry between coats). That helped it coordinate with the glossy paper I wanted to use on my card, and made it look sort of like a watch with a crystal.

I scored and folded an 8 ½ x 11 inch sheet of grey cardstock. Then I cut two rectangles from black cardstock (8 ¼ x 5 ¼ inches and 3 ½ X 4 7/8 inches). I also cut a 2 x 8 ¼ inch strip from a piece
of cardstock with a gear print. I inked the edges of the card with copper pigment ink, and the edges of the three rectangles with silver pigment ink.

I used double-sided tape to adhere the rectangles to the card, and Glue Lines to attach three gear diecuts to the card (made with the Spellbinders Sprightly Sprockets die). I adhered the frame to the card with Glue Lines and used two layers of foam tape to adhere and prop up the clock image.

Finally, I added a little bit of black seam binding to the ring at the top of the stitchery frame/watch.

Here’s another view of the card that shows the glossy surface of the clock stamp image:

If you want to mail this card, I recommend a padded envelope!