Paper Mache shelf

I’ve continued work on my paper mache shelf.  First, I added another layer of texture to complete the background.  As for the birdcage, I’m thrilled to say that I made it out of old wire I found in my parent’s garage.  Nothing goes to waste in my world.  After I put the bird in her birdcage, she was screeching at me to give her a party hat.  I had just the coil hat for her.  I think it added a nice whimsical touch.  Now, I need to work on the top shelf.  I’ll be adding elements from an old Cuckoo clock I found.  I’ll post pictures when I finish.

The Great Junk Hunt flea market

My girlfriend treated me to a fun day of junk hunting at a vintage flea market; The Great Junk Hunt.  It was such a fun day and we both left with bags full of goodies.

 

Beautiful display for jewelry . . a gorgeous vintage frame on an artist easel.

Nesting boxes for a chicken coop



Fun idea - making  a roller skate into soap dish.  I owned a pair of these roller skates when I was little.   They were impossible to use – your foot would constantly pop out of the shoe clips.  I’m positive these metal skates will make a better soap dish than a roller skate.

Vintage Valentines

How many of you remember school Valentine’s Day cards coming in book form instead of a box?  The Valentines usually had movable parts and were often decorated with velvet elements. All of the Valentines were different, so you had to stop and think about your friend when you picked out the perfect Valentine for them. 

The Valentines had to be punched out of the book and often assembled.  Then the envelopes had to be cut out and glued or taped together. 

The process certainly took time and was very fun.  In a world without the internet and only 3 TV channels, getting your Valentine’s Day cards ready for school was something to look forward to.

© Golden Books

How to Make Your Own Paper Mache Shelf

I’ve been searching for a small vintage shelf for an assemblage piece I’m designing.  I’ve spent too much time looking for that perfect piece that was in my vision.  Then when I found a shelf that had the aesthetic I wanted, it was too expensive.  I had to come up with a new idea to get my shelf.  I decided to make it from paper mache.  After all, you can make almost anything with paper and glue.  Here are the pros:  I was able to make the shelf resemble the shelf in my sketch.  It was easy to make, light weight, and free by using paper and glue I already had.  It did take a few days to make it, but that was a small investment in time when compared to the time I spent shopping for a shelf.

After I finished the paper mache shelf, I painted it with brown acrylic paint.  I allowed the brown paint to dry and covered the shelf, section by section, with Folk Art Crackle Medium.  I followed the crackle medium with an off-white acrylic paint.  The beauty of this process is that the crackle medium camouflaged the paper mache finish.  I then glued scrapbook paper on the inside and have just started adding texture.

       Here's my first layer of texture I added to the scrapbook paper using a stencil  

Warning for Antique shoppers

 
I love visiting antique malls and am concerned about a growing trend I’m seeing.  Some antique vendors are selling reproductions from China, making these reproductions appear to be vintage or antique.  These vendors also remove the “made in China” stickers to add addition confusion about the age of these items.   I added this picture as an example of a stall in an antique store.  Since these items are in an antique store, you would assume they were authentic.   Most of the Items in this particular stall look like they came from the wholesaler, Creative Co-op. They are new, reproductions of antiques.  The best tip I can give is this:  All true vintage/antique items are heavy.  If you pick up an item and its light weight, it’s probably a reproduction.  Even vintage jewelry is much heavier than jewelry made today. 

   

Happy New Year!

Vintage postcard from the early 1900's.  "Gelukkig Nieuwjaar" is Dutch for Happy New Year.  Wishing everyone a fabulous New Year. 

Nutcracker for Gallery One

My nutcracker is painted and off to Gallery One, where it will be part of the Ellensburg December Art Walk.  I’m a huge fan of Gallery One and enjoy visiting when I’m traveling through Ellensburg.