Category Archives: Altered art

Stop those dreaded pen thieves in their tracks

Stop those dreaded pen thieves in their tracks


Paper-Calliope-pen-holder

 

“They walk among us, silently waiting for an opportunity to strike. People you would never suspect in a hundred years, capable of inflicting deep harm and intense personal suffering.
 
Every 38 seconds in the United States, they claim a new victim. At this very moment, they could be targeting your significant other, or your best friend, or maybe even you.”  –J. Mark Powell
 

The most treacherous criminal in existence is the dreaded Pen Thief. Unfortunately, in my house, there’s a young criminal in the making. No pen, pencil or marker is safe from The Daughter™. Read the rest of this entry

Make an altered art Halloween Book

Make an altered art Halloween Book

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With the season of ghosts and goblins fast approaching, I am thrilled to share my tutorial for an altered art Halloween mini album. You can see the entire tutorial with lots of detailed pictures of creative pages on my Robin’s Nest Design Team post.

Altering books is one of my favorite activities. With so many options available from pre-made books found at craft stores to repurposed children’s books to making books from scratch, I find making altered books almost as irresistible as sneaking Reeses’ Peanut Butter Cups out of my kids’ trick or treat bags. Please note that emphasis on almost, because, well, I really like Reeses. Read the rest of this entry

Paper Calliope featured at Bella Crafts Quarterly

Paper Calliope featured at Bella Crafts Quarterly

Make easy peasy coasters from scrapbooking scraps. - Paper Calliope

Phew! School is back in session and after a crazy August I am finally going to have time to get posting again.

What better way to kick of the new season than with some exciting news. I am delighted to announce that I have been asked to be a writer for Bella Crafts Quarterly!

My first article was published today. It features an easy-peasy tutorial on creating your own coasters from paper crafting scraps. Please visit the Bella Crafts Quarterly Blog to check it out. If you have time to leave a comment on their site I will be eternally grateful.

Making an altered art circus mini album

Making an altered art circus mini album

Paper-Calliope-Mini-Circus-Book-Cover

As I wrap up my month as the guest blogger for the amazing company Whisker Graphics, I took advantage of all the stripes, dots and zig zags that their products offer to create a fun mini circus album.

Anyone who visits my blog regularly knows that I love anything with a vintage circus theme, and this mini album is chock full of circusy fun. I made the album for a friend of mine who has been especially kind this last year. She is the mom of a talented youth circus performer and I thought she could add ticket stubs, photos and other mementos of her daughter’s performaces to the mini album.

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Read the rest of this entry

This ATB shows that fairy tales really do come true

This ATB shows that fairy tales really do come true

 

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I am thrilled to show you my newest Artist Trading Block (ATB). It is especially exciting because it is also my first project as a member of the Robin’s Nest International Design Team. Please stop by their blog and check out my Cinderella’s Time Gone By ATB and tutorial.

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Pap

Launch your next dinner party with these adorable place cards

Launch your next dinner party with these adorable place cards
Boat-Place cards-by-Paper-Calliope

These place cards are featured on the Whisker Graphics blog!

Throwing your next get-together is sure to be smooth sailing with these adorable place cards. Cute all by themselves, they would also be perfect for your all-out nautical-themed bash. Score bonus hostess-with-the-mostest points by filling the boats with nautical themed treats such as Swedish Fish. 
 

Origami is not my thing. Trust me on this. I don’t know how someone who specializes in paper crafts can bungle origami so badly. I even have my own Tower-of-Failed-Origami that I am planning to show you sometime soon.

That’s why I picked the simplest origami boat possible for this project. Then, The Husband™ took the paper out for a test-fold before he would even let me make a single crease. Now, don’t go thinking he is some extra special crafty guy. He was just trying to protect our children’s innocence—because me + origami = a sure way for our kids to learn loud and in color exactly how sailors talk. Read the rest of this entry

Artist Trading Block: “Rain” #2 in Jane Austen ATB Series

Artist Trading Block: “Rain” #2 in Jane Austen ATB Series
Artist Trading Block: “Rain” #2 in Jane Austen ATB Series

Several months ago I began my foray into the world of Artist Trading Blocks (ATB) with a sculptural block celebrating Jane Austen’s Emma.

A delightful quote from the 1996 Jane Austen movie Emma, starring Gywneth Paltrow, inspired me to create that first ATB. Yet, a second line in the movie, when a drenched Mr. Knightley proclaimed his love to Emma, also caught my attention.

“I rode through the rain. I’d ride through worse than that if I could just hear your voice 
telling me that I might, at least, have some chance with you.” 

As the months went by, my desire to make another Jane Austen ATB based on this line only increased. Finally, as our long winter finally slid into spring, and our own rains began, I decided to go ahead and make this ATB.

The trouble is, I knew what I wanted it to look like and I knew it would not be easy. Then I came across The Robin’s Nest Sea Glass Tear Drops and I knew I had found my perfect raindrops.

I might write a tutorial for this ATB in the days ahead–but this project took so long to create and I am so pleased with the results, that I am reverting back to my five-year-old self and cannot wait any longer to show it to you.

Introducing: “Rain” #2 in the Jane Austen ATB Series:

Artist Trading Block Rain by Paper Calliope

This is how the Rain ATB appear when it is closed. Mr. Knightley’s horse sits atop the box.

Read the rest of this entry

Altered art goes retro

Altered art goes retro

Creating a vintage recipe box

Rebel that I am, I decided to break away from the crafting styles of late and head in a new–or rather, should I say, an old–direction.

With this altered art project I went back in time and put a little kitsch into the mix by transforming a cardboard book box into a retro pink refrigerator, or as it was called in the olden days, an ice box. Read the rest of this entry

There’s a legit reason for the gigantic egg hatching in my art studio

There’s a legit reason for the gigantic egg hatching in my art studio

 

You've got egg on your blog.

You’ve got egg on your blog.

Since this blog is so new, and lovely readers like you keep gushing flowing trickling in, I have been trying to make certain everyone understands Paper Calliope is different from other craft sites out in blogland. This isn’t some schmarmy marketing ploy. I’m just trying to save everyone from disappointment down the road.

In case you haven’t been paying attention, Paper Calliope features crafting with a sassy twist. Oh yeah, it has a lot about anxiety too, because anxiety is near and not-so-dear to 97 percent* of the sensitive souls a.k.a. artists in the world.

I liken my blog to being the lovechild of Jenny Lawson, Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey.** I mean, if Jenny Lawson can top the NY Times Bestseller List, there must be a whole lot of people who relate to her unusual sense of humor. Read the rest of this entry