Category Archives: Altered art

Let loose and get funky with a mixed media flying heart

Let loose and get funky with a mixed media flying heart

Flying-heart-Betsy-Skagen-110136

Many years ago–before her orange jumpsuit days–I was somewhat of a Martha Stewart wannabe.

Here’s one example: I spent days sculpting an elaborate firetruck cake and building a firetruck prop for my son’s birthday. Not only was the fire truck big enough to hold six children, it was complete with flashing red lights and horn.

The kid was three.

I could have given him a cardboard box and he would have been happy. Some (like the entire Western Hemisphere) might say perfection was my middle name. Read the rest of this entry

Hoping you swoon over this vintage Valentine wreath

Hoping you swoon over this vintage Valentine wreath

Valentine-Wreath-Betsy-Skagen-112010

Sorry I have been AWOL lately. I was luxuriating away in a hospital bed. All is well now and I am back crafting and blogging away. As any crafter will tell you…wreaths aren’t just for Christmas anymore. I created this Valentine wreath after being inspired by the wooden spool in Cherry Nelson’s lovely project last month. Read the rest of this entry

Inspiration Freebie for Ordre du Jour

Inspiration Freebie for Ordre du Jour

CCB-Inspiration-Cabinet-by-Betsy-Skagen-122617

I recently published the tutorial for this Miniature Inspiration Cabinet on the Canvas Corp Brands Blog. In it I offered this Free PDF of Inspirational Sayings that you can print onto the 8 x 8 Ordre du Jour notebook page.

Use a light-adhesive masking tape to adhere two sheets of the Ordre du Jour notebook-looking paper to the top right corner of a blank 8.5 x 11 inkjet paper so that you can run the paper through your inkjet printer. I created a free pdf of inspirational sayings that you can use to print onto the Ordre du Jour sheets. Please make sure you run a test page on your own printer for alignment before using one of your Ordre du Jour sheets.

Sorting Valentines at the Postal Station

Sorting Valentines at the Postal Station

valentine-postal-by-betsy-skagen-121101
Hello! After serving as a guest designer for a couple years, I could not resist making the leap to joining the official educator team team in 2017. The opportunity to work with so many talented artists and play with the boundless creative opportunities of Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts products was a dream come true.

To kick off the year, I created this miniature Valentine Postal Station. I hope you tour all the tiny details–from the miniature millinery cabinet, to the mail bags filled with itty-bitty love letters, to the minuscule chocolate kisses.

Designed in 1:12 scale, this sorting station is a mix of old and new. There’s no computerized robotics to sort the lovelorn postcards, the cute Valentine puns and the packages filled with chocolate truffles; yet you can see a few a few modern-day postal boxes. Read the rest of this entry

A holiday feast for the eyes–and no impact on your thighs

A holiday feast for the eyes–and no impact on your thighs

christmas-cake-by-betsy-skagen-101026

Here’s a holiday dessert that is completely guilt free (unless you have some weird paper eating fetish). Read the rest of this entry

Have yourself a merry monochrome Christmas

Have yourself a merry monochrome Christmas
Have yourself a merry monochrome Christmas

Happy Wednesday and Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the U.S. You know what this week also means don’t you? Yes indeed, it is time to break out the holiday decorations! I won’t admit how much dismay this brings to my husband and kids because of the work involved. Yet last year when I was the one who insisted on scaling back, they were the first to revolt.

It has been such a delight to work with Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts. For my last project as Guest Designer, I thought I would share with you a mostly monochrome Christmas shadow box.

christmas-house-by-betsy-skagen-131232 Read the rest of this entry

Oh how I love to putz around (and how that relates to crack)

Oh how I love to putz around (and how that relates to crack)
Oh how I love to putz around (and how that relates to crack)

putz-house-betsy-skagen-151827

Long before they were trendy, I treasured my putz houses. As a young girl I took these battered Christmas decorations that my family had abandoned and set up a tiny village. Granted, there were only four or five houses, but I loved them.

I never had the budget to add many authentic putz houses to my collection over the years, but my little village grew nonetheless. Frosted trees and 1940s era cars in a variety of scales joined the village. Mid-century children skating and sledding loomed like giant toddlers about to devour the putz homes.

Perhaps the putz house I most treasure is the one I made this year. I stuck true to the simple mid-century stye adorned with lots of glitter. Read the rest of this entry

Creating my own Winter Wonderland

Creating my own Winter Wonderland
winter-wonderland-by-betsy-skagen-180104

                                  Altered Art Winter Wonderland

I live in Minnesota. Cold and snow are a way of life. In fact, Minnesotans don’t even think the weather is cold unless our nostrils freeze together when we inhale. (That’s our own nostrils freezing together–our noses don’t freeze to other random people’s noses. Even though the extra body heat might be tempting, Minnesotans are too aloof to willy-nilly start cozying up to people walking down the street. Plus, just imagine people walking around with their noses frozen together. That’s just weird.) Even though Minnesota winters often involve double-digit below zero temperatures and heart-attack inducing snowfalls, we currently are enjoying the warmest November on record. It is in the mid 70s here people.

The good news is that my solitary nose and the balmy weather has not stopped me from dreaming up some winter-themed craftiness, such as this Winter Wonderland Altered Art scene.

winter-wonderland-by-betsy-skagen-180118

Read the rest of this entry

Come visit the North Pole in this altered album

Come visit the North Pole in this altered album

north-pole-by-betsy-skagen-134535

At this time of year there’s no place on earth busier than the North Pole. Santa’s elves are frenetic–making toys, grooming reindeer and loading the sleigh. However, those elves are so thoughtful that they still left room in this altered album for your photographs and journal entries.

I am thrilled to be invited back for a second year as Gyspy Soul Laser Cuts guest designer. My projects will be featured at Gyspy Soul Laser Cuts each Wednesday in November. I hope you visit there and see my projects. I will be especially grateful if you leave some love.

north-pole-by-betsy-skagen-112107

Read the rest of this entry

Twas the night before Christmas and guess who is stirring

Twas the night before Christmas and guess who is stirring
Twas the night before Christmas and guess who is stirring

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Hold it right there. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong!

Obviously Mr. Moore didn’t take time to actually check on the mice. All he had to do was remove the grandfather clock face to see what the mice were really up to.

as-clock-082214

Read the rest of this entry