Tag Archives: Altered art

Down by the Steampunk Sea

Down by the Steampunk Sea

Making this piece was so liberating. After experiencing a horrible, no good, really bad day, all I wanted to do was crawl under the bedcovers, but knew that I had too many upcoming projects I needed to work on. 

Instead of retreating  from the world, I pulled out some some sea-themed chipboard pieces because the waterways always soothe my soul. To keep things simpler, I decided to limit my palette to only two colors beyond black and white. 

I found this decision liberating as my project came together lickety-split–which for me, the world’s slowest artist, is nothing short of miraculous.

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Pop! goes the mixed media box

Pop! goes the mixed media box
Pop! goes the mixed media box

I recently broke free of a life-long soda pop addiction. Apparently I was hooked on soda pop before I was two years old. While my parents were good parents, I wondered why they would give their baby unhealthy soda, or “pop” as we call it in Minnesota. 

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Stop by the Winter Woods at Night

Stop by the Winter Woods at Night

A lifetime ago I was and English Major. Truth be told, I was not a particularly great at it. My true academic love at the time was journalism, and I did not have the temperament to analyze and discuss poems and fiction hour after hour after hour. 

Still, I always loved the written word–before, during and after my time in college. Something about Robert Frosts’s “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening,” has always appealed to me. It’s tone is what inspired my piece “Winter Woods at Night.” 

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Miniature Santa heads up the chimney on Christmas Eve

Miniature Santa heads up the chimney on Christmas Eve
Miniature Santa heads up the chimney on Christmas Eve

 

It is late Christmas Eve and miniature Santa is heading up the chimney. Read the rest of this entry

Melt hearts with upcycled snowmen

Melt hearts with upcycled snowmen
Melt hearts with upcycled snowmen

Christmas is the perfect time for upcycling objects. Vintage salt shakers, sandbakel tins and wooden spools are ideal for creating adorable snowmen (and women!). Add in glittery snowflakes and things get really chill.

Sorry I am so flaky that I simply cannot resist a few snowmen puns. You will just have to roll with it.

 

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Create your own mixed media elements

Create your own mixed media elements
Create your own mixed media elements

Let’s face it, thousands upon thousands of crafters, myself included, use the same mass-produced decorative elements in their projects. However, there is another option. If you don’t want your art to feature the same materials hordes of other artists are using, you can easily create your own elements. Art-Journal-Embellishments--by-Betsy-Skagen-0037-2

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Sled into Solstice with your crafting

Sled into Solstice with your crafting
Sled into Solstice with your crafting

Chubby-cheeked sledders in a glistening snow-covered countryside is my nod to the December 21 Winter’s Solstice. You can learn how to craft this miniature vintage holiday scene by following the step-by-step tutorial or visiting this featured project at Gypsy Soul

Winter-Solstice-Sledding--by-Betsy-Skagen-0015 Read the rest of this entry

Expanding Christmas Journal Part 2

Expanding Christmas Journal Part 2
Expanding Christmas Journal Part 2

This Expanding Christmas Journal is brimming with tags, magnetic enclosures and deep pockets so that you can store almost unlimited Christmas memories, photos, ideas or recipes.

GSL-Christmas-Journal-by-Betsy-Skagen-0113

Because the tutorial for the Expanding Christmas Journal is so detailed, I decided to break it up into two parts. In case you have not seen Part 1 of the tutorial at Gypsy Soul to learn how to create the album base and the surprise fold-outs,I thought I would first provide a recap of the book. If you have already seen Part 1, then continue below for the rest of the tutorial. Read the rest of this entry

Create an all encompassing storage system

Create an all encompassing storage system
Create an all encompassing storage system

Desk-set--by-Betsy-Skagen-0073

My crafting often turns me into somewhat of a hermit. It is easy for me to spend days in my studio–especially during less pleasant months–and only venture out in the world to run errands.

I fill my studio with fun vintage items that remind me to enjoy life outside my little corner of the world. When I created this organizer storage unit for my studio I used it as an opportunity to remind myself both of travel adventures and vintage treasures I had yet to discover.

If you want to learn how to make this storage unit, please check out my tutorial. Read the rest of this entry

Brighten up your laundry room by making these retro signs

Brighten up your laundry room by making these retro signs
Brighten up your laundry room by making these retro signs

 

GSL-Retro-Laundry-by-Betsy-Skagen-407

Two of my favorite things in the world are mid-century graphics and snarky humor. I recently combined them to make one of my least favorite things in this world–doing laundry–a little more fun.  Read the rest of this entry