Tag Archives: Altered art

A papercraft town in time for the holidays

A papercraft town in time for the holidays

Earlier this fall the folks over at The Robin’s Nest announced a Craft Engineering contest. My wheels soon started spinning and I began scheming up a little project.

Well, that little project morphed into a gigantic undertaking that took countless days and nights. It seems that the process of creating a village isn’t as simple as making one or two buildings. You can’t have a village without houses. Then of course, you need stores and at least one diner. Essential municipal services such as a water towers and ferris wheel cannot be neglected. Yes, ferris wheels are essential.

Paper-Calliope-Elfville-1 Read the rest of this entry

The perfect holiday craft tutorial

The perfect holiday craft tutorial


Paper-Calliope-Robins-Nest-Holiday-Tray-four-trees

Are you ready? Halloween is over and that means we crafty people are about to get hammered by holiday must dos. Before you hit the panic button, check out this holiday card tray tutorial I posted over at the Robin’s Nest.

Eye-catching and unique, it is certain to be a “must” for many crafters’ to do lists. However, even if you have no interest in making the tray, you won’t want to miss finding out how it relates to reindeer poop and being naked amidst 73 cats. It’s not every day that you can find a holiday craft with those kind of connections.

Paper-Calliope-Robins-Nest-Holiday-Tray-card

Full tutorial for Cinderella’s Time Gone By Artist Trading Block

Full tutorial for Cinderella’s Time Gone By Artist Trading Block

Paper-Calliope-Cinderella-ATB-Finished-Front-2

Last summer I posted a tutorial for an usual Artist Trading Block over at the Robin’s Nest. It was so well received that I thought it deserved a full replay here.

My Cinderella’s Time Gone By Artist Trading Block (ATB) features remnants of Cinderella’s ballroom dance at the castle and plays with the concept of Time: the importance Time played during Cinderella’s special night, the fact that this Time took place in the past and how Time distorts, warps and fractures memories. Read the rest of this entry

The end is near, so let’s can* it.

The end is near, so let’s can* it.

Halloween-tin-created-by-Betsy-Skagen-in-early-2000s-diagonal

 Altered tins are a treat on Halloween

On Day 12 of Paper Calliope’s 13 Days of October the end is near. It may not be Thursday, but I am sending out a throwback today with this Halloween tin I created several years ago. Read the rest of this entry

An artist trading block–be careful when toying with Number 13

An artist trading block–be careful when toying with Number 13

Paper-Calliope-Halloween-ATB-outside-1

As you are probably aware by now, Paper Calliope has been hosting the 13 Days of October. For 13 days in October I am featuring different autumn and Halloween focused craft projects. I playfully chose the number 13 to toy with spooky superstitions. Read the rest of this entry

It’s day three of Paper Calliope’s 13 Days of October

It’s day three of Paper Calliope’s 13 Days of October

 

Paper-Calliope-Journal-1-outside-2

How good are you at faking it? Are you good enough to fool that special someone in your life? Of course, experiencing the real thing always gives the best Wow!, but maybe you have been in a situation where you felt the need for some harmless deception. Read the rest of this entry

Golden Age of Travel Altered Art Box Tutorial at Robin’s Nest

Golden Age of Travel Altered Art Box Tutorial at Robin’s Nest
 Paper-Calliope-Robins-Nest-golden-travel-altered-box-275
 

There was a time during the 1940s to 1970s when some families got to experience the Golden Age of Travel. These were the days of roomy planes with curtained windows and hot meals; luxurious hotels with gloved bellhops; and even wood-paneled stationwagons with kids frolicking unbuckled in the back, while adults navigated empty interstates using a map from the Amoco station.

Ok, truth be told, I don’t remember most of those either. I am not prehistoric after all!.

My altered art box reflects how I imagine some mid-century Americans families  spent their holidays during this era You can read more about this altered art box, see a tutorial on how to make it and even find out what it has in common with Oprah by visiting my post at the Robin’s Nest.

Read the rest of this entry

Decorate your Halloween party with these festive rosettes

Decorate your Halloween party with these festive rosettes
Decorate your Halloween party with these festive rosettes

 

 

It is Day Two of Paper Calliope’s 13 Days of October and guess what! Halloween does not have to be all gloom and doom.

You can move away from the creepy and the scary by throwing a festive and fun Halloween party full of colorful cheer. If you do, make sure you decorate with these eye-popping Halloween rosettes.

Paper-Calliope-Halloween-Rosettes-0

Read the rest of this entry