Altered Wooden Frame

The inspiration for this project came from an in-store flier I picked up at a craft store. Because I didn't have some of the tools and products they used in the sample, I came up with some substitutions that I like even better.

This frame holds a 4x6 photo. The girls in the photo are my mom (on the right) and her older sister Mary. Both "girls" still have the same sweet smiles today.

Supplies:
Plain oval wooden frame; Americana brand bleached sand acrylic paint; Ranger vintage photo crackle paint; Studio 490 leaf and flower stamps; Grungepaper; Grungeboard flourishes; distress inks: black soot, broken china, fired brick, scattered straw, peeled paint, brushed corduroy, and antique linen; small black buttons; embroidery floss.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you're having a fabulous weekend.

My Style - Vintage!

Although I make greeting cards and other items that exhibit a variety of styles, the "look" that comes most naturally to me, and which I think defines my style the best, is vintage.

vintage (adj): of old, recognized, and enduring interest, importance, or quality: classic.

The types of stamped images and decorative papers that catch my eye are those with subjects or a look reminiscent of the early 1900s to about 1950. I also like to use old black and white photos in my artwork.

This birthday card for my dad features a photograph of him circa 1938 as well as two stamped images by Tim Holtz that look like a Victorian photography studio advertisement and a strip of film.


Here is a closeup of the piece.

I think my dad looks mighty grumpy in this photo!

Maybe those hand-me-down shoes didn't fit his little feet quite right. And I'm amused by the unpainted sheds and the car in the background (with the tire that is half flat) and the fact that there is no grass. My dad was born at the height of the Great Depression and was the 11th out of 14th children, so they didn't have much (and there is nothing amusing about that!).

I used a soot technique to transfer the advertising image and film strip to a piece of glossy paper. The technique compliments these particular images and works well with the overall theme of a vintage card.

Supplies:
Rubber stamps by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, number stamps by Hero Arts, decorative paper by K & Company, black cardstock base by Bazzill, miscellaneous pewter hardware, distress inks on paper edges.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Inaugural Post

Here it is, the post you've been eagerly awaiting (well, two of you at least). I am proud to say that after a long period of research and development, this site is ready to go live!

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to starting this blog was choosing a name for it. I wanted a name that would reflect my personality yet wouldn't give the wrong impression. To be honest, I couldn't come up with anything that fit these criteria. Because I created this blog to showcase my art, I finally settled on Suitable for Framing. I am basically self-trained, yet on several occasions people have told me "You should frame that." I thought that was high praise indeed, as some artists would call what I do "crafting," not art.

Whatever you call it, my projects include paper creations, altered items, and mixed media art. So without further ado, let me show you one of my latest projects!

P is for Paris


This is a 5.75" square greeting card featuring a chipboard letter "P" altered with an intaglio technique.



Supplies:
Chipboard letter P, rubber stamps from Inkadinkado and Tim Holtz, UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel), Perfect Pearls, decorative papers by GCD, black cardstock base by Bazzill, black satin ribbon,
metal frame altered with Adirondack Alcohol Ink Mixatives in gold.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog! I hope you'll come back often.