Keep it Simple STupid

It started out so innocent and simple:  My need for a quick project and a crudely made birdhouse needing to be tramped.

A little uneven and rough but full of potential - built by an elderly man in my town.

With some vintage bottle caps, old Maine license plates, a vintage child's block, chipped spindles, and old flat nails in hand, the chips went flying.  A little of this, and a little of that, some wood chipping, some metal cutting - VIOLA!

A tramped birdhouse ready for occupation.

I have to say that my simple project quickly turned into a much more involved one.  Not the simple, quick one that I was aiming for.

They always start out that way.  If only I could remember and follow through with the old KISS principal.  Keep it simple stupid!

Happy Upcycling      Angie

Tulips in Vase Frame: COmpletion

The Tulips in Vase frame has been completed.  I am quite happy with the completed piece and the end result. The colors turned out very rich and vintage looking.  On this piece I have tramped up to 7-8 layers approx 70 wooden pieces, and embellished the top with a finial crafted from a vintage spindle and spool.  At the crown of the piece are flowing fraktur tulips sprouting from a vase. On the bottom sits a very curious distelfink.  To complete this frame, I added 4 vintage drawer pulls on each corner.

 

Completed 8 x 10 Frame

                                                          Distelfink detail.

 

 

Fraktur Tulips in Vase detail.

 

This piece will be listed for sale on Ebay starting tonight. The auction will be for the 8 x 10 frame only - no painting this time.  Please feel free to let me know what you think!

 

Happy Upcycling!  Angie

Spring has SPrung - Practicing with your Digital Camera

Another great thing about what I do, is learning the photography skills that I feel is necessary to properly display the rich, rusty, and grungy of my pieces.   I'm just a beginner but I have seen a tremendous quality change in how my items are displayed to the world.  After taking many hours of getting things just right with the creations, It's only fair to display the true colors and wood notches of my pieces.  

One of the items that has helped my picture quality is the purchase of a quality camera.  Big step up right there, and even more as you learn and practice with the camera, the light, and different lenses.  Practice has been the key for me.  Even if it is just an hour a day, it helps the quality of your pictures and your creativity tremendously.

A great excuse to get outside, enjoy a little sun, and hone those digital camera skills!

A couple of my favorites that I took today:

 

 

After a long and snowy winter, spring is here!!

Invasion of the Wood Chips!!! HElp!

OK...Here I am mid project, excited about getting to the put together stage of the project, and my house, my feet and my day-to-day life are covered in wood chips. 

They make a very distinctive crunch under your feet!

I've tried chipping over a pan and an old crate.  I've found the best place is outside, but this winter its been tough to pull that one off.  So we currently live with the fact that we are going to have a couple of chip infested days and we cope with it.

All of you seasoned tramp artist, wood chippers, etc.  What is your secret to containing chips??  Please share your solutions and suggestions!!!

Happy UPcycling!  Angie

Tulips in Vase FRame:

Another piece well under way.  Hoping that this tulips in vase frame will resemble the finished version in my head.

 

I found a basic 8 X10 pine frame that I am using for the base but did add a crown of pine to get the curves I was looking for.  The pattern for the pieces are done and each layer has been cut.  I will be piecing several different elements for the finial on top (spindle from chair, old thread thimble, etc.)

 

Here is the dry run with all of the pieces (unnotched) in their places.  I found if I don't complete this step, I always end up missing some pieces in the end, which costs me more time than necessary.   I think my house bound cat takes great joy in hiding them from me.  She is very sneaky!

 

 

Now to notch all of the pieces, paint them, and secure them to the base.  I'm thinking maybe red...no yellow.  We will see.

Before and AFter

One of the exciting parts of creating my folk art pieces, is seeing the transformation from the found piece to the finished item.  As I get used to blogging, I hope to be able to document the in between stages better.  Its hard to slow down and think to take pictures as I work. 

Here are the before and after picts of the soldier piece that I just completed and listed for sale on ebay.  If you are interested in a purchase, view my ebay listing at the bottom of my posts.

 

This piece started with a very basic frame purchased from Goodwill ($1.99).  The wooden pieces were designed and cut, the painting was designed and painted.  Ready for wood chipping, painting and assembly.

 

 

 

This is the completed piece with approximately 70 chipped pieces and vintage hanger added to the top.  I am very happy with the end result and hoping a good home will be found soon.

 

 

Happy UPcyling!   Angie

The Thrill of the HUnt

One of my favorite parts of what I do, is the hunt for base pieces to use for my tramp art pieces.  I comb yard sales, resale shops, Goodwill (one of my favorites), and am always looking for items to upcycle and to make my tramp art pieces different and amazing.  I let these finds dictate what I create next or other wise I get stuck on what the next best project should be.  Some of the items sit on my kitchen table or in my basement for quite sometime before I know what they are meant to be but I have learned to be patient and the creation comes. Eventially!

Here are a couple of new treasures that I have found.  Both very cute but in need of a higher calling.

I fell in love with this box right away. Great old paint. Love the heart opening used to open it up.  I am envisioning at this moment a tramped mantel box with legs and a finial.  Time will tell.

 

This is a very quiant piece and holds alot of potential.  Maybe a tramped jewelery box?

 

I will be sharing some of my transformations with before and after pictures and will also share the process along the way.  It so exciting to take an item that is destined for that yard sale or trash heap and create something that makes someone else happy.  Oh yeah...and makes me happy along the way too.

 

 



The First STep

Well,  Here goes nothing...The first step.  Just doing it, not just talking about it any more.  Taking that big step of declaring that your hobby has turned into so much more than you ever expected.  Your stress reliever, your obsession, your passion.  Admitting to the world that you love the smell of old wood, paint, and rusty things. Taking yourself and that thing that you're good at and love so much seriously. Stepping onto that soap box even though it puts you out of your comfort zone. 

My name is Angie Dow and I absolutely love tramp art, folk art, outsider art and the whimsy.  I love creating  amazing folk art pieces by spending little, scavengening, and upcycling.  I spend my spare time, searching for those rusty nails, chippy spindles, and forgotten treasures and imagining my next one of a kind piece.

Here are few that I completed recently:

This piece was created from a basic pine frame from Goodwill.  Cost very little to make but took many hours of designing and woodchipping.

 

 

This was a custom made piece that was created using an old large spindle that I upcycled from the dump and a very basic bird house.  This piece sported handpainted distelfinks and many wood chipped pieces with a cedar roof.

 

I'm hoping by starting this blog and sharing my process of creating these pieces, I will inspire  other folk art lovers  to put all of those collections of bottlecaps, old picture frames, spindles, etc. to good use.  You  know who you are!  Come out of the closet!

 

Lets share our creations and be proud of what we have create from little.