LEt the Wood chipping begin!!!

My Sunflower Tramp Art Frame is well under way and taking shape.  I have completed the design of the pattern pieces and have fitted them to the frame.  Each side is a mirror image of its opposite, so I only design the pattern pieces for one side, but make two sets of each for each layer of tramp art.  The top sunflower design and the curved bottom do not repeat on the frame, so they are made with unique pattern pieces.  Here's a picture of the frame with the pattern pieces in their places.

 

The pattern pieces are then traced and cut out of poplar with my scroll saw. Initial piece count = 171!  Thanks to Delaney for doing Mom a favor and counting every little piece.  Now to get them all chipped and the sunflower carved.  Netflix, Amazon Prime, recliner and iced tea here I come!!

 

 

 

 

Happy Tramping!   Angie

 

 

My Next Challendge: Sunflower Tramp Art Frame

I have been asked to create a sunflower tramp art frame similar to this beautiful piece.

 

This original piece was created by G. Mayer and dated 1899, and is an amazingly vibrant piece and is very beautiful in its form and simplicity.   I have had this one on my to-do list for some time and am hoping that I can create a similar piece while adding some of my own touches here and there.  It does promote some challenges though and has a few elements that are going to push me out of my comfort zone. Carving a sunflower, creating strong wood joint, fit of the pieces, etc.

 

I started by creating the pine base adding on the pointed crown using dowels to join the two pieces.  My miters still need some work and rely on the amazing powers of wood filler and my trusty sander to help me out of these never straight miters.  They continue to look better with time.

 

 

 

After some sanding to level out the work surface and the edges, I did a light sketch on the frame of the layout and pieces needed for each section.  OOPs!!  I forgot to cut the bottom design outline.  There, much better!

 

 

It's starting to take shape now.  I've got my sharp pencil, ruler, scissors and my card stock paper already to create the tramp art pattern pieces.  Off to my lawn chair and glass of ice tea...this gorgeous October weather makes this sitting time easier!!

 

 

Happy Tramping!  Angie

 

 

 

 



Shifting Gears Slowly

It sure doesn't feel like October 2nd here in Maine.  High 70s and not a cloud in the sky. The annual gear shifting from the busy summer season to the creative being at home season seems to become harder and harder for me as each year goes by.  Starting up those creative juices is not easy for me and I tend to have a few weeks of cleaning out, pondering and finishing up my summer projects before I can put the hammer to the nail.

The work space is some what cleaned up thus available to start the next tramp art creations.  Tools and wood organized, my flea market treasures are bought and kids are back in school.

Here are some of the salvaged treasures that I found over my travels this past summer.  Lots of old wood, dominoes, vintage blocks, etc.  I'm looking forward to creating some amazing frames over this winter and sharing them on Downeast Tramp and Whimsey.

To warm up before I delve into some of the more intricate frames, I decided to add some color to this frame that I was giving to a family member as a gift.  A little color here, a little color there, some tramp art pieces here, and this vintage looking frame was created.  The colors came out very rich and really make the wood carving pop.  But of course the frame does not even compare to the handsome guy in the frame.  He's my special little Pickle!

Now, back to those 4 to 5 frames that I need to make......