Winter Star Challenge: honing my SKills

Winter Star Tramp Art Frame is well underway, with the pieces all cut, sanded, painted and then finally chipped.  Sore fingers here!

I've decided that this piece will continue to be and has been a skill challenger for me.  Spending more attention to the accuracy of the pieces and using a very thin balic birch, should help give the frame the tall and tighter fit I'm aiming for.  I've tweaked the pattern pieces, carefully scrolled the pieces, and have been trying to keep my chipping consistent and clean. 

I've given the frame a metallic silver base and painted the rest of the pieces blue.  Here is a dry run picture of all of the pieces in place.  Looks like I've got an extra last layer pieces and am missing a second layer piece.  Bad Katy Cat! 

I'm off to create the missing piece and start the final assembly and antiquing.  By far, my favorite part of a project!

What is it missing?  There's a POP of color or embellishment needed!  Silver, Red...yellow...no, brass nails. Undecided!


Happy Tramping

Angie

Winter Star CHallenge

My next project, Winter Star Tramp Art frame, will be a challenge!  This piece will be an 8 pointed star tramp art frame, that has many thin, precise layers (up to 12), and will be painted in a old bucket blue with maybe metallic gold highlighting.

In order to get the piece I am striving for, there are several attributes I'm trying to include in this piece.

I am hoping to use only up-cycled materials to create this piece.  I have found a old picture frame backing that I think will serve this purpose well.  Lots of nail holes and wear!  I'm just hoping that it doesn't prove to be too fragile to use.  We'll see once I start cutting out the pattern pieces.  This panel is also very thin and I think it will help give me the depth and the large number of layers (up to 13) that I need.

For this piece, I am also paying closer attention to accuracy and placement of layers.  I'm hoping to build the layers in smaller increments and more accurately to get that tight and symmetric look that I am going for.  I've tried to be more accurate in the making of my pattern pieces and hope for precisely cut tramp art pieces.  We'll see about that!

I've designed and cut my base frame into the star shape that I want and have cut out the corresponding pattern pieces for each layer.

 

 

Once the pieces are transferred to the wood panel and cut out,  Each piece will be notched using a smaller chipping knife to give more compact pieces and taller design.

 

I'm looking forward to many episodes of Dexter and Antique Roadshow as I chip away at the 90 or so wood pieces.  I refuse to go out in these frigid temperatures if I don't have to.  HIBERNATION IS SETTING IN!

 

Happy Tramping

 

Angie



Owl Love Tramp Art Frame is COmplete!

Since I have a hard time blogging mid project, I have some catching up to do!

Let see.  Where did I leave off?

After painting and chipping the pieces, I did a quick dry run to make sure all of the colors where working together and that I liked them. I've started painting before I chip.  I think that painting them first then chipping gives the pieces more definition. More of a color variance between pieces.

Yep!  Looks good.  Can't wait to see how they look antiqued! The pieces were then chipped and individually sanded.This step is the roughest on my hands.  I've learned to protect them with gloves and such but they still tend to get sore and a little stiff.  Probably due to those wood chipping marathons I have which usually include many episodes of Downton Abbey.  Highly recommend the show! 

The frame was assembled and a few pieces were tweaked here and there.  A couple of new elements were added and it was ready for antiquing.  I had read about a different antiquing technique and tried it on this piece and have to say that I am quite happy with the results.  With lots of love (buffing and rubbing) the colors are all amazingly rich and warm.  I Love Him!!!!  I am finally getting the warm and rich pieces that I have been looking for.  This frame is my favorite creation so far!

 

 

 

 

Well...I will be able to enjoy him for the next week or so until he finds his new home.

I can't wait to start my next project!  I've got some great pieces looking for their new purpose.  Will it be the round antique table top made into a round tramp art frame?  Gotta call my glass cutter on that one!

Happy Tramping,

Angie

Owl Love Tramp Art FRame

I have survived the holidays, several snow storms, an ice storm, and the kids being home on vacation!  These busy times don't really leave any spare to work on my creative projects.  I tend to create a design, start the project and slowly pick at it when life allows.  This creative time is so important to me.  Not only do I love to create these pieces of art, I have also learned that I need my creative time.  I'm a much easier person to live with when I'm getting my dose of creative stuff.

I have started my next frame which I am calling Owl Love.  I am making this Owl love tramp art frame for a friend whom is also an owl lover and has supported my creative development over the last year tremendously.  This one is for you Marguerite!

I have sketched up a simple design on paper and have cut out the pine base frame which will be backed with a simple  4 x 4 frame.  After tweaking the design slightly to include a heart,  I created the pattern pieces for each individual piece. Every owl needs a heart, Right?

 

 

For this frame, I decided to only use the wood and supplies I had on hand.  After considering many different pieces of repurposed wood pieces, I decided on a combination of  an old panel, poplar, and birch plywood.  Harder wood in the places that needed the support and that were at risk of being broken.  Here is a picture of my dry run of all wood pieces.

Now, off to start the sanding, painting and wood chipping, while thinking about all of the yummy color options for Mr. Owl.  I'm seeing burnt orange, browns and of course blue highlights!  Maybe some metallic gold.....checkerboard pattern?

Happy Tramping 

Angie