Sea Breeze Starburst Tramp Art Frame

I've started my next project, "Sea Breeze", and its moving right along.  I've created a preliminary design, created the layout and have decided on a palette.  What is not to love about sea breeze green and burnt orange, antiqued and buffed into amazing, rich shades?  Hands down one of my favorite color combinations!

I've created all of the pattern pieces, scroll cut the  pieces and have started the chip carving.  For strength this piece is getting a base layer of oak, and will be completed in hand chipped poplar.  I've built a strong pine base frame to build upon and created a dust cover for the back.  

Off to enjoy my Maine sea breeze and a glass of cold iced tea, while I work on my basket of chip carving!  Does life get any better???

Happy Tramping,
Angie

Stars and Stripes Tramp Art Frame: Design

Amazing what a few sunny days can do for a soul!!  Salsa garden is planted, lawn is mowed and my next challenge is underway.  Being close to the 4th of July, I'm feeling a little patriotic and have started my Stars and Stripes Tramp art frame.

Here is the initial design!

I'm thinking vintage shades of red, white, blue and gold gilding. Lots of deep layers finished with lots of love and just the right amount of antiquing. 

Can she create it?  Stay tuned

Happy Tramping,
Angie 

 

Working on Fine Tuning My Backside!

The backside of my frames, of course!  I've been working on getting the backside of my frames as beautiful as the fronts.  They have to be trampy and beautiful but easy to use and sturdy.  It's an on going process but my backsides are evolving in the right direction! 

Here is a picture of the backside of my starburst tramp art frame.  Vintage, warm colors carried onto the back, easy to use turn buttons, and signature in place, while equipping the frame with strong hanging hardware.    And of course, topped off with some hand painted vines and berries!

 

 

 

I have been using the backside of my frames to test new techniques, colors and experiment with new ideas.  The place I really tend to cut loose!  You never know what you will find on the backside of my frames!

Happy Tramping,
Angie

Starburst Tramp Art Frame: Completion!

What is that shiny, bright thing in the sky??  Finally!  Boy have we earned this sunny, warm, and rain free weekend coming up!  With the arrival of this sunny stretch, I am glad to put the finishing touches on my Starburst Tramp Art frame. 

This piece was completed in a soft burnt orange, antique teal highlights and pops of gold gilding.  The colors came out amazing and have been finished with four coats of finish.  After lots of love and care, I am pleased with the end results.  This piece measures 15" x 15" and can hold a mirror or a  4 3/4" x 4 3/4" photo.  This frame consists of approx. 88 hand chipped wood pieces and from 4 to 7 layers of tramp art.

 

 

So pleased with the precise cuts and more uniform wood chipping!  The additional time spent on  a more accurate design,  pattern pieces and exact cuts has really paid off in the end product.  They are still a little quirky and "trampy" but that's what makes me love them so much.  A little off here, a little worn there, and definitely one of a kind!

 

Now back to the sketch book to figure out my next piece.  With the 4th of July coming up, I'm leaning towards a patriotic piece.  I'm thinking old glory in tramp art!  We'll see....

 

This piece is available for sale!  Please message me if you are interested in this Downeast Tramp frame.

 

Happy Tramping,

 

Angie

Starburst Tramp Art Frame : Assembly

I believe if we all think sunshine, we will get sunshine and boy do we need it! My garden and my tomato plants are waiting patiently.  So in the hopes of some warm sunny weather, I started to create this warm and sunny starburst tramp art frame. 

I have painted each layer a warm soft orange with bursts of ocean mist green.  Orange/teal color schemes always make me happy! This piece will include a pop of gold gilding around the parameter of the frame.  So far the colors look just like the shades I was looking for.  Once these soft colors are antiqued, they quickly become rich and yummy!

Here is a picture of my last dry run before assembly.  I use this step to double check my pieces, my colors, my fit and my nailing logistics.  Got to nail them so that the nails stay covered as much as possible!

This has got to be my favorite part of creating my tramp art frames: assembly.  I continue to be surprised at how interesting, beautiful and original they all come out. This is the stage where I can really see all of my sketches, pieces and work come together.  It is so much fun!

 

Off to predrill some holes and complete the assembly.  I can't wait to antique these colors and see how this starburst is transformed.

 

Happy Tramping,

Angie

Starburst Tramp Art Frame

My Starburst tramp art frame is well underway!  I've scroll cut all of the tramp art pieces and have done a piece check.  After replacing a couple of missing pieces (Thanks kitty!), I think I'm ready to start sanding and notching.  A great time to get caught up on my movie watching! 

I've darkened the picture so that each layer is more visible.  The base layer has been cut from oak to give the frame more bottom strength with the remaining layers cut from poplar. Easier on my fingers!

Because the picture was darkened, so was the palette samples in the upper left hand corner.  This piece will be painted a much lighter shade of teal and orange with some strategically placed gold gilding. Maybe.  We'll see!


This one is going to be sooo much fun!

Happy Tramping,
Angie

P.S. Happy 17th Birthday Maddie!!!  So proud of the kind, thoughtful, and beautiful young lady you have become. You'll always be my Madwoman! XOXO

Bring on the Starburst Tramp Art Frame

I've started to design my next project: Starburst Tramp Art Frame, which has been inspired by the sunshine that we so need after a week of wetness. Enough rain already!  

This pieces will be a starburst of warm, vintage orange with teal and dark chocolate, and should consist on approximately 88 hand chipped tramp art pieces with 3 - 7 layers.  Here is a picture of my sketch, pattern pieces and pine base frame.

I've settled on very warm, vintage orange (my favorite color!) for the points, teal for the knobby pieces and dark chocolate and gold gilding for the details. Here is a closer look at the palette I want to work with. Do you like the combination of vintage orange and teal?

I love this combination of orange and teal, but am thinking that I might go a little lighter on the teal in this piece. We will see......off to cut out the wood layers!

Happy Tramping,
Angie

Ocean Mist Tramp Art Frame: I love this vintage color!

After lots of color considerations, I'm so happy I went with an original mixed acrylic color which I am calling ocean mist green.  After lots of sanding and antiquing, I think I achieved the "vintage" looking green I was looking for.  Kind of minty, kind of tealish, I love it!

 

After a couple of coats of ocean mist and dark chocolate, the freshly painted pieces were put out on the deck.  Gotta take advantage of a sunny day and speed up the drying time!  I played around with using gold leaf and found that it added some elegance to the face and a pop to the 4 corners of this piece.

 

 

 

This is pre-antiquing. Just a quick check of pieces. My cat likes to steal them!

 

 

After lots of sanding and antiquing, Here is the completed frame.   A soft teal with amber antiquing in all the right places, with bursting coral flowers and gilded gold highlights! 

 

 

The frame measures 14 x 16 and holds a standard 8 X 10 picture.  This one-of-a kind frame consists of approx. 66 hand chipped pieces, 6 to 9 layers and was built upon a sturdy pine base.  I added a 3-D piece to the flowers to give them some depth.

 

 
 



3-D Coral Flower Detail
 

9 Layer Corner Stack







I am so happy with how this one came together and am thrilled with my new color finds.  So what's next....a vintage coral-ish frame or a vintage yellow piece?  So many choices! This piece is currently available for sale.

Happy Tramping,
Angie

Spigot Flowers Tramp Art FRame

The Challenge:

Beautiful spigot handles in amazing colors that resemble flowers. Love these!

 

And a faux tiger maple frame with a print that needs a little something.  A spark!

 

 

After working with epoxy glue and decorative tacks, the spigot flowers were created.   Some wood chipping here, decorative tacks there and VIOLA the spigot flower tramp art Frame came to be.  I think it looks amazing!!  What do you think??

 



 

Happy Upcycling.   Angie

UpCycling Treasures for future Tramp ARt

Just wanted to share some of my most recent upcycling treasures that I found in my travels.  I don't always know at the time what their home in the end will be but continue to collect all of the richly colored, rusty and interesting things that I find in my day to day life.

Love these old vintage yard sticks.  Advertising of a store of our childhood, beautiful rich colors and time worn wood.  Whats not to love!  I see a frame in the future...

 

Fell in love with these spigot handles as soon as I saw them.  Definitely flowers in disguise.

 

 

Amazing colors!!  Vintage bottle caps! Love using these on my frames

 

 

These have been tricky to use in my creations.  They are almost impossible to cut and are hard to drive into anything.  Ideas?



 

 

 

Who doesn't love old fashion keys?  And their smell?  I have used some of these wonderful keys in a couple of projects already!

 

 

 

I usually live with my finds for a while before I know I have the  right project for them.  It's extremely satisfying to finally see the right project come together with my elusive finds for that perfect tramp art piece.

 

Happy Upcycling.    Angie