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

Another thing that I love about what I do! Treasure HUnting!

I just wanted to show off some of the treasures that I have found recently. In time,  Each piece will eventually end up in one of my Tramp Art creations.  I frequent our local Goodwill store, local junk dealers (love these guys), and the occasional thrift store, looking for those sturdy flat faced frames, old wooden boxes, spindles and everything in between. The older, the rustier, the more worn the better!

Here's a pict of the assorted frames that I have found recently. It's much easier for me to buy the base frame than to make it myself.  It's not very easy getting those miter cuts exact and have everything fit correctly!  Still working on these skills! The square frames tend to end up in a star shaped tramp art frames. 

 

They have to be flat faced, made out of wood, and sturdy.  Glass is a plus but not necessary - I have great glass cutter when necessary.  I like the not so ordinary sizes, shapes and colors.  They must be sturdy!

 

 

Not sure how these will work their way into one of my pieces but I could not pass them up.  Old metal with patina, old paint and who of course doesn't need a giant wooden key?  It's not signed any where but does say Deer Isle Maine on it.  A great piece of folk art!

 

 

Bunches of mosaic tiles in very nautical shades of blue, grey and black.  I am thinking something very nautical, with a boat, water.....time will tell.

 

 

Couldn't pass up this amazing piece of white birch bark!  The colors, cracks and knots are just gorgeous!  This is definitely going to end up in one of my pieces after I figure out how to work with it.  A Maine-ish frame with maybe pinecones, thin branches, Native barks.....or maybe an Adirondack inspired piece.

 

I am so thankful for this part of the creation process.  It's so much fun while looking and so satisfying to see these treasures find their homes in my pieces!! 

 

 

Happy Tramping     Angie

Mission ACcomplished

The sunflower tramp art frame came together nicely;  soft and yummy colors, solid and sturdy, and beautiful all in one.  Thank you Marguerite for your great artistic adjectives!  I have implemented several changes in my creation process and have come away quite satisfied with the results and have saved myself some time and increased the quality of this piece.

Having predrilled some of the smaller pieces of the tramp art layers, the number of pieces having to be recut, rechipped and repainted during the assembly was reduced greatly.  The predrilling will also help create a tighter bond between layers and cut down on future potential piece damage. 

I also religiously kept all pieces in sealed ziplocks so that my cat could not steal them.  No missing pieces!  Assembly was quicker than usually by keeping the pieces organized by color also.

I sometimes can't make the really tiny pieces that I would like to include on my frames.  The wood pieces gets fragile, hard to secure and hard on my hands when they are too tiny.  I don't know why I haven't done it before, but I did some hand painted detail and line work on this piece to bring it all together.  Before I started creating tramp art layers on my frames, most of my frames had hand painted designs and motifs on them.  So I'm not really surprised that the hand painted details are sneaking back in there.

The sunflower crown was created by carving two layers of petals with a vintage brass knob as the center. 

After the pieces was assembled and had had enough drying time, I coated the piece with a coat of antiquing medium.  I always look to deepen my colors and add that touch of time wear to the sanded edges and nooks and crannies.  I then gave certain areas a second coat to darken the edges and notches.  Three coats of polycrit later and we have the finished piece.

I am really excited to have been able to fine tune some of my steps and also save myself some unnecessary steps.  169 wood chipped pieces later, I'm quite happy to be able to send this piece to the Big Apple to fellow tramp art lover, Marguerite.

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......

Needed Inspiration this MOrning

Feeling kind of not creative.  The best medicine for that is a break in projects.  Nothing that a early morning walk wearing the muck boots, through the wet grass can't solve.  I found some amazing inspirations:  gatherings of new ferns, a sunbathing cat and a flowering quince bush.  After slowing down, grabbing the camera and the dog, and heading out into the sunshine; here are some of my favorite shots.

Flowering Quince

 

Uncoiling Fern

 



Fiddlehead

 

On the Prowl

What a way to rekindle that creativeness than to get outside in the sunshine and work on those photography skills!  I love this part of my work.

 

Happy Upcycling     Angie

 

Spring is Here and I Have PRoof!

Yes! Spring is here. After spending 15 minutes outside in the dank weather, I have photographic proof.  It's amazing the small signs that we don't always see as we are going about our busy days. Grocery shopping, taxi service, cooking, etc.  Who has time? Right? 

As the old saying goes, We should all stop and smell the roses. Well, I stopped and smelled the roses for those 15 minutes and feel 100% better.  I discovered that after a long, cold and sun deprived winter, spring has finally arrived with amazing beauty.



Pussy Willows - Soft and Fluffy



Daffodil - Heavy with Dew



Wet with Dew

Bud on Quince - Like a bouquet of roses

Just what the doctor ordered and the best thing for that creativity.  Back to my wood chipping...

 

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!!