22 August 2017

Time to reveal the finished project…….

Several days ago I posted a blog showing a typesetter’s tray that I discovered while perusing a Peddler’s Mall.  I had been attempting for quite a while to find a way to display/store my jewelry so that I could easily see my collection without digging through boxes for a piece to match my outfit-of-the-day.  When I saw the typesetter’s tray, the mental wheels began to rapidly turn.  At the time of purchase, I wasn’t certain how I was going to make the conversion, but I knew the ideas would begin to flow as quickly as the money changed hands.

I began by using compressed air to remove years of dust from the cracks and crevices.  My mind wandered at that point to the person who had used this drawer for hour after hour while preparing a single letter at a time until words, sentences and then paragraphs were finally form.  Obviously, my mind wanders frequently….so back to the project.

Once the dust was cleaned away, I applied a coat of CeCe Caldwell Thomasville Teal chalk paint.  While waiting on the paint to dry, I dug through an old satchel of scrapbook materials.  I chose scrapbook paper in complimentary colors to the teal paint.  The next step was the most time consuming.  I cut a piece of colorful paper for each of the openings on the tray and adhered them with a spray adhesive.  I fully realize that the adhesive was to be placed on the back of the paper, but still managed to get enough on my hands to make them appear to be some type of mutant finger-webbed appendages whose DNA was seriously twisted.   Once I was able to separate my fingers back to normalcy, I searched my tool boxes for a variety of hooks to scatter throughout the tray.  During my search, I discovered a small dowel screaming “use me” from the depths of the unorganized tool box.  Mr. Dowel was cut to fit a few of the larger spaces in the tray and received a coat of CeCe Caldwell New Orleans Purple chalk paint.  A little dab of wood glue held the dowel in place reminding me of the hanging rack in a Barbie carrying-case that I had quite a few years ago.  Additional hooks were placed on the back of the tray so that it could be hung on the wall.

I found a plethora of jewelry that had simply been forgotten.  Some pieces found a home in my new display while others were moved to the never-ending yard-sale pile. Everything that gets deposited into the yard-sale boxes is one less thing I’ll have to move on this new journey. This project served two purposes for me…..(1) Get rid of things that you don’t use and (2) organize what you have so that you can actually use and enjoy it.

Before I begin another new project, I think I should complete some of these half-finished ones here in the studio!  I’ll keep you up-to-date on my progress.

Until then, BCRE8TF, my friends!

Love, Laughter & Happiness

Sharon

The Creative Chick

8 August 2017

I have paint under my fingernails and it feels great!  That might not sound like much to any of you who do not know me, but it’s one of those “steps in the right direction”.  I’m not practicing my airbrushing skills nor painting a portrait nor making a graphite architectural drawing…..I am working on an artsy/crafty repurpose project.

This is a vacation week for me from my 7-4 M-F job. The entire week can’t be spent in the studio as I do have some other things planned but I am going to get quite a few productive (and fun) hours between those four walls.  Yesterday was spent shopping for upholstery fabric for a few household projects, as well as a stroll through a Peddler’s Mall.  While there, I purchased an old typesetter’s tray to repurpose.  I’ve taken a photo of it before beginning and will include a photo after it is complete.  For now, I’ll leave you to guess what its new usage will be and I’ll return to the studio to see if the first coat of glaze has dried.

Until next time, BCRE8TF my friends.

 

Love, Laughter and Happiness Always,

Sharon

The Creative Chick