Showing posts with label Shop Featured. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shop Featured. Show all posts

Thursday, June 26, 2014

How to Create a Photo Prop Rocket


  REVAMPED ROCKET FOR JULY 2015!!!  Added a silver barrel, which is made from a large oatmeal container in silver wrapping paper coated with a waterproof sealant.  I stuffed it with packing paper that went down through the original barrel, and some around the portion that covered the original barrel to make a snug fit.  I then hot-glued the new silver barrel to the original barrel as well as hot-glueing the top of the rocket back on.



  Make your fourth of July one to remember with having pictures that go off with a BANG!  Create your very own Independence Day party photo booth / station with a faux rocket as a prop.  After the celebration, be patriotic the rest of the month with this fireworks creation in your front yard or flower bed as lawn decor: be wary of waterproofing.  With the American flag as inspiration in creating this missile-of-an-art-piece, your family and friends will think you were a true patriot of this spectacular summer holiday.



Materials Needed:

A Large Hardy Cardboard Tube

Plain White Card Stock Paper

Blue Acrylic Paint

Red Acrylic Paint

Mod Podge

Sponge Brush

Scissors

Hot Glue Gun

Packing Paper

Coffee Filters

Duck Tape

Scotch Tape

Stake / Rod / Pole

Twine



How to Construct Your Faux Rocket:

  Dampen your sponge brush with water and gently dry with a paper towel to prime your bush so that it won't soak up too much paint or Mod Podge.  

  Paint large cardboard tube with blue acrylic paint, and let dry.

  Stretch stars image below to fit on a single paged document and print twice.



  Cut out all of the stars from both printed papers.

  With your sponge brush, coat the stars with Mod Podge to attach them to painted cardboard tube for the rocket's barrel.  Be sure to put the ink side down so that just white stars are seen.  Space the stars a few inches apart in a straight row around the tube with bottom row having stars centered between the above stars; let dry.

  Mod Podge the entire rocket's barrel.

  To create your faux rocket's top, get two pieces of plain card stock paper and form a cone using a bit of scotch tape; trim to make a smooth bottom edge.

  With sponge brush, paint a spiral up the cone with red acrylic paint; let dry.

  Mod Podge the cone top; let dry.

  For the rocket's wick, tie on a long piece of twine to the top end of your chosen rod, and then attach this rod to the inside of the faux rocket's barrel tube with duck tape: having the twine run all the way down and out of the tube.

  Stuff the the tube with packing paper, and seal bottom with a few coffee filters having a hole poked through the center for twine wick to go through.  You may simply cup this coffee filters bottom against the interior packing paper mass and push downward to the bottom of the tube barrel; tape from the inside if preferred, but not needed.  

  Attach cone top to barrel by using a hot glue gun.

  Mission Complete!



  Interested in the fabulous patriotic pump heels showcased here?  Please visit my sister shop: LaOohLaLa Boutique.

Revamped Rocket for July 2015!!!  Added a silver barrel, which is made from a large oatmeal container in silver wrapping paper coated with a waterproof sealant.  I stuffed it with packing paper that went down through the original barrel, and some around the portion that covered the original barrel to make a snug fit.  I then hot-glued the new silver barrel to the original barrel as well as hot-glueing the top of the rocket back on.



Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Hot Air Balloon or Jack and the Beanstalk Cake


UPDATE APRIL 2015:  The latest hot air balloon cake creation using this method is seen in this picture above, which was made for my daughter's second birthday: a bit of a commemoration for the hot air balloon cake that I made for her older brother's second birthday.  The inspiration for this cake was to do a spin-off from the original Wizard of Oz movie.  I had the bright idea that Glinda (the good witch) ought to transform the wizard's getaway hot air balloon into one of her bubbles.  I managed to do this with all natural food colorings: cream cheese frosting tinted with turmeric for yellow brick road, bordered with chopped pistachios, basket made of gingerbread with icing glaze for adhesive, tornado made of ice-cream cone covered in chunky peanut butter and chocolate, and the top balloon portion covered in cream cheese frosting tinted with strong hibiscus tea.  It was also a carrot cake.



Cake design found in vintage 1960's cookbook titled Wilton's Wonderland of Cake Decorating by McKinley and Norman Wilton, this is the ultimate child's birthday cake that requires both mother's baking as much as father's handy work.  A delight to see and quite easy to work with, this do it yourself cake stand is versatile in what it can be; let your imagination go free!



The hot air balloon cake uses ribbon (wrapped over and strung through cocktail picks to be pressed into cake) to take one's eye off of the cake stand's center supporting rod, and really gives the illusion that this portion of the cake is floating!

The cake seen above was decorated with circus themed porcelain figurines, in which were inspired by my son's world's fair themed birthday party last year.  Would be a perfect cake for any carnival or festival themed party!

Balloon's basket is made of a ramekin sized miniature cake with plain toasted wheat (Chex) cereal placed in icing.  All cake pieces here were homemade carrot cakes.  I love how carrot cake is dense and therefore great in keeping its height, and not sinking or falling like other cakes or soufflés are known to do.  Carrot cake is also my most preferred cake for Barbie doll cakes too: when striving to reach doll's waist.

Icing is a mixture of whipped softened butter and powdered sugar to taste.  For carrot cake, cream cheese frosting goes best; two sticks of butter per package of cream cheese.  A dash of turmeric spice for natural yellow coloring.



With the Jack and the Beanstalk cake, COTTON CANDY DISSOLVES OR DEFLATES QUICKLY! ... As regrettably seen in this picture; large marshmallows stuck in with toothpicks would be a more dependable approach for the cloud.

Hand cut paper dolls were made by printing images on card stock and being sure to leave bottom portions blank to help in providing enough area for pressing paper pieces into cake for support.  Curving the paper adds dimension.

Beanstalk was achieved by winding 9-10 green pipe cleaners around center supporting rod.  Winding end parts of each pipe cleaner around pencil gives off curly vines for Jack to climb on.

This cake was prepared by following a light fluffy white cake recipe that required three layers with lemon zest curd filling, and topped with chopped pistachios.  Yummy Fun!



From the vintage Wilton cookbook, the actual instruction for making this cake is seen above here with the cake being given the name Around the World in Eighty Days.



My husband, however, built it like this (seen above).  Running a screw rod up through half of a styrofoam sphere attached to a circular cut wood piece with spray adhesive glue, and bolted with washer at top.



Wooden skewer sticks were pressed into styrofoam ball piece to support cotton candy in the Jack and the Beanstalk cake; however, since this part failed (cotton candy dissolved quickly after being placed onto cake) pressing in toothpicks instead with large marshmallows attached may be a safer alternative.

Also something important to note, styrofoam flakes if ran under hot water (to say, rinse off icing).  To help keep this part of the cake stand like new, wrap it in aluminum foil before placing cake on stand and decorating with icing to prevent it from disintegrating.

Cake for top stand needs to be baked in an oven safe tall-ish bowl that doesn't have to exactly match the diameter of the stand, but certainly needs to be close; once icing is applied, it helps to even everything out to make a perfect sphere shape.



Best wishes on this DIY hot air balloon or Jack and the Beanstalk birthday cake stand and cake!  I won't make any promises, but if interested in having this cake stand made for you, contact me via Etsy convo through my Etsy store Storybook Artifact, and I'll ask my husband if he is willing to take on this construction project once again ... but like I mentioned, "no promises"; he is one busy dad.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Embracing the Misconceptions of Online Doll Shoppers May Help Sales

From far and wide, it has come to my attention that there are interestingly notable similarities among many vintage plastic dolls to the point where categorizing them or distinguishing them from one another has become somewhat of a loose term when tagging dolls for online shopping.


From a doll collector's standpoint, it may seem arbitrary to have a doll pop up in a search that it may or may not belong in.  However, the idea of potential customers distinguishing dolls themselves incorrectly leads reason to believe that providing this gateway to your doll for sale is in fact logical.


Dolls' Similar Features:

_Wig glued to head
_ Movable arms and head
_ Measuring 7.5 inches tall


Doll Groups:


Don't get me wrong, how dolls are valued does vary, especially in consideration of their condition: i.e. "still in original box" vs. "has slight wear".


To conclude, it is more than coincidence that these dolls resemble one another; they did all originate from companies that started producing dolls around the 40's and 50's.  The use of plastic in doll making was right at the beginning.  In hindsight, this set the foundation for dolls made today.

Dolls in blog article are found here: 




Friday, January 25, 2013

For Romeo's Valentine


Storybook Artifact has a new shop section called "For Romeo's Valentine" filled with the most thoughtful gifts and supplies in preparation for this coming Valentine's Day!

Featured above is a lovely rare antique print (from an early 1900's advertisement) available in digital format and card stock prints.



Vintage valentines from the 40's available!  Classic gifts for her: like this stunning glazed pottery pin of hearts and roses.







... For Shakespeare enthusiasts, those who dream as if they were Alice in Wonderland, romantics, admirers of antiques, original art works, and many other lovelies.  Come check it out!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/StorybookArtifact?section_id=12813813


  

Friday, December 2, 2011

How to Keep Santa Overnight


Make your jolly ol' guest feel more than welcome by setting out homemade cookies, chocolates, and tea from my shop's Treats and Sweets section.



See the latest addition to this yummy shop sectionSugar Plums à la Chocolaté; a naturally rich and decadent dried fruit is simply dipped in dark chocolate and is transformed into this lovely little treat.




Or try the classic Christmas cookie on Santa this year; there are several different cookies to choose from.



Also featured in this section is the tea fabricated by none other than Shakespeare himself; a lovely light floral peppermint tea mentioned in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale: Shakespeare Tea Blend.



This blog post was written by Andrea of Storybook Artifact.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

June's Featured Etsy Blogger is Tammy of TamDoll!



Congratulations fellow EtsyBlogger Tammy of TamDoll for being this month's "Featured EtsyBlogger"!!!  I absolutely adore this Hanging Commandments Fiber Wall Art that I found in her lovely shop!  Tammy's work takes me to a place of inspiration and creative enlightenment; not to mention that I adore anything purple. ;-)  To see a work of art delicately crafted as those of Tammy's is certainly encouragement to create something grand and beautiful myself.  I think these precious treasures that Tammy makes signifies a pure and cozy side to elegance.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Thoughtful Shower Gift to Welcome Baby



I love this decoupage art canister, titled Baby Inspiration, that I picked out from my artistic twin sister Jessica's Etsy shop (Eco-Friendly Freckles) for an upcoming baby shower that I'll be attending this weekend for a friend of mine.  Jessica fixed me up with some of her luxurious handmade soap to go inside of the canister also.  This little addition to the shower gift really has made the gift extraordinary!  I love the detail in Jessica's art: absolutely breathtaking.  I look forward to seeing this baby shower gift unwrapped and "cherished"; cherished is the single word elegantly featured on soap's tag that accentuates the thoughtfulness behind this playful "welcome baby" gift.

Friday, May 27, 2011

May's Featured EtsyBlogger is Nancy of NanjoDogz!

Congratulations fellow EtsyBlogger Nancy of NanjoDogz for being this month's "Featured EtsyBlogger"!!!  I absolutely adore this Jack Russell Terrier Polymer Clay Dog Pandora Bead that I found in this man's best friend of an Etsy shop!  Nancy's work takes me back to those childhood days I spent reading Where the Red Fern Grows: a story of a brave boy and his coon dog.  To have a dog along with you on any journey provides a sense of security, warmth, and love.  I think these precious beads that Nancy makes signifies all of this, and I am sure even more for those who are blessed to have a dog for their best friend.


Speaking of man's best friend, another fellow EtsyBlogger member, my sister, Jessica, and owner of Eco-Friendly Freckles has a Rare Vintage 60's Budweiser Ad Set of Prints that symbolizes that manly behavior we've all become accustomed to love.  For a thoughtful Father's Day, graduation, and/or bachelor pad/house warming gift, this collection would perfect. :-)


Monday, April 11, 2011

Dreaming of Riverwalk

This weekend marks my husband's and my fourth wedding anniversary, and the first to celebrate with our Baby Bobby!  We have picked a cozy and interactive vacation spot: San Antonio, TX!  I look forward to sharing my inspirations from the trip after we return.



Contributing to my daydreaming, is this new piece of artistic jewelry that I've recently purchased from Whimsical Anythings by CamiArtistica!  It is so creative, and expressive; I love it!

My lastest Etsy treasury is titled Polished and Pumped and features eight FolkReveries team members!  Check it out!!!


Friday, March 4, 2011

Self-Taught Artists Expose Their Treasures


Members of STAT Team (Self-Taught Artist Treasury Team) have created a collection of their most priced treasures to expose to the public.  Please take a moment to appreciate their grand achievements.

Captain Hippiechicjewelz says:
GREEN with envy everyone will be when they see you wearing this Hand Sculpted Rustic Citron Cross Bracelet by Hippie Chic Jewelz!
Leader oddballartco says:

Skulls can be girly, and cute as can be! Don't believe me? Check out these tags and find out.... 
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68111968/girly-skull-original-hand-painted



Leader ecofriendlyfreckles says:

Cheer up on rainy day with this gorgeous, meticulously handcrafted, one-of-a-kind money tin "Sunshine on a Rainy Day":
http://www.etsy.com/listing/68873793/sunshine-on-a-rainy-day-hand-painted



Leader asiabataev says:

Have you ever seen winter playing with spring? Check it out :-)

SaratogaSpinning says:

Warm and toasty you will be when you knit up a delightfully warm hat or scarf and bring a Flannel Pajamas jolt of color to this crazy winter we are having!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66835003/handspun-flannel-pajamas-superwash?ref=pr_shop


labellechanson says:

Delicately hand made with freshwater pearls to adorn your hair for your wedding or any special event of yours.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67048661/winter-cherry-blossoms-freshwa 

holeestars says:

What a great way to hide your toaster with class with my new Mr Toaster cupboard.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68098107/mr-toaster-primitive-toaster-cupboard



Pod Pals - Great for children and parents on the go!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67742076/pod-pals-tommy-the-turtle-for-children



Time and protection in a bottle

http://www.etsy.com/listing/36882594/original-art-canvas-abstract-greek

Red White and Denim...Does anything say welcome to summer better than this bag.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68861243/red-white-and-denim-bag


Hi! Your beautiful item has been included in a Treasury

yifatbareket says:
Are you a March B-day girl or just like blue? Those stunning earrings are especially for you!!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65906892/march-birthstone-goddess-earrings-with


Nothing like colorful skulls to brighten your day!
Magical Sea Glass necklace from Salem MA

Storybook Artifact says:

Rekindle your lover's alluring memory with this original painting inspired by great thought into the hazy future of soulmate's dream: titled "Is He the Man of My Dreams"

BarSoap says:

Celebrate St Patrick's day with this deliciously sweet Irish Cream Soap. The lather of the soap is as soft and smooth as that first creamy cocktail of the evening but you can use this bar of pleasure any time of the day!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64627686/irish-cream-soap-traditional-cold



Dreaming of a wonderful summer in the adirondacks with this wall hanging.

Don't get caught not wearing green, or you may get pinched! Beautiful glass bracelet set, including free earrings!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62630191/czech-green-crystal-glass-bracelet-sale

This Octopus is just too cute!

KCIADesigns says:

A blue burst from the sun to colour your day!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Love Those Blue Eyes

 Inspired by my baby boy Bobby's blue eyes, is a loving home filled with expression and comforts everywhere you turn.  I love being a momma and made a list this morning of treasures that brought me that warm and fuzzy feeling.


Titled Home is Where the Heart Is; check it out!  I hope your day is filled with lots of love and comforts of home.


Also be sure to keep that warm and fuzzy feeling going by checking out Aunt Jessy's (Eco-Friendly Freckles) newest treasury titled The Year of the Rabbit...Peter Rabbit That Is.  So Adorable!


<3

Storybook Artifact's Vintage Pink Parasol

An elegant and trendy vintage accessory to pair with any 60's or japanese-style apparel. This vintage japanese parasol is of lovely construction; it has a sturdy wood frame with bamboo pole that is slightly split at midsection. Delicate pale-pink paper shade with minor repairs: a couple of taped tears. Overall, the condition is certainly fair; excellent and stylish source of natural sunscreen/shade.




Recently featured on one of my twin sister's, Jessy's (Eco-friendly Freckles), latest treasuries titled Vacation for My Valentine.  And it has been labeled "cuteable" on Cuteable. ;-)

"How pretty is this vintage parasol?  I think I would dance around all day if I had this!  Get it from Storybook Artifact."

Love the feature, and what a cute site! Check out this recent posting on cuteable, and you'll be glad that you visited the site: so cute. :-)

You can find this vintage pink parasol at Storybook Artifact also.



Cuteable is run by husband and wife team Lynsey and Matt. Matt is in charge of the technical side of the site and Lynsey is in charge of the day to day running and the fun part – finding the cute to share!




... other recent features are on the following treasuries:


www.etsy.com/treasury/4d50087d022d6d91cbf1ac33/pretty-in-pink


Saturday, February 5, 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Treasured in an Ocean of Jewels

My breath is taken away by this mesmerizing allure of timeless pieces.  Jewels, lingerie, shawls and scarfs, oceans and skies, blondes, sisters, and starfish.  Titled Mystical Seaside of Treasures and created by my twin sister, Jessica (Eco-friendly Freckles), I am honored to be featured in this treasury of hers.  The painting of mine that Jessica featured is titled Is He the Man of My Dreams.  Please take a moment to glance at this lovely collection of prized and genuine artifacts of nature.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Shop Still Green with Age and Is Featured in a Treasury!!!





How exciting it is to be featured in a treasury for the first time!  And for it to be so soon after opening my shop, I am flabbergasted, flattered and very fortunate.  This treasury titled The Virgin and the Gipsy was created by Kirsten Schilling and her shop Arabesque Aromas.  Kirsten was inspired by her favorite DH Lawrence book when fabricating the theme for this treasury.  After stumbling across the sketch I have of DH Lawrence in my Etsy art shop titled Man Behind the Story, Kirsten felt compelled to feature it.  I am very grateful, and wish Kirsten and her shop, Arabesque Aromas, the best of luck, and to keep up with the treasuries; you certainly have an eye for them. :-)