Carey Burns

I've had this project in my mind for weeks now but just couldn't figure out the execution. When this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge called for snow, I knew I had to finish it in time. Supplies: Antique wooden kitchen utensil tray Wooden Coats & Clark spool Tim Holtz Woodlands trees (two small and one large) Tim Holtz Christmas Transparent Tiles Tim Holtz Assemblage Diamonds and Pearls Charms Tim Holtz Vignette Hardware - Hooks Ranger Glossy Accents White acrylic paint Clear glitter Mini wooden moulding with a channel 2 Sheets of paper (I used printer paper) Tools: Chain nose pliers for jewelry Craft scissors Awl Paint brush I found this green painted tray at an antique mall quite a while ago and wasn't sure what I'd make with it. A few months ago, I set a large Woodlands tree in it and knew. My first thought was to use old letter stamps to spell out something wintry, but stamps are getting more expensive as they're becomin...

It has been a long hiatus, but I'm back to blogging. Right now I have about six projects in process along with a very messy craft room! This piece came about in large part due to my hubby. He brought home a religious icon and said, "I thought you could use this." It sat for a while until I was looking through some metal items in my junk bin. Add caption The antique wooden box came from an auction and still has an old, hard-to-read tag on it. The ornate metal corners were from a beautiful photo album a friend had given me a few years back. I dry brushed some white, thalo green and burnt umber over the high spots of the metal to give the old brass even more character. Just an old box with small dolls in it... Old tag still in place! I love these corners so much I dry brushed the iron paint over the icon, but it hasn't rusted as well as I'd hoped. Will add another round of rusting agent tonight. Slightly rusted. Slightly unnerving? ...

It's taken a bit of time, but I finally completed Lust my first Seven Deadly Sins assemblage. I started this project back in September and kind of stalled out after I had torn the Titian artwork and bits of inspiration hit and missed. I had used Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Walnut Stain to color the edges of the paper and then glued it in place with Ranger Glossy Accents.  First, I added some Aves Apoxie Clay as a base and added some Tim Holtz Heirloom Roses into the clay. After it cured, I colored the whole shebang with Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink in Poppy Field.  It took weeks and several scouting trips to antique stores to find a simple all-white vintage handkerchief but I finally found one! I cut it down to size and aged it by getting the fabric wet and adding drops of Tim Holtz Distress ink in Antique Linen. I used my heat tool to dry the fabric and then wrapped the toga around the doll. To keep it in place, I added a bit of Glossy Accents. I had a bit of unused gold-to...

I took the holiday off yesterday but I have an update on my finished Halloween Wreath from last week's Maker's Monday ! First, I added two varieties of moss around the base of the metal sheet. I didn't glue them because I wanted to be able to reuse the large metal planter for a Christmas wreath as well. I've got some neat plans in my head... The moss was a mess and of course, I had just vacuumed before deciding to mess with it! Next time, I'll put paper or something down. As I hung it up on the wall and looked at it, the top seemed bare. I really didn't want to glue anything to the planter so I decided to grab some creeping drape material that I use for the bookshelves and windows. The black was too dark but the ivory was spot-on! After cutting, arranging, and fringing...I think it looks perfect! It'll be painful to swap out everything for Christmas, but you can bet as soon as January rolls around, I'll be ready to swap it back!

I've been working on quite a few artsy projects lately and have posted a few on my Etsy store for sale. One that I'm really proud of is "The Perils of Being a Mermaid." This piece started when I found two old wooden drawers at an antique fair. $8 for the pair was just the right price, even if I didn't know what I'd do with them. The next thing I found was a really neat antique Arthur Court picture frame with wonderful details of seaweed, fish, and shells. It was broken so I think I only paid $6 for it. While wandering around a few antique malls in Southern Illinois, I stumbled upon a bag of three antique bisque figurines for $4 and the mermaid inside was just what I was looking for! A humble beginning With the basics covered, I decided to add some texture to the background with molding paste. With a paint knife, I added some lines in hopes they would look like ripples in the water. I used Tim Holtz Distress Stain. Making the depths I almost left t...