A Crafty Solution to a Complicated Problem

I've been struggling through the last few months with a broken camera.  You know how it goes, too expensive to fix, can't afford a new one right now, trying to use my small "point and shoot" cameras. So frustrating!

Camera "repair" by Cindy Rippe using Glue Dots

I was cleaning off my desk last night and noticed a thumbtack that was about the same size as my broken shutter release. Cool!  Grabbed a few Pop Up Glue Dots and headed to the photo corner to try it out.  Yeah!  It worked!

No, I don't expect to carry it around everywhere like I used to, but I'll be able to use it on the tripod and for still life shots in the photography corner in my studio.  Finally!.....I can get back to posting more often on my blogs and maybe my photos will actually look like the artwork that I'm taking a picture of. 

It's great to be a Designer/Artist with lots of fabulous craft supplies just hanging around waiting for inspiration!  So happy and grateful this morning.  I'm sure my husband will be happy too.  No more complaining about picture problems!

"When the solution is simple, God is answering."                    

Albert Einstein

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How to repair a Princess Dress

We celebrated the Royal Wedding last month and our Princess is still dressing up each day.  (She has been "all about" Princesses for a long time)  You can see the party in this earlier post. Princess Party to Celebrate the Royal Wedding.

Sometimes the dresses come out of the wash a little worse for the wear.  Yep, did the  gentle cycle, etc, etc, but the seams on this one just shredded away!  Every seam on the top of the dress fell apart.

Repairing a Princess Dress with Fabri-Tac Glue. Cindy Rippe Art in Entertaining

So how can it be fixed?  With LOTS of patience, satin ribbon and my favorite glue - FABRI-TAC by Beacon Adhesives!  Oh....and lots more patience to slowly piece everything back together, one step at a time. The glue actually sets up quickly.  It just that the fabric is so delicate and it took me a while to figure out what part should be glued to another.

There's not enough fabric to sew it back together so I trimmed the threads away, glued and reinforced each seam with Fabri-Tac and then covered the glue and added more strength to the seams by adding a layer of satin ribbon.

Princess Dress shredded fabric on side seams - Cindy Rippe Art in Entertaining

 The ripped seam actually went in three directions for this part.

Side seam of Princess Dress repaired - Cindy Rippe Art in Entertaining

Both shoulders, both side seams were open and part of the waist was open. I glued the tulle on the shoulder seams and the gathered it directly to the edge of the shoulder fabric with no ribbon.

Princess Dress repaired and ready for Princess Isabella - Cindy Rippe Art in Entertaining

Finished!  Ready for another day of imagination and play.  I don't have to worry about the glue holding.  I've used it for years to add trim to tablecloths and napkins.  It dries clear and it's washable.  Now lets see if the rest of the fabric holds up!  :)  (Oh! and no, I didn't get an endorsement for mentioning this product.)

Easter Egg Tree - Recycle last year's plastic eggs

Here's a fun project that uses the plastic eggs left over after Easter.  The candy's gone, you're tired of picking them up off of the floor and you know you'll want new, shiny and clean ones next year.  Gather up all the pieces and make ornaments for an outdoor Easter Egg Tree!

Larry and Elena's Easter Egg Tree - Cindy Rippe Art in Entertaining

I took this picture of my Brother and Sister In-Law's tree yesterday when we took Isabella by for a visit to "my Uncle Larry".  We always enjoy their Holiday Decorations and beautiful yard.

To make the Easter Egg ornaments for your own tree. You need a needle nosed pliers, wire that's thick enough to stay straight, yet easy to bend by hand and a thick needle or old ice pick and some glue.

Separate the eggs. 
1 - Heat the point of the needle (that you are holding with the pliers) over an open flame for a few seconds and press through the top of the egg to create a hole large enough for the wire to go through.
   - After you test the size, finish making all the holes.
   - Note: If you have a high speed Dremel drill that would work too.

2 - Cut the wire to 12" lengths. (or whatever length you'd like for your type of tree or bushes)

3 - Thread one end of the wire through the hole far enough to easily work on the tip.
   - Use the pliers to twist the end of the wire into a loop large enough to prevent it from slipping back out.     

4 - Bend the other end of the wire into a 2 inch loop and twist it to secure.  (see photo below)

5 - Add a touch of Aleene's Original Tacky Glue to the edge of the egg and snap the bottom piece in to place.  You can mix egg colors or match them as seen in the above photo.

Adjust wire loop as desired to fit tree branch - note that wire comes straight out of the top hole in egg.

The heavier gauge wire helps to prevent the eggs from flipping around and getting caught up in the branches during Spring weather.  The large loops make them easier to hang while you decorate and remove after Easter.

Save the ornaments and keep adding more each year and don't worry if some get separated or broken.  You'll have plenty of spare parts next year for repairs!  This could end up being a family tradition and the kids might not leave them lying around after the candy's gone.  (We'll...we can always hope, right?)

Romantic Homes Show and Tell Friday

I'm also linking to Craft Test Dummies Go Green Link Party,  Today's Cretaive Blog and Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop this week.  Check out all the fun projects!

CRAFT TEST DUMMIES - GO GREEN PARTY

TODAY'S CREATIVE BLOG - GET YOUR CRAFT ON

Painted Wedding Shoes - Wedding Week Part Three

After I painted the Wedding Dress with Dahlias (previous post - Wedding Week Part Two) I decided to paint a pair of matching shoes.  What woman doesn't want a pair of beautiful shoes?  My SIL, Elena, very kindly gave me a pair of shoes to decorate.

Wedding Shoes painted with Dahlias-copyright Cindy Rippe 2011

I used the Pentel Red Gel Roller for Fabric again.  The only problem I had was that after I sketched the flower on the first shoe I had to get the pattern off of it and reverse it for the other shoe.  (Reminder to self: Don't free hand a design on an uneven surface if you need to repeat it.)

I added Black Satin Ribbon and a bow using my favorite glue for fabric -  Beacon Adhesive's Fabri-Tac.  It grabs hold right away and stays on.  Perfect for a pair of shoes that would probably see lots of dancing at the Wedding Reception!

Close up of Dahlia on Dyeable shoes - copyright Cindy Rippe 2011

The music may have stopped but my heart beats to another tune, this rhythm called love.  ~A.C. Van Cherub

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Painted Wedding Dress - Wedding Week Part Two

I decided to continue with Wedding Week for the DESIGNER CRAFTS Blog Connection.  There are so many great ideas.  Don't forget to click on the link below to see them all.

Red is such a strong color trend I thought you'd enjoy seeing a Re-purposed Wedding Dress that I painted.

Ivory Wedding Dress Painted with DecoArt Fabric Paints - copyright Cindy Rippe

I really had fun with this project.  I used DecoArt So Soft Fabric Paints and and a Gel Roller for Fabric Pen by Pentel Arts.  After I sketched the flowers with the pen, I used the fabric paint to add shading and reinforce thick lines.  I also painted few of the flowers on the bodice and made a wide sash to update the look. (one of my few sewing projects)

Close up of Dahlia - copyright Cindy Rippe

Border Close up - copyright Cindy Rippe

This design would be nice for a Bride born in August.  It's the Flower of the August Birth month.

True love stories never have endings.  ~Richard Bach

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A new use for an Old Table

I found this really great table at the Antique and Garden Fair.  (No...I didn't buy it, darn) David Drummond Inc. from Lititz, PA took this antique seed starter tray on a stand and added new glass to the top to create an outdoor table.  How's that for re-purposing something old? I think he said he had 4 of them and this was the last one.

Well worn painted metal and glass. I also like the old ice cream shop chairs that he paired with it.

Plants and pebbles were scattered in the tray for the show but I think moss and miniature African violets would look nice if the table was in a shady spot.  What a conversation piece!  It would be easy to change out flowers, plant cuttings and garden ornaments to match your decorating theme.

Painting plates for Easter

I have a set of glass plates that I decorate according to whatever party theme I'm working on.  It's cheaper than buying multiple sets of dinnerware and pretty easy to do!  I mix DecoArt Americana Acrylic paints with Sta-Flo liquid starch and sponge the mixture on the back. I prop each plate on a bowl after painting.

I did two coats on this set.  Of course, I thought I'd be really creative and paint white tulips on the front first.  Didn't work......they blended away when I started sponging.  I'll try something else next time.

I let them dry overnight before using.  I like to wipe the front of the plate off with a mild solution of vinegar and water to clean them since we'll be eating from them!  There's usually finger smudges and sometimes a little paint.  After the party is over I use a paper towel to wipe the paint off after soaking the plates in warm water for a few minutes.

Playing with Paints

I recently received a sample of Pentel Arts Wet Erase Chalk Markers.  Oh boy!  I plan to design some "Front Door Decor" with it.  But first I decided to see if I could use it on the back of my clear glass dinner plates.  If it works it would be great to personalize a tablescape.  So I took a few minutes to play with them and here are my thoughts.

This is the back of the plate. 
TULIP: I used the corner of the chisel point marker to outline the the petals and leaves.  I tried to fill in the green with the marker but it caused the first layer to smear a little.  (It might not have been dry enough but I figured it was because I rewet the linework with pressure)  Then I created a puddle of paint by pressing the marker against my palette paper and used a brush to spread the liquid paint over the line work.  Much better!  I was even able to blend edges of the the orange and red markers to create a little shading on the petal.
LARGE ORANGE FLOWER:  I used the Jumbo markers to block in the color of the large flower and then did a loose outline with a chisel point marker.  Quick and Easy!
BALLOONS:  I used the same technique to outline the balloons and then used the brush to fill in the colors with paint from the puddle that I created by pressing the marker onto my palette.

This is the front of the plate.
Creating the linework first is a very basic method of reverse glass painting.  The end result is neater since you don't have to be so perfect when filling in the colors. If you look closely at the balloons you'll see what I mean.  The back is messy but you don't see that on the front.

I could have been a little neater with the linework but I was "playing".

Can you see where I blended the orange and red on the petals?  You can also see where I smeared the black on the leaf before switching to a brush for this layered technique.

After it was dry I used it to eat lunch on and just like the packaging says - it washed right off with a wet paper towel.  It was durable enough to carry around like you would do for buffet service and kids would probably have a blast decorating a plate to eat off of at a party.  If you want to add a name or any other specific design you can just tape your reversed pattern to the front of your plate while you work. Fun!

Removing Paint from my plates

I've been using my "temporary paint" mix on the back of the same glass plates for a few years now and I don't think I ever showed you how to remove it.
1. Hand wash the plates after your event.  As you wash them place a paper towel or napkin between each plate and set aside until the next day (or in one case for me - after a few weeks).
2. Soak the entire stack of plates in warm soapy water for about 10 minutes.

Note: The paint will stick to the paper napkin and sometimes almost falls right off of the plate.

3. Sometimes you'll have to use your fingers to rub it all little but it's not hard to do.  There is a soap in liquid starch so when it gets wet it helps the paint to slide right off.  It's very interesting to me that it also acts as a glue and holds the fabric to my kitchen walls and paper to other temporary projects around my house.

4. Use the paper towel to gather up the loose paint and throw it in the trash can.  You don't want to wash it down the drain.  Dried acrylic paint is rubbery and large amounts could clog your plumbing.

5. Rinse the plates clean and redecorate another time!

St Pats Day project

I decided to get creative for St Pat's Day this year.  I used a permanent pen to sketch a few shamrocks onto scrapbook paper (BOBUNNY Alissa Adorable is the pattern).  Next, I cut out a circle to fit my clear glass plates.

I then used liquid starch to temporarily decoupage it to the back of the plate.  The next day I used my favorite "temporary paint" mix; DecoArt Americana Acrylics and Liquid Starch, to sponge green on the back of the plate and finish it off.  (I've used this technique many times to decorate the plates for different events instead of buying paper plates) Unfortunately, Lee wasn't home for dinner that night so I just used one of the plates to eat leftover pizza all by myself.

An Irish Blessing
May these walls be filled with laughter,
may it reach from floor to rafter.
May the roof keep out the rain,
may sunshine warm each windowpane.
And may the door be open wide
to let the Good Lord's love inside.

Recycled Tablescape

I like to recycle or reuse things but I admit I never thought of this one!  Another clever tablescape from the Chicago Flower and Garden Show.

Fast food cup holders were stacked, glued and filled with flowers.

Sometimes I see glasses at the resale shop that have scratches on the surface.  They could be recycled by covering the scratches with decorative paints for glass.  The frosted paint on the background would cover the scratches with a cute design on top of that.

Strange and Unusual Tablescape Idea

I thought this tablescape from the Flower Show was really clever. It sure was getting a lot of attention. Following the Musical/Play theme of many of the displays; they chose Little Shop of Horrors as their inspiration.

They included recycled cans as bases for stools with floral arrangements that mimicked the cushion.  Sardine and soup cans hold small arrangements on the table.

Feed Me!  The plant, Audrey II, is created with flowers and green moss attached to a wire frame.  I see felt teeth and moss dyed pink for a tongue (both available at the craft store).  Can you make something like this?  I think it's ambitious but totally DIY! Well, at least the flowers in the sardine cans :)

Vintage Napkin Care

I love shopping for linens at resale shops and garage sales.  Most of the time I find single napkins that someone brought home from a restaurant but once in a while I hit upon a real bargain.  Many people get excited about their tablescape and buy a new set of beautiful napkins. They use them, wash them and freak out after they come out of the dryer. I'm sure that's what happened here.

But at the bargain price of $2.00 how could I resist?  I sure don't mind painting or sewing designs on something that costs about 17 cents!  And, with 12 in the set I don't worry about ruining them. In fact, if there is a small stain I can cover it with paint or embroidery.

In fact; one the the reasons I buy the napkins at this price is that if they get ruined in the washer/dryer I don't mind so much.  I don't want to use them if I can't easily clean them, which brings me back to the ironing dilemma that brought this set to the resale shop in the first place.

Here's my technique for quick napkin care.
1. After the party  I wash them in cold (or warm) water with a little Borax or Borateem added.
No...I don't always do it the same night. If you are worried about really messy stains rub in a little dishwashing liquid. Wash the napkins the next day. Think about it - dish soap is designed to remove food.
2. For napkins that need to be ironed I toss them into the dryer for about 10 minutes while I'm setting up my ironing station.  I have a large old beach towel, folded in half, that I lay on top of the dryer.  This gives me a large surface to work on so I don't to move them around to fit the top of the ironing board. (that takes extra time!)
3. Stretch out each napkin and iron it while it's still slightly damp.  This takes an average of 20-30 seconds for each one!  If you want crisp napkins use a little spray starch.  I like them soft.
4. I stack the flat napkins on the washing machine while I work.
5. Finally I clip them together on a pants hanger to store them.