Tiny Shrine: Celtic Crucifix with Keys

Hey there, I am glad you stopped by today, I have something very unique to share.  I've been seeing so much amazing art lately and I've found myself drawn to tiny shrines.  I love the way tiny shrines communicate something that is important to the one who makes it or the one owns it.  And, for whatever reason, religious iconography is really fascinating and beautiful to me so I wanted to use some of those icons in a tiny shrine; it just seemed appropriate. And just to be clear...I really do study religious imagery...I've traveled quite a bit and I almost always make time to visit a church, cathedral, masque or temple. I've been in cathedrals in Germany, France, Belgium, Mexico, Canada, the UK and in almost every state...and when I traveled Asia, I would often visit temples and monasteries.  There is something beautiful, mysterious and "other worldly" inside the walls of a church or temple.  It's where we, as a civilization go to commune with the maker, and with ourselves, and I feel there's something incredibly powerful in the energy around places of worship.  

So, I set out on my quest to create a tiny shrine...and I worked with tools and materials I know best, found objects and paper crafting tools.  

I cut a sheet of copper using a Spellbinders Arched window die, yes you can cut metals with some paper crafting tools.  

I used a Spellbinders M-Bossabilities Folder to emboss the copper.  This blog is less about being a step by step tutorial that will show you how to create this exact project, but more about using techniques, tools, and materials you may already own to create something completely new and different.  

I sanded and finished the embossed copper shape with a patina solution, then sanded again to reveal the detail of the embossed metal. I bent the bottom of the window back to create a stand. 

Then created a shield bezel from Spellbinders Media Mixage line, but turned it upside down, as I noticed the shape of the shield echoed the shape of the arched window.  Inside the bezel, I used a Celtic Crucifix, a Sacred Heart of Jesus pin, palm fronds and scrapbook paper...it's all sealed under ICE Resin.  

I affixed the cured bezel to the embossed metal stand with E6000.  Then I completed my tiny shrine with antique skeleton keys, also affixed with E6000.  The bottoms of the keys actually serve as tiny feet for the shrine.  To really make this tiny shrine glow, I buffed it with natural bee's wax until it was shiny.  

I love how the imagery and icons of this piece all work together, the shape of the Celtic knots on the cross are echoed in the embossed copper.  The shape of the keys is also repeated in the embossed metal.  The shape of the bezel is repeated in the arched shape of the embossed copper.  And, I love how the cross, the pin and the palm fronds are all preserved together in a tiny shrine.  The symbolic imagery conveys a story of faith and devotion and they're quite beautiful together, and hopefully I've captured that story in a way that is relevant and respectful. 

Thank you for letting me share this tiny shrine with you today...I really enjoyed the creative journey I went on as I was creating it and hope that you'll be inspired to create a tiny shrine too.

Ken  

Spellbinders Paper Arts at The Ink Pad in New York City

While I was in their neighborhood this week, I thought I should pop in on The Ink Pad in New York to spread little Spellbinders Media Mixage love in the big apple.  

Every square inch of this store is packed with creative, crafty goodness...there's so much inspiration...they have a stamp for everything you can imagine!  And they carry Spellbinders too...they have Spellbinders demo days occasionally with Seth Apter.  

Here's a quick look inside the store before we got busy.  

They've been written up in the New York Times, been featured on TV in Japan, Hong Kong, and in Europe ...I am telling you it's the crafty place to be in New York.  

Barbara Briskin and Anna Chiang are always there with crafty advice on everything they carry...they are a wealth of stamping knowledge.  Barbara taught me how to mount rubber while I was there.  

I love spending time with them...and Bonita is trying to hide behind her coffee cup...she teaches and she is one of the best stamping artists I have ever met.  She is a pro at Spellbinders die cutting and even offered me a few tips I'd never thought of before.  

If you are ever in New York and you love to craft...put this place on your "must visit" list...you will be enchanted...they have so much to offer.  And make sure to hang out in the store for a while.  It's a hotbed for celebrity siting.  Last time I was there, I got to craft with Katie Holmes, and this visit Robin Wright (Jenny) from Forest Gump and ex of Sean Penn) spent half the afternoon in the store looking at stamps.  

It was really busy all afternoon and everyone loved the charms and bezels we created.  

It was so busy that I didn't get too many pics of the projects we created and people we visited with...but we had an amazing crafty time.  

At the end of the day, I had an inky blotter and a metal bird blank, which looked kind of cool.  

Thanks again Anna, Barbara and Bonita...it was great to see you again and wonderful to spend time in the creative zone at The Ink Pad.  

Ken

It's Craft Day with Spellbinders Paper Arts and The Craft and Hobby Association

Hey there, this past week I had the amazing opportunity to visit with everyone at The Craft and Hobby Association  in Elmwood Park, New Jersey...we had Spellbinders' Craft Day for everyone at the office.  

We had a really fun crafty time.  The idea was simple...let's let everyone in the office have hands on crafting experience using Spellbinders and Spellbinders Media Mixage.  I was there to demonstrate and facilitate the creative process.  So, we set up a few cutting stations, provided lots of goodies to play with and then, we let the art begin!  

We had a blast.  It was awesome to see the creative wheels spinning in everyone's heads.  And since it was Easter break, some of the staffers brought their kids to join in the fun.  

Trade Show Producer Anthony Licata explains the finer points of creating bezels.  

We had so much fun creating handmade cards. 

It's really fun to watch how everyone puts their own creative spin on everything they create.  Beautiful spring colors and patterns on the card in progress.  

We learned all kinds of techniques together, diecutting, embossing, stenciling, inking, and discussed the finer points of layering die cuts to create beautiful cards.  

Glitter makes a perfect embellishment inside a heart bezel. 

Everybody got in on the action too.  

Craft and Hobby Association CEO Andrej Suskavcevic inspects the finely cut details of Spellbinders die cuts before creating his handmade card.  

The thing that really impressed me...

everybody loved what we were doing.  The card above, in progress, was created by the Information Technology Director at CHA.  He had never created a card before...but he was a natural!  And at the end of the day, he was formulating a process that the association could use to create handmade cards to use for their office correspondence.  

Anthony Licata created a French Country bezel. 

The more we created the messier it got, which is all good.  When it gets really messy, you know you are having fun.  

The handmade cards turned out beautifully. I got to teach bow tying methods.  

Susan Turchick, Vice President of Membership uses the Spellbinders Artisan X-Plorer to create die cut paper to fit perfectly inside a bezel.  

I got to hang out with my friend Laurie Pietruszka while we created...

Wow, we made a mess...you should have seen the paper chips all over the floor...

And each card was simply beautiful.  

Sue Turchick shows off her handmade card...it turned out so cute.  

And, Andrej, as it turns out is a blossom pro with Spellbinders die cuts.  

We came, we created, and we all left with beautiful projects at the end of the day...it was great!  

Thank you again Sue, Andrej, and everyone at The Craft and Hobby Association for letting Spellbinders host a craft day at your offices.  

I hope everybody had as much fun as I did..and judging from the comments at the end of the day, they did.

Ken   

Journaling from the Heart with Spellbinders Media Mixage: Textured Metals

Art journaling can take many forms, and lately I've been thinking of ways to tell stories and preserve memories that are unique and utilize materials and techniques that are not commonly used in scrapbooking or card making.  Today I created another heart journal with textured metal.    

I started this little exploration last week when I shared a heart journal that has textured metal covers and embossing powders. 

Today, I used the same materials,  Spellbinders Media Mixage Hearts Three Blanks, resin paper made from Spellbinders Media Mixage Ephemera Papers One

and Susan Lenart Kazmer ICE Resin but texturized the metal heart blanks with an embossing folder. 

The embossing folder added deep texture to the metal blanks.  I treated them with a patina solution, then sanded to emphasize the really cool viney texture.  

I added transparent vintage photos: I'd created them earlier by printing photos on transparency film.

The photos I chose today are of my grandparents on their wedding day. This little journal was simple and fast to make, and also preserves a memory in a way that is both meaningful and symbolic. When you create a little journal like this, try to tell the story with simple imagery and few words.  Images or pictographs are the vocabulary of art, we communicate through the images we choose.  The vocabulary here was simple, a heart tangled in vines and photographs of two people whose lives would be entwined for the next fifty or so years.  

I love how this little journal looks and feels.  Texturing the metal makes the journal feel like a little antique photo charm and it will make a great little gift or package tie on for someone in my family.  

When I started, I just wanted to practice some metal embossing techniques, but ultimately I shared a family memory and preserved it in a tiny heart journal.  I hope you'll be inspired to incorporate textured metals into your vocabulary of work...it's easier than you might think and the "pay off" is big...it looks great.

Thanks for stopping by today...go create something beautiful!

Ken

Personal Histories Class Projects: Spellbinders' Media Mixage

Hey friends, I think you'll love some of the works of art that came out of last week's Media Mixage Class, Personal Histories, at For Keeps Sake Paper Arts and Rubber Stamps in St. Louis...the student projects were amazing.

We provided the basics for creating the pieces, bezels from Spellbinders Media Mixage and ICE Resin from Susan Lenart Kazmer...each student was asked to bring personal photos, handwritten letters or personal ephemera to use for the projects.  I was looking back through photos of the class and thought the projects we so beautiful and needed to be shared.    

The bezels above were created with pieces of paper from a student's recent trip the the U.K.  I love how this turned out...simply beautiful and a wonderful way to share her personal history...a trip to London.  

Judy created a tribute to her father...I loved watching her work on this piece...she put a great deal of love into it as she worked and reflected on her personal history with her dad....her project is just another way to share a personal history that is very meaningful.  And she will wear this piece close to her heart...in creating this piece she really created a story-telling piece of art that is a lasting symbol of her relationship with her father.  

Even when students used only the pieces that we provided, charms, ephemera, beads and stones, the stories told were beautiful.  

The vintage Santa bezel in the photo above would make an amazing package tie on or sweet gift at the holidays...and it's an instant heirloom it's so beautiful.

Watch parts and flowers look great under resin. 

Each bezel is a little treasure. 

Vintage family photos and vintage buttons share a beautiful family heritage in this student project.

Valerie used a school portrait of herself to create this beautiful piece...it will become another instant heirloom for her family.  I loved it.  

These pieces were really cool too...a photo of a tee-pee looks great and preserves the memory of a family trip.  I love the self portrait shadow bezel too on the bottom right.  

We used chunky antique glass glitter...you can embed it in the resin or float it on top...looks amazing.  

Wedding portraits look amazing in bezels and resin...it's a great way to commemorate that special occasion and a great way to symbolize the couple's love when paired with a heart charm.  Wedding portraits would be great in heart bezels too.  

I love how Ann used a vintage photo with a vintage shoe charm... she also used a bird blank from Media Mixage to back her bezel.  She affixed the bird and the keys to the left with ICE Resin...awesome techniques.  

In the bezel on the right, the student used textured art board to add wonderful texture as her background.  

I was really blessed and inspired to work with the amazing artists who took our class...I love watching the creative process and it's different for each person. 

I was also fortunate enough to have some friends in the class...here with Carolyn...she is a hoot and a half and makes me smile almost every day...and below with Ann and Sue...all amazing, accomplished artisans and crafters...it was a real privilege to work with them again...always inspiring.  

Thank you for stopping by today...the projects from our class were so amazing that I had to share them and I hope you'll be inspired to tell your story.  

Make it a great day and go create something beautiful! 

Ken