Red Velvet Art

Online Art Journal Class

I've put together an online Art Journal Class that starts August 7th and ends August 18th.  It will all be hosted on a private blog that class members can gain access to and take their time with until the end of September.  That means you can fit it in whenever you've got spare time in the coming weeks.  With your payment of $25,  you'll receive access to eight tutorials on eight art journal pages, access to past art journal pages, a mini book tutorial on collections, journaling prompts and challenges, as well as a list of inspirational links to get you excited about making something again.  There will be a give away of over $100 of Love, Elsie goodies and another surprise giveaway from Elsie herself. 

There are still spots available for purchase for $25 in my Red Velvet Art Etsy Shop.  The price will be raised to $30 on August 1st so get in while you can at the reduced rate!  All proceeds benefit our good friend's last step toward adopting their first son from Ethiopia.  I'm thrilled at the response so far and eager to get this class started.  I think its a lovely way to wrap up the summer and get ready for what a new season brings.

Happy Making!
Rachel

quilt in a day

I decided to make a bay quilt for my friend Alex, who's expecting a little girl, Karma Lucky Lee, in September. Now I've had several months to do this, but as any other project, I wait till last minute.

Only this time, it came back to bite me in the butt. Her baby shower is this coming sunday, so I had to quit being lazy and get on it! I started cutting fabric last wednesday, only to find out..I didn't have enough. Hah! ..yea, I didn't even think about measuring or trying to find out how much fabric I needed, when I bought it back in April. ..but hey,..it's my first quilt :p

So I ordered some more fabric, crossed my fingers it would get here in time, and it sure did. Cutting the fabric, sewing it all in as close to perfect strips, and then sew all the pieces together wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, it was the binding that made me want to pull my hair out. I ended up doing the binding about 6 times till I finally got it right.

The quilt isn't a 100% perfect, oh well... I don't think it will be my last :)

  

The quilt measures 42.5 x 42.5 inches, a generously sized baby quilt.

I used fabrics from Micheal Miller, Sandi Henderson and Amy Butler.

Hope you are all having a fun, creative week!

<3 Silje

d.i.y. rubber stamps

soooo much fun! i made my own dinosaur stamps last night. my mom gave me these supplies (you can get them at any art or craft store). making hand carved stamps is so much fun! i don't think i've made any since high school, can't wait to make more!
and speaking of dinos, i am sort of obsessed as of late.... (xoxo. elsie)

what are your current obsessions?

  

Shelf Unit Redo at the Denbow House

Yesterday, I took a break from catching mice and cleaning cupboards to fix up one of the shelving units in Sebastian's room.  I've been mad about wood grain contact paper this year and had a mostly full roll left of this shade so I decided to spruce up this white, particle board piece.  We picked it up for free in our Seattle apartment building and added a few hooks and a rod to use for Sebastian's wardrobe.  It has three adjustable shelves and one fixed shelf.
I removed the three adjustable shelves and measured the width and depth of my unit.  I cut two thin strips the length of the bottom half of the unit and carefully adhered them on each side of the back using a small chipboard book.  I then used a full piece along the middle with the edges overlapping the two side pieces.  (The seams don't show at all due to its thinness but the light does reflect the seams of the particle board that its attached to.)   Once I finished the bottom half, I tackled the top.

Once upright, I added my shelves and rummaged through boxes for the right pieces to make it special.
Adding color to the inside of a shelving unit or bookcase is an easy way to add color and interest to an otherwise boring piece and breaks up the space of a beige wall that can't be painted.  If you're really daring, you could add decals to the inside or alpha stickers to label areas or add your child's name. 

More Before/After projects to come!
~Rachel

Before/After

If you're in the mood for a room makeover but don't have a wad of cash to blow consider reinventing the wheel. One of my daily blog reads has a whole section on DIY and BEFORE/AFTER projects that have opened my mind up to the potential of combining nice silhouettes and a little paint to create lovely piece for my home.

Project #1
 My first makeover was two sets of candlesticks that I found for a combined total of $4 at Goodwill.
  The wooden set were covered in wax spills and white paint drips. After picking off the wax with my thumbnail, I used a light grade sandpaper to sand the surface so the paint would stick well. The smaller flower candle holders were silver plated and needed no sanding. I sprayed four light coats of high gloss Krylon spray paint to each piece to give them even coverage without dripping. (I do suggest wearing a breathing mask while you paint.)
My plan is to add additional candlesticks of varying widths and sizes and group them together for a bold centerpiece for our dining room table. When I'm in the mood to change things around, I can break up the sets and gather them elsewhere in my house.

Project #2
 I tried to reupholster a wing back chair in college and was so frustrated with the outcome that I gave up on the idea of ever trying to fix a chair again.
I came back to my senses recently when I realized how many beautiful chairs were floating around in the world in need of a little updating. I found these Eames-era chairs at a flea market and realized that I could easily update them with a new fabric seat. I recommend checking the bottom of the seat to figure out how it is attached before you dive in. If it is screwed down, you're a winner!

Check out this tutorial for step by step instructions. I've got a few more BEFORE/AFTER projects coming up in the next few weeks as we get our belongings unpacked and put up. (Squeal!)

emma is awesome! and more...

emma sent jeremy this super awesome felt pipe! we all loves eachother. thanks, em....
and speaking of random gifts, i thought i would share some silly gifts i have made as of late....
a little inspiration package...

...and a big cardboard heart full of ramen on the backside! :D

ok... it's random, i know, but it's probably one of my top 3 daily pleasures... finding quirky ways to say i love you to special people.
more soon. i have a very messy studio table this week, which is usually a good sign! :D
xo. elsie
 

Congrats....

you're the winner:

Posted by: Dixie | June 02, 2008 at 10:35 AM

i always love the creative inspiration i get when i visit here :)

if thats you then email me at: kmartshoes04@yahoo.com and i will be sending your new shirt to your door step!!!!!

If you love something, give it away.

The beginning of this year my roommate and I were bored one night so we went out to see a show. And the very first band to play that night was Nathaniel Hoho and his girlfriend Rachel Leah. And that was the first time I heard their music and got to know them. Since then I have discovered that Rachel is not only a musician but also a fashion designer. Her latest creations I found on her myspace and I just fell in love with her whimsical screen-printed t-shirts. So cute and chic! And being the doll that she is, she agreed to answer a few questions for me. Interveiwz stylez.

  So, you make music and t-shirts. Do you do anything else artistic?

"I design and silkscreen tee shirts (rachel leah tees) but I also paint and draw- I just designed my cds, by block printing- they'll be for sale within the next week! It’s inspiring when you can create something nobody else has- especially if you can give it out."

 Describe a typical day for you?

“A typical day for me... I always try and stay busy doing something for the company and if I'm not I feel stagnant and stuck... ahh. I wake up- usually make some tea with a little honey (vanilla chai has been my favorite) - work on sketches, and if I feel like jamming on the piano I do.... then I HAVE to get outside...... there is something about a blue skied day with the wind blowing that relaxes me- maybe I'll lay outside for a bit.”

 What has been inspiring you this month?

“This month.. I've been so inspired by Sheila Frank- she's a lovely swimsuit designer, and her suits are soo cute. They remind of me of pinup girl style but down to earth and classy. www. sheilafrank. com

Oh Oh - and also, Little Zero. These guys are from San Francisco and make killlller screen-printing tees. They've worked with Modest Mouse to Puma... creating insane images. They inspire me to make weird and funky designs. www. Littlezero. net

Janis Joplin- she's rock and rollll haha- I know she's an oldie but she's defiantly a top 24 most played in my itunes library. And she's inspiring being who she is and lovely at it.

Cat Stevens- Moonshadow (this song makes me feel good every day, ahh it's SO good...)

I have to throw one more in there.. Charlotte Gainsbourg sings a song called The Songs We Sing that is really good. It's on my playlist too. She was in that movie, Science of Sleep- that I highly recommend you watch if you haven't. It's imaginary and creative.”

 And we are giving away one of her latest t-shirts (the one pictured on Rachel)!! So just leave a comment and tomorrow I will randomly pick a comment to be the winner!!

Check her out at: myspace.com/rlcsounds

Old neon, new inspiration

Zeke and I went to Las Vegas last week, and since we had never been there, I wanted to find out if Vegas had anything else to offer than gambling and free drinks.

I came across The Boneyard, a collection of old non-restored historic signs. You have to schedule a tour at least one day in advance, and pay a donation of a minimum of $15. Our cab driver got lost about 8 times on the way there, it was windy and hot, but definitly worth it!

The colors and history, it was so amazing. I could seriously spend hours there! So if you ever go to Vegas, check it out, its one of a kind!

If you wanna see the rest of my pictures, you can go here :)

I hope you all had a creative weekend!

<3 Silje

Latest Obsession

Lately I have been totally obsessed with my felt dolls for my friends and neighbors. I like to think of something that reminds me of them or that has to do with some kind of inside joke between us! So fun! Here are a few of my latest creations. And probably sooner (rather than later) I will be sharing these creations with everyone via etsy.com/emmamariechapman 

lovez, emma