Tattered Sisters Primitives

Muslin Bags 5 Techniques

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:29:00 +0000

I wrote an article once on some different ways you can use Muslin Bags in your crafting. Since I use muslin bags a LOT in my primitive crafting, I thought I'd share the techniques here as well, in hopes it may spark some ideas for you.

Stenciling: After making this muslin bag into a Grungy Good I used a stencil to add the word, 'Fixins' to the bag.
Sewing Embellishments: I created a fabric flower out of some fabric scraps, and then sewed it onto a grungy muslin bag, then added some buttons as well.
Painting: Muslin is easy to paint on, so you can always add some acrylic paint to create characters, letters, images, or what-not to your bags.
Spray Painting: I used brown textured spray paint on this bag, along with a paper doily used as a stencil. It gave a neat, aged leather look to the bag. This is on of my Shabby Prim creations.
Rubber Stamping: I used three different rubber stamps on this bag, one was a text stamp, one was the butterfly, and one was the word, 'believe.' I also sewed on some ribbon trim and a fabric flower. Not quite prim, but you get the idea.

The way I see it, plain muslin bags are little blank canvases, begging to be embellished in some way. Use them plain, use the grungy, use them with paint or stamps, or notions--or whatever you can think of. You're only ever limited by your imagination. And they make perfect gift bags too!

Primitive Paddle Box Lamp

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:16:00 +0000

I don't really have a lot of Primitive Lighting in my home, but I do have this Primitive Paddle Box Lamp in my living room, sitting on the table by my couch. I really like it--but I didn't love it. It really didn't have enough color in it to suit me, so I decided to jazz it up a bit with more Pip Berries.

Yep, that's just what it needed. :) OK, they probably aren't technically pip berries, but they are berries. And now I love it!

Primitive Star Canvas

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:05:00 +0000

Over the weekend I created a deep red canvas in my studio that has a robin's egg glue distressed finish on it. I actually ended up using the canvas for another project too that I'll be posting on my Art Chick Studio blog, but this Primitive Star Canvas was the first thing I did with the canvas.

This is just a 5" square canvas that I painted with a deep, dark red color (which is fast becoming one of my favorite colors). It's "Napa Red" that I have darkened a bit too. Once it was dry I gave the edges a distressed look by dry brushing robin's egg blue along the edges. Then I took a Rusty Tin star and painted it the same blue, and then stuck it to the canvas to stick out in relief.

I think this is a really simply project for creating some cute Primitive Home Decor. Of course, you could use any colors you like (I'm just kind of loving the deep red and robin's egg blue combo right now), and put anything in the center that you like too. I just thought a star was perfectly prim and would add the right touch that I wanted.

Primitive Crow Bird Bath Decor

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:24:00 +0000

I was in the mood for some Primitive Crows while I was in the studio over the weekend, and I was also trying to find a creative way to use a mini Terra Cotta pot I had in my studio too. So what I came up with was this mini Primitive Crow Bird Bath Decor.

In the top photo, you'll see that I stenciled on a little primitive crow into the "bowl" of the bird bath. I actually used acrylic paint for that. Then I just added the pot underneath, along with a candle ring of pip berries, which also has some Rusty Tin stars on it. And I added a little resin crow as a finishing touch.

I just wanted a simple little project that could serve as Primitive Home Decor. This is small enough to be used on a table top, as part of a centerpiece. It could also be used just as decor on a small shelf. You could put a votive in the top too, but if you burned it, the wax might be too much for the small "bowl." So maybe a tealight candle would be better. :)

Linking up to the I Gotta Create link party.

Primitive Crow Scoop Nest

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:46:00 +0000

It was a very productive day in the studio yesterday. I got some paintings started and several craft projects done as well. And it was such a gorgeous day--with the sun shining so brightly in the studio windows. Loved it!

One of my weekend creations was the Primitive Crow Scoop Nest.

I used a Rusty Tin scoop that I filled with Pip Berries and Spanish moss to make the nest. I added a Primitive Crow and a few cinnamon sticks to finish it off. Love it!

Primitive Scent Sacks

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:55:00 +0000

I'm always looking for ways to give fun Primitive Gifts and I think these Primitive Scent Sacks are sure to please anyone who loves to scent their home.

My Scent Sack is Cinnamon Bun themed and has several goodies inside. It contains the following items...

Cinnamon Bun Wax Melts

Cinnamon Bun Primitive Room Spray

Cinnamon Bun Hips 'n Sticks Prim Fixins

Cinnamon Bun Primitive Refresher Oil

All you have to is just fill your sack with your favorite scented items. Punch a couple of holes on either side of the top of the bag and add a prim ribbon or some homespun. And add a cute label.

Primitive Easter Egg Topiary

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:14:00 +0000

I figured I had time for one more Primitive Easter project before next weekend, so when I was in my studio over the weekend, I created this Primitive Easter Egg Topiary.

All I did was take a plain plastic Easter egg and decoupaged it with some old newsprint tissue paper that I had on hand. Then I used stamping ink in brown and copper and dabbed it on all over the egg once it had dried. Then I added a homespun tie and a Rusty Tin star and hot glued the egg to a cinnamon stick. I put some Spanish moss in a small rusty tin bucket, and inserted the cinnamon stick. And that's all there was to it. :)

Goodbye, Google Reader

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:55:00 +0000

I've been using Google Reader for years to stay on top of my blog reading. I follow about 150 blogs at the moment (it used to be more), and Google Reader has always been my reader of choice for keeping up with them all. It's nice to have them all in one place, and I liked the GR format so once I tried it I just kept using it.

So imagine my surprise (and annoyance) the other day when I checked into GR and there was a message saying that Google Reader would be discontinued in July! Um, come again? What the heck are you doing to me, Google? You own most of the Internet, and yet you are constantly taking away things I love. First it was Google Friend Connect...now this?! Sigh.

Anyhoots, Google provided me with a link to be able to export the blogs I follow in GR using their Google Takeout service. So I have done that. There are many reader services that will let you import that file so you don't have to lose all of your favorite blogs when GR closes this summer. But I did a little, um, Googling, and found a couple of alternatives to GR that don't require any importing (as long as you do it before GR closes). The two I'm trying out at the moment are Bloglovin and Feedly.

Both of these reader services are very easy to use, and both allow you to connect ans sync with your Google Reader/Blogger Account with just the click of a button (no importing of files is necessary). Feedly has more of a magazine format and takes quite a bit of getting used to, but I do like it. It has a lot of options you can adjust for how you want the blog posts displayed. Bloglovin is a little more user-friendly and simple.

Here is a screenshot of my Bloglovin home page, so you can see how it looks:

And here is a screenshot of my Feedly home page, so you can compare:

So far, I'm leaning toward the Bloglovin reader because I think it's just simple, straightforward, and easy to use. It lists all the blogs I follow on the left side of the page, and I can sort them by Date or by Blog. And Bloglovin also generates Follow Buttons for you that you can place on your blog. I've already added mine to the right side of this blog (so be sure to follow me if you sign up with Bloglovin!)

Feedly is a little slicker, and has more display options, and even color themes for the layout, which is very nice. My followed blogs are grouped into my GR categories on the left side of the page (rather than individually). Both services let me connect to Facebook if I want. Both readers also have apps that you can download so you can easily follow your blogs on your mobile devices as well.

I'm going to keep using both of these reader services for now until I decide for sure which one I like best. Google Reader will be around until July, so we have time to take things for a good, long test drive. But I do suggest you start looking for your new service now, instead of waiting until the last minute. There are many other choices out there, people. I'm only listing two because these are the two I have tried. So do a little research and find the one that is best for you. :)

Primitive Easter Bunny Tag

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:56:00 +0000

I was quite busy in the studio over the weekend doing everything from attempting to mosaic a rock, mixed media painting, painting jars, and this...my Primitive Easter Bunny Tag. I just wanted to create a very simple muslin tag that would work for a Primitive Easter gift. I was going to make a muslin bag to match, but haven't quite done that yet.

The "tag" is actually a muslin ATC blank I got at Michael's. They're really a perfect size to be used for Primitive Hangtags. (Michael's has burlap ATC blanks too, just FYI.) I grungy'd up the tag, then stenciled on a little bunny using Tim Holtz Distress Ink. Then I added a fabric craft flower with a button brad. I finished it by punching a hole in the top and adding a brown ribbon.

So now I have a very simple (and easy to make) muslin hangtag to use on a gift. :)

Bunny Butt in a Bucket

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:31:00 +0000

OK, I saw something like this on Pinterest over the weekend and I could not resist making one for myself. It's supposed to be a bunny jumping into a bucket, so all we see is his cute little Bunny Butt.

I used a Rusty Tin bucket to create mine, along with some Spanish moss and some Pip Berries. The one I saw on Pinterest used all pom-poms and felt for the bunny, but I only had one white pom-pom in my entire studio (figures!). So I used cotton balls to make the bunny butt instead. I used white felt for the feet, and the pink toe pads are actually made from paper because I was out of pink felt too (naturally!). I think it turned out cute and it was super easy to make. These would make fun little Primitive Easter gifts. You could use tan pom-poms or pink ones, or any pastel color, or even gray! This could be a fun project to do with the kiddos too.

Felt Chocolate Bunny Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 19:42:00 +0000

I created this Felt Chocolate Bunny Pattern and posted it on my Art Chick Studio blog a couple of years ago. We all know that pretty much anything can be made to look primitive, so I thought I'd share this pattern for anyone who wants to give it a try.

FELT CHOCOLATE EASTER BUNNY PATTERN

Just click on the text link under the bunny photo and that will take you to the PDF pattern. It's just the image of the bunny--there aren't instructions on it. It's basically just a matter of cut out two pieces, sew around the edges (leaving a small opening for stuffing), stuff with fiberfill, and stitch closed. I'm not an expert in the sewing department, so I like to keep it simple most of the time.

Hope you have a Hoppy Primitive Easter!

Primitive Spring Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:45:00 +0000

It's time to think spring y'all...Primitive Spring!

All you need is a little color, and a little imagination...and then, even though it might be 36 degrees outside, it can still be Spring inside!

Primitive Sheep Dough Ornies

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:32:00 +0000

I love Primitive Sheep, don't you? And you know I love Dough Ornies too. So what could be better than some Primitive Sheep Dough Ornies?

I used my usual Primitive Dough Recipe to make these dough ornies. You can see some plain ones here, but I painted a couple of them to bring out the sheep in them. These would make great Primitive Bowl Fillers, along with some rosehips or pip berries, or any other kind of prim fixins. And in case you're wondering, I used a silicone mold to make these sheep--the kind that are normally used for candles/melts. They are so great for making dough ornies!

Grungy Gift Bag with Pip Berries Heart

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 02:47:00 +0000

You know I love Grungy Goods, so I thought I'd make a good and grungy gift bag for February. After all, what's February with lots of hearts? And what says primitive more than grungy stuff and Pip Berries?!

I always have a supply of grungy muslin bags on hand since I love creating craft projects with them so much. For this one all I did was use a primitive graphic to create an iron-on of the pip berries heart and then ironed it on. If you don't want to do an iron-on, you could just stamp on a heart design with a rubber stamp and ink.

This couldn't be much simpler, and it would be a great primitive gift...perfect for Valentine's Day, or a party, or any small gifts.

Rusty Tin Bucket of Buns and Heart

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:56:00 +0000

I've been in Valentines craft mode lately so I wanted to create something with Primitive Hearts that could be fun for Valentine's Day. So I came up with this Rusty Tin Bucket of Buns and Heart.

All this took was a Rusty Tin bucket, some homespun, some Primitive Wax Melts that look like yummy cinnamon buns, a felt heart, and a button. Add the homespun, heart and button to the rusty tin bucket, add your cinnamon bun wax melts, and then wrap the whole thing up in a clear cello bag, and you've got a perfect Primitive Gift for Valentine's Day! Simple and sweet, all wrapped into one. :)

Country Heart Teddy Hangtag

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 01:52:00 +0000

I've been sidetracked lately with many things so haven't been blogging too much. But with Valentine's Day on the way I wanted to do some Primitive Freebies. So I'm starting off with this primitive Country Heart Teddy Hangtag.

Just click on the hangtag image to enlarge it to full size. Then right-click on it and save it to your computer. And please remember my rule about freebie graphics: these are free to use--but they are not yours to sell for profit, or to claim as your own. Besides, the elements of this hangtag were made by other designers too. I've just combined several things together to make one new graphic (per their terms of use). So if you try to sell this, or claim it as your own, you're violating a whole lot of copyrights in one fell swoop!

Now get to crafting. You need to make some fun primitive craft or gift to put this tag on!

Robins Nest in a Rusty Tin Can

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:44:00 +0000

It may be cold outside, but that's no reason to think Winter...I much prefer to think Spring instead--a Primitive Spring to boot! With that in mind, I created this Robins Nest in a Rusty Tin Can.

The eggs are wooden. I painted them Robins Egg Blue to start with, then speckled them using a toothbrush and some watered down brown paint. I added some Spanish Moss to the Rusty Tin can and hot glued the eggs on top. Then I took some Spring yellow pip berries and stuck in stems of them around the nest to give it some more color. I finished it off with a simple jute string on the outside of the can.

I thought about adding a little fake robin, but when I was finished I just liked the way it looked as it is, so I decided to roll with it. Think Spring, y'all!

Primitive Crows Valentines Hangtag

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 23:28:00 +0000

When I was making my Primitive Crows Basket the other day I also decided to make a Primitive Hangtag too, with a Valentines theme...but still with some crows on it. This is what I came up with.

I still love doing Altered Art once in awhile, so this was fun to do. I started with a grungy hangtag that I stamped with a crackle background. Then I stamped on my Primitive Crows and added the primitive red heart. I finished it off with a red ribbon and a black brad. Simple, but fun, and so prim!

Primitive Crows Basket

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 22:16:00 +0000

I was feeling a bit crafty in my studio over the weekend and did several things. Since I love Primitive Crows, I love finding new ways to create crafts and primitive home decor with crows as the theme. This is one of the things I came up with over the weekend. My Primitive Crows Basket.

The basket is black in color. I added a mixture of pip berries in yellow, burgundy, and green, along with some Spanish moss at the top. I added some primitive crow picks that I've had for ages, along with one that is a yellow primitive star. I added some homespun for a pop of color on the basket. And that burgundy star is from a set of bowl fillers I had lying in my studio, waiting to be used on something. I love how it turned out!

Love Heart Altered Art

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:33:00 +0000

Now that the holidays are over I thought I'd start thinking about Valentine's Day. It will be here before you know it! So I thought I'd share this Love Heart Altered Art.

I made some of these a couple of years ago for my other blog, but wanted to do a new one because I love how they turned out the first time. The heart is wood, and I've added a black and white patterned scrapbook paper to the top of it. There's a vintage photo, a button, and some ribbon too. If you drill some small holes in the top of the heart, you can add some ribbon so that you can hang this up. It would be cute on a small Valentine tree, or even hanging on something else. Great as a gift too! Granted, it's more Shabby Prim than primitive, but you could do lots of things to make this much more primitive.

Primitive Snowmen Sleigh Ride

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:48:00 +0000

So what do you do with a bunch of Primitive Snowmen ornies that you end up not putting on your Christmas tree this year? Well, you send them on a sleigh ride of course! That's what I did anyway.

I have a lot of primitive snowmen ornies, and since I didn't do a primitive Christmas tree this year, I decided I needed a fun way to display some of my favorite snowmen ornies. So I used another decorative sleigh I had in my Christmas decor and put a bunch of snowmen in it. I've got this sleigh full of snowmen sitting on my dining room hutch. I love their happy little faces!

Grungy Primitive Christmas Believe Card

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:13:00 +0000

I felt like creating some Altered Art the other day, so I came up with this Grungy Primitive Christmas Believe Card.

I used a Vintage Photo of Santa, added to a brown Kraft card that I made good and grungy using distress ink (by Tim Holtz). I also used a text rubber stamp on top of the card. I added a 'Believe' word sticker, an old button, and a touch of ribbon for a pop of color. Just a cute little primitive Christmas card, ready for giving.

Shabby Prim Pips and Flowers Gift Bag

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:49:00 +0000

I thought I would create something new to add to my Shabby Prim category, and something that would fit in with December for a Primitive Christmas, so I came up with this Shabby Prim Pips and Flowers Gift Bag.

This is created with a pre-made plain muslin bags (I never make my own muslin bags, just FYI). As always, you can find a link to my muslin bag supplier on my Primitive Crafting Supplies page. The pip berries heart wreath was added with an iron-on. The flowers, lace, and trim were all sewn on by hand.

I think this would make a sweet little gift bag, don't you? Then afterward, the recipient can use it for all sorts of things. So add a gift inside and it becomes two gifts in one!

Sister Vintage Photo Fabric Ornie

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:58:00 +0000

I want to post this other Vintage Photo Fabric Ornie before I forget about it. This is one I made that has a vintage photo of my sister and me when we were little. I'm the one on the right in the photo.

I think I was about 6 or 7 in that photo, so my sister would be 8 or 9. It's not totally a primitive ornie, I realize. But it still looks cute on a Primitive Christmas tree. :) When I have all my handmade Primitive Ornies on the tree, it fits right in. One of these days I think I'll make some with photos of my daughter and grandkids too.

Vintage Photo Fabric Ornies

noreply@blogger.com (ArtChick) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 04:14:00 +0000

As I was decorating my Christmas tree after Thanksgiving, I pulled out some Vintage Photo Fabric Ornies that I had made 2 Christmases ago. I made two sets of them, one for me, and one as a special gift for my mother. Since my mother passed away this year, these vintage and almost Primitive Ornies are even more special to me. So I thought I'd share them with you. I used scraps of a vintage rose-look fabric and lace, along with some trim to make these. Very simply to make. And the photos were printed on ink jet fabric, which I bought at an office supply store.

The top ornie shows a photo of (from left to right) my great grandmother, my mother, and my Nana (my mom's mother). They were on a trip to New York City. And actually I found out on Mom's last visit last year that the Statue of Liberty was in the background when this photo was taken--it's just no longer visibile in the old photo.

In the bottom photo are my great grandmother and my mother. They were very, very close, so this was a very special ornie to make for my Mom. She said she cried when she opened these. And here I sit crying as I type this. I miss Mom so much, and it's so difficult at Christmas time. Her tree was still up in January...she had gotten sick and passed away so suddenly, she didn't have a chance to take it down. Her set of these ornies were still hanging on the tree. I gave them to my sister so she would have a set too.

But enough tears! I am going to try and focus on the many wonderful memories I have of her and my whole family. And hopefully Mom can help me from Heaven to keep my happy Christmas face on. :) I have another ornie I made for my sister as well. I'll post that another day. In the meantime, I hope these give you a little creative inspiration.