Posted by: Dena in Craft Projects on
Jul 31, 2009
I have no idea where you can find a lovely variety of shelf edging paper. The look was once so popular in the 1950s – and for good reason: it’s absolutely charming. So until this product becomes popular again we can have a great time making our own.
I like using the classified section for this project because the words are close together and there are no photos. For extra detail, add decorative tacks made by gluing a variety of small embellishments to the tops of the tacks. I used a variety of red buttons on my shelf edging.
Gather:
Newspaper
Craft scissors
Double-sided tape
Glossy wood-tone spray finish
Hole punch
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Small embellishments
Pushpins or upholstery tacks
Create:
1. Using spray finish, lightly spray classified section for a vintage look. Let dry, then cut the newspaper into approximately 2” wide strips.
2. Cut a zigzag pattern along one edge of the strips.
3. Using a variety of hole punches, punch a pattern along the zigzag edge.
4. Attach the newspaper to the shelf edge with double-sided tape.
5. Hot-glue the small embellishments to the tops of the tacks. Some of my favorites are buttons, fabric or felt flowers, bits of old jewelry, rhinestones, shells and watch faces.
6. Attach decorative tacks every 4”- 6”.
Shelf edging borders are also great inside closets and armoires in baby’s, kid’s, teen’s, and adult’s rooms. Customize yours by using favorite wallpaper or other decorative paper or even fabric. I’ve used it to edge the shelves in my linen closet. It’s an unexpected detail that is delightful.
Posted by: Dena in Craft Projects on
Jul 27, 2009
I have been collecting glass paperweights for several years now. I usually find them at our local flea market in Alameda, CA. They've always seemed magical to me. Miniature worlds encased in glass. When I saw a tiny glass bowl at an import store (probably used as a salt cellar or condiment bowl) I got the idea to turn the bowl upside down, fill it with baubles, seal it on the bottom and turn it into a glass paper weight. Easy breezy, right?
You can customize them by using old photographs, ephemera, tiny vintage bits and pieces and lovely sentiments. Make these as gifts or party favors. Try encasing your guests’ names beneath the glass domes at your next party.
Gather:
Small Glass Bowl
Vintage wallpaper, photo or ephemera
Matte Board
Felt
Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Spray Adhesive
White Glue
Scalloped Craft Scissors
Small Embellishments (to fit under glass bowl)
Pencil
Marker
Create:
1) Spray the back of vintage wallpaper (or other background paper) with spray adhesive and adhere onto the matte board.
2) Place the glass bowl upside down onto the area of wallpaper (or other paper) that you want to have show through the glass and trace around the rim with pencil.
3) Remove the bowl. Using the scalloped craft scissors cut the matte board ¼” away from the pencil line.
4) Place the bowl upside down onto the felt and trace with marker. Remove bowl. Cut ¼” in from the line with scissors and use white glue to adhere the felt to the bottom side of the matte board. Now your paperweight won’t scuff what’s underneath.
5) Now for the fun part. Add embellishments using hot glue. Make sure that the embellishments will be within the rim of the bowl. Use millinery flowers, bits of old jewelry, small gems –anything your might decorate a scrap book page with should work.
6) Hot glue the rim of the glass bowl onto the wallpaper.
This week I was a featured designer on The Jolly Jabber, the blog of The Fat Quarter Shop at fatquartershop.com.
They're an online fabric store that carry my fabrics. The blog entry is about my Christmas Snowflower collection, already out for purchase! Plenty of time to start creating holiday gifts.
Below is a photo of my paintings before they were scanned into the computer and turned into the fabric collection.
Click here to see the entry!
Posted by: Dena in Thoughts from Dena on
Jul 10, 2009
Remember when I wrote that I had a lot of summer travelling to do? It’s not over yet! That’s why I’ve been away from writing blog entries for the past couple of weeks.
I just got back from another week in New York City. Aside from business meetings, window-shopping, and museum going, my family and I wanted to complete another routine NYC stop: Veniero’s Pasticceria!
This Italian bakery has been around since 1894 - in the same family and the same location! Their cheesecake and cannolis are famous throughout the city.
My husband Danny loves their Black Forest cake (chocolate cake with rum, filled with amaretto infused cherries and whipped cream.) Danny’s step mother, who lives in NYC, is a big fan of Sfogliatelle (flaky pastry is filled with sweet ricotta cheese) and we always pick some up for her before we visit.
The funny thing is that after I hired my assistant, Katrina, I found out that her family owns Venireo’s! So this time when we went for our customary visit, we made sure to say hello to her Dad, Robert, and Uncle Angelo. They were beyond hospitable! After we introduced ourselves, they rolled out the red carpet. We were given a tour of the whole place, even into the bakery where we watched the bakers create the famous desserts. At each station Robert and Angelo gave us a taste of the process. When we sat down in the café, they piled cookies, pastries, and cakes onto plates and filled the whole table up! Unbelievably delicious. As if this wasn’t enough, we were given shopping bags filled with even more sweets before we left. We managed to eat those over the next few days, just in case you were wondering!
If you’re ever in the area, I highly highly suggest visiting Veniero’s. It’s located at 342 East 11th St. & 1st Ave. They even ship pastries all over the country! I think Danny has some plans to order a Black Forest cake soon. Check out their site at venierospastry.com.
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