Accessories Page: 20 |
Picture Frames: Mount picture to be framed, centered, on a piece of mat board, illustration board, cardstock or cardboard of a thickness that will meet your approx. finished depth needs and that is wide enough all the way around to take the width of your frame. For instance, if your frame is going to have sides that are 1/8" wide you would add an extra 1/8" all around. Use either YES glue or a quality glue stick for adhering. If you are using glass and/or a matt to your picture, glue it on top, keeping glue to the edges that will be covered by the frame. You will be using paper strips to frame your picture. The paper may be plain or decorative, thick or thin, smooth or textured. If plain, pre-paint it as desired...for a wood look paint it a raw sienna color and antique it with a dark brown water based translucent stain. For decorative papers look in full sized wallpaper books or in scrapbook sections of craft stores. Cut paper strips to width that is the same size as depth of edge of the cardboard-glass-picture-matboard (or whatever) combination Cover raw edges neatly in four separate pieces. Cut strips the width of the face of frame sides and slightly longer. Adhere to top. over exposed frame space next to picture (right over glass if it is being used. Do two connected sides first, overlapping the corners. Using a sharp Xacto knife cut thru the two thickness' of paper at a 45 degree angle, using the inside and outside corners of the paper strips as a guide...very simple. Gently lift up the cut edges and remove the excess paper and you will be left with a perfect mitered corner. Repeat for all four corners. Thinner paper strips or wood strips can be added in the same manner to the face of the first strips to add dimension and interest if desired. Jewelry findings or what have you may be adhered to corners for interest. Touch up paper edges as needed with matching paint. After you have done a few as described above you may want to try using just one strip of paper to cover a side and it's edge. A bit more difficult but makes for a neater finish. Joann Swanson |
Matting Pictures: I was a picture framer for 10 years. So I do have a mat cutter at home which does make this a little easier. Logan makes one for home use that works extremely well. They are around 100 to 125 dollars depending on if you get the one that also will do straight edges versus just the beveled edge. Highly recommend that one over the other. I've used this for years for so many things that it is well worth the price. Easy to cut long strips of mat board for projects that you're working on besides cutting mat boards. Starting with acid free mat board, which is the only kind I use, Cut your mat board the size you want, mark your boarder on all 4 sides and cut your bevel. Then carefully peel several layers of the backing paper off from the front. It works like a charm, you get your bevel in scale. You can then leave it white or carefully and slowly if you've never done this before, with a marker that doesn't bleed, paint the bevel color of choice. I used gold to simulate fillet. It was very effective without bulk. Kathy in E. TN |
Baskets: Barb Lewis has wonderful basket kits. http://www.PictureTrail.com/barblewis KIRKBARB@MIDWEST.NET Fannye |
Baskets: Cut a small square of embroidery canvas. Dunk it once into water and then pull it over a convex shape of some sorts. (lids, bottles...). Hold it in place with an elastic band. Leave to dry. When completely dry, remove the elastic band and ease off the convex shape. Invert it and you have a concave shape. Now trim the edges to make it the shape and size you want. Trim the raw edges with plaited (braided) thread or, or, or .... Once trimmed and edged they are very satisfactory and such fun you end up making more than you need. Barbara B in S. Africa |
Baskets: several of the do-it-yourself mini crafting books have directions for making your own baskets. Basically, get some needlepoint canvas, collect some different shapes and sizes of molds (chapstick, acrylic paint bottle, shampoo caps, etc.), some plastic wrap or plastic mesh fruit bags, twist-ties, and tacky glue. Cut squares of canvas, soak briefly in warm water to make pliable, and smooth around your mold. Use plastic wrap or fruit bag and twist-tie to hold in place around the mold till dry. Trim the edges evenly, and finish off with a braid of the finest upholstery braid or unravel and braid several strands of the canvas. Glue in place over the edges, let dry, and paint if you want. You could use the same technique with cross-stitch fabric soaked in fabric stiffener. Quilling paper (cut your own in 1/16 - 1/4 inch wide strips) can be coiled and glued around a mold or criss-crossed with a band of same paper folded in half lengthwise as the top band to make berry baskets. Just look around and experiment. It's easy and fun. Loretta Sniarowski |
Sequin centres, Sound Boxes: Claire in Morecambe, England |
Mini pots, Karen's Miniatures carries a full line of clay pots in all sizes and shapes. She also goes by AK Products and has two addresses. I'm never sure which address to reach her so here are a couple: Debbie Noland of Sunny Southern California |
Terra Cotta Pots....they're wonderful! If anyone is looking for a great source for all kinds of thing, these people are great....fast service, great quality. They are T & D Miniatures of Fenton, MO, their email is: Tdminiature@gateway.net Their phone is 636-296-3818. I'm not sure if they have a web site...but you can't beat their pots....best scale I've found. Sloan |
Photo Reduction and framing service Jane in Arkansas |
Leather Books: Carol Downunder |
Lamp Shades: Just go to Jim Collins site and click on printables then listed under furniture you will find various lamp shades that you may print out. Marilyn from Michigan |
Lamp Shades: Material/technique chosen depends if the lamp will be lit or not. If not lit, a lot of "found art" items make useful lampshades. In 1/12th size, a toothpaste cap makes an interesting "smaller" fluted shade for bedside night table etc. Other plastic screw caps for household cleaners and such make larger shades and many have appropriate tapers (smaller at top than bottom) I know there are some lampshade "printies" out there also. For lighted fixtures, translucence in interesting tones becomes important and a bit of framework to give shadow lines is also helpful in achieving realism. For the most simple shades, roll a slightly conical shape using velum, tracing or parchment paper, interesting colored stationary papers, etc. If you try to glue just at one "meeting edge" the glue line will be ugly when the light shows through. Rather, make the cone oversize and trim so the paper is two layers thick but with the two edges precisely aligned. This will assure you only get one "splice line" and evenly modified translucence all the way around. Dope the whole thing with clear model airplane dope and clip to dry using alligator clips above and below the portion you will keep. If you work your roll so it wants to go tighter than finished on the outside and looser on the inside, the edges should draw together tightly. WARNING: If you are like me, you will mess up many attempts before getting the feel for it all. As you practice, you will begin to experiment with techniques to get fancy with the paper and to cover the paper form with gathered fabrics, etc. When you are getting really good at it, contact me for illustrated techniques to make "concave" silk shades and such. Carefully form a bit of thin brass wire into a pair of circles the interior size of the lampshade top and bottom. If you are skilled at soldering, use steel wool and paint thinner to remove the protective coating from the brass while it is still straight and easy to clean. If you will "glue" your frame, leave the coating on. When the paper form is fully dried, carefully drop your rings into it and position them with a small probe to be perfectly parallel with each other, perpendicular to the center line of the shade. Cut two straight pieces of wire to precisely fit from small "upper" ring to larger "lower" ring. Position opposite each other with tweezers and a probe. Align one of these directly over the "paper splice" line. Spray additional coats of clear dope to bond these in place and allow to dry. If you can avoid its getting onto the paper, you may choose to add tiny drops of gap filing super glue where the straight and ring pieces come together and where the rings close on themselves. When dope is FULLY (!!!!!) cured, clip most of the excess paper from top and bottom using iris or cuticle scissors. Finish with very fine sand paper so edges are within 1/32" of the rings. Set the shade bottom side up. Make and install two straight pieces of brass wire across the inside of the top rings so that they are approximately 1/32" apart. These will be the "span" upon which your shade will hang over the bulb. Obviously, you will need to create a "harp" to reach up from the lamp body, around the bulb, and support the shade. You may choose to "finish" even the simplest shade in any number of ways. A very fine hem of paper, embroidery floss, marking pen color, or some such would be minimal. Fringe or crystal pendants would probably go on more ornate examples. During some periods, it was fashionable to have painted or decal illustrations and designs on some shades. This may be a simple geometric pattern along the hems or a decal such as those intended for fingernails or miniature tiles right smack in the middle of two or three faces. Useful tools are: Mel Koplin |
Lamp Shades: I carry Lamp Shade Kits by Tec Innovations. Go to their web site, http://misc.home.mindspring.com/page8.htm , to see their products. I carry #348, 347 & 328 all of the time. I can order any of the others. Eileen Vernon |
Lamp Shades: back when Dollhouse Miniatures was still Nutshell News, Joann Swanson had a project with dozens of lampshades. If you contact DM's web site, you may be able to get a copy of the article, as I'm sure the issue is out of print by now. Also, check your local library. Helen Ruthberg's and Joan McElroy's books (out of print, alas) also have patterns and instructions for shades and may be available there. Loretta Sniarowski |
Leather Books: Carol Downunder |
Lamp Shades: Just go to Jim Collins site and click on printables then listed under furniture you will find various lamp shades that you may print out. Marilyn from Michigan |
Thin Flexible Mirror: I'm sure that you will find something closer to you, but you can get the thin plastic mirror that you are looking for from Jojays on line, the actual page link is http://www.jojays.com/acatalog/Jojays_On_line__Page_6_85.html and they have online ordering. FLAT MIRROR SHEET (DH114) Flexible plastic sheet - 1mm thick 10 x 7.5cms, it costs one English pound & 10p. I have used it myself & IMHO it's good. Paulette Cullarn in Christchurch, New Zealand |
Thin Flexible Mirror Sheets: I'm sure that you will find something closer to you, but you can get the mirror sheets: From the catalogue of The American School of Needlework They have those sheets you can order them from their catalogue. Their toll free # 1-800-379-9627 They are called flexible Mirrors item #6324 they come in 6 "X 9" sheets. Two sheets per package. SUSAN AT THE WHITE RABBIT'SHOUSE |
Thin Mirrors: I found my thin mirror in the AUTOMOTIVE SECTION at Wal-Mart!! Easy to cut to the size I wanted, and worked quite well. Used it to display the "other side" of a dress form in the corner of my sewing room. Scott & Susie Haugen, Venice, Florida |
Lace on Picture Frames: I make a basic frame out of mitered balsa wood, to fit the picture, I might add. I've applied fine lace with white glue, (also mitered the corners), painted the frame first with red, then dry-brushed gold paint on top. I've used heavier lace, the embroidered looking type, and painted or stained the whole thing brown, black, red or whatever, then used Rub-n-Buff. The results look like carved frames. The problem is finding the 1/8" lace for the smaller frames, for larger frames 1/4" is fine. I have also cut out designs from the lace, i.e. two petals in a "V" shape, and used this just on the corners. They really go quite quickly and are fun to make. I've used "V" shaped angled wood for frames, 1/2 round wood, and even layered a small frame on a larger one, to add depth. I then paste the picture onto card stock, glue clear vinyl sheeting cut to size for glass, and then glue the whole works together. I try to put the name & artist on the back of the card, if possible. S. Begley |
| This category has 1449 tips of 10312 tips in the archives. Previous 20 | Next 20 Page 20 of 73. |
|
Browse the database (all entries) |