Your Zoetrope is Showing!

My son, Trevor, and I went to Muzeo, a museum in Santa Ana, over the summer to check out their Frog exhibit. I can't remember why, but there was a Zoetrope in one of the interactive displays that showed a running horse. Of course at the time I didn't know what it was called, but after some determined Googling tonight I figured it out.  I really want to make one of these but first I need to find a record player!  Time to hit the second hand stores!  Here are some other examples of Zoetropes!

On the hunt for Vintage Industrial Lighting for The Scarlet Calliope

I'm counting down the days to the start up of my new hobby when I can finally create letterpressed stationery and a variety of creative paper products on my very own machines.  With the remodel of my garage about to begin any day now, it's time to find some lighting.

PW Antique Lighting has some very cool vintage lighting.

This is Fantastic! Barn Light Electric has some very interesting lights!

Hudson Goods has some incredible vintage lighting and other amazing stuff.

I'm obsessed by these light fixtures featuring

 accordions and pulleys from J Covington Design

What do you think of these beauties from Rewirela?

And this one is my fave, from Restoration Hardware.

SteamPunk Forever!

I discovered Steampunk culture over a year ago while researching corsets and burlesque costumes and started dreaming of creating my own designs. It was exciting to realize that there was a name for this aesthetic that has been whispering to my heart for most of my life. Among my favorite movies are La cité des enfants perdus,  or The City of Lost Children, (the costumes were designed by Jean Paul Gaultier), The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, Kiki's Delivery Service,  and The Golden Compass.  A year later and I'm still smitten with the dark, rich colors, the odes to days long past and the sense of excitement that recreating everyday objects into art brings. I love the Victorian look, dirigibles, rust, industrial design, corsets and petticoats, gears, goggles, and everything that steampunk represents. Back when I first started researching it, there were only three websites/mentions of the genre on Google. Now I find it wherever I look. I was ecstatic to see so many Steampunk costumes at ComicCon 2010 in San Diego this year. My husband was probably tired of hearing me say, "OMG, Steampunk!  Can I take your picture?"  To celebrate Steampunk, I'm going to regularly post images of creative, inspiring and modded objects and styles that evoke the historical fantasy and imagination of this movement.

I love this Steampunk Treehouse that was installed at Coachella 2008. I can imagine climbing into it, reading a book and being transported to imaginary worlds far from the stress and hustle of our world.  

Altered Book: Murder in the Rosegarden

I've been wanting a Dremel rotary tool for years and my sweet husband got me one for my birthday this year!  The first project I tried was to drill some holes into Dominoes so I can make some scary necklaces for Halloween. I'll post those as soon as I get some finished!

The next project I tried was to alter a book that I had, "Murder in the Rosegarden". Inspired by all of the projects in Playing with Books by Jason Thompson, I wanted to alter my own book and create some sculptural art. The Dremel works ok, but I'll have to figure out how to avoid burning the pages while I'm cutting them out. The studio still smells like burned paper, hours later!

The more I look at this the more it looks like the outline of Sasquatch. Oh well, back to the drawing board!  lol!

I'm Drifting Off to Dreamland!

I'm so excited that my friend, Alison, had her baby girl, Ava, yesterday. My friends and I are so thrilled to be aunties again to a precious bundle of love. I'm looking forward to going to the hospital today and cuddling a newborn! And congratulating Alison and Kevin, of course!  ;)

To welcome Baby Ava to the world, I created a card ensemble for Alison's baby shower. I'm really happy with the way everything turned out!

I'm Drifting Back to Dreamland!

Here's the handcrafted card with a bunny in a hot air balloon with a swan basket that I designed. 

The background collage was made from my stash of vintage sheet music and ledger, a variety of scrapbooking papers, and vintage buttons from Tinsel Trading Co. I used a technique that I saw in artist Cori Dantini's work to add white paint behind the main object to make it stand out. The swan is decked out in vintage German Glass Glitter from Wendy Addison's collection and the balloon sports a flag with Ava's name on it.

Welcome to the World Little One! 

Next, I created a theater envelope to slide the card into. 

Here's the back of the theater envelope.

This is the inside of the card

I made an envelope with string and embellished it with vintage

 buttons and silk flowers and paper I die cut with my Cricut

 and Slice tools.

This is the front of the envelope with additional 

embellishments made from vintage silk flowers 

and sheet music, die cuts and ribbon.

I made a pin to attach to the front of the gift, using 

more vintage flowers, die cuts and ribbon.

Hello Little Baby! 

Add in a banner with a Letterpress-esque

 font, a sewn edge and ribbon to match

I created this super easy pinwheel (tutorial on making handmade pinwheels later this week!). My husband, Phil, is super patient and teaching me some tricks in Photoshop. I photoshopped the checkerboard pattern and made it pink! The handle of the pinwheel is made from a chopstick! 

Easy Peasy, one two threesy!

I made some bows to match following the instructions in my 

fave new book about altered book art  "Playing with Books".

And, Voila!  A super cute, handcrafted card and gift wrap!

Now it's time to go visit Ava, Alison and Kevin!  Au Revoir!

Starting a business is hard work!

As a wannabe smartypants with a degree in Business Management from Pepperdine University, I thought that choosing the name of my business would be the easiest part of being an Entrepreneur. Turns out I was so wrong!  I was elated to find that Calliope Studio is available for me to use as the name of my LLC in the state of California. I was dismayed to find out that someone already owns www.calliopestudio.com but isn't even using it. Back to the drawing board!

So now I have to start the process of finding domain names that are simple to remember, easy to spell and offer a smidgen of info about what I'm all about.  Calliope Workshop?  Kinda 70's. Calliope Vintage?  People might think I don't offer products with a modern design. Calliope Atelier?  I think it's perfect, but couldn't have spelled it if I hadn't seen it written down first.  So, step one, find a resource to give me some direction...aha, how about  The Craft Business Guide?

I'll keep on thinking and hope I figure this name thing out soon!

Frustrated? Unhappy? Check out these Six Success Secrets with the When I Grow Up Coach

"Surround yourself with the people who are good for your heart, your spirit, your attitude, your outlook, your optimism, your support, your confidence. "


Sounds good to me!  Check out the other secrets from Michelle Ward, the When I Grow Up Coach.  


http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/six-success-secrets-with-the-when-i-grow-up-coach-10690/?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Read+Michelle%27s+blog+post+first&utm_content=etsy_success_100710&utm_campaign=etsy_success_100710


Let me know what has resonance for you!

Stealing art is NOT COOL!

Zetti Graphic for blogs
Originally uploaded by Tumble Fish Studio

As an artistic person, I dream of one day creating art that will fill peoples hearts with unbridled whimsy and inspire them. What I don't dream of is some day finding my art copied and used without my permission for someone else's financial gain. That's so uncool. Spread the word!

(Thank you, Marsha Jorgensen, for a great way to pass on the message!)

Frayed Rosette Bib Necklace Tutorial by Carla C

I found the exact project that I was admiring at The Creative Connection last month. Carla C is a patternmaker and she has easy peasy instructions for how to make a Frayed Rosette Bib Necklace just like the ones you've seen at Anthropologie!  These would make easy gifts! Post some pics if you make this project!

(Tutorial and Photo by Carla C)

DIY: How to Make Fabulous Roses from Strips of Fabric

While I was at The Creative Connection in Minnesota, I attended Tiffany Windsor's Pajama Party. One of the tables made beautiful necklaces adorned with fabric roses. Although one of the girls showed me how to do it, I couldn't remember for the life of me how to make one now that I'm home. Thankfully, Bridget Baxter has an easy tutorial on her blog so that we can all make them! Thanks Bridget!

http://bridgetbaxter.blogspot.com/2009/11/tattered-fabric-roses.html

(Gorgeous Roses and Photo by Bridget Baxter)