Cathe Holden’s Inspired Barn | Creative Lifestyle

Silhouette Holiday Sale & Review: Stenciled Aprons

Thursday, November 28, 2013 by Cathe Holden

I’m excited to be a part of Silhouette’s biggest promotion ever. Silhouette electronic cutting machines can cut a wide variety of materials including paper, vinyl, cardstock, fabric, heat transfer material, and more. To help spread the news of their latest promo, Silhouette provided me with product for review, (see below). But let’s start with the exciting news! November 28 through December 8, 2013, you can receive incredible discounts online as listed below using the promo code SOMETHING at checkout. If you already own a Silhouette, shop for products at 40% discount* and receive free shipping on orders over $25!

The Silhouette Holiday Sale

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The CAMEO & Portrait Holiday Bundle $299.99 Save $229.99 (43%)

Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool
Power cable/AC adapter
USB cable
Silhouette Studio® software
$10 download card
12 in x 12 in cutting mat
Silhouette blade
Basic Instruction Guide
CAMEO instructional DVD
Silhouette Portrait® electronic cutting tool
Power cable/AC adapter
USB cable
Silhouette Studio® software
$10 download card
8 in x 12 in cutting mat
Silhouette blade
Basic Instruction Guide
Portrait instructional DVD
2 $25 download cards

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The Silhouette CAMEO® Holiday Bundle $229.99 Save $176.92 (43%)

Silhouette CAMEO® electronic cutting tool
Power cable/AC adapter
USB cable
Silhouette Studio® software
$10 download card
12 in x 12 in cutting mat
Silhouette blade
Basic Instruction Guide
CAMEO instructional DVD
Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition Software
$25 download card
CAMEO dust cover
Silhouette hook tool
Silhouette scraper tool
Silhouette spatula tool
Silhouette pick-me-up® tool

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The Silhouette Portrait® Holiday Bundle $129.99 Save $156.92 (55%)

Silhouette Portrait® electronic cutting tool
Power cable/AC adapter
USB cable
Silhouette Studio® software
$10 download card
8 in x 12 in cutting mat
Silhouette blade
Basic Instruction Guide
Portrait instructional DVD
Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition Software
$25 download card
Portrait dust cover
Silhouette hook tool
Silhouette scraper tool
Silhouette spatula tool
Silhouette pick-me-up® tool

……………..MY PROJECT AND REVIEW……………..

When I learned that there was an electronic cutter that I could use to cut out my own custom designs, I was so excited. I had a hunch it couldn’t be quite that easy, but I was willing to give it a try. As a graphic designer, such a machine would be a dream, I could imagine die-cutting my own 3D creations, like my paper house templates. But for starters, I wanted to make a stencil of my stencil-style Inspired Barn logo to decorate aprons for future workshops. So I requested the Silhouette Cameo (which cuts up to 12 inches wide,) and Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition software. I set up the Silhouette based on the simple steps provided. EASY! I downloaded the Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition software. EASY! I saved my design in Adobe Illustrator as an SVG file and then opened that file within the Silhouette software. EASY! I clicked on the icon for creating cut lines on my art and that was that, the entire design was ready to cut!I started with Martha Stewart Crafts 11″-wide stencil film, it cut ok, but once peeled from the cutting mat it continued to curl uncontrollably which made it unusable. So I prodded around the studio until I found the perfect material to cut- my poly (polypropylene) scrapbook paper storage envelopes from Michaels. Clear and very durable. I can trim a full 12″ x 12″ sheet from one side of each envelope and a smaller sheet from the other.I attached a twelve-inch square piece to the cutting mat, sized my artwork accordingly, and watched the Silhouette do her magic. I peeled the stencil from the cutting mat.I sprayed the back side of the cut stencil with a very light coat of adhesive and once dry, placed it onto an apron. I stenciled 12 aprons with this one stencil and only needed to reapply spray adhesive once. I was painting some pretty rugged burlap-type fabric, so be careful to test your more delicate surfaces when using adhesives. I used Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Acryic Craft Paint and Paint Dauber to paint each apron.Then the most fun moment, removing the stencil to reveal the design!So my very first Silhouette Cameo project turned out fabulous! I also made a slightly smaller version and with brown spray paint, decorated this craft store tote!Silhouette offers so many excellent designs you can download to use, but I can’t wait to try more of my own designs for cutting. Be sure to check out the great promotion Silhouette promotion going on through December 8, 2013 and receive your discounts using promo code SOMETHING. Get yours in time for crafting some nice holiday gifts, I’ll be doing just that!

18 Comments | Posted in Uncategorized |

Painted & Distressed Vintage Embossed Apothecary Bottles

Sunday, November 24, 2013 by Cathe Holden

The moment I discovered painted and distressed Mason jars on the internet I was smitten with the look. It got me thinking about embossed glass and I decided to try out the look on a few vintage apothecary bottles I had in my studio. I painted them with basic two-dollar acrylic paints and was so happy with the results. I did learn while experimenting that light color paint is the way to go. Darker colors don’t allow enough contrast between the paint and the distressed areas. I began collecting more and more bottles online and in local shops. When shopping, remember that the condition of the inside of the bottle is of no real concern, so you may find bottles with inner grunge at a good price. I decided to paint my entire collection, even the ones I’d previously painted, in taupe-greys and white-blue to create a lovely decoration for our mantle. I painted each bottle with Martha Stewart Crafts™ Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Paint. Each bottle received two coats with about one hour drying time between coats.I used a wooden dowel to manipulate reach bottle as I painted and turn upside down to paint the bottoms. Then all skewered bottles were placed in a test tube rack I found somewhere. Once dry, I used fine grit sandpaper to sand embossed areas of type, bottle edges and rim. Here is my newly painted and distressed apothecary bottle collection with trims of foliage from around our yard tucked into each, accented with faux floral berries.

10 Comments | Posted in Antiques, Collecting, Decorating, general craft |

Handmade Colorful Bottle Brush Trees at Goat Hill Fair

Saturday, November 16, 2013 by Cathe Holden

I am in Santa Cruz this weekend for the Goat Hill Fair where I am demonstrating a fun and timely craft project- Vintage-Style Bottle Brush Trees! I’m not just showing how to use them in projects, but how to actually make your own and customize them to suit your crafts! I brought along lots of examples to share at the fair and thought you’d like a little inspiration, too. Here is a photo of two bottle brush trees. The one on the left was made in China. The one on the right was made in Petaluma, by me.2015 UPDATE: You can now purchase my Bottle Brush Christmas Tree video download to watch exactly how to craft these trees yourself!

Examples

These trees were tucked into a grungy vintage tobacco tin opposite a reproduced postcard image. Both sides were finished with craft store fencing.A little pottery vase makes a cute tree urn decorated with a vintage postage stamp. This tree was lightly painted with Mod Podge then dusted with mica flakes.Here’s a purple display made from a vintage silver sugar container (with a glittered styrofoam ball inserted to hold the trees) and covered in murcury glass garland, and finished with a county fair rosette.This little sweetie fit just right into a vintage spool of thread (secured with hot glue) and topped with a stamped brass embellishment.I just love this old Ball freezer jar, perfect for a frozen display. My St. Nicholas is a little vintage ornament with string removed.By dipping in two of the same color- one diluted more than the other- I was able to create ombré trees. These are set into vintage candle holders filled with hot glue and finished with glitter.Here is a tree that has not been colored, tucked into an antique record cylinder used as an artist trading card display.You can even make jewelry charms with these little trees! Sisal bottle brush trees can be used throughout the year for occasions other than Christmas. They make adorable Easter decor. Here’s one tucked into an egg cup. I glued this glittered tree into a vintage glass drawer knob, placed a jump ring into the bent top wire and created a holiday ornament. Tiny embellishments can be glued around the tree like ornaments. Here I used tiny jingle bells, and glittered scrapbook supply stars glued back-to-back as the tree topper. I found the tree base as-is at an antique shop- score!So many cute little containers make good pots for planting these trees. Here’s a vintage and decorated toothpick package stuffed with floral foam and Spanish moss.Even this tiny tin toy pitcher makes a sweet tree pot. Of course there’s the ol’ stand-by apothecary bottle filled with glitter. I drilled a tiny hole into the cork before poking the twisted wire into it to keep the cork from breaking. And, lastly, here is my tiniest tree that is just under two inches tall. These trees are just so much fun to make. I make them assembly-line-style over many days. One evening I will cut and unravel rope on the coffee table while watching a movie. Another day I will wire and spin and trim. Another time I will dye and dry them. The final trees are great to keep on hand for future craft displays or to use as favors, ornaments, place settings or a few dozen other uses. Have fun!