Sunday, June 13, 2010

Chaos and Chunkiness

Remember the Chaos project I was involved with?  No?  Don't feel badly, I definitely suffer from CRS myself.  Just click HERE to be reminded.   Anyway.......I received my completed canvas over a week ago, and finally figured out how to display it, which explains my delay in blogging about it.....because it is absolutely fantastic, and know ahead of time, the photgraph won't do it justice.
Pam and Nancy spent the entire Memorial Day weekend assembling the 12x12 canvases for everyone in groups 1 and 2, not merely arranging the tags artfully, but adding so many touches to pull it all together.  And then the monumental task of carefully packaging everything, toting boxes and getting it all in the mail.  Bravo Pam and Nancy!
I couldn't frame the piece traditionally; I didn't want it under glass and I wanted to preserve the title on the top and the danglies on the bottom.  Oh, I could have hung it as it was for sure, but felt it deserved a grander presentation.
I found an unfinished 17x17 wood frame with a perfectly flat surface and NO GLASS.  I sanded it, applied a coat of gesso, then just went at it with various glazes and distress inks and my distressing tools.  The canvas fit nicely over the opening, (attached with some super sticky tape)  and it is on a wall where I can see and appreciate it daily.
I've also been busy doing some chunky ATCs (blocks of wood cut to ATC size, 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 AND 1 1/2" thick) in a very vintage style.  What's so cool about these chunkies is how you get to decorate so many sides....5 to be exact.  Yes, I do know that they have 6 sides, but the bottoms where they rest on a shelf are embellishment free.
Just about everything I used to make them is from Tim Holtz, unless otherwise noted.   Here's a one side at a time view.
Front

Side
(Photos inside Filmstrip Frames die cut from PID)

Back
(Photos from Tim's Lost & Found paper stack, covered with rock candy distress crackle paint)

Side
(words done with my old style Dymo label maker. All sides
were first wrapped with Tim's tissue tape.)

Top
(How could I resist using a part of Tim's At The Movies stamp set? As I commented months ago when the set was released, not only is Eileen my name, but the movie theater across the street from the house I grew up in was The Biltmore.  Was I meant to own this stamp or what?)

I plan to spend a good part of this gray and dismal Sunday working on some canvases for yet another ATT swap, and getting this week's Technique Tuesday ready.   What artful things are you doing today?

18 comments:

Dorothy said...

Excellent Eileen!!!
Great idea on the framed canvas

Anonymous said...

Beautiful......
I love it.

Angie Hall Haviland said...

FABULOUS FABULOUS FABULOUS, Eileen!! The canvas and your Chunkie ATCs are WONDERFUL!!

Anonymous said...

Your Chaos looks great. Where did you find the frame? Im glad you got one of mine in your finished piece. I feel honored to be in your presence.

Friends
Stephen

Linda said...

Love the framed Chaos! It looks fabulous. The chunky ATCs are great!

As far as what "artful" thing I am doing today is attempting re-arrange the studio. The slogan that seems to describe my studio is "new stuff arriving daily!" Unfortunately the old stuff is going out as fast as the new stuff is coming in so there is a huge mess in the "storage" room! lol Have a great rest of the weekend!

Elaine Akers said...

Your chunky ATC's are so neat. And the framed canvas is just awesome.

Kerry said...

Wonderful Eileen! I love it all. The chunky ATC's are super. Thanks for sharing. KerryP

Sherry Goodloe said...

These Chunky ATC's are simply FAB-U-LOUS Eileen!!

Elaine A said...

Eileen -

I loved how you framed the CHAOS piece - splendid presentation! OH MY GOD!!!!! Love the Chunky ATC's! They are just perfect, love all the detail and I have to say, I'm really loving the "My Sister Eileen" idea. Altogether awesome project!
I'm not doing much art these days, my 102 year old Grandmother has been ill for the past month, so I've been spending lots of time with her. She is finally on the mend (I hope), so hopefully I'll be back in the studio soon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Elaine Allen

Mel♥ said...

love it Eileen

Nancy said...

I REALLY like the canvas with the frame! I did just hang mine as it is, but I'm now seriously rethinking that.
Your ATC's are great ... as always!

MarleneMAZ said...

I love what you did with the canvas, where did you find that frame ?
Your chunky ATC's are fabulous, great story about the Tim stamp!

Lori said...

Great job on the display for the Chaos piece, what a wonderful addition to the already great masterpiece! Love the chunky ATC's, are you sure you don't need more wood? lol They turned out great, love the use of the Eileen stamp and that tissue tape was a superb idea...

Patzee said...

Perfect frame for the swap! I love the look after you gave it your multi-layered treatment. Super cool cinematic chunky ATCs!

nancy mayer said...

Wow! Eileen...your Chaos display is fantastic!!
I think you did great justice to the comcept and I love the frame the way you Chaosed -it-up.
Nancy Mayer

Mimi2six said...

It is gorgeous. I wish I had participated, I would love to have something so inspiring in my room. You are so talented! I'm glad I was lucky enough to be your newbie recipient, thanks again for my book and for the goodies.
Sammie

inge Bekaert said...

hello Eileen,

great chaos tagswap display !
I can imagine you wanted it to be seen daily ! I was in group 1, but it seems that you didn't got one of my tags...
I didn't want the canvas completed because of the shipping costs to Belgium, but now my tags are waiting patiently to be displayed.

I keep the assemblage in mind when I put mine together !

I also like your chunky ATC's !!! How do you cut your wood in the right size or is the width of the wood already the right size ?

I like the subject and the colorscheme of your chunkies !
One day I make some myself to swap !
greetings from belgium
Inge

2amscrapper said...

Everything is wonderful!