703 designs - Blog

Shabby Fabric Flower Garlands

2/10/2015

This weekend I had unrelenting snow! The New England area has been pummeled every few days with more and more snow, we don't know where to put it all! In the midst of our "Snow-pocalypse", I decided to create some craftiness from fabric flowers that I had made a while back.

Fabric flowers made from repurposed upcycled fabric scraps and lace.

I had so many flowers that I had made to string on twine for a garland as decor at my wedding, but I ended up not having the time to create the garlands before the big day! I decided to pull them out and make the magic happen.

Each flower is layered with many different types of fabric. There are five garlands total and all measure almost 7 ft. long with plenty of extra jute after the end knots for tying. The two nude / neutral colored garlands have flowers made of thick woven muslin with lace centers. There is a garland made from fabric scraps of neutral and purple tones with lace centers. Another garland is made from shades of blue and neutral fabric with lace centers and the final garland is a mix of different flowers (neutral, blues and purple).

The flowers are all different and handcrafted with love, so the size may vary, however they are roughly 3 inches in diameter. In between each flower are buttons carefully sewn with duo tone baker's twine into the braided cording. There are also smaller paper flowers sewn onto the cording with button centers. The cording is made from three different types of material and braided together (brown jute, and neutral cotton twine). It was fun to make these pieces but they took a lot of time to get together!!

These shabby chic garlands are so perfect for decor on a mantle, around a mirror, anywhere in your home really! Great for baby showers, bridal showers or any party that requires a little bit of country or vintage glamour.

Let me know what you think! :)

Happy Crafting!

- Beth Lippmann

Mr. Barred Owl on Canvas

2/3/2015

So, funny story. My sister-in-law Steph sends me a picture of an owl via text last week and I'm like "Oh cool!" (She knows I'm a freak for owls.) She then messages me, "Yeah, I was able to get a bunch before he flew away." Wait, what?! I thought the picture she sent me was from Google or something, it looked like a painting! Ever since then, I've been obsessing over creating a barred owl art piece (which is the kind of owl she saw). Owls are really rare to see where I live, especially in the day time. He was just chilllin' on the side of the road sitting on a post like "Hey, what up guys? Did you get the picture yet?" Here is the barred owl I created to celebrate his sighting!

I used a few pages from old books and mod podged them into place. I sketched out Mr. Owl with soft black charcoal painted with water and highlighted him with white charcoal, satin acrylic paint and Rustoleum Golden Oak wood stain. To make the colors pop, I quickly spritzed it with gold glimmer mist and sealed it with Grumbacher brilliant gloss varnish. I'm very happy with how it came out!! I LOVE OWLS!!

Artistic Materials! Hartford Whalers, representin'!

The livingroom is a little bit of a mess, but it's a HAPPY MESS! :)
Also, the fumes from the wood stain and varnish are pretty strong, but that fan in the background is doing its job!

Thanks for stopping by to check this out!!

~ Beth Lippmann 2.3.15

Valentine's Day "Vintage Love"

2/3/2015

All you need is LOVE! Happy Valentine's Day!
Wall Art Created 2/2/15.

I had too much fun creating this new wall art installation! I scrambled through my findings to create this quirky, creative design to hang on the wall for Valentine's Day. Super cute and shabby. A little bit of romance, a little bit of old, a little bit of something new and unique!

Mixed Materials: Wooden letters painted with acrylic satin finish paint (color: Red Barn), very old white folding 6 ft measuring ruler for frame, upcycled crocheted flowers, vintage metal buttons, recycled white lace table cloth, jute, twine, cotton thread, paper flowers, wide lace, and other materials.

Heart Measures 25" wide and 22" tall. The center 'tail' falls a lot longer, bringing the total height of the wall art to 44" tall.

detail image of vintage buttons, crocheted flowers,
lace and the old ruler.

Details, details details!

Hand sewn buttons, and paper flowers adorn this artwork!

Wrapped up in love.

Detail of the vibrantly painted wooden letters.

I spent the weekend crafting and creating this new art piece. No glue was used, every item is sewn and hand tied to make this wall art. Made with love, like always. <3

It took many patient hours to put this together and I hope that you love it!

Happy Crafting and thanks for stopping by!

~ Beth Lippmann 2.3.2015

A Windcatcher / Dreamcatcher - "Shipwreck"

1/23/2015

Sometimes dreams and wind just need to be caught. In a moment of creative inspiration I began working on a piece of textile artwork from a branch, some fibers, shells, sea biscuits and sea glass. Three magnificent strands started to run together beautifully, but it seemed too little for a piece of art. I set the project aside, hoping that inspiration would move me to pick the project up again at a later time.

This week, I began working on a different work of art. It began with a painted embroidery hoop and some salvaged lace from an old table cloth. As I knotted and tied the fabric, jute, twine, string and fiber together, I thought to myself... "This is it! I can use that twig project to create something beautiful!"

Here are some photos I took and an explanation of what I used to create this work of art. Once completed, I realized it had the feel of ocean tides and long lost treasures; thus, I have titled it "Shipwreck".

A full length image of 'Shipwreck'.

The shells used were collected from various beaches on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

A close up of the detail of many fibers used for this project.

The bright green sea glass I collected while snorkeling at Seaglass Beach, a mile walk from the Royal Naval Dockyard on the island of Bermuda.

The metal key covers I found at a flea market. I created and cut my own stencil to make paper seagull feathers for this piece. I traced the stencil onto paper that I printed out with what looks like waterlogged music sheets.

I found this branch washed up on a bend of the Nashua River in Lancaster, MA while taking a short walk one weekend. It was smoothed by the water and had a very interesting shape - I knew it would work well for an art project in the future.

I found many old vintage keys through a woman on Craigslist in a small town near where I live. A woman reached out to me when I was looking for keys to use for escort cards for my wedding. She had a ring of about 70 keys that she found while helping her husband settle her late brother-in-law's estate. This key is perfect for the project.

The thin driftwood pieces I collected on the shore of Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts at Mayflower Beach in Dennis.

This vintage bottle was found at an antique shop in Sterling, MA - Oh My Gosh Antiques.

This is original artwork designed, created and photographed with love by me, Beth Lippmann - 703designs. I enjoy working with my hands. My wind and dream catchers are completely hand tied, knotted and braided - no glue is used. It takes many patient hours to create each unique piece of art. You'll find little treasures hidden in my work. An old key, a vintage bottle, a couple hand-stenciled and cut paper feathers, marbled beads, vintage lace and fabric, fibers, jute, yarn, threads, sea glass, driftwood, sea shells or biscuits... I find great pleasure in traveling and foraging for little 'findings' to incorporate into my artwork for others to enjoy.

I hope this blog has inspired you to create your own dream/wind catcher!

Happy Crafting, and thank you for stopping by!

~ Beth Lippmann 1.23.15

New Artwork for Countryside Yoga studio in Somers, Connecticut

1/16/2015

Happy 2015 everyone! I am very excited to be creating a new piece of artwork for my sister-in-law Stephanie Lippmann's new yoga studio that is premiering its Grand Opening on January 31, 2015! Stephanie has always been passionate about yoga and I am so thrilled that she is following her dream of opening her very own studio. I have always loved supporting small businesses and I am incredibly happy to be creating this art for her studio space.
To visit the yoga studio online, visit: http://www.countrysideyoga.com/

After looking over different photos online, Stephanie showed me a few that she would like to display in her yoga space. We decided on using an image found on Pinterest as inspiration.

The Work in Us by Found Studio on Flickr

This image is beautiful and invokes peace and wellness of body and soul.
Here are a few photos of the canvas that I am working on for Countryside Yoga, inspired by the image above.

This was the first time I have worked with oils mixed with acrylic paint, and it was also my first time working on a canvas this large, being 3 feet wide x 4 feet tall! I was lucky to have the time to finish painting - with plenty of time to dry before the Grand Opening! It is so exciting to be trying something so large and new! I had a great first time experience working with oils; I only accidentally smeared paint about a dozen times, haha! I'm so used to resting my hand on the canvas while I paint that I forget that oils take TIME to DRY! I'm loving the way the paint glides around the canvas and gives such vibrant color hues!

detail of oils.

I will continue to update with the progress of this piece and will share an image of it hanging in its new home at Countryside Yoga in Somers, Connecticut when complete. We may add a stenciled quote onto the painting once it is dry and I will be sealing the entire piece with a matte finish clear coat spray made exclusively for oil and acrylic artwork. This is to protect the painting from light fading or cracking.

a different perspective.

detail of lotus blossom.

Thanks for stopping by to see what is new!
Happy New Year!

~ Beth Lippmann 1.20.15

Artistic Perseverance - Don't Give Up!

11/26/2014

As a budding artist, I find that I have a hard time telling myself to sit still and make something. Oh sure, the ideas are there. The materials are there. The motivation is there. However, I find it difficult to begin a piece of art for fear of failing at creating a finished project that others may not view as being 'artistic'. The old phrase "you never know until you try" keeps running through my head. Hopefully it will stick!

There must be many more artists out there that feel the same way.
Are you one of them?

In order to battle that feeling of hopelessness, I began searching for uplifting and motivating images or quotes that can help beat that mood down.
These are some of my personal favorites...

THIS!!

You know it's been a great day when at the end,
you have dirty hands, dirty brushes,
and something inspired in front of you.

Wonderful words to take to heart...

Beautiful.

Be courageous.

And always remember...

These photos make me happy, and I hope that they make you happy.
Always be artistically courageous!

Beth L. 11.26.14

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"Dear Miss Gray..." Deer Locket Shadowbox Assemblage Art

11/24/2014

This original piece of artwork took very little time to assemble and I love the way it turned out! I call this piece "Dear Miss Gray." The colors are so elegant and pretty for display. Here's a little information and 'behind the scenes' on its creation. Please visit the bottom to see the finished design photos.

I gathered my materials that I thought that I would be able to use.
They include:
An old distressed shadowbox-like frame
Some different patterned origami paper for a background
An old locket found in a jewelry junk drawer at a shop
An old vintage postcard of a deer
Some collected moss from around my area in Massachusetts (dried of course!)
A few old postage stamps
A page torn from a small old book about how to write letters
A handy, dandy hot glue gun

When I opened the locket, I realized that there were oval plastic pieces inside to preserve photos. How perfect! I used these ovals to trace out the perfect size to lay both the image of the deer head from the postcard as well as a specifically chosen page from the Letters book (because it addressed "Dear" Miss Gray over and over - perfect! Dear & Deer... couldn't be better!

I began to glue the pieces together. There was a pretty purple designed background origami paper that I used for the background. It contrasted nicely with the gold and neutral tones of the locket. I contemplated removing the chain from the locket, but the overall effect of leaving it spilling down the side and inside the frame looked wonderful.

As a final touch, I added a thin layer of dried moss in the bottom and a few vintage postage stamps to give this art piece a little more color. I then cleaned up the glass on the frame and assembled it all together, finishing it off by attaching a piece of neutral lace ribbon to the top to hide the seam where the back of the frame was glued on.

'Dear Miss Gray' - Finished and Lovely!

I am completely in love with this new design. It is very beautiful and the shadowbox frame is deep enough to stand on its own on a table for display!

So thrilled to begin this artistic journey and pleased to share my work with others.
Comments and emails are encouraged.

Thank you for stopping by 703designs!

Happy Crafting!

Beth Lippmann 11.24.14

Snow.

11/21/2014

Workspace.
Was originally going to write the letters S, N, O, W in vintage buttons.
Decided against it later on.

Winter is creeping closer. The bite of the air catches in my chest and casts my breath away.
A giant lake-effect snowstorm barreled through parts of New York this week and was all over the news. Everyone is wondering "Is this year going to be a freakishly harsh winter?"

I've been thinking of snow a lot. Like any other Massachusetts native, I long for the first falls of snow, and then wholeheartedly curse it come February.

A friend and I have decided to begin 'girls' crafting night' and we met up at her place last night for our maiden meet.
We decided to make cheerful holiday/seasonal door hangings instead of wreaths.

Supplies I Used for 'Snow' Owl Door Hanger:
Thin Birch slices (approximately 3" wide), with one tiny hole drilled near the top of each
Chalkboard Paint, 'Vanilla' Acrylic Paint for letters
Hot Glue-gun/glue
Various Mixed Media: Feathers, Odd bits of paper with old maps and script, remnants of an old sweater, loosely woven burlap ribbon, small brown leather scraps, vintage jingle bells, thin leather twine and a long shimmery gold translucent ribbon.

It was a good feeling to craft with someone who also has a passion for creating things.
We hope to get more ladies together for these nights.

Finished!

A detail image of the owl at the top of the door hanger.

I could not wait to come home to replace the Halloween wreath on the apartment door!

To celebrate the coming winter, I want to share a word from one of my favorite poets:

Emily Dickinson, The Snow
It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood,
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the road.

It makes an even face
Of mountain and of plain, --
Unbroken forehead from the east
Unto the east again.

It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces;
It flings a crystal veil

On stump and stack and stem, --
The summer's empty room,
Acres of seams where harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.

It ruffles wrists of posts,
As ankles of a queen, --
Then stills its artisans like ghosts,
Denying they have been.

Owls in Snow.
ohbythewayblog.blogspot.com

Thank you for visiting. Please stop by again! Feel free to leave comments or thoughts - they are most welcome!
Happy Holidays to all this winter season. Stay warm!

Happy Crafting,

Beth Lippmann 11.21.14

"When things slow down..."

11/18/2014

You have the crafting itch. Everything you see - you want to make something of it.
This is how I feel all of the time.

I keep my eyes peeled while driving during warmer months hoping to score a freebie item from the side of the road to use for art. Running late for work last month, I cruised past a beautiful carved mirror that usually swings on hinges from a bedroom dresser. When I drove by later that day, it was gone.

Creating artwork is a passion of mine. My heart gets squeezed a little bit when I get a good idea of something to make. I love sitting on the couch unraveling old sweaters for their yarn into balls or cutting old necklaces found in junk drawers at flea markets for their funny shaped beads. I found a necklace recently that had large metal beads that look like owl eyes. Those eyes will stare unblinkingly from some sort of art creation; soon.

A quick story: One day I bought a new pillow and had it sitting next to our bed. My husband greets me after work saying, "I changed the bed linens, threw out your old pillow and put your new one on for you." I looked at him and said "Thanks! But... the pillow was for an art project! I was going to cut it and use the stuffing!" He just laughed and shook his head.

So many times when I talk about making art I hear myself saying I'm going to make this "when things slow down..."

I've come to the realization that Life will not slow down. You need to take the time you need for what you are passionate about and just run with it. Never put off something you want to do. Months fly by and I'm always making excuses "The apartment is too small. I'm too tired. I have homework. The house is dirty. I'll do it later." Making excuses doesn't make the magic happen. Just go for it.

Beth Lippmann 11.18.14

barn owl textile art willowynn shop at www.etsy.com

Author

I am a crafting artist who gathers inspiration from local craft fairs and antique shops in central Massachusetts.

I hope to create tutorials on how to make different crafts and may spotlight local artists from time to time.
~ Beth Lippmann 11.10.14

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