Hello all! I'm absolutely thrilled to share some fantastic news with you... After the awful fire which put the much-loved Calico Crafts out of business last year, I'm delighted to say that the Calico Craft Parts have arisen from the ashes. This brilliant line of gorgeous laser-cut wood and MDF shapes is now available again, with an ever-expanding range of even more designs to choose from. Check out the brand new website here.
To celebrate the wonderful news, I thought I'd share some of my Calico Crafts Design Team posts which used the Craft Parts - posts which hadn't yet made it over here to Words and Pictures and need to be added to the crafty scrapbook - starting with one of my favourites, this Garden Tray. (If you commented last time, please don't feel you have to again!)
To celebrate the wonderful news, I thought I'd share some of my Calico Crafts Design Team posts which used the Craft Parts - posts which hadn't yet made it over here to Words and Pictures and need to be added to the crafty scrapbook - starting with one of my favourites, this Garden Tray. (If you commented last time, please don't feel you have to again!)
I gave the walls of the tray a coat of Enchanted - an earthy garden green, then a coat of the Decor Crackle Medium (specially formulated for the Chalk Paints), and then the white Everlasting over the top.
Eventually they had added shading using all sorts of colours, which you'll find out about further down the post.
On the back wall, I glued a piece of the Tim Holtz Menagerie 8x8 paper using the matte Mod Podge from my Mod Podge Starter Set. Because the pattern on the paper varies, it looks as though I've carefully chosen different papers for different sections of the tray... nope, it's just one piece!
I decided it was time to glue the tray together. Because I had added both paper and some quite thick paint layers, I had to do a bit of sanding around the "teeth" where the pieces join to get them to fit snugly.
You might be better not gluing the paper right over the teeth, but just up to the edges of them - that's what I'll be trying next time - you live, you learn! - or maybe that's what they're working on in the redesign!
Next, I started filling my compartments with lots of rustic goodies.
I threaded Rusty Tin Wire through the buttonholes, and layered some of them up over different sizes of the Rusty Tin Hearts.
I used lots of Rusty Tin Wire to attach an Idea-ology Word Band which I'd altered with the Hauser Light Green and Forest Green paints, as well as some Quinacridone Gold paint and Florentine Gold Treasure Gold.
I almost forgot to tell you the paints for the shading on the outside! I used the Quinacridone Gold and some Raw Umber around the corners of the tray, so that the edges also have a good rustic feel to them.
So that's my rustic garden Printer's Tray for you... From what I hear, various styles of tray will be available at Calico Craft Parts soon - definitely worth keeping an eye out for, and great fun to play with.
In the meantime, I can only recommend that you head over to Calico Craft Parts and see what fabulous bits and bobs are available, and all for temptingly reasonable prices. You have been warned!
Thanks so much for dropping in, and I'll see you again soon.
Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.
Rumi
Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes.
Anonymous
Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes.
Anonymous
38 comments:
A wonderful project with so much details - ADORABLE Alison!
Happy Sunday!
I love this!! Simply beautiful.. I am delighted to hear that Calico are back, I was only thinking about them - and indeed, someone mentioned them only yesterday! Will go and re-bookmark their website!!
So beautiful, I love everything you have done
I seem to remember this one, great to revisit it! Like you I am super excited to get started again!
Thanks for sharing this great news Alison, and good to revisit this wonderful project!
Have fun at Ally Pally today, wish I could be there!
Alison xxx
Lovely to see this gorgeous project again Alison and it is fantastic that Calico are back, I was delighted when I got their email. I am sure they will go from strength to strength... Anne xx
Good Morning Alison. This project is so beautiful and all the vintage appeal that it offers, with lots of crackle and crackling. Have a Good Day. Hugs Rita xxx
An absolute stunner Alison and just the ticket on a glorious Spring day too.
Glad to hear Calico Crafts is back too.
Fliss xx
Oh wow Alison,this is sooooo rich in detail,it's truly a thing of beauty :)
Happy to hear about Calico,just been on the website and they do have some lovely stuff.....I can feel an order coming on!
Big hugs
Donna xxx
So happy to hear that Calico Crafts is on it's way back!! Yay!! Sending best wishes!
Thanks for sharing your garden piece- perfect for the spring weather finally arriving!! xo
Wow Alison, this is fabulous!! So many wonderful details in every cubby and your textures are amazing!! Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments on my blog, you really made my day yesterday!! Happy Sunday, hugs :)
Gorgeous !!! Love the crackle texture on box and all other elements. Beautifully decorated.....
Good to hear that Calico crafts has started again :)
Love this, Alison! Each little window is such a treat and I do love garden delight! Love that moulded pot, love it much. I have a cap from a water purifier that last night I was thinking of adding some flowers to! Happy Sunday and that is such good news to hear! Hugs!
Dear Alison, your tray is wonderful, and filled with all kind of great and lovely pieces, from nature and garden, and such a "sunny" piece- showing the joy of summer or autumn !!
I will go look at the website.
Dorthe xoxo
Gorgeous piece Alison, love that adorable little pot and flowers and the rusty elements are gorgeous. Love the painting and papers too. Lovely piece. Tracy x
This is really wonderful Alison, I love all the little details (especially the plant pot). I've had a look on the web site and there are some fabulous things there xx
Gorgeous tray Alison, just love all the details, nice to se it again.
Avril x
This is excellent news, we were only talking about Calico Crafts yesterday, I'm so pleased they're back. I remember this piece Alison, it is stunning, wonderful to be reminded of it. It was great to see you at AP today, hope you enjoyed your day.
Fabulous garden tray project. I like the result using the DecoArt one step cradle glaze, I would love to play with some of that .... Another thing for my wish list. X
Just loving all your attention to detail - that crackle is the best I have ever seen - may need to check that out!! The miniatures are just the cutest things ever!! And I love the story of you rescuing that little cork, genius way to give it a new purpose!
Hugs
Georgie xx
this is gorgeous Alison - so much detail - and such good news about the calico crafts being back. wonderful news xx
It's a happy news, indeed! And I remember this artwork, one of my fave ever from you :-)!
What a great project Alison, so many wonderful details! Congratulations to Calico Crafts, I'm sure many folks in the UK are chuffed to bits they are back up and running!
Your tray is lovely and each little compartment is wonderful. I feel like I walked through a small garden! Wonderful design and that crackle is awesome! ~Niki
Alison this is one fabulous project! Love all the fun and love you put into this! Great job!
Hugs, Cathy-Lynn
Oh My Alison! Love the tray but then there's all those lovely details to take in too! Fabulous! Chrisx
This was definitely before I began lurking on your blog, Alison, so I so glad to see it now. Absolutely a wonderful piece of artwork!
Oh, Alison, soooo beautiful !!!
What a great alteration...this is a stunning, happy spring tray Alison!
All the best, Alie :-)
An amazing creation.
xxx Hazel.
Great news Calico are back and this is such a great project full of amazing details. Great to see you Sunday Alison. Nikki x
Yeah!!!! That's the best news!! So great to hear about the amazing and better than ever come back!
WOW WOW WOW Alison, fantastic work.
I LOVE IT !!!!
Hugs
Anke
S T U N N I N G Alison, loving all the seasons and the DecoArt one step crackle is fantastic! I am a tad confused over which of the DecoArt ranges you used, you mentioned the Chalky paint but have you used the Media Line or the Americana line for your other colours? Hope you don't mind me asking :-) xxx
Yeay! Great news indeed I love this piece Alison and it is nice to see it.
I will have to order some bits, once I have been away next weekend...that is going to be an expensive trip!!
Hugs
xx
I remember perfectly this fabulous project and tray Alison!!! Thanks for sharing it again with the great news for the owners of this shop! Coco xx
Am I too late to join the party!!!! I am so far behind Alison - not nearly as organized as you were when you moved. But slowly but surely things are coming together.
Your garden tray is really wonderful! I do love these 3D projects.
Sandy xx
I've been waiting to see where they opened back up for business as a trolled back through your blog. This is awesome news. I was shocked to hear about the fire last year. This is such a fantastic niche for them. You are creating wonderful treasures with their parts. Wish them well for me! -- ME
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