7. Tiffany Keys

Hello again! :)

It's great to be back here setting you a new challenge after taking a little break to deliver our 12 Days online workshops. Both of us and our respective work-rooms and all available surfaces are [almost] back in 'pre-manic-class' shape ... and we've been treating ourselves to a little luxurious eye-candy.

Well, if you can't have a little indulgence at Christmas-time then when can you? So here's what we're gazing longingly at / copying this festive season ...


*Copy*:

Tiffany Keys

According to the Tiffany website this range is: "A magical collection of Key pendants brimming with intrigue and allure" and I can't help but agree!

The plainest ones are my favourites with their clean, strong, handsome shapes there's nothing fiddly and delicate [not my kind of thing] about them.

Not only are they aesthetically glorious, they also seem to evoke cosy feelings of home and belonging in me. In short, I love them. So much so that there's only one thing taking the edge off my adoration ... their price! At anything from £80 to £9,140 I suspect that they may stay on my 'Wish List' for quite some time.

If you get a chance have a look at the full range here on the Tiffany site ... but please don't hold me responsible for any overwhelming covetous urges you get while browsing.

So if, like me you like the idea of decorative keys but don't quite feel like offering up a vital organ / your first born child / your family car in exchange for one ... then read on ....

*Paste*

Julie's project: I bet you've got a place somewhere in your home, be it a drawer, a hook, a bowl etc in which languishes every key you've ever known but which you either [a] can't remember what they unlock and hold onto them 'just in case' or [b] you can remember what they unlock [eg: your parents' old back door!] and despite it being of no earthly use to you ...you hold onto them 'just in case'. I think you know what I'm talking about!

After visiting that key graveyard in my own home, while I may not have anything with 'Tiffany' etched on them, I do have some rather lovely new Christmas tree decorations:

Above I used jewellery findings to add a section of crochet haberdashery trimming to a decorative key, which I think came from an old padlocked diary.Meanwhile the photo below shows a key from a padlock [which came from a Christmas cracker!] which I coated with Glossy Accents and Pearl Pigment powder then added a gold bow to the top:

More haberdashery / key action, with a pearl heart gem:

And finally, the equivalent of the £9,000 diamond encrusted Tiffany versions here's the key to my parents' old back door, encrusted with [plastic] gems, black [plastic] pearls, Glossy Accents and wire:

Best of all ... my new ornaments cost me nothing as they were made entirely from things I already had, so I can put all my spare funds toward saving for the real thing!

*Paste*

Kirsty's project:

Like Julie, I too have a place for keys old, spare and of uncertain origin. When I come across one, I put it in a safe place, ready for . . . well, times just like this, when I have need of an otherwise useless key. The trouble with safe places, however, is that you can only ever locate them once - the once when you put something there to keep it safe. It isn't just me, right? So, short of sacrificing my front door keys, or driving the length of the country to raid Julie's highly-organised key bowl, I had to improvise. Languishing in my art cupboard (it's next to the boiler cupboard, and so very warm and enticing just now), I have two boxes which don't get used as often as they should. One contains moulding paste and the other, resin. They work beautifully together, and the paste seemed a perfect way of recreating a real key without suddenly finding myself locked out.

Making a mould is as simple as pressing the key into a sausage-shaped lump of paste, and I then added the resin and waited patiently until it had set (that's 'patiently' like an eight-year old on Christmas eve...). Once de-moulded, I spread a small amount of clear-drying glue over one side and sprinkled some super-fine glitter on top for a shimmery finish. At this point, you could happily use the pretty, sparkly, semi-transparent key as an ornament, to decorate a card or layout, or - taking inspiration from Julie's pictures above - tie it to a length of ribbon (Tiffany turquoise, please) and hang as a tree decoration.

To up the ante a little, though, I added mine to a junky, vintage-inspired necklace - a length of silver chain, some threaded pearls and crystal beads, a few chunky turquoise beads and a scrap of Tiffany-inspired ribbon to really highlight the key.
It might not be quite as festive as Julie's project, but there's really no reason you shouldn't look every bit as well-decorated as the tree at this time of year.

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Now it's your turn. What do you fancy doing inspired by Tiffany keys?

By the way - as pointed out by Kirsty - 'Tiffany Keys' does rather sound like a real person doesn't she it rather than an item of luxury jewellery?!!!

Anyway ...you could be brave, open up that much neglected junk drawer, dig out all your old keys and make some Christmas ornaments as I did or:

• use an old key on a greetings card [especially fitting for 21st birthdays / new home cards];
• create grungy 'steam-punk' styled projects using old, tarnished keys;
• or spray / paint them cream and add pretty ribbons and hang from hooks / peg rails for a 'country chic' feel;

Or you might take altogether a less literal approach, perhaps you could:

• take a photograph / make a layout / write a poem / record a story about a set of keys which have been significant to you in your life.

Whatever you decided to do we want to see it - remember to link us up to your project or leave it in our Copy+Paste Flickr gallery. We love to see how you all copy the same inspiration point and yet go on to paste such unique responses and we hope you can have a bit of fun with this challenge even at such a busy time of year!

I'm now going to make a swift exit before I succumb to the urge to make a pun about your contributions being the 'key' to our Copy+Paste community ... or something equally as comedically feeble!!

Nice to see you again, it's been fun, we should definitely do this again sometime!

Julie :)

12 Days of favourite blogs

Greetings.

Kirsty and I are hosting a giveaway on our secure blog, for those people who are currently taking our '12 Days: A Copy + Paste Christmas' workshops [If you are signed up to the workshop and haven't entered the giveaway yet then remember that tomorrow - Friday 20th - is the deadline!].

To enter the giveaway our 'students' simply had to list three of their current favourite blogs. We've compiled a list of every blog that was mentioned [some on the list were mentioned more than once] and we thought we'd share them with you all over here.

A Beautiful Mess
Andrea Gourley
Angry Chicken
Artsy Crafty Babe
Art Mind Etcetera
Attic24
Banana Frog
Betz White
Card Craft Creations
Country Heart + Home
Dina Wakely
Dyan Reaveley
Efemera Ink
Emily Falconbridge
From High in the Sky
Gauche Alchemy
Heather Bailey
Ikkis Cuttlebug Cupboard
It's a Creative World
Japan Couture Addicts
Lisette Gibbons
Lollychops
Lucy Kate Crafts
Paper Seaside
Pom Pom Emporium
Print + Pattern
Quilt Kat
Sea Breezes
Scraps, the City and Me
Shimelle
Stephanie Howell
Swirly Arts
The Green Frog Studio
Who Is Hannah Banana

I don't know if we carried out some sort of psychological analysis of all those blogs we could work out who the archetypal '12 Days' student is ....but it was interesting to get a glimpse into the styles of art and craft currently inspiring the kind of people who chose to take our class.

Speaking of which, while tomorrow is also our final day for uploading new projects to the secure 12 Days blog, we ARE NOT closing registration. All of the 12 main projects [with fully downloadable step-by-step files], the extra inspiration posts and all of the free templates and printables will remain exactly where they are for the foreseable future.

If you wanted to join us but couldn't sign-up previously then you're more than welcome to pop along now. We'll still be available to answer any of your questions and the 12 projects are not Christmas themed they're just gifts you could give at Christmas. And if you were looking for something crafty someone can buy you as a gift - one which won't even need wrapping - then you could add "registration to '12 Days'" to your list!

We'll be back with a new Copy+Paste challenge as soon as we've reflected on the whole 'hosting an online class venture', and as soon as we've waded our way through the whirlwind of stash and mess we've created ... and as soon as we've slept!

Until then ....

Julie :)

Trick or Treat

Hi you.

If you're looking for the party .....we're having it at home today.

Kirsty lives here and Julie lives here. [There may be a sneaky link to a treat for you if you look around carefully.]

Please note: if you're wearing a scary costume when you knock on our doors we're both likely to scream and run away!

Glad Tidings We Bring

Hello! Remember we had a little something extra for you? It looks like this.

We’re very excited to announce (and invite you to take part in) a special online workshop - 12 Days :: A Copy+Paste Christmas - running between 5th and 20th November. With twelve full projects, plus a whole bunch of bonus ideas, downloads and tutorials, it’s designed to help you make the most of your creative supplies in the run up to Christmas. What's even better is that we’ve designed each of the main projects, and many of the additional ones, to be adaptable, which means that, instead of turning into giant crafty pumpkins the minute Boxing Day arrives, they’re just as relevant at other times of year.

WHAT WE’RE OFFERING PARTICIPANTS

:: Twelve full projects, including step-by-step instructions and photographs, plus alternative versions and suggestions for customising the project to suit your style and skills. The projects cover papercrafting, gift-making, lifestyle and decorating, and each one is available as a downloadable PDF, so you can print and refer to it whenever you want.

:: Four bonus days, packed with extra projects, downloads and giveaways.

:: An additional bonus project, including printable elements, with instructions for making a folder-book to hold your print-outs, patterns and ideas from the workshop.

:: Project options include gifts for men, women and children, as well as simplified, speedy and eco alternatives, where appropriate.

:: The workshop will be hosted on a password-protected blog, where you can view and download each of the projects as they’re posted, as well as asking us questions and interacting with other students.

USEFUL INFORMATION

:: You don’t need any particular skills or experience to join the class and start making projects. Our tutorials are detailed enough for beginners to follow, but also allow plenty of scope for more experienced crafters.

:: We’ve deliberately tried to create projects which utilise materials you’re already likely to have at home, so any additional outlay is minimal. Both of us are very keen on the theory of ‘use what you have’, and realise budgets can be particularly tight in the weeks before Christmas. Product and supplier links are included where relevant, but each of the projects also includes variations so if you don’t have something, you can work around it. Our hope is that by making more of your Christmas gifts, decorations and accessories, you’ll both save money and enjoy the season a little more!

:: There’s no need to worry about keeping up with projects, or completing things by a particular date. The downloads are available for you to use whenever you’re ready, and we’ll be keeping the blog open for students to log-in indefinitely. The only thing which will be time-sensitive are the giveaways and a few weekend activities we have planned, although you’ll still be able to go back and read those after the event. We’ll both be happy to answer any questions you have throughout the class term, and will aim to do so for a while afterwards, too.

:: The cost is £20 and payment is via PayPal (you don’t need an account to pay this way – just a credit or debit card), or we can alternatively arrange to accept cheques. Please email thecopyandpasteproject@googlemail.com for more details if you require this option. Once you’ve purchased your class pass, we’ll send you an email with details of the private 12Days blog. You’ll then be able to log in, have a look around, say hello to your fellow students and keep an eye out for a few pre-class surprises.

If you’ve got any questions at all, please feel free to ask them in the comments below or send us an email (thecopyandpasteproject@googlemail.com). We hope you’re as excited as we are, and look forward to seeing you in class!

Julie and Kirsty

x

PS. Want to find out a bit more about us to help you make up your mind? Check out Julie's personal blog here and Kirsty's here, or visit us on Flickr (Julie/nabview and Kirsty/planetcoco).

6. The Twelve Days of Christmas (part 2)

For me, Christmas generally starts some time in early July. It's one of the perils of working in publishing and has, in the past, seen me visit mocked-up winter wonderlands in the middle of summer. Tinsel-trimmed houses, roaring log fires, piped Christmas carols and Santa hats all inspire a distinct lack of either comfort or joy when it's 30-degrees outside. So, it was maybe no surprise when I ended up becoming a little bit jaded and (ssshh!) Scrooge-like about the whole affair. What came as more of a surprise - to me at least - was the thing which saved me sinking into full on humbug-ishness, namely the wonderful online community of bloggers and makers embracing the idea of a homemade Christmas. It's a no-brainer, really. Spending time at home creating presents and decorations from your favourite supplies vs. stressing your way through a mall-full of heaving shops buying over-packaged, overpriced and, in the end, often unwanted gifts. Which probably makes me sound, well...pretty Scrooge-like!

What I'm trying to say is that if your heart sinks at the very idea of Christmas when it's still only October, maybe it doesn't need to. Ignore the supermarket aisles already stacked with cards, gift baskets and stodgy festive puddings, and instead, start dreaming up some super-creative ideas for handmade presents, decorations and paper periphery. By way of (hopefully) a little inspiration, here you go with my take on the Twelve Days Of Christmas challenge.

*Paste* : Kirsty's project =

I'm very keen on the idea of changing the details in a room according to the time of year, and slipping festive prints into picture frames fits the bill perfectly. Replacing a few of your regular wall-hangings with Christmas alternatives makes things instantly more seasonal, and without the need to bang in a single extra nail.

For my Twelve Days print, I took inspiration from the words of the song and set them out in a graduated and, ok - fairly predictable, holiday shape. But not wanting to make things quite that obvious, the real challenge of the thing was in picking out the fonts. Each one in some way relates to the day it's representing.

The font for the first day, for instance, is called Partridge, while the three French hens are set out in Parisian and the ten lords-a-leaping represented by Little Lord Fontleroy.

Just in case your fancy is taken by any of the typefaces, here you go with the full list: Partridge, Two Turtle Doves, Parisian, Bird, Ringbearer, Goose Neck, Ronda Seven, Milk Run, Lady Ice, Little Lord Fontleroy, Piper Pie, Boss Drum.

With each one downloaded, installed and set at a suitable size, all that was left to do was to print onto a sheet of linen-textured cardstock and frame. I'm also thinking a smaller version might make for some fun Christmas cards when the time comes.

So, whether you're inspired to try something equally word-y, a more picture-ish project like Julie's below, or just to make an early start on your Christmas plans, we'd love to see what you're up to. Link us up in the comments, or post your projects in the Flickr group.

Meanwhile, I'm going to be just as cryptic as the lovely Miss J and tell you that there might still be a little bit more to come from this particular prompt. Keep your eyes peeled and your diaries open.

6. The Twelve Days of Christmas

I know, I know, I know.

It's only October and already we're mentioning the 'C' word but bear with us ... there is a good reason ... which we'll tell you all about soon. Until then here's a little early festivity.

*Copy*:

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The slight preoccupation with Christmas we're having at chez Copy + Paste may explain how, last week, I mislaid November. After being given a November deadline I couldn't remember precisely when that was. My first response was to wonder why on earth they were giving me a whole year to hand something in ... I mean ...I'm really not that slow a worker.

I've since learned that there's a November sooner than that. Apparently there's one next month. Good to know!

So now I've got that straight in my head ...back to the Twelve Days of Christmas.

*Paste*: Julie's project =
I thought that I'd take the opportunity to share some random [and some very random] photographs from my albums which kind of, mostly, almost-ish fit in with the lyrics of The Twelve Days of Christmas. And so ...

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: My true love really did give me the gifts surrounding me here .... but for some reason my expression suggests that I've just been caught looting! [Christmas morning 2008]

Twelve drummers drumming: for the life of me I can't find a single photo in my archives which even vaguely suggest drummers drumming. Please accept this photo of sheep in the road as an alternative:
In a car. Behind some sheep. [July 08]

Eleven pipers piping:They may well be trombone / trumpety things rather than pipes but hey ...whatever .... they're Disney ...it counts. [Disney World Florida 1988]

Ten lords-a-leaping: To be more precise, it's my other half [June 2008] on a kids' trampoline ... but that doesn't sound quite as grand as leaping lords.

Nine ladies dancing:
There may only be five of us but hey ....we've got the moves of all nine!! However it's quite possible that four of those ladies will never speak to me again after showing you this. Appropriately enough I'm the one covering my face. [New Year 1997]

Eight maids-a-milking:Perhaps I won't bother with the whole milking thing. If I looked this startled making it's acquaintance from the front ... can imagine me introducing myself to it's udders???? [Farm open-day, April 09].

Seven swans-a-swimming:

I know there aren't any swans swimming in there but we don't get too many swans in the North Sea . What did you expect? [Aug 09]

Six geese-a-laying:

Some geese are larger than others. [Egg-shaped things on hearth, Oct 09]

Five gold rings:Yes, there's only one ... but it is a rather nice one. [Newby Hall Sculpture Trail, June 09]

Four calling birds:

[Mantlepiece, Oct 09]

Three French hens:OK, so I fully accept that they're not hens, they're cats and they're probably not French either but ...there are three of them and they make me smile. [Newby Hall, June 09].

Two turtle doves:

Me and my big sis. [2007]

And a partridge in a pear tree:

Partridge / dodo. Pear tree / TV table. It's all the same to me. [Living room, July 09] .

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Well then, there you have it my friends, a 12-stop sleigh ride through my photo albums old and new. Are you feeling Christmassy yet?

If not, I blame myself ... maybe pot birds, sheep and trampolines aren't the most festive of images. Maybe Kirsty's take on the Twelve Days of Christmas, coming very soon, will help you kick start the merriment and if that doesn't work ....

.... keep dropping in on us as we've got 12 truly festive things on the way which I promise will get you in the mood.

Until then feel free to share any of your Twelve Days related photos, art works etc old and new.

See you very soon,

Julie :)

5. A Flawed Work of Art (Part 2)

Hello, lovely Copy+Paste types.

So, where were we? If you've not seen the Flawed Work of Art post below, that's probably a good place to start. As Julie promised, I'm just showing up like that second bus, rattling along, rarely on time, all kinds of chaos on the upper deck) to share my take on the Snow Patrol copy.

*Paste* : Kirsty's project =
To stick with the bus analogy just a little bit longer, it’s been a bumpy old road getting to the finished project this time, and not without its detours and diversions. I started out being hugely inspired by a series of amazing mechanical birds, spotted on the Anthropologie website, which seemed to fit the quote perfectly. I love the idea that the most perfect works of art are created in nature, rather than by people, and really wanted to work with that concept. When you think nature and beauty, one of the most obvious images is a butterfly and….well, I could go on and on here, but let’s just say that there’s a good reason butterfly wings aren’t fixed on with hinges and it’ll be a while before I go back to Maplin. (When the assistant in an electricals shop asks what you’re looking for, ‘butterfly parts’ is rarely, if ever, the right answer.)

Despite the shame and the setback, I still wanted to find something nature-related, and in the end it was a throw-away suggestion from my partner which set me on the right path. His response to all my huffing, head-scratching and forehead-wrinkling was something along the lines of ‘well, the human eye is meant to be the most perfect design in nature, isn’t it?’. Because obviously everyone except me already knew that. Luckily, though, it provided just enough of a spark. The human eye is an amazing piece of work – without it you’d neither be reading this nor, arguably, have any concept of art, flawed or otherwise. And in my case, they come with the flaws built right in – short sight and astigmatism. So, finally, after much deliberation and in honour of nature, know-it-all boyfriends and costly trips to the optician, here you go with my take on A Flawed Work of Art.
To begin with, I researched and drew a diagram of the human eye (the dark grey lines), then added the coloured-line detail to represent the way images are processed by someone with myopia (short sight).

I then embroidered the diagram and flipped it over to make a second image in reverse. A pair of vintage spectacles made the perfect set of miniature picture frames, although I still wonder if I should have left them as they were, sticking to the original tortoiseshell colour, rather than adding a coat of spray paint.

Somehow, though, the fact that I’m not completely happy with or certain about the end result seems especially fitting for this project. When there really is no such thing as perfection in the things we make, it’s all about learning to love the flaws.

As Julie said below, we’d love to see your versions of the project, either linked in the comments or posted to our Flickr group. Having been starved of Internet access for a few weeks, thanks to the demise of my much-loved but overworked laptop (hello, new Mac-book! Hello, enormous unexpected bill!), I’m really looking forward to catching up with projects, blogs and pictures over the next week or so.