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Own Your Initial: DIY Framed Button Artwork

26 Jul

After 21 non-stop years of school, I’m used to being busy. So, it’s no surprise that my graduated and unemployed state this summer has left me a little bored. The problem with this is that I a) don’t handle boredom very well and b) discovered over those 21 years of school that the busier I am, the more I get accomplished. And I have a lot to get accomplished — namely job applications.

I’ve been doing pretty good on that front though. Unfortunately, however, you can only fill out so many job applications in one sitting, so I have to find other things to do with my time. Not to mention that any down time I do have leaves me feeling guilty and depressed about not having a job in the first place.

So, I’ve taken to other pursuits, like scouring Pinterest for ideas. One of my favorites on the site are the various examples of Button Artwork that are constantly floating around.

I tried this particular project out once already when I made one in the Spring for my cousin’s daughter. I was supposed to make one for her son — I had all the supplies and everything — but life (namely my Master’s thesis) got in the way and I never made it. Lucky for you though, I finally got around to finishing it and remembered to document the process!

What You’ll Need:

  • Buttons (color of your choice)
  • White cardstock
  • Hot glue gun (and hot glue sticks)
  • Ruler
  • Pencil (with eraser)
  • Photo frame — NOTE: Since the button art is not completely flat, you will need to choose a deeper frame that allows for more than a flat piece of paper to be placed inside.

Instructions:

Step 1:  Assemble your supplies. For this project, I used lime green buttons that I bought at Pat Catan’s. They were less than $5 and I have more than enough left over for another button-related project. I also used regular white cardstock as the backing. Finally, I bought a plain white 8″x10″ frame from IKEA.

Pat Catan’s sells assorted bags of buttons in various colors. In addition to green, they have pink, blue, teal, white/pearl, and more depending on availability.

Because this button art is for a child, I decided to use a white frame and white background.

Step 2: Plan out your artwork ahead of time — you don’t want to start gluing and have to start over because your artwork is crooked or doesn’t fit on the paper. Using a ruler and pencil, draw out the letter you are creating on the cardstock. Make sure it’s centered and looks even. Tip: place the cardstock in the frame for a second to make sure the letter looks okay.

I traced the letter P on the cardstock lightly in pencil. Later, I erased it slightly so that that pencil marks wouldn’t show through on the finished product.

Step 3: Spread out your buttons on the table and plug in the glue gun.

Step 4: Start arranging buttons on the letter you traced. Try to vary the sizes of the buttons as you go so that you have both bigger and smaller buttons next to each other. Since my buttons were not all the exact same shad of green, I also tried to avoid putting too many dark or light green buttons next to each other.

Before you start gluing, lay some of the buttons out to get an idea of how they look and fit next to one another.

Step 5: Start gluing! The letter that you traced on the paper is meant to be a general guide — don’t worry about going outside the lines slightly. Also, don’t worry about the gaps that will show through between the buttons. Later, you can go back and add a smaller second layer of buttons to cover some of the holes.

CAUTION: You will be handling a hot glue gun to secure the buttons to the cardstock. Be very careful as the glue is extremely hot and can burn you if it comes in contact with your skin. Please use extra caution when applying the hot glue to the buttons as they have a very small surface area.

Just have fun selecting and gluing the buttons — don’t worry about perfection!

Step 6: Once the letter is completely filled in, go back and place a few additional buttons in a “second layer” to cover any gaps that exist.  Don’t worry about covering all the gaps — the second layer can cover up any mistakes, globs of glue, or pencil marks as well. It also gives the project additional depth.

Here’s what the art work looks like after both the first and second button layers have been completed.

Step 7: After the artwork has dried and cooled completely, place it in the frame.

And you’re done!

The finished product!

Another, close up view, in the frame.

From start to finish, this project only took me about an hour and a half. Some letters may take longer than others.

I’d love to see your button artwork! Let me know if you attempt your own (or someone else’s) initial and definitely feel free to contact me with any questions!

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Channeling John Lennon: Ralph Rich is a Musician You Ought to Know

30 Apr

It’s no secret that we Dames like music. Pop, rock, classical, hip hop, and even some rap. We’ve also had our personal experiences with music. Abbie personally knows Red Wanting Blue, Jeannette has touched Josh Groban’s hand, and I wish I had touched Josh Groban’s hand…

Much of my high school experience was spent surrounded by music. Particularly, during long hours of choir and theater rehearsal where for weeks on end we would try to get the harmonies just right — to the point that we were sick of the songs, sick of each other, and physically sick. So not only do I love music, but I’m pretty skilled at discerning good music.

One of my new favorite artists is someone who I’ve known for nearly my whole life — even longer than I’ve known Jeannette (and I’ve known her since I was six.)

My new favorite artist is Ralph Rich.

A Northeast Ohio native (from Hubbard, a suburb of Youngstown), Ralph Rich has been involved in the local music scene for about 4 years, performing both as a solo artist and as a member of various bands including Krave, The Fuzzy Dice, and Super Cheef. He has played at multiple venues big and small including The Lemon Grove, Cedar’s, O’Donold’s, and Barley’s Pub in the Youngstown area, The Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Red Hook, New York, and Sadie Rene’s in Canton.

Rich, 24, began playing drums at age 4 and has played guitar since high school. He cites his main influences as The Beatles, John Lennon, Dashboard Confessional, and The Killers. Rich’s sound, however, also evokes the spirit of artists like The Goo Goo Dolls and John Mayer.

Rich has been writing music since high school, using personal experiences as inspiration, and his hard work is paying off. Looking forward to an eventual move to Los Angeles, Rich has just released his first EP. Comprised of original songs written by Rich over the last several years, the EP features six acoustic tracks that capture all of Rich’s influences.

The self-titled EP highlights all of Rich’s talents and his promise as an artist. My favorite tracks off the EP are “For You,” “Gia,” and “Leaving You Behind.”

“For You”: (Sample)

“Gia”: (Sample)

“Leaving You Behind”: (Sample)

Equally as fantastic, are the EP’s remaining 3 tracks, “I Want to Know,” “Think Back-Remember Me,” and “Heartbreaker.”

“I Want to Know”: (Sample)

“Think Back-Remember Me”: (Sample)

“Heartbreaker”: (Sample)

The CD version of Ralph Rich’s self-titled EP is available now directly from the artist. It will be available for digital download on iTunes and Amazon.com on June 1, 2012. It will also be available on Spotify on the same date.

Make sure you check out his Facebook Page here: Ralph Rich on Facebook.

Rich’s new EP is truly excellent and a representative of the talent housed here in Northeast Ohio.

Abbie may have Red Wanting Blue, but I’m looking forward to the day when I can say: “You know Ralph Rich? I knew him in Kindergarten…”

DISCLAIMER: All images and audio included in this post are the property of Ralph Rich.

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Best of Pop Culture in 2011, an Art Review

4 Jan

Wow, 2011. Hundreds of years from now, anthropologists will look back at this year and wonder what in Zoltar’s name we were thinking. (Assuming we’ve connected with extraterrestrial beings by that time and they turn out to be oddball, Mr. Furley-style landlords of the universe, of course.) It seemed like everyone was getting in on their piece of the crazy while they could, although some figured out how to ration it out to make it last as long as possible.

Since I’ve moved back home, I’ve rearranged my bedroom, trying to make more space for  another bookcase. However, the new arrangement has left the wall right across from my bed painfully bare, and I’m thinking I could use some new artwork to spruce it up. Now, if you’re a 20-something girl in college, or have an appreciation for handmade crafts, you’ve surely heard of Etsy, an e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies (or so says Wikipedia). I happen to fit into both categories, and while I could simply hang a painting my boyfriend did for me, or my framed Abbey Road poster, I thought I should peruse Etsy to see what there is to be had. I blanked on what terms to search, so I just put in a few keywords or names from this past year to find something wall-worthy… I must admit, there are some serious contenders.

So, here is the pop culture year in review, interpreted by the artists of Etsy:

1. Charlie Sheen

There should be a hashtag in there somewhere, right?

I feel like Charlie Sheen probably tried to recreate that scene in Scarface where Tony Montana dives face first into a pile of cocaine, and his meltdown is the result. Everyone was all, “I’ve got tiger blood” and “I’m a frickin’ rockstar from Mars” while tweeting about how they were #winning all the time. I still have a hard time taking people seriously if they spent the first few months of the year saying “winning” after they did something mediocre, if that. Unfortunately for me, the listing for this delightful cross-stitch is just for the pattern, not the actual completed work. No thanks.

2. The Royal Wedding

At least his bald spot probably isn't as apparent here.

For the record, there were over 6,000 items that came up when I searched for “royal wedding.” As much of a big deal as it was over here, it was even bigger across the pond. I know at least one Dame (Joni) who got up to watch it at about 4am our time. Lacking cable and sleep, I waited to watch the Today Show’s coverage of it the following morning online. Unlike other things that will show up on this list, this pop culture moment wasn’t so bad. Honestly, who doesn’t love a nice fairytale wedding? It was lovely and tasteful, and good Lord, that Alexander McQueen dress by Sarah Burton was incredible. However, the artwork I need has to be something I can put on a wall, although this could make a nice bookend or something.

3. The Republican Party

This one was truly a toss-up, so I’ll let you decide which is best. In my eyes, neither one of these is better than the other, and since they were created by the same artist, perhaps I could get a discounted shipping rate.

I find Pelosi’s mouth terrifying in this painting, and I fear for Secretary Clinton’s safety. Also, I assume Romney and Cain are playing GOP tag, and Cain is now it.

I’m really intrigued by the explanation the artist gave for this painting of prominent women in today’s political scene. He states in the listing, “I believe I find myself in the middle of the road politically. I believe the best thing we can do for Pelosi and Bachmann is have them suit up with a real politician, Hillary Clinton.” The artist also has a video giving more background on his thoughts on the subject. (OMG, no, seriously, watch this video.) Between Bachmann and Cain (and Perry, oh my!), this year, I was convinced the Republican Party was going to pick their candidate based on who spewed the most crazy. At the time, these two were the top contenders, but as of today, both have (conveniently) suspended their presidential campaigns, still allowing them to raise money to put towards the campaigns of other candidates. To avoid the chance of any bad dreams, I think I will pass on this political folk art, but thank you all the same, Denny Pinkham.

4. Occupy Wall Street

But if the pig is the 99%... well, now I'm just confused.

For the longest time, it seemed like many of the big name news outlets didn’t bother to cover the Occupy Movement, which started in New York City’s Zucotti Park in mid-September 2011, or when they did, they basically said they didn’t get it. Douglass Rushkoff, a media theorist, got it, and probably said it best: “Anyone who says he has no idea what these folks are protesting is not being truthful. Whether we agree with them or not, we all know what they are upset about, and we all know that there are investment bankers working on Wall Street getting richer while things for most of the rest of us are getting tougher.” Since then, several other Occupy demonstrations have taken place, including on college campuses. This is one moment of 2011 that isn’t going away anytime soon. However, to speak aesthetically, I like the minimalist, contemporary look of this shadow box, but I need something that packs more of a visual punch…

5. Kim Kardashian

MY CORNEAS!!!!

Kim Kardashian, you are all that is wrong with society. Other than making a sex tape, what have you done to be this famous? If it’s not worth having a camera shoved up your nostril while doing it, you probably won’t do it. While I’m sure your wedding was a real boost to California’s economy, filing for divorce after 72 days is more of a threat to the sanctity of marriage than any marriage between two loving, committed people who happen to be of the same sex could ever be. Besides, didn’t you all see Sex & the City 2? (No? Just us? Really?) Stanford and Anthony’s wedding was just as opulent as Ms. Kardashian’s, and I can imagine the gift registry was just as insane — just think what that could mean for the economy. Besides, everyone deserves the right to marry the person they love. Units of time can now be measured in Kardashians: my sister and her fiance, who are getting married on June 2, will have their first Kardashian on August 13. Kim wasn’t the only one to get the Andy Warhol treatment: check out this refurbished window covered in Snookis.

On second thought, maybe I’ll just stick with the Abbey Road poster…

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