Good Morning Everyone! Jean here.
Where has time gone? We all keep asking the question. Do you remember being a kid and the time went agonizingly slowly during December?
Not anymore, seems like I just washed the Thanksgiving dishes and we are opening the Christmas gifts!
I was alive in the late 50's so I have a treasure trove of memories. Things like the aluminum Christmas tree complete with the rotating light and making Sputnik* ornaments from foam balls and toothpicks with glitter or paint. (*Russian Sputnik satellites sent into orbit during the late 1950s. Literally "fellow wanderer" in Russian) Those red cellophane wreaths (anyone remember??!!) and train displays under the tree. My In-laws actually waited until the (5) kids went to bed on Christmas Eve to put up the tree, do a full blown train display platform and assemble gifts! They must have had far more energy than me!!
That crazy Sputnik inspired me to create the Sputnik Christmas tree using Activa FastMache. I modified it a bit as artists are allowed to do!!! When working with FastMache, as with all mache type products, make sure to allow drying time. This is not an instant process. When the item feels cool or cold, or heavy it is still wet inside. You will see how light and dry it feels when it is ready. FastMache was easy to use and the instructions were so simple. I might make it a bit moister next time to be able to get a thinner profile.
In blog part one, I formed the tree... The tree stands approximately 15 inches tall. Keep in mind that papermache products do shrink a bit as they dry.
Now it's time to sand and then decorate.
First I formed balls of FastMache, about the same size as a large gumball. I made them all and then went back and used my skewer to create a hole in each ball. Allow to dry. I left them overnight and then placed them in the warm oven after I baked something.
While they dried, I used a combination of sandpaper and a Dremel tool to sand the tree, but sandpaper works just fine.
I covered the tree with our wonderful and oh so useful FOIL SHEETS.
Then I used Art Anthology Trolley Grey PAINT which allowed some of the foil to show thru, making it look like a weathered sputnik!!!
Now for the sputnik orbs. What fun I had! I did not need to sand these as they will be covered in GLITTERS.
DO NOT glue the sticks onto the sputnik type orbs yet.
I used small holiday plastic cups to hold my GLUE and glitters, so easy! Not sure about you but I wind with a half package of various cups all the time, so use them up throughout the year!
Allow these to fully dry while you paint or mist the shorter sticks (skewers) to place through the holes on the tree. I used E6000 due to its firm holding power for the sticks to hold solidly into the tree. Then the childish giggles begin!
Where has time gone? We all keep asking the question. Do you remember being a kid and the time went agonizingly slowly during December?
Not anymore, seems like I just washed the Thanksgiving dishes and we are opening the Christmas gifts!
I was alive in the late 50's so I have a treasure trove of memories. Things like the aluminum Christmas tree complete with the rotating light and making Sputnik* ornaments from foam balls and toothpicks with glitter or paint. (*Russian Sputnik satellites sent into orbit during the late 1950s. Literally "fellow wanderer" in Russian) Those red cellophane wreaths (anyone remember??!!) and train displays under the tree. My In-laws actually waited until the (5) kids went to bed on Christmas Eve to put up the tree, do a full blown train display platform and assemble gifts! They must have had far more energy than me!!
That crazy Sputnik inspired me to create the Sputnik Christmas tree using Activa FastMache. I modified it a bit as artists are allowed to do!!! When working with FastMache, as with all mache type products, make sure to allow drying time. This is not an instant process. When the item feels cool or cold, or heavy it is still wet inside. You will see how light and dry it feels when it is ready. FastMache was easy to use and the instructions were so simple. I might make it a bit moister next time to be able to get a thinner profile.
In blog part one, I formed the tree... The tree stands approximately 15 inches tall. Keep in mind that papermache products do shrink a bit as they dry.
Now it's time to sand and then decorate.
First I formed balls of FastMache, about the same size as a large gumball. I made them all and then went back and used my skewer to create a hole in each ball. Allow to dry. I left them overnight and then placed them in the warm oven after I baked something.
While they dried, I used a combination of sandpaper and a Dremel tool to sand the tree, but sandpaper works just fine.
I covered the tree with our wonderful and oh so useful FOIL SHEETS.
Then I used Art Anthology Trolley Grey PAINT which allowed some of the foil to show thru, making it look like a weathered sputnik!!!
DO NOT glue the sticks onto the sputnik type orbs yet.
I used small holiday plastic cups to hold my GLUE and glitters, so easy! Not sure about you but I wind with a half package of various cups all the time, so use them up throughout the year!
Allow these to fully dry while you paint or mist the shorter sticks (skewers) to place through the holes on the tree. I used E6000 due to its firm holding power for the sticks to hold solidly into the tree. Then the childish giggles begin!
As a last step I added the MINI MIRRORS for more reflection and sparkle.
There you have it an OUT OF THIS WORLD Holiday tree of dubious origin!
Thanks for letting me play with FastMache from Activa Products and keep coming back for more projects from our talented Design Team.
Jean, that is the most original tree I have ever seen. High fives! Great use of product and kudos on the retro vibe. Where's my TV dinner and I'm set?
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