Thanks to everyone who helped out with advice! Overwhelmingly, the frames have the vote. But, here is a close up in case you want to re-think it.
3 ways of doing the charms are shown here:
1- plain
2- dangling frame
3- plain with vintage pink crystal
I think my problem with the frame is that it is kind of big, and slightly cheesey, too shiny, maybe?? And see how the rose paintings sway inside of the frame?
Well, the photo in the catalog I ordered them from looked so much better! I’m sure there are ways to age them, a little sand paper and a soak in an oxidizing liquid might make them more appealing to me. But, I do tend to be overly picky, maybe that is not necessary.
Here is what I did with one empty frame, I used it on a page in the scrap book I am making for my sister-in-law, Sandy. I added gold paint and glued a gem into the jump ring.( I went back and glued another tiny jewel in the other jump ring hole after I saw this picture)
Speaking of cheesey, not every page in a scrap book is a winner. This one is a bit much. I just gaudied after slapping down the picture by trimming it in gold paint and plopping some Michaels clearance stickers in the corners. Sometimes it is nice to just do some quick & simple pages and not worry about being ‘arty’!
My BFF, Beth http://bethleintz.typepad.com/ came over today to work on charms together. She is in the same swap and we thought we’d hang out while we worked on them. She is in the tiara swap too. I’m really looking forward to that one! We’ll get together to make those too. It is always good to have another person to bounce ideas off of.
I should have taken a better photo of her charms, instead of just this one of the one on her nose.
Here she is in action. Looks like she is in CRAFTING NINJA MODE.
We are signing up to go to the Silver Bella classes in Omaha during November!!!! I’ve never done anything like that before, am more of a do-it-yourselfer than a class-taker. But I think it will be a blast and I hope to meet some blogging friends there.
If you want to join us, it should be a lot of fun, and we can take that sharp knife away from Beth if it frightens you.
We like to get together for projects as often as we can. The shirt she is wearing is one we did last summer. I threw a tie dye baby shower for Sugarwings, and everyone brought something white to dye. I ended up with a life time supply of fiber reactive dyes because I bought so many, wanting one in every color to use that day!
So every once in a while, we do a craft day with them. She and I both complain about how many shirts we ruin with Coffee splotches, and this is a good way to save a stained tee shirt. Tie dye camouflage!
I’m a coffee dribbler and about half of my shirts are dyed over. I’m wearing one in the photo above, with Sandy and I surrounded by stickers and gaudy gold paint.
You can still enter my charm/swap giveaway! I made 30 of them and only need 22. So for any comment left in the month of June, I’ll enter you to win one. And if you like them framed, that is how I will send yours to you.
I also have some to sell if anyone wants to buy one. They are teeny little paintings of a rose on a piece of textured watercolor paper attached to a metal charm then protected with diamond glaze. With or without a frame as you would like, with or with out a vintage crystal bead, as you would like. But no two are the same, all are hand painted. Some have hydrangeas with the roses, some have daisies too, but most are a single rose. Heck, I can custom paint one for you how ever you’d like too. They are fun to make.
$10 each plus $2.50 postage
I might need better photos. I am not having a very attractive photo day. Oops, no offense, Beth, that isn’t how I meant it!!
I love the roses and think they look just fine in the frame. But then again I think they’d look good no matter what.
Hmmm, I see what you are saying now. In THIS photo, I like it better w/o the frame ~ especially the one on the right, with the little pink crystal.
So I guess I’m kinda-sorta changing my vote.
🙂
Just making sure I am really entered! I love your work and if I painted such adorable fairies I would make sure someone always ended up a fairy too!
Karla I think your paintings are soooo charming, that you do not need to gild the lily. I like them plain !!!!
xoxoxo Clarice
Love the charms…you girls are SO ambitious! Looks like you and Beth had a blast!
I love the look of the charms without the frame and with the dangling crystal bead.
They look simple, yet elegant.
I am so envious of your artistic ability. I wish that I could paint roses the way that you do. Maybe when I retire in a few years, I’ll take lessons.
Please enter me in your drawing!
Elaine
OKay Karla,
I have to say I like it frameless with the bead. They are beautiful.
Shelley
You two gals look like you’re having WAY too much fun together. It’s nice to actually get a project done too, isn’t it?
I still vote for the unframed charms.
Jody
Ok, now it all looks different!! I agree with the majority, the plain without frame but with crystal. You know the old saying that changing her mind is a woman’s prerogative. Looks like the majority of us exercised that right!! 🙂 They really are all beautiful, though!
Karla – I must say after seeing the new photos that I think it is just darling without the frame, but with the vintage pink bead. Geez. You can always use the frames for so many other things, right? Paint those babies & put them to use on other things.
Your rose paintings are just so lovely.
Wonderful that you have an art friend to create with. And so lucky to be able to attend Silver Bella together! (just a bit green here, lol)
Simply beautiful framed or not! I love them all.
Those are so pretty! I like both with and without frames!!!! Beautiful work!