Over the Top Studios

Playing With Time

Last fall I received an interesting email from a fellow artist I admire greatly. Lynne Perrella. She is an amazingly talented mixed media artist as well as published author, teacher and writer. Did I mention she has a line of rubber stamps to die for?

Lynne contacted me over the fall with an idea. She had seen the Vintage Circus  theaters I created for The Bankers Suite in Astoria Oregon several years ago and wanted to know if I would be interested in having them featured in Somerset Studio. (see original post here)I was humbled and honored to  even be considered and so began the process that would take a couple of months to complete.

I am over the moon thrilled with the story Lynne Perrella and Somerset Studio did on me and the three circus constructions I created. The interview so vividly captured the essence of who I believe I am as an artist and what inspired me, at a very young age to create.

Playing With Time

is an eight page homage to my childhood. As a small child I spent many hours hidden away in my fathers rose garden and our backyard creating fairy gardens and miniature worlds. If anything, I wanted to convey that image to Lynne because I truly believe it is where the passion for creating first entered my spirit. Lynne totally understood that and expressed it beautifully with the imagery she creates with her writing. 

Complimenting Lynne’s creative writing  style are colorful  images taken by my wonderful husband Tim. He   is always there with his camera to “capture the moment” and he is responsible for almost all the images you see on my ETSY site.

I don’t want to give too much away, so pick up the latest May/June issue of Somerset Studio and flip through to just about the middle. There you will find eight colorful pages dedicated to the power of imagination and get a glimpse into what inspires me.

Thanks again to Lynne Perrella and Somerset Studio for choosing me and my art to feature in their awesome magazine.  Check it out! It’s pretty cool!!

Amada

 

Marie Antoinette Cupcake Parlor Theater

I have a dear friend named Trish Bright who owns an amazing venue in Astoria, Oregon called The Bankers Suite. If you recall, a few years ago I created three vintage circus theaters she commissioned me to make for display in the “over the top” decorated ballroom where she held weddings and private events. See those images here. Since then she has switched gears and the ballroom is now Marie Antoinette’s Cupcake Parlor. She serves delicious, flavorful cupcakes and gourmet coffee by Stumptown to lucky Astoria residents and tourists. Trish wanted another piece to celebrate the grand opening and put the final touch on the parlor decor. She once again contacted me to construct another theater in the Marie Antoinettesque theme. This time she wanted the actual Banker’s Suite, a historical building on the Astoria Registry, replicated in miniature and made into

Marie Antoinette’s Cupcake Parlor

She wanted to use it as advertisement and it had to be BIG to get everyone’s attention. Five feet tall to be exact and three feet wide.

This piece is bigger than any I have created to date and required construction skills I had never used before. For instance the base is made of wood  and MDF board that is extremely heavy but sturdy. I also used a 5” decorative molding for the bottom that added so much texture and depth.

I don’t want to take all the credit for this piece, to be honest I had to recruit my husband Tim to help me in the actual cutting and construction of the base and sides. He happily pitched in and made some changes to the design that made it more stable and aesthetically pleasing.  He also was my sounding board as I thought through the actual construction of the piece, thanks Hun!

I wanted to make the piece dimensional so there is an inside and outside to the piece. Outside you can see people walking along the front of the building…

Pausing at the front door

Stopping to peek in at the cupcakes

And checking out what’s on the menu.

Just standing outside.

Inside you can see the parlor has three different rooms.

The two story entry with it’s silver glittered chandelier.

And shimmering Midori wallpaper.

There  is an actual cupcake counter where we see a very beautiful girl serving up yummy confections, above her is shelving filled with more cupcakes and candies. These were all hand constructed out of paper, paper Mache and trim. In fact, I made the counter out of actual embellished silver metal that I cut and sanded down.

Above the counter a framed image of Marie herself, cupcake in hand!

 

The last room is the actual seating area where we find another lovely lady sitting at the table, perhaps waiting for a gentlemen suitor while enjoying a cupcake.

Don’t they look good!

I created this three dimensional portrait of Marie with the iconic ship tucked into her blonde hair. If you look closely you can see that her hair is made of actual Kashmir roving that is twisted and turned to resemble an up do. The ship is a glittered ship made of paper and silver bouillon wire and trimmed in Dresden. 

Another framed image of Marie. The amount of Dresden trim I used on this project was amazing!

This project really tested me. It was a bit daunting at times, just because of the sheer size and the amount of paper, trim, images and construction materials needed. I didn’t know how it would all work together in the end but I trusted it would.

I used an lots of different paper, more than I have ever used. Some I used in big ways…

And others in small ways.

I used some old techniques.

Like the ribbon awning over the front door.

And some new techniques, like the three dimensional Marie…

And large scale wood construction.

Thank you Trish for giving me the opportunity to take on such a creative endeavor. I have to admit I was a bit sad to pack it into your RV and watch it drive down the road. I kinda wanted to keep it for myself. Thanks also to my husband Tim, he always lends a helping hand and reels me in when I stray too far from my personal style encouraging me to go with my gut!

He is also my photographer! So if you are ever in Astoria Oregon stop by

Marie Antoinette’s Cupcake Parlor

and pick up a cupcake and a cup of coffee and let me know what you think of the theater!

Hey There Little Red Riding Hood

Recently I ordered a variety of Italian wrapping papers based on classic fairytales. Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and Little Red Riding Hood to name a few. My first thought was, these would make awesome party hats for themed birthday parties. Little Red Riding Hood is one of my favorites. The original story can be a bit scary but the images on this paper are truly sweet and even the wolf is timid.

I like to add elements from the story to my hats that add three dimensionality and a whimsical flair. I thought about the forest and all the trees and leaves on the floor of the woods and I decided to make a trim to the hat made of glittered leaves. It wraps all around base of the hat.

I was also reminded of the flowers she picked along the way. Drawing from the paper itself, a little bouquet of vintage wildflowers intermixed with cotton spun mushrooms and a ladybug  are tied together with white and red baker’s twine.

Little baskets hang from the twine and the top is adorned with a “poof” of red. I even made a little slide box that can be used for favors or a place to store a special little something. In this case the box comes with a miniature pair of spectacles just the right size for the box.

I wanted to see what other ETSY artist were doing with the

 “Little Red Riding Hood”

theme and found some wonderful items to help you plan your own “Little Red Riding Hood” party.

To start, send out these fun invites to get everyone in the right mood for the party. They are available here.

Simple decorations that incorporate your child’s name always personalize a party. This banner can be designed to say anything you like and is available from this site

I am a fan of  DIY, do it yourself! With a little bit of computer savvy you can buy an entire printable party for a fraction of the cost of buying each item individually. I do believe in investing a few extra dollars for one great item, let’s say a party hat perhaps, but most items will get tossed at the end of the day. Why spend a fortune. This sweet printable party is available here

While searching for ideas I found this great blog post. The only thing missing from this party was an Over the Top party hat. Love the little baskets. Check out the entire party here.

Another great party favor you can print yourself. Fill the jars with home made jam or just strawberry candies.

These cake pops are a clever idea. I like the idea of anchoring them in a piece of wood that has been drilled to receive the pops.  I couldn’t find the exact source but they were just too cute to leave out.

Candy apples can be made for any occasion. They fit the Red Riding Hood party well but would also make a great Halloween or a wedding favor. Find the recipe here

All in all I hope you enjoyed your virtual trip through the woods to grandma’s house. There are so many great ideas out there to help you throw a truly memorable party. I know I was inspired not only by the paper I used to make my party hat but the original ideas I found out there in blogland. Thank you, all you creative people for inspiring me every day.

Amada

Easter Parade

What’s new? A lot actually! I haven’t been blogging much lately because at some point you just need to make a choice where to spend your free time. As many of you know we are building a new house and we are still in the process. Note: When the builder says 9 months, he really means a year. So we are at a year and still counting. I hope to post lots of pictures of the new house when it is no longer covered in plastic and tarps. In the meantime, I am constantly adding to my ETSY shop despite my cramped quarters. This Easter I have added a new piece to my line based on one of my favorite musicals,

Easter Parade.

There is just something about this movie that gets me tapping my toes and singing along to the tunes. I wanted to pay homage to the movie with a special Over the Top centerpiece that captured the essence of the movie.

 

This piece is rather large, around 12”.It is covered with German glass glitter. The top hat is fashioned after the one Fred Astaire wore in the movie. It is made of crepe paper and Dresden trim. The white Easter bonnet  is a replica of the one Judy Garland sported on 5th avenue.

 

 

 

 

Lots of little details really make this a fun piece and worthy of the movie which inspired it. I really love it and made a few extras to sell locally here in Washington.

You can find this creation at Common Folk Co in Bellevue.

Drop in this weekend for their annual Spring

Open House March 9th, 10th and 11th.

Kathryn has brought in lots of wonderful items for the event and always has wonderful snacks and drawings throughout the weekend.  What a wonderful way to usher in Spring!  So nice to be bloggin’ again. I missed it and I am looking forward to doing more of it again.  Until then friends, keep creating!

Amada

Seattle Wedding Show Cover

 

 

I have some very exciting news. Last Spring Barb Berger of the Seattle Wedding Show contacted me letting me know they were considering one of my toppers for the cover of the 2012 Seattle Wedding Show Magazine. I was flattered to say the least.

 

 

 

In August I received a follow up email from Barb. They had chosen my “Just for Fun” topper for the cover of the magazine! WOW – I am so humbled to have been chosen. Sharing the honor with me is Pinkabella Cupcakes. We teamed up last year for the 2011 Wedding Show and had a blast.

The magazine is available at all participating wedding show vendor locations and will be handed out to everyone who attends the 2012 Seattle Wedding Show event held at the Convention Center is Seattle. The images are all lovely and were professionally photographed by Azzura Photography.

 

 

The Seattle Wedding Show is the largest wedding show of this type in the northwest and features hundreds of vendors in every category. They display the latest and greatest trends in weddings and there truly is something for every taste.

 

This year Pinkabella and Over the Top are teaming up again for the 2012 show and I am really excited about the booth and some of the new toppers I will be featuring. The booth will be dreamy and romantic – but that is all I can say for now.

 

Thank you Seattle Wedding Show board and Barb Berger for selecting my topper for the cover.  It is more than I could have hoped for.

 

Regards!

 

Amada

A Kate Spade Wedding

I make a lot of wedding toppers and I love everyone one of them. Each time I get a new order I truly can’t wait to make it.  Rarely do I sell exactly the topper that is on my ETSY site. Usually there is a color change, banner suggestion, silhouette request… you get the picture. All these little changes makes each topper unique and special. But… every once in  while a request comes along that is a pure joy to take on.

Enter Kristina. A lovely bride with a romantic idea. Kristina wanted to somehow revamp her parents wedding topper from their 1960’s wedding  to fit her very trendy “Kate Spade Inspired” wedding. She contacted me after seeing one of my toppers in Martha Stewart hoping I could help. She sent me pictures of her parents topper with little hope.

 

 

She described the details of her wedding to me, the vibrant colors backed by black and white stripes.  She wanted it to be “fun” above all else.  In order to personalize the topper she asked if I could change the brunette to a red head and add some ostrich feathers to the dress. Her dress is a beautiful mermaid Pronovias gown, the bottom adorned with the feathers. Hhmm!

 A tall order.

 

I started doing my research and actually found some great color palettes on line. There were a couple that really inspired me.

 

Kristina loved the palette as well and even sent me one of her invitations as inspiration. I got to work.

 

When the topper arrived I immediately knew I would be unable to use any of the existing arbor or flowers. They were plastic and had yellowed over the years. The base was also in bad shape. I gently removed the porcelain figures from the base and I was pleasantly  surprised.  Underneath the stained  satin dress was a lovely dress and handsome bride and groom.

I needed to make a new base that was more representational of Kristina’s trendy wedding. I wanted to match her invite which had small gold polka dots but couldn’t find the right paper so… I made my own. I painted the brides hair red to match Kristina’s and even added some length to it. I also embellished the bottom of the porcelain dress with small feathers, just like her’s. I was able to salvage some of the old tulle from the gown and made a veil for the bride. It was a nice touch since we couldn’t use any of the flowers.

Now came the hard part. The arbor. How do I make something fun and whimsical that represents this fashionable wedding without it looking costumy (is that a word?)

I decided to go with the stripe and just simple pops of color in clusters all around the simple white wire arbor.

 

 

I also added some bling around her neck and a feather to her veil.

 

 

Kristina's “Kate Spade Inspired” wedding was off to a great start. The best part is  she is keeping all this to herself; a surprise to her mother that will be revealed on her wedding day. I am thrilled that I was able to be part of this new tradition and hope to inspire other brides to consider using their parents toppers in new and fun ways. 

 

Something Old

Something New

Something Borrowed

Something Blue

 

Blessings…..

       Amada

When Pigs Fly…

 

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went... 
"Wee wee wee" all the way home...

 

 

I love pigs! I always have. I never had one of my own but I have several friends with them and I can tell you one thing, they will never fly.  They can run, and even jump, but they will never get off the ground.  Until this little guy.

This little piggy has sprouted Dresden wings and is ready to be the first to take flight. He sits on top a vibrant chartreuse and red base that is covered in gold trim. He sits about 7” tall and 3” in diameter.

 

 

I originally made this as a topper for a groom’s cake.  A little innocent teasing from the bride, but it can be used for so many more of those little life surprises.

I love it just as it is. 

It is in my ETSY shop

 

So check it out here before it flies away….

Hugs,

Amada