That's Music to my Ears!

I have been bitten by the Sheet Music bug...I began using old sheet music in some of my art a while back and never thought a thing about it...I just liked the look. I was recently asked to teach a mixed media method class to 17 ladies, and I decided to use sheet music as the background of my class sample. I went to the flea market and scored "big" on books of OLD sheet music!

This is the picture that I used as my sample. I wanted everyone to use the same pattern, but they could pick their own papers, colors and decorations. They all did quite well...although we needed about 4 hours for the class rather than the 2 I had designated. We used various papers (some handmade), old music sheets, acrylic paints, and pens to construct the 11x14 mixed media on canvas print.

I then declared that NEXT year's school library Christmas tree would feature sheet music in some form...that's when I started to explore the blogs for information. Was I stunned! I was "in the groove" and didn't even know it...music was featured everywhere! Well, that really gave me the itch to begin experimenting with what I saw. I tried to hold off until after Christmas...

#1 Granddaughter and I experimented with the wreath we saw on Miss Mustard Seed's blog first. It was like the monster that ate Chicago...it grew and grew! But I love the look and plan to keep it in my office year round. I believe this was also featured on the blog, Confessions of a Plate Addict. We double teamed it with Granddaughter rolling the cones and me glue gunning everything in sight! ( I sprang for a Sonic Blast after this task was completed!)


I wanted to try a smaller wreath, but #1 G said I could do it on my own. So I did and it's quite cute...about the size of a salad plate with another antique button in the center. I love the little fan look in the middle!

Then I remembered the two paper mache pyramids I bought for half price at Hobby Lobby...$5.99 for both! I pulled them out and decided to "do you know what"...again...cover them with old sheet music!

Next, I affixed some sheet music using Mod Podge. (aka: Nectar of the gods...ha.)

I didn't like the plain Jane look, so off to Hancock's Fabrics to find something with which to dress the edges of the pyraminds...1/4 inch black elastic that was on sale for 50 cents for 3 yards. It took 3 packs and I had a little left over. I covered each individual side..which means I had to attach the elastic 8 times and 4 for the bottom.Note: Do NOT stretch the elastic, just glue it down with Elmer's.

On the first pyramid (aka: Christmas tree), I haphazardly applied the music, on the second tree I "wised" up and cut each side in two large sections...worked much better and certainly was quicker.

I used Distressing Ink to give a little rustic flavor, but really didn't need to as the sheets were so old on their own.

I attached a snowflake that was a leftover tree topper on sale for 50 cents. It was brass and I "rusted" it. I also attached a burlap bow on top...I am still thinking about adding rusty bells attached with twine to the bow.

Tip: When working with sheets of music, the older music is extremely fragile and crumbles easily. I began with 1930's music and quickly found that for me it was easier to work with 1950's and 1960's sheets especially if there is much folding or manipulation of the sheets.

I love the look and must say that burlap has been my BFF for as long as I can remember. Teamed with the antique music, burlap presents a really nice contrast. I remember once a lady gently scolded me for using burlap in a tablescape...I laughed to myself...little did she know that it would become one of today's hottest decorating accessories!

* The Musical Career Goes Up In Flames

Do you remember just "having" to have something and then as soon as you acquired it, you decided it wasn't so great after all? Whether it was a boyfriend, a new pair of shoes or some other "gotta have it now" item, the lesson is a hard one to forget. Well, that's what happened to me in the seventh grade when I decided that I MUST be in the Junior High Band.

Now, anyone who knew me could have told you this was an idea waiting to fail. My parents, first and foremost, tried to change my mind. They put me off as long as possible, but I was relentless in my pursuit of making music my lifelong career. So after several weeks, they said "Ok."

Both of my father's parents were musicians and very good ones at that. I guess my father was hoping that maybe I had inherited that musical gene. I was hoping that I would be the most accomplished musician in the US, heck, maybe the world. In my mind's eye, I saw it all...the fame, the fortune, the ability to bring down the house. So nothing would deter me from signing up and being the greatest flautist in the county. Ah, yes, the beautiful gleaming silver flute. The perfect instrument for the pre-teen girl with all the great dreams!

My father arrived home from work and in he walked with a strangely shaped large leather case. We all gathered in anticipation of what he had in that case. His presentation went something like this..."Now you all know that your sister, Angela will be in the beginner's band. We want to support her and make sure that she practices and does her very best to realize this dream. So tonight I'd like to present her with her first musical instrument!" "Hmmmm, mighty big case for such a small instrument like a flute," I thought. When he opened that case I nearly dropped dead...not from excitement, I must add. Lying there, in all its satin-lined case glory was a curvy old instrument that looked like a pipe. "What in the world is that thing?" I inquired. "Why, it's my first alto saxophone! I thought you'd be a perfect match for it! I'm handing it down to you."

You know, I don't like to sound ungrateful, but a saxophone roughly the same height as me was not exactly what I had in mind. I smiled weakly. "Try it out! Try it out!" my brother and sister shouted. "Certainly," my father said," here let me help you." He brought the thing out and then reached in and pulled out a mouthpiece, a reed and a neckstrap. "You have to put it together?" I questioned. He snapped everything together, put the strap around my neck and for the next 30 minutes I almost blew my brains out trying to make a sound emit from the curvy beast.

I dutifully lugged that case to band every day..."Oh, I spoke to Mr. Mitchell today. He said you had real promise," said my proud father. (Promise? promise of what?) That sax squawked like a goose having his last honk before being plucked every time I tried to play it. I sat in band and glared at the flute and clarinet players..(Greer played the clarinet but I got the 500 pound old saxophone!) I didn't like biting down on the mouthpiece so I'd put my lip between the mouthpiece and my teeth. After an hour or so my lip was permanently indented and I looked like an adolescent who had upper lip implants.

To make a long story bearable, our big day arrived. We got to march in the Greenwood Christmas parade. Mr. and Mrs. B took Greer and me to Greenwood and rented a hotel room for the day. We were decked out in 100% wool uniforms and those hats with the plumes....Oh, my gosh. We were to play Jingle Bells and did we ever....for about 20 miles it seemed. By the time we rounded the corner to the main street area, I was sweating, panting (from lack of oxygen) and barely able to walk, much less toot that darn horn. My musical career came to a screeching halt that day in the delta sun.

To this day, I have trouble holding my head up straight (and of course, that's due to the stress that was put on my neck.) A small (but sturdy) young woman has NO business being forced to strap on a forty pound weight on her small neck. Gone were the dreams of playing lovely songs onstage with the Philharmonic...a gauzy musical nymph leaping about with the gleaming silver flute. But I did learn something very valuable through that experience, sometimes the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. However, when you get to the other side, you will find that they just used more fertilizer.