Sunday, October 9, 2011

Jump on the Subway Trend

Ever need that a special piece to anchor a mantle vignette, a little something to add spice to a bookshelf or a final piece for the wall arrangement puzzle? Consider subway art.

Call me Rip Van Winkle, but I only recently awakened to this visually impactful typography art form. Thank you Pinterest. After months of looking past all types of word art, this piece from Mary at Very Merry Vintage Style caught my eye and now I'm hooked.


I have so much on my plate right now that I have been avoiding creating something for myself. So, when I got a wedding invitation, the light bulb went on:  I could now create some nice subway art and wouldn't have to feel guilty about putting other things aside just for my own amusement.

The young couple needed art for their small apartment, so I decided to go with sort of a seasonal collection. I picked a nice fall piece they could hang now, a holiday piece they could replace it with and a third piece for the remainder of the year. Here's a peek at the fall art:
 

I found each of the subway art pieces as a free printable online. Bless the talented artists who can create these beauties and who are willing to share with others. Their creations and generosity are truly appreciated.

Using my inkjet printer, I printed the images on craft muslin and put them in three different, but coordinating frames. And, let me tell you, timing is everything, as I found the frames at Michael's for 50 percent off and had a coupon for an additional 25 percent off. Few things are more exciting than stumbling into that kind of bargain.


Here's the first in my trio of creations. Andy at Poppies at Play created this beautiful subway art for fall. I love the crow silhouette in the background.


Now, for the second piece. I love this frame, which is perfect for the horizontal goodness of this nice word art. You'll find this and its coordinating printable holiday banner art at eighteen25. Thanks for letting me grab it, gals.

To round out the trio, I looked for summer subway art. I found a few nice images, but then I came across the perfect art for the bride and groom. Both are members of the Army National Guard.


I like the way this turned out. This special piece pays tribute to the sacrifice the bride and groom make for all of us. This summer, both were deployed for several weeks to assist with flood control along the Missouri River and returned home only a couple of weeks before their wedding.

And, the sentiment of the third piece is timeless. They can put it up just for summer or leave it up year-round. I want to thank Blooming Homestead for this heartfelt printable.

After venturing into the world of subway art, I researched tutorials for making the art myself. And, while that wasn't a good option for me in the short time I had to produce my trio of framed sentiments for the wedding, I do think I'll try my hand at it sometime in the future.

I'm sure there are many good tutorials out in blogland, but I found a couple that seem to be all you need to get started making your own word art.


Kate at Centsational Girl gives a thorough step-by-step that even I understand. She made the cute art above using the method she describes. See her tutorial here. 


Now, to get a closer look at this entirely different method for word art, check out Wendy's how-to for creating stunning images on wood, canvas or other surfaces at The Shabby Nest. Her white-on-black treatment creates a big wow factor. What an impactful creation.

I'm thrilled to have discovered the creative possibilities word art provides. Up next? I'm going to do something for me. I have just the perfect thrift store frame and the perfect spot to hang Mary's pretty, printable Paris poster.


Make it a great day!


11 comments:

  1. Hi Ann,
    So glad you enjoyed the Paris art! There is also a London version on my site as well.Thanks for the link to my site! This is a great post. Subway art is such an easy way to create art with a subject that intrigues you. Hope you have a fabulous week!
    Mary

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  2. Thank you Ann, you are so sweet to feature one of my printables. I love that you printed them up on muslin! Such a fantastic and thoughtful gift! The frames are absolutely gorgeous and I love that you got them for such a steal!!

    Have a wonderful night!
    Andy
    Poppies at Play

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  3. that's a great idea for a wedding gift. for mother's day this year, we printed off each of our holiday subway arts and placed them all in one frame so she could rotate them through the year.

    thanks for sharing!!

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  4. You did a great job on the trio, and I like the frames you chose. They make the art pop.

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  5. I love the idea of printing on muslin. I haven't tried that yet... but I think I need to!

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  6. Ann, I just saw your post on Debbiedoo's newbie party. What great art you have!! Very creative and very pretty!! I am a newbie, as well and your newest follower. I hope you will follow me too! Many blessings to you!

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  7. Thanks so much for featuring my printable. I think these were a great wedding gift idea!
    -Marie

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  8. hi Ann! Welcome to my newbie party. I think this is fantastic. Looks so warm too. Thanks for sharing at the party and hope to see you again next week.

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  9. So sorry to be so late in getting to visit but I'm glad you chose to be a part of Seasonal Sundays this past week and hope you'll join me again this week.

    - The Tablescaper

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  10. As a newbie, I stumbled upon your blog and I loved the word art info. I want to incorporate this into one of my quilt projects. Thanks for sharing

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  11. Hi! I stumbled upon your blog by googling subway art! :) So happy to have found you.
    I love what you created!
    I made a subway art for my husband's 40th
    Bday! (Just realized I haven't blogged about it..now I have something else on my list to do!)
    I can't wait to check out your other posts.

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