The end of summer is turning into quite the exciting time...so much happening...so much on the horizon...
First and foremost - I am proud to have our home featured in the October/November issue of Cottages & Bungalows magazine...
Last October, Jickie Torres, editor and Bret Gum, photographer spent a long and crazy day here...photographing every nook and cranny...here's a few shots to show you what goes on behind the camera...
A quick run to the local grocery store provided pumpkins for a seasonal touch...
I was so glad that it was a glorious sunny day...it made the house shine...
Lots going on in the background while getting the perfect shot...
Even Calvin had to get in on all the activity...
stealing Jickie's heart...
At the end of day, all were tired and exhausted...and it was hard to have to wait so long to see how it all turned out...
But I'm pleased as can be with it...and I invite you to pick up a copy at your local newsstand or grocery store...I share lots of ideas for incorporating vintage treasures into your home...I think you'll enjoy it...
I was recently asked by a friend about how I begin a collage...do I have an idea and then go looking for the materials to pull it together...or do I start with a piece of ephemera that inspires me and go from there...
I thought for a minute...it really had me stop for a moment and consider...
"How do I begin?"
More often than not, its a piece of paper, a scrap of material, a torn page, a faded photograph that sets my mind wheeling...thus begins the process...
My most recent collage series started with a trio of vintage seed packets...ones that I picked up many years ago...the vivid colored vegetables along with their European monikers motivated me to action...I started collecting materials...
I painted three wooden boards coordinating pastel colors...and glued down the first layer of papers...since I wanted these three collages to relate to one another, I used similar (though not identical) papers with each collage...
The names of each of the vegetables included reference to three European cities so that guided my choices...London, Paris and Florence...old atlas maps, historical timelines and garden/botanical pages were all gleaned for inclusion...I wanted to include a piece of silverware on each collage for the crowning touch...auditioning forks for the Florence collage was a challenge...which one would fit the best...
Eventually all fell into place...the trio now complete...
You can see this trio for yourself...I'll be one of the artists participating in the Fresh Paint art show this coming weekend, August 15-16 at the Everett Marina...
please, stop by, say hi and chat with me a bit...I'd love to see you...
I don't know about you...but I love sneaking a peek inside of other's homes...I'm always curious to see how other people build their nest...and especially other creatives...its intriguing to me to see how the artistic personality reflects itself in one's surroundings...
Seth Apter is running a new series...Living with Art...that lets you take such a peek...in his own words, he describes his intention...
When we see art posted on the blogs from our community, by far the majority of times it is a cropped picture of a particular piece. We don't often get to see pictures of the art in the space where we actually live. Hanging art. Art on the walls. Art over the couch. Art leaning on the bookcase shelves.
Living with Art is about showing and seeing art in real life settings. Every Thursday I will be posting a series of images shared by creatives showing all of us just how art is displayed in their spaces. Each participant is opening the door and inviting us all into their surroundings.
I'm delighted to be one of the featured artists today...along with several others...plus there's a link to view the past features as well.
Seth has long been an avid art supporter (as well as a fabulous artist in his own right!) This is one more example of his willingness to be the glue that helps to bind this online artistic community together...please pop over and take a look...www.thealteredpage.blogspot.com
It's about this time of year...when the holidays are long over...
that winter just seems so ...so...unwelcome to say the least...
I really shouldn't be complaining...we've had little snow here...its just so...un-green!
Looking ahead to the Vintage Market in late March where I'll be a vendor, finds me seeking floral inspiration...
Recently discovering a stash of vintage seed package labels that I had misplaced fueled my inspiration...
let me walk you through it...
Step one: rejoice in the fact that after searching for longer than I can remember, I found these vintage French seed package labels...
Step two: find a few old painted boards...the crackled pink paint on this one was perfect...I sawed it in half...
Step three: unearth rain gauges bought last fall on clearance...swap out glass gauge for test tube...
don't know yet what I'm going to do with the calibrated gauges...any ideas?
After gluing each seed label onto a board and sealing the entire board with a coating of wax, I nailed the metal tube holder at the bottom of the board. The test tube was a hair wider than the original glass gauge but gentle persuasion opened up the metal clamp just a little bit more...enabling the test tube to be held snug in place.
Two more nails and a length of wire at the top of the board comprise the hanger...
Add the stem of your choice and its ready to hang...
I just used whatever painted boards I had on hand...but you could color coordinate as you like, using new boards painted your color choice...sanding the board and the edges before you glue on the seed label helps to give it that distressed look...
I like them grouped together but a single board could brighten up a sliver of dark space...
I checked online and the company I bought these labels from years ago still has them available for sale...and they swear that they are not reproductions but the real deal...find them online at www.simplyfrenchvintage.com
A simple stem in a simple vase...the hope of spring when we need it most...
Joining the Vintage Inspiration Party over at Knick of Time...
because doesn't everyone need a little more inspiration...
and I'd better not waste them!
Within the last week, I've been fortunate enough to have my work appear in two national magazines...
First up...an article that I wrote, styled and photographed for the spring 2015 issue of American Farmhouse Style Magazine...
its a quick tutorial on how to make these whitewashed wooden boxes...
a simple setting for spring inspiration...
And then...I discovered that my workshop studio is one of the featured articles
in this magazine that just hit the newsstands...
The feature was shot back in October when the Cottages and Bungalows magazine crew was here...
this magazine is one of their sister publications and my studio story certainly fits right in with the vintage theme...
With the new year right around the corner...
and with me ready to celebrate 5 years of blogging...how about a giveaway?!
A signed copy of the Make it Vintage magazine...just leave me a comment...
but please...make sure your email address is included in your profile...otherwise I have no way to get in contact with you...deadline for leaving comments is Saturday January 3 at midnight...
And Happy Creative New Year to all!
I've been busy in my studio...prepping for the holidays...creating artistic one of a kind gifts for everyone on your list...I have two shows left for the season...and the next one up is right in my own backyard...literally - its at my workshop studio...
I hope that you'll stop by if you're in the area...even just to say hi and share a glass of festive fun...
and possibly be enticed with some of the goods for sale...
I've been having fun with graphic images...on a variety of surfaces...
These glass coasters combine vintage photos with modern typography...use them to cradle a wine glass, round up earrings on your bedroom dresser or stand in as an impromptu saltcellar in your kitchen...
Last year I printed up a bunch of fabric samples courtesy of Spoonflower, using my own collage images, to test out a couple of ideas...these linen samples have been made into relaxation pillows...filled with lavender and rice, you can heat them in the microwave and then enjoy a warm compress on an achy joint or sore muscle...and inhale the lavender scent...
During the summer, I picked up a large package of transfer sheets (for a song!) at a yard sale...using my photographic collages, I've been printing and transferring these images to linen and then sewing up pillows...
stuffed with a down feather insert, they are immensely comfortable for lounging...
I had one transfer sheet that I forgot to flip the image before I printed...so the type was not reversed...rather than throw it away, I had a eureka moment...maybe I could print onto other surfaces than fabric?
I tried a scrap of wood...that worked out well...
Then I tried a piece of galvanized metal...
didn't work as well...the edges didn't adhere...I'm guessing that the surface is too smooth...there's more "tooth" to fabric and wood...I'll have to experiment to see if sanding the metal surface helps...
In any event, I hope to see you on the 22nd...in addition to my creative offerings, there will be handmade jewelry from Tammi of My Brown Wren and mixed media collage from Jody of Latitude Studios...and plenty of laughter & festive cheer...
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