Discoveries

I've been on a massive purge of my studio...and it's amazing what I have unearthed...

For those of you familiar with me and my home, you know I have a massive stack of suitcases...
I discovered that I have a fetish for metal boxes since I've gathered together quite a collection while cleaning up...

They certainly take up less room than suitcases...

my word for the year

Throughout the holiday season, I was constantly at work on projects...on my dining room table.  Whenever we wanted to eat at the table (thanksgiving dinner for example) I needed to clear everything off...only to resume my work a day or so later...thank god the Southern Man is understanding...

For those of you who have no other area for creativity, this is likely a common scenario...but for me...I have three other areas designated as work areas...my office with a small table, my workshop studio where I hold classes and my basement studio space.  Other than the fact that my workshop studio has no heat (and thus a little chilly during the winter) I really have no excuse to be commandeering the dining room table for my projects.

I seem to be in a perpetual state of cleaning up my spaces...but never seem to make much progress...this time I decided to dig in deep and vowed that I will get my basement studio space into a manageable condition...

I've started with the west wall of the studio, lined with shelves...I pulled out everything and cast a critical eye...

I'm assuming that I had some project in mind...but really...this many vintage graters...

You know I have a soft spot for well loved metal...but its time to let it go...the flat graters have been slated for a future art party project (and put into a bin designated appropriately), the others into the box for giveaway.

More scrounging abounds...I find a horde of drawing circle compasses...yes, one is insignificant, more than one makes a statement...but this many is overkill...and this doesn't include the three I found after I took this photo...

True, one of these would be a lovely addition to a future mixed media collage...a couple of them are rather unique...but its exactly that kind of rationalization that has led to this overpopulation.

Which leads me to my word for the year...rather than a list of resolutions, I have found it helpful to have a word on which to focus...to guide my actions throughout the year...some years, its been difficult for me to pinpoint the exact word to describe what I want to achieve...this year, it hit me square in the face about a month ago...

I am overwhelmed...not just with a physical amount of extraneous stuff...but also with overly involved art techniques...and for that matter, complicated procedures in many areas of my life...

I want to take this tangled mess of materials, methods and madness and pare it down...

Now, believe me, this doesn't mean that I'll be living in a naked house with white walls decorated with one single feather...but I'm hoping...no, I am confident...that by the end of the year (if not sooner) I'll be able to work peacefully on my art...and eat at my dining room table any time I want...

Do you have a word for the year? I'd love to hear what it is...
and if you have a compelling story behind your word, maybe I'll send you one of my compasses...

appreciating now...

the last number of days have been very gray and damp...
a steady rain that seems to say "slow down, don't go too fast"

a good plan for the new year...let's ease into it...acknowledge each day...
without wishing instead for the ones yet to come...

though difficult to discern from the photo...the silver baby cup is monogrammed with N.O.W.
I have no idea who this is...but the idea of making the present moment count is what captured my attention...

the diminished light gives a blurred edge to my photographs without any additional tweaking...
edited with just a simple layer of kk texture pinit11  (which you can download from kim's pinterest board here)

linking up with texture tuesday at kimklassen.com ...

Unconventional gift wrapping, part 1

You might remember (if you follow my blog) that the Southern Man had a nasty run-in with a tin can lid this past summer...due to an uncooperative can opener, the sharp, protruding edges of the lid gouged his finger...but after a trip to the emergency room and two months of healing, all is fine...

But...just to be on the safe side, we bought one of those can openers that is supposed to leave a clean cut edge...and yes, indeed it does. 

And then one day I noticed that since the opener cuts the edge of the can below the lip of the lid, you are left with a lid that sits securely on the can...my mind started racing...the eureka moment hit...

How easy would it be to turn these cans with their accompanying lids into little gift containers...
I gathered up a collection of empty cans...

See how smooth the rim is...no ragged edges here!
















Next I compiled a selection of coordinating papers...some vintage wallpaper, some papers from Cavallini & Co...  I'm not much into buying "new" art supplies, but the quality and design of the Cavallini & Co. products are first rate...its my art splurge...

Finally I rounded up supplies and tools...

and then I went to work...

My idea was to cover the cans with decorative paper with the crowning touch of a knob on the lid...after its time as a gift container, it could be used to store any number of things in one's office, studio or work space...

I measured the circumference of the can as well as the height to get the measurements for the paper to cover the outside of the can...

I used heavy duty double-sided tape...adhering it first to the can, around the top and bottom edges and one strip along the can seam...the seam is a good guide to use in ensuring that the wrapped paper is laid down straight... 

Once the can was wrapped, I added washi tape along the upper rim...

Next up...covering the lid and the bottom of the can...
I worked with a variety of vintage papers...old dictionary pages, french book text, vintage graph paper...even a scan of an old photo...
I used my circle cutter to get a clean cut edge...but first I did a trial run with a piece of plain white paper to ensure that the circle would fit...no use in using up precious vintage stock!  

Once I had the correct size, I glued the paper circles to the lid top and to the bottom of the can...
There was a major benefit in using my circle cutter for these paper circles...there's a pinpoint made by the cutter in the exact center of the circle...which came in handy when attaching the knob in the middle of the lid...I knew exactly where to punch the hole for the screw to hold the knob...




I used a variety of old knobs for the lid tops...searching in my metal banker's box of assorted knobs and pulls yielded a good supply...just needed to find shorter machine screws to attach each knob securely...and then...finished!

the tuna fish can was narrow enough that a length of wide washi tape encircled the can perfectly...

Pages from old books, run through a paper shredder, provide the filler for each can...giving a cushion of protection for the gift inside...

























Short or tall...plain or fancy...the possibilities are endless...
and it all starts with a simple tin can...and a little imagination...

a tale of old

Four easy prompts...a list to comprise a composition...take the time to enjoy the process...those were the instructions for last week's bestill52 exercise...

So I did take my time...and thought quite a bit about it...and then I put my idea into play...

The four prompts were bread, linen, twine, scissors...now 3 of the 4 were no problem...but that first one...bread...I really didn't want to do the traditional thing...and then it hit me...the eureka moment...
bread is also a slang term for money...

When I'm not digging up vintage treasures, creating art or hanging at home with the Southern Man and Mr. Calvin, 
I work part-time at Lowe's...lately in the cash office...occasionally I come across coins from other countries...which have no monetary value but plenty of artistic intrigue...so its a small bonus...
and perfect for my planned vignette...

"the conundrum of Mr. Albert Halliday"

Once a popular tailor, requested by the upper echelons of society to outfit them for any grand occasion, Mr Halliday had seen better days.  The advent of those department stores where anything could be found within their walls and taken home with a swipe of a plastic card had diminished his clientele's need for bespoke clothing.  

The only requests now came from others, like him, who had immigrated from the old country...fleeing from a land that no longer held their allegiance...they understood the quality of a even stitch and the smooth hand of woven cloth...but had no resources to pay for the work...trying to barter their bill with a pittance of old coins and remnants of a dry loaf of bread...

A little imagination goes a long way in setting up an artistic vignette...and helped to reinforce the lessons of this exercise...as is my mantra - the most ordinary of objects can tell a story...you just have to be listening...

A final collage inspired by my story...
"time ticks on...and the ways of the old world are forgotten..."

Joining the group over at kim klassen's Texture Tuesday...
all of my above photographs were edited with kk texture plastersquared...
the digital collage is a combination of both kk textures and french kiss textures

an idea years in the making

I've had this idea for a dining room table that I've been thinking about for over 10 years...
finally I had the time/energy/resources to put into reality the idea that had been been in my head for some time...

After we decided to stay put and not move across the country, we were determined to do the house projects that get put off and forgotten about...until you think about selling the house and then all those things get done.  This time we were going to do all of them and then get to enjoy our house for ourselves.  I was never a fan of our dining room table...and had always wished for a different table...now was the time to make that idea a reality...

I already had a cast iron table base that I picked up for $15 years and years ago...
when I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for the "someday" table...

I bartered 4 rusty metal table legs for 6 reclaimed fir boards from my friend Shelley who is the Queen of Junk...thick heavy boards...a little worse for being outside for a while...but that's what we call patina...

Got the boards home, scrubbed them, bleached them, set them out in the sun to dry...

an aside...Atlas work gloves are the best...great rubber grip and flexible knit backside...I love them...

Laid the boards out, moved them around until I had an arrangement where the boards fit snug...pounded in several wood connectors...essentially wood staples that would hold the boards in place while I secured them with three wood braces.

I also laid down the table base so I could mark 
the position of the screw holes...

For the table braces, I didn't want to use new wood because the tone would be so glaringly bright...rummaging around, I found several used stakes that once held campaign signs of some candidate we were supporting at the time...I cut the stakes into the desired lengths...the leftover pointed ends might be resurrected into a wood composition art piece in the future...

After determining the placement of the braces, I drilled pilot holes for the screws...wrapping a piece of blue tape around the drill bit gave me a guide to the depth of the hole without drilling all the way through the table top...

Once the braces were in place, I used my electric sander to smooth the rough edges and remove any loose splinters...I debated whether or not to apply any sort of sealant...decided against it for the time being...I like the natural tone of the boards and wanted to keep that rough hewn look...

I moved the table top into the dining room for final construction...

Attached the iron base...noticed that the feet on the legs were rather rough...not wanting to scratch up my wood floors, I cut rounds of self-adhesive felt for a cushion...







Flipped the table over and I was done!

It didn't take long for me to get the chairs around the table and set up a fall vignette...

I love seeing the deep grain of the wood planks...

All the textures and tones that speak an autumn mood...

My new table... the perfect palette for whatever the seasons bring...

Joining the group over at Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk...lots of great recycled ideas...tons of inspiration...
and the Salvaged Style Link Party over at Knick of Time