A Whimsical Bohemian

Lighting The House One Lamp Shade at a Time

Well I am so frustrated...........I did an entire blog post and the internet went out long enough to wipe it all out!

So I will try to begin again.............and just give the readers digest version.

I recently finished another lamp shade for a floor lamp I've had for a long time that I wanted to put by the secretary in the living room. It had a drum shade on it at one time but the plastic interior cracked in several places though the outside was fairly ok. I had put it out in the patio with the idea we'd smash it and recycle it. BUT the other day I had a thought.......maybe I could keep it and do some C P R on it. (Creative Passion Revival - I just made that up but now I'm going to keep using that phrase - haha!)

So I set about doing just that and was successful in getting it all tight as a drum again, no cracks......get it, drum? drum shade?  Anyway...........

I covered it (sorry but I am going to keep that technique to myself for now) and painted a design all over it but when it was done I wasn't happy. BohoHandyman couldn't believe I'd cover over it after all the hours I put in to it but I explained "I need to be completely happy with the end result".

So I started again.....just the design part..........

Using 2 pages from an art journal I had scanned I set about going another route.

I digitally played around with the first one and just played around with the bird in the second one. Printed it all out in multiples, got out the paint for the background upper and lower and top rim and voila.......... (I also painted the floor lamp itself which was formerly off white)

I took the above pic outside

I love working with the drum style shade and now have plans to do some in various sizes to sell in my Shoppe - that shape can work on most lamps..........I am hoping by end of summer to have a few to start with to see how they do.

The beauty of doing these is that they are one-of-a-kind.......you won't go in someone's home and ever see the exact same thing and they really do bring a POP to a room.

Art and design...............ah the bliss of it all!

I hope you are all had a most wonderful weekend!

ART ON!

 

I'll Leave the Light on For You

So I am not done with lamp shades.........I thought I was but......well.......I just can't help myself.  I keep thinking of new ways, new materials to experiment with. I don't know what it is but it's become something I spend so many hours on that my hands literally hurt. I still have things I can perfect and experiment with but I'm running out of shades.........for now. (wink wink)

I wake up and come right in here to my studio and start in........is it obsession? Is it addiction? Is it uh, strange forces at work? Is it cosmically ordained? (ok that last one is a bit dramatic)

All of those things could be true........but actually it's simply the love of creating A R T in all its forms!

So without further adieu here are 2 of my latest endeavors........

This lamp is now on the kitchen counter.......(the walls still need things hung so it looks a bit bare in that corner). Anyway the base was previously in the living room until I replaced it with the birdcage lamp AND it was shabby chic white. It needed C O L O R......... The shade was one I found on clearance at Target that looked like the ones below (only it was white with the turquoise flocked design)

I ended up covering the design with gesso then covered it with a canvas fabric and then covering that with clear gesso before starting to paint it.

For the base I just set out painting until I liked it. You can see I tend to use the same colors in most of my art - love them.

With the light on.............

 
I wasn't altogether happy with the way I redid the shade for my studio desk lamp (above), I mean it was fine but it was made all wrong and I KNEW I wanted to do something VERY different!

I stripped all the fabric off back the "skeleton" - This time I sewed all the panels together before attaching them to the shade using canvas fabric......add fabric hardener, gesso, paint, markers, colored pencils and so on and lots of hours and voila. I just sort of went along without anything specific in mind design-wise (except a face) until I felt it was done. I'm telling you........now I want to do more "art" shades and refine them. I didn't do any trim on the top or bottom, I like the rawness of the edges.

Below is with the light on:

 
This is the back side (faces the wall)

I didn't do anything to the lamp base............for now!

With each new shade I will be able to perfect them so you can be sure there will be more and maybe someday for sale.

Are you sick of lamp shades yet?

I have a new art project I will be starting as soon as the main component arrives in the mail....I hoped it would be today. It will be my spin on something inspired by another artist...I will explain more when I am done.

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Before I leave I have to say my heart goes out to all those victims and families from the horrific bombings at the Boston Marathon. No words can adequately convey the ire it creates to my very core that there are so many humans capable of this kind of act. It is unimaginable that people set out to destroy lives.

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Birds of a Feather Provide a Cagey Setting for a Lamp

You have to know if you read my blog with any regularity that I am constantly doing something - if it's not art it's home improvement or decorating or revamping or repainting or repurposing. It really has become somewhat of an addiction. Franky I am doing this morning til night these days. And just when my eyes and hands are telling me it's time to stop now.....and I get all cozy in my bed........it happens! I get an idea..........for something else......and now I lay there knowing I HAVE to get some sleep but instead start figuring out what I will need to do to accomplish the new idea.

Are you like that? Tell me you are so I am not the only one. I have been known at 1:00 in the morning to suddenly move a table from one room to another or start mixing paint colors. I may not have done a new painting of late or even a drawing for that matter, but that, too, is coming. My "art" has taken the form of other things that are still creative right now and I have immersed myself in it. Seriously when I wake up in the morning my hands are stiff.........

So having said all that here is the latest. I share these things here on my blog not for want of accolades but simply to share and possibly give you some inspiration to try things yourself.

It all began with finding some fabric on line that just knocked me out. BIRDS of course and I just knew I wanted to recover a lamp shade with it for our living room. Then came looking on Ebay and finding a lamp shade (brand new) in a unique shape that I could take apart. Both orders came within a couple days of one another.

Here is the lamp shade "before" from the Ebay listing - I couldn't wait to get everything off the shade down to it's "skeleton".

Fabric (linen/rayon) -

I LOVVVVEEEE this fabric!!

After removing everything from the shade I began wrapping the frames "skeleton" with hem tape to have something to sew to. Then using the pieces I carefully removed to use as my patterns I traced  them on to the bird fabric as well as the fabric I backed it with.  As I was sewing it all together it hit me late Friday night......As nice as it would be on the current lamp it would be more fitting to have a birdcage lamp.

Then in one of those nighttime ideas I mentioned before....I thought of the birdcage (below) I had hanging in my studio. A gift I had received a couple years ago.

So yesterday (Saturday morning) I approached BohoHandyman about turning it in to a lamp. He was all for it and set to work finding everything we needed from a lamp we don't use and then only having to buy a new switch with a chain pull. He cut and drilled and even notched out the bottom for the cord. The total lamp base itself costs all of $7.00. (We did find though he needs to make a small base underneath to steady it more...he's doing that today)

(old photo from a while back)

You know I couldn't leave the color as is so of course I painted it.

The wood parts were painted with the CeCe Caldwell paint and the wire bits with chestnut brown Martha Stewart paint.

After I finally finished the shade and put it on the base I KNEW it needed a trim at the bottom. I had recently purchased this trim from Ebay (9 yds at an incredible price).

So I pinned it around the shade and cut. It was never going to work in the off white so I got out some paint:

I poured the turquoise in to a plastic container and spritzed some of the color wash in the "lettuce" color wash and added water. I stirred it and tested it. Then I took the piece I had cut for the shade and dropped it in. I stirred it about and then wrapped it in paper towel squeezing and squeezing. I used my heat gun to dry it and then ironed it to dry it further. I didn't want to rinse it as I liked the color as it was. Right now it's pinned around the bottom but I will be sewing it on today. So if you notice pins that's why.

Here is the base after I painted it.

Here is the shade after I covered it with the newly "dyed" trim pinned on.

And here they are together in the finished lamp. What do you think?

We are both so happy with the end result so I figure it paid off to be kept awake with the idea that night.

Can you tell I have a "thing" for birds (we both like them actually).

I also bought the above 2 fabrics that will become throw pillows for the sofa. So divine!

So it's time to flap my wings and fly out of here and get busy sewing that trim on the shade. I hope you enjoy my sharing and details of the various projects I do.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend.....go out and make it a great week!

P.S. Next up............ the wire dress form redo!

The Tale of an Antique Cabinet

I have been wanting a secretary cabinet for a long time but just couldn't find one we could afford. A couple of weeks ago I put the word out to my Facebook friends......asking if anyone knew a friend, relative, neighbor etc. who might be selling one for a good price. In no time  a friend posted to say they were selling her mother-in-law's and did I want to come look at it. R's in-laws were actually my family neighbors when I was growing up, living one house away. I grew up with her husband. Sadly they (R's in-laws)are both gone now, most recently her amazing mother-in-law......a woman who taught dance for YEARS and was so well loved in this area that her memorial was standing room only. So I went to look at it and it was perfect....they sold it to us for the most fantastic price and they knew it was going to a good home. I called BohoHandyman and told him to bring his truck.  For me it is not only just what I wanted but it was made even more special knowing who owned it for all those years. Serendipity!

When we brought it home we set it in place (it even has the original skelelton keys, one for the cabinet and one for the desk and original casters on the bottom) and it was a perfect fit.  I tried a couple of items in and on it because the stain was so dark I wasn't sure things inside the cabinet would show up. (Sadly I took the "befores" quick with my phone so they aren't the best images.

I knew I wanted to paint it but decided to try something first before making the decision.

I painted the cubby area inside with a  gray and added a knob I had to the little drawer. The original was missing. My lap top fits inside perfectly so there is now an option to get on the computer there or use the PC located in my studio.

Then (yes it keeps going) I decided to paint the interior of the upper cabinet gray and once I did that I had an idea to use some "stick and click" lights to illuminate the interior at night. I stuck 2 lights under the top and 2 under each shelf but you could see the lights a bit under the shelves. So of course that bothered me so I decided to cut a scalloped edge for each shelf using vintage sheet music and double stick tape so you couldn't see the lights.

I then placed a few things inside at random just so I could live with the look a few days and decide if I would leave the cabinet that way.  Although the interior lighting was ok I still wasn't satisfied with the overall look, especially the dark, dark stain. (which some people like) So out came everything.....paper edge....everything. I knew for certain I was going to paint the entire cabinet and make it lighter.  I mixed a color I thought would work and WOW it was oh so wrong (didn't even take a photo of it). So I mixed new paint, painted it again, added a tinge of white wash then distressed it a bit. I also repainted the inside more of a white as well as the interior shelves (though I still left one out)

We have lived with it now for a week or so and love it........

Here is the "AFTER"......

This is the upper cabinet. It's jammed with Christmas things right now but "merchandising" will change, of course, after the holidays. (see that stuffed Santa on the right?.......my oldest brother bought that for me when I was about 4 or 5 years old when he worked in a Christmas tree lot - it's been out every year since and still in pretty good shape considering how long I've had it)

This is the lower desk portion. I didn't paint the knobs because they would just disappear so the dark ones are a nice contrast right now. I am still going to look for some real vintagey knobs to replace these at some point.

Full frontal view.

 I shared a before and after photo with R and L who sold it to us and they loved it...and they said B (the original owner) would have liked it too. That makes me happy.

BohoHandyman and I are in serious talks about perhaps doing a venture together repainting/repurposing items and also creating garden art. We talked about it quite some time ago but for some reason let it go..... but lately he's been coming home saying it's on his mind every day and he's really excited about the idea of doing this together. (AND make some extra money to boot) So we'll see where the road takes us!

 

Wishing you all.............

Lisa XOXOXOX

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Read all about Our World Our Art coming February 2013 and how you can become a participant when the event begins! PLEASE remember, it does not begin until then BUT you can certainly post the info on your blog now to let others know to check out the details!!

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Painting Away the Blues.......{one room at a time, one moment at a time}

I am dealing with the big "D" raising its head again which has had me laying low and trying my hardest to keep myself from going further down that road again. December is a rough month for me and it's looming..... Soooo we are painting the living room walls and trim...........before moving on to my studio. I know that sounds odd but I need things to be back in order, in place, no deviating from the plan.....it will be more calming and make my head much more clear so I can

Turn this:

In to This:

In short order!!!!!!!

Please, please don't think of this as some depressive blog or me some dull, unsparkly person and give up on it/me. I am neither but I AM human and sometimes we humans go through things. Only I choose to say it openly here while some prefer to be sparkly on the outside when things aren't so sparkly on the inside. I am nothing if I am not honest. Maybe it's a flaw.....don't know.

In the meantime, I truly hope you are having sparkly days.......inside and out!

You'd Think it Was Halloween as This Bathroom Was SCARY!

Welcome to the inner sanctum......known as our old bathroom. The vanity is 9' long, the window was updated a while back so it's fine. Everything else had to be repaired in some way, thoroughly TSP'd, sanded, primed, repainted, resurfaced....you name it. This is all the BEFORE and a couple photos of DURING ONLY!. (be prepared!) To say I am embarrased to show these would be an understatement.

added to note: AFTER will be revealed in November.

Looking in to the bathroom from the doorway. Oh that horrible floor. We had the cat box in there for a time (as you can see) and we both hated it. It was always clean but they tracked litter that was a constant chore. It just didn't belong in there and it's not going back in.  The floor could be scrubbed within an inch of its life and never looks clean. The floor will be the LAST thing we redo because we will probably have to have someone come in to do it to level over what's there and install a new lino. And no more coving either! So for now the floor remains (I found a nice area rug that draws your eye away from it a bit for now you will see in the "after" photos) We cannot afford to go down to the subfloor and start over....someday we will. 

The condition of the cabinets is obvious here. I had once tried something on the drawers for a little "relief" effect but it never was right. I started peeling it off one drawer to make sure it would, in fact, come off and it did. They looked dull, duingy and dirty. (and yes, we tried cleaning them) That's a lot of storage but we decided we didn't need those two cabinets with the doors on the left. You will see the what we did instead in the "after" photos in another post later. (same with the doors under the sink) You can see the pink tile in all is ugly glory....trust me when I say pink tile for some may be fine, but for me it was not.  That entire vanity and all the drawers had to be completely sanded and primed and then painted. I bought new hardware for the drawers.

This is during the process of refinishing/repainting the tile/sink - they came in and redid it all in 2 days. It's Kohler white and truth be told I wish it had been just a bit creamier but hey, I'm not complaining.

Being an old bathroom the sink jets out from the vanity, we couldn't change the sink without redoing the entire vanity........but the top near the faucet had some cracks. (NOTE: that fixture NEVER looks dirty like that normally...honest) Luckily they were able to repair all the cracks. They fixed them on top AND from underneath and it was so smooth before they did the resurfacing you couldn't even tell they were ever there. The cracks happened back when BohoHandy replaced the old faucet some time ago and had to use a lot of force to remove it. You could bleach the heck out of that sink but the surface was just so old. We keot this faucet.

Here is the sink after it's repair and redo. Doesn't that look like a face? I think it may be saying "ahhhh, that's better, thank you".

 

The tub/shower combo. BohoHandyman had to do some repair work above the tile as you can see. The tub had long ago lost it's smooth surface so it never felt truly clean. The tub, toilet and sink and tiles (and probably that hideous floor) are all original to this 1949 house.

This is during the process on the tub and tile. They wrapped the exposed pipe fpr the fixtures while doing this. No showers for 2 days......what can I say?

Looking back towards the door. That poor old door and that poor old trim.... it all received some serious sanding and repainting since this photo.  That's Daisy coming in the room having opened the door while I was taking the photo...she hates closed doors (see previous post). We had taken everything out - that's a ladder on the right.

This light fixture has been up since the late 80's. It was fine back then but those gigantor globes are so not my style. We tried to find new glass replacements in some other style but they don't make the openings that wide any more except for globes like those.  We did find a new fixture, he replaced it and we didn't like it or the lighting it gave off so he removed it, packaged it and we returned it. So in the meantime I did a VERY quick paint job on this old one (this is the before) and he rehung it FOR NOW. Ideally a sconce on either side of the mirror would be great so we are talking about doing that instead........problem is the wall is now all painted and it will mean messing it up again and repainting. So we're on the fence.

The walls are not in the best shape, they could use brand new drywall but this project was not intended to go that deep at this point. You will see later that a bit of spackle, some sanding, primer and paint did the trick though.  (added note, the original wall color when we first rented this house....we later bought it.....was pink! Pink tile AND pink walls....can you say Pepto Bismol?)

Then we had that hole.........I told you about it here.  That is completely and totally fixed so you can't even tell anything was ever there. BohoHandyman even patted himself on the back for that one.

For the bathroom mirror....what we had was a good size but the frame we used back then was rather skimpy in size. I can't believe I didn't take a before photo. BUT we had framed a chalk board in the kitchen (see below) with a frame I bought at Michaels and although I planned to paint it I hadn't yet. Sooooo....we took it down and it fit the mirror perfectly. So I painted it and we reframed the mirror.

You'll see it redone and in the bathroom later in the "After" photos

Soooo....there are still about 7 more things on the to-do list but they will get done. One involves some treasure hunting for accessories....we are going back to visit our friends L & J again soon and then let the hunt begin. Those guys know ALL the good places up there!

Now you know why this project has taken over our every waking hour. BohoHandyman comes home from work and then works on his part. He just amazes me!

 I will share the "After" photos some time next month. Aren't you thrilled with anticipation? *grinning*

☛ The thing I want to leave you with is this......you don't have to break the bank to make over a room giving it a fresh new look (even though you may want to tear it all out and start over). You can repurpose things you already have.....shopping around the garage and shed I remembered I had bought a wooden medicine chest (with a mirror inset) for $10 at a thrift store.....I repainted it (inside and out - it was hunter green), crackled it a little and voila! And here I had been looking at them online! Same with that bathroom mirror frame. Look around....flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, Craigslist....... and yes in amongst your own stuff .........give something a new look rather than buying new whenever possible. Add some crown molding or wood to the walls or any myriad of things that can give your room(s) a whole new lease on life, especially paint. Paint can change everything!  It's rewarding in the end I assure you. And may I say Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is my constant life saver for furniture and accessories!

Last and certainly not least, and more importantly, is having ♥BohoHandyman for a husband!!

 So until next time.......I hope you're having a great week. The weather here is changing....it's cool and it's even raining off and on AND I got to wear these.....

P.S. ART will return....it's been on a bit a hiatus of late as you can imagine.

Embracing Eclecticism In Your Life

Let's talk about that............

 Have you ever looked around your home and realized just how many things, even the smallest of items, carries a memory of some sort?  Where you were or who you were with or even the reason you chose the items in the first place?  Or perhaps gifts you received?

There are some who would call it merely clutter, dust collectors or "stuff".... or even junk ..... but others see them as treasures (like me). It depends on the person. To each her own.

Some items are ones you have that really don't have a sentimental memory attached, they are merely items you have an affinity for. Certain things make us feel certain ways from giddy-silly-happy to completely serene. There is a thrill to the hunt for just those things that make you squeal with delight. That is the beauty of eclecticism, don't you think?  Nothing has to have a rhyme or reason, just what makes your heart sing.

Keep in mind eclecticism can also be in what you wear, how you wear your hair, what kind of music you listen to and so much more. I embrace eclectism proudly and I am almost always drawn to others who do as well!

These are but some of my treasured items in my home..........

I have an affinity for blue glass Ball jars

Handmade baskets filled with bits and bobs and natural things.
My parents movie camera, binoculars and still camera. That old still camera has the view finder that pops up and you look down in it to see the image!

Japanese dolls a gift from my oldest brother when he was in the Marines. I was about 10 when I got them.

Greek decanter, belonged to my parents for years.

Olive oil bottle and wee watercolor from our trip to France (Provence) in 1997. The vase is from Cyprus brought to me by my younger brother.

I love natural elements

Stained glass stars from France gifted to me (younger brother and his wife) that always hang in the kitchen window.

I love old chandeliers. This one hangs in my studio, I added colored crystals, and old crystal chains and other crystals found at antique stores to it. The chandi itself we found in an LA flea market years ago, we took it apart in our hotel room and put it in a suitcase to take home.

I won this during One World One Heart in 2008 from Jackie at Fat Jak Originals. I absolutely adore its sentiment and whimsy. She seems to have stopped blogging or stocking her shop...too bad.

There is something so happy-dance-worthy about receiving art in the mail unexpectedly from a most amazing friend!

This art print hangs in our kitchen - I love this image - it is my idea of a great afternoon. You can just imagine their conversation...I am thinking they are speaking in French with a little gossip sprinkled in as they sip.

I have an affinity for hands.  This commercial for Delta Faucets is a song sung by The Count from Sesame Street.....the words are perfection and it really is cute.

I love birds....I have them all over my house. I love to add them to my art as well. MANY birds are seen in art and homes - it's not a trend for me - I have always liked them. I have an affinity for old bird cages too....can't get enough and still seek that one that knocks the socks right off me and that I can afford! This pottery bird was bought from a woman named Ingrid in Mendocino.

There is just something yummy delicious about great old cotton tablecloths (40's and 50's)with cheery colors and patterns. I've been collecting them bit by bit for a few years. I love old aprons too.

What is it about galvanized metal? I just love it! And rusty things! oh yeah!

I adore beaded candle holders hanging - all aglow in various colors and styles. Can't hang them in certain areas or too low though as BohoHandyman is TALL. 

 
There needs to be a serenity or vignettes of serenity. Things you place in your home that evoke that feeling and really mean something to you in that way. Don't you think? While soothing music plays and soothes you from the inside out.

I always feel (and I am speaking solely for myself) there is a strong female presence.....a guiding hand.....an ear to listen....an embrace. I have that affinity with Mary. I am not a religious person but she stands on a shelf near the front door.......like a protector. This was my Mom's and I have no idea how many years she had it....so I think my Mom is infused in that protective element as well.

So there you have it.....just some of my electic mix of things that say or mean something to me or just because I like the look/feel.

 Eclectic:(from online dictionary)

1. selecting or choosing from various sources.

2. made up of what is selected from different sources.

3. not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.

4. noting or pertaining to works of architecture, decoration, landscaping, etc., produced by a certain person or during a certain period, that derive from a wide range of historic styles, the style in each instance often being chosen for its fancied appropriateness to local tradition, local geography, the purpose to be served, or the cultural background of the client.

Does that fit you too?  Do tell!!! or better yet, show some pics on your blog and come back with a link in comments. Let's share/wear our eclecticism proudly!

 

House and Home.....and stuff

Seriously how many times can I change things around here? It is constantly rotating and removing and redoing ad nauseum but damn it, it just hasn't all fallen in to place for me yet. Little by little though. One day I will be able to share a total picture of the room.

 The biggest thing I wanted to do was change or get rid of the sofa. A big beige bunch of uncomfortable ugliness.   3 back cushions partially attached that scrunched down and never really ever fluffed back up which gave no good back support....it had alot of things we were unhappy with over time including the fact it always looked dingy/dirty despite having it professionally cleaned (it actually looked worse after the cleaning) and that awful skirting. AND those seat cushions constantly had to be tucked back!   I don't know what we were thinking when we bought it. But we lived with it. Here it is - look at the back cushion on the right, it looks like we rub dirty heads on it or something. We do NOT.  I took this a while ago to send to a reupholsterer for a cost estimate to have it reupholstered and make the back solid...........it wasn't worth it the cost to redo it. (about the same as a new sofa)

It's embarrassing to look at!

So anyway....... about a month ago I was cruising the listings on Craigslist and came across a sofa......not really intending to look for anything in particular. (we truly need to get rid of some things rather than bring more in)  I thought to myself any sofa worth really looking at would probably need to be reupholstered and that would defeat the purpose.....and I am not always sold on used sofas. So I just sort of browsed and that was going to be it.  THEN I came across one that intrigued me and so did the price.....after emailing back and forth we arranged to drive an hour away to see it in person. It had nothing wrong with it but it wasn't vintage as their ad said (but I think I already knew that) - we looked underneath the cushions and saw a 2001 date on the manufacturer tag - uh hello!. Whatever. All that needed to be done was replace the cushion inserts to make them firmer - I like really firm sofa cushions. No smells, no rips no worn spots, nothing....didn't really looked like it had been used much at all. So we bought it and hauled it home......it cost a whopping $95! (who doesn't love a bargain?)

It's RED chenille with a tone on tone swirl pattern...I love swirls. The red is just right. Since I have wanted to make the room full of color it was what the room needed. We love the nice high rolled arms, solid back with a nice curve and firm seat cushions (now).  The lighting makes it appear a bit deeper and the shadows make it look like there are dark and light areas but it's actually all an even tone.  Not a single problem with the upholstery whatsover. This photo makes it look like it's sitting super low but it's not. It has legs. What a change, eh?

.....still looking for some table lamps I can redo that have a more eclectic look and feel....including the shades. The curtains are fine for now (haha). We also need a coffee table - something we can repurpose. And throw pillows, I plan to make them. See......projects, projects! We are all about repurposing whenever possible.....it's only limited by your imagination to take items or parts of things and make them in to something useful and wonderful.

We recently took a book shelf unit out of my studio (yes I am still sorting and relocating the things that were in it) and put it in the living room.

We will eventually add on to the top and trim it all out to make it look more like a built in. I would love to clad it on some cool old reclaimed wood.  I put the old bench in front of it (there is room to sit looking at the bookcase) just for some interest.

I then repainted a glass-doored book case I've had a long time. Over the years it went from stained oak to a creamy white to a sort of distressed brick color and now it looks like this. The color is a divine vintagy green by Benjamin Moore called Land of Liberty. I bought a sample pint and it barely used much so now I think I will repaint the barstool legs in my kitchen this color. Since both rooms are visible to one another I have a lot of the same colors carried in both rooms. We put our hutch I painted red in the kitchen now.

I

We love colored glass and over time I hope to fill this with various treasures we may find in all kinds of colors and types. I will eventually take the books out of it and showcase things better. I just wanted you to see the color. 

 There are so many things on the list at all times......it makes me a bit anxious because I always want everything done YESTERDAY!!!   I have to learn patience. But just these few changes have made a pleasurable difference.

Are you one who likes to redo, repurpose, repaint items for your home?

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On another note:

I recently put some things on Ebay - things some of you may want to create with. I have to weed out my studio a bit and decided there were things others may want and could use I just had stored but were brand new.

Here

Here

and

Here

All are Buy It Now and come with free UPS shipping. Check them out, maybe YOU can use some of these!

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So there you go......

 

Until next time.....

 

Fostering and Furniture Re-Do

Well hello there....lots going on around here that at present doesn't include any new art.

Let's see......I'll start with the furniture because I am leaving the extreme cute factor for last....don't cheat now. :)

I have a hutch that was my parents...I think it may be maple. In the days when "antiquing" kits were popular my dad redid it. Well in those days "antiquing" was this horrible baby poop brown stuff that I never liked  it. When they moved we got the hutch and it stayed that color for years...go figure! Finally we took the hutch shelf top off and I painted the bottom black....yes black and a white top a few years ago, it was one of those "what was I thinking?" things because it constantly showed finger prints and dust and just wasn't done right. You can see it below....looking at this old photo it even looks like something spilled down the front it.....though I don't know what that could have been or I would have cleaned it (really). The shelved top we took off is going to be hung on the wall in my studio.  Anyway.....

After that we inserted beadboard in the panels of the door and I painted it with robins egg blue chalk paint......distressing it a bit. See below.

Now I liked it for sure but it was just too big in the kitchen so we moved it to the living room. Recently it's been bugging me that the living room was void of pops of color so once again ye old hutch got a redo. Funny to see picture because those shelves on the wall are now black, the table has been painted and those chairs are gone replaced by benches,.

 This red is Valspar Heirloom Red and it just sings in the room. I love the combo of red and turquoise.

Which brings me to the next thing I painted. Again, from my parents house were 2 armless chairs that at the time were green silk tufted. They had been in one of my brothers garage and their dog chewed a corner of them but I took them anyway. At the time I had them reupholstered in a heavy chenille....in colors that I grew to loathe. So I had one redone in a lighter fabric using some I already had. BUT the cats scratched the back and pulled some threads.....these poor chairs. Sadly I can't find pics of the chairs before. So the other day I decided to add more pop in the living room (and not being able to go to the reupholsterer right away) that I would PAINT it! Yes paint the fabric. So I gessoed it and then painted a couple coats of Valspar Seafarer and then painted the exposed wood a sort of taupe-y brown. I I am really happy with it as it sings like the red hutch.

It looks like leather doesn't it? I am going to make or PAINT a colorful throw pillow for it. It resembles a bedroom chair a bit (they aren't, they were in my parents living room)....they are meant as side chairs for extra seating. It can now be wiped off and it's still comfortable to sit on.  Paint is an amazing thing, isn't it? The sad thing was I wanted to do the other chair which was still the old chenille but it literally SUCKED up the paint and was stiff and ugly. Soooo.....the plan is to have that one eventually reupholstered in a print that combines all the various colors around the room. I will share it all when it's done.  Have you ever painted a piece of upholstered fabric? Do tell!!

Ok now for the other new developments around here:

Last week in the early evening we found 3 wee kittens running the street, 2 going under BohoHandyman's truck out front. Our next door neighbor found the 3rd across the street. We put them on the side of our house hoping the mother would come for them.....she never did. They remained huddled and alone. Then I heard mewing out front the next day and there was a kitten across the street in the gutter...I called to it and it ran to me only to run back across as it got to me and went in to some bushes. I couldn't find it. By now we'd put the other 3 in a cat carrier and that evening BohoHandyman found the 4th one. We put them all together. I called everywhere but NO ONE was taking kittens as it's kitten season and there is an abundance. We did NOT want them put down!!!  So we took the troop to the local pet supply store to get supplies and ask questions. There happened to be a vet doing a clinic so she checked them out, 2 girls, 2 boys. They needed immediate flea treatments she said because there were so many the fleas could kill them. So we got that, did it and the fleas died in droves and they already look cleaner. We got formula, a bottle etc. The first night we had them I only had a dropper and mixed soy milk with distilled water. They loved it.  So we then went to Petsmart and there we talked to very knowledgable gal and I received a call from a woman I'd emailed with more info. These babies are about 5 weeks old.......they eat wet food with a bit of goats milk mixed in. They still drink a bit from the bottle (goats milk and a wee bit of formula). They now have a litter pan in the big dog crate they are in now. We got a litter made from walnuts to be safe. We feed every 4 hrs. We are in love. We cannot keep them because of our other animals BUT we are fostering them until we can get them adopted. We have done a sort of bath with kitty wipes and they need it again...messy buggers. But they love to eat and be held and be stroked and pet. For now we are using gloves as not to pass anything to the cats or the dog.  The large dog crate gives them room to move, a place to climb and an area to eat. We plan to get them a hammock too.

Each day we change what's under them but they are messy right now (as you can see.... we changed it after this photo), tonight we got disposable pads. Can you even handle those faces? Melts the heart doesn't it?

 They just love each other and are really used to us already. We put an old cat scratching post on its side in there and they climb all over it. They use the pan at the back but again, messy messy litter everywhere! They rarely mew mew except when hungry, otherwise when we go out to check them they are either huddled sleeping or playing. You have to know I am in mommy mode and worry about everything...I just want them to flourish so they can go to good homes. It will be so sad when that happens but at least we'll know we gave them a chance!

Here is more cutest to feast your eyes on. (they have blue eyes)

From left to right they are (you KNOW I had to name them) Max, Dharma, Jack and Atti. (Atti is short for attitude as she had one at first - she was the 4th one we caught) Dharma is the "runt" of the litter and still hasn't got the hang of eating from the dish so she sucks down the bottle.

 Dharma, the second from left is, as I said, the "runt" (for lack of a better word) and she is a love. She would be happy if I held her all day and believe me I wish I could. We have to be mindful that since they were born feral we don't know if they have anything so for awhile we keep the gloves on and I wear an apron. In a few weeks they can get their first shots and at 2 1/2 pounds spayed or neutered. I hope we can get them good homes where the new parents will act responsibly. We can get a voucher for the spay/neuter from the local Humane Society. We have good resources for help if we have questions so that's been a blessing!

So there you have it.....things have been busy around here and I haven't even told you about our new garden plans. Next time. For now it's time to check on the troops. Our cats have no idea they are even out there but Sadey, our dog, is curious.... funny enough BohoHandy man just came in and said he was out there and Sadey came in....and stood up to see the cage - it's up from the floor. Wee Dharma saw her and started to hiss while the others backed away. HA! She may be wee but I guess she's mighty.

I tell you my blogger friends.......they are irresistable! If you live in the SF Bay Area and have a hankering for a new kitty or kitties please feel free to email me. ONLY if you are serious about wanting one though.

You can be sure I'll be showing more photos.....

Until next time...

P.S. We have not seen hide nor hair of the mother cat.....not even a meow. I just have to wonder if something happened to her OR she just abandoned them. Sad. Unfortunately our neighborhood is riddled with litters and most of the time the mother moves them around once we see all them. We have had  few litters born in the back corner of our yard and then the mother moves thems.... Other neighbors have had litters born in a corner of their yard too. It's no doubt more than one mother but we think the father is a randy bugger that's been around awhile who really needs to be caught and clipped! (although we haven't seen him lately) SPAY or NEUTER your pets people........please!!!

OH how I love a good deal!!!

I had to share my deal of the century and why I love Craigslist!  For those who read my blog you know I have been redoing, repainting, repurposing this and that to get my living room just the way I want it and a couple things in the kitchen as well. It's slow going.......mostly because I have changed my mind so many times. But that's another story........... (hint: we changed the wall color).

Anyway........I like going to my favorite consignment store and have found many things there that are now in my home for amazingly low prices. Along with that I scan Ebay and Craigslist quite often....sometimes with nothing in mind but checking out random items...... but most of the time I have a purpose.  This time I wanted to find a nice comfy chair or love seat to complete the seating area but could not afford brand new. So last Friday night...late...I was trolling through Craigslist when I happened on a listing for an antique love seat. I emailed the seller for dimensions. He finally wrote back and we did some measuring to find it was the perfect size. I emailed again and called to arrange to see it which we finally did on Sunday afternoon. Turns out it wasn't antique, which was fine, it was from Calico Corners (inside tags). Calico Corners sells furniture, custom upholstery and design services, high end fabric and custom drapes etc.  It has damage from what appears to be from a cat and the top has a large faded area that appears to be sun damage (not sure). BUT the frame is SOLID as a rock. I took it to our upholstery go-to guy and he said it's a very well made piece and then he gave me the estimate to reupholster it for labor only (which wasn't horrible). We are going to wait a month or 2 before we have it done....besides I need to find the right fabric for a great price!

SOOOO.....I went to the Calico Corner website and there I found the settee (they don't call it a love seat) and I almost choked when I saw the price BEFORE fabric was added. Which brings me to why it's the deal of the centry.

Pardon the image quality as I had to print it and scan it because it wouldn't let me save it directly. This is an image they show so you can see the piece in a home setting.....well it turns out they are showing it in the EXACT fabric of the one we bought. The price from the site:

Frame price: $1,479 - Plus cost of fabric.

 

Now here is the one we bought. The man selling it said his wife had bought it (he didn't know from where) with the intent to reupholster it. Sadly she passed away a couple of years ago and he had no intention of doing anything with it so he decided to just sell it.

The cushion is amazing and even has down in it. The back padding is a perfect feel too. I truly do love the fabric - the ruby wine color is amazing in person.  The back is high so your head can lean back comfortably. Sadly the entire back side is fine except the side edge where it was scratched on. The seat cushion is in great shape but for a couple wee pulls that can be snipped. You can see the area at the top where it has faded. (maybe even from water??)

You can see some of the scratching on the left side bottom arm.

Overall it's truly a great find. We vacumned it really well and Febreezed it so we could bring it in until we redo it (the photo is of it in my home). I didn't want to store it in the garage, and besides we can throw a cover on it and use it until it's redone as it's quite comfy AND 2 people can sit on it.

Now that you have all the details are you wondering what we paid for it???

Here you go:

$25 !!!!! yes, you read that right......$25.00!

I am thrilled!!! I am going to call Calico Corners to see if they still carry the fabric but I know if they do it's going to be beyond our budget. Never hurts to ask though.

Have you found a fabulous deal??

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I am still deciding on the dates for OWOA........could be February this time. Everyone needs time to get the holidays completely done with and time to create for the event. I will announce it in plenty of time. I still don't have a logo nailed down.....if YOU have a good idea for one I am open to suggestions....just email me.

In the meantime I guess it's time to think about Christmas........

Stay well, stay warm, stay creative!!!