Karla's Cottage

More painted furniture

The grand fairies love to do art projects in front of the tv. (Actually, I won't let them watch tv without a project in their hands, Legos, play dough, coloring, anything other than simply staring at the screen). 

So, we've used various folding tables over the years, while I've kept my eye peeled for the perfect solution in a table the right size that looked good and didn't have to be put away every time, because if left out was an eyesore.

This is a marble topped, walnut one, with wheels!  I can roll it from in front of the couch  to in front of the tv when they need it to work on. I'd painted it white with dark antiquing glaze and didn't like it that way, so put another coat of white over that glaze to tone it down.

This cabinet has been in the room since last summer when we remodeled.  It has a broken drawer, and a crooked handle, so I got it cheap. I bought it mostly because I like having side tables with storage space in them, and it has a great, marble top.  I even didn't mind the natural wood tones in my house, it was a nice change.  But I got tired of that, and decided to paint it after all while I was on a roll.

I repositioned the handle, painted the wood gray, and white washed over that. Then, added a rusty, old bit of hardware.  

I might change the handle out to a glass knob.  But for now it is fine.

But that wasn't the end. I was in a painting mood.

I'd found this drop leaf recently, and fell in love with its lovely, turned legs. I'd searched for a year for just the right table. I wanted one that folded to a narrow size, so I could store it in the new hearth room, and pull it into the dining room to add some space when we had a big group for meals.

It was $145 and is very solid.  Some gate leg or drop leaf tables that I looked at weren't as sturdy, but this one seems good.  If you are seated at the corner, you could use bad manners and keep your elbows on the table without worrying about the top drooping.

With the dark floor, the table was a little too dark for the room.  So, I painted it the same gray as the other piece, accented it with gold, and wiped a dark wax over it.

I wouldn't use wax on a dining table that got used daily, but I'm fine with it on something that only gets set up for special occasions. I'm afraid that heavy duty use and wiping down would be too much for wax. I have clear poly on my kitchen table. 

The gold makes the pretty legs show up more too.  

Oh, but that isn't all!  I figured that while I had my  mess and paraphernalia in the house, I should do this piece the same day too.

I've had this chair, ($30 from the Habitat for Humanity REstore) for a while and keep thinking I'm going to recover it. The colors match my house, but the fabric isn't quite me.  But it is silk, neutral, and in good shape. 

I decided whitewash the wood with cream wax, but then hated the look on the leg where I'd sampled it.  The carvings on the chair just weren't pretty enough to accentuate.  So, I painted it all white with chalk paint.

Still didn't like it.

I dry brushed cream over that. Better.  But not quite.

Dry brushed some white over that to blend.  Not bad.

Then, decided it needed distressing.  But my sand paper was worn out, it was midnight and I was DONE.  It got a tiny bit of distressing, a coat of clear wax, and kept its original fabric. NO reupholstering for now.  Also, my camera battery died, so no picture of the finished chair.  I'll post one later.

It was a busy day, I'd also painted the hive for my husband's new bee keeping hobby, and made this necklace too.

(This is the top of my kitchen/dining room table.)  One thing I like about the room is that there are lots of different finishes and colors that all go together.  I like to vary the tones and treatments on pieces around the room, so that they do not look like they were all painted in the same day (as many were), instead like they were gathered over time.

 

 

Sugarplum Fairy Banners

It is hard to make up my mind, sometimes "JOY" is my favorite word for the season, other times it is "Merry".  I can't go wrong either way, both are full of holiday cheer. Of course, with Thanksgiving coming up, "Thankful" is another one that is on my mind.

Well, I'm feeling them all.

I am Thankful that I've had some Merry time in the studio creating these Joyful banners!

There is nothing I enjoy creating more than Christmassy, glittery, foofy, merry, and joyful decorations!

Especially with all of my favorite supplies.  Like the soft pink, hand dyed wool roving on this little lady's Santa hat.  And velvet.  Oh, and MICA flakes!  Flocked Wallpaper!! And lace, yes, lots of lace and netting!

Throw in a few Sugarplum Fairies and I'm a happy little elf.

I know, I know, it isn't quite Thanksgiving yet...

But Christmas is coming.  And I adore making things for it.

I've been lucky to have a couple of uninterrupted days to play with my favorite supplies and whip all of these up, along with the Sugarplum Fairy Kits I posted about last time.

If you are ready for some festive pretties too, you can find some trees in my Etsy shop. The Sugarplum Fairy Kits and banners are in the Boutique.

If things go as I hope they do... more will be coming too. My heart is all a twitter just thinking about stuffing tiny little stockings with vintage cuteness, and oh, the tart tins! I haven't unpacked the tart tins yet. Those are such fun to fill up with pretties...

 

Witchy Girl Banners- BOO

Today is the day of the Romantic Gothic Ghost class, and I was having sooooo much fun with witchy girls that I almost didn't get ready on time!

My house has had a population explosion of tiny witches all over the place.

I've even given the girls a brother, this is Newt.

 

And a dad- here is Lucious.

Some of the little wizards have found their way to banners. 

This has to be my very favorite.  I delved into some hoarded, ooooooold metallic thread lace....

Beaded trim from a flapper dress.....

And my collection of vintage, silk blooms to create this threesome of sorceresses.

There are a couple of banners for sale in the boutique, and some of the witchy girl kits left too.  Some are sold out, I think little Fern and her kitty were pretty popular.  The girl I think makes up the prettiest is this one, Rowena.

This banner is sold (thank you, Mary!)-

But Boo and the other trio are available.

 

I'll leave you with some details, then I need to go work on some last minute details before my guests arrive. I'm so excited to be having a party today!

 

edit- all banners are sold out!  There are still some kits for the girls to do yourself, and there are book kits available here and here.  Both kits feature these cute witchy girls.

Fall Home Tour- uhm...I have four pumpkins to see...Oh, and some mums! look at the mums!!

Dear Brenda invited me to be one of her guests on the Fall Home Tour that she curated.

I'm afraid I don't have a lot to see as far as fall goes- I think I might have let her down. It is just a bit early for autumn decor for me, I tend to hang onto summer till the last blast of heat has faded, then go straight into Halloween junk strewn about my house.

 

But it was good to have a reason to do a seasonal transition.  I was happy with the results, minimal as they are.  Usually, I buy a few white and gray pumpkins in October at the Pumpkin Patch, and since the little grand fairies love going there so much, and the events are free, I like to save up all my punkin buying for that venue. It isn't open yet,  I don't want to purchase the gourds from the grocery store, and our home grown ones aren't ready to pick, but luckily, I had a few artificial ones to pull out and get the mood set for fall.  

Brenda is doing this tour in order of the homes, so previous to my house is  House Honeys, So Much Better with Age,  then Chasing Quaintness and the next home ready for a tour is Northern Nesting.  After that is White Tulip Designs and My Thrift Store Addiction.

There is also a hand made pumpkin from my friend, Tami.  (on the left)  

While I love bringing natural elements into my home, and am looking forward to picking pumpkins straight from the patch, the artificial gourds can be a lot more versatile, I doubt if I could balance a real life, heavy pumpkin on a stack of teacups. And if you put a fresh one under glass, that can cause it to get moldy faster.  

Even though Halloween is still a bit away, I had to pull out my white witch picture.  I found it at a garage sale for a quarter, and it is one of my all time favorite pictures. She isn't necessarily a witch, but I think she makes a good one. She is a traditional part of my fall decor.

Sometimes the things I spend a quarter on can turn out to be quite nice. Not just the white witch picture, but this floral/pumpkin ring that the larger pumpkin rests on. I got it at a garage sale, and spray painted it white, then dusted it with glitter.  I purposely did a haphazard spray job on it, so that the colors underneath still show in a muted way.

The new clock is from Michaels.  I rarely buy things that aren't old or second hand, but this clock spoke to me when I passed it in the aisle and I knew I had just the right spot for it. (plus, while it might not BE second hand, it does HAVE a second hand..... oh, I crack myself up sometimes)

Few things say fall to me more than mums do. I can't resist buying a few more plants every year to set out in the beds once they have finished blooming.

Under the pots of mums, I've used my favorite scarf from a Victoria Trading Co. giveaway as a runner.  I'm not big on traditional fall tones, but the soft faded colors in this scarf are an exception to my ban on orange.

 
This time of September, the summer flowers are starting to perk back up again after the heat of August fades, and the herbs are bolting with blooms. I love picking fresh herbs to bring in to fill the kitchen with their scent.

Speaking of scents, it is time to switch from lighter candle fragrances to cidery/appley/cinnamony yumminess.   One of the very first things I do every morning is light a candle that sits on my wood stove.  Unless it is winter and we are burning wood, of course, that is a whole other olfactory sensation of its own.

 I keep a tablecloth on on the stove when it is not in use, and once again, these are not my typical colors, but I do indulge a little bit in fall tones, if there is a good deal of white still involved.

After saying a couple of times that I don't do orange or the traditional shades of fall, here yet again, I make myself out to be a liar.   In the grand fairies' play area, they get a bright colored vintage table cloth with turning leaves on it.

I probably shouldn't do orange because this really doesn't fit in with that corner of the room. But, if I think about it, neither does the stack of coloring books or the box of art supplies.  When there are kids around, you just kind of have to live with the things they love and use, don't you? And a bright colored table cloth to mark the turning of the leaves makes the little ones happy.  

Recently, when I painted and stained the cabinets, and used Venetian plaster on the walls, I hung this drawing by my great grandma, Nelly, in the kitchen. 

And it crashed to the floor in a pile of glass and crunched framing, due to a careless job of hanging it.  

The drawing wasn't harmed one bit!  I'd never really cared for the way it had been framed, and while it was a pinch in the ole wallet, I was glad to have an excuse to reframe it in a way that I preferred.   I chose a more antiquey looking frame, and one much smaller than the previous one.

I'm very happy with the results. And I think Great Grandma Nelly would be too.  She did a total of 6 pictures in her time at Southern Indiana art school at the turn of the century (not this one, the one BEFORE). Then, she retired to farm life to raise kids. I feel so blessed to own one of her works.  And soooo glad it wasn't torn up in the crash landing.

For summer, I'd covered my chairs in white ruffled slipcovers.  To warm up the room for fall (not to mention that they needed a good bleaching due to messy fingered fairies), I slipped them off.  

I'll probably leave them off til Christmas. And maybe tie them on with golden bows? By the way, They washed up perfectly.  

Last week, I also replaced the two chandeliers.  One that had hung here had a wiring issue, and one in the studio got hit with a heavy picnic basket that spun around so hard the fuse blew. But that is a whole different story, isn't it?

Anyway, a light in the kitchen and one in my studio both needed replaced. I decided to buy two matching ones for the kitchen and move the one that still worked into the studio.

After painting the kitchen white, I almost thought that white chandeliers were too much, that I needed some contrast.  So, I bought a pair of dark, rust colored lights.  

They seemed too dark.

Seems like I had a slight case of Goldilocks syndrome going on, and needed to find the solution to make them Just Right.

I'd gone to all of that effort to have an all white room, and that was just too much darkness to add.  So, I did some painting and brightened up the new, dark chandies, while still leaving some contrast.

This might show what I mean better.  

I also added 3, large peachy-amber crystals (for fall) and a few vintage ones here and there to customize it a bit.

On the tube thingies that fit over the socket areas, I glued some vintage flocked and glittered wallpaper from France.  Oooh La La !!

In the spring, I think I'll pull it off and change it to something rosy.

Another thing I'd been wanting to do since repainting the cabinets, was to change the skirt under the sink. I'm not much of a sewer, but I can do a hem to fit over a curtain rod without too much cussing.

I used the vintage fabric I had left over from another project, but it was there wasn't quite enough, so I added some vintage eyelet trim to lengthen it.

Sorry I didn't wipe down the front of the dishwasher or put away my watermelon before taking pictures.

If you are wondering why all of my fall decorating pictures have been of my kitchen only, it is because that is mostly where we live.

This room is where we gather, and spend the majority of our time.

The living room did get a little bit of a nod to fall.  I sat out a crazy quilt that my mom made, in case anyone needed a snuggle when the temps drop enough to open the windows and we get a cool breeze at night.  Mostly, Dorothy Rosebud thinks it is for her to cuddle up on.

Normally, this time of year, I take down my spring floral curtains and replace them with the white velvet ones. Not this year.

I might have discovered a wonderful trick- I didn't have time to switch them out last spring, and no one even cared or noticed but me.  And look how much time it saves me this season!! Although, living in an old house with a wood stove, I do feel like curtains could use a good washing every six months.

I'm past due for changing the slipcovers on the sofa.  Some how I've ended up with a few pillows that don't match. 

But hey, look- I set out a festive, fall mum on the table.  That is the sum of my decor for the season for this room.  

 Autumn is also when I have an excuse to pull out the carnival glass plates and serve something baked fresh with apples.  The scent of cinnamon and apples for me is right up there with the smell of pumpkin and nutmeg to bring the feel of fall into my home. 

Brenda, thanks for inviting me to be a part of your tour. I don't know that I had enough fall decor to qualify for it after all, but if you want to see a major transformation, try me at Christmas! That is when I go all out. 

To everyone else, have fun looking at the other homes. I know I'm looking forward to seeing the creativity Brenda has rounded up for us to enjoy.  If you are new to my blog, nice to meet you.  And thank you all for coming by.

Here are the addresses of all the blogs on the tour:

September 15th…

Thoughts From Alice

Exquisitely Unremarkable

D.D.’s Cottage

Chatfield Court

Itsy Bits & Pieces

Cozy Little House

 

September 16th…

Town & Country Living

The Sweetest Digs
House Of Hipsters

Kate’s Place

Little Farmstead

Sunny Simple Life

Dwellings

 

September 17th…

Faded Charm

Shabby Fu Fu

At Home With Jemma

Love Of Home

Common Ground

House Of Hawthornes

Priscillas

 

September 18th…

House Honeys

So Much Better With Age

Chasing Quaintness

Karla’s Cottage

Northern Nesting

White Tulip Designs

My Thrift Store Addiction

 

ps- The kits for "Book of Mysteries" are now available!!   The little witchy girls will be coming soon.

(here is the book with a different witch on the cover, and without the Hocus Pocus eye.)

And another ps- Since my house is all cleaned up and I've already linked to a gathering, I thought I'd link to Feathered Nest Friday too. I rarely am prepared for linky parties, might as well take advantage while I am, huh?

 

Hat Whispering in Texas and scooping up jewels

At our Texas/British bash, I was lucky enough to win this pretty piece from Cassandra!  It was a door prize, and I won by having the closest birthday. Isn't it pretty?

All hand soldered.  I love the flecks of silver in some of the pieces.

 

But that isn't my only special gift!  There were treats galore, and our roomies had sweet things for each other too. Then, my sister and I saw two hand made from vintage pieces, matching necklaces. Like the artist had taken apart one necklace, added some bits, and redesigned it into two.

Well, we both liked them, but decided we didn't need them.  

So, we continued shopping and poking around.  But an hour or so later, I told Sissy that we'd remember those and regret not buying them, and I was going to get them as a gift for us both.

Til my credit card wouldn't work.  No cards were accepted.  And I didn't have a debit card for the ATM or a checkbook with me.  

And I'd been shopping a while, and was low on cash for the rest of the trip.  Here is a sampling of some of the hats I snagged in Texas.  Yep, about THIRTY floral concoctions! I hat whispered my way across Kansas and Texas, snapping up millinery every where I went. 

Which, wasn't cheap, even with the bargains that I was finding. My cash wouldn't support the necklaces. I felt bad because I'd wanted to give her a nice gift, she has always been extra generous with me.

Then, Sissy bought them both for us!

I did want to buy them, and hated that she had to do it, but wasn't it nice of her? I'll treasure my sister necklace and think of her wearing hers when I wear mine.

Kinda like those BFF heart necklaces cut in half.

But I did find something to get her the next day in Waxahachie!  She saw this moon full of pink crystals, and said it was like one she had pinned on Pinterest and had been searching for.  So, I felt a little better, about the necklace snafu. She was meant to have this moon pendant.

Canton was magnificent.  I was enthralled by the variety, prices, and scope of the shopping.  I could've used three days to see it all.  I hit the dollar tables hard, and found a trove of treasures there, little bits of jewels, boxes to adorn, cute knick knacks.  Plus, I was finding millinery in abundance everywhere I went on this trip.

One of my first purchases was this teeny, puppy creamer, for $1. I bought it for the grand fairies, so we could use it for our next tea party. Then, one of my last purchases was the matching sugar bowl, also a dollar, at the other end of the flea market.  

Meant to be found for me to reunite it with its mate!

All of the shopping was top notch, great company, great junk, and just as much fun as you could possibly jam into an outing. 

I miss Texas

And Whitworth Ranch Retreat.

A Daphne's Diary Surprise

A while back, Fifi and  Mark  styled and photographed my home. The pictures were in Romantic Country and Country Sampler Home Tours.   When you sign a release, you have no ownership of the pictures and it is a good thing for the photography team to be able to market them and use them as much as possible. It's also flattering when the pictures are popular and resold.

But.... it is nice to know when they are going to be published. I know, I know, I know, that once the team leaves my home, I am out of the loop. That is just how it is.  They are on to the next venue and not looking back.  That is the industry.

I've done dozens of articles, sometimes as writer or stylist, this time just as the home owner.In the past, I've seen a picture of my bedroom from one article show up years later in another article featuring 5 or 6 different bedrooms. Same thing with my bathroom, or other pictures here and there.

It was always a sweet,little surprise.  

But I've never had a whole entire article published in a magazine without knowing about it before.  This was a huge surprise.

A friend mentioned to me on FB that she had enjoyed seeing the article. I was flummoxed. What article?

Now, I'm not saying that I'm pissed or that anybody did anything wrong, because no one did. This is just how the publishing industry works.

BUT... it would have been nice to get a heads up.

When you open your home to a photo shoot, it can be a TON of work to get ready. And when I spend time on getting my home ready, I neglect the rest of my work. So, it not only doesn't pay, it takes away from time I could be working and earning some moola.

I think of it as a lark, though, and do enjoy the experience.  And I adore my home, it is special to me. So, it is a delight to see it in print.

That is why, it would be nice to know if  and when it is printed.  Seeing the house in print is the only perk you get from all the prep and hard work, and from the chaos and mess of the day.  After photos are taken, the house looks like it has been through hell and back, from all of the moving, shifting, and redoing that happens all day long. 

From looking at the article, I'd say that the writer took a glance at one of the other articles the pictures had been used in.  And what they didn't get from that, they just made up.  Like saying the ceiling was plaster, not pressed tin.  Or saying that I recovered a sofa with worn upholstery. Nope, the sofa was in great shape, I just covered pillows in vintage fabric to change it. 

Not that these details really matter at all to anyone, nothing earth shattering or rude or unpleasant. 

Just incorrect. 

Because no one asked me. They just wrote what they wanted to.

 

Although, if I really had a piece of Chinese pottery, I'd be hiding it in the back of the closet, because I really dislike that stuff.

And while my son did build my cabinets, they are far from plain, I added ornate embellishments to all of the cabinet doors. 

It was very kind of Daphne to compliment me on my painting, but the piece of furniture that she added to the page was not anything I own, painted, or have ever seen before.

And I didn't exactly horde a special roll of wallpaper for years, I am an avid (obsessed) vintage wallpaper collector and can open a cabinet in the studio to pick up a roll anytime I need one.   

So, attributing the statement that I held onto it, knowing it would come in handy someday, is pure fabrication.

As is saying "that Karla had so much fun doing it."

Not that it wasn't fun to redo the old farm house. Well, some of it was fun, I guess.  But I didn't tell her that it was so much fun. She made that up.

Maybe some of the meaning was lost in translation.  It is a magazine from the Netherlands.  And it is a very, very pretty issue. It is an honor to be a part of it.

So to recap, here is what I'm trying to say:

• I'm honored, it is a lovely article
• I wish I'd known about it 
• I wish someone had interviewed me
• No one did anything wrong, or violated copyrights, I'm not angry, and hopefully I don't sound bitchy about it
• Thanks to Diane for letting me know I was in this, or I might never have seen it
• I hate Chinese pottery and do not use it along with jugs when entertaining
• I didn't paint that green piece of furniture

 ps- If you're interested in seeing a few of the other publications I've been in, I have some listed here. I recently updated it, this page had been neglected for quite a while.  

Family art

While redoing the guest room (like I said, it never ends, a redo steam rolls!), I gathered up some old family photos and drawings that had hung in there and moved them to make a display in my stairway.

This is a drawing I did of my grandma about 30 years ago, from a photo of her as a young girl. The frame had broken, so while it was out, I gave it a little revamp with some color pencils and I've done a bit of digital editing to it, by cropping and adding a background of text from a handwritten note by her mother.  I'm going to reframe it to go with the rest of the pictures on the wall.

This is how it looked before I added to it.

Of course, the original doesn't have the text, that is just in the digital copy. But I did add color by hand to the original, not digitally.

This sketch is of my dad's mom, that I did at 16.  

This is a watercolor of her husband, my grandfather Harry, done a couple years later.

And a quick sketch of Ryan as a little boy.  (with his Kevin Bacon hairstyle, he LOVED Footloose as a kid)

This one is a watercolor that I did of a photo of my husband's grandmother, Gladys. The photo sits on a quilt that she had made. 

The collage of my sisters and I is a more recent work, but not all that recent.  7 years ago, maybe? Before I discovered photo editing, that photo I used of us is kind of dark.  We are standing by a road sign for Downey street, our maiden name.

As I was hanging the pictures in the stairway, I knew that not a single art piece was a good example of work, and that none of the frames went together well. It is a hodge podge grouping, of some cool,  some cheap frames, some really nice antique frames, old photos, and some so-so drawings, that don't really have a cohesive look together.

But all are meaningful to  me.  And a home can't  have all perfectly groomed decor, or it becomes a showhouse, not a home.   My house will always have a place for so-so artwork, family mementos, and sentimental items.  Even if they aren't the prettiest items around. Maybe someday, I'll reframe them all in a better way, but for now, I just enjoy walking by them and seeing them as is.

 

PS- I've got 50% off the Boutique right now. But you MUST use this link:

 

 http://www.karlascottage.com/?code=Fling

 

to get to the sale site.  If you go through the regular link, the 50% off won't register. If you can't click on it to get to the page, you might want to try cutting and pasting it to your browser. Thanks for helping me spring clean!

 

 

 

Georgia part 3

When  Lori Oles, Andrea Singerella,,Hope Wallace Kearny, and I flew down to see Suzanne and Jennifer Hayslip my buddy, Sherry kindly invited us to her antique haven of a home for a visit and then hauled us around to some of her favorite shops.

One of our stops was for authentic, down home style southern cooking at the Blue Willow.

Hope snagged info from there, as from all of the spots we hit, for her travel journal, that she had completely done and ready to pop photos into when she got home.

Sherry's house had more to see in it, than at any antique shop we could ever find.

OH

MY

GOODNESS

I don't know that I could possibly describe the treasures lurking behind, beyond, under and over each other in her Victorian dream house.

This is one small snippet, of a giant house filled with fripperies and fineries.

I was touched to see so many familiar pieces in the midst of her major collections.  This is a painting I did of one of her grands.

And here is her project from Lori's Birdsong class this spring.

And from Lisa's class 3 years ago.

And a mushroom that I made for Jenn's fairy tale event in Asheville a couple of autumns ago.

There was a lampshade from Debbie's Birdsong class too.

I saw some clever ideas.

Gorgeous, vintage books.

And piles and piles of pretties.

I seriously can't imagine so many cool things in one home.  I should've tried to get an all over photo of at least one of the rooms, you wouldn't believe it.

Sherry is a master shopper, for sure and has created a home filled to the brim with what she loves.It was quite an experience to see her collections.

And quite an experience to get to spend time with such good friends too.

I miss them already!

A birthday balloon suprise at the door.

Fin and Clover had birthdays recently, so I decided to surprise them after school one day with a face full of balloons. My son and I blew up a few, and taped a bagful of them to the door frame. The plastic bag only covers the outside of the balloons, they are sandwiched between it and the door.

This was the only door in my house that opened the right direction to make the trick work, so I asked them to go in the studio to get something for me when we parked in the garage.  The door has to open toward the surprisee for the balloons to properly cascade down onto them.

It was a fun surprise, and I think Sugarwings enjoyed planning it and keeping the secret as much as I did.

Afterwards, we took the whole family to TRex, the dino restaurant to celebrate the two birthdays. We have been going there for special occasions since Sugarwings was tiny, and this is the FIRST time we saw that there was a huge play area with dinosaur video games, and crystal caves in the back! I'd seen the sand pit with fossils, but thought that was all there was to it. There is a ton of fun waiting in the back for only $2.50 per kid!

My big kid loved it too.  He is our Mr. Zen the Crystal Guy, so he was wallowing in all the  chakra glory.

The kids loved exploring the caves so much, we barely visited the Roars. Which is what Dewdrop calls anything a little scary like the animatronic dinosaurs there.

The other day, when I was singing to her in what I thought was a very fun way, she held up a hand to stop me, and said,

"Uhm, Grammie?"

I said, "yes dear?"

She answered, "Roar" and pointed to me.

Apparently, my singing voice is lumped in the same category as scary, giant, prehistoric beasts.

 

 

 

2012 Studio Tour (Where Bloggers Create) A cottagey art studio

Karen is hosting the Where Bloggers Create studio tour again, and of course, I had to participate! I adore my studio and can't believe how lucky I am to have it.

The blog hop was a good excuse to get the room cleaned up for one thing, and for another, its a bunch of fun to surf through all the links and see all the creative spaces.

The nice thing about a blog party, is that you can take your time, look at a couple here and there, then the list will be waiting for you to come back and check out a few more later.

Beware, this post is a LONG one. 

I took over 200 photos of the studio. Don't worry, I'm not posting them all. And I promise, I shut up about half way through and just start posting pictures.

My own studio is all about the things I love. I like to have them out where I can enjoy them, not packed away waiting for some future use.  Someday, I might make something with these vintage dresses, but for now, they are curtains.

I'm also all about re-purposing, and salvage.  And finding cheap stuff!

This table was a dollar at a garage sale because the veneer was a wreck. I covered the top in textured wallpaper and painted the piece. (you can find custom painting tips and how-tos on my side bar under Tutorials)

The drawer was saved from an old wallpaper chest that had too much water damage to keep.  But I love the drawers for holding special tidbits. 

Wallpaper chests are one of my favorite storage items.  I never pass one up.  Even when I come across one that isn't all that pretty, I get it anyway and add different paper to the front of the drawers, like the dark green one with silver paper.

And when my husband got a new desk for his office, I moved his filing cabinet to my studio and covered the drawer fronts with some pretty wallpaper to girly it up a bit.   The top is granite, but was actually free! When our kitchen was being remodelled, the guys cut the counter tops wrong and had to replace a piece. They gave me the incorrect one, so I use it as a table top over the file cabinet.

This spool shelf was from a garage sale too, and was cheap as can be.  I painted it white, set it on the granite table top and then stuffed it with supplies. This sits right behind my work station so I can wheel my chair around and have everything within easy reach.

The spools of ribbon hang from a ribbon tied to the shelf.  It works great till there are a bunch of empty ones, then I have to untie it, to slide them off and put it all back up again. Seems like the empties are always dead center, never on the ends. Still, its worth the effort, I like having the ribbons on display and handy.

This is my desk top.  The shelf on it lets me have even more supplies right where I need them, so I don't have to get up and hunt.It doubles my table top storage space, but is low enough that I can chat with friends across the table on craft day.

I'm a big believer in pretty storage!  Teapots, floral mugs, old boxes, and other garage sale goodies are put to work all around the room.

This old hanky box is full of ink pads. I like the 99 cent ones from the bin at Michaels.  I buy handfuls when I have one of those 25% off  your total purchase coupons.

And this little wire plant stand is perfect for keeping a selection of glues and glitters upside down.  I store all glue, Stickles, and paints that way, it keeps them fresher and easier to squirt out.

The table itself is not very pretty, but sometimes I'll glue things I like to the edges of it.  

This is my glitter storage cabinet.

Because having plenty of Sparklies in life is important!

Besides the large folding tables from the hardware store that I cluster around to use as work spaces, this glass top table is the only new piece of furniture in the room. The rest of the things are from yard sales, auctions, and fleas. I've painted most of them white, like I did this table, so that they have some flow in the room and all the different styles aren't as distracting.  Some have rosy wallpaper borders like I added to this one too.

Here is a close up inside.  I have plates and bowls filled with different types of jewelry:

• clear rhinestones
• colored stones
• pearly things
• porcelain or enamel flowers
• buckles
• cameos
• lockets
• figural pieces
• hearts
• brass charms
• and probably some other crap

My friends get tired of seeing me perched over the Dollar Jewelry tables at flea markets, but I find my best stuff while sifting through the piles there.

Its good to have big bowls of flowers nearby too.  I tend to buy a lot of hats.... and while most are stored away as is around the room, I do try to pluck a few so that this big punch bowl stays full. 

There is a glass front buffet (I got for $40 and fixed up) that I store hats in, but it overflowed, and there are hats everywhere waiting to be plucked.

And birds. I have little birdies everywhere. I set them out for Birdsong and haven't had the heart to put them away.

Seems like flowers have found their way to most of my lamp shades. This lamp shade is an old hat itself. I've just punched a hole in the top to attach it to the finial.

And there are bowls of flowers in the cabinets too. They might be needed someday for a project, but in the meantime, I want to be able to see them and love them, and wipe drool off of them every once in a while.  I can never get enough old millinery blooms.

The buffet on the back wall is the one full of flowered hats.  I didn't get a close up of the hats themselves.

My studio is one big room, almost 1,000 sq ft. (yippee!) One side, is set up for every day work.  The other has two dining tables in it that I use for company, they can be pushed together for parties.  But normally, when the studio is not cleaned up (which is most of the time) one table is full of things to photograph and add to my Boutique, and the other is covered with sewing things.

See all the hanging birds?  I really need to get a ladder out and get those down, or they will be nothing but dust balls soon.

This bench was made by my son from an old head board, and I painted it.

Here is the view from the dining table side of the room into the working side.  The tables there aren't very nice, but they are versatile and can be moved to different configurations. Plus, I can spill paint and glue all over them, slice with exacto blades and not care. 

There is a central support beam that we turned into a column, and I've grouped storage pieces and old doors around it to create a divider.

The old doors are hinged together and make great fake walls. Especially the screen and glass doors, they divide the space up while still letting the light come through.

I've used old doors to section off my computer/office area.

The doors also provide spaces to hang more stuff!  LIke my great Aunt Caroline's clock and portraits of my grand fairies.

The office space sits inside this room built of doors. (the rug is hand painted vinyl flooring)

Sugarwings has her own area, and these hold all of her art supplies. (but she prefers mine)

Behind Sugarwing's supply chests and work table is this closet. Its overfilled with shipping supplies for my store.  If I ever disappear from this blog and you don't hear from me, it will be because I opened that door and was buried in an avalanche of packing peanuts.

This table is actually a pretty antique, but I have so much junk on the shelves below it, I made a table cloth to fit it and hide them.

The door is an original door from our farm house that I painted an iris on. 

The metal chimney cabinet is filled with old books.

And the wallpaper box is filled with lace.

This room was built as simply as possible, a cement floor, and dry wall.  I've stained and painted the floor, and tried to foof up the place with my pretties to make it feel like home, not a big square space.

Adding vintage chandeliers has helped the room not feel as new as it is.  Our cottage is around 100 years old, and I didn't want this room to look blindingly brand new when we added it.

I've also tried to keep everything functional while still being things I liked to see around me.  Each cabinet has a purpose.  Its pretty well organized, and I can find what I want when I need it.  Unless I've set it down somewhere as I walk through the room.  Then, its hopeless.  I usually have piles of projects all around the room, its easy to lose stuff in them.

Well, I've probably done enough blathering. I'll finish with some closeups around the space, and inside some of the cabinets.

And maybe of a friend here and there around the room.

Thanks for stopping by!