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3.13.2013

floribundance

 in my last post, i shared images of this painting made entirely from flowers.
which i think is a really fun idea... and then i realized that it reminded me of something...

long before i ever saw that, i created something a bit similar.
and it all happened because of a very ugly painting...
 i'm sorry, but that's ugly.

i realize that the woman who painted the orange poppies did so in the 1970's, 
when orange and avocado and harvest gold were all the rage.
not so much in 2009, when i was given the painting.
[it wasn't a gift, it was a 'it's going in the trash, or you can have it' thing]

i stared at the thing for a few days as it sat in the corner of my studio,
often wondering of there was ANY hope at all for it.
[if i faced the same dilemma today, i'd slather the thing with chalkboard paint, like i did here !]

as happened regularly in my studio, things got placed in piles and baskets
to be used in future projects...
and one day, i moved a basket filled with vintage flowers and sat it in front of the ugly painting.

i walked away, then turned back to grab something...
and it looked like the flowers were arching forward off of the canvas.

and a light bulb went on in my head!
 why not attach the flowers TO the painting,
like a 3-D sculpture?

so here's what i did, using what i already had on hand:
 no way that orange was workin' for me,
so i painted OVER the orange poppies with white acrylic paint.
i left the dark centers alone, though.

i also went over the 'tabletop' in the painting with a wash of white - 
just enough to change the color, but let a bit of the 'wood' effect show through.
 then i took some vintage sheet music and book pages, 
and cut them to fit OVER the shapes of the vase and pitcher in the original painting.
[i used regular white glue to attach them]
 
above that, i added some lovely flower seed packets and a snippet of a song.

then i glued on some paper lace trim and some vintage gold wallpaper scraps - 
a medallion on the vase and some torn strips at the top of the 'wall' behind the flowers.

and then, i used hot glue to start adding the floral elements: 
flowers made from vintage crepe paper, moss, tiny silk blossoms & leaves, and pearls

 berries, more moss, tiny blossoms & leaves, and vintage-look flower buttons

all of the elements were added in a placement that made it look like 
they were spilling out of and over the edges of the vase in the foreground
and rising out of the pitcher in the background.

 the floral details were all in a pale green & white and 'gold' palette,
so that the background and leaves of the original painting coordinated.

 this side-view shows how the flowers pop out of the canvas.

and the finished painting looked like this:
 

 just because we ALL love 'before and after' shots
let's look at them side by side:

wow!
it's a great way to give a new look to something old - perfect for Spring!

 i don't have that 'refreshed' painting anymore,  
[so please excuse the questionable lighting - i couldn't re-shoot]
but just looking at this project makes me want to get another old floral still life painting
and do it again, in a different style!


3.11.2013

Go to Where it's Spring!


it's been said that 
"If Spring won't come to you, 
then GO to where it's SPRING!"

since so many of us are SO READY for Spring,

 I thought this might just be the perfect time to share some inspiration...
last Spring, my sister and I took a short trip.
[i'll share where at the end of this post-
and it's not where you expect from these images!]
while there, we viewed enchanting outdoor scenes of a windmill, bike, and boat...
we also saw these very happy daffs and bees.
these oversized sculptures of daffodils were @15 feet tall!
it felt very 'Alice in Wonderland'-like to be standing beneath them.
those 'Bumble Bees' were made of chrysanthemums, making the bees look fuzzy!
[the bees were as big as three people]

 and then...
I was stunned to walk around a corner and see this floral masterpiece...
the 'painting' on the easel was approximately 10 feet wide and five feet tall!
[The easel itself was ten feet tall or more!]

This was created entirely from flowers, to replicate Claude Monet's
'Fisherman's House at Vargentville'
Above is an up-close detail shot of the floral painting...
I love the texture and the way that they have captured 
Monet's impressionist paint strokes using flower petals.  
Amazingly creative! 

Below is an image of the actual painting by Monet:
[ image found on www.canvaz.com ]

 these beautiful floral creations were not found outdoors.
nor were they at a flower & garden show.

nope.
they were inside the atrium at 
the Bellagio Hotel in LAS VEGAS!

you just never know where you are going to find inspiration, 
so keep your eyes open for beauty like this in unusual places...
large resorts & hotels, flower farms, and home & garden shows
are all possibilities!

Spring is out there. Go find it!


3.08.2013

Last Minute Spring Tablescape

have you ever thought you really had a handle on things, 
were totally prepared and ready for something...
and then all of a sudden you realize there is something very VERY wrong?

 i once FORGOT all about the table decor for a family Easter dinner.

Easter Sunday arrived and the food was in full-swing prep mode. all was well in the kitchen.
and then, i walked into the dining room - and stopped dead in my tracks. 
THE TABLE WAS EMPTY!
i had no decor. no nuthin'. and the family was coming in an hour!

i have no defense. i was just busy, and forgot all about it.

 so after i started breathing again.....
i kicked into 'search and recover' mode.

whatever decor i was going to use had to be toddler-grandson proof. 
he was 16 months old and in that stage of climbing, 
pulling on tablecloths, and grabbing at everything
[it's ok, i didn't mind that he did - 
it's kind of a boy's job to investigate everything at that age!]
i just wanted to eliminate the chance of damage to him - or anything else.


 in the days leading up to that, i had been cleaning out my office
and came across a page that i had saved from a Martha Stewart Living Magazine  
ages before. like.... YEARS before.
i still don't know why it was sitting on the top of a wire filing basket that week, but it was.

and on Easter Sunday, an hour before guests arrived, Deb had a flash of inspiration:
 photograph from Martha Stewart Living Magazine 200?
that photo ^ from Martha's mag saved my hide.


this 'last minute idea' meant that i grabbed some packing tape and scissors, and 
i wrapped the tabletop with white wrapping paper!
 [nothing was hanging over the edges for lil' man to pull on]
if you  want to do this but don't have white wrapping paper,
TURN YOUR WRAPPING PAPER OVER!
almost all of them are white on the back side. 
[no one will know that rudolph or birthday balloons 
are on the side of the paper that faces the table]

i used green felt pens to draw charger and flatware outlines at each place setting, 
along with a drawn-on placecard.
[this is not detailed fine art here, like Martha's -
it's a fast solution half an hour before everyone arrived!]


i popped 3 dozen yellow daffodils (from my birthday the week before)
into 3 cylinder vases wrapped with antique velvet ribbon
and ran them down the center of the table, along with some tea lights in clear glass cups.
[WELL out of a little somebody's reach!]
 
 the china has a light sage green border that matched the linen napkins
and it was a perfect way to add color to the crisp white table setting. 

 the whole look is very simple, contemporary, and un-fussy
and i did it all in thirty minutes!

and incidentally, the photo of that 'last minute' table that you see at the top of this post
is one of my all-time favorite shots of my spring decor!
sometimes the easiest solutions really do make the most impact

for me the important part wasn't the decor, though...
the BEST part was this lil' guy peeking through the daffies at me:

shared online:

Saturday Night Special #178 | Funky Junk Interiors


3.06.2013

Looking For a Sign?

old signs are a hot decor item - always have been, really
and there are so many ways to make them.
one easy way to get a lot of detail in your signs is to use old wood headboards!

there are many shapes and sizes to be found, some very detailed with carved edges,
and the detailed posts add even more charm.

the sign above is made from a twin-size headboard.
it was stripped and sanded down, then hand painted with simple acrylic paints. 
hooks were added to the tops of the posts for hanging.

another headboard was found with peeling wood veneer..
the veneer was removed and the wood sanded down to its raw state.
washes of thinned-down white house paint were used on the ogee-routed edge and for the letters.
the letters have a translucent shadow that allows the wood grain to come through.
[this method makes the sign look older and worn]

another sign was made in much the same way,
with lettering creating a seed company logo:

i do my own freehand lettering, 
but stencils or decals could certainly be used!


as i was preparing this post, a serendipitous 'meeting of the minds' occurred:
this past weekend, i attended The Vintage Marketplace antique & vintage show in Rainbow, California.
show hosts/producers Rita Reade and Christie Repasy 
used an old wood headboard to create a new sign for the entrance to their show...

Christie added her famous painterly touches to the piece
once put into place at the entry to the show, 
propped with spring accessories and flowering plants,
the sign becomes a perfect harbinger of Spring...

even the smallest bed pieces can be re-purposed: 
here, twin-sized footboards are transformed into vintage signs

and even the bed posts can be re-used as sculptural pieces:
many thanks to Rita Reade and Christie Repasy, 
for granting permission to use their photos of their Vintage Marketplace sign

shared online:


Saturday Night Special #178 | Funky Junk Interiors

3.04.2013

robin's glorious 'nest' for sale!

 
i am going to suggest that you don't read this post on your iPhone or iPad...
it simply won't do the photos justice!

today i am thrilled to share some incredible photos of a beautiful location
AND news of a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!
[keep reading, that's below]

my friend Anne Lorys was invited to photograph
the Bandera, Texas home of fashion designer Robin Brown of Magnolia Pearl
Robin and her husband John have moved to Fredericksburg, Texas
and are now selling their 38-acre Bandera ranch.

and oh my heavens, 
this is NOT what most people think of when they hear 'Texas ranch'! 
[JR Ewing would not fit in here!]

this is VINTAGE STYLE taken to glorious excess
Robin's inimitable style is apparent in every detail of the multiple buildings on the property,
in the whimsical, delightful touches and vintage materials.
It's 'artsy', no doubt about it... just like Robin and her fanciful fashion line.

photos courtesy of & copyright Anne Lorys Photography

...and that's just the kitchen/dining area/living room 
of ONE of the multiple buildings on the property!
 [there are so many amazing DIY ideas in there using salvaged & FOUND materials, 
i can't breathe just lookin' at it....]

the ranch has been published in many magazines, both in print and online, 
and was the subject of a book by Hearst Publishing and Country Living Magazine.
photos courtesy Magnolia Pearl

Fiona and Twig
Robin, being a sweet, kind, generous, creative, playful person,
decided to thank everyone for sharing the news of her ranch being for sale, and
is giving away TWO full Magnolia Pearl outfits!

enter the giveaway, 
and you could win one of these darling prairie-style ensembles:


to see MORE stunning photos and read ALL of the details 
about Robin & John's property  for sale
AND to enter the giveaway,
please visit Anne's blog post HERE
 

i am not including the 'pin it' button on this post because the photos aren't mine.
they belong to my friend, photographer Anne Lorys,
and to the very talented fashion designer Robin Brown of Magnolia Pearl.
i linked them here from Anne's blog, but ask that 
if you want to pin them, please go to Anne's blog post and pin from there
so that they source correctly. Thank you...

 
for more decorating ideas for every season,
  visit the HOMEWARDfound blog 
and these social networking sites:


3.01.2013

$4 Spring Wreath Makeover!

Springtime! it's time to break out the greens and yellows...
last fall, i shared a few quick tips for a wreath makeover here

why not re-visit that idea for spring?!

you can find wreaths for next to nothing at thrift shops,
but you probably have one shoved on a shelf somewhere in your garage, right?
it's dusty and maybe some of the flowers are missing...
but for less than $5, you can give a wreath a fresh new look for spring!


this wreath actually had pink roses on it when i found it
[languishing on a hook in the garage, behind the washer...]
but the roses were faded and just didn't seem very 'fresh'. so i pulled them off.
some yellow fake mums from a nearby bunch were easily popped onto 
some of the stems that the roses had been on.

if the roses hadn't been faded, i'd have left them on
and then gone on to the next step:

two bunches of fake daffodils from the dollar store ($1 each) got the same treatment - 
pull off the flower heads and pop them onto the stems already attached to the wreath.
[of course you can just shove the daffodil stems into the wreath, too,
just like we did with the fall leaves in the tutorial here]


a small piece of wire holds a cute little pair of green polka-dot garden gloves ($1) 
and a packet of seeds (4 for $1) - you could do more than one packet,too!

the dollar store usually also has small metal watering cans,
small clay pots, and metal gardening tools
that could be wired onto the wreath, as well...

shared online:
 

Thank you to the DIY Village for including this post in THEIR post!