Monday, October 27, 2008

Wallpaper Fragment




We own a building with an apartment and a business in it. I guess we are landlords but I have nothing to do with it, it is my husband's 'thing'.

Next door lived a single man for many, many years. My husband, kind hearted as he is, would stop and chat with him, affording him some human contact that he sadly had so little of.

When he began to notice not seeing him around for several weeks he became concerned and called the police to investigate. They found him, passed away in bed since several weeks.

Fast forward three months. The building sold and new people came in and began gutting the building. They were sensitive to anything they could maintain to the history of the building; these are all Victorian era houses but, ultimately, most of it had to go.

We stopped by to see their progress the other day. It was stripped to the rafters. Above the fireplace, however, was the last in a series of wallpapers. I immediately felt a connection to this paper (sounds a bit out there but, you know) and asked if I could take some. Sure they said, bemused, it was all coming down to be drywalled anyway.

It was really really brittle. I managed to get this one fragment intact enough to hold in my hands. As we walked home, my husband wondered what plans I had for it. I didn't know, exactly, but it was so evocative, so lovely to me I knew something could come of it.

Besides using it in this post, my plan is to make some color copies of it and incorporate the motif into a card, collage or some other paper project... maybe with that old typeset I got at the flea market... I always trust things to make sense if I follow my instincts...

Friday, October 24, 2008

In The Thick Of It

Here is the state of my 'Command Central' as I tend to think of it. Ever since I got my own dedicated studio space in the house (August) I have been becoming more and more immersed in the process of establishing my creative environment. As in, no need to put anything away at the end of a session... let the moment pause but no need to disturb it's bearings... I love that! There is such a tactile connection to the artist's materials and their readiness to be at hand, ready to respond to the hand/mind/eye coordination that in a flash manifests itself in a move propelling the work forward...

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Timing Can Be Everything

Driving along, on a glorious fall Saturday afternoon, I decided to take a different route to go and visit my daughter at her cafe job. I was taking some unknown side streets through a leafy neighborhood when I spotted an enticing church rummage sale sign.

I quickly found a parking spot and entered the church basement, encouraged by the signs saying linens, glassware, art...

However what I was met with was people furiously packing up all their tables in clear bags ready to be shipped to a charity thrift store. I soon realized I was coming right at the end of this promising sale, the worst feeling as you can imagine! As I caught glimpses of exquisite lace and crochet work in the plastic bags I kindly asked if I could PLEASE have a quick look and still buy something. As long as I had exact change the answer was sure, go ahead...

So this is what I assembled in a couple of minutes. Perfect pieces of lovely lacey textiles to incorporate into my textile jewelry. As it was the end of their day a total of $5.00 was requested. I happily obliged. Since I have gotten home I have been experimenting with some natural dyes. Pomegranates produce the most delicate pale pink.... If anyone has some other natural dye favorites post them here and we can share some ideas... Happy good timing to everyone!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The Thrill of the Find!








































I have to admit, I'm having a little too much fun with my new
Etsy enterprise, foundvintagestyle. The thrill of the find; that sums it up!

Here are three of my latest treasures, culled from the sea of junky cast-offs that represent 90% of what I come across in my travels...

However, when my eye lands on that color, texture, shape... I know that it is time to stop in my tracks, follow my instinct and investigate...

I really do marvel and the design aesthetic in so many vintage objects. The colors seem so sophisticated, like in this celluloid jewelry box. It was probably quite a humble object but the softness of the yellow and the smooth texture of the celluloid give it an easy elegance. The transparency of the plastic dishes is understated, the colors are subtle, it just works...

The tooled leather wallet is, well, awesome. (not a word I use very often)! Each side has a different highly detailed tooled illustration. I don't know anything about this art form but it looks like really good work to me. On the inside is a coin slot feature for all the different sized coins. Such a cool detail!

The Art Deco tray I spotted on a table full of lesser things shall we say... However this shape was so classic and those bakelite handles; divine! The glass insert is lovely and practical but the fact that it can be removed and it can simply be used as a tray makes it multi functional. I love the symmetry that Deco embraces. All is in order, the eye can rest because the shape and the proportion are perfection. Simple.

I hope others are as enthusiastic as I am about these lovelies. Leave a comment and let me know what you think...

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Great Bags on Etsy

Here are but a sampling of some great bags I have discovered on Etsy. Some have already sold but that does not surprise me. Though certainly not inexpensive they are obviously well made and designed pieces worth every penny and more. Considering the prices of commercial 'designer bags' these days the value is amazing and you likely won't see another one on the arm of anyone else!
So to lead you to these tempting beauties here are the links...
1. renneslechateau
2. morelle
3. pipertree
4. zoebags