Beauty and the Green: shells

Showing posts with label shells. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Easy As 1-2-3...DIY Large Scale Wall Art Fixes

www.bhg.com

A group of paintings in the same/similar palette makes a stunning large scale piece

A few days ago, I decided to get rid of a large scale painting I had on my living room wall. Sigh. It was one of those paintings that you like but not love. You know the kind, almost but not quite the right fit for the space. Well, since I moved the painting which was an original piece and fairly large, I was left with this huge open space. As you know, large scale original Art is very expensive, so, there I was wondering, "now what am I going to replace this with?".

Well, whenever I am need inspiration I make a beeline for the internet. And so I did. I found so many neat ideas there I just had to share. Most of the these pieces are so very simple and economical but they add so much grandeur and style to a room. Check them out...

www.bhg.com

You know those black and white photos you've been meaning to print? Well, here's the perfect place for them. How gorgeous is this!

pic origin unknown

It doesn't get easier than this. Just hang a piece of tapestry or decorative fabric and you have instant transformation. Absolutely gorgeous!

decorpad

Who would have thought that plates could look so chic! I bet you will look at plates a little differently from now on....

pic origin unknown

This look is one of my personal favorites. All you have to do is find some images of birds or animals and print them out. (You can borrow a book from the library and scan them or get them online.) I like to collect old frames to frame my prints but if you don't, not to worry. Any group of simple frames will do. Just keep them within the same color palette.

pic origin unknown

This is basically like the look above but showcasing plants instead of birds. So lovely and classic.

I adore this look. It is so romantic and easy to make. Poster boards were covered with burlap and then a print was centered (and glued) on top. Industrial screws were used as accents at the corners of the prints. I love that little touch, it really gives this a little bit of an edge.

www.bhg.com

Framed wall paper??!!! Oh yeah baby! Super fast, ultra easy and your pocket book will thank you.

pinterest

And finally this look. How's this for the "wow' factor. Of course your frame does not have to be this big. Just get a large glass or acrylic frame and lots of family photos. Perhaps this can be a family activity.... The extra hands would make this project fun and fast.

Well, I hope you found something here that sparks your creativity, I know I did. Have a wonderful week!

Cherio!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Done And Done!

http://static.tmag.tas.gov.au/tayenebe/workshops/bicheno.html

A few weeks ago in my post Are You Ready For This! I shared with you how I had won the opportunity to showcase some of my work in a design challenge. I had entered the contest on a whim so when I got confirmation that I had made the cut I was really surprised and so excited.

The challenge was to create original pieces/Art from indigenous plant fibers. I did just that with palm leaves, sisal, burlap and hemp. I also accented my pieces with feathers, shells and seeds.

Well, today I am happy to report that my work is completed and presently being viewed in the prestigious New Providence Art gallery in Nassau, Bahamas. It has come a long way from this conceptual sketch. Many thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement. It means a lot to me.

Hmmmm, I wonder what I should I do next............

Cherio!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

An Unconventional Love Story

When I said yes to my husband's marriage proposal, I did not have any grandiose ideas about having a big wedding or even a reception. There was only one thing I had to have, and that was a nice ring. A wedding ring to me is sacred and it represents the everlasting love between a husband and wife. Hopefully. But in addition to that, my wedding ring is what I will wear everyday "till death do us part"...... so I wanted one that I really really liked. Well because I am such a ~~nit picker~~, I mean selective shopper, I ended up designing the rings myself and having them custom made. Our jeweler did a wonderful job and I fell head over heels in love with my ring at first sight.

Then the worst thing happened two years later...I lost my ring!

I had been hiding this little dark secret from my husband for three months. I just couldn't bear to tell him I had lost it, after all it had cost him a small fortune. To make matters worse, I knew exactly where I had lost it and there was no hope of ever retrieving it. You see, I had lost it in the ocean. Way out in the sea where Jaws and his crew hang out......probably. It was only a matter of time before my husband figured out the real reason why I had not been wearing my ring and I was beside myself......and out of valid excuses.

Well, the very next day my mom and brother came for a visit and I got this sudden urge to go to the beach and collect shells. I love beach combing so why not? My brother on the other hand could care less and refused to go with me. For some strange reason though, my mother and I relentlessly begged him to go with us until he got sick of us and gave in. (To this day I find this quite strange since it is out of character on both sides.) When we got to the beach the tide was low, so low you could walk out about a quarter of a mile on the sand banks which my brother did by himself. Mom and I stayed closer to shore picking up beach goodies, there was so much beautiful shells to choose from that day.

getty images

All of a sudden, my brother who was out so far he looked relatively smaller, starting yelling. My mother and I rushed to see what was wrong. He seemed quite excited, he was waving frantically at us and jumping around. When we got within earshot of him, he was grinning ear to ear. "I found something he said." What is it?, I asked eager to see. He slowly opened his hand and there nestled in his palm was my ring. The one I had lost three months ago in the ocean. My mom recognized it instantly and asked me "Wan, isn't that your ring?" All I could do was gulp.

Turns out my ring somehow serendipitously reappeared out of the abyss after three months in strong sea currents and miles of shifting sand. My brother finding it equates to finding a needle in a hay stack. He said he saw a small beam of light emanating from the sand out of the corner of his eye. Those were his exact words. Trust me, I am still in awe of this, I mean what?!!! That beach is huge, plus the ring was buried under 15-25 feet of ocean for months. What are the chances....and my brother had almost stayed at home too. All the planets had to be aligned just right for this to have happened, and they had. To this day, I just call it what it was. A miracle. My husband and I love each other so very much and our rings are a symbol of that love. Maybe that is why it found it's way back to me. Back to us. ...well that is what I believe anyway.

Since this incident, I wish I could tell you I never lost it again but I did lose it once after that nine years later. And you know what, it found me again under very strange/unlikely circumstances. Call me crazy but in my sixteen years of marriage, because of the times I lost my ring, it is even more precious to me. It is so true that you never realize the value of something until you lose it.....even if only temporarily. I realize now that it is not the cost of the ring that matters so much to me but the cause of the ring. It's all about love. And so lovelies, today on Valentine's day I wish you love.

Cherio!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Are You Ready For This!

About a month ago I on a whim entered a major gallery showing. It was competition based so my sketches/ideas had to beat out numerous competitors to qualify. I sent the sketches and forgot about....that is until I got an email saying I had made the cut! O. M. G!!!!

And so, just like that I had a life changing opportunity in my hands. I was so happy to finally have a major platform to express my heart through something that I love so much. Art. But then, I starting looking at the formidable competitors and envisioning what they might be bringing to the table and the more I did that, the more nervous and apprehensive I got. My ideas were not coming together properly and the ones I did like soon became "not good enough". I was second guessing myself and it was getting me nowhere.

The back and forth and vacillation between excited and overwhelmed continued until my son put an end to it. He looked me dead in the eye and informed me "you gat this mom!".......gave me a big hug and and walked off. Well, turns out that was all I needed. After that I had fire in my eyes. No matter what happened I was going to create something amazing. Something I can be proud of.

The first piece I made took a whole day to make but it was a little off so I scrapped it and started over from scratch. I did not let it get me down, I just knew I could do better....... and I will. At the moment I am working on two of the three pieces required for the show and everything is coming together quite nicely. I am started to get excited now because I can envision/see the final product......the finish line. I will probably have a Steve Urkel moment at the end, like "Did I do that???!" but in a really good way. I am going to make sure of that.

Well, back to work I go but I will be posting the pictures here when everything is finished. Have a beautiful weekend everyone.

Cherio!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Swoon Worthy Mosaic Tables & Mirrors

Jean Pierre Frey

I cannot tell you how much I adore mosaics. Now, I know some of them can look a little busy or dated but when you find a good piece, its truly a "shut the front door!" moment. Mosaics can look modern, vintage, romantic and so much more. Its kinda like cooking.........You choose the ingredients and make it work! It is your personal style that gives the mosaic or anything you create its very own flavor.