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Vintage French Wine Rack

 

Make note of the small words their language...they go well with the next photo.

 
Seventeen year old son comes into the sanctuary {aka: my studio}. Very pleased to see that he notices the newest addition to the place.  When I mention that I've named one of the dolls, he asks which one? I point to the dolly above and tell him that I've given it HIS NAME. Even he couldn't help but laugh, right after he rolled his eyes of course.

I wonder if the prevelance of teen-agers rolling their eyes so much has something to do with their eye muscles not having fully developed yet....you know, like an involuntary reflex? Wink, wink.

  
Back in July after finding this wonderful french bottle {wine} drying rack at an antique shop in Florida, it took up residence in our kitchen. But after spending some time there I decided it was just too big for the space. So I moved it up in the hallway by the door to my studio. My plans were to use it for storage/display purposes...

And it sat.

And sat some more.

Totally in the way. Of course.

    
FINALLY, the inspiration {{{motivation}}} for getting after it came when I noticed that Rebecca Sower has one in her art studio too.

 
With over a 150 hooks and 8 tiers high, this wonderful piece can hold a lot of stuff.  

It would also be a great piece to display vintage Christmas ornaments... or photos,

or a vintage hanky tree,

or just about any collection would be fun...  

 

 Would love to continue adding more dolly heads to the piece. But they are becoming harder and harder to come by...or come by at a decent price. Like a lot of the things I enjoy collecting, I have a price point I won't surpass. But since I am a women as well as a collector...

...well...I reserve the right to make an exception now and then.

Xo, Sue

Pink Roses

 

Given to excessive quantities of "distractability" seems to be intrinsic in my nature...

or wait...

...maybe it's merely high levels of interest in a multitude of pursuits?

...or a volatile mixture of both!!!...

 No matter...either way, "focus" is a word I often have to remind {{{beg}}} myself to do!

Another challenge for me in life is passing up beautiful bouquets of flowers at the grocery store that are reasonably priced. Like these beauties...3 pkgs for $12. Not only do they add enjoyment and beauty to my surroundings, but they are also fun subjects to photograph.

    
But adding to the pleasure of getting lost in my own world with a dozen pink roses, baby's breath, and a camera, was the reflection of light on the water! Ignoring my disdain for cold weather and sacrificing being able to feel my fingers, I headed outside in order to capture my newest "groceries" in the glory of the early morning light.

 
Before long I remembered that old window in the garage...the one that hopefully will one day soon house my favorite photos of our children. Plans are to convert some favorites to sepia tones and place them behind each square pane. So many ideas...

 

And as long as my old green chippy chair was still outside from another camera outing...

 

 
(without a texture applied)
 

 
 

  

 
I took a pathetic number of pictures...roses floating on water, tucked in other flowering beds...you name it, I tried it. And I have the picture file to prove it!

Playing around with textures in PSE only adds to the fun of it all...I would love to take Kim Klassen's newest e-course on textures that begins soon, but that old naughty calendar tells me this would not be a good time. Poo!

So many details of life to attend to in the coming weeks...

...yes, I do believe that LIFE is in the details..

 
And a huge thank you for all the great suggestions on my paint challenge...! That's one of the details in life that needs my "focus" right now. I'm now mixing paints to find that perfect color...how pathetic is that?!

May all your details be fun ones!

Xo, Sue

credits: All applied textures are from Kim Klassen.

Choosing paint colors...

 
The dreaded task of choosing new paint colors for our interior walls has come to visit me. I've saved notes, collected paint swatches for some time but the perfect shade of a deeper, richer taupe/brown/neutral is eluding me. Either too much of a pink hue, or too much green, or not dark enough, or....

And, no! None of the colors found on the ends of my old mill spools are in the running...I just love the looks of them all gathered together as they currently sit in my art room. I'm removing the vintage trims I had wound around them because I've come up with a different storage solution for those...more on that in another post.

 
One thing's for sure though...I'm going to need to repaint! Scattered throughout the house are swatches of paint colors I've slathered on the walls in gobs of places. I'm liking this color up close (and how it appears in the photo)...but from far away (and in real life), in addition to the combo of our high ceilings and lots of windows, it gets washed out. Just doesn't add the warmth I'm looking for... 

 
As and added bonus, I was lucky enough to have the oldest son spend some time sanding down our breakfast table chairs. Or chair. Several hours later, one done, five more to go.

 Take a peek at the chewed up rung on the chair to the right. "Puppy love"...woof woof! Since Sophie {our doggie} is almost two, and has "matured" beyond the I-must-eat-only-the-good-furniture stage, I think it's now safe to repair or replace the pieces upon which she's placed her chewing signature.

  Yes indeed, time to step it up from the beaver chewed look to something more along the lines of this...

 

 The corner cabinet in the photo is a recent nab at a steal of a price from a dealer at the Scott Antique Market that comes to Atlanta once a month.

 
A shot of the top of the cabinet...isn't the detailing wonderful?

Even hubby loved the painted look and the warmth that it oozes... so much so, that he is trying to convince me to have our {GULP} cherry kitchen cabinets painted out as well... 
What a job though...not one I'd tackle myself. I would hire it out. What do you think? Would you?! On one hand, it seems horrible to paint over cherry wood...on the other hand, as my DH answered that question..."Happiness is worth a lot too..."

He's got a point. Sort of. Happiness may not be the right word. But still....I think we'll sit tight for the time being and when all is finished with the other phases of this redecorating project, we'll take another look at it. In other words....mull it over. After all, I'm an expert at that activity!

Doesn't mean I respect it...

Have you seen this commercial?

  

I think its a riot!

...and it also echoes the sentiments I felt upon seeing what looked like snow clouds in a recent sunset in the skies over Georgia...

 
Warm air and sunny skies...that's what I respect. Adore. Love. Want. NEED!

Oh for sure, I totally love the look of freshly fallen snow. Ice crystals glistening from the twigs on a branch...the squeals of laughter from children playing in the snow...skiing down fresh powder in the mountains...skating on a frozen pond...yummy wools and sweaters that can now be worn...BOOTS! I love boots!

It's all those other things...the cold...the dramatic lack of color in the landscape...the cold...more hours of darkness than light...the cold...more gloomy overcast days....the cold....

ME: Oh dear Mr. Winter, please be mild. Please be short. Please, please, please!

MR. WINTER: It will all depend on your attitude.

Note to self: Work on attitude.

Question: What's your level of respect for Mr. Winter?

Textures: Free Images!

 
Me bad...really, really, really bad. Sitting in my computer are too many half-composed posts, ephemera I want to post and share, unanswered emails, you name it. And if it's missing, it's probably in my computer. Sitting.

Only so many hours in a day. Sigh.

What is it about chippy paint that so many of us love? For years I've been wanting to stop along a busy road up in the mountains of western North Carolina to photograph this little Post Office. I think it's just adorable. So unlike the huge complex that is my local post office here in suburbia Atlanta.

 
Well, during our last trip up to the mountains we finally pulled over and I snapped some shots...peeked in the windows...admired the chipy blue paint on the doors. That's where the first photo came from...from a section of one of these doors.

Then I got to thinking...and playing in PSE....

 
...and in addition to some awesome Kim Klassen textures, I also slapped on a layer of my blue chippy paint photo. Isn't that a fun new look? Please feel free to grab the blue paint texture for your own files if you'd like.

And I know I've mentioned it before, but it bears repeating, I adore Kim Klassen. She is responsible for opening up the world of PSE to me and I love her for that! She just finished round one of her FREE Skinny class and is opening up another section of this FREE beginners course to PSE. Click here for the details. The new class begins November 8th I believe, but she will also accept late registrations. Check it out!

As long as we're catching up, I realized that I forgot a couple of things in my last post. I meant to share a couple of shots of the matchbox I made to give to Patty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As well as sharing this link to Patty's posting on our swap. I knew that Patty loved swans and I had the perfect picture of a swan. It's a lithograph from an old turn of the century children's book from my collection of old books.

Here's two copies of the swan I'm sharing with you for your own personal use. {{I don't mind at all if someone uses my free images in work they plan to sell. But please don't sell the image itself in a collage sheet or CD or any of that kind of stuff! Fair enough?}}

 
 

It's a cold, drizzly, rainy day here in my little patch on earth. But since I bought enough candy bars for 150 trick or treaters (we've had over a hundred some years) and only about 70 came to the door this year, I've had plenty of fuel to keep me warm! Waiting for college boy and college girl to swing home and grab the rest of these...oh please hurry home! 

Meanwhile...back to catching up...

Xo, Sue

 

A Heaping Spoon{ful} of Grace

 
Squeal with deeeee-light! That's what I was doing as I slowly opened a package from a recent swap with Patty {Magpie's Nest}.

You know the routine...slowly is the operative word. Not only do you want to savor the moment as each new treasure/layer is revealed, but you also want to capture all the beauty with your camera...or as best as you can given that the sun was no where to be found that day...

 
I love details, don't you? The pattern on this hammered spoon handle, not to mention the word "grace" are just the best! A spoon, I might add that Patty makes with a little help from Mr. Magpie. Check out this post of Patty's for more photos of these wonderful altered cutlery... 

 
Backing up just a tad, I have to show you this MOST ADORABLE little zippered pouch. It is made entirely from recycled materials. Tucked inside was the spoon that was sitting on multiple layers of treasures that eventually led to the altered matchbox. The theme, if you will, of our swap. 

However, as you are about to see, Patty went above and beyond...three times around the moon and back gathering bits and pieces and treasures and trinkets...

 
In fact, tucked inside the larger covered matchbox, was this smaller matchbox filled with its own goodies! How cute is this little matchbox?! Way adorable! The eye actually winks! Love that little inchie she made as well. She has a great tutorial on her sidebar for making inchies.

 A A gorgeous TAP transfer with the stamped piece of eyelet...such a great saying!
 
Steampunk wonderful! Unlike anything I've got in my stash!

 
A beautiful tag with the sweetest words on the back...yummy handmade papers... 
The big-sized matchbox! In all it's glorious details...get a look at the lace collar and cuffs in that photo. So perfect to give that little royal boy a lace crown.

 
Another peek at the textures and creative details...

 
The aqua-colored fabric swatch on this piece is so gorgeous. The Kim Klassen texture on this photo distorts the true color...it's more like the previous two photos. I also was having a difficult time capturing all the glazing/painting/inking...in other words, the details on this altered matchbox.

  
 
Patty tucked in lots of little pieces of art...Not only do I love her Zendoodles, I also learned that term from reading her blog. Didn't even know there was a name for such purposeful/artful doodling! Come to think of it, I've learned a lot of artful helps by reading Patty's blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

...don't miss the name of the venue for the Daughter Elks Ball...High Hat Night Club!  

 

...this vintage cake/cupcake topper is the best!  I've bought quite a few pieces over the years of vintage plastic halloween stuff to give to my two sisters who are avid collectors of the items. Sorry sissies, but this one is staying at my house! I'm thinking of taping it to my forehead on those days when I want to warn everyone as to the condition of my estrogen level.....non-verbal cues can be so effective!

 
More squealing....Patty gave me one of her wool felted heart pendants!

 

Love these little figurines too!

And then.........just when you think it doesn't get any better than all of this.....it does!

 
Tucked inside my package was this beautiful french maid's apron in all its glory! I LOVE "FRENCH" and I do seem to do my share of "maiding" at my house ...........but in a little spirit of fun {or subconsciously am I trying to send another nonverbal suggestion?!} I decided to let Mr. Dressform model this beauty.... 
 

A little better look at the scrumptious detailing in this apron!
 

 I absolutely love everything Patty sent me, and then some! It also occurred to me that the word on my spoon-- "grace" {and creative, and inspiring, and insightful, and kind, and generous, and thoughtful, and encouraging, and witty, and, and, and,.....FUN} are all great words to describe Patty!  

Without a doubt she spoiled me rotten with all these treasures! But as much as I am enjoying my rotten state, what I love even more are the connections I've made with Patty and others through blogging.  These are the bestest treasures of all....

Xo, Sue