Paper Pie

Liz & Kalli #35 Remember

I think it should just be called Wednesday's Art Project for now on, don't you? Late or early, doesn't mater as long as it makes it up, that's my philosophy lately. So this week the word is remember, Liz's is on the top and Kalli's is on the bottom.

*Liz 

This week I did a little photo montage of all of the vintage items that my Aunt Donna sent me a few weeks back. You may remember me mentioning that she sold her home and had to pare down a bit. That awesome green garbage can also appears in this post. The upper left are the most amazing towels I have ever seen. The tag says Sears. The upper right is my Grandma's gray cat that she painted in her ceramics class in the seventies. I have very fond memories of this statue and her real gray cat that this was modeled after. Her cat's name was simply, Kitty. The little inset on the photo is from the bottom where her name and the year 1976 are etched. The bottom left is a cute ceramic plate and in the bottom right, 3 really cool garbage cans. I'm quite sure that Anthropologie would easily reproduce that yellow one and charge $55 for it. So all of these items make me remember time with family. My Aunt Deenie remembered everything that I have liked and commented on over the years. Thanks Aunt Deenie!

*Kalli

I was a little blocked on this one, and this was the image I had stuck in my head. Did people seriously used to tie strings around their fingers to remember something? My memory is so bad that I might need to start doing that.

Ha! Yours is really cute, Kalli! Yes, I've heard that before but I have never actually seen it in action. I may bring it back for nostalgia's sake. Don't you think it would be so charming to see someone with a piece of yarn tied around their finger trying to remember why it's there?

Sneak Peek: Sugar Pop!

Check out Sugar Pop, my top selling 8 fabrics recolored to coordinate with each other. Sugar Pop is bright and bold with a little chocolate brown, olive green, and eggplant purple mixed in to mellow things out a bit. I have been wanting to do this for so long. Up until this point I have been creating designs here and there, without a lot of thought about all of them working together cohesively. Now the similar color ways will allow them to easily be mixed and matched. This is a just a little preview to let you know what I have up my sleeve. I am sending these off to Spoonflower now to see how the colors print up on the cotton. They will be posted in the shop for sale in the coming weeks. I will definitely let you know when they are there. Oh, and don't worry, I'm keeping the current color palettes too.

Liz & Kalli #34 Western

Better late than never for the Tuesday art project this week. The word is western, Liz's is on the top and Kalli's is on the bottom. 

*Liz

My thinking is simple with this one. When I consider the word western, plaid yoke shirts with pearly snaps and piping come to mind. I used those shirts as inspiration while creating this deconstructed plaid pattern, but took it to a much more modern place.

*Kalli

My "Western" is a combination of photos I mostly took in Austin. The main writing is from a frosted glass cup I saw in an antique shop that I shot through. It had a sort of gold-rush theme.

I would love to get my hands on that glass cup, Kalli! Yours truly has that rugged western feel.

The Studio Makeover - REVEALED!!

I have been so excited to post my studio makeover, but I have been pulled away on other projects the last few days. Sorry to keep you hanging on like that, I know it has been a month since I posted those dreadful before photos. So let me get to it here and share the new and improved, and most importantly, organized studio. For starters, I finally have a large, clean work surface pictured above. I can cut fabric, lay out supplies, plan projects, etc. I also picked up that shelf so that I could get my fabrics out where I can see them. As you can tell, I have lots of room to expand the fabric collection - WOO HOO!

 

You know what? I did lose the tv after all. There wasn't enough space for it so we moved it to the bedroom. Then after only a week of being there, the picture went out. Try as we might, we can't get it to work. It is like 15 years old, so go figure. Time to e-cycle. Oh, and did you notice the new color on the walls? My favorite! It goes so far in making this room feel like a new space all together. In fact, it is so odd looking at the before pictures now. That's why I love to take before photos, as painful as they are. I turned an old tapestry from Urban Outfitters into the curtain panel there on the door. I also added the big green vintage buttons to the top.

 

When I was in the midst of reorganizing and tossing all of the stuff I no longer used, my dear neighbors asked if I would have any use for a small drafting table. Would I? It is there, pictured above and I love it so. It is the perfect size, and very sturdy. Another very capable work surface and a perfect spot to paint and draw. I love it Thomas and Erika, thank you so much!

 

I borrowed this idea of hanging fabric over dowel rods from here. It is a very cheerful sight to look up and see all of the fabric while drudging away at the computer. I also use this space as a sort of inspiration and mood wall, putting up different fabric combos and "living" with them for a while before fully committing. I have saved so much fabric this way, already. It's like the old adage, measure twice, cut once. Mine is slightly different and less eloquent and is something like, throw some fabric on the wall, stare at it, walk away, stare some more, him, haw, debate, visualize, imagine, cut once.

Ah, here is one of my favorite new things, my inspiration board. Let me show you what this piece was in its former life.

I found this great big frame (and lovely art) at the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I was hunting for it because I saw this tutorial and thought it was such a cool way to fashion a pin board. So, I took the art out and spray painted the frame. I ordered these 12" x 12" cork squares and mounted them to the backside of the art which was just thick chip board. Then I covered the cork with linen and used my trusty staple gun to get everything taut. Once I had the corkboard piece assembled just so, I inserted it back in the frame and was able to use the orginal hardware to secure it in place. Easy peasy. The hardest part really has hanging it since it didn't have a hook or any semblance of a former life as a hanging object. I had to add my own screw eyes and wire. Voila, inspiration board.

 

My first worthy subject makes its way to the board. This is a Thoreau quote that I wrote down years ago and it always seems to reappear at the right time. I found it while rummaging through everything in hot pursuit of organization. It seems that all this time that quote was just looking for a home, and now it has found it, right on my brand new inspiration board. Oh, I almost forgot! Check out these cute vintage button thumbtacks.

 

This idea is from the In The Tweeds blog as well and was too cute, I could not resist. Especially since I have tons of vintage buttons. I can see myself making hundreds more of these, way more than I will ever need or use.

Oh, look! The valance matches the curtain panel on the door. Remember when I mentioned that I would be removing the closet door that opened inwards on the room and prohibited anything to be placed behind it and therefore leaving the best part of the room unused, the part of the room where the window is? Yes, so I removed the door. It was super easy and the result is so much better. Now I can sew right in front of the window and have a little view. You may notice that is Ryan's old desk, he has moved completely out of this room. I didn't force him out though, I offered him space in the closet (HA!) or next to the door, but he didn't want it. He prefers to work on his laptop in various places in the house, including in front of the TV watching the Phillies take the NL pennant. GO PHILLIES! Yes, they did beat the hometown team, but Ryan lived in Philadelphia for 6 years, and so his heart is with the Phillies and my heart is with Ryan. But, I really really digress...jeesh. Back to the studio makeover!

 

This piece, that now resides next to my sewing machine was also found at the inimitable Rose Bowl Flea Market. I'm not really sure about the former life here, that's why this piece really speaks to me. My best guess is that it may have been in someone's garage workshop and I like to believe there was a little chart hanging on the wall somewhere that corresponded to each numbered box to tell the contents. Not sure, but it definitely met my criteria when searching for containers to house my sewing notions. I love the painted numbers and the rustic look of this wooden box, so I didn't want to paint it, instead I just scrubbed it within an inch of its life.

This little tin was also found on my hunting for canisters trip.

Do you remember what an abomination the closet was? How things were just thrown in there and the shelves were overloaded with stuff? I went through the whole thing with a fine toothed comb and figured out better systems for all of it. I either donated, or got rid of all of the stuff that was truly not needed and kept only that with which I could not part. The result? A closet with empty shelves. What? I've never in my life had a closet with empty shelves. This is truly a great feeling, oh the possibility! What can I put in this found space? I should mention here that we had considered moving the dresser from the closet to the bedroom, but we decided that the dresser is too ugly to be seen by anyone besides us (and all of the readers of this blog.) See what fascinating secrets you are privy to around here?

 

I love this yarn art so much. I bought this several years ago now, right after Ryan and I moved in together. I got it at the Santa Monica Salvation Army. Ryan really hated it when I brought it home, so it has spent its life with us in really inconspicuous places, such as above the doorway in the pantry. Now that I have this bright and cheerful studio, there is no better place for these soft little birds. They are much happier already, I can tell.

 

 

 

I should mention that I made those three fabric covered cubes in the photos above for my fabric scraps and yarn. They are from the Cozy Cubes project in Anna Maria Horner's book Seams To Me. It was quite ambitious for me to do three as I learned midway through, but very satisfying in the end. What is it about labeled containers that makes such a difference? It's that mise en place thing, right?

Remember when I told you about my nieces and all of the fabulous art that they create. This piece above was done by Kali, a few years ago now. I really love it, the colors, the composition and shapes. It's just beautiful and perfect here in this studio. If it does not inspire creativity, what will?

 

 

 

This past week, my Aunt Donna sent me a big box full of treasures. It was a total surprise, and I was just giddy. Over the years, I have let her know of the things in her house that I just love. I would drop little hints like, "If you're ever looking to get rid of so and so..." or "Before you put that beauty in the garage sale make sure you call me." So, with her excellent memory, she gathered all of my favorites and sent them to me. Isn't that so sweet? She just sold her house and is in the process of paring down. In the box was this green trash can, along with two others of the coolest trash cans I have ever seen, seriously, they just don't make them like they used to. There was also these really cool 70s style towels, my Grandma's ceramic cat and a few other things that I will show you later. It was the perfect thing to show up while I was putting my new room together. Thank you so much Aunt Donna, I love all of it! Oh, Aunt Donna, I also got the bracelet that you sent and it is just beautiful. Thank you!

 

Oh, I love this little white butterfly too. It is a napkin holder that I have turned into a mail sorter. I found it at a going out of business sale at a Hollywood prop house. It used to be brass and kind of tarnished, but I spray painted it white and it is good as new. While I am here and very long winded, I need to tell you about the sketch of Zipper on the right. Our previous apartment was much smaller than the one we are in now and we had one bedroom where we slept and kept the computer. It should also be mentioned, that Zipper is the most nocturnal cat I have ever met. So one night, Ryan and I were fast asleep until we awoke suddenly at 5 AM to really loud techno music blasting right in our bedroom. When we opened our eyes, all we could see was Zipper's silhouette in front of the lit computer monitor. He had stepped on the keyboard and unpaused the music. So Ryan drew that sketch to sort of immortalize the moment, and I kept it and framed it. Oh Zipper! This is perfect segue to let you know that Zipper totally approves of this studio makeover.

 

If you made it this far, you are awesome! Thank you for your interest in my studio makeover. It was so much fun and a lot of work, but now I feel completely ready and inspired to roll up my sleeves and make stuff! More of that coming soon!

Happy Thursday!

Liz & Kalli #33 Rose

Hello, this Tuesday art project is coming to you on Wednesday morning. The word this week is rose, Liz's is on the top and Kalli's is on the bottom.

*Liz

Mine is very straightforward this week. I simply wanted to draw a vintage style painted rose in a modern and digital format. I am pleased with the way it came out. Roses are such complex, layered shapes. I love them, they truly are classic.

*Kalli

Kalli's concept is so funny here, these are her words about her piece: "These are anti-Valentines... for people who need to break up with someone, or gently tell their stalker to vacate the bushes. Roses can be delicate, sweet, romantic, sexy, etc. but personally, blood-red roses make me think of being wicked." Brilliant, Kalli!

Unrelated to our Tuesday art project, I thought I would mention that Kalli has just opened a Big Cartel store where she sells her beautiful jewelry designs. She has great stuff there, and in her Etsy shop:

Scattered Stars

KalliArt

Liz & Kalli #32 Fluff

Hello, so it is Tuesday! Liz's piece is on the top and Kalli's is on the bottom. The word this week is fluff.

*Liz

Since Kalli and I have been at this little art project for 32 weeks now, I can safely say that I have observed some patterns and modes of doing this experiment. One being, that sometimes an idea comes to you immediately, and sometimes you really have to reach. I sat stumped for a long time on fluff, only to draw this simple little rainbow striped bunny. He's cute in his own right, though, so I like him.

*Kalli

Kalli curated a treasury on Etsy this week as her fluff contribution. She asked me if I thought it could count as a Tuesday art piece, and I said of course! She's done a beautiful job here getting that light and airy feeling. I love looking at treasuries, it's a great way to find little lovelies hiding on Etsy.

Have a great week, everyone!

Liz & Kalli #31 Classic

 

Hello! It's Tuesday and it's that time. The word this week is classic. Liz's is on the top and Kalli's is on the bottom. 

*Liz

When I think of the word classic, I think of things that are well designed and can stand the test of time. Things that are always in style. I also think of navy blue and white stripes, but that seemed rather dull for this purpose. So I was thinking of things that have been around for centuries and decided upon the tea cup. A simple little vessel to drink one's tea, but undeniably brilliant. I chose aqua, because aqua will always be in style for me. The word classic also brings the words refined and tailored to mind as well. To counter that perception and to add balance and contrast, I decided to execute this humble tea cup in a cut paper collage sort of way. I like it. I think I'll frame it and put it in my kitchen.

*Kalli

I could only think of polo horses and preppy stuff when I tried to brainstorm "classic," but I didn't know what to make. So I just went with horses and aged textures.

I know what you mean, Kalli. Ralph Lauren really does have the corner on classic American fashion. Makes me want to tie a sweater around my neck. 

Happy almost Wednesday, everyone!

Liz & Kalli #30 Lavender

Ok, here we are, back on track. This week's word is lavender. Liz's piece is on the top and Kalli's is on the bottom. Wow, so these ones are different, huh? Much more different than #29.

*Liz

I wanted to do something different and new and unexpected this week, so I played around with type as texture. All of the letters are in the word lavender, even if it does not overtly say the word. I know the colors aren't quite lavender, but I love that palette. It so reminds me of my bedroom growing up. When I was a kid I was a purple fanatic. 

*Kalli

Kalli says, "Today is lavender day, so here's a ....lavender day? This piece doesn't really mean anything, I was just playing with photos of flowers and digitally making them purple and textural, but then I found this balloon photo I took and some others at the beach and it felt sunny and happy so I went with it."

Liz & Kalli #29 Door

Ok, so this is so bizarre. Besides the fact that I am the latest ever with the Tuesday art project, I just opened Kalli's email that has been sitting in my inbox for a week and it is freaky how similar our images are. I mean, when you think of all of the ideas one could have for the word door. So, I am so sorry for the tardiness of this entry, but my life quite literally has been turned upside down. Not in a bad way, don't worry, just in a big way. Sorry to be so cryptic, I just can't get into it here in this Liz and Kalli post. So, here we go, Liz's is on top and Kalli's is on the bottom.

*Liz

I was really inspired to do a pattern and I wanted to work digitally. I thought about all of the different styles of doors, opened doors, closed doors, etc. I also went for this funky comic strip color palette.

*Kalli

Kalli did a door pattern digitally too! I'm still a little amazed at our images this week. She was just messing around, building patterns that she may use later.

I am going to try my hardest to post the next word tomorrow, back on schedule, fingers crossed.

Where I Come Clean

I really prefer to fill this blog with all the things in my life that are pretty, beautiful, fun, colorful, meaningful, etc. My better judgment tells me that I should keep the messy parts far away from the blogosphere. That being said, I love a good before and after series of photos. So here they are; the studio before set. These six photos show exactly what the studio looks like today with all of its glorious imperfections. This photo above seems as good a place to start as any. This table is meant to be a work surface, not a catch all for shipping materials, junk mail, magazines and catalogs. Stuff piles up so fast. My plan for this area is to regain control of my work surface.

Don't worry, I'm not losing the tv. I love to hand stitch while listening to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy in the background. I am aware that the last sentence ages me beyond my years and I am good with that.

This is where I do the majority of my work: blogging, email, research, design, etc, and look at it!! I want to take the shelf down and create a more streamlined and functional storage solution. I would also love to create a sort of inspiration board, that I can change out time and again with whatever strikes my fancy. Also, I am going to paint, I can not wait to paint. Look at that empty white wall on the left, ugh.

Again, with the shelf — gone. This is Ryan's desk and old computer that he rarely uses anymore. It will be leaving this room very soon. We're transferring the data and getting rid of it. Of course we are keeping the black apple print. I might keep the desk though if I can figure out a better way to organize the whole room that makes sense. Right now everything has been sort of placed in here without a lot of thought involved.

This photo really captures one of the most unfortunate qualities of this room. Though, I am completely thrilled with the huge walk in closet, the closet door opens outward into the room and in front of the only window.Right now, nothing can be in front of the window because of the closet door. Presto, change-o, I'm taking the door off. We don't need it. It's moving to the garage. Another source of frustration: the fabric drawers on the left. I need to be able to see what I have and those cheap-y drawers aren't cutting it. I want to put up some shelving or a bookcase or something so I can organize the fabrics by color and make some sense out of that whole sitch. Oh, and if that weren't enough, there's more. See the box on top of the fabric drawers, that is full of all of my notions, they are all just sort of thrown in there very haphazard like. Notions will be coming out of the box and onto the new uncluttered work surface. The top of the box serves as a makeshift present wrapping station - what? I know, crazy. Again, I need the clean and organized work surface.

This final little bit is the inside of the closet. The studio is actually the largest bedroom in the apartment, so the bedroom that we sleep in is quite small. To save space in there, we keep the dresser in the closet in the studio. It's not the best situation, but it helps keep the bedroom unencumbered. I want to rethink the bedroom layout and see if maybe, just maybe, we can get the dresser to fit in there. It would certainly help free up some valuable space in the closet. By the way, look at the shelf, oh man, I have certainly got my work cut out for me.

So there you have it, a little run down of my very messy and unorganized studio. I can only do this because it will make the after photos that much more dramatic and who doesn't love a little drama. Happy Saturday, everyone!