NEW YEAR NEW BEGININGS

HAPPY 2011...9 days late :-)
I have been to Florida and back (driving one way) I don't recommend Washington D.C.at 5:15 pm in an ice storm !  Spent a wonderful time with my mom in Florida and got to see my oldest son and twin grandsons for Christmas in Westchester...so I ended the year beautifully!

Now to the New Year and an implusive new adventure...I am already in a brick and mortar store in Little Falls NY...and am today in the snow and 14 degree weather  :-(  about to finish emptying the van I brought back from Florida...only to reload it with all the vintage furniture I have been busy painting to set up in a group shop an hour away from me but closer to Albany 15 mins   (civilization...where there are more buyers...I hope) The Black Sheep Antique Center in Duanesburg N.Y.

I love the center ...I am not crazy about the fact I will be upstairs and will have to go all around the inside of the store to get to the staircase to bring all my stuff to display in my booth.  So right now I am procrastinating and dreading the glamourous life of an antique dealer...wishing it would snow a little harder so I have an excuse not to do this today...

For the past 2 weeks I have been painting and leaving it in my living room (I have a fireplace there so I get to keep warm as I work) I havent seen my couch or bay window in as long and really cant wait to get my home back...My garden spa tub in the downstairs bathroom is filled with empty boxes my dining room tables are filled with smalls (yes I said tables one to be painted and well one is mine my dr is huge)...my sons room may now be the cleanest room in the house lol! You have no idea!

I will do before and after pics of my booth but only have cramped pictures of the items in the living room
but It wouldnt be my blog without a ton of pictures so I will post and then hopefully post the booth pictures some time later this week...because it will be done I will unload and load and unload and navigate and decorate and price  and survive...because as a shopaholic this is what we do to justify our addiction...

Here are some pictures they wont be the prettiest on my blog but heres the idea very vintage pastelle (my first website)

great shadow boxes  

   Robins egg blues pinks greens and creams I even wallpapered hangers and hatstands so I have altered almost everything...there is a cottage original paint group too and I havent gone thru the house yet for the smalls and accents and barkcloth etc etc but I think it all looks good together or has potential too...and the store is on the way to Brimfield (which seems so far away in the future)...
The snow is letting up I have to face the task at hand one more cup of coffee... maybe a phone call... a glance on etsy.... another cup of coffee......................Hope you enjoy your day!!!!

Vintage Wallpaper As Art

Do you ever buy a piece of clothing and then all of a sudden it's like the only piece in your closet you just wear it to death...well I have a habit of doing just that. I also do it with my work I come up with an idea and then it seems to be the only thing I know how to do ...until the next brainstorm...almost 20 years ago from painting deeply carved and ornate syroco, I went to painting silverplate with all the lovely reposse work, to finding furniture that had details and carvings or appliques to highlight, to ornate victorian frames with roses and scrolls. which led me to making collages...

which leads me to vintage wallpaper...one of my favorite decorating tools. I used it on many of my collages as the backdrop the starting point because it was like art in itself.

The wallpaper I am talking about is from the 1920's the 1930's or 40's. It looks handpainted it's not prepasted not vinyl and most often brittle but all you need is a sharp fingernail and some paste....couldn't be more simple!

wallpapers listed in my etsy store

A few yards left of this too

and this deco one in pink

If you don't paint flowers you can cheat using wallpaper...
or border paper

deco border great for hatboxes

or cut out the design and decopauge a single flower or bouquet

 

I handpainted the gold frame around the girl for a Trompe I'oeil effect

 

or you can cover a door or a cabinet big or small

 

 

or the back of a cabinet or shelf

 

 

rustyrosepetals on etsy 

or the side of a wardrobe

or a small section of a piece of furniture to highlight it

 

 

 

tops of furniture

original paint drysink with 1930s wallpaper to match Listed on etsy

table tops

 

you will need alot to do a screen

 

 

or just a little to use it as art in a picture frame
(great to display a piece of jewelry if frame has no glass) ...

or a broken mirror can be a useful and pretty again

 

or on and old window...

 

 

 

of course you can use vintage wallpaper as intended
on a wall too
or a backsplash in a kitchen or bath....
but thats another blog!