Studio Tour!

My family and I have been in this house for over 10 years now.

My primary Studio space has been what would be considered the family room,

adjoining the kitchen.  

It made sense as we used the living room as a family room, eating all of our meals together at the dining table...watching movies together.

When my husband passed, I got the garage too and have used that space for messy metal/woodwork and even taught some classes out there.

But over these years, two sons flew the coop.  The one son remaining is a full time college student and Starbucks employee, mix that with his working out and he is rarely home.

My honey has a funky schedule and sees many clients in the evening, which some times

leave just my daughter and I home with the pack of dogs.  So we end up eating

dinner at the kitchen counter.

Houses have lives, just like people, rooms evolve and I like it that way.

So, it was time for the living room to be utilized differently.

It is double the size of the family room.

It took a few weeks to get the rooms totally flip flopped and dialed in, but boy, have I NEVER been happier.  The living room has large windows, with light flooding in.

This is a destination room whereas the family room was always a pass thorough room to get to the kitchen or back yard.

My work table now is smack dab in the middle of the room, Emily typically sits on one side and me the other after school, where she does her homework and chats with me as I work.

I am so incredibly happy with this setup!!!

PLEASE excuse the messy rooms, I am getting ready for 2 Holiday shows...so this was as clean as it was gonna get!!

Still need to patch holes in walls and touch up, but, hey...that will take some time to get to.

I have to give a shout out about the above console.

It was a custom piece made in 1960, signed by the artist.  This piece is 12 ft long with

cool old casters.  The door panels are gorgeous laser cut pieces and the hardware is perfectly suited.

I snagged this amazing piece for $60...yes 60 buck!

At the Habitat for Humanity Restore. 

The leather sofa also.  It is a $500 Ikea leather sofa that I paid $75 for,

Ah, I love a good deal!

Hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful weekend!!

xoxo

Lisa

It takes a Village...Hurricane Sandy

As I look around my house that is cozy, my children and pets that are safe.

Then look to the devastation on the east Coast from Hurricane Sandy.

I can't help but feel almost guilty that so many suffer

while most of us are safe and secure.

At the same time, living in California, I am aware that a massive earthquake could

take this all away.

Crying yesterday while reading my friend 

Jenny Holiday's Story  

of her hurricane Sandy experience,

I felt compelled to donate something to the cause.

So, I am donating this piece of jewelry that is Entitled, "HOPE".

For through every STORM cloud the SUN is ALWAYS shining and 

no matter how horrible life can be, we must always have 

HOPE!

By donating through the ART IS YOU site, this necklace and many other artists work places you in a raffle to win one of the items.

ART is You Art retreats has started a fund raising campaign...

http://www.art-is-you.com/mysitecaddy/site3/artis...hurricanesandyreliefprogram.htm

Please donate what you can to be entered to win art from many other artists...

• hART IS...YOU LENDING A HELPING HAND

Join Art is...You, Adorn Me!, An Artful Journey, The Artful Gathering and Vivi Magoo Presents - as we raise much needed funds for essential personal and household items for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Working with Family to Family and local relief agencies we will have your donation delivered directly to where it is needed - into the hands of those who have lost everything.  Let them see how we can unite and Live in Generosity.  Let them feel our love.

We would like to thank our four wonderful art friends who stepped forward to help us with our efforts. Kim Geiser for donating her Ipadoodle talents and creating this wonderful logo promoting our efforts.  Pam Carriker, Sue Pelletier and Jodi Ohl - who have donated a piece of art as an added incentive for anyone who makes a donation on our site.  You will go into the draw to win one of these fabulous pieces of art.  Drawing will take place November 30th, 2012 at 9.00am Eastern.

Just click on the DONATE NOW Button and you will have the opportunity to make a cash donation or purchase actual items including groceries or gas cards.  Once you have donated, please share on Facebook, tell your friends - get the word out that this village of artists, their family and friends are united in rebuilding the lives of those around them.

Thanks in advance Friends!

LOVE is all you need and ALL you need is LOVE!

xoxo

Broken Hatbox

I am a regular vendor at The Vintage Marketplace every 3 months in Fallbrook.

Two shows ago, I admired this beautiful Vintage Givenchy Hatbox

that another vendor had.

Lauren of "Wearing History"

Gorgeous colors, Right?

But the box was totally falling apart.  

The top was separated totally from it's rim and the bottom was totally off.

I passed on buying it and at the end of the show Lauren gifted it to me

saying she knew I would do something cool with it.

I thanked her and knew all I would do is repair it

and use it in my studio to store vintage something or other in.

Using vintage Pattern paper (which I pick up at thrift stores for about 50 cents) the interior was completely decoupage with one layer to give the box some stability and re-adhere

the base and top circles.

 (of course I only took one pic of this and in was blurry, note to self to take 2 pic next time)

Afte fully decoupaging the interiors with the pattern paper, I needed to figure what to use to bind the outside rim of the top and bottom.  Black paper tape had been used before, but not having this...

what to use???

Bias tape is thin enough to accept a glue and fold over rounded edges rather neatly...to my stash I go!

YES, I love old sewing stuff!!

I used a large bead of tacky glue all around the rim and cut the bias tape about 1/4 inch larger than the total diameter.

Kinda messy, I just used my fingers and occasionally a paintbrush dipped in Modge Podge to smooth and adhere the bias tape to the edges.

The box was fairly warped so I weighed the top down and inverted the box on a pedestal

so the sides would pull down a bit. See the shadow?  (hope that makes sense)

When dried, I punched out the paper from the metal eyelets, which are for the cord to go back through.

(the bruise on my forearm is from being mauled by studio furniture moved this week)

Now this wonderful hatbox is intact again and I can fill it with

millinery or maybe, Bias tape! 

Thank you Lauren!

Now back to Studio Organizing!

xoxo,

Lisa

Harmony in Cambria

This summer Mom, Emily and I took a couple days to visit Cambria.

If you have never been and have a chance, you should.

It is the most darling town along the central California Coast.

Just south of San Simeon, home to the World Famous Hearst Castle.

Just south of Cambria is the TINY town of Harmony.

We had a lovely couple of days, staying at the Cambria Pines Lodge, which is one

of my favorite places to stay there.

They have lovely walking gardens, great accommodations and

a pretty nice breakfast that is included in your stay.

All of these photos were taken with my Iphone and edited via

Instagram and Pic Monkey.

Freaking amazing what pics we can now take with a PHONE.

I have a bunch more to edit on my Big camera.

But for now, I hope you enjoyed these!

xo,

Lisa