SallyJean

Devouring Candy (eye candy, that is!)

A mild heat-wave approaching...a cushy lounge chair...soft blanket and pillow...maybe a hammock instead...a tall glass of an icy somethin'-somethin'...and a bit of a soft breeze just enough to cool you off so the book cover doesn't stick to your thighs.  Oh...and the book.  A picture book.  Just for big girls.  Filled with calorie-free eye candy!

The first bite:  VINTAGE FRENCH INTERIORS  by  Sebastien Siraudeau

Not really about vintage French interiors.  Just fabulous photos of antique flea market finds...distressed...and from many eras.  Great for ideas of what to search for on eBay!

But even better...in the event you happen to be traveling to France this summer...a guide to the flea markets we yearn to shop with every breath of our being.

(Don't you just love Lucy's feathered friend...above?)

...and then...

I can hardly stand it...the over-sized pictures in here are so delish!

Main Course:  THE NEW FRENCH DECOR by Michele Lalande

Again, not really about French Decor.  Just delicious photographs featuring time-worn objects, shells, warped books, chippy paint and taxidermy.  Yes...taxidermy.

I am so sure you will be obsessed with the vignettes throughout this book.  Like me...you'll be sending your daughter to Montana to fetch some deer heads (NOT!)

But you will certainly give a good home to the next best thing...tattered stuffed animals.  Tip:  Look for the flying elephant above the dining room table!

Stay tuned for dessert...whilst I digest...

What would it be like to live here?

Imagine the possibilities?   10,000 square feet plus of hardwood floors...chalkboards...urinals!  LOL!  A gymnasium could be converted into your studio?  Lockers for storage?  And the principals office could be where the litter box is kept.   

3,846 SF  Circa 1790  $50,000

11 Prospect Street, Alstead, NH  03602

I was amazed when I stumbled upon a Circa 1790 schoolhouse in New Hampshire for a mere $50,000.   How cute is this?  (My daughter believes it must be haunted).  So for fun I looked around...and found...

7,700 SF  Circa 1900  $49,900

1035 Old Beacon Road, Parsons, TN  38363

Photo Above

16,332 SF  Circa 1915  $79,900

103 E'School Street,  Weston, NE  68070

Click for Photo

13,000 SF  Circa 1900  $119,900

348 West First Street,  Waldo, WI  53093

Photo Above

28,000 SF  Circa 1957  $150,000

82 Garfield Avenue,  East Palestine, OH  44413

19,484 SF  Circa 1921  $160,000

11125 NE 134th Avenue, Maxwell, IA  50161

11,072 SF  Circa 1901  $174,900

307 N. Main Street,   Franklinton, NC  27525

Click for Photo

21,624 SF   Circa "old"   $175,000

21 Academy Street,  Hartland, ME  04943

10,000 SF   Circa 1912  $225,000

2281 E Forest Avenue,  Detroit, MI  48207

Photo Above

38,000 SF   Circa 1939  $250,000

Frankfort, KY  40601

Photo Above

8,000 SF   Circa 1927  $299,900

Rt 74 Square In Ickesburg,  Ickesburg, PA  17037

8,000 SF   Circa 1957   $350,000

Milton, Wisconsin

And there is so much more...just google the internet to see!  And daydream in the mean time!  

Viva Las Vegas

I am so excited to participate in Art & Soul Las Vegas in 2010!  The excited spirit of the amazing Art & Soul attendees coupled with the electric spirit of Las Vegas can only mean one thing...FUN!

I will be teaching the following workshops:

SOLDERING FOR VIRGINS

THE LOVE BIRD NECKLACE

VIVA LA TIARA

I hope you can join me!  Registration begins today for Art & Soul Las Vegas 2010 (February 21-24, 2010).  

From Grey to Blue...

At last...the grey skies of Oregon are fading into a dusty blue.  At last.  I haven't turned on the space heater for days.  The blankets slide off during the night.  Oh, joy...for grey turning blue!

(images courtesy FLICKR and the wonderful photos shared on that site - the links are shown below)

1. Fixer - upper??? Hmmm....., 2. Afternoon, 3. domino twin beds, 4. N° cinq, 5. Turned to stone., 6. Florida Ephemera Postcards, 7. Ephemera, 8. marie claire bedroom, 9. Gray Catbird, 10. Patons Decor- Grey, 11. Easter Window, 12. Modern wallpaper: Neutral graphic floral print, 13. Rusty grey car, 14.Tones of Gray, 15. Construction Birthday Cupcakes, 16. table, 17. birds, 18. ... easter wonderland (119/365), 19. Josie and Little Walter, 20. Grey Wolves, 21. The family on Easter Sunday, 1961, 22. 2070375703_3e5876797d, 23. Flea market finds, 24. Fuzzy Bunny, 25. Untitled, 26. Mr. Elder Tree, 27. 430, 28. i listened to bob barker, 29. Trabant, 30. Untitled, 31. Gray flowers, still gray times..., 32. Untitled

Paris Flea Market...

Just some inspiration from the flea market in Paris!  Muslin-covered sofa's, tattered chairs, and a zebra - WOW - a zebra!

Did I mention the Giraffe?

Sign Me Up

I am absolutely insane over huge theater marquee sign letters, circus signs, obnoxiously oversized store displays, etc.   For a gal that is obsessed with text, letters, written notes and the like...hanging odd one-of-a-kind letters on her walls (which occasionally spell non-sensical things)...my passion only grew stronger after seeing the great lobby at the Ace Hotel in Portland.   Spelled out, in old, abandoned marquee letters, "HOTEL".  Simply dramtic. (Alright...the photo booth in their lobby is equally cool).  

So a few years ago, after stalking eBay, I came upon a set of 20+ in the same likeness as the Ace Hotel "HOTEL".  Oh, ya.  Dreams do come true.  Or so I thought...

But then I stumbled upon the Big "O"!  Oh, ya...an understatement.  At over 5' tall...and a gazillion lightbulbs...it is one electricity sucker.  Needless to say, it is on the "if I won the lottery wish list".

Even without the lightbulbs...they are magnificent.

But here it is...pure fantasy.   A place to go for every marquee sign imaginable (and more).  Agent Gallery Chicago.  All the marquee letters pictured are from Agent Gallery.  I can hardly stand it.   But...they do cost a pretty penny.  Still...it is better than scaling a wall to get your own.

Workshops...a vacation for the creative soul

Coming off another weekend in my studio with some of the most wonderful women I have met.  It's always that way.  Great girls.  Silly spirits.  Clever beginnings that turn into creative masterpieces.  This past weekend was our Lampshade Workshop.  Although I don't have photos (yet) to share (the techno battery thingy)...I was blown away by each and every one of them.  Not only did each girl have to solder nearly 100 individual pieces, they needed to be attached.  What happened was some amazing feets of engineering and I know...once they are home...lampshades that will be a treasure forever.  Thank you to those special women who came to play in my studio - project sight-unseen - and made it everything I imagined and more!

Speaking of more...I couldn't resist adding a few more workshops to my Spring schedule before my summer hybernation.  There are more "virgins" than I had ever imagined!  And so many have made special requests for the little houses.  Of course, my personal fave, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.  Did I mention an evening version of Upskirt the Angel (a take-off of the raved-about holiday workshop Angel Tree Topper)?

If you're a virgin...or a not-so-virgin...take a peek at what is coming up this spring!  And if you can't make it to Portland...don't forget that I will be in Virginia and Monterey in May!  Until we meet again...Happy Creating!

Fixer Upper Fetish

There is something about a fixer upper that I can't resist.  Perhaps it is that unwanted, neglected "diamond in the rough" attachment I have - an abnormal adoration for discarded possessions - most likely stemming from that Christmas Tree incident (but I digress).  

Among other "ruined" things within a fixer upper, I am absolutely insane about the beauty in peeling paint.  The texture.  The color.  The way the elements of nature take something un-natural (but really...everything was natural at some point *digressing again*) and alter it in such a raw way.  Someone else might like to scrape the peeling paint off and slap a fresh coat on.  Me?  I'd leave it just like it is (instructing anyone under the age of 18 to NOT eat it).

Imagine my (creepy) delight when I stumbled upon the Kingston Lounge  - a pictoral anthology of buildings that have seen better days.  Oh, there are other blogs (believe me...I ogle them, too)...but the photographs that Richard Nickel Jr. displays just sends shivers through me.    More than photos, there is a history to his sharing.   Read along...you will understand and you will feel it too.

Celebrate the unwanted...abandoned...neglected:  Today, find something that has been left behind and adopt it as your own.  Perhaps it is a shredded bit of fabric at the bottom of your mothers sewing pile.  Maybe a chip of wood that is laying alongside the road.  Perhaps even a hungry cat that has been begging at your back door.  Love it.  Embrace it.  Give it a good home.

The Birdies have flown the coop!

Just a few photos of last weekends Here Birdie Birdie Workshop which I absolutely loved!  The Birdies were absolutely adorable.  

Sadly, Joseph (the REAL blue bird that visits my studio) didn't show up (must've flown SOUTH due to all the snow we've had)!

Spring is coming...I promise!

Here Birdie Birdie

Yesterday, for the first time in months, I heard the birds chirping.  Yes...they were really talking it up!  The sun was shining, it was a beautiful day, and, apparently, our feathered friends thought so, too.    Although we see birds by the bunch flutter to our deck (for free peanuts) all day long, the "spring is coming" announcement "chirp chirp chirp" is something special.  I had to pause (while taking out the recycling) and enjoy.  And pause to enjoy some more.

No...these are not the chirping birds...they are project samples for my upcoming workshop Here Birdie Birdie.  Aren't they adorable?  I have a few spots left if you are in the mood for Spring!  We'll both collage and solder...then add their DARLING little feet.  If you'd like to come and play in my studio, click here.

But no matter what...as February turns into March...stop every now and again and listen.  Chirp.  It means...yes...Spring is on its way!