Economic Pick-Me-Up

Right now I'm visiting my Dad in the heart of the Midwest. A nice little slice of "Main Street" America, too small to qualify as a city, but much larger than the villages and townships sprinkled around its rural perimeter. It's pretty here; a simple town with a variety of large,hundred-year-old homes as well as modest yet cozy bungalows. This little town is rich with history from the Civil War, Underground Railroad, and long-ago presidents. Surrounded by miles and miles of farms, one would think that maybe, just maybe, this little homey hub of friendly folk could be immune from the maddening malaise that is Washington, D.C. Not entirely, but there is hope (and, No, I'm not referring to any candidates)....
Among all the financial concerns, it always boils down to this: everyone wants a bargain. I found one.
As my Dad drove down Church Street, a magnetic pull forced me to slap my face up against the passenger window (much like the dog does)and gasp. There, stacked and looking as tempting as a shop full of jelly donuts were...CHAIRS! Tons of them! Cane-backed, Deco-styled, with seats, no seats, chipped, old, and calling my name. It was fate.I've been planning on trying to expand my hobby of painting & selling unique furniture into a small business; and what does one need to start? Capital. And what is part of capital? Inventory. And I just found some inventory: 9 chairs and a footstool for $32.00.
Not a big deal on a large scale, I know; this will not be bailing anyone out. But, it will be helping this dreamer/entrepreneur get started. : )

The Blues

Here is one of a set of two chairs; both with be painted and upholstered the same. I love the fabric pattern--I was looking for something mod, fun, and bold; the poor thing needed some love & perky-ness. This set will be available through Majestical Roof artists' boutique in Old Town Pasadena. I'm so excited that they want to display multiple pieces I've created. Now I really have to get crackin'!
The fabric I used was purchased online thru jcaroline creative Paint is Dutch Boy Clarity, which is a more eco-friendly latex paint (yay!).
Let me know what you think!

I know, I know

So I haven't posted in awhile, but it's like this, see....
I actually have 5 (yes, count on your fingers,FIVE) pieces in progress, but now I'm out of town for a short while and won't get back into the studio (ok--garage) for a few more days. But my brain is working overtime on ideas of what the finished pieces will look like. And they'll be cool. Honest.

I'm very excited as a great artist's boutique in Pasadena, called Majestical Roof, would like to show more of my stuff in their shop. Right now they have the aqua chair with the red dahlias on it (shown in an earlier post). So as soon as I'm back in the garage, the paintbrushes will be flying like Yoda with a lightsaber.For a peek at Majestical Roof's boutique visit their myspace page (link to come). They have a huge range of artist's and goods, and bask in the joy of knowing that the items they carry are unique--no mass market things--AND they work with their artists to fill any requests for commissioned work as well.

Also, I am happy to say that my sweet friend Elizabeth is on the board of the Pasadena Children's Guild, which helps families with children receive healthcare, who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it. The Guild holds a big fundraiser, and elizabeth gave me the warm fuzzies when she asked me to donate a one-wall children's mural. I hope there's an eager bidder for that--I'd LOVE to be able to help such an awesome cause. And I get to draw & paint--what a perk! I'll be posting a link to their site soon, so you can learn more about the event and the organization.

Design*sponge--YAY!

Grace Bonney over at design*sponge posted my Red Dahlia chair makeover on her blog, in her "before & after" section. I've received a lot of great comments on it, which is exciting. Although, I'm sure my husband is mildly dreading the spawn of further furniture diy projects it will undoubtedly lead to. (Buh-bye garage space!). I've been planning to sell it on Craig's List, so wish me luck. Design*sponge receives over 25,000 hits daily, so it was nice to get the project recognized. Grace has a great site and a great eye for various design projects; her site is a great source of inspiration. Head on over to it: http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/before-and-after
You can link to her home page at the side bar to the right of here.
Enjoy!
Leona

One Happy Chair Makeover

Here's another before/after. I only get to work on it in 20 minute chunks, then my 2 year old threatens to take over painting it, so I have to stop. Comments are welcomed, especially if they are nice ones. : )