Becolorful

Spring Flowers Mirror

 

 

The American Red Cross Red Boa Ball is later this month. This is a local fundraiser that I have been a part of for several years now.

Last year I painted a bistro patio table for the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year I embellished an oversized rectangular mirror and candlestick.

 

 

I have been preoccupied these past weeks helping my mom recover from a fall and I found it very therapeutic to get out my paints and escape into an act of creativity. Once I finished the mirror I remembered that I had a plain black candlestick that I had purchased at a Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago.I  thought it was a great blank canvas and I planned on painting it. Well, it took me two years to get around to that project. I'm glad I still had it. I think they work well together and I am offering them as a package.

 

 

I hope you can join us April 30th at the Cedar Rapids Marriott as we celebrate the

American Red Cross

Red Boa Ball!

 

xoxo,

p

 

 

 

 

A New Home For A Colorful Chest

In early 2010 I painted this piece for our own home. We needed some extra storage  and I wanted to bring a bit of the unexpected to a traditional and formal dining room.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a mix of harlequin, leopard print, stripes and florals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It only remained in our dining room for about a year.

 

 

I had procrastinated, I was running out of time before the Traveling Door sale and I needed more of my painted pieces to sell.  So I decided that I would part with this one and worry about replacing it later. 

 

The woman that purchased it nearly five years ago just recently moved away and decided that the piece wouldn't be going with her. So unbeknownst to me, my BeColorful creation moved on once more.

Last week I was quite surprised to see it again. I had gone with my mom to visit one of her friends and there, as we turned the corner just past the entry way, sat the unconventional and colorful side board that I had painted almost six years ago.

 

 

It was like seeing an old friend.

I love how she has styled it. The mirror and the martini bearing huntsman could not be any more perfect with this piece.

I'm so glad to see that it has such a good home.

Enjoy Babs!

xoxo,

p

A Blooming Bistro Table

The American Red Cross Red Boa Ball was earlier this month and I had wanted to create something that I could donate to the silent auction. I settled on the idea of painting one of these Ikea LINDVED bistro tables for the event.

 

They are a nice size for a small patio grouping and they come pre-painted in an easy- to- cover shade of clean white. They really are a virtual blank canvas just begging for color.

I spray painted the entire table first with Rust-Oleum 2x spray paint in glossy Spa Blue. After the paint had dried I drew on my design with white chalk. This allows me to make pattern changes with out having to repaint the table top.

 

Once my design was laid out it was just a matter of filling in the leaves and flowers with various shades of craft paint. Then I went back and outlined some of the elements with a sharpie marker to give them more definition and impact.

Next I added some stripes for interest using a flat edge one inch brush. Using this brush is a time saving short cut to avoid having to use painter's tape.

 

Finally I created a bit more interest and color by adding some dots. I like to use a pencil eraser because this helps me to be sure the dots are fairly uniform in size and shape.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I think a project is complete and I go ahead and take some pictures for my portfolio. It's when I look at the pictures that I occasionally  realize something isn't right.

I thought my table was complete...

 

 

but then I knew it had too much open space. What to do? Fill it in with more dots!

Much better.

:D

 

I was able to complete this project in an evening and I'm happy to say that the money it raised was worth the effort.

xoxo,

p

I Feel A Table Coming On

 

It's simple, Spring = color. As the days grow a bit longer the skies become bluer, and yards greener. I'm ready to shed my black and gray winter wear for bright corals and blues and today I'm dreaming of some significant splashes of color for the house too.

 

Perhaps warmer weather and the ability to throw open the windows is also spurring my desire to start painting again. 

I painted this table a couple of years ago for a Traveling Door sale. I've featured it here before but I keep coming back to it. It sold at the sale but I'm thinking of recreating another one for myself.

I'll change the colors up a bit so it won't be exactly the same but the table is an Ikea Lindved so I can easily pick up another one.

Perhaps I'll go with hibiscus instead of the hydrangea. A bit of a tropical twist.

 

Stay tuned. I feel a table coming on.

xoxo,

p

JDRF Clock

 

This past summer I was given the opportunity to share in a spectacular milestone. The chairwoman of our local Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation chapter was celebrating her tenth year as the gala chair. She is one incredible woman and her outstanding and note worthy fund-raising efforts have garnered attention from other charitable organizations and other JDRF chapters across the country. Her family wanted to commemorate her ten year commitment to this cause by gifting her with a clock that had been in their family for years. They wanted to have the clock highlighted with the graphically designed themes from each of the years that she had chaired the event. This is where I came in. My job was to come up with a plan of incorporating ten different event invitations in ten different color palettes, and pull them all together into some sort of cohesive design.

It proved to be a bit of a challenge but with plenty of time to pull my design together and a little brainstorming with my artistic son over a couple glasses of wine, I was able to complete this fun and creative effort.

 

Here are a few shots I took of the clock while it was still in my studio where the lighting for photos is pretty atrocious and the lack of a cleared space is glaringly evident.

I was told that her favorite theme had been the "Wild About A Cure" so I put that front and center.

 

The right side of the clock was the most difficult for me and I must have repainted it three times.

 

 

 

 

The left side had a couple fewer elements so it was easier.

 

 

 

 

Ta da!

 

 Thanks Lavonne, Lorie, and of course, Nette.

xoxo,

p

A Barrel Top Lazy Susan

 

When I was asked to paint up this wine barrel lid that was to be re-purposed into a lazy susan I knew it would be a fun project. The client wanted  to go with a with a wine theme and I immediately knew what I wanted to do. She requested that some of her husband's favorite wines be incorporated into the piece so I began by laying out my design and then printed out the wine label images from my computer. I painted the design and then decoupaged the labels onto the painted bottles, added a few grapes and glasses for interest and voila! A neutral palettes and design that will hopefully be appropriate in either a kitchen or casual dining space. If they didn't want to use it as a lazy susan it could lean against a mantel or be hung on a wall.

I added the names of different varieties of wine with a black sharpie for some added depth to the lettering and then highlighted with a gold paint pen. It is critical that you allow the paint pen to cure well before adding a clear coat or the paint pen will bleed. I learned that the hard way on a previous project. 

:D

 

 Off to a good home!

xoxo,

p

Designer Inspired Jewelry Box

 

 

I recently finished a jewelry box for a client that wanted to give this piece as a gift. She told me her friend liked all things bling, animal print and designer. The rest she left to me. So I added the BeColorful nod to Louis Vuitton, leopards everywhere, and Coco Chanel.

 

 

 

 

Thank you Ms. L. I hope she enjoys it. 

xoxo

p

Finally, Traveling Door Creations

The Traveling Door is a small group of artisans in the Cedar Rapids area. I have been been fortunate enough to be included in and inspired by these women for quite some time. We celebrated our most recent Traveling Door 2013 event in late April but I am just now getting around to showing you some of the highlights from our market.

The talents, artistic direction and styles are as varied as we are. Two of the women create amazing jewelry.


 

Two others are fabulous with a needle and thread.


 

Some, like me like to transform the banal into something one-of-a-kind and conversation worthy.

Just look at this yellow table and chair of Sally's. They made me ooh and aah out loud.

Meanwhile, Jan's grey and turquoise trunk was flying out the door.


 

There was also a Mad Men inspired mid-century chair that I was totally smitten with but someone snarfed that up  before I could even get a picture of it.

A new artisan brought in a number of canvas art pieces that she created with embellished vintage album jackets. So cool.


 

I wish I could claim this colorful 70's vibe tray as my own. It so reminds me of a Keith Haring painting. This, though, is a JButterworth piece. Love it.

Nugent Photography

also showed in our 2013 event.

Tom's pieces are inspired by the every day and each one elicits an emotional response.

As for me, I brought my usual colorful furniture, vases, and finials.


 

I have to admit, though, that this was a challenging market for me this time around. Not only was I trying to pull a collection together but I was also preparing for our son's wedding and a trip to South Korea. I had a lot on my plate and it showed. In the weeks before a show I usually have things strewn all over my studio and painting garage. This time I missed several key pieces. They didn't even make to the show! As a result I had more items than usual left over.

Like this concrete patio flair.


 

So I'm seriously thinking about opening an Etsy store or having a BeColorful event on my own. I want to keep creating but I have to move some work out first.

It is always fun to see my visions go to new homes and a number of them did. 

Along with this The Help inspired mirror that I sold


 

I also had a taker for this Hollywood Regency buffet that used to be in my dining room.


 

That left a big old hole at one end of the room.  Never fear, I have already found another piece to fill the void. The new sideboard also needs a coat of paint but more on that project later this week.

:D

 Along with the furniture I painted a number of these globe votives and coordinating candlesticks. 

Much like when I have a garage sale, some of my favorites were left behind.

They can definitely add a splash of interest all by themselves


 

but I also like them grouped together.


 

June is turning out to be one filled out calendar page but hopefully I will be able to carve out some time to either pull together a smaller sale of my own or establish something on the web.

Stay tuned. 

:D

xoxo,

p

Phone Glam

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that bling.

:D

Not everything Traveling Door is for your home and not everything I create is painted. Sometimes it is fun to channel something a bit unexpected; like glammed up phone cases. These are for iphone 4, 4s and iphone 5 models.

I want to do a couple white cases for summer and maybe some studded numbers instead of just rhinestone.

Thoughts?

These will be at The Traveling Door 2013 event.

Don't see what you need or in the right color? Email me with your preferences or for more information at [email protected]

xoxo,

p

Inspired by Cool Blues

Blues. It' s a color that we haven't seen as much of in recent years. It began reappearing as shades of turquoise a few years ago but as I open my catalogs and catch up on my blog reading I am seeing more and more of these cool blues.

West Elm

 

Martha Stewart

 

Pottery Barn

 

So, as I get ready for the upcoming Traveling Door 2013 Market Event, I freely admit that I am motivated to stay on trend. 

The beauty of blue is how well it compliments shades of itself

 

or how it "plays nice" with other colors.

 

That said, I decided to try my hand at blues. 

 

The end result was a lazy susan in variations of blue, cream and navy.

 

To read more about 

The Traveling Door event

visit here.

xoxo,

p

A Yellow Springtime Vase

 

This vase isn't quite finished yet. Because my studio doesn't have enough natural light I rely on artificial overhead lighting. Although it seems bright enough it somehow still makes it difficult to see places I might have missed. This project wasn't any different. After I brought it up into the sunlight I could see some areas that needed  touch ups and attention. So I will tweak it a bit more and then I will do a final clear coat to seal the paint and give it a glossy finish. While it was up here I thought I would take a picture or two so you can see that I am making progress. With only six weeks to go until The Traveling Door 2013 event I need to get busy.

 

 

That means that it is back to work for me.  If you are looking for me I'll be in the studio.

:D

 

xoxo,

p

Survival Kit Painted Wine Box

Even though our Traveling Door Show has been postponed I have been continuing to paint away. I occasionally buy clearance items that need a bit of TLC but sometimes I am fortunate enough to be able to recycle something from home like this wine box. Last Christmas Mike received a bottle of wine from one of his vendors in this great wooden box. The wine is long gone but I thought it would be fun to do something with the box. It was just a plain cherry stained box with the vineyard's logo on the top until I gave it the BeColorful touch.

I kept it rather subdued this time and blues are a total break out color for me. 

I painted the entire box a navy blue then added the silver stripes using painter's tape. I am not very good about planning ahead. I should have painted the lid silver too and then use my Silhouette machine to create a mask that I could put down and then cover with the blue paint. That would have been much too easy. So since I already had the top painted blue I still used the Silhouette machine to create the letters. I forget the font that I used. Then removed the letters from the vinyl to create a stencil and filled that in with silver paint using a small round sponge brush.

Open it up and you have an emergency survival kit that just might come in handy over the upcoming holidays.

:D

 

Don't want to wait for the show? 

You can view this and more of my work by clicking on the

BeColorful Designs Album at the top of the right margin.

So glad you stopped by.

xoxo,

p

Dorothy Draper Inspired Bowl

I bought this bowl a while back knowing I would paint it for The Traveling Door show that is coming up soon.

It was a Hobby Lobby find with nice lines and finished in brown with a bronze glaze. Not bad, but not very interesting. I wanted to give it a new, more exciting life. So I gave it the BeColorful touch. :D

 

I've been influenced by the glamorous style of Dorothy Draper so this was my nod to her.

Black and white stripes on the outside

 

 

and gilded gold and green argyle on the inside.

 

 

 

Dorothy, if you are looking down I hope you approve.

xoxo,

p

The Wine Cabinet Reveal

Yes, it seems like I have been working on this piece forever but I think I can now say that I can put a big bold check next to the  finish wine cabinet line of my to do list. 

In my defense there was a lot of wood burning on this piece. I like to do the burning out in the garage because of the lingering smell. Plus it has been ungodly hot this summer and some days it was just too beastly to be out there in the heat with a hot burner.

When my friend first brought me her cabinet it looked like this.

 

She likes a colorful folk art style and to give me a bit of direction she gave me this inspiration image. 

 

 

... and this is what I came up with for her.

 

 

 

She wanted to incorporate some wine themed words and phrases into the piece so I added them by burning them into the edges of the front and top of the cabinet.

 

The word Slainte means Cheers in Irish and is a nod to her heritage.

 

 

These are the two sides

 

 

 

 

Even though the back will most likely seldom be seen, I couldn't leave it bare so I added a simple design here too.

 

 

Finally, I always like to add some fun to the interior of a piece like this. This time I  dressed it up with some metalic stripes and  polka dots, a couple bottles of wine and a cork screw and a cork.

 

 

 

I haven't done any trompe L'oeil for awhile. It was fun to revisit this technique.

 

Now it's ready to hold all the cabernet, pinot, malbec and saugvignon blanc she can fit in here.

This piece was beginning to feel like a permanent fixture in my painting garage. I will be just a little bit sad to see it leave.

Looking at the pictures makes me think I deserve a glass of wine.

Cheers to that!

:D

xoxo,

p

 

LInking up my wine cabinet creation here:

 

 

 

 

 

A Repurposed Silver Box Gets the Toile Treatment

Last year I had done another silverware caddy for this same client.

 

 

On that first box we left the interior intact and I tried to suggest some alternative uses for it

but this time she wanted the second box gutted and painted. I wasn't able to paint it because of the residual glue. When I tried to sand it I found the wood lifting too. So I opted to line the box instead. Hobby Lobby carried the larger sheets of felt that I needed for this project.

 

 

My client had sent me a picture of a red toile pillow from her bedroom and let me know that she wanted this piece to coordinate with the rest of the room. So I used that photo as my jumping off point. Knowing that the other colors she wanted to incorporate were black, white, and a silvery blue I delved in to come up with something I hoped would work for her.

I actually printed out her picture and enlarged it so I could see some of the detail work since toile is not my usual painting style.

Then to pull the blues and reds together I did a border of flowers utilizing both colors.

 

 

The black and white border and feet are my nod to the flirty and fun and the blue and black damask reflects a more classic style.

 

It was a bit challenging to pull together the whimsical look she likes with the more traditional elements but stretching the brain is always a good thing.

xoxo,

p

 

Not Your Run of the Mill Candlestick

 

 

There is nothing shy about this candlestick.

Created from an old table leg

it is epic in its height,

 

 

boldly colorful,

and daring in its mix of patterns.

 

 

 

Topped with a sassy candle

 

 

 

 

 

 

or a bottle of your favorite bubbly,

this big and bold number will garner some attention.

 

xoxo,

p

Linking up my colorful candleholder here:

 

The Memories Bench

Hello again, it's you and me
Kinda always like it used to be
Sippin' wine, killin' time
Tryin' to solve life's mysteries

How's your life? It's been awhile
God it's good to see you smile
I see you reachin' for your keys
Lookin for a reason not to leave

Bon Jovi

 

Several years ago, when I was a brand new blogger - actually I think it was one of my very first entries, I wrote a post that began with those lyrics. I even included this same bench that sits on the front porch of our Galena getaway.

It's so true. The line about "lookin' for reason not to leave".

We relish our time here.

Well that was a while ago and even though I still love it, the song has dropped way down on my playlist by now. As for the bench, well it was really beginning to show its age.

Who am I kidding? It wasn't just beginning to show its age. It looked decrepit. It was dirty, the paint was lifting and even the wood was getting that rough weathered texture that if left much longer would make this a very uncomfortable place to sit.

Ouch.

So this past weekend, while the weather was spectacular and unusually warm for March in the midwest, I had this burst of energy and decided to give our Memory Bench a fresh coat of paint for 2012.

 

Because building covenants here don't allow me to have a brightly colored front door like that vivid yellow that I have at home, I decided to get a boost of personality with this colorful bench instead.

It came with the house and was a boring blond oak until I got my paintbrushes on it.

This time around I will top coat it with a marine grade polyurethane. I think I just used whatever I had on hand the first time. Hopefully that will get us through the next three or four years.

If the bench is still worth saving by then I think I might sand it down and start from scratch. I'm thinking I should incorporate that Bon Jovi quote the next time I dress this baby up.

xoxo,

P

A Vino Inspired Lazy Susan

Lazy Susans are one of my favorite pieces to paint.  I have done a number of them over the past couple of years for The Traveling Door.  I think what I like about these pieces is the blank smooth canvas and that the round layout is a bit out of the ordinary and challenging in that it needs to make sense from every angle as the turntable moves.

I start out with a plain wood lazy susan. This one is from Ikea.

I sand it to roughen up the wood a bit so the paint will adhere better and then I paint the entire piece with a primer.

I like to use Glidden's Gripper.

 

After the primer is dry I lay out my design by drawing it on the white primer.

Recently I have started using a woodburning tool on a few of these pieces to give them more dimension and texture. When I do add the burning I  finish drawing my design on first and then I burn the lines I have drawn. It works best if I keep my subject matter  on the simplistic side. Then, with the design burned into the wood, I go back and fill in the outlines with my painting. It is a bit like coloring in a coloring book. Sometimes I have to go back in and reburn areas that fill in with too much paint and lose their detailing. Occasionally I just go back and go over some of the lines with a black Sharpie to give them more definition.

Depending on the look I am trying to achieve I will either add an antiquing glaze if I want the piece to have a softer aged feel or I will add a gloss poly coat if I am going for a clean crisp shiny look.

This lazy susan  with its wine theme got the glaze treatment and then a satin clear coat for protection.

I like how this piece evolved with its patterned backgrounds and wedges of black and white. Usually my best designs are by accident.

 

:0

So glad you stopped by.

xoxo,

P

This piece is available for purchase and sells for $42.00.  For more information you can contact me at [email protected]

Repurposed Art - Finials

 

 

Earlier this month I participated in an artisan event called The Traveling Door with a group of my artsy friends.  Each of us has a different style and medium that we bring to the table. When people ask me what kind of art I do I usually tell them re-purposed or functional art. Typically they don't want to admit that they don't have a clue what I am talking about. It's a funny thing, when you say the words art or wine to someone.  We often get all uptight about our knowledge or our perceived lack of knowledge on the subject. Why do we do that? Why is art so different from cooking or technology? I digress. Anyway, I can tell when they aren't with me because their faces kind of cloud over and their eyebrows knit and I can almost  see them thinking, " Is she for real? Is she making this stuff up? "  So then I start going into my schpeel of what it is that I do. Usually their eyes glaze over with boredom so I try and keep it short but occasionally I get someone who seems truly interested.

So not knowing which category you fall into, I will try and keep it short.

Re-purposed or functional art is taking something ordinary or sometimes hideous and giving it a new life by painting, staining or embellishing it to create something that is one-of-a-kind.

For example, this was a finial that I found in the clearance aisle at the Hob Lob.

Understated and classic yes, but also a bit of a yawn. In the Spring I like to work with brighter colors but for the Fall sale
I tend to stay with more neutrals or deeper colors. So this time I went with metallics.

I actually had two of these finials. Things get crazy right before a sale and I don't always get individual pictures of everything I painted. So the only after picture I have is a display picture from our Traveling Door event.

A little paint, a little bling for what could be holiday flair and voila! A noteworthy accessory for an end table, bookshelf or mantel. 

Those are some coordinating candlesticks in the background and a lamp base that is a BeColorful take on an Ikea lamp.

But back to the finials.

I forgot to take a before picture but just like the other pieces, this one also started out as solid black.

 

To do something like this yourself you only need a good primer. I don't have a favorite for small pieces like this. Sworn to fun (whatever is on sale) and loyal to none is my motto here. You will also need an array of craft paint colors and maybe a paint pen or two for the finer details.

I like a piece like this that has lots of ins and outs or definite start and stop points for varying the pattern. Then let your imagination fly. Polka dots, stripes, swirls, hearts, stars, what ever floats your boat. :0

 

 

This one also got a few subtle sparkles to dress it up for the holidays but not so much that it couldn't be left out all year.

 

 

 

 

When you are finished give it a light coat of a clear finish. For a small piece like this I prefer a spray.

 

The beauty of this kind of project is that you can choose the element and the colors that will work in your home and then add coordinating pieces as you go.

So glad you stopped by.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

xoxo

P

 

 

 

 

I am also asked where I find my pieces. Some of them come right out of our home. Some from discount stores and thrift shops and every now and again someone thinks of me and gives me some of their cast offs.  I also do commission work which is always exciting and eliminates the having to coming up with a piece to paint.

 

 

Mixed Media Wall Piece

This is my AFTER picture.

I bought this metal 30x30 wall art from TJ Maxx a couple of years ago with the intention of painting it for The Traveling Door.

It had some hideous bird design on it when I bought it but I liked the three dimensional effect of the metal squares.

I painted the whole thing black probably a year or more ago and then for some reason it just sat. I think I knew I wanted to do a design with wine bottles and maybe I figured that would sell better at our Fall event than in the Spring.

I painted the wine bottles onto the "canvas" first and then printed out wine labels in sizes that would fit the bottles and decoupaged them on.

 

I added some stenciling detail to two of the squares and a subway art treatment with the wine facts on two others. 

I then went back in and added a few more painted details and thought the piece was finished.

 

The more I looked at it though, the more I didn't like the contrast of the wine glasses and bottles with the subdued gray and black colors so I ended up glazing the piece with a warm brown.

I think I added too much glaze because some of the detailing was lost so back in again, adding more detail. 

Geeze, I didn't think it would take me this long to complete.

Finally, though, I was satisfied.

 

 

NOW I can add it to my finished projects for 

The Traveling Door.

:0

xoxo,

P