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Spoonflower’s Etsy Shop
Spoonflower is the place to go to design your own prints and print them up on cotton fabric by the yard.
Yay! They just opened an Etsy shop, which will feature their favorite designs sold by the yard or in fat squares. Here’s a peek at what they have up for sale right now.
Kim designed this Flower With Fuzzy Bee pattern using a free program called Artrage. One yard is sells for $18.
This is last week’s winning pattern, designed by Crafty Ginger. Coco Stripe is sold by the fat quarter or by the yard for $18.
Don’t Fiddle With Photofiddle
Photo Fiddle contacted me with a very nice offer to take one of my photos and turn it into a customized piece of art stretched on a 12″ x 18″ canvas. There wasn’t any obligation, but of course they were hoping I’d give them a good review. After all, The New York Times and Oprah did.
Sorry. Not me. In fact, the product is so poor I really feel the need to rant.
The idea is a good one. You send them a photo and they, to use their word, fiddled with it. Is it just me, or is that word kind of creepy?) You get to view your photo done up to look like an oil painting, watercolor, etc. Choose the one you like and they print it on canvas and pop it in the mail.
I sent them a photo of The American Brewery building. I chose a watercolor style. I must say, their versions looked great on the screen and I was looking forward to the finished product.
Ugh. Ugh. And double ugh.
You can’t see from this image what the finished product really looks like. It’s bad. Here’s why.
A Few Problems With Photo Fiddle’s Web Site
When you’re buying something online, it’s important to see exactly what you’re getting. Yet the only view of the canvas product was the one above. You can’t enlarge the images to get a close-up view. And hey - my edges weren’t trimmed!
This becomes a real issue since all sales are final, unless the product has been damaged during shipping. Even then, you have only 3 days to contact them for a replacement. I had to scroll waaaaay down the Terms & Conditions page to find any policy. And that was after a truly amazing list of legalese. Really, go check it out. Unbelievable
The Product
Poorly wrapped edges (upper left) and a nice misprint (right) render this product inferior.
The value of my art was $89.95. Kind of steep. But I thought the finished product would be right in line with the price. I was flabbergasted at what came in the box. And, really glad that this was a gift. If I’d spent $90 I’d be angry.
First of all, the image I saw on the screen wasn’t like the one in the box. The real-life version was very badly dappled. It almost looked pixelated. That’s not the word I’m looking for - but blotchy. Like the four color ink printer couldn’t quite handle the effect. Sorry! No refund.
First, as I said, the edges weren’t trimmed, as depicted on their site. And they weren’t wrapped properly. When I hang my artwork on the wall I’m going to see those edges. Poorly done.
More importantly, there’s a nice line of misprint along the bottom. Too bad! No returns unless it’s been damaged in shipping.
Speaking of which, some of the ink was scraped from the sides and there were dents in the canvas because they box the canvas in cardboard without any foam cushion. Some of the dents relaxed after a few days, but not enough to make me happy.
Why Fiddle when you can do it yourself?
Our beach house, Chum Bucket, is decorated with photos taken by Misterarthur. I had them enlarged at Kinko’s and bought frames from IKEA. They’re not on canvas, but they look a lot better than Photo Fiddle’s.
Try using the filters on Photoshop to create similar looks. I’ve doctored up photos to look like watercolors and printed them out on watercolor paper using my home printer.
More and more art supply shops are offering large format printing on canvas. I haven’t looked into it, but I’m sure you can find someone who’ll stretch it on the frame for you - and do a good job.
Opinions Wanted
Have you used this company’s service? Do you have your own Instant Art idea? Let’s rant and rave.
Chair of the Day: Sad Chairs
“Take a peek inside the cruel and unforgiving world of St. Louis, Missouri’s abandoned, abused and neglected chairs. Found in back alleys all over the city, these chairs live out their last days on mean streets, forsaken by their owners and forgotten by society. Until now…”
So says author, Bill Keaggy, who has dedicated an entire book, 50 Sad Chairs, to these forlorn seats. You can find a copy of Bill’s book over at Amazon where it sells for a mere $5.99! A happy price, indeed.
The thing is, I see these chairs and I immediately start to imagine how I could fix them up. Sometimes I think I should start yet another side business. How about you?
Your Weekend Project
We’re halfway through summer - a time when everyone starts to get a bit bored. The garden is done, our tans are looking good, and the kids are driving us all crazy. What we need is a project – one we can do with the kids. And if it will bring new life to a space in our home, then I say, “Let’s get this party started.”
I found the perfect project in the June issue of Marie Claire Idées. (If you can find a copy pick it up. It’s always lots of fun. You can use it to improve your French, too.) We’re going to overhaul an old dresser and make it look cool.
Materials
One old dresser – try Goodwill, garage sales, your basement or attic
Nautical maps, wallpaper or other decorative paper
Graphite stick, or transfer sheet
Tack cloth (if desired)
Wallpaper paste
Rag or cloth
Exacto knife and straight edge
Red and white acrylic paint (or other colors that match the paper)
Papering the Dresser
Remove the knobs from the drawers and paint them white, or other matching color. If you want a perfect job, sand down any bumps you don’t like, and wash the dresser. Then, use a tack cloth to pick up and extra particles.
Lay the paper sheets out so they’re in a pattern you like. One at a time, brush the back of the sheets with the wallpaper paste and lay them on the dresser. Pass a wet cloth across the paper, starting in the center of each sheet and moving toward the edges. This will remove any bubbles. It’s okay if the paper overlaps a little. Just make sure it’s glued down nicely.
Using the Exacto knife and a straight edge, very carefully cut the extra paper along the edges of the drawers and drawer openings.
Painting the Compass Point
While the paper is drying, print out the compass point, or find a different one you like. Enlarge it to a size you like. Make a few copies, just in case you need them.
To transfer the design, cover the back of the paper with graphite. Or, you can use a transfer sheet (a paper already coated with graphite). Take 4 small pieces of masking tape and stick them to your jeans. Peel them up. This takes a lot of the stick out of the tape so it won’t tear the paper. Then, tape your design onto the dresser and lightly trace along the design. Use a straight edge to make a perfect line.
Fill in your design with paint and paint around the edges. To get a clean line, you can use tape. But be careful that it’s not too sticky.
Put the knobs back on the dresser, put the dresser in the room of your choice. The dresser will look so good that everything else will look old next to it, which means you’ll have to spend next weekend shopping for new sheets.
Enjoy!
Design Dilemma: Painting Laminated Furniture
Design Hole reader, Diane, asked me to help her with some Do-It-Yourself advice on painting her grown daughter’s childhood furniture. She wants to redecorate the room now that her daughter is gone and paint the furniture possibly using a glaze.
The dilemma? How do you paint furniture, in general, and how do you paint furniture with a mix of materials? In this case that combination is pine and a laminate top. Laminate can be tricky to paint and needs special preparation and sealant.
While this is more of a how-to than a design issue, I’m happy to help. It’s an interest of mine, since I recently had a similar issue involving sealing a newly painted counter.
Glaze or No Glaze?
Diane also asked about using a glaze. Here I can put my creative opinion to good use. Don’t do it. Glazes are nice on kitchen cabinets and furniture when used to give a more dimensional, lived-in look. But it can be tricky, since the glaze is applied only in certain areas. So, unless you have experience I’d suggest keeping it simple.
Oil v Latex
I’m an oil-based paint girl. It smells, but you get a smooth finish. I even add a paint conditioner to slow down the drying time for an even smoother finish. (Oil paint can get gummy.) It wears longer than latex. I even prefer the clean-up. It’s faster and better than with latex, the thinner is disposed with the paint (latex included - check with your city for the right method). Latex gets washed down the drain. The down-side with oil is that it yellows over time. If you’re painting anything white, you’ll have to take that into account, and latex may be preferable.
Painting Laminate
There isn’t a great secret to painting laminate except to prep the surface carefully and seal it with polyurethane once it’s painted. You can even paint your kitchen counters with great results.
How To Paint Wood & Laminate Furniture
Here are step-by-step instructions. Diane, ask your paint dealer for any special tips regarding covering the pine knots. In my experience, one coat of primer isn’t enough. They’ll bleed through after a few months. Also, use quality, natural bristle brushes designed for oil or latex. Finally, use good quality paint.
- Sand with 100 grit sandpaper and use a tack cloth to remove all dust.
- Wash with TSP (trisodiumphosphate). Then rinse clear water and allow to dry completely.
- Paint surface with one layer of Kilz primer with a foam roller or brush.
- Using a good quality brush paint the furniture with two coats of latex or oil based paint. Allow plenty of drying time between coats.
- If you desire, apply a glaze following the product’s directions.
- Now you’re ready to apply the polyurethane to the laminate. Prep a fine quality, natural bristle brush by soaking it in mineral spirits. Remove the brush and wring it out lightly, just so it’s not dripping wet.
- Apply the polyurethane. Go with thin coats; do not over brush and slow down your brush strokes a bit. Apply 4-5 coats of polyurethane, letting each dry overnight, and sand with 000 steel wool between each coat. It will look very dull. The last coat of poly will not be “sanded” with the steel wool.
- Tip: When using polyurethane, do not shake or stir the can of polyurethane before application. Shaking a clear sealer like this may create unwanted bubbles in the finish.
- Allow final coat to dry at least 2 days before using.
Diane, I hope this helps you with your project. Don’t forget to send me photos of the finished furniture. (I should offer a prize to the first person to send an After photo. :))
In the meantime, If anyone out there has advice of their own to offer, please leave a comment. I have never painted with a glaze, so I can’t help out there. Can someone else?
DIY Butterflies Display - A Guide
A few years ago I got it into my head that it would be a good idea to order dried butterflies, mount and frame them myself. I have no idea why, other than the fact that I can’t stand spending money on anything that looks easy to do yourself. This used to include painting rooms, but fortunately, I’ve gotten over that.
Anyway, I had seen some beautifully framed butterflies in a catalog, fallen in love and then freaked at the $200 price tag. So I decided to go for it and do it myself.
I found a great website called Insect World. They carry just about every insect in the world - including mosquitoes. After much searching, I chose some colorful beauties that were very reasonably priced and ordered a bunch, including some simple supplies.
I’ll cut to the chase right here and tell you that mounting them was a lot easier than I thought and the results were as beautiful as I had hoped. And for far less money than in the catalog.
I won’t go into all the How-To’s here because Butterflies and Things does a much better job of explaining things than I can. Here are the basics. Butterflies prices vary according to rarity and quality. Most are very inexpensive. The most expensive one I bought was $8.00. Most were $1.00 - $3.00. Order a few more than you need because you’ll probably ruin a couple in the mounting process.
The butterflies come dried. You have to relax them in a jar or plastic container for a couple of days. Next, you spread the wings on a mounting board (I used foam core) and secure them with strips of index cards and pins. They sit like that for another couple of days. Then they’re ready for framing. I bought shadow-boxed frames from IKEA, lined them with fabric-covered foam core, and pinned the butterflies inside. Again, go to the link above for specific illustrated instructions.
It was kind of fun. And it was so inexpensive that I was able to cover an entire area for less than the price of just one piece from the catalog. Both Butterflies and Things and Insect World sell butterflies, which are listed by their Latin names, so you’ll need to take your time finding the ones you like. To start you on your way, here’s a list of the butterflies shown above.
- Ornithoptera priamus poseidon (green bird wing)
- Graphium dorcus ventus (black & white swallowtail)
- Delias hyparete hyparete (white with orange tips)
- Appias nero figulina (orange)
- Morpho patroclus orestes (blue)
- Heliconius melpomene melpomene (brown with orange)
- Chorinea sylphina (white with red swallowtail)
- Tro. oblong oblongomaculatus (black with yellow)
- O croesus lydius, Halmaher (white bird wing)
If you’re a little creeped out by bugs, this project will cure you. It’s also something you can do with your children. They’ll have fun checking out the giant beetle assortment at Insect World.
Don’t forget to tell me if you think this project is something you would think of doing, or if the bug factor is too icky to bear.
Rucksack House
Once again! Speaking of New York City (and living in a shoe box - see earlier post), this is just the ticket for me and my future shoe box. Rucksack House, designed by Stefan Eberstadt, from Munich, Germany.
It’s an extra room that hangs conveniently from the side of your building. I’m sure the Super wouldn’t mind that you bashed out part of the fifth floor. Or the building’s owner for that matter. Who cares about them? I need room for my Fevzi kitchen.
To find out all the details about Rucksack House, read the article here. Thanks go to Misterarthur (who thinks I’m doing the taxes right now - shhh!) for helping me with my distraction by sending me this link.
Before and After at Design Sponge
Stroll over to Design Sponge to get the details on this fun Before and After post. One of her readers sent in this project, complete with instructions.
BeforeI wish I had the time to do projects like this. If only there could be just a few more hours in each day. But then, I’ve mean meaning to do more sewing, soooo…
AfterReal Life Kitchen
I thought you’d enjoy seeing this beautiful “real life” kitchen from Design Hole reader, Melissa Hulse. This is a renovation which she and her husband planned themselves. They chose custom cherry cabinets made by a local craftsman. The counters are soapstone and Melissa loves them. She says they require minimal care and can take a beating. I love the huge, farmhouse sink and the way it’s fully integrated with the counters.
And check out that fireplace! Melissa lives in Virgina, where the winters aren’t so cold. But I sure could use one of those up here in Detroit (AKA Frozenland) right about now. Melissa has a masters degree in engineering. I’d say she put her education and experience to good use.
Woven Wood - Perfect for Backsplashes
Here’s a cool product for the Do-It-Yourselfer that I haven’t seen before. It’s actual wood that’s woven into 12-inch squares that combine to create a wall feature. It can be used as a kitchen backsplash - though I probably would be careful around any wet areas. And it comes in several types of wood. You can find it at Architectural Depot. Each square is $14.00.
Chair of the Day: Plan Canvas
Hi! I’m supposed to be relaxing at the beach. But I found this great site called Plan Canvas and decided to post a Chair of the Day. It should probably be called Chair of the Week.
Anyway, this site sells plans for furniture that you make yourself. So, if you got power tools for Christmas and are itching to use them, maybe this is for you.
This particular chair is called Chair 00004. I think they need to work on the names a bit. You can buy the plans, which are downloaded, for a mere $3.99. What a deal!
Chair of the Day: from IKEA Hacker
Here’s a fantastic IKEA hack to inspire you. It’s an IKEA Terje chair refitted with hockey sticks. I notice, however, that they left out the Red Wings. Oh well, it’s pretty cool anyway. I found this over on IKEAHacker - a very fun site.