Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

This will be the first Christmas of my life without my grandmother. Her passing this past summer has had a profound affect on myself and my family, and I know this is something which will never go away completely.

Having said that, we are planning a happy Christmas this year. My mother will be with us, along with my wife's parents. And we're going to make it a great day, the kind of Christmas my grandmother used to have at her home in Trinity, Texas.

What does any this have to do with Design Style Guide, you ask? Well, nothing directly. But in the process of thinking about this I came up with a wish list, a group of items that I'd like to own or give to others with the aim of making an enjoyable day for one and all. So here are my choices, my Wish List presented for all to see.

Flamingo Red, by Elke Hutchens

I will admit to being a huge fan of Elke Hutchens' work. I'm not even sure how she does this, but I know it's beautiful. This piece is like a large drop of semi-molten cherry candy, and it just begs to be touched!

Elke says: The Flamingo was modeled in clay and molded twice to achieve a refined and detailed finish. It was poured in ceramic slip, then black glaze was applied. I have spent years trying to perfect the process of achieving a sleek and flawless surface of the glaze. I believe I have come as close as I can get, although my quest for perfection will be ongoing.

I can't imagine this looking any better, but I'm interested!

Dresser, by Alfer Design

This is pure wonderment from Alfer Design. The casework is beautiful, the leatherwork is eye-catching, the design is graceful, yet masculine... And I want this in my bedroom instead of the dresser I already own!

And yes, you read correctly. I said "leatherwork." The dark drawer fronts with the brass nails are made of leather. I originally mistook this for a second species of wood until I noticed there was no woodgrain.

This is one of the more artful pieces of furniture I've seen of late.

Purple Song, by WindDancer Photos

I'm a sucker for cool photography, and this is right up there with some of the best I've seen recently. I'm also a sucker for most things purple. So this piece was destined to pull me in.

From WindDancer Photos: A dusky purple orchid with a pale green central flare and contrasting rusty lip accents (some type of zygopetalum) is both stunning and distinctive. Printed on acid-free, premium quality archival high gloss paper and archival high definition inks for rich, deep colors to last a lifetime.

I want to build furniture as beautiful as this photograph.

Purple/Yellow Heart Rocking Chair, by Hollis Woodworks

Speaking of furniture as beautiful as the last photograph, take a look at this rocking chair from Hollis Woodworks. Purple heart and yellow heart are both dense woods, sometimes difficult to work with, but with skill and patience they yield spectacular results, as you can see.

This rocker was inspired by the work of Sam Maloof. I'm certain the people at Hollis Woodworks will take it as a compliment when I say I understood that before reading it. It's not a Maloof rocker, but it has the same grace notes and the same feel to it. Sam Maloof was a genius of furniture design and most good furniture makers aspire to his level of expertise and art. I know I do, and I could learn some valuable lessons by studying this chair.

Lily Bunch II, by Lisa Gabel Design

I hardly know where to begin with this piece. When I first saw it I thought it was a carving, or possibly a plaster mold of some kind. In fact it is a print of a painting by Lisa Gabel Design. Prints are great because you get to have a wonderful piece of art in your home without paying gigantic sums of money for the original. And this one is doubly great because it looks three dimensional!

Many painters shy away from selling prints of their work because the quality can be suspect. Whoever does these prints for Lisa deserves high praise. The integrity of her work is preserved and we have the opportunity to show it off -- and show off our good taste -- in our own homes.

I know just where I'd like to hang this print. Now, if only some nice person will purchase it for me...

•••••

If you make Handmade Home Decor Items, come and join our team by clicking on the image below. Not only will you be able to network with us, but also you will have the ability to post your listing on our team website.

If you like this blog entry you'll love my blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks. Check it out. I'll be glad you did.

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Hip Autumn Home Decor

Spice up your home decor with warm, Autumn hues. The designers at Design Style Guide are busy creating everything from ottomans to tablecloths to compliment a glowing fire in the fireplace and ruddy leaves drifting down outside your window.



This gorgeous contemporary ottoman from Observatory Place has an aspen base and a plushy cushion covered in orange corduroy and brown hemp. Perfect for putting your feet up by the fire.


Accent pillows are a good way to welcome the new season. This patchwork pillow by Flying Needle Gallery measures 16"x16" and is made from luxurious, hand woven Thai silk.

While you can't wrap up in this fine art quilt by Uncommon Cloth, gazing at it on your wall will certainly inspire thoughtfulness and reflection.


Autumn Mood from Point of View Photographic Art certainly brings the outside in vis-a-vis this macro photography print.


Nothing says warm and welcoming like a floral wreath. The Autumn Sunset Wreath from Southern Floral Girl....the name says it all.

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Decorating on a Limited Budget

Last month, interior designer Gail Doby provided some wonderful tips on how to decorate a new house on a limited budget. Since we recently bought a new house with a main floor in desperate need of a makeover, and to say we have a limited budget would be an understatement, I decided to try some of Gail's suggestions for our dining room. I took a look around our house to see what we already have to work with, and found out that we had more than I thought we did. Then I chose some colors and went to the paint store.

This is what I started with - a dull and boring color, an almost empty room and an old table with a missing chair.




And this is what I ended with. I painted the walls a bright yellow, replaced the missing chair and refinished the table and chairs, and moved an old dresser into the room along with some art that was in another room.




And the total price tag for supplies was under $300 if you can believe it. I still can't get over how much of a difference a few cans of paint and rearranging furniture can make in a room. And it is something anyone can do.


I would still like to change out the art work on the smaller wall. So, I searched the Design Style Guide website and found a few wonderful prints that I think would look great and complete our makeover.


Like this Sleeping Bunting print from Wannabes, Photography by Deborah Brackenbury.




And this Colorful Tulips print from Renie Britenbucher Glass Tapestry Artworks




And this Rooster Print from Torrie Smiley




So get inspired with Design Style Guide website and go makeover your home!

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Martine Petra: Etsy Artist from Norway

This interview was originally posted on my own blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks, about a year ago. Martine Petra is one of the most gifted photographers I have ever run across. I wish I had known her 16 years ago when I was putting together a role playing game magazine, because her work would have fit perfectly.

Anyway, I am including the original interview with the original art (enlarged), plus a few extra pieces. And I have asked three new questions which the lovely Martine was kind enough to answer.

Martine Petra is a young woman with whom I've had the privilege of communicating for the past two months or so. I "discovered" her in a chat room at Etsy, saw her in a couple of others, and finally decided her photography was too intriguing to ignore so I invited her to join Design Style Guide, the Etsy team to which I belong.

She was born in Norway, has been living in Sweden, she's a dancer, and she's frequently the model for her own photographs. And away we go...

1. What is your shop name and what do you sell?

martinepetra.etsy.com where I sell different kinds of prints of my photography, artwork services/I edit other peoples photographs, and to come is small stuff like magnets, cards etc featuring my photography as well.

2. Where can you be found on the web?

Etsy

Main

Blog

FLICKR

Myspace

Design Style Guide

3. You're a dancer as well as a photographer. How do these two things work together?

I started to photograph because I felt the need to document my life, and I kinda see photography as a different way of dancing. My photography has taken on a life of itself apart from my dancing, but they still belong together. It is great when I feel I'm stuck in a choreography to work with it in photographs and try to see it in a different light.

They work very well together, and it's great when I need a rest from one of them to dive into the other before my well runs dry. That way I don't burn out.

•••••Be sure to check out Martine's dance video on YouTube.•••••

•••••Speaking of video, check out this Design Style Guide video, featuring many of our wonderful artisans, including Martine Petra•••••

• New Question: How did you end up being your own model in so many of your photographs?

It's convenient, just as simple as that. I enjoy makeup, clothes, expressions, moods etc. It is easier for me to convey what I have in mind myself rather than explain it to someone else. It's just eliminating that link. But photographing for me started out because I wanted to document and try to freeze movement, moods and ideas in dance, and that is how it began and then developed quickly to be something else when it came to photography for me.

4. How does your environment affect your art?

Huge impact on my emotional self! My environment always inspires me to do or not to do certain things, but I feel my art is from a different place. It lays below the surface, and when I make it or bring it forward it is not motivated by economic situations, political issues, or the people/cases/places/news that we all get so bombarded with every day. My art is my inner world, and it has its own references and values when it comes to what beauty, strength and wisdom is.

• New Question: I know that you are moving back to Norway soon. How will that affect your work?

More possibilities I think. I have my eyes set on a house where there's this relatively large space I could use as a dance studio, so space is a big factor when it comes to new work both within dance and photography. A clean studio environment where I can dabble more with ideas and execute them better than I can when creativity strikes in the comfort of my own home now. I always like to see change as something positive and exciting.

5. When did you start selling on Etsy?

In October 2008, but didn't really become active before November.

6. What is your favorite thing about Etsy?

It's art, and it reminds me of how important it is for us to continue to be stimulated creatively! There's a change going on in people. I remember visiting small independent stores with tons of charm and personality whilst growing up, a lot of those stores have had to bow down for bigger brands/malls and superstores, but Etsy kinda takes back those small special stores, and gives them a venue to connect and interact. And it really is a great way to make contact with people who are likeminded.

7. What is your favorite thing about what you sell?

The feedback of someone who really appreciates my work.

8. What is your favorite item in your own shop and why?

I am real keen on all metallic prints, they have a spark in them that I really enjoy studying!

9. I know that you are new to Design Style Guide and it's the only team you're on. What have you discovered about it that surprises or pleases you most?

That union and strength in numbers can land you in places you wouldn't necessarily have thought of yourself.

10. What is the most fun thing you do to promote your shop?

I actually find that appreciation pictures are fun to do, no strings attached, and no one's forcing it on you. To be able to show someone you appreciate their products is giving. It's not conventional promotion, but people see when you give back and I think that is worthy as promotion.

11. What are some of your favorite finds by other sellers on Etsy?

There is so much great stuff out there that it's hard to single out a few, certain things catch my eye, and if I can't stop thinking about it, I buy it. But what really catches my eye are those who sell items and donate to charity/causes, and I think that is big.

12. What do you do in your spare time?

I realize more and more how important family and my family of friends are in my life, so I spend time with and enjoy those people that I find intriguing, exciting and interesting.

To work with dance/photography/music and art in general is spare time for me. Research and reading about history, people, animals and lifestories is something that captivates me as well.

• New Question: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Just thanks a lot for adding new questions, they make me search for answers myself.

You are very welcome, Maritne.

• • • • •

If you make Handmade Home Decor Items, come and join our team by clicking on the image below. Not only will you be able to network with us, but also you will have the ability to post your listing on our team website.

If you like this blog entry you'll love my blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks. Check it out. I'll be glad you did.

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Holding a Candle

I make candle holders out of wood. I got the idea for my first candle holder from an article I read in Woodworkers Journal a few years ago, and then the idea just snowballed into a small industry. I sell these things online and at craft shows, and I have a lot of fun making them.

The idea, at it's core, is to simply make something to hold a candle so it sits upright whilst burning. That way you don't burn your house down. This idea, of course, leaves lots of room for artistic expression, and there is no shortage of artisans taking a stab at building the better candle holder.

You see, it turns out I haven't exactly cornered the market on candle holders, and that's a good thing. Variety means competition, and that means everyone strives to get better. Here are some examples of the candles and holders -- including a pair of my own -- to be found at Design Style Guide.

Hand Painted Candle Cube

V Silcox Designs/ A Painted Setting

This glass candle holder refracts and reflects the flickering candle light, creating ever-changing patterns all over your room. Vickie Silcox says, "Amazing table top illumination comes from the candlelight passing through the transparent paint on the glass. Styled to resemble stained glass yet much more durable and robust." It holds one votive candle in any scent you desire.

Tealight Candle Holder by Charan Sachar

Creative with Clay

These are hand thrown clay candle holders, designed for use with tea lights. They sit low to the table, the light plays off the warm colors of the clay, and the mood is set. These would be wonderful around an intimate dinner for two, as lighting for a holiday setting, or in your master bath.

"Balanced" Candlestick

Boone's Hooks

From short to tall, here we have a forged steel double candle stick holder by Master Blacksmith Smyth Boone, a descendant of that guy with the coonskin cap. This unit makes a statement, and it would make a wonderful addition to an elegant dinner, or as a centerpiece whilst sampling a bottle of your favorite vintage. Personally, I'd like to have this sitting on my buffet for this year's Thanksgiving dinner.

Red Heart Candle Holders

jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks

And here's the pair of my candle holders, as promised. I built these out of Redheart, one of my favorite woods with which to work. I love the figure of the wood when finished. I also love the smell of the wood when I am working it. When the candles are burning low, and the lights are down, the flames seem to dance off the reds and browns in the wood, creating an effect similar to the clay holders above. Any room is the perfect room for this pair, but I prefer them in my library and my wife loves them in the master bath, where they create a mood of utter relaxation... when we're not trying to read, of course.

Contemporary Steel Wall Sconces with Wax Cylinders by Jacob Kennedy

Wink Art & Design

This is a pair of high end candle holders, designed to mount on your wall. Jacob Kennedy says, "Sculpture for your wall. Stunning waxed steel wall sconce and inset wax pillar candle creates a soft glow perfect for an entryway, dining room focal piece, or bedroom mood setter." I couldn't have put it better myself. But I can imagine these in an entry foyer, lighting the way for guests arriving for a Christmas party.

Premium 10 oz. Soy Jar Candle

Bliss Soybean Candles and Gifts

Which brings us to the candle in a jar. It arrives in it's own holder. All you have to do is take the top off, light the candle and enjoy. The piece you see here can be had in any of more than 185 scents. It burns clean, smells wonderful, looks great in your master bath, master bedroom or living room... what more could you want?

This is a 10 ounce jar, but you can also buy these in other sizes, including jelly jars, and I even build a candle holder specifically for the Bliss Soybean Candles Jelly Jar Candle. Check it out, and check out the other beautiful work from all these gifted artisans. They make decorating your home a pleasure.

There are other candles and holders available from these vendors and from several others as well, all under the Design Style Guide umbrella. Check it out. See what treasures you come up with.

• • • • •

If you make Handmade Home Decor Items, come and join our team by clicking on the image below. Not only will you be able to network with us, but also you will have the ability to post your listing on our team website.

If you like this blog entry you'll love my blog, jn3 Hand Crafted Woodworks. Check it out. I'll be glad you did.

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