Steppin' Back

Have you ever looked at or thought about something so long that you feel like it's all muddled up in your head and you no longer see through clear eyes? I'm currently working on a room like that. Hopefully I can share it with you soon. I've honestly hit that point where you're so ready just to git 'er dun that you could get sloppy in your rush.

So, sometimes you just gotta step back a bit and focus on something else. I needed to do that tonight. Soccer season is over Monday. I feel like I've been in such a tail spin lately that I just need to look at something pretty and not think at all. I'm running on empty in the inspiration department. (I did my Monday Inspiration/Pinterest Board, but haven't posted it on here yet. I'll save that for this coming Monday.)

I love repurposed things. It's great to do for several reasons: cuts back on garbage in landfills, saves money, and sparks out of the box thinking... something I'm a huge fan of. But, I'm incredibly picky. For me to like it, it's gotta look authentic to a point (hard to explain what I really mean)... like it looks/works appropriately and artistically... not like an after-thought and not like some junk laying around. I did some searches just to see what I could find that inspires me and thought I'd share them with you.

I love these vintage wallpaper cutouts that can be applied to the wall for decor! Same concept as my nursery art made from leftover fabric scraps.
via Romp 

Here's another great one from Romp.

How cool is this side table made from a luggage rack and vintage suitcase?
via Little Miss Cards

This is incredibly funky. How fun would this be in a firehouse?!
via Home Dosh

Talk about a cheap lamp! Wooden clothes pins are pennies on the dollar.
via Home Dosh

This is just fantastic. I actually stood staring at an old burned out stadium light shaped like this last weekend trying to figure out what I could do with it because I just loved the size and shape! It would also make a really cool vase.
via Trend Hunter

This is just ingenious! No one can ever claim the don't have room to grow a garden after seeing these repurposed rain gutters.
via New World Geek

The next three are out of my files I've saved over time and I have no idea where the came from!

Great use for all those old t.v. armoires everyone is getting rid of these days! A sewing table, table, desk, etc.

Egg crate pendant! Mod and funky!

One of my personal favorites. I bought an old leather suitcase at an auction for  only $1 to try this,
but it was too small for Scottie Dog!

Last by not least...my absolute favorite. These stools made from old industrial [truck?] springs are just too cool! (I can see matchbox cars being run down them by a certain someone as I type - meaning a good coat of sealant!)

I'm feeling a little more inspired now. So, what have you got sitting around that has great form or shape that maybe could be turned into something beautiful and useful?

Amazing Recycle and a Knock-off

Man, I've been MIA lately, haven't I?! When Blogger went down last week, forcing me to take a little hiatis from the blog, I dove into my painting and got lost. I also took some family time all of which equals several days with no blog post! Anyway, I'm back and I have the coolest thing to show you!

There are a lot of recycled and refurbished items out there. To be honest, I don't like a lot of them. It's that perfectionist thing again. They just tend to look....um....recycled, and not in a good way. The creations that really grab me are the ones that are amazing uses of things that don't look like what they actually are.
Case in point:

"Optical (2007)"
via Stuart Haygarth

Is this thing not gorgeous?! Artist Stuart Haygarth created this beautiful work of art. Can you guess what he made it from? It's the lenses from old glasses!!!! Here's what his website said about it:

The Optical chandelier is created from over 4500 prescription spectacle lenses. The lenses are hung on monofilament line which hang from a platform. The lenses form a spherical shape which imitates a disco mirror ball but rather than the light being reflected the light is refracted through the many layers of glass lenses. A magical explosion of light is created. The light is illuminated by a clear 100w incandescent bulb.
Materials : Prescription spectacle lenses, monofilament line, sprayed MDF platform

I stumbled across this one day when I was looking for some inspiration to create a chandelier of sorts for my bathroom to hang over the tub.  This is the one I wanted:





Beaded Capiz Shell Chandelier
via Designer Home Interiors (no longer available)

 
There was just one small problem, while I don't have the price written down, I know it was WAAAAYYY out of my budget! So, I started looking for a way to recreate what I wanted. I considered other cheaper versions like the one at World Market ($69.99 = too much for too little) shown here:

World Market Large Capiz Shell Chandelier

They all just seemed to wimpy as well as too expensive for my unfortunate "Champagne" taste. I thought about ordering the shells to make my own, but that wasn't going to save me much money in the long run. Gotta be another way. Finally, I found this on Design Sponge:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/08/diy-project-brennas-paper-capiz-shell-chandelier.html

 As nice as this is, I didn't care for the ribbons and wanted the crystals as shown in my "want" photo. So, I got out the wax paper and went to town. Yes, that is WAX PAPER! I followed the directions for above for the most part, but I did a few things different.

My Supplies

 First, I used a plant basket I had on hand that I gave a fresh coat of glossy white spray paint. Then, I used fishing line and hot-glued the discs to it instead of ribbon. I sprayed the whole thing lightly with Folk Art Finishes Pearlcote Glaze Aerosol Spray and found some little crystal beads that I glued to the end of each line. This and the crystals are what turns a DIY project into a "piece de resistance" (not really, but you get the idea)!

The other problem I had was the building code around these parts won't allow a hanging chandelier over a tub and the existing light was a recessed can light with an ugly plastic cover over it. So, I popped the cover off, held the basket to the ceiling centered over the light, and marked three evenly spaced points around the circumference. Then, I inserted three small white cup hooks into the ceiling and put in the brightest halogen bulb the recessed fixture would handle (cooler than incandescent). Lastly, I hung the "chandelier" in the cup hooks and wha-la! I had me a classy "capiz" chandelier for less than $20 that also met code.

Updated image with center crystal droplet.

Updated image.

Ditto:)

I'd still like to tweak it some. I may recreate this again if time ever permits and use a better basket I found at my local farm seed store. It is better suited to create a cascade effect of the "shells". I'd also hang each section at alternating heights so the "shells" don't create vertical lines going around the basket. Other than that, it came out pretty good.

If you want to find some beautiful stuff that could be recreated with some imagination and hard work, check out this website: http://www.olystudio.com/index.html. There are so many things on here I'd love to recreate for way less than they sell it for:) In fact, look what I found today while hunting for the "want" chandelier image - talk about coincidence!

It's called the Hanna Shelf. Look Familiar? Check out my Old Shelf Redo post.

Miss Bee

p.s. If you want your "shells" to look even more like Capiz, don't over-iron. Perfectionist...here...went and ironed all the bubbles out, then realized they look more authentic with. This one of the reasons I want to redo this project. I also forgot to add the main big crystal in the center, so I've attached it and retaken a couple of photos. - update on 5/24/11

Linking to:

http://momsbyheart.net/category/momspiration-mondays