Ooh La La

This little blue chair was feeling a bit down on itself when we found it. In a series of quite unfortunate events Monsieur Chair found it's light lovely blue fabric being used as a scratching post by an unrelenting chatte (that's cat for us English speaking folk).

It's a bit difficult to see but the side of this arm has served well as a scratching post.

Look at all that potential though!

We just couldn't let ALL that potential go to waste so we got out our wands, and by that I of course mean our blood, sweat and tears (it just doesn't have the same ring) and VIOLA!

I absolutely LOVE this french linen chair! It will be making its way to Swiss Days but I must admit with a lot of reluctance on our part. Monsieur Chair we'll forever chase the cats away!

This chair redo is linked to a fun party! Check it out here.

-Andrea

Green With Envy

Donna Karan once said, "I love building spaces: architecture, furniture, all of it, probably more than fashion. The developmental procedure is more tactile. It's about space and form and it's something you can share with other people." We are sooo with you Donna!


So far over 15 pieces of furniture will be making their way to Swiss Days along side our aprons. We always build the tuffets but most of the big furniture are rescue pieces. Furniture that was once loved, then neglected/forgotten and now brought back to life to serve as highly functional beautiful pieces. Throughout the next 2 weeks we'll have lots of before and afters of the great finds that will be available at September's show and some posts will show our entire process from drab to fab. To start the week off right we chose a small settee with such beautiful ornate carved wood we couldn't bare to paint it but a faded, heavy tapestry reminiscent of my great-grandma's decor.

Greens with a bad attitude to...

greens glammed up and modernized!

Amy Butler's Nigella Petal fabric gave this settee a new meaning to the phrase 'green with envy.' We love how the petite traditional settee contrasts with these bold greens and splashes of pink petals (because every girl needs a little pink!).

Check back tomorrow to witness what a blue antique chair turned cat scratching post has transformed into now. *hint, think FRENCH LINEN!!!

-Andrea

Swiss Days 2010

September 3rd & 4th we'll be in Midway, Utah selling our goods at the annual Midway Swiss Days. We're pretty excited about it-pretty stressed too. Just take a look at this crowd:

The size of this crowd intimidates and excites us. Ok, maybe a wee bit more on the intimidating size. Sleep has been hard to come by these last few months, the sound of sewing machines has been dang near constant and furniture transformations seem to come few and far between. We think we're nearly ready though and we're excited to share pictures of some of the new aprons and a lot of before/after pictures of the amazing furniture we're taking with us-so check back next week!

-Andrea

Rose Bowl Flea Market

My youngest daughter and I recently returned from a visit to California. One Sunday a month a large (and I do mean very LARGE) flea market is held at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. It was just pure luck we visited California during that day (*wink, wink). If you have never been to this flea market mark your calendar and plan a trip because this is so worth going to. The parking lot and surrounding grounds were turned into a mecca for bargin and treasure hunters. We chose one section to concentrate on, antiques/collectibles, and guess what?! It took us over 6 hours just to finish that one area! Next time we visit we'll definitely take a wagon to cart our treasures around in but the market does offer a pick-up area for large purchases like the great chair we scored!

We found it!

Vintage dishes for an eclectic table.


Oh the possibilities for this iron bench!

Hollywood Glam anyone?

Three's a crowd.

Look at all those blue drawers!

Beautiful chairs.

For that beach cottage some day soon.

-Patricia

Guess where we're going?!?

We are so excited to be attending one of the Art & Soul art retreats next year! February 28 - March 3, 2011 don't stop by to borrow a cup of sugar because we'll be in Las Vegas stretching our artistic talent and making new friends. We have each signed up for 4 full day classes (2 together, 2 apart) each and I'm particularly excited to learn from a couple of the artists below. Check 'em out!


Is this chandelier amazing or what?? The artist behind it is Sally Jean Alexander and while I don't get to learn how to make one of those lookers from her my mom and I will both be taking her perfume bottle pendant class. However, if you are feeling like doing a little traveling she does offer workshops creating the above beauties. Check her out here.

This painting/collage/mixed-media fun is from Lisa Kaus. She'll be teaching my Monday class called gridlocked. The class calls for lots of paint, paper and 3-dimensional found objects. I hit up a local SLC flea market at Abode last month and found a great vintage measuring tape like the one in the above piece for 1 dollar! 1 dollar! Check out more of her great work here.

Is it February yet??? There are 4 other great artists we are learning from but if we have to wait months to go you'll just have to wait months to see the goods as well-ha! Think you want to join us or find out more about the great artists that participate? Well, just check it out for yourself here!

-Andrea