decor Archives - Linda Nelson

GOING BACK IN TIME

December 20, 2018

In my home, curiosity may not kill the cat, but it may possibly bring down the Christmas tree. And, this is why I feel like I’m going back in time – the yesteryears of un-breakables.

Remember when your kids(for those of you who have them) were little, when the delicate ornaments were hung toward the top of the tree and the unbreakable ones within the reach of chubby little hands? Well, my cat, Kovacs, though not a chubby handed little tot, sure is curious. So….. back in time I go. This is his first Christmas here in my home; I adopted him earlier this year. So far, so good; he hasn’t tried to scale the tree.

©Linda Nelson 2018

However, after some holiday shopping last night, I came home to this.

©Linda Nelson 2018

It’s supposed to look like this.

©Linda Nelson 2018

If I ever have grandchildren, they won’t be allowed in my house until they’re past “that stage”. Just kidding. I’m not that cruel…. but close.

Anyway, here’s a few of the un-breakables I hung on the tree.

©Linda Nelson 2018

I made the cowboy boots close to thirty years go! The birdhouse was a recent purchase from a holiday bazaar.

©Linda Nelson 2018

And, here’s some other holiday baubles placed about.

©Linda Nelson 2018

I sure do hope your decorations are staying put!

GOING BACK IN TIME Read More »

RANDOM CHITCHAT AND A TAIL TALE

March 18, 2018

Peter Cotton’s tail, or the Tail of Peter Rabbit? No matter which tail tale you side with, “somebunny” lost one, and now I have it…. my little decorative springtime specimen.

©Linda Nelson 2018

For this post, I find myself in the mood for some random chitchat, sharing a bit of much-to-do-about-nothing, chewing the cud…. I hope you don’t mind that I’m inclined to verbally and visually unwind.

This past week presented me with a number of random tasks/errands to tackle, one of which required me to park my vehicle right next to our town’s hospital thrift shop. How convenient. And, the shop was having a storewide 1/2 price clearance sale. Sweet!

Well, I couldn’t resist snatching up this little needlepoint tapestry. Now, I did have to “freshen” it up a bit and swap out it’s musty “scented” broken frame for one I had on hand, but it was worth the wee bit of effort.

©Linda Nelson 2018

I also managed to mount the deer head I brought back from Italy. The “mounting board” is from an old, broken sewing cabinet. I think they pair together nicely, don’t you?

©Linda Nelson 2018

My seventeen year-old developed a little quirk about a year ago, and it has had an effect on my kitchen decor. I’m serious! I know, I know…… how could the two issues be related? Well, about four years ago, I invested in the “lady with the blue dress on” from an artist who’s work I admire, and thought that wall the perfect spot to show her off. All was fine…… until I had new windows installed last year. By the way, my seventeen year-old is sitting in the bottom of this photo.

©Linda Nelson 2018

Anyway, the doorknob on the right side of the photo leads to my basement; I kept it open the duration of the window installment construction so he could seek shelter from all the loud noises and burly strangers making the noise. Since then, he has insisted on wanting the basement door open all the time. Thank goodness he sleeps most of the day, so it’s only a few hours here and there that my view of the lady is obstructed by the door. This past week, I came up with a solution that grants me an arty view, regardless.

©Linda Nelson 2018

I painted the basement facing side of the door, made an over-the-door hanger from a piece of aluminum flashing I had on hand, and hung one of my other cherished pieces on the hanger. Instant art gallery!

The following photos are of some other little visual pleasures that currently adorn my kitchen/dining area.

©Linda Nelson 2018

I love this little corner of the kitchen counter, which is just to the left of my sink. I always make sure it looks pretty so that washing dishes isn’t so “painful”.

©Linda Nelson 2018

A client of mine passed this apothecary cabinet on to me, one of my favorite pieces. I keep the doors off, though; too impractical for daily use.

©Linda Nelson 2018

I used to have a pet rooster. His name was Captain Hook. I love chickens.

©Linda Nelson 2018

The enamel pan serves as my “fruit bowl”. I have since restocked; grocery shopping was on the errands list.

©Linda Nelson 2018

This scale belonged to my grandmother. And, it’s not just a prop; I actually use it to calculate the weight for when shipping my greeting card orders.

©Linda Nelson 2018

And, that’s my verbal and visual random chitchat for today. Thanks for stopping by!

RANDOM CHITCHAT AND A TAIL TALE Read More »

CUPID WAS HERE.

January 23, 2018

In my last post, I shared with you some sweet, handmade musings inspired by Cupid. Well, he continues to hang around aiming his crafty bow right at my heart. I don’t mind at all. Draw it in my direction all you want, little guy!

The fabric, trim and wire fixation kept me amused for one afternoon, but another afternoon followed……. with more fixations. I’ve been busy.

Full disclosure – this vignette was set up in my guest room, as it’s the only room in my house that gets bathed in the “flat” natural light that I prefer for photographing things. The common rooms (where I would actually intend to display these adornments)really stink with regard to suitable lighting.

I had made a bunch of wire ornaments to sell at my local garden center during the Christmas holiday. I updated the few I kept for myself by simply swapping out the original jute twine and green ribbon for pink ribbon. And, the cache of scrap ribbon leftover from the hearts I made is proof that you can pretty much turn anything into decor!

Oh, those popularly available reproduction game tiles are so overrated. Hand stamping real tiles is so much more fun ;D

Yes, I put on this siren hued, goopy lipstick and kissed the mirror just for you.

Printing vintage graphics…simple, fun and super thrifty.

The piece pictured below was a fun little project, and didn’t take much time at all to make. I bet you could come up with your own version of it. Go ahead, give it a try.

And, this little mushroom I made last year fits right in with all the other sweet companions.

Well, this post wraps up my collection of Cupid inspired creations. And, full disclosure – this is what my dining table has looked like for the past few weeks. Really.

CUPID WAS HERE. Read More »

SPRINGTIME ALTERED PICTURE FRAME

March 25, 2014

I altered this picture frame using scrap materials I had on hand. My “scratch technique” for the glass was literally that; I removed the glass from the frame, placed it on my garage floor, then used a “Cinderella floor scrubbing” motion to create the effect. *CAUTION! DO NOT USE THIS TECHNIQUE WITH TEMPERED GLASS; IT WILL EXPLODE INTO LITTLE PIECES.* I rubbed in a small amount of gesso onto the surface, and wiped the excess off. Gesso is one of my favorite go-to materials; I custom make my own opaque paint colors by mixing it with chalk pastel powder. The linen scrap bow was dyed using a technique I created on the fly. Read my post from the past if you’d like to try it yourself. The sweet little book pages are from a 1929 edition of Bambi that was discarded at the library. A few torn pieces are used to embellish the egg.

This spring time assemblage will find a place among my other decorative musings. It makes me smile.

SPRINGTIME ALTERED PICTURE FRAME Read More »