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simple & inexpensive art work

20 December 2011 by Andrea Leave a Comment

This year a friend and I agreed that while we would exchange Christmas presents, since we’re both expense-ridden single moms, we would pick or make presents from something we already have at our houses.  Terrific idea!

I’ve been thinking about a couple of different ideas, and if you’ve learned anything about me by reading this blog, you’ve come to realize that I’m a professional procrastinator.  So it wasn’t until tonight – the night before I’m delivering my gift – that I finalized my plan.

For several years now, I’ve been hanging on to this fabulous fish-themed paper.

In fact, it moved from California to Ohio with me, curing, waiting for just the right moment and project. I got it for free, from a fabulous shop called Tuvalu, in Ladera Ranch, California, where they used it to wrap fragile purchases. I can’t recall what I purchased, but I loved the paper and asked if I could purchase some, but they gave me a pretty good length of it for free.

My friend and I both work as editors in our day jobs, and we both love anything with numbers or letters or handwriting.  Plus we both love anything nautical or fish-themed. And anything with a hint of antique. This paper has all of that and then some.

It’s just gorgeous paper, but not over-the-top, hit-you-over-the-head theme-y.

Quite perfect, in fact.

So, for her Christmas gift I decided to wrap a canvas with the paper so she can have some new artwork for her new home.

I used a 12 x 24″ canvas that I already had at home.

I used the high-tech technique of gift wrapping the canvas and taping with Scotch tape.

Resulting in a perfect wall hanging!

I have to admit that I did have a moment of Grinchliness, because I loved this wall hanging so much I thought about keeping it for myself. But then I got over my momentary selfishness and decided that it’s the perfect gift for a dear friend! Hope she likes it!

best. project. ever.

22 August 2010 by Andrea 1 Comment

Do you have a project that was just your favorite ever?  I’m sure most of us creative types do.

That’s the question that Donna over at Funky Junk Interiors was asking this weekend.

And even though this may not have been my best design ever, or my hippest project ever, it certainly stands out as my favorite.  And the one that helped sell my previous house.

The fish bathroom.

Yes, that’s right, the fish bathroom.  I painted the kids’ bathroom in a light sea foam green, then started painting all manner of sea creatures.

What I loved about this project were the flat, two-dimensional sea creatures, who were embellished with three-dimensional elements, like buttons for the suction cups on the legs of an octopus and false eyelashes on the mermaid.  Perfect for touching, and we all know little kids love to touch texture.

Heck, adults like to have some fishy fun, too!  When we decided to move from California to Ohio, our wonderful realtor told us to leave the fish bathroom as it was, because surely some parents with young kids would love it in our neighborhood of starter homes.  This was true, however, it was a middle-aged gentleman and his wife who bought our home, and one of the reasons was that he loved the fish bathroom!

So here goes…my favorite project ever…the fish bathroom…

There was a whale hiding behind the door…

Topped by an octopus with buttons for suction cups…

A mermaid & “real” jewels spilling out of a treasure chest…

A scary shark…

A swimming bear (inspired by a swimming bear on a pair of my then-toddler son’s pajamas)…

And two of his tub toys made into the mix as well…

And many other crazy undersea creatures, like leopard fish…

Plus big goldfish & little goldfish…

And even a sign outside the bathroom door…enter at your own risk!

Oh how I loved that project!  Best. project. ever.

In fact, I loved that entire house.  It was our home for 10 years, and a lot of life was lived there.  It was a special place, and I miss it.  Perhaps I’ll dig back through my photo archives and share more of the funky designs that lived there.

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