Today on Etsy - January 01, 2013

Yes, it is the first day of a new year. And in keeping with the goal of moving forward and focusing on creativity and my designing....I present you with some fabrics from FabricMart.

There are so many things I would want to make with these fabrics. I'm in the process of designing five looks for my final school project. Not five garments, but five looks. Each look will have two or three pieces. For example, instead of just a dress, there is a dress with a jacket. Another look is a pair of pants with a top with a bolero. Yes, I am designing a bolero.

In total, I will have 16 pieces to make up my five looks. By the end of June. I know, it's a bit daunting. But outside of my full time day job, it's my focus.

Back to the fabrics.

These all are in my colour palette for Pre-Fall 2014. These particular fabrics will work well for the dress and the lining of the jacket. I hope to post sketches soon.

It's going to be hard to choose

 

Today on Etsy - September 12, 2012

okay, maybe this came from Etsy...maybe it didn't. I can't remember. I can't find it on Etsy under my "Favourites"...I've searched through all 45 pages.

 

But I like the rustic-ness (is that a word?) of the linen fabric in contrast with the delicate elegance of the buttons and lace-like embroidery.

And the neutral colour would go with a number of different decors....red springs to mind. Or navy blue. Or sage green and cream.

So enjoy, be inspired...see you tomorrow !

 

* * Update - March 13, 2013...... I found it ! the pillows pictures are offered by Urvi Agrawal of The Home Centric. And I am happy to report I have bought a few pillows from this online Etsy store now (both for my place and for friends as gifts), and they are all beautiful. I have linked the included photo back to the item available, but hurry before it's gone...or I decide it needs to come live at my place.

 

And so again, enjoy!

Design Dot

Just a little shout out to my new friends at Design Dot. Why? because they were so kind as to feature my little shop gingerbugZ on their blog. So, in the belief of good karma, I am returning the favour.

Design Dot is a group of etsy sellers who come together to discuss ideas, creativity and help promote each other. This is a wonderful source of support, especially on those days that my inspiration meter is on E for empty and I need a good kick in the rear.

It is also a great source for gift ideas and putting together a wish list for Santa. In our house, Santa likes detailed lists, especially those with pictures or web links. Less chance for misunderstanding the requested wish . . . .

To see the featured post, and to discover many other abundantly creative and talented designers and artists, be sure to have a little wander over to Design Dot.


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Delicate and Pretty . . .take 2

Bit of Bliss - take 2

beautiful distressed dresser offered by poppycottage  . . .ahhhh, le sigh . . .!

Sweet Sofa !

I am in the process of recovering my sofa. Make that SOFAS . . . as in I have four of ‘em. Well, technically I have a sofa that seats three and then a three piece sectional with a chaise lounge. The cat has decided that she does not care for the current fabric on the sectional and so has attempted to remove it herself. Hence the need to get it recovered.

I also love fabric and can not bring myself to part with the often beautiful pieces I have left over at the end of a project. I’m not talking simple synthetics or bits of broadcloth . . .I’m talking half meters of embroidered silk taffeta or supple soft suede.

And then I fold THIS chaise lounge by namedesignstudio and lemme tell you . . .my eyes got wider, my mouth dropped open . I am in LUST for this piece. But at $2,200.00 and $500.00 in shipping costs from Istanbul, Turkey (and unmentioned import duties and taxes), it is a little outside of my price budget right now. And only because I’m still looking at getting new drapes and having my dining room table refinished. Otherwise, it would be on the next flight home to me. Never mind that it would drive my cat bonkers.
So my solution is going to be to take all those lovely pieces of fabric I have left and create the same effect. In a slip cover. Not the frilly slipcover your grandma has in her sitting room with the ruffles and bows at the arm rests. No, a sleek, close fitting slip cover with button detailing and shaped darts that I can take off and have professionally cleaned.

Mais, c'est clever, non?

Mirror, Mirror on the wall . . . or floor, or dressing table . . .

Today’s clever trick is how to increase the look of your space without increasing your physical space. Confused? Think of a restaurant or a store that has mirrors on either side of the room. The space seems to go on endlessly. But yet the physical space may not be that big at all. Ah haaaa !Here are a few examples of mirrors I have found that would help you increase (and yet not increase) your space.

I have several large floor to ceiling mirrors in my home, and often guests remark "Oh, your place is so spacious and roomy!", when in reality it's not. It's about 1100 sq feet. Large by downtown living standards, but then I don't live downtown. Maybe my place just is roomy compared to their 400sq ft downtown dwellings. There is something to be said for not choosing to live downtown. But I digress . .

Back to the mirrors. The examples shown here are all either rectangle or square, but you could go with any shape. I particularly like the frames on these, and they illustrate how ornate and fancy-smancy frames can work with contemporary or modern furniture.

Another good source for finding mirror ideas is by searching on Pinterest (yeh Pinterest! my new favourite way to waste time!). I also found some great ideas on the websites lehuge and decorativemirrorsonline , but since both of these are based in the UK, shipping such a large mirror would probably end up costing more than the mirror itself. Still, it's nice to get ideas.


If you're handy, you could opt to build your own mirror. Local building centers and hardware stores have many choices of decorative crown moldings and baseboards to choose from. Decide the dimensions of your finnished mirror including frame, have the customer service rep cut the pieces on a 45 degree angle (or do this at home yourself if you have the tools and the know how.) the frame together, clamp, allow to dry, paint, stain, vanish, insert your mirrored glass . . . .eh, might be cheaper and less stress to purchase one. However, I will tell you from experience that transporting a store bought mirror this size presents its own challenges.

Whichever route you decide to go, a large mirror will add interesting detail and become a conversation piece. It is interesting how a room will look completely different when viewed in the mirror.