Quick Tip: DIY Paint Chip Bunting

Seriously, it is one of my lofty goals to generate a lengthy list of useful repurposes for paint chips. This bunting is the first one. It is obviously completely customizable, as you can choose the specific hues for a jaunty scheme. The white stripes add a colorblock touch. All you need is string, tape, scissors, and the pile of paint chips that is sitting around burning a colorful hole in your design files. You can create instant cheer that is basically free!

Mannequin Fix-Up: Hallelujah

At long last! I have purchased a dress form! This one was only $40 at one of my favourite consignment stores. They were clearing out extra mannequins from their warehouse, and I happened to walk in the day they put them on the floor. Needless to say I quickly hauled this one out of there. Actually, I didn't have to do much hauling because it conveniently disassembles. Its measurements are 36''-25''-36''.

It has a slick wooden base, but I prefer the look of white to wood so I fixed it up with some paint. The neck and bottom of the dress form also needed some attention; I added a topper and stretched and pinned the mannequin cover in place. 

My mom and I have been excitedly experimenting with chalk paint, which is fabulous because it can be used on practically any surface without sanding, priming, or the like. It covered the wood very well. I purchased this circular wooden disk from Michael's, which we also slathered in chalk paint. The disk and one of these knobs were used to cover the hole in the top of the neck. I knew that knob would come in handy for my future mannequin!

Now I no longer have to drape every article of clothing over myself while sewing!

Vintage Vogue Illustrations

March 1923.

There is something extra special about vintage Vogue illustrations. I would love to plaster them all over my walls. Artists like Helen Dryden, Harriet Meserole, and George Wolfe Plank were incredibly talented at creating these dreamy images of sartorial splendor! 

 April 1919.

 June 1922.

 May 1924.

May 1939.

You can find the full archive of Vogue covers, starting with issues from 1916, here.

Art Repros

I've been working on reproducing art from various movements, and I just wanted to share a few of the results! My versions are done in acrylic paint on 5'' by 5'' and 4'' by 6'' sheets of canvas paper. Through this project I've familiarized myself with different styles, and discovered a long list of artists' work I greatly admire.

Because of my love for textiles, of course, I decided to recreate a William Morris print from the Arts and Crafts movement. This one is titled Pomegranate and is originally from 1866.

I enjoyed replicating the bold architecture in Restaurant de la Machine à Bougival by Maurice de Vlaminck from 1905. Fauvism is one of the most bright and cheerful art movements!

I duplicated this Roy Lichtenstein work from 1963, Woman in Bath, as it is one of my favourite Pop Art images.

Finally, this is my reproduction of Exterior of a Restaurant at Asnières by Vincent Van Gogh in 1887. The bright yellow wall and potted plants make this Post-Impressionism painting so lemony and fresh!


The Secret Artist

A fluttering lens was barely noticed as it inconspicuously traipsed down mid-20th century streets. The moments were captured, the negatives were labelled and boxed up in a crowded attic, and the photographer modestly dissolved into the abyss of unrecognized creativity. Then, somewhere between shouts and slams of an auctioneer’s gavel, John Maloof, a filmmaker and historian, snagged several mysterious boxes at a Chicago auction house in 2007. His $380 purchase unveiled a jaw-dropping treasure. 30,000 negatives and prints made up the invaluable time capsule. Vivian Maier, an American street photographer, was finally discovered, and her fame erupted after her death in 2009. This is the kind of story that astounds me. It goes to show that people have undiscovered talents and potential--and talk about a fantastic auction find! You can check out this site for more information. I love that Vivian took photos of the ordinary and the incidental extraordinary, and I appreciate the ability to see some of those sights. Her self portraits, like the one from 1954 above, are especially unique. Here are some of my favourites of her photos.

1953 New York, NY.

1950s Canada.

1953 New York, NY.

1953 New York, NY.

1954 New York, NY.

1953 New York, NY.

1954 New York, NY.

1954 New York, NY.

1954 New York, NY.

1956 New York, NY.

1956.

1961 Chicago, IL.

1963 Chicago, IL.

 Audrey Hepburn at the Chicago premiere of My Fair Lady at the RKO Palace Theatre, October 23rd, 1964.

 August 1960 Chicago, IL.

Undated.

 August 1975.

Canada.



 July 27th, 1954, New York, NY.

 July 1957, suburb in Chicago, IL.

 June 1954, New York, NY.

 May 16th, 1957, Chigaco, IL.

 New York, NY.

September 18th, 1962.

November 8th, 1955.

 New York, NY.

January 1953, New York, NY.

 Self-Portrait 1955.

 September 13th, 1953, Empire State Building, New York, NY.

 Undated Color.



September 3rd, 1954, New York, NY.

Self-Portrait May 5th, 1955.