Artwork Tutorial

I had a few requests on how I made my drippy artwork so here's a bit of a tutorial for you! I don't have many in progress pictures (bad blogger) but I will do my best!

Being my first painting, I assumed this could go horribly wrong but I asked as many artsy fartsy people for advice as I could and it turned out great. This is why I know you could do it too!

First get yourself a canvas and put down a base coat of choice. I actually used wall paint for mine. I have so many samples of paint from my various projects so I went cheap and picked one of those. I rolled it on with a roller, make sure to get the sides too. I did two coats to be sure since canvas is very textured and porous.

Next, pick out colors from your local craft store. I used small bottles of acrylic paint. They should have empty bottles for cheap too, you will need one for each color you buy.

TIP: It really depends on the look you're going for here but I learned from trial and error, it's best to buy colors that are in a really close range to each other. Some of the darker shades and more pastel like hues ended up sticking out like a sore thumb. I also started out with about 4 colors and ended up going back for about 4 more to get the color range just right. But again, this is really personal preference.

After your canvas is dry, lean it against something with a tarp underneath, things are about to get crazy. Empty out about 1/3 of the paint into one of your empty bottles and add about 1/4 of water and shake. You may have to play with your amounts here. On some shades I found I needed more or less water.

Then turn the bottle over and start running it along the top of the canvas as desired. For longer drips you will need to hold the bottle in place and squeeze out more paint. If you want to stop your drips at certain levels just lay the canvas down for a bit.

Then I just started randomly placing different colors here and there. This is where it got a bit tricky, some colors started to run together a bit or began dripping down the same "trail". Basically this means that you need drying time in between layers. I wanted mine to have a lot of layers, again personal preference. So I did several sessions over a few days after work.

In progress

Then when you're happy with the amount of colors/layers/textures you're done! It's really up to you.

I'm possibly considering doing a different look for another room by rotating the canvas as I go. The good thing about this is there's so many options and if you get a drip you don't like or gets messed up you can cover it up with another color. It's pretty hard to screw it up and that's what is so awesome about it!

If anyone ends up doing this PLEASE send pics! I would love to see what variations you guys come up with!

Right Now I'm Loving...

Some new images added to my library this week. Are you like me with an ever growing file of images? Mine is bursting at the seams! I try to keep it organized to no avail. What is everyone's plans for this gorgeous Halloween weekend? I have some projects to finish up and some party hopping to do! Already wearing cat ears in the office as I type, just had to kick off the weekend right!

Have a wonderful (and safe!) weekend!

*also I'm going to check out this baby this weekend, wish me luck

Color Me Happy: Fresh and White

Ok so I guess this is more of the absence of color but a color scheme is a color scheme nonetheless. I know all of us with kids and dogs (and sometimes husbands) dream of having a white living room or bedroom and looking longingly at photos is the closest we'll ever get, sigh...

 

Happy hump day my loves!

The Passion

 

It is obvious that we can no more explain a passion to a person who has never experienced it than we can explain light to the blind. -T. S. Eliot

We all have a space to create, dream, inspire, to be inspired, to plan and to scheme. In other words, we all have a place where our passions are born. For some of us this may be a desk or office space, for others it may be in nature. But, no matter the place we all have a passion for something, some one, some where and today is a new day to realize these passions! 

What will you do with it?

Update on the Happenings

Remember my teaser post from last week? Well three of those projects are done hooray!!! The fourth one, it seems, is going to have to wait many many weeks to be completed due to a certain bathtub and a certain contractor taking their sweet time finishing up the bathroom, but such is life!

First up here is my very first painting, like ever.

I'm super pleased with it

I'm pretty sure this isn't it's permanent home but I HAD to hang it. Who knows when I will find it's permanent home right? I'm very happy with the color choices and the way they all fit together. My picture taking skills don't do it justice of course. You like?

And the next project, little brackets in the door-jamb of the TV nook. Pay no attention to the paint job back there, that's a project for a later date...

I really love little touches like this. You may recall my other ones that are similar.

It makes our home have a little bit more character and charm, something that is always missing in the 'burbs.

Next, even though the rest of our bathroom looks like crap, the shower is done. Ladies and gents, for the first time in 18 months since we've lived here I was able to actually shower in my master bath. This is HUGE! So I'm going to show you befores, again.

Barf, first removed the texture, painted a neutral color and took down the mirrors.

Then it looked like this...

Much better, but still not there being that the shower had a huge whole in the tile since we had a leak.

Now it looks like this!

You've come a long way baby, and still have a long way to go!

Obviously we still have to install the tub and do all the back splash work, new countertops and new doors on the vanities and real tile on the floor instead of stained concrete, give the whole thing a coat of paint and it will be transformed!

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Mine is going to involve a can of paint and some tape, details later!

This...I Swear...

This is the kind of thing that makes you want to scrap every idea and project that's been brewing in your head and start completely over. You know the feeling...

 

You know what I mean here people, I'm sure it's happened to all of us. You see something that inspires you so much that everything swimming in your head gets all jumbled up and you have this uneasy feeling, stuff you once knew gets pushed out of your head and you forget what the name is for everyday objects.

The black walls, the drapey curtains, the subtle pops of color, the artwork oh my!

Just look at the Hot Pink on the legs of the chairs, look at it PEOPLE! I'm painting my dining chairs white, I could DO THIS!

I'm overwhelmed, I need time to ruminate...

All photos are of the living of Nichole from Parlour Home Blog, vote for her on Apartment Therapy's Room for color contest, and also for Keely's awesome place too!

I hate you Court for showing me this!

Color Me Happy: Inky Blue

We have all been buzzing about this fabulous color and personally I just can't get enough can you?

I equate it to your best fitting pair of dark blue jeans. You can dress them up, dress them down and they go with almost anything...

I wish I had a place in my home to paint the walls this color but I don't. So I will be painting an old dresser instead a-la-MFAMB

Isn't it perfect? From here. She used Farrow and Ball's Hauge Blue in high gloss oil based. I checked and they don't sell F&B anywhere in Dallas to the public. I know right, we are supposed to be all big furniture design center of the middle south and you can't buy this paint in this town, they sell it in Austin, who the hell in Austin needs this stuff?!!

Anyhoos, I'm glad to be back from Highpoint. There was lots of goodness there and I didn't take any pics. I'm a terrible blogger!!! But thats what happens when you're working 12 days straight and you miss your flight because they change the gate and you American Airlines app doesn't update and then the guy at the ticket counter looks at you funny and you eat crappy sandwiches and bags of potato chips for three days straight and get hit on by old married guys when you are trying to work and get people to take you seriously even though you look like a teenager and everyone thinks you're a temp or an intern...oy sorry about that rant there.

Stay tuned for new goings on at my house later this week when I can get some pics in good light even though I'm never home during the day but damnit I'll try!

Magic is Happening

Changes are afoot at the Whimsy Castle. Here's a sneak peek!

Stay tuned for the big reveal!

Pillow Roundup!

So if you're like me (meaning you're obsessed, and if you're readying this blog, you are!) you're thinking about how to change things up this season and we all know one easy way to do that is with pillows. I've recently found some really great (and affordable!) pillows that I'd like to share with you!

I'm in love with these Felt ruffled pillows featured on Daily Candy this morning from That Funky Boutique. And at prices ranging from only $27-$45 you can get so many colors! But I think the ombre is my favorite.

These next few are from an Etsy store I recently discovered named Ikat & Batik.

Beautiful right? The colors and patterns are so vibrant and fun. The trouble will just be deciding...

And for those of us that want that mixed pattern look but always have trouble matching it all together they even offer perfectly coordinated sets for a great price!

Also I know some of you say that Poufs are done, but I'm still loving them. And I say it's time they reinvent themselves into something new, like crochet poufs!

Cute right? From Ferm Living, and only $98.

More pattern you say? You know I'm on board with that!

Ferm, $75

Ferm, $75

And I think we all have drooled over the beautiful pillows at Furbish...

$50

Yay pouf balls! $50

 

I have been drooling over this pillow since she first posted it. But at $70, it's a bit out of my budget, sigh...

And now for the eye candy!

I've been missing out on all of your posts, but no worries! I will have plenty of alone time with my laptop in my hotel room this weekend to catch up. I will be too tired in the evenings to walk anyways!

See you soon!