IKEA Fun and fun with IKEA… frames that is! { let’s create }

Post by: Victoria, ÉdinHome&Co

Monday evening was so terrific! Why? Well… bloggers and media were invited to the newly built, bigger then ever IKEA in Richmond, BC for a sneak peak at the digs before the Grand Opening and access to the general public!

All I can say is… well… WOW!!!

Oh. And that I had my shoes off within minutes because I wore the wrong shoes for exploring such an mega-huge store!!! OUCH!

Be sure to stop by Rosa’s blog flutterflutter and Barbara’s blog hodge:podge for their great accountings of the evening!

Me? First I’m going to share this photo of Tracey (Tracey Ayton Photography …Keeping house & everything else) and Andrea (From My Living Room) making comfy in the sheep skins (DO this!!), then I’m going to show you what I did with some of my IKEA purchases from that evening!

I bought several Ribba, Virserum & Sondrum frames. Making things to put into IKEA frames is as much fun as shopping through IKEA. I know you know what I mean because you love it too, don’t you?! ;-)

As an aside, I don’t think there’s anywhere out there where you can find similar quality frames at the IKEA price. Period. Don’t you love  IKEA frames?

So quickly, let me show you what I did…

First I took one of my Great Grandmother’s vintage doilies, cut it into many perfect mini-doilies and dyed a couple in an oh so fabulous tangerine!

Some I kept in their original colour.

Next I took the backings of the Virserum & Sondrum frames and glued pretty paper to them.

All set… to glue the doilies into position!

 

And voila!

While on a recent trip to Urban Source: Alternative Art Materials (a totally fun store on Main Street off 16th [Vancouver]!) I came across a small bin of Bingo Chips. I HAD to have them… and with the Ribba shadow box frames, I did this…

 

 

 

 

 

Again… I first adhered pretty art paper on the frame’s back, then I glued the chips (numbers random) in a simple geometric pattern.

Urban Source also had black chips with cute images on them used – I imagine – for marking the called numbers on your Bingo papers/pads.

So I bought some of those too :-)

I think the end result of each of these projects is totally FUN!!

I’ll be including these pieces (and others like them) in The Édin Collection, and they’ll be for sale at Scout Handmade & Vintage Market (check site for details!). If you’re in the lower mainland, be sure to come!!

Now… I have to get back to work on THIS project

Cheers!

my new art-project love: { let’s create }

Post by: Victoria,ÉdinHome&Co

With so many projects on the go and lots of things to do in preparation for Scout Handmade + Vintage Market, I’ve done the absolutely reasonable thing… I’ve started a brand new project in a medium I’ve never used before!

I might be obsessed!

I blame my brother Brad. What a guy!! He said to me, “Let’s do some block printing!” Off we go to the art store to purchase all the necessary materials and tools ~ lino blocks, a carving tool, a brayer (roller), ink, etc. What was I thinking?!

Well… I’ve decided that it just doesn’t matter because I so enjoyed carving my lino block. In fact, I can’t wait to do another!

I jumped into this new project by first creating a simple flower design that I then transferred to the lino block with carbon paper.

Next, I grabbed the blade and started carving!

My approach: everything I carved off of the block will not take the ink and so will be “white”, or the colour of the paper. Of course that means that everything not carved will be “black”, or what ever colour ink I choose to use. I decided to carve grooves into the background so that (hopefully) the occasional line will show in the background, creating a more dynamic look to the print.

I carved and fiddled, turning the block around in my hands again and again, and carved some more. Next thing I knew it was 2:30am and I was almost finished!

and… I was hooked on the process!!

I’ve since completed the block and this weekend I’ll be creating prints with it. How fun will that be?!

Here’s the finished lino block

I’ll pull together a quick post in the next few days to show you the final result… promise! If the end product looks as good as I hope it will, I’ll include the prints as part of The Édin Collection (a product line I’m launching at the Scout Handmade & Vintage Market). Cross your fingers; mine are!!

Today, I’m off to buy more lino blocks! Hahaha!

Happy Friday!!

{ let’s imagine } pretty pillows

Victoria ~ EdinHome Co.

A few weeks back I purchased this fabric to make pillows for my new product line, The Edin Collection (launching in mid-May)…

I really enjoy the design process involved in creating lovely and unique soft furnishings, especially with fun fabrics like these! Before I started cutting I played with the fabric to determine which coordinating fabrics and patterns worked best together, I sketched a few pillow-front ideas like using buttons, incorporating fabric/pattern blocking or taking advantage of directional prints and – based on my sketches – I created some patterns to get me started.

Before I can get down to the business of creating though, I seek out inspiration! Interiors shared on all my favourite blogs are extremely inspirational, and of course I devour the beautiful pages of my Canadian House & Home and Style at Home magazines!!

Real-life inspiration is the best though!!

Like this sweet pillow from Anthopologie…

I explored this wonderful new-to-Vancouver store yesterday while on the hunt for drawer pulls for my “new” bathroom vanity (a soon-to-share story!!) and was immediately inspired by this flower appliqued pillow. I found myself thinking how not only could I make a pillow like this, my coordinated fabric would be perfect!

So don’t be surprised if you see a similar pillow as part of The Edin Collection :-)

pretty in spring pink: a fun & easy { let’s create } project

Cherry blossoms make me extremely happy. I suspect they have they affect on pretty much everyone, wouldn’t you agree? Like crocuses, daffodils and tulips, they’re the first indicators that spring is finally here… and like these lovely spring flowers, seeing pink and white cherry blossoms just fills me with pleasure!

So can you blame me then for getting excited when I discovered Alphamom Isabel’s easy art-craft project; a project that would allow me to bring lovely pink flowers into my home a few weeks before they actually bloomed outside on the trees?!

I mean really… pop bottle blossoms?! How cleaver! And how sweet?!

Off I went to my local art supply store and I purchased a few paints that weren’t already in my collection and – because I often ‘think big’ when I get enthusiastic – I also bought a couple large, narrow canvases rather then craft paper.

Yep. I was determined to make something really special!

First – well, after painting what I decided was a pretty stellar tree branch (ya. i’m good!) – I poured my pink paints onto my pallet… two hues that were oh so pretty all swirled together!!

Then I dipped the pop bottle into the pinky mixture (I used a smaller bottle than Isabel used)…

And I started plopping paint blossoms on my canvas

Only… my blossoms weren’t delightful like Isabel’s!

They actually looked a whole lot like pink blobs of paint on a canvas!! Eeeek!

Also, where were the dollops of paint that made the middle of the flower? Isabel’s flowers had dollop-middles. Hmmmm. Time to re-think this whole project because this painting wasn’t taking me on my ‘think big’ path to greatness!

Out came my paint brushes

Ya know what? This is where the REAL FUN for me began ;-)

After planting paint blobs in all the right places around my canvas (thanks pop bottle!) I then used my brush to fill out and embellish those blobs into pretty spring-inspired pink cherry blossoms… all with their own darling cross-hatched, then finger-smudged and finally mini-dotted middles (my own patented technique – do not try this at home or the patent police will be knocking on your door! Hahaha!!)

The results are simply sweet and lovely if I do say so myself!

While not a masterpiece, I think this painting would be wonderful in a little girl’s room or freshening up a kitchen breakfast nook… or maybe YOU have the perfect place?! If you do, you know where to find me!!

Much like the real deal, these blossoms fill me with pleasure and make me smile every time I look at them!!!  I really hope you find pleasure and happiness in them too!

Happy Friday!!