WIP: Blooms Sculpted Wire Lamp

Been working on a few new things for the etsy shop lately. One of which is this new lamp. The inspiration of this was a pillow I found when flipping through the latest Better Homes and Gardens. They were showing some different bedroom ideas and on one of the beds was a pillow with blooms that looked EXACTLY like my little wire blooms from my photo holders and garden trio's. I'm guessing they were silk screened on.

The image percolated for a few days and then on Thursday I went to my extras bin and pulled out 8 or 9 of these wire blooms that I had made up and stashed previously. To attach them to the lampshade (fanta by IKEA) I used an awl to poke a few holes through the fabric shade along the length of the wire flower. Then using a needle and embroidery floss, I stitched the wire flowers to the shade. Each flower only takes a few stitches to hold it in position. The end result is easy, cute and had that lovely graphic bloom look I love. I've had the shade on a lamp base that was wrapped with wire and sitting in my living room for a few days now. I love it. Although I love big bright and beautiful color, there's just something about black and white that is soooo attractive to me.

I plan on using this as my example and making another to post in the shop in another week. I'd love to know what you all think of it. ;) Should I offer it with the base or separately? What would you do?

BTW- the little scribble bowl beneath the lamp is something else I've been playing with. The acrylic painting is one I did when we got back from Venice in 2003, and the little birdcage to the far right is another idea I've been playing around with. It's base is a collaged plastic lid to a long-gone jar of marshmallow dip. Have a great weekend!!!

Butterflies on My Brain...

I've got butterflies on my brain. Maybe because I can feel them so much in my stomach right now. This week has been spent doing some serious brainstorming. I'm trying to come up with some new projects and although I had a ton of ideas I didn't really know where to start. So I did some sketches, and planned some things out step by step on paper. Some of these ideas came about because they were variations of other projects I've done. It was just a matter at looking a little differently at what I had already made. Like the lamp. I found out this week that the lamp I was planning on using in one publication couldn't be used as I had already published it somewhere else. These were two different formats and for some reason I didn't put two and two together that published is published regardless of the format. The lamp was a great piece and I was actually counting on it wow-ing the publishing folks into loving my work. Alas, I can't use it. So back to the drawing board. Except this time instead of allowing the ideas to just come to me I'm forcing it a bit more. It's a challenge th0ugh and challenges are good for forcing growth. Bird's nest and birds lamp design out- butterfly lamp in. I can still use some of my same techniques and the lamp base but the look had to be completely different.


I thought it might be fun to actually wrap wire around the shade this time and use some paper instead of the fabric. But the look just isn't right. I don't hate it-(I actually like it a lot) but it doesn't have the polished look of the first lamp. So Jeremy to the rescue! We stood in front of the lamp and just started to brainstorm together and I think the look on this next lamp is going to be a little closer to my birds nest lamp and have the same polished look but is still different. I'm excited to create it. The sketchbook page at the top of this post has a little sketch I did for myself to remember what I planned. And I did like the wire and paper butterfly shade and I think I'll work a little more with it and maybe add some stitching. But it's going to have to wait for me to get this other lamp done and ready to be shipped. Tomorrow being the weekend I'd like to think I'll have some time to do this but we've got a ton of stuff going on and I don't know when I'll have the time. But the more I get done the less stressed I'll feel about the whole deadline. I guess the solution is to stop blogging and go work! But I did want to share some of the work I've been doing this week with you. When I've finished the next incarnation of the butterfly lamp I'll post it and you can all let me know what YOU think about the two. Thanks!