Framing My Intaglios

I was so happy when I found the perfect frames for the ornaments/faux intaglios
that I purchased a while ago.

Architectural Castings from McClain/Wiesand

Lately I have been liking images and objects framed with over-sized  mats or with large frames surrounding small images.

Via Celerie Kemble

I've been searching for a while for just the right frames.  When I saw these, I knew they were perfect for what I had in mind.

Since the frame is already recessed, I'm going to glue the casting directly to the glass with this.

I already posted about my foyer walls with horizontal stripes.

Foyer and Hallway

Since the bedroom wall lined up with the striped hallway wall, I continued the stripes into our room.
Here are the framed "intaglios" above a console table in our bedroom.

I purchased the wonderful console table even though it was missing its marble top.  I added a mirrored top with a beveled edge.  On the console are my mercury glass jewelry containers, a snakeskin covered box, a clear glass horse head, and in the mirrored frame is a photo of my Mom on the right and my Aunt Diana, her sister, when they were very young working girls.  Aren't they stylish?  Hats and gloves. Wow!

What do you think?

Kath

For a DIY on framing intaglios, check out Mandi's tutorial on her blog, Interior Design Musings.  She found plaster intaglios on Ebay and shared how she framed them. 

Via Interior Design Musings

Roomspiration Highlight

Thank you to The DIY Showoff and to All Things Bright and Beautiful for highlighting my kitchen and my son's bedroom in their Roomspiration Blog Hop and Link Party.

Kathy

My Faux Intaglios

I was introduced to intaglios by Holly of the fabulous blog, Things That Inspire.
 Intaglios are figures or designs carved into stone or a hard material.
She sells them framed in her on-line store, Quatrefoil Designs.  

Framed Intaglio from Quatrefoil Designs

More Than One Framed

In A Grouping on a Wall

I absolutely loved the look and wanted to use it in my home.  Imagine my surprise when shopping in Baltimore with Meg of Pigtown Design  last year I came across what I'm going to call my faux intaglios.  One of the shops we visited was McClain Wiesand.  This fabulous shop carries a selection of antiques and vintage pieces and amazing artisan furniture.  I was intrigued by their castings from original architectural pieces.  You know me and my architectural fragment obsession.

McClain/Wiesand Castings

They had created some small castings to use as Christmas tree ornaments.  To me, they were intaglios.  These are the ones that I purchased.

I'm working on framing them.  I'll post when I get them done and on the wall. 
Please check back.

Kathy

FIY I also bought these ornament castings for my tree.
Love!!  Love!!

Chinese Lanterns

For as long as I can remember I've always associated Chinese Lanterns with my Mom, her sister Aunt Dot, and Fall.  They both love to gather the lanterns from the garden, hang them to dry, and then bundle them into random bouquets and bring them inside.   My "bouquet" this year is outside on my front porch.  I combined the lanterns with some interesting branches that my ash tree released, then squeezed it all into a vintage bottle displayed on an antique wooden factory mold.

I find that I've been using orange frequently lately.  I've used it with yellow, with brown, and on my porch with blue.

Do you like orange with blue?   Or, some other combination?


Kathy

If you missed how I fluffed my garage for Fall, go here.

A Tale of Two Benches

It was the best of design; it was the worst of fabric. 

My apologies, Chuck.  I couldn't resist.

I loved the oval shape of this vanity bench, but the fabric had to go.  I decided that I'm liking the pink and that some black and white zebra fabric was just what it needed.

The fabric on the second vanity bench wasn't bad at all.

I decided that since orange is predicted to be THE color, that's the way I'd go.   To complement the orange, I used some of the trellis fabric that I had used in my sun room.

I think that the orange vanity bench is my favorite.

FIY a vanity bench is not just for a vanity.  It looks good at the foot of a bed.  Add a tray and it becomes a coffee table or side table/night stand.

Which one do you like?  

 

Climbing Hyacinth Bean Vine

Have you ever planted a hyacinth bean vine?  I discovered it when a friend shared some seeds from the fabulous purple pods that it produces.  It's so easy to grow.  I planted the seeds in the Spring and let it climb my arbor where it mixed in with the clematis and the trumpet vine. ( Not tall enough to see yet.)  I took these photos over the summer into the Fall.  The first images start in May and the last images are from October.

This year I decided I wanted it to climb and cascade onto these iron wall ornaments that I have mounted on the garage and onto the chimney.
I want it to grow here. . . . .

on this.

 And, here, too, although something is munching on them in this location.  We'll see if it works.

Since they aren't able to attach themselves to the side of the house,  I used fishing line to support them.  I attached one end of the clear filament to the iron wall ornament and tied the other end to the plant.  Its tendrils curled around the fishing line and climbed to the ornament as it grew.  I like to use the fishing line because it's almost invisible, it's waterproof, and it's strong..

  You can see that I helped the plants get a head start by directing their tendrils around the line. 

 
They've really climbed and grown.  This image is about 6 weeks later.

It has really filled in and the purple flowers are forming.
This is the wall ornament on the garage in October. 

The chimney gets more sun so they grew much better in this spot.  The vine and flowers have almost completely covered the wall ornament.  I stopped the plant munching with Milorganite, an inexpensive fertilizer that bugs and deer don't like.  New discovery!!

Close  Up of Flowers

The purple seed pods that appear after the flowers bloom are pretty too.  I will harvest them and place them in a brown paper bag to dry.  Next Spring I'll open them, just like I do peas, and plant the seeds and begin the process again.  To purchase seeds, go here.

Purple Seed Pods

.

Kathy

They are so easy to grow with minimal effort, and look beautiful.  This is definitely a plant to keep in mind for next summer's garden.  If you'd like more ideas about using this plant in your garden, go  here. 

A Quick Before and After for Fall

Just wanted to share the latest change-up for Fall in the family room.

BEFORE

 (To see the entire post of how I created over-sized art with vintage architectural prints, go here.)

AFTER

I only kept the slip cover and sconces.  I layered some chevron fabric over the slipcover, and added some Fall decor to the mantel.

 
  To the left of the mantel, I added a framed 18th C. French architectural reference print.

18th C. French Print

Below the mantel, I left one of the slipper chairs, but I added an orange Trina Turk fabric on a pillow for a pop of color.  The paisley behind it is a table runner.   An antique green garden stool is a side table, topped with some Chaucer books with decorative covers and one of my turtle shells.

The vintage x bench displays my "antler arrangement".  

To the right of the mantel is my latest cabinet with a lamp, interior design books, and a mid-century modern horse head.

CHANGE IS FUN


Kathy

Fluffing the Garage for Fall

 I've already posted about our new garage.

--and my solution to the plywood floor upstairs--a checkerboard.

My Checkerboard Floor

After living with it for a while I decided that it needed some fluffing.   I added this trellis that was already orange--perfect.  Now it ties in with my orange front door.

I also wanted to tie the garage in with the house, so I added the tall shutters on either side of the doors. 

And, for a Fall Fluff, some mums, a pumpkin, and artichoke wreaths. 

  

 I placed a "Fairy Tale" pumpkin from Trader Joe's on the bistro set.  FIY,  for some reason the squirrels don't eat these pumpkins like the regular ones I had last year.  

It was sampled though.

What have you been fluffing for Fall?

Kathy

To see other Fall decor, go here and here. 

  

Last Multi -Vendor Sale at the Pink Poet

 I can't believe that it's October and that there's only one more Second Saturday Sale. It seems like we just started.  (The first sale was in the Spring!)   It looks like the weather will cooperate this time.  Last month I bowed out.  Even though the rain stopped and the sun came out I didn't want to put my stuff in the mud.  Then water came into my basement on Friday and there was no way I was going to be a part of what turned out to be a great sale again. 

I hope you'll all be able to come and see all we have to offer.  We'll have vintage, new, antiques, and Fall decor.  Don't miss your last chance.

Loads of furniture and designer and vintage accessories on the grounds of the Pink Poet 

If you love to decorate, please come to our 2nd Saturday sale.
The Pink Poet

 21412 Laytonsville Rd, Laytonsville, MD

Please park in the elementary school lot across the street.

See you all soon,

Kathy

Fall Mantel

 

 Not long ago I wrote a post about my family room mantel.   I had created over sized art above it using vintage architectural prints and I had slip covered the rough cedar wood that I hated.  If you missed it, here's what it looked like.  To see the full post, click here.

You know that anything can give me an excuse to change things.   My reasoning this time is that a change in the weather equals a change around the house.

The first thing I did was to remove everything but the wall sconces and the slip cover.  I wanted something large to fill the space and chose these vintage iron grates which I painted yellow.

Before I leaned the pair of grates onto the mantel, I layered the chevron fabric that I had used as a back drop in my bookcases over the slip cover.    In front of the grates I added this yellow vase with an assortment of feathers.

You know I love to use architectural fragments.  I sometimes use this piece as a book end.  I wanted it on the mantel because it had the yellow, green, and orange that I have in the room.

Here's the final result.

The other items I added were some dried gourds, a small sunburst mirror, an antique bird print-- stolen from my bookcase, and some faux acorns.
I'm ready for Fall.


Kathy


To see another post with Fall decor ideas, go here.