Friday, January 27, 2012

Gotta light?

Or gotta lamp or two?  A while back my friend Lesley from The Homeless Finch updated one of her treasures, Sylva, in the most spectacular fashion.  I immediately decided I had to be a copy cat and try that too.  Guess what?  I had an owl much like her Sylva that I did not like in her new white glory.  I also had a lamp I thought I'd try to update.  Both got the beautiful silver spray job, then I had one of  my short helpers haul them up for a bit of glaze.  There was an unfortunate incident in the process and the owl didn't make it.  These things happen so I just had the lamp to work with.  Here it is silvered up.
I love it now in it's fresh new color.  I also love how the glaze makes all those flutes and the beading really pop out there.  Thank you Lesley for sharing such a wonderful idea!!!  Now, of course it needed a new shade.  What to do, what to do?  I thought I might just go with something in burlap, but I ended up with a plain heirloom white shade.  I have coveted the Anthropologie shades for a long time.  All of them.  They're amazing.  I'm just not willing to pop for their full price though.  So I tried to do a knock off.  Here is what I came up with.

I used some ultra fine pigment pens and just tried to draw the flowers similar to the lampshade I loved.

The original lampshades have embroidered butterflys but I just chose to colorize mine with some paint markers.  This requires a pretty light touch as they like to "bleed" quickly. 
This is just what my new silver base needed don't you think?  Now, of course I had more than one lamp that I had picked up to restyle.  Here is the other lamp.
I have not repainted the base like I thought I might when I found it.  It has a neat patina with both a silver and gold mix on it.  What do you think, leave it alone, or slap some paint on her?  Well, in the meantime I also reworked her new shade with a little help from The Graphics Fairy
To get the spacing on these correct I actually printed off the free graphic and taped it inside.  With the lamp on I traced the outlines of the birds and branch, then pulled it off the lamp and free handed in the details.  Not perfect, but heh, I'm ok with how it turned out. 

I have to say these were fun, really quick little projects.  Lesley continually inspires me to run around gathering materials and recreate something she has come up with.  I just love that about her!
If you go to visit her now she is working on a Sweet Valentine's Day series of projects. Most of which are now in my que to do!

"http://thehomelessfinch.blogspot.com/search/label/TheSweetestDaysSeries/"

You just never know when someone will inspire you to try something new!
Have a great weekend!
Deb
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12 comments:

  1. I love the lamps and shades! I'd leave the patina alone on that second lamp.

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  2. I love the silver paint, Deb! I wish I could have seen the owl. I spotted two at an antique mart that I was going to get and paint white, but now I'm curious about how the silver looks. I LOVE, LOVE the shade you did with the flowers and butterflies! How talented you are! Did I say I love it? : )

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  3. I am COMPLETELY blown away by this post!!! OH My ... I am checking blogs before heading out to dinner and I get this surprise!!! I am so taken back....I just don't have the words to express how much this means to me.

    btw.....your drawing on that lampshade is OVER THE TOP amazing. This post is just that...amazing on many levels. :)

    I could go on and on. (as you know, none of my posts are ever short!!! LOL)

    Made my whole day, no week, no month.....

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  4. I love those shades - just beautiful!

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  5. I love the lamps and the birds!! Lesley is a true inspirationa nd so are you!!Thank you for sharing this!
    karla

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  6. Visiting from the Homeless Finch and those lampshades are amazing!

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  7. Awesome! But, I would not expect anything less from you! You rock, girl! Just beautiful!

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  8. I have just fallen in love with that bee on your shade! The whole thing is beautiful and I wish I could draw like that!

    Visiting from the Homeless Finch :)

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  9. Fabulous!!!! You should make those to sell, girlfriend....I for one would pay a pretty little penny for one of your gorgeous lamps! Just stunning!

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  10. You are SO talented! Those are just lovely but they wouldn't be so if you weren't such a good artist. Great idea, great project.

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