Once Upon A Moose ...

"The Moose" was a long velveteen couch runner/scarf with a hand painted portrait of a moose on it. It’s owner, Sally, said, “It was an ‘artifact’ from the 50's of my grandma's stuff." 

“It lived on the back of a black velvet patterned couch in the family’s cabin in Southern Oregon. The cabin was condemned in the 1930's and the old cabin and couch had to go!  However, the moose had such a cool old look that felt like it needed to be saved. 

“What would I do with it?? I did not know!  I sent the moose couch runner to Polly to see if she had any ideas ... and, she did!!

 

Introducing Reinette, the "Little Queen"

Reinette arrived in my imagination two months ago. It all happened in one of those wonderful early morning, almost awakened states of consciousness. I saw her in total in a flash and there she remained as I struggled by trial and error to bring into being. The essentials components were easy ... I knew the fabrics and found complimentary trims and beads easily. The trials and errors, yes plural trials and errors, cropped starting at the top. I wanted a 3D effect for the crown so, I started by twisting single strips of silk and tacking them in place - they looked bulky and unstable so off they came. After a week of methodical "auditions," Reinette was finally crowned with slim and sturdy bars of silk that contrasted and harmonized with the amber and blue silks I'd chosen for her basic construction.  

I had no difficulty creating the sweet little windows on her sides however, the metal settings for lovely amber stones offered no convenient way to secure them. Simply gluing them onto the small open windows would not ensure long term survival. Fortunately, a friend of mine had the perfect drill bit and skill to put a hole through the backings. In preparing them for mounting, I also decided to add a net over the stones giving me another way to anchor and support the embellishments.

One of the most time consuming aspects of creating an artistic version of a vintage beaded lamp shade is the design and stringing of the beaded fringe. Stringing the beads is tedious and needs to be perfect so the eye can rest and the beads compliment rather than compete with the shade. At this point, more issues arose! The beautiful, cobalt blue, 30mm, tubular bugle beads did not all measure 30mm as advertised! One package measured 32mm another 29mm. This created a bit of a nightmare because I didn't discover the difference until I'd strung 115 of the 180 strands.

Once the shade was completed and labeled, I was able to start work on the antique lamp base. I love the old bridge lamps and appreciate the way they glow beside my chair and over my shoulder as I cozy up with a good book. This particular lamp had an abundance of swirls and flowers. She was a joy to embellish with royal blues, amber and silver.  

If you are interested in brightening up your home or office with Reinette, the Little Queen, let me know! Go to my web site, ShadesToRemember.com.

 

Eggs as a canvas

 

This past year, I was asked to embellish 13 very large metal shades the Blue Moon Tavern and Grill, one of the McMenamin properties. I was excited and terrified at the same time!

In preparation, I practiced the envisioned pattern on an egg. This allowed me to work out the spacing of the images and color selection. In addition, egg painting permitted me to keep a piece of my artwork! In this photo you can see the egg and the underside of one of the large enamel shades.

Creating pen and ink drawings on blown eggs really puts me in a magical space. They make great gifts too.

Excited to be working on my book!

I'm working on my new book, "Creating Shades to Remember."

I'm so excited to have a coach./mentor/project manager. Together we've made a timeline and though I may often feel like I'm in the preverbal tunnel, I'm beginning to envision the light at the end of it. 

Here is a tiny taste of what will be in it ... My project manager says this portion should been titled "Tips from a Pro." But I really like "Notes to Self."

Notes to self:

• Measure twice, cut once
• Always take “BEFORE” photos before you begin.
• Disassemble and clean old shades out-of-doors.
• Make sure your frame is balanced and even – if not, fix it first!
• Make sure your fitter actually fits on your chosen lamp harp or socket.
• BEFORE you go to all the work of lining, covering, gimping, beading and
• fringing it!!!
• Keep your eyes open and look at what others are tossing out … you may
• find a treasure.
• Stop Asking "Are we there yet?" It's a waste of time and energy!

Angelique, this one-of-a-kind shade and vintage lamp is still available. List price is $1,600. You can view more of my shade and lamp pieces at the Red Trillium Gallery in Troutdale, Oregon and online at Etsy/SadesToRemember.

Shades To Remember Continues to Grow and Thrive!

 I can hardly believe it's eight years! I've made several hundred shades, met even more interesting people, made several overseas sales and taken on two talented apprentices. In addition, I've had the opportunity to make lampshades for my favorite McMenamins restaurants, am offering "Shade Making 101" workshops yearly and am part of the Red Trillium Gallery in Troutdale, Oregon.

My blog reflections from 5-16-2016 still ring true:

"It's been just a year since I began pursuing a life-long dream of working/playing as a full time artist! In April 2015, I made (and sold!) my first lamp shade. The business has grown steadily and I'm exploring ways to get the word out, become part of an active community of textile artists, and encourage others to find their path to creative expression too."

Syrian Brass Lamp and Lampshade - Grandma's Treasure

 Every vintage lamp has a story, this one is especially sweet.

The lamp was passed down from the client's grandmother, Olga, who immigrated from Portugal in 1921 when she was 18. The lamp was gifted to her on her first wedding anniversary in 1924.

The family passed the lamp down through the generations for almost 100 years. In that time, the original lining of silk had deteriorated and 30% of the beads had been lost. Olga's grandson contacted me and asked if I could restore it. 

Finding the perfect silk for lining the bottom and top of the shade was easy, finding supplementary beads was not. Two thirds of the original 5,600 beads were missing. I got quite an education and renewed appreciation for beading professionals during my search. I eventually found a source for the English cut, 5mm, glass beads at Fire Mountain Bead company in Oregon and spent more than 40 hours stringing and attaching them to this lovely piece. I was sad to see her go!

Rosalie, golden lampshade with yellow peace rose on vintage bridge lamp

Rosalie, a name of French origin meaning sweet scented rose garden, is the perfect title for this unique, hand stitched silk lampshade. She's made of multiple layers of shot and pleated silks, subtle netting and black jet beads reminiscent of the 1920s and embellished with an appliqued yellow peace rose. Trapunto work and gold thread stitching give the rose dimension and allows light to glow through her on both sides.

Rosalie is paired with a vintage, bronze plated, bridge lamp that stands, 53" tall. The lamp has been, rewired and buffed to a beautiful sheen. The lamp and lampshade will add regal warmth to your home or office. Contact me for more information and photos.

The quoted price is for both the lamp and shade.