Recycled Plants, Recycled Bottles

I'm posting a picture, apropos of nothing, of my summer planters at the shop. They are composed of plants that I chose under self-imposed pressure (for some reason I allotted about 20 minutes at the garden center to pick out plants that I would be looking at for 3 months). As a centerpiece of each planter I recycled an ornamental grass that we already had. It even survived the hack job I did of dividing it for each planter. I'm not usually drawn to sweet peas, but I'm glad I chose them for this summer. It cheers me up to look at them, and we could all use some cheer in '09. And speaking of recycling, I just got these recycled glass bottle lanterns in the store this week.

A simple idea: cutting a circular hole out of the side of a glass bottle and creating a tin well for a tealight or votive candle at the bottom of the bottle. These bottles would look very cool hanging from branches for a little out-of-doors ambiance. And to those of you who look at the bottles and say "I could make it myself" I say: knock yourself out. First, you'll need to drink lots of soda or wine - don't forget to clean out all the sticky junk at the bottom! Then it's just a simple matter of acquiring a glass cutter with a circular bit (be sure to wear your commercial-grade safety goggles while cutting into the glass). Next you'll need to get out that pair of tin snips you've been saving for a rainy day and craft a tealight-shaped holder out of tin. After which you can head to the hardware store for the correct adhesive for attaching metal to glass - preferably one that will withstand high heat - and glue the parts together (in a very well-ventilated room, mind you! This stuff is toxic!). Next you'll get out your tool box and pull out the ol' wire cutters and a pair of hefty pliers so that you can twist 20-gauge wire onto the bottle - make sure the wire is mounted evenly so that the bottle doesn't list to the right or left. And that's all there is to it! Now you just need to hang that bottle in your backyard tree, light a candle and enjoy. It has cost you a weekend and half a paycheck, but you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself. Unlike all those other slobs who simply walked into the store, grabbed a bottle lantern and slapped $8 down on the counter. Suckers.

All sarcasm aside, whether you make them or buy them, these recycled glass bottle lanterns would be a very cool addition to your outdoor (or indoor) life.

Late to the Funeral

A customer just popped in to ruin my day with the news that domino magazine has shuttered. Beyond depressing, as this is just the latest in a recent string of magazine deaths. The first and worst to come to my attention being House & Garden. The Venerable House & Garden! I should have know that newer mags would not be long for this world. Domino, however, I thought would survive through the recession, as it's point-of-view is unlike any other shelter magazine's out there. I never felt cool enough for the magazine (see previous post) but I really, really loved its DIY perspective, as it made me feel like I COULD be cool...someday. And now that day will never come. So thanks Kelly, for the bummer news about domino. Happier to hear the news from you, however - someone else who loved it - than reading a sad little post on domino's website. *sigh*

Domino Magazine: RIP

Now, onto hopefully a happier subject: projects.

Here is a photo of a recent frame I made. Kind of Asian, kind of trendy-crafty.


A recent view of the shop. Arrange, then re-arrange, then re-arrange some more! is my motto. The very happening vintage glass lamp is sold, but the glass bottles I will always have with me. Love those and can't stop carrying them, even when I'm afraid that my glass bottle market has been saturated. The shapes are very compelling.

Wintertime is Craftytime.

Rockport is deserted. It snows every weekend like clockwork, and I just spent the last few hours of this cold Sunday afternoon staring out the store window at a total of ten people (actually more like five - they went up the sidewalk then down, so I counted them twice) struggling along, heads lowered against the blowing snow. But you never know, I tell myself, someone may brave the weather to buy a lovely handmade paper box. Or a vintage glass float. Or a birthday card. Birthdays don't stop just because it snows outside.

Well, I've been making things lately. That is, after I spent the first week of January curled up in a ball, in my usual post-Christmas state of sedentary misery. But now we're deep into the winter, and things are picking up, creatively-speaking. Rockport is about as quiet as it is possible for a town to be and still be inhabited by human beings, so there is not much to do at the shop, besides blow the cobwebs off the counter and fondly remember when people in this town shopped locally, at least during the winter months (actually I have no memories of such a time). Winter is a good time to stock up on all the items I make for the shop and brainstorm about rearranging furniture. Yes, there are more important things to contemplate during these uncertain days, but in the wintertime, I am not so nimble, physically or mentally, and am happy to consider the right epoxy for gluing seashells, or what color to repaint my walls. I'm sure I'm not alone. Below are a few photos of some pencil box collages I've made, as well as a few wintery displays in the store. May you stay warm and un-snowed upon this January!

Stack o' pencil boxes

Spheres in September

September 17th, and it's my first post of the month. I think I'm supposed to be doing this every day or something. At least that's what the blogging experts tell us. The Blogging Formula for Success: a) Be sure to post on Something Meaningful every day, b) Build an audience for your Important Thoughts, and c) Bore your audience to tears. I have the last part down pat.

Okay, today we're going to talk about spheres. A recurring motif in nature, spheres are all around us. Why, the earth itself is a sphere. If I would take the time, I could give you some wikipedia-d information that gives a bit of history of man's relationship to the circle and its role as the representation of the infinite. And so on. But for the purposes of commerce I'll skip all the high-minded stuff and go right to what matters to me personally. I am surrounded by circles every day in the store. I find that I am drawn to shape again and again, as I keep buying vintage glass floats (insert mental image here), old croquet and bocce balls, and now wooden orbs composed of tiny round shapes glued to a sphere to form a festival of circle shapes. You really have to see it to know what I'm talking about. I WILL post a photo. Really!

For today's final sphere: a vintage lamp composed of a teak arrangement above an aqua colored glass ball. Huge lamp, huge statement. Very cool.