Wednesday, July 23, 2008

mass-crafting .. is it possible??


I have noticed ..I am crafting in mass..
lately..
this is principally contraversial to the idea of hand crafting..
each piece has to be unique isn't it.. this is the magic of being crafted..
but it feels as if I am participating to "changing rooms" program of BBC =P..
myself alone.. as the whole team..

last sunday DH was on duty so..
I have..found time for re-decorating the back garden ..

some parts of the banc were broken and changed ..
so I had to paint it..
but on the way home I have bought the summer copy of Marie Claire Idées..
I love this mag..
it is full of stylish ideas to make yourself a beautiful and sereine niche..
what creates a problem for me.. is that I don't have so many places to decorate as the mag inspires..
so I change constantly..=P..

this time on the last page..
there was an "ardoise effect painting" technique which I loved..

back home.. I have found out that I have all that I need.. black paint.. white paint .. mother of pearl looking effect paint.. so.. I have first started with the seat..
while waiting between coats.. I have repainted the sewing machine's metal base, the tray, some pots.. all ardoise looking now.. and some garden accessories all in different shades of grey..
it was another "different materials.. same paint" weekend..
just to keep a note of it..
wood, MDF, metal, wicker, plastic and clay..

the mother of pearl colour effect is just perfect.. dries quickly and shines under the sun..=)
and you can see some inspirating images and ideas from the online mag by clicking on the front pages..

here are the results..
=)

I had seen a picture of a real ardoise sitting on a sewing machine and topped with geraniums in pots.. I think in BHG ..
I loved the look..
but couldn't find anything like this..
now the old butler's tray is fake-ardoise..
as the pots of flower stay humid on the underside.. the tray was getting mouldy very soon..
and in the search of finding something suitable ..
I have placed the metal rack - shaped trivet from IKEA.. which was just the size of the tray..
the two broken purple glass wineglasses fit in the metal lantern holders =P.. who's lanterns were broken..
I've also fixed the windchime's missing crystal.. which now shines between the greenery..

I loved the overall look.. and..
poured some white wine,
have lit some candles..
and sat listening to my little fountain.. until very late...


I am working a lot these days..
plus I am writing memories of my mother..
in my turkish blog..
and..

the broken lamp is still hanging in the room..
and..
I am now starting to think.. maybe I will re-look it too..
any ideas.. ???

Friday, July 18, 2008


when we get married..
we had to buy .. all that a house can need..
in two months..

we were both living with our parents..
and didn't have any furniture..
some bits and bobs..
but nothing enough for a house..

we didn't have much money nor time
..
we were working hard.. trying to get our specialisations..
and my DH.. he.. poor soul
was staying on duty at the hospital..
every other day.. and every other weekend..
from friday to monday..

so it was in a hurry that we furnished the flat that we had rented..
what was good for us.. it didn't need redecoration..
but choosing.. and buying furniture and placing them in the house was really a race against time..

when we thought that it was finished..
we have remarked we didn't choose any light fixture =P.. none at all..
bare bulbs hanging in some rooms =D.. none in the bedroom =P

I have learned then.. that..
I have a difficulty at
deciding about fixtures..

I had of course something on my mind.. but this was not in the shops..
=)
it was quite similar to this one..


one day on the way to my maother-in-law's house for a dinner party..
I exclaimed .. I like this..
poor husband-to-be.. braked.. parked..
and ran to the shop..

he came back empty handed..
it was a family heirloom of the shop owner.. and was not for sale =(..
he told everyone.. saying SHE liked one lamp.. but it wasn't for sale.. =P..

years went by.. the house was complete..
we even changed some of the furniture but still didn't have any decent lamp..
we only had spotlights at the ceiling..
then one day my DH came with two sidelamps.. very similar to the one I wanted.. the lamp base was a reproduction..
but the glass was french opaline..
I liked them very much.. and cherished them.. as my first REALlamps..

one day coming back home from work.. to see that..
my son.. who was 10 yrs old at that time..
and many times warned about"not to play football in the living room"..
had broken one of the glass of my lamps..

I told him how they were precious for me..
warned him again about being careful about the rules of the house..
and told him I would try to find a similar glass and if I could..
I would make him pay from his pocket money..
there is a great building in town ..
all the locataires are antique dealers.. the horhor antikacılar çarşısı..
I went there the weekend, and I was lucky to find one very similar..
that fitted in the base..

a few weeks later..
I came home .. to find my boy .. handing me proudly a bunch of money..
"what are these for??" I asked..
"I have broken the other lamp" he answered..

he took his lesson.. as I pay.. so I can break..

well of course we talked over..
found another opaline shade this time having more difficulty in spotting one..
the anticaires told me that a hotel owner came and took all the opaline for the new hotel he was decorating..
I was leaving empty handed.. when a lady shop-owner told me she has only one.. a pinkish opaline..
if I accept.. it fitted the base.. but they were no more a pair..

what reminded me all these this morning..
is that..
I went in my dressing room today morning.. to get prepared to go to work..
and the lamp hanging in thşs room was broken..
this lampshade is special..
because it came from my mother's house..
she liked it so much..
and mee too..

there were no spills on the carpet..
I asked my daughter she didn't do it..
I asked the help.. she said she didn't know..
I even asked my DH..who said he doesn't have any ideas..
the only person I didn't ask is my son..
who now is 18..
I don't know if I should ask ..

what made me very sad is that ..
whoever broke it.. didn't tell me by his own..
did he or she think I don't notice anything..

I have decided to write two separate letters..
to my kids..
telling them why.. objects are precious to us..
and about the soul of the objects..
but I am not sure..

when I had visitied the glass ship wreck exhibition of the museum of bodrum..
I had looked at all these intact glasses..
which lied under deep water.. for thousand year.. and of the craftsman who made them..
and started to think about my mother ..
whom I lost the same year..
I understood that there is an important relation between mankind and glass..
a philosophy I resumed..
what can be the value of the left behind objectss.. when people who made..owned.. and cherished them are already gone..
the answer is ....nothing..

so in order not to break the heart of my kids..
for the lamp of my mum..
I write here.. how I feel..
just to comfort myself..

sorry mom..
we don't have a pink opaline any more..
but even without it.. you are always in my heart..

Monday, July 14, 2008

united by colour =)

we have a saying in my country.. yuvayı dişi kuş yapar..
which means .. the its the female bird who builds the nest..
I am a vigorous woman's rights defendant..
and find a submissive side in these sayings..
but sure we woman have a domestic.. a nester side..

I love to sit down and look around and caress the cosy corners..
the memory filled corners of the house.. by a glance..it sooths me..
even though they don't stay the way I arrange them .. for a long time..
there are too many fiddling fingers around..=P

but after all..sundays are "my" days..
=)
I love being at home..
and relax..

when I say relax.. I mean "not being on a schedule" ..
that really is enough..=)..
I cannot sit still to relax.. to many things keep calling me.. from within the drawers.. boxes..closets..mags.. and blogs..

we had a re-decoration last week..
all the house was under construction.. we have changed the shape of three rooms..
build a wall and demolished another..
lots of work to do.. and it was tiring because I had to go to work daily..

but it was worth it.. I love the new colours and the new dressing room and everthing..

as I had to look through all the closets.. and boxes.. I have.. found lots of unused accessories..

nowadays I love creamy colours.. they sooth me..
I love vibrant colours too ..
but I get tired of them very soon..
so..

armed with a sponge.. some acrylic paints.. my hot glue gun.. bits and pieces.. and coffee..
I have attacked every single mismatching.. kept in the box object..


this angel is a plastic.. not really good looking lady..
but it is "precious" because it was given to my husband by our daughter..
when he was very sick..
and he placed it.. next a photo of himself.. as his personal guardian angel..
she now looks precious as well.. in a verdigris finish..


and all the cheap.. expensive..
once in my taste now not.. objects..
wood, acrilic, plastic,metal, even a candle .. united by colour..
and they ended up.. in cream.. gold.. verdigris..



a few tassels.. a few silk flower petals..
and here are some of my confections..
in a temporary small vignette =)..



I deserved this dinner didn't I.. risotto with mushroom and cool white wine..
in the evening listening to my windchimes..
and calculating how many re-looked objects did I have..


5 matching picture frames..
one big candle..
an angel..
two lampbases..
two trays..

this.. is a good list of a very productive woman..
=)
oh and did I mention I also started to paint a high gloss varnish covered..
ordinary round coffee table, to make a show center for my vignette..
it is already halfway done..
=P..

keep working girl..
keep working..