four corners design

time for a change

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 19:08:00 +0000

after 5 years...and over 700 posts...its time for a change...

I've taken on an entire website...blogging but so much more...I have outgrown this platform...so I hope you will join me at my new site

www.studiofourcorners.com

in addition to my blog, there is a gallery of my work and a calendar of events and workshops.

This site will remain since there's lots of links to it for the tutorials I've authored in the past...but it won't be updated...

Hop on over...check it out...

Sunday musings

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 12:21:00 +0000

its been a tough week here in the states...
so much conflict, confusion and chaos...
how can we turn the tide...

Sunday musings

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 12:49:00 +0000

the noise of public discourse has become loud and destructive...
the sound of silence can speak volumes...

Sunday musings

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 22 May 2016 20:52:00 +0000

Yesterday I was able to spend most of the day working in my studio...I was so happy...a place to call my own, where I could work in peace and be surrounded with the supplies/tools/objects that inspire me.
Virginia Woolf had it right...a woman needs a room of one's own...

In another life of mine...many years ago...this would not have happened...I wouldn't have a room of my own...I put my key in someone else's pocket...luckily that was not for long...

I hope you have your key and hold on to it tight...

Sunday musings

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 15 May 2016 14:04:00 +0000

a gray quiet day after a sunny week devoted to much gardening...
not my favorite activity but I do enjoy the end results...
plenty of new art projects underway, plenty to keep me busy...

Remembering Mom

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Wed, 04 May 2016 21:28:00 +0000

As the calendar page turns to May, one cannot help but be reminded of Mother's Day...
and to think about Mom...

My mom passed away 8 years ago but still holds a strong influence in my life...
she taught me a love of sewing and a desire to create...
to make do with what one had at hand and to take the initiative to figure out problems...
to try new things and not give up when the going got tough...

In my bout of purging earlier in the year, I unearthed a box of clippings, photos and mementos...I came across a photo of my mom and dad in the early years of their marriage...and decided to play around with it...
and I'm thinking about having it printed up so I can hang it in my studio...SocialPrintStudio has some great metal prints...perfect for my metal mania...

I like this photo mostly for the expression and attitude of my mom...young, fresh, full of anticipation. My parents settled in a small Wisconsin town and that's where I spent my childhood...and throughout the years, my mom continued to have a healthy dose of anticipation for what was up ahead...whether it was raising 6 kids in a small house, moving across the country to Oregon when my dad lost his job, rebuilding her life in a new town after my dad died and finally coming to live with me in her final years. She wasn't one content to sit by and let things be...

Unfortunately, I don't have many photos of her...I guess we were always so busy that one didn't think about stopping a minute, reflecting on the moment, and taking a photograph to capture the day...

So to honor her memory, I'll take the time this weekend to stop and reflect...shoot a few photos...
and be filled with anticipation of all that still lies ahead...

Sunday musings

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 23:48:00 +0000

the tools of the trade might be paper, paint and scissors...
but without direction and decision, the path is obscured...

Spring studio sale

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 01:41:00 +0000

You are invited to our Spring Studio Sale on Saturday, April 30th from 10am - 4 pm
gift ideas for mom, grads...even a little something for yourself...

Jody Cain of Latitude Studios and Christine Stoll of Christine Stoll Jewelry will be joining me...
vintage treasures, upcycled jewelry, collage prints and paintings are just some of the items
we'll have to entice you...mark it on your calendar...

spring awakening

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 18:51:00 +0000

the lilacs are blooming...

Sunday musings

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 20:11:00 +0000

the first light of morning...the quiet hush of the house...the warmth of my coffee cup...
this is the simplicity of stillness...

Sunday musings

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 20:50:00 +0000

I seem to have a pattern here...been posting a creative art photo on Sunday for the last couple of weeks...
I guess I should make this a regular feature...so here is today's posting...

Cold, rain and gray today...but I am hopeful that spring will come...

Spring is in the air!

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 11:38:00 +0000

the buds are pushing through the soil...the birds sing happily...the sun lingers a little longer...its almost spring...

A time to clean out the cobwebs and freshen up a bit...and the perfect chance to get a little inspiration at the Spring Market vintage show this coming Saturday...

I'll be a vendor at this event...with a curated selection of vintage sewing paraphernalia and some lovely ironstone dishes...along with original art and a new series of greeting cards...I hope you'll stop by and see me...

because...

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 00:21:00 +0000

because I enjoy telling stories with pictures...because it's good to be reminded...

a thought to consider...

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 20:19:00 +0000

whatever it might be, wherever it may lead...however long you can...

Love to you...

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 13:52:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day!
Thank you for the love you show my blog by stopping by...hoping you receive some love your way today...

hope...

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 21:46:00 +0000

a brave little crocus popped in the garden this week...hopeful that it will soon be joined by others...

a thought for today...

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 22:08:00 +0000

Discoveries

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 16:35:00 +0000

I've been on a massive purge of my studio...and it's amazing what I have unearthed...

For those of you familiar with me and my home, you know I have a massive stack of suitcases...
I discovered that I have a fetish for metal boxes since I've gathered together quite a collection while cleaning up...

They certainly take up less room than suitcases...

Spool Valentines Art Party

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 11:44:00 +0000

take a vintage wooden thread spool...

add a strip of patterned paper...a button or two...or maybe a bit of ribbon or twine...
write your own secret message, rolled around the spool...

and you have a spool valentine.

Join me at this February Art Party where I'll show you how to make these tiny treasures...I'll supply everything from the old spools to a plethora of paper, buttons and ribbons...along with a dose of creative camaraderie and light refreshments...You don't have to bring anything but enthusiasm...

Registration is limited; the workshop will take place at my home in Everett. Once you have paid your registration, I'll send out a confirmation email with all the details.

Spool Valentines
Saturday, February 6, 2016
1 - 4 pm
Everett, WA

$45 registration fee

my word for the year

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 11:54:00 +0000

Throughout the holiday season, I was constantly at work on projects...on my dining room table. Whenever we wanted to eat at the table (thanksgiving dinner for example) I needed to clear everything off...only to resume my work a day or so later...thank god the Southern Man is understanding...

For those of you who have no other area for creativity, this is likely a common scenario...but for me...I have three other areas designated as work areas...my office with a small table, my workshop studio where I hold classes and my basement studio space. Other than the fact that my workshop studio has no heat (and thus a little chilly during the winter) I really have no excuse to be commandeering the dining room table for my projects.

I seem to be in a perpetual state of cleaning up my spaces...but never seem to make much progress...this time I decided to dig in deep and vowed that I will get my basement studio space into a manageable condition...

I've started with the west wall of the studio, lined with shelves...I pulled out everything and cast a critical eye...

I'm assuming that I had some project in mind...but really...this many vintage graters...

You know I have a soft spot for well loved metal...but its time to let it go...the flat graters have been slated for a future art party project (and put into a bin designated appropriately), the others into the box for giveaway.

More scrounging abounds...I find a horde of drawing circle compasses...yes, one is insignificant, more than one makes a statement...but this many is overkill...and this doesn't include the three I found after I took this photo...

True, one of these would be a lovely addition to a future mixed media collage...a couple of them are rather unique...but its exactly that kind of rationalization that has led to this overpopulation.

Which leads me to my word for the year...rather than a list of resolutions, I have found it helpful to have a word on which to focus...to guide my actions throughout the year...some years, its been difficult for me to pinpoint the exact word to describe what I want to achieve...this year, it hit me square in the face about a month ago...

I am overwhelmed...not just with a physical amount of extraneous stuff...but also with overly involved art techniques...and for that matter, complicated procedures in many areas of my life...

I want to take this tangled mess of materials, methods and madness and pare it down...

Now, believe me, this doesn't mean that I'll be living in a naked house with white walls decorated with one single feather...but I'm hoping...no, I am confident...that by the end of the year (if not sooner) I'll be able to work peacefully on my art...and eat at my dining room table any time I want...

Do you have a word for the year? I'd love to hear what it is...
and if you have a compelling story behind your word, maybe I'll send you one of my compasses...

Rustic Luxe - New Year's Eve

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 11:34:00 +0000

With Christmas over and the New Year sliding in soon, this is the last post of the Rustic Luxe series...

I wanted to end this creative series combining the most rustic item I could think of with the most luxurious...
I wasn't quite sure what it would be...until inspiration hit me at work one day in the lumber department...

What is more rustic than rough concrete? And what is luxe than gold leaf? What if I combined them together...

My inspiration came from these...

These are dobie blocks, used to hold rebar in place when pouring a concrete slab...I've played with these before - see my tutorial for my bud vase holders here - but for the holidays I was thinking of making candle holders with them...how festive for New Year's Eve...I gathered together my supplies...

Normally these blocks come in a section of 9 or 16 blocks, with divisions between them for separation. I used a wide rigid putty knife and a sledge hammer to break the sections apart. Once apart, I formed a holder for each candlestick by first straightening out the wire supports and then, using a metal pipe for a support, wrapped the wire around the pipe. Once the pipe was removed, it was easy to slip in a candlestick.

I revised my idea of using gold leaf and instead went with heavy body acrylic artist paint in a deep gold color. After taping off sections on the concrete block, I used a stiff brush to apply the paint...surprising only two coats were needed to give a good solid color.

With the candlesticks completed, it was on to the rest of the tableau...

Gold splatters on a length of kraft paper for a table runner was another Rustic Luxe combo...I used a can of gold spray paint which was leaking badly...but I ended up liking the drips and drabs on the paper...the chestnut garland (first seen in the Thanksgiving dinner centerpiece and then hanging from my Christmas tree branch) makes its final appearance with its nutty texture and the glint of gold beads. A few poppy pods sprayed with a bit of silver paint fill the bud vases...

A swath of wide silk ribbon tied around a small galvanized bucket is the perfect Rustic Luxe champagne holder...

Vintage ironstone plates and silver cocktail forks are waiting for the appetizers...
all is set for this small intimate gathering to begin...

As we close out 2015, I want to thank you for visiting my blog, leaving your comments, giving me your support...
I hope that the new year ahead holds all the promise and opportunity you desire...cheers!

'tis the season!

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 16:12:00 +0000

Wishing all a wonderful holiday season...
wherever you are and whatever you celebrate - cheers!

Rustic Luxe - Christmas morning

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 15:16:00 +0000

I know its not quite Christmas morning...but if I wait to post, what good would this quick and easy gift bag idea do you later...because if you're like me, I'm now scrambling to get presents together and could use a couple of quick ideas...because how is it that Christmas is just a week away?!

I recently had to say goodbye to two of my flannel pajama bottoms...one torn all the way down the backside (had them over 10 years - guess they don't make them like they used to!) and the other had the elastic give out in the waist. But rather than toss them out, of course I thought of making something with them...

A simple bag was my idea...since the bottom of each pajama leg is already hemmed, there's only one seam needed to sew...I cut off each leg for a small sized bag...

tip here...notice the ribbon tied onto my scissors handle...since I have several pairs of Fiskers scissors and they all look alike...I tied a ribbon on the pair that I save for only cutting fabric so that they are always sharp when needed...the other two pairs I use to cut whatever...and that may mean paper, cardboard, wire or even tree branches...

After sewing the cut seam, I trimmed the edge with my pinking shears...this will keep raveling to a minimum; turn the bag right side out and iron the seam flat. For a little bit of luxe, I tacked a length of silk ribbon onto the side seam...this ribbon will be the tie that keeps the bag closed.

A button hides the place where I tacked on the ribbon...
and provides a spot for hanging a gift tag...

We don't do a big Christmas here...pretty low key...so a small gift, wrapped inside of one of these bags will be perfect...a low key setting also means plenty of rustic not too much luxe (it is morning after all)...

The rustic is the simple setting...including a view of my back garden that is very rustic looking at this time of year...a tablecloth made from a canvas painter's dropcloth; blue ticking napkins and my workhorse ironstone dishes lay the groundwork.

the luxe comes from a few shimmering vintage ornaments...

Forced bulbs in vintage canning jars tied up with twine get a bit of luxe with a shiny metal bell...

the handmade wreath crafted from birch tree limbs blown down in a recent winter storm adds another layer of rustic...the metal rim from a deconstructed lamp shade provided support for the branches as I molded the wreath...a few more metal bells hanging from a length of twine is another touch of luxe...

Simple and sincere...that's what Christmas morning should be...

joining Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk...always a good time...

Rustic Luxe gift wrapping

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 20:30:00 +0000

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the season, I find one of the most enjoyable activities is gift wrapping...yes, I'm one of those...which shouldn't come as any surprise since I love working with paper...and fabric...and found objects...of course with a bit of metal (wire in this case) thrown in as well...

So I gathered together my supplies and got to work...

As per usual, I like to use what I have at hand...or acquire as inexpensively as possible...here's the round-up...

The Rustic part is the copper wire as well as a few snippets of greenery from the yard...the Luxe part is the vintage buttons, fabric ribbon made from old linen tablecloths and wax paper...yes, waxed paper - there's quite a nice sheen to the paper that gives just the slightest shimmer in the light. I also added in a roll of paper first aid tape - a poor man's washi substitute - details here about my discovery of this inexpensive tape - and a few sheets of colored tissue paper....both the paper first aid tape and the tissue paper came from the dollar store.

Using an idea from Martha Stewart years ago, I wrapped the first two gifts in colored tissue paper and then wrapped each gift again in a layer of wax paper...mutes the color of the tissue and adds that slight shimmer.

Then I used a length of thin wire to encircle each gift and embellished the wire with buttons and tiny silver beads. Since the wire is thin, it is easy to manipulate and fashion into whatever designs you want. I went with plain and simple...

The metal box shown in the picture above was given a little bling with a silver seal topped with two vintage buttons...I punched two small holes in the top of the tin to thread the wire that holds the buttons in place.

I also wrapped up two gifts in a shimmer of white...
white tissue paper on one, waxed paper on the other and then embellished each in its own way...

Copper wire encircling this gift holds a found white feather in place...a strip of paper first aid tape with a message of "peace" stamped in gold adds the final touch...

The second gift is tied up with a length of linen ribbon...old worn and stained linen tablecloths are torn into strips of about 1" wide...the frayed edge of the ribbon giving a nice texture to the monochromatic tones. The final embellishment is a tiny vase...created from a string of burned out tree lights...I just snapped off the bulbs from the wire string, pulled off the green plastic connector and was left with just the bulb...its made of plastic but still looks glass-like with its faceted edges...I twisted a length of wire around the top, attached it to the top of the gift and added in a few sprigs of color- voilà

Lest you think that I am super organized and have all of my holiday gift giving under wraps...I do not...and in fact, should probably get on that right now....

Linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk and Knick of Time Vintage Inspiration Party - holiday inspiration at both abounds!

Phinney Show this weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (amy of studio four corners) — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 16:18:00 +0000

If its the first weekend in December, then it must be time for the annual Phinney Winter Festival...its a fabulous artisan show in Seattle...115 artists, live music, food and plenty of holiday cheer - what's not to love!

This is the 14th year that I'm participating in this show...I've got to say that its one of my favorites...not only for the new friends I meet as well as connecting with old acquaintances, but I get to finish up my holiday gift shopping...I'm a big supporter of buy local, buy handmade.

In addition to my original mixed media art collages, I'll have plenty of affordable gift items too...

Hot off the press, these folded notecards with fabulous vintage images...

Art tags that can adorn a gift, enliven a bulletin board or even be a bookmark...

Collage journals, all one of a kind...a place to record thoughts, remember ideas, start
that first novel or just keep a list of anything you like...

Hope that you'll stop by and say hello...I'm in the Blue Building on the second floor...introduce yourself and tell me you read about the show on either my blog, my Facebook page or Instagram and there will be a free gift for you!