We’ve been cheering on recycled art and decoration projects here at the WallCandy Arts blog, recently featuring such marvels as Great Britain’s Rowboat Roof House, Colorado’s License Plate House, and Prince Edward Island’s Beer Bottle House. So it was with great joy that I just stumbled across a magnificent junkyard animal refuge at a new art gallery in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

You know that famous bumper sticker, “I Brake for Moose?”  Well, I brake for all moose-related art — especially life-size creatures crafted out of old automobile and motorcycle parts. If you look closely below, you can clearly see the names of the manufacturers on the parts (as well as a few spark plugs tossed in there, too).

The Indian Brook Trading Company at 2213 Main Street in Bethlehem, NH, just opened after July 4 and is already turning lots of motorists’ heads with their front porch scene of a stallion, moose, rhino and militant alien guarding the premises. Housed in a barn that originally used to be a silent movie theater, the gallery is owned by Gerry and Maime Ramback, who import their art from Thailand. Shipping must be extremely costly, and is absorbed by the sculptures’ $5,000-$9,000 asking price.

The newborn gallery does not have a website. You’ll have to take a road trip if you want one of these welded beasts ruling over your living room.

The auto parts, which have been scrubbed of all grease and grime, are clean enough to eat off. They look gorgeous glistening in the sun.

I was particularly smitten with the use of these bike chains to make up the horse’s mane. I’d love to see the same technique applied to a lion!

This King Kong sculpture, which I would buy in a heartbeat if my discretionary income soared, rightfully belongs in my office.

Speaking of offices, the Indian Brook Trading Company had a custom front counter fashioned from gears and auto parts. As the neon beer sign suggests, the work counter also functions as a bar.

You don’t need a welder’s torch to apply WallCandy’s jungle and forest themed removable wall stickers, peel-and-stick wallpaper and removable chalkboard decals. Here’s a quick checklist of what we have available from the animal kingdom:

1. Elephant Chalkboard

2. Chalkasaurus Dinosaur Chalkboard

3. Whoo Loves U Owls, Nightly News Owl Wall Decals, and I Heart Owl Wall Stickers (With Owl Family Tree)

4. Forest Friends Wall Decals

5. French Bull Jungle Wall Decals

6. Cute Bunny Wallpaper

7. French Bull Jungle Animals Wallpaper

8. Wee Gallery Jungle Animal Removable Wallpaper

Anything missing from this shopping list?  Which animals would YOU like to see next in WallCandy decor? Drop us a line at hello@wallcandyarts.com or visit the WallCandy Pinterest Board.

You might pay attention to the Best Picture of the Year at the Oscars or perhaps People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” but I am far more enthralled with the annual “Shed of the Year” design competition.

The contest, which encourages eclectic architecture, is sponsored by Cuprinol, a British manufacturer of outdoor wood stains and paints. It was set up to promote “the responsible and sustainable use of wood,” as Cuprinol is an official business partner of England’s Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

2013 winner Alex Hollland’s Boat Roofed Shed just beat out an impressive slate of creative finalists, including a Queen Emma pirate ship-shaped shed and one that looks like a phone booth (Do they even exist any more?)

Holland took a 14′ x 7′ antique fishing boat and mounted it on four telephone poles for his frame. Then he built the walls from a hodge podge of aluminum salvaged from a 1940s camper, some windows and doors from his 400-year-old farmhouse and a mixture of mud, clay and straw.

The designer says his new abode is the perfect place to relax and watch his three dogs run free in the fields for exercise.

You can check out an album of Holland’s building process on his “Boat Fun” Facebook page. He’s got a gorgeous view of Wales’ Cambrian Mountains and a solar panel provides enough juice for LED lighting and a sound system.

Lest you think that antique barn wood and fishing boats might be a little drafty, Holland also outfitted the place with a woodburning stove. The chimney, too, has a quirky recycling backstory. It used to be the queen pole of an old circus Big Top tent. No problems using it in the winter: It could be the most unusual four-season porch on the planet.

Looks like Holland has created a little secluded paradise for himself and his social parties. The only thing missing?  In my humble opinion, some stylish peel-and-stick wallpaper and removable chalkboard decals!

(Have any unusual decorating ideas or projects? Drop us a line at hello@wallcandyarts.com or visit the WallCandy Pinterest Board).

Look, But Don’t Eat — Breakfast Cereal as Art. (The Dallas Poague Collection)

Since the Dawn of Supermarket Civilization, cereal boxes have been designed to lure children with colorful cartoon mascots and logos, puzzles and games on the back, and of course, the eternal promise of prizes — either deep within the crunchy confines or ones that require delayed gratification by collecting proofs of purchase.

One of my most vivid childhood memories at my grandmother’s house is when we’d open a fresh new box of Rice Krispies. Rather than allow my brother and I to stick our arms all the way inside the box and dig like a crane, she took pre-emptive action. Grandma dumped the entire contents of the box into a giant aluminum bowl, allowed us to pluck out the plastic goodie bag and then put all the undisturbed cereal back where it belonged.

I remember secret decoder rings, glow-in-the-dark spoons, little plastic trinkets of Snap, Crackle and Pop, etc. It didn’t matter what was inside — it was a prize!  And the anticipation of getting that prize, encapsulated in the tease on the box, was 60 percent of the fun.

Turns out there are a handful of pop culture enthusiasts who share my passion, and have gone the extra step of incorporating cereal box art into the decor of their homes.

Minneapolis graphic designer Dallas Poague, who owns a t-shirt screening business delightfully named Monkey in a Dryer,  has a handsome display of 72 vintage cereals in his office (pictured at the top of this post).

He shared his Golden Rule to Prevent Clutter with the Ephemera blog: “Whenever I get a new box, a lessor box must be removed. Lately it’s becoming a challenge on what boxes to get rid of.”

Poague also runs CerealBits, an Internet forum for collectors where you’d surely find more decorating ideas.

So, you thought bookshelves are for books?

The above cereal-laden book shelves merely represent about 25 percent of the brands on display in the home of Seattle supercollector Gus Lopez. A science fiction buff, Lopez is best known as the founder and curator of the Star Wars Collectors Archive, but he and his wife Pam also have an entire room in their home devoted to cereal memorabilia. Lopez has researched a comprehensive list of Star Wars-related cereal boxes by country if you’d like to specifically narrow down your decoration theme to say, Guatemalan Battle Droids or Hungarian Jedi.

He explained his fascination with cereal box art to the Galactic Binder blog:

“I chose cereal boxes because they were extremely difficult to find. There is no production category of Star Wars collectibles more challenging than food items, particularly the packaging, which gets issued in dozens of styles by hundreds of licensees throughout the world. Even in the age of global companies with generic branding, food items remain as diverse as the countries where they originate. Star Wars cereal boxes have been sold in places like Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey, Ecuador, Latvia, Haiti, Iceland, New Zealand, and Korea. It is virtually impossible to find all of the boxes, including all sizes and variations, in all of these countries from the past 31 years. Yet, I’ve been fortunate enough to find almost 1300 different ones. I’m missing about a dozen that I know were made, and half of those are vintage ones from Canada which may not have survived as I have never come across another collector who has them.”

Any Canadian pack rats out there who may have one of those rare cereal boxes in your attic or basement?

The Ultimate Cereal Display in Newington, Connecticut!

Lastly, we have a cautionary cereal tale for collectors of any genre who are struggling to keep their inventory under control.  Take a look at the box collection above. It’s the old maxim of “Less is More.” When you try to cram too much into your display, it’s almost as if you’re showcasing nothing.

Actually, this cereal mountain was for a recent charity project at the Newington Elementary Schools in Connecticut.  They had an auditorium to display their collection, but it’s very likely you don’t.

Going back to Minnesota’s Dallas Poague’s strategy, it’s probably best to rotate your favorite stuff in and out so the walls don’t get overloaded!

(How do you display your collections?  Drop us a line at hello@wallcandyarts.com or on the WallCandy Pinterest Board).

Ever feel like you have just had enough? Like all you want to do is sit around, eat a gallon of chocolate ice cream and throw yourself a pity party? For $36 on WallCandyArts.com you can; and you can even invite your friends. Deck your walls with dejection with these new pity party wall decals from WallCandy Arts. There is even a banner that disseminates your “Worst Week Ever.”

Drown your sorrows in double chocolate-fudge ice cream and chomp on a chocolate bar while frowny-faced balloons afford some commiseration for your misery. You will be surprised at how quickly your mood will change when you are  surrounded by compassionate comrades, throwing a sorry soiree and chowing down on chocolate.

What’s For Dinner? (Sidewalk art by Julian Beever)

I love chalk art. I’m kicking myself for not photographing his work yet, but my 5-year-old nephew draws AMAZING tractor-trailer trucks on my driveway. The canvas is almost limitless, so my nephew doesn’t hesitate to think big. These vehicles are ginormous steel centipedes with hundreds of wheels packed close together. In real life, it would probably get maybe 2 or 3 miles per gallon.

Maybe the boy will grow up to be like Julian Beever, a British chalk artist who is known as the “Pavement Picasso” for his stunning realistic 3D street murals that allow people to immerse themselves within the scene.  Beever now makes a living sketching masterpieces for corporations and wealthy clients, but his passion began with a single piece of white chalk. Not everyone appreciates his magic, though.  In a special “Things Don’t Always Go Well” section on his website, he shares a picture of a City Councilman in Birmingham, England shutting down his mural before it was even half finished. A full day’s work was wasted and he says the scenario is unfortunately repeated often when he tries to set up shop in a new town.

Perhaps the 54-year-old Beever should have applied for a creativity permit?

Who put the subway THERE? (Sidewalk art by Julian Beever)

His 3D scenes are anamorphic illusions that usually “dig” under the sidewalk to reveal a hidden surprise.

Beever has been doing commercial gigs since the mid-2000s, which is why he can afford to get kicked out of new cities for fun. He previously worked as an art teacher, street entertainer, photographer’s assistant and a carpet installer.  He explains his origins on his Website:

“I got started when I was in a pedestrian street in Brussels where an old garden had been removed. This left an unusual rectangle of paving slabs which gave me the idea to convert this in to a drawn swimming pool in the middle of the high street! It worked so well I tried other variations such as a well with people falling in. I soon realized that if you could make things appear to go into the pavement you could equally make them appear to stand out of it.”

He’s worked in 28 different countries and takes great satisfaction from sharing his art with random people on the street rather than the highly narrow demographic that frequents galleries and art museums.

Archeologist Fantasy — Why travel overseas to dig? (Sidewalk art by Julian Beever).

I don’t mean any disrespect to Pablo Picasso, but I think that the famous Spanish painter would be mutually flattered by Beever’s nickname — even though it was likely formed out of alliteration and not a similarity of their styles.

Drawing 3D anamorphic illusions takes years of training and practice, but your child can get his or her start with one of WallCandy Arts many peel and stick chalkboard wall decals. There is a wide selection of Chalkboard Panels, Chalkboard Circles and even Chalkboard Cupcakes and Elephants to choose from.

So… What are you waiting for?

(Please share YOUR best chalkboard drawings at hello@wallcandyarts.com or on the WallCandy Pinterest Board).

California shoe collector Darlene Flynn. Double click to enlarge. (Image Source: Daily Mail )

The Dalia Lama has an expression about human wants vs. human needs. “Ten fingers, ten rings,” he says, noting that at some point, you can only decorate yourself with extravagance so much.

I thought of this minimalist philosophy when I stumbled across these shoe and sneaker collectors, who can’t possibly ever even try on every pair in their custody — let alone wear them.

To this fascinating subculture of foot worshipers, shoes are art.

Californian Darlene Flynn is in the 2013 Guinness Book of World Records for amassing the “world’s largest footwear-themed collection” with more than 16,400 items. Not just actual shoes, but drawings, clothing, pins, sculptures and miniature ceramics as well.

London’s Daily Mail newspaper reveals that her collection really took off once she got divorced a few years ago.  That’s not shocking, considering that few guys could sanely live in the environment pictured above.

But guys are hardly immune to becoming shopaholics and feeling compelled to show off their stuff. Jordan Michael Geller, of Las Vegas, is also in the Guinness Book for world’s largest sneaker collection. One wonders just how many footwear-related categories that Guinness tracks.

If you hadn’t noticed, if you transpose this collector’s first and middle names, you get Michael Jordan, the NBA legend and Nike “Air Jordan” icon. Geller has 2,500 pairs of Nikes and was charging tourists in Las Vegas $10 a pop to see them.

The real Michael Jordan has yet to take a tour — probably because the collection looks too similar to his closet.

Every brand has its enthusiasts. Florida’s Penny Gold caught the attention of NBC’s TODAY Show for owning the World’s Largest Collection of Chuck Taylors, the iconic Converse basketball shoe.

Penny Gold's Converse Collection

Penny, a retired school teacher, told Orlando Magazine that she gets most of her sneaks at Converse outlet stores and that store managers call her for first dibs whenever an unusual custom pair is returned.  Converse, which allows customers to mix and match colors, prints, designs, materials and laces (check out these superhero-style high-tops), will likely never run out of unique exhibits to add to her home.

Speaking of footwear, there are several WallCandy Arts removable wall decals and peel and stick wallpaper that let you momentarily walk in the shoes of others. Your children can pretend to be an astronaut, a princess, a witch, a balloon veterinarian, a meteorologist, a wildlife biologist, an urban planner and a cowboy.

What’s your fashion decoration fantasy?

(Please share YOUR decorating pictures with us at hello@wallcandyarts.com or on the WallCandy Pinterest Board).

Interior designer Tyler Wisler is known for turning dull spaces into edgy, modern works of interior art he calls “Industrial chic.” He is also a self confessed fan of WallCandy Arts, which is why we were honored to be featured on an episode of “George to The Rescue.”

Tyler used our dog balloon wall decals to turn a one-car garage into a contemporary and elegant work space for a single dad, meshed with a funky kids’ playroom, and the outcome was sophisticated yet playful, and completely awesome. What do you think?

50 License Plates, 50 States (Source: Etsy)

In honor of Father’s Day on Sunday, let’s head to the garage.  We all know guys who have a dozen or so license plates nailed to the walls of their workshop or parking area. Usually, unless they have gone out of their way to collect plates from other states, most of these walls are bland and uni-dimensional.

But there’s a vibrant subculture of license plate collectors (check out the cleverly named PL8S.com) and these thin slabs of metal often encapsulate state history and the essence of a cross-country roadtrip. I admire the creativity and workmanship in the above wood-mounted plaque, which involved some elaborate cutting skills to accommodate the geography.

Unfortunately, I cannot track down the artist because this United States of License Plates was taken down from the Etsy crafts site shortly after it sold.

Will license plates become fashionable home furnishings? (Source: Garage Journal)

Meanwhile, over at the Garage Journal automotive forum, car junkies confess about plate decor taking over every nook and cranny of their homes. Take for example, the possibility above that traditional crown molding is in danger of being replaced by license plates!

Colorado's Famous License Plate House (Double click to enlarge image).

And of course, there is one of the ultimate Registry of Motor Vehicle shrines serving as a tourist attraction in Crested Butte, Colorado. The home is actually a vacation rental that comes with bragging rites. Shingling a barn with rusty relics cannot be cheap. Flea markets and yard sales often fetch between $10 and $25 per plate if they are not antiques.

As you might already realize, affixing decorations to the wall — any wall — is what DraftSight does best.

BTW, chalkboard and whiteboard decals are 20 percent off for Dad through June 17th — just use code DAD20 at checkout!

(What do you collect? And how do you display it? Send us YOUR decorating pictures at hello@wallcandyarts.com).

Pizza Farro in Melbourne, Australia, has an impressive display of antique rolling pins decorating the walls and ceilings. Doesn't look like any have tomato sauce stains!

Collecting things serves a vital role in childhood. It teaches us how to organize, categorize, seek out others with similar interests and share a piece of our personalities. Many of us eventually tire of these collections and move on to other hobbies or more pressing matters like families and jobs. But what happens when you just keep accumulating stuff?  And when you have a disposable income with a far larger budget for new acquisitions?

Who would ever imagine a use for one of the world’s largest collections of antique wooden rolling pins?  Yet, at Pizza Farro, an Australian pizzeria that specializes in wood-fired gluten-free spelt crust, these cooking implements create an almost mystical atmosphere.

You could create the same effect in your own kitchen with virtually any kitchen item like salt and pepper shakers, spatulas, spoons, bottle openers or salad tongs. Creativity is all about making the ordinary into the extraordinary.

An impressive Wall of Pez in the home of the "Pastor PEZ." (Double click to see more detail)

Pursuing a sillier and more colorful passion, blogger Pastor PEZ regularly updates his readers on new PEZ-themed memorabilia, such as bandages, lip balm and socks.  The enormous shrine above is merely only one of the walls in the Pastor’s home that is coated in PEZ. I love how his display blocks a heating or air conditioning vent — because life has priorities, you know?

Also amazing is the rainbow spectrum he creates by lining up the same colored stems. If you double click on the picture to enlarge, however, it appears as if he organizes the PEZ by character and category.

Andy Swan's extreme collection of elephant decorations and memorabilia. (Double click to enlarge image).

Not sure if I can see any elephant PEZ dispensers in the photo of collector Andy Swan above, but he MUST have them somewhere. Swan, a career circus clown, claims to have compiled the World’s Largest Collection of Elephant Memorabilia. His nickname is “The Elephant Man.”

Two years ago, Swan displayed his riches at a special exhibition in a California shopping mall. He told the Sacramento Press that he salvages elephant trinkets at yard sales and Salvation Army stores, thinking of his hobby as giving the pachyderms “a second chance.”

“I was collecting these elephants in my house and just putting them in boxes,” Swan said. “You don’t realize how many you have while you’re collecting them.”

To his credit, Swan will NOT collect any item made from ivory, the banned tusk material that is the lure for many poachers.

But there is no such aversion to non-toxic PVC Vinyl, the durable material that we use for WallCandy removable decals and removable wallpaper.

Elephant lovers everywhere will love our Jungle Removable Wallpaper, our Jungle Wall Decals and our Elephant Chalkboard Decals. Best part of all is our favorite word “removable.” You don’t need to have your own wildlife reserve-sized shelving units to enjoy our animals!

(What do you collect?  And how do you display it?  Send us YOUR decorating pictures at hello@wallcandyarts.com).

We know you love Pinterest just as much as we do, so here’s your chance to get paid to do what you love; decorate, design and dream… and hopefully win $100.00 for doing it (so, maybe it won’t all be a dream). Create a pinboard of your “Perfect Playroom” and win $100.00 to use on wallcandyarts.com. Simply click here to enter!