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Friday, November 19, 2010

A SWEET PLACE TO DREAM...

What does this little girl dream of, dream of,
Oh, what do I dream of?
Tattered Linens and Shabby Lace,
In my Hillybilly Chic studio space,
That's what I've been dreaming of!
I have a dream. Over the past six month I have been watching it take shape in a new space. As I stood at the threshold of the studio this morning I realized that this dream was a long time in the making from my crafting on TV trays days to an entire room dedicated to the pursuit of making art. There is one area, although not yet complete and probably the most impractical part of the room, (besides the carpet I wanted to rip out before I moved in, but that is in and of itself a tale best saved for another day), that has become my favorite dreaming spot...I could have put my sewing station here where it would have been bathed in wonderful natural light or I could have added another work surface with storage underneath, either of which would have been quite practical...but, to me...dreams are never practical but based on the improbable. That's what makes them dreams.
I had a vision when I moved into this space six months ago and it is still being fleshed out and realized, a cherished desire to step into a workspace each morning where a succession of images of an artfully placed room brings about thoughts of creativity. My desire is for a soothing and sweet place to dream.

I want a creative space to evoke the emotions of serenity and quite calm. I envisioned a space filled with tactile textures and layers where castoffs are crowning jewels. I wanted something wholly feminine yet with a rustic elegance and earthy grit that gives a nod back to my hill people heritage where you learned to make it do, make it over, or do without it. And I wanted it to tell a story, each
piece has its own history and tells something about the person who now inhabits the space...me.
(OK, so maybe I am slightly older than this portrait but 11 3/4 was such a wonderful age. This portrait has one of the happiest memories of my life attached to it, a time when a fondest dream came true and I am pretty sure it will make it into the studio decor.)

What started out as something to put in the big gaping hole until I could find something better because I didn't have anything else on hand, has now become a favorite element of the room. An antique iron crib turned daybed is a sweet place to dream...
And if you happen to be a four year old boy, it makes a dandy pretend pirate ship! Clearance items, flea market finds, and what I had on hand make up the mix and match bedding ensemble. I am working on a few more pillows and then the daybed will be complete. The carved tray belonged to my late mother-on-law and it allows me a space to set a cup of tea while reposed there. " Baby" is the rag and composition doll who keeps her eye on my journal and all its secret thoughts and dreams. I can't really say what drew me to her but I love her, my family does not, they call her " Frankenbaby" and say she is creepy because she stares... The rag rug was a flea market find that still has the tags on it, never used. I stitched on some vintage pillow case lace to the ends and I love its shabby soft t-shirt like texture...Same thing with the coffee filter topiary's. I'd rather have had little tables with drawers for storage on each side but alas my furniture stash is down to one lone piece and a child sized wardrobe is a bit large for an end table. What I did have on hand were two old lamps, two tin planters, two wire topiary balls, some white paint, silk cording, lamp wiring, coffee filters and a little ingenuity.My style is shall we say a bit more " fluffy" than my daughters but when she saw these she gasp and said, " Mom, when I get married I want those in my wedding." I take that as very high praise. They smell delicious too when the light warms the filters, the ones that have been dyed give off a light coffee scent and the glow in the evening is just dreamy!Little Inez stands guard in her flea market found gauzy handmade gown of yesteryear. Some of you might remember when she came to live here as a simple brown torso adopted from Ebay, which got me grounded. Well, shes got herself all gussied up now and wanted me to be sure and show off her new gift wrap decoupage...Inez is named for my beloved aunt who was a seamstress. Her jewelry is a little Avon cameo given to me by my paternal grandmother when I was very young and her door knob finial came from the maternal grandmothers old house. Her stand is also a flea market find, I am not sure what it was used for but there were three exactly alike in graduated sizes for $1.00, maybe a candle holder without the holder? I flanked the window with two old white chippy columns that were salvage pieces a friend gave me from a renovation from her former house. Old door knobs salvaged from a house in Romance, AR (don't you love that town name?) serve as hangers to hold empty frames waiting for artwork. In the meantime they have become artwork, every piece on these is removable when the time comes to use them for something else...The only thing left in this room when my daughter moved out were the carpet and the blinds...matchstick blinds...see through in the dark when the light is on inside blinds..that I detest, but, remember this is a make due room so I have to make do with them until I can afford the ones I want. Darling Daughter had lovely heavy curtain panels to pull closed over them, I do not, nor did I want any. Studio spaces need lots of good lighting so I wanted to keep the airy feeling with a little something pretty...I was so inspired by an online fabric collage class by Lisa that I created these fabric collage panels for my windows as a base for a rotating art instillation. I wish the gauzy white tulle, mummy cloth, and cheese cloth in the background showed up better in the photos, trust me, it is there and it looks awesome! All embellishments are removable and can be replaced with anything I can pin to the base panels. I still have a few details to add to the base design. I want to put old worn brown braided leather buttons over the tack heads that hold them in place, until I find enough I am using small pearl buttons but they don't show well. I recently purchased some old glass tear drop chandelier crystals that I want to stitch onto each point as well. Painted canvas lettering, crinkled seam binding, and a few old millinery flowers grace this panel for now.I have a little something else planned for the columns and for the lovely popcorn space above the daybed but those will have to wait until after the holidays. I still have a dream and it is ever so slowly taking shape one little addition at a time.

What inspires me? Just seeing this little slice of a dream taking shape by making it do (it is not the perfect or even ideal space), making it over (using what I have on hand or can thrift when the budget allows), and in some cases, even doing without (I dream of heart pine flooring, dull carpet is what I've got). Just this one little area inspires me to dream...

I hope you have been inspired by this little slice of a studio tour, today I am joining Debra of Common Ground for her Vintage Inspiration Friday post. There are many lovely links to visit and I hope you will enjoy them as well. Have a wonderful weekend!

43 comments:

Sonya Badgley said...

OOOHHH Sandy!
I LOVE it all! It's just beautiful and love the color of your craftroom (it's the same as mine), all the lace, soft lights,the crib bed,your beautiful topiary lamps, and oh and you know I would love the collage curtains! I want a pine floor in mine too. But is NOT going to happen for a long time. Isn't wonderful when your dreams can actually start becoming a reality? I really enjoyed reading about your dreams and getting to see some of them in photos was even better! Thank you so much for sharing.
May you have many, many more dreams in your sweet room.:)
Blessings,
Sonya

Rose Garden Romantic said...

What an amazing space! I love everything! The Dream banner curtain valance is gorgeous! The daybed looks so pretty the way you have dressed it in laces. The doll is definitely not creepy to me. She looks so sweet keeping watch over your lovely journal. The little rug looks so perfect with the lace added and those light up topiaries were a stroke of genius! They look magical! I love your dreaming spot and hope to have one for myself one day. I'm so happy for you that you have finally be able to create yours!
Hugs,
Michelle
p.s. I'm loving your pretty music so much! It's very magical and dreamy sounding, just perfect for this post!

Unknown said...

Miss Sandy,
OH MY!!! What a wonderfully, beautiful space you have. A place to dream and relax and be inspired by all things pretty and wonderful.
Little girls truly do dream of all the things you have in your special space. I know this little girl does!!
Thanks for sharing.
Michele

Vee said...

Lovely, charming, quaint, vintage, romantic, delightful, and magical, too. Ohhhhhh, I could look for a very long time. Your window treatment is inspired. I was wondering how you accomplished it and now I know, well, a little bit.

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

Oh my...what a haven!! I love your blog too! Enjoy your weekend!

Patti's Artful Design said...

A beautiful place to dream and create! Just lovely, Sandy. Thank you for stopping by my blog. If you are interested....come back and enter my giveaway. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa said...

Sandy,
I'm speechless. You did GOOD girl! I love the layered lace & table clothes on the daybed. And the banner, ohhh wonderful. I agree with your daughter, the toparies would be amazing at a wedding reception. It all looks just perfect. I'll bet Inez is real happy in there! Lisa

The Feathered Nest said...

Hi sweet Sandy!!! ohmygoodness girl...this daybed and all that surrounds it is just beautiful!!! Absolutely gorgeous ~ I love it all....Have a great weekend sweet friend, hugs and love, Dawn

Connie Eyberg Originals said...

Sandy, it is just stunning! I look forward to seeing the rest of the room. Wow! Have a great weekend. Connie

Rebecca said...

Hi
It is soooo beautiful, love your color pallet and the crib is great turned into a settee.
Everything is wonderful.
Blessings
Rebecca

Unknown said...

How absolutely beautiful! It does look like a wonderful place to sit and dream. I have a rug like yours but green - how smart you were to trim the edges! Lovely room.

Anonymous said...

Sandy.....I am moving in! Why did the pictures have to end? This is such an amazing space. I love everything about it. Especially those lamps!

The music playing reminds me of the music on Edward Scissorhands...

Thanks for leaving me such a sweet comment.

Have a great weekend.

Lisa

Blessed Serendipity said...

What a beautiful space. Love your collection of lace and how you put that little daybed together. Just lovely! Thank you for your visit this evening.

-Danielle

Robin said...

Everything looks "dreamy"....you have achieved a wonderful looking studio Miss Sandy! You have created so many special pieces from the curtain banner, lighted topiaries to the daybed linens. Great place you have here, thanks for letting us visit.

Hugs,
Robin

Bella's Rose Cottage said...

Hello Miss Sandy.. What a great space you have created!! A place to daydream.... The crib/daybed is delightful and the layered linens are fabulous!! I love your window banner... I have wanted something like this for the longest time and never thought to use hankies, clever!
Thanks so much for visiting me, I have enjoyed my return visit so much! I am your newest subscriber, and look forward to visiting again soon:-)
Bella

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

Such a lovely, inspiring spot~ thanks for sharing it! Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your nice comments!

Tallulah's Antique Closet said...

Hi Sandy, That is a beautiful and dreamy place to be inspired I luv it. Thank You for sharing and for stopping by....Julian

Bohemian said...

I'm SO glad you stopped by my Post and left a sweet comment... so that now I could find your delightful Blog! I'm adoring your new space... what a Crafty Chica you are!!! I'm LOVING this slice of Heaven you've created, it is sure to provide a serene Peaceful environment that will provide tons of inspiration and creative energy galore!!! Isn't it grand when we finally get our Dream manifested into a reality!?!

Dawn... The Bohemian

Leanne said...

love al the layered linens ... your revamped space looks like an open and peaceful place to create!

Dorthe said...

Sandy, this is truly a dream place,- how absolutely beautifull a spot, and to imagine sitting there sipping a cup of tea, with all your pretty things surrounding you,would be like a part of a fairytale.I t is amazingly lovely.
Happy week-end,dear.
XO,Dorthe

Lululiz said...

Truly exquisite. Each and every piece is just perfect, a wonderful place to dream.

marianne @ RuffHaven said...

I could dream there for hours. I especially love the fabric collage window topper.
Thank you so much for sharing.

marianne @ RuffHaven said...

I could dream there for hours. I especially love the fabric collage window topper.
Thank you so much for sharing.

shannon i olson said...

what a beautiful lovely place you have!!!

Anonymous said...

Sandy, well, I can see I've missed a lot here! It's been "one of those" weeks at my studio. But that means income! No complaints! But I've missed visiting you.
Please, may I come into your studio and look at everything in person and touch it all? It's just gorgeous!
It IS a dreamy place to dream. It's taken you quite awhile but I guess they say the waiting is worth it when it turns out this special.
Hugs and love and many inspired and fun hours in your beautiful space....
Diane

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

Your room is absolutely amazing. I love it....that rug is fantastic. I think your doll has a Tiny Tears head...but I love the outfit..did you make it? Your frames are to die for and of course I had to go and read why you were grounded!! too funny, well, probably not to you!!

Leo Leandry said...

Is a dream, everything is simply beautiful.

Debbie said...

SWEET DREAMS !!!

Kim from The Sheep's Nest said...

What a wonderful cozy space you have made! You have definetly inspired me! I've made some thing with the coffe filters and when I saw your lamps I knew I had to try my hand at that! Beautiful, just beautiful.

Olive said...

Love the layers od fabrics. I would never have guessed those topiaries were coffee filters...clever. Visiting from Common Ground.

karlascottage.typepad.com said...

Every bit of your studio is dreamy! I love the valance/banner.

Edie Marie's Attic said...

What a delicious studio to create and dream!! I love all your sentimental touches and your cost effective decorating... that's what it's all about these days isn't it?? It's so wonderful to share our thrifty creativity with each other, thank you Sandy for sharing a piece of your heaven with us.

Blessings this Thanksgiving to you and yours, Sherry

Beth Leintz said...

Sandy- Your studio is wonderful- it made me happy just to look at it- I can imagine that your daybed is a wonderful place to plan and create.

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Sandy, You have created such a beautiful space! I am in love with your window panels and the crib is fabulous! Absolutely gorgeous!
Hugs, Sherry

Simple Home said...

Your room is just beautiful Sandy. I love the way you presented everything too. I also have an Aunt Inez who is quite a seamstress :-)
Blessings,
Marcia

VS said...

What a gorgeous room friend!! Thanks for sharing, I'm visiting from Common Ground & I love your blog!
Smiles,
Susie

Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures said...

Oh my goodness! It's all so beautiful and I have too many favorites. I'd never want to leave this room. I also noticed the view outside the window, so cozy.
Thank you so much for sharing.

Harriet said...

What a delightful Sunday afternoon read and listening. I love it all. You did an AWESOME job. I personally like the doll,banner is great . But Oh! do I love those topiary lamps.
A tutorial maybe!

Karen said...

Sandy, I can't say much that hasn't already been said, but your blog is so beautiful. You are a Karen Valentine person like me. She sure has a way of creating our look for us, doesn't she?
Thank you for your visit.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Karen
Ladybug Creek

Barbara H. said...

I kept this post on Google Reader til I had time to come back and really peruse it. Lovely! As someone who just got a craft-sewing room this year, it is encouraging to me that yours is a work in progress. We moved to a new house last August, and my craft room is now occupied by my son and daughter-in-law while they look for work and save up for their own place, but I am still dreaming about what to do with it.

It's all lovely, but I think I especially love the collage curtains and the fact that you can take off what is there and change it as desired. But those topiaries are pretty sweet, too.

maggiegracecreates said...

Sandy - I may have just the buttons you need. We tossed a nasty daybed mattress from my Hubby's grandmothers house. Being the hoarder that I am, I slipped out to the trailer loaded for the dump and snipped the tufting buttons off it. If you will email me with how many, I will happily send them to you. teresahome@juno.com

Love the room - love those lamps - I started pattern tissue flowers to cover some IKEA paper globes. We will see how it works.

Tina said...

Ooohhhh My Godness - is this what you have been hiding Miss Sandy. It´s beautiful - I KNEW it would be. Sorry I´m so behing on posting. LOVE your new room. Everything is awesome and pretty and so wonderful -sign....
Thank you so much for sharing
and wishing you a wonderful day.
xoxo Tina

Decor To Adore said...

Oh I have been waiting for this day and it didn't disappoint! Everything is just SO lovely. I just adore how you repurposed and embellished even down to a sweet little rag rug.

Heaven.

PS: How it is that before today I had not hit your follower button?

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