Play Day!

Lisa and I spent the afternoon one day this last week working on some samples for spring workshops.

This fluffy goodness is a paper garland created from white and brown coffee filters, circles of paper from the white pages of the phone book, vintage sheet music, French book pages and patterns. The idea was inspired by Pam Garrison’s lovely creation on her blog. And in turn she was inspired by a garland she admired at Anthropologie. We’ll be adding some twists and turns of our own to this brilliant use of common coffee filters. And it’s a whole lotta fun to make!

A Happy Ending

The rattan set has found a home.
As many of you might remember, an adoption was pending but it wasn't in the cards.


Our customer friend Jodie visited the studio and decided to take it home with her. This girl is prepared for anything. She whipped out her blanket, rope and a tied the four chair frames on the top of her car. The 8 cushions were stuffed inside and away they went.

A happy ending.

Tiki Lanterns from Salvage

We met Joe last Saturday at the studio. He was interested in a roll of caning stuff we had. So being the curious (and also nosey) person I am, I asked him if he caned chairs. No, the caning reed was for tiki lanterns. Now he had my full attention! I asked Joe to send us some pictures, and he did. Along with a brief tutorial.

“I had a great time in your store today. Here are some photos of some tiki lanterns I made from salvage. I started by cutting up a matchstick blind I found at thrift store, and using the sticks to make cones. The top of the cone is a short piece of 1 inch bamboo to which I lashed the sticks. Then I lashed the bottom of the cone to a hoop of aluminum wire using jute. To do the wiring, I got extension cords from a dollar store and cut off the ends and then wired on a weatherproof socket. Around the socket is a plastic drinking tumbler that I wet sanded to make the bulb diffuse. The bulb is a 25w amber candelabra-style bulb. I made over a dozen lanterns at almost no cost and they were a huge hit at the company holiday party. " Joe


We really enjoy show and tells!

Northwest Flower and Garden Show Fabulousness

We had a blast at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show last Friday! Thank you to everyone who turned out to hear about Salvage Savvy in the Rainier Room.

It was such a fun group!

Lisa and I and our husbands got to the show early in the afternoon to visit the gardens and take a gander at all the vendors.

We got a big kick out of seeing "our" planter chair in front of this garden shed. The theme of this garden was Reclaim, Recreate, Rejuvenate designed by Lucinda McMahan of Lucinda Landscapes and Kerry Sexton-Smith of Walden Garden Services.

Pamela Richards' garden is always one of my favorites. These splendid maple trees are Acer circinatum 'Pacific Fire'.

We got a big kick out of this container garden display.

The following pictures are from our favorite garden, designed by Rebecca Cole. There was a constant line waiting to walk through her imaginative display, so I had to snap pictures on the fly.

Here is a wonderful sedum rug under the glass table.

Loved the bases of these benches and table.

Fantastic metal planter boxes.

These indoor/outdoor tiles were captivating. This pattern, Flower Power, designed by Rebecca, is available nationwide by Imagine Tile.

And the best green wall at the show!

Cottage Wonderland

We visited the happiest little cottage you could imagine this past week!

Our customer friend, Christie, invited us over. We've watched her buy vintage toys and fun, found objects in red, aqua and yellow colors for the last several years at the studio. We had no idea she was creating CHRISTIELAND! I only wish my pictures did true justice to the magical setting.

Lisa and Christie grabbing a cup of tea.

Loved how she has used different colors of glass knobs on the kitchen drawers.

A beautiful Perpetual Calendar she made at a workshop at the studio. It is so darling in this space.

Visit us at the NW Flower & Garden Show

Please come say hi to us at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show this Friday, February 20. Beth speaks at 5:15 p.m. on Salvage Savvy, garden art from found objects, in the Rainier Room. It will be a lively show and tell – from sharing where to find good junk to a variety of ways to create and use garden art. Immediately following the presentation at 6 p.m., we’ll be signing copies of our book at the University Bookstore booth at the show.

Here’s a little preview:

Three garden art gals, made by local artist Kim Groff-Harrington, enliven a container of hardy fuchsias.

The heavy snow only enhances their charming presence.

Here they are giving it their all, which still isn’t quite enough to make this dormant fuchsia look any less sorry! They are really looking forward to spring, along with the rest of us.

Great Quote

"It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power." Alan Cohen

Unfinished or Deliberate Found Objects?

Quirky handmade things like these plastic fruit pieces capture my imagination. Sticking a pin into each bead and sequin took some time and patience. Did the creator lose interest and abandon this project? Goodness knows, I can start projects like nobody’s business, but completing each of them is another story. Or did this crafter work part way down this apple, deliberately leaving that smooth line of sequins?

I am so attracted to vintage objects because they have a history and tell a story. -- Beth

Happy Valentine's Day

Have a great day!

Valentine's Week Continues

Lucky, lucky us – more Valentine’s Day loot! Lisa and I each received our own ideas journal, adorned with a handmade keepsake in these striking colors, from our friends Judy and Colleen. Of course, we can’t unwrap these yet. Our ideas will still have to be written on that standby yellow legal pad. Or pads. I seem to need one in each room where I work. Lots of ideas. So little memory. -- Beth

But wait...there is more!

I made these needle-felted heart pins for the girls.

And then wrapped them up in heart shaped jello-molds in a bed of shredded sheet music with some organza ribbon. Yum! -- Lisa

Pearl Pendant

Thanks to our DVR, I whiz through Martha’s television shows, and stop to watch the crafts segments. I caught this one demonstrating a Heart Pendant last week, where they made simple heart-shaped pendants with wire and crystal beads. The idea stuck with me for a few days, and I decided to make my version of it with a small string of pearls I got at Beads and Beyond for $2.00 (at a swell sale they had last year), and some wire I had on hand.

I cut the 7 inches of 24 gauge wire like the video suggests. Then I simplified. I strung on 19 pearls (make it an uneven number) and attached the wire ends together in a tidy little twisted ball. I encouraged the sort of circle-like shape to be a heart shape, with the wire connection part landing in the top center. I attached a large jump ring to one side, and used rayon seam binding tied in knots instead of a chain. The seam binding was too poufy and smooth at first. So I got it wet, crinkled it up and let it dry.

I saved one for myself, and made three more for gifts to special friends. -- Beth

Sewing Machine meets Artist Trading Cards

I have finally discovered what a blast it is to use my sewing machine on paper! I had some artist trading cards left over from our recent swap, and thought they could evolve into Valentine's Day cards.

With a simple zigzag stitch, my sewing machine from the 1950's connected the cards to some cardstock in no time at all. I added a few more turns and loops as long as I was at it.

I'm also finding that I use my machine way more if it is out in the open and not stashed away in its' case. Hauling that big boy out was a chore. I have found a small cubby in our downstairs area, where it is set up all the time now. Less gluing and more stitching for me! -- Beth

Recharge with Ribbon

One of my favorite ways to recharge is to stay home and create something just for fun. I made this lampshade this morning. A couple of weeks ago on a Snohomish fun day I was very inspired by a couple of fabulous lampshades Debi Ward Kennedy made for her booth at Faded Elegance. I decided I needed to create one too for my nest.

First of all is finding a semi-empty space to work on. Here is the space available on my studio table. Of course I needed to check my email first and eat a cookie.

This lampshade came off the lamp I wanted to re-shade.

It's a miracle, but I figured out it didn't have the right skeleton for this project before I ripped off the middle cloth part. If I had, I would have been left with a top part like this and a separate bottom ring.

Back to the lampshade holding area to find this lovely one.

I dumped out my bag of blue ribbon scraps. This was easy because of my ribbon organizing system I explained here.

Ribbon pieces were tied around the top and bottom of the lampshade frame.
Once I started, it was hard to tear myself away to get another cup of coffee. And I really like my coffee in the morning.

Done and happy! -- Beth

Grown-up Valentines

Love this Valentine from dear friend and ArtGirl, Cindy Pestka. I dreaded Valentine's Day in grade school...picking out just the 'right' valentine for each person and then wondering if I would get the 'right' ones in return. Uggh!

Grown-up Valentines are much sweeter and heartfelt.

Cindy stitched up this Cavallini paper from PS-Stores on a stack of book sheets, embellished in her Artgirl Island style and viola! -- Lisa

Salvage Savvy

In the Pacific Northwest we are lucky to host the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. Sadly, this may be its last year. But just as we are hopeful that the daffodils are going to bloom we are hopeful that the show will also reinvent itself and continue on. Seems to be a theme for 2009, huh?

Beth will be presenting a slideshow at the F&G Show on Friday, February 20 at 5:15 on Salvage Savvy! It is sure to be informative and entertaining! After that we will be signing our book at the University Bookstore booth.

Come on out and breathe in spring!

Swaps Rock!

I try to participate in Red Lead's mail swaps whenever I can. The latest was an altered domino swap. I love black and white so I created this pendant. I added a mother-of-pearl button (which I also love) and then decopaged a Red Lead domino sized rubber stamped image on the back. I will be receiving three different dominos back.

And then yesterday I received my Itty Bitty Valentine Book in the mail. We each made thirty-two pages, mailed them away and received this darling bound book with all of our artwork in it.

This was my page. Love the Midori embroidered paper. Hooray for art in the mail! -- Lisa

Big news!

Here at the salvage studio, we love to reinvent things. And our newest venture is reinventing our business! We are exploring other junking adventures and as a result, the retail location of the salvage studio will close March 21, 2009. Lisa and Beth will continue as the salvage studio focusing their energies on select shows, workshops and speaking engagements Amy will continue her work as four corners design.

After March 21, Lisa and Beth will keep you posted on current activities on this blog and at www.thesalvagestudio.com. Amy will keep you posted at www.fourcornersdesign.net.

Our Goodbye to Retail Sale will be held on March 20 & 21, from 9am to 5pm each day. But until then, we still have a full calendar of workshops and book signing events as well as weekly inventory arriving at the studio. We remind you to please use your gift certificates by March 21.

Thanks for the support and friendship you have given us! We have exciting events planned for the near future so make sure we have your email and postal mailing addresses so you won’t miss out on all the fun that lies ahead.