Happy Halloween...Trick or Treat 2011

Welcome to the Black Widow's lair. She is ready to celebrate all Hallows Eve.

Dressed in her finest gown and ready to hand treats to the little ones who dare to venture to her door.

We have our first visitors..pardon me while I tend to their treats.

"Please help yourself to your favorite chocolate bar"

"Thank you"

Won't you have a chilling cocktail or tasty arachnid cookie?

Don't mind Norbert...he had an unfortunate accident

I have some tasty arsenic tea for the end of our evening.

Why leave in such a hurry? Was it something I said?

Please come visit again soon!

Happy Halloween to my faithful readers..now that fall sports are winding down and my running six days a week are coming to an end I will again have time for more frequent blog posts & most importantly more tutorials!

Thank you for sticking with me!

Happy Crafting

Stephiejo

A little equestrian fun

What little girl doesn't wish for her very own pony??



One that she promises she will look after and care for...



A pet of her very own...



How could I say no?

Happy Crafting!
Stephiejo

Country Kitchen Still Life's

A little patriotic inspired art for this President's Day.









And all together...



Happy Crafting!
Stephiejo

Time for Tea

Trying out a new wallpaper/carpet combination...

Oh look...Grandma has stopped by for some tea...

Can teddy join us?

Of course...bring both your teddy bears...

hmmm...thinking that green lampshade doesn't quite go with the color scheme...

where were we?? oh yes...
the tea sets look lovely on the bookshelf...

Thank you grandma for playing with me today...

Anything for you...

Happy Crafting!!

Stephiejo

Nevermore

Happy Halloween


Stephiejo ♥

Fall Inspiration in the Retro Kitchen

Long time no see! Bet you thought I had abandoned this here ol' blog didn't ya? Nope. I'm here. Alive and kickin'.

Summer was a blast. So much traveling left little time for play but with the return of cooler weather and the tendency to hibernate I'll have project time again.


Fall happens to be my absolute favorite time of year. What better way to welcome autumn then with some fabulous decor in my mini retro kitchen.

Shall we take a tour?


In the beginning...

My little kitchen cabinets received a fresh coat of moss green paint.  A nice contrast to the fresh white counter & upper cabinets. I intentionally left the stove top bare so that it could double as counter space. Need a stove-just add a pot or pan and voila! Decorative paper backsplash adds a touch of whimsy.

Close up of the adorable woodland friend pattern. I ♥ scrapbook paper!

The sink received the same treatment although I am hesitant to leave the backsplash paper, just not digging it.

Backside of the sink unit offers premium display space-nice bonus!

Nice pop of color in the cherry red stools offers some visual interest.

Dinette set received complimentary finishes. The houndstooth wallpaper is set temporarily on my background wall. Since this is a piece I use frequently for auction photos it will not be part of the permanent kitchen set. One side has the faux wood panels (real wood strips glued to foam core). The reverse side of this wall is my faux stone finish.

My first attempt at accessorizing. Continuing the whimsical theme. Notice the absence of floor tiles?  This floor is the butcher block top to my island that I am now using for photo staging. I'll share photos of my set up in a future post. (too messy right now!)

The addition of a banquette seat in the dining area creates more options for staging. Vibrant pillows continue the color story and lend to the warmth of autumn. The window view showcases my backyard with hints of fall foliage just peaking out of the hedges. The wall unit for now is a prototype made out of foam core. My plan is to make a more permanent structure out of book board for photo backdrops. Foam core is easy to work with but since my studio space is in the basement the moisture is not friendly to this material. (even with a dehumidifier) Not to mention foam core is so light weight that it seems a bit flimsy especially for a piece that will house a bench & display space. The prototype is only twelve inches wide by 16 inches tall. The new unit will be wider & taller and adding a decorative ledge above the window for more merchandising space. (yes, that is a slight reference to one of my favorite designers Christopher Lowell).

Back to building the walls-my first attempt at using book board.

Thank you for visiting!
Stephiejo ♥