12:52

Roman Shades

Early last summer we moved into our apartment and since then I’ve NEEDed to make some curtains.  Not just any curtains, roman shades.  As seen in project 4:52 our doors have windows.  Our front door is pictured, but our two bedroom doors also have windows.  This poses a problem.

I usually have some hesitation if I’ve never made something before, but this week I embarked on roman shades and this is the result.

Lined up with this door is our bedroom door, our front door, our neighbors front door, and their bedroom door.  Frosted, but still a problem.  We’ve hung a piece of remnant fabric over our bedroom for the last 10 months.

The fabric is from leftover IKEA tab curtains (cheap way to buy great fabric).  Another fear has been overcome!

:: Rachel

11:52

City That Cannot Be Hidden
12” x 18”  Watercolor

I see a series coming.  This week I could not get away from images of downtown Lynchburg and needed to come up with a watercolor rendition of “Cannot Be Hidden” (acrylic painting from 3:52).  It was fun!  Details were added to buildings to replace their newspaper structure.

After walking through downtown Lynchburg yesterday and this morning, I am inspired to soon paint another within a possible series.  When I look at Lynchburg, I can’t get away from the phrase in Matthew 5, “a city on a hill cannot be hidden.”  There is no place to hide so why not shine.

:: Rachel

10:52

Refinished Candlestick Lamp
(a before and after) 

This week I have a couple projects going.  One will take a few weeks so expect that one by mid-April (so excited about that one!).  The other is a lamp.  It’s been plain for the last 15 years and it’s time for change!

With Chalkboard paint in hand I embarked on painting!  At the last minute I changed colors.  I wanted to experiment with the free green pint of paint I received from Valspar.

Too bad I was going for a more muted olive green.  

Definitely an experiment. All this to say, with the hope of chalkboard paint and/or a lighter fabric covered lampshade, this lamp has not seen the end of change in it’s life!

Thankful for my friend, who has a really great design blog (amandacarverdesigns.com), for pushing me with her go-to-itiveness to make such uncalculated risks!

:: Rachel

9:52

Barnegat Light
14” x 20”  Watercolor

I had the idea and bought the paper for this painting 5 years ago (I know, crazy isn’t it).  It’s for a great friend of mine who has spent many summers with her family and friends on Long Beach Island in New Jersey.  

We had a chance to visit their family beach house this past summer with friends and it was an experience that will now be etched in our memories.  The beach house was sold at the end of the summer and I hope this piece will serve as a bright memory of summers past.  Blue skies, warm sand, family, and friends.

It felt good to go back to my favorite medium.  I love watercolor!

:: Rachel