DIY Jonathan Adler Metallic Ceramic Lamps Tutorial

There have been enough projects since I started this blog that I am flabbergasted that I only just now realized that I only documented one of my favorite Do It Yourself projects: the fake Jonathan Adler lamps I made about 10 years ago now.

For use as an actual
ginger jar?

Now that you've seen the real deal, my imitation pales, but at $550 per lamp, and I needed two, the authentic item will never be mine, wah! But, at Daffy's store closing, I found two ginger jars in silver metallic with a fluted shape, $5 each, and I was walking out with 2 and no idea HOW I was going to convert this useless - the opening is about 1" in diameter - decor item into my dream lamps.

Well, as it turns out, that's why they make ceramic drill bits and lamp kits! A quick and stressful drilling and hot gluing the lamp kit to the base (mhmmmm, this is going to be a wonky knock-off), and voila! I have since silver leafed the side table and documented the replacement of the other one. Curtains and bed linens long gone, as is mirror, which is another tutorial.

The finished product is not as
sinewy and curvaceous as
Adler's version, but not enough 
to justify the $495 price
difference!

The lamps, in situ, 3 curtains ago,
many bed linens
since, and friend's
donated 3 drawer chest leafed 
in silver.

So, I happened upon the ceramic fluted metallic jar, but locating a budget pair as I did may prove difficult. But, put your thinking cap on, what else could we use? A hurricane lamp back painted with mirror backing? Certainly this can be kicked up a notch! 

Leslie & Ann - Friendship

Rosie the Riveter and a female astronaut. Galentine's!

Since my retirement, I've been going through many phases, or as I used to call them, hair brained schemes. I have documented my artistic forays, and my blog post output is on the rise. Some of these phases are continuations of love affairs that I have for certain things, like Leslie Knope. Okay, that's the main character of a late 2000s t.v. show called Parks and Recreation. For the people in the blogosphere that are still confused, Chris Pratt got his start here, and as a special feature he manifested a phone call from Steven Spielberg about Jurassic World II. So, once, again, I have something amazing that I cannot contribute to its correct owner, because, I wrote down the words, but not the title of the YouTube video I stole it from. Here it is: 

Leslie and Ann's arc throughout the (first) season ends on a hopeful note, even if their romantic aspirations are both dashed. What's more important than them finding love, is they found each other and form a friendship that will last throughout the rest of Parks and Recreation and reveals that Parks and Recreation was not about how these two women found love but how they found their best friend.

And that's what I love about Parks and Recreation: that it celebrates all types of love, especially between women. Here is a quote from the lovely Rashida Jones (Ann):

Most girls have friends that are like, that's awesome, you're great, how, how can I help you? How can I support your life and make you a better person, or what can we talk about to make you feel better about your own life?

And, yes, most girls do have friends like that. Life friends. I am lucky in that I have two automatic friends that go by the more family-oriented term "sisters", but I have attracted some great friends over the years.

I'm thinking of a particular old
friend that ended up being my
birthing partner!

When you go through a major transition, usually this means adding joy and more love to a life: marriage, birth, anniversaries, college, moving, bringing someone home to dinner. These are the moments that mark a life. But there are other transitions that are not as joyous: divorce, death, health concerns and, to a certain extent, retirement. Well, I can say that those not so cool life events are really working as a team to make my life quite the endurance contest. Well, I am pleased to report that my team of friends are helping and supporting and making me a better person. By just talking, and being there.

The background of this scene is, Leslie is clinically
unable to give a gift that isn't thoughtful and time-
consuming, so her friend made her wedding gown
out of her political good press!

It takes a long time to grow an old friend. I am glad mine are old! I am glad I am old. And retired. And sick, divorcing and still grieving the loss of my best friend ever, my mom. She is giving me the determination I need every day, along with the still living friends. I couldn't choose my mother, but if I could, I would certainly never be able to improve upon the one I was lucky enough to get. I can and did chose my friends, and I would never be able to improve upon the ones I was lucky enough to get.

Bonus friends: April and Donna! Girl squad!

Luck o'the Irish. 

3D Sea Art - How to Really Get Your Money's Worth of $1.25 Thrift Gift Wrap

During my summer pilgrimage to my New England origins, I picked up a beautiful piece of art paper at a thrift store in downtown Foxboro, MA. Do I remember the name of the store, no. Artist, no. After a time-consuming internet search, I found that the paper is called Whale Song. This explosion of whales reminded me of my wonderful trip to Alaska, and all the wildlife I experienced there. When we went whale watching in Juneau, I expected to see a fluke or maybe, if lucky, a breach. What we got was a pod of 17 whales working together in what is called bubble netting, and it is the most amazing sight! Over and over they signaled to each other to dive, make bubbles, and then all at once, WHOOSH! Up came an inescapable mass of giant mouths, scooping up the frantic and confused fish.

Whale song is a dreamy underwater seascape with occasional little girls riding the mammals. I couldn't choose just one side. So, how to display its beauty?

So, on reverse, we have pairs of whale
 sharks and humpback whales.
Background dolphin didn't make cut.

I didn't have a plan for this beauty,
but I knew I needed it.

My scary freehand sperm whale with eyeball

First, let me free-hand a sperm whale and cut it out. Add a googly eye, and attach it to wall. This paper was two-sided (back side was monochromatic green and white background mammals). But there was much remaining of the once rectangular paper masterpiece after I cut this wonderous monster out. So, now what?

Finwhale face is in single shade

of green, tail end of humpback

is in full-color.

I set out to cutting out one each of the SMALLER mammals on the monochrome side. The blue whale and an even larger version of a finwhale that I couldn't get whole were lost to eternity. Okay, technically there were two "background" whale sharks, but who's looking that closely? Then, one of every multi-colored mammal and shark and octopus. OKAY! Two full-color humpbacks. I am looking that closely. Many, many individual fish. Many. And corals and seaweed. All these things were layered: monochromatic marine life on scrapbook paper backing, then multicolored large creatures on transparency, then random fish and octopus. Even within these layers, I used foam two-sided glue doodads and tiny floor protectors (originally to go under cache-pots, natch) to create levels on levels.

Not where I planned it to go, but how

can I deny that custom fit?

The green die-cut seaweed was purchased and was attached only at the bottoms, the better to pop out on the Z-axis.You can see their shadows which is cool. I am still debating taking one of the green ones on the left and painting it coral. We shall see. Maybe add some red fish over the top? I found one final scrap with 5 whole red-orange fish and 3 nice blue tang fish. Not sure. I so think the left side needs more orange. Also, lights. We do have left-over LEDs from Tootie Pie's room. This will be the 3D Sea Art Improvement - Adding Lights post to be added soon!