Monogrammed Dish

One of the cute things I found at John Derian's shop

are these initial plates:

They're made of glass.

The plates are also available in symbols

like the ampersand, exclamation point

and question mark.

I'm using this as a peg to turn this blah

into a TADA!:

A dessert plate I purchased at a thrift shop.

Punch a few letters from a magazine.

Attach the letter on the underside of the plate

with white glue and TADA!, a cheap and cheerful

version of the John Derian initial plate!

Add any letter you want and keep it for yourself

or turn it into a hostess present:

Just throw in a few bars of hand-milled soaps or

a chunky candle.

TADA!

Paperweights

Yesterday, I told you about this genius of a fellow

named John Derian, a decorative artist &

entrepreneur.

His forte is decoupage and among the pieces

he makes that I'm definitely drawn to

are his glass paperweights:

images courtesy of J.Crew

Pretty right?

Well, I thought I'd try my hand at making these.

Instead of glass, I'm using this:

A garden stone, a river rock...the name changes depending

on where you find it.

Blah if I say so myself.

I got this butterfly in a magazine.

All I had to do was cut around it.

Then I attached it to the rock {after it was cleaned}

with Mod Podge or regular white glue.

Apply the glue under & over the butterfly

for a matte finish. Gently smooth out with

your fingers to remove creases or air bubbles.

TADA! My very own paperweight!

I use it to hold down paper napkins

during a fun picnic or barbecue.

See you again tomorrow for another idea!

Inspiration: John Derian

Hello there! Today, I'm going to take you to

a jewel box of a store in New York City.

It's called John Derian Company Inc. and

is named after the designer who owns it.

You've probably heard his name before.

John Derian is primarily a decoupage artist,

cutting & pasting paper to create something

beautiful & utilitarian at the same time.

A few years ago, he even made

a special line for Target.

He actually has two shops located

just steps away from each other.

The first store front is located on #6 East 2nd Street

(between Bowery & 2nd Avenue). Doesn't it resemble

a home with patio furniture outside?

Inside, it's like a bungalow in Massachusetts, bright, airy

and filled with curiosities. There is a good amount of

antiques, home decor, paper goods, books and of course

Mr. Derian's decoupage creations - trays, plates, vases,

paperweights and coasters made from a

collection of vintage paper.

The second store is on #10 East 2nd Street and feels like a

global bazaar. It's packed with furniture, carpets, poufs,

pillows, linen, bags, pouches and clothing like

cotton onesies and colorful kaftans.

This is the kind of shop where you can

find a gift for that person who has everything.

The shop where you can spend some time when

you're in no hurry & then feel inspired when

you finally leave.

With that said, our blah to TADA!

projects this week will be

John Derian-inspired.

See you tomorrow!

Just Some Snacks

How quickly this week went by!

Before I say farewell to my beach trip,

I've got to show you one more thing that

I packed in my floral beach tote.

I took along some snacks packed in a plastic container

I saved from a Chinese take-out dinner.

Let's see...there's fruit, crackers & some chips.

I take my own water too. The beach has a

concession stand and a few restaurants nearby

but when sprawled on the sand, getting a tan,

hearing the waves & reading a good book,

it's a blah to leave this heavenly spot.

Have a spectacular weekend!

Say Cheese!

I hope you are having an awesome day!

I certainly am. I'm taking a little

vacation from crafting this week.

Inside my beach bag, I didn't forget to pack...

A few cameras! These are Lomography cameras that

still rely on film. Bright, sunny days are the best time

use them. One's a Supersampler & the other's a Fisheye.

Waiting for the film to get developed may be

a little blah but who knows? The images

that come out can be totally TADA!

Need to capture summer before it's over.

Bye now!

A Cover-Up

I'm on a short break all this week

but I've promised to give you a peek

at what I pack in my beach bag.

It's all about prints when summer comes around.

My sure pick would be florals, on my bag and on

my beach cover-up, a.k.a sarong or pareo.

This design reminds me so much of Indian block prints and

the blue & white combination is perfect for the season.

I can use it after a swim, line a lounge chair with it or

turn it into a shawl when the night gets too windy.

Hey, it can even pass for a dress, skirt or bandana!

Just check out the options here.

A Summer Page Turner

I'm taking a little vacation this week but I

left you with a little show & tell that I call,

"What's Inside my beach bag?"

One of the things I take with me wherever

I go is a really entertaining book like

this newly released one from a

first time author:

Now, I'm not one to judge a book by it's cover

but don't you think this one is so TADA!?

Weathered, romantic, nostalgic.

Before Ever After is about love -- what we do

to avoid it and the great lengths we go to keep it.

The book gracefully weaves in romance, history,

mystery, fantasy, something culinary & adventure.

It'll take you all around Europe -- London, Paris,

Versailles,Vienna, Venice, Rome, Switzerland,

Slovenia and across the globe to the Philippines!

And if that's not enough to draw you in,

check-out this teaser.

By the way, when you start reading it, take

note of all the quirky chicken & egg facts. :-)

Care to share your favorite summer reads?