A Vase Full of Flowers

Happy new week everyone!

Today's blah to TADA! transformation is

once again inspired by something

I found at John Derian's shop.

It's these votive holders made in Paris by

artist Geraldine Gonzalez.

Notice the tissue paper-like background,

gold rim and delicate design.

Here's my attempt at making

something similar:

blah: an old flower vase that sometimes doubles

as a candle holder.

blah: pink tissue paper saved from a

Victoria Secret package

Trim the tissue paper to fit around the vase

{and an extra inch of overlap} and draw or trace

your design on the center.

Take out the watercolors and paint away!

Once dry, gild the edges using a metallic gold pen

and a ruler.

Wrap this around the vase and attach

the edges with glue.

Even if this vase has no fresh flowers in it,

it's still very eye-catching.

Another option is to put a votive inside and

you'll have a blooming & glowing centerpiece

for the dinner table. TADA!

The WRITE Thing to Do

Hooray, hooray, it's Friday!

Have you been enjoying all the John Derian

inspiration this week?

If he'd offer tours to his workshop, I'd

be the first in line!

Anyway, one of the designs he likes to

use are handwritten letters:

Tissue paper to wrap gifts

{some sections were marked with a X...the "delete"

button wasn't invented yet!}

A pretty glass plate

A nostalgic placemat

{your go signal to read other people's mail!}

With this in mind, shall we do

a blah to TADA! make-over?

blah: an empty ice cream tub

{cleaned with soap & water and allowed to dry}

blah: old magazine & catalog pages

When you put them together using

scissors, glue & a layer of Mod Podge,

here's what happens:

TADA! A classy container with hints of the

type-written & handwritten word, plus

an arresting insect for a pop of color.

Would you like to add some handles?

Just punch a few holes and add some rope,

ribbon or twine; knot the ends.

Use it organize your work space.

TADA!

Have a lovely weekend!

A Blue Bird to Call My Own

It's all about John Derian-inspired TADAs this week.

One of the designs he likes to use are birds:

These appear on his plates & paperweights.

Well, I think I have to try this out

with this blah:

Similar to yesterday, I'm using a glass

salad plate.

I found this pretty picture from a magazine.

Just right for the "bird" theme, right?

A few tools and printed paper circles.

Attach the bird design on the under side of

the plate with all purpose glue.

Gently smooth out any creases.

Let dry for several minutes.

Attach the paper circles the same way.

Here's a closer look.

Display it on a wall or use it to hold jewelry.

Wasn't that TADA!?

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!