My very first blog post for The Clutter Chronicles was about my favorite collection: Italian Pitchers. I timidly posted only a few photos, not wanting to bore anyone right out of the gate. But once I passed my 14th Collection post, I was ready to take a second look at my entire Italian Pitcher collection… Continue reading Collection #1 Redux: Too Many Italian Pitchers
Collection #14: Travel Sketchbooks, Part 3—England
Through my sketchbooks, I've taken you through China, Italy, and now England. My talented friend, Polly—an artist, Anglophile, and bricoleur—created a brilliant sketching itinerary through England for the two of us. Art supplies in hand, we drove off on the wrong side of the street and sipped tea from up in The Lake District and… Continue reading Collection #14: Travel Sketchbooks, Part 3—England
Collection #14: Travel Sketchbooks, Part 2 — Italy
As I wrote in my blog on China sketchbooks, the most intimate way to experience a place is to draw it in a sketchbook—to see every detail and absorb the entire atmosphere (the sounds, smells, and light and shadows) around your subject. Now, in Part 2, I’ll take you to Italy. Venice Like… Continue reading Collection #14: Travel Sketchbooks, Part 2 — Italy
Collection #14: Travel Sketchbooks—China, Part 1
The most intimate way to experience a place is to draw it in a sketchbook—to see every detail and absorb the entire atmosphere (the sounds and smells, the light and shadows) around your subject. I’m lucky I’ve been able to experience some of the world this way. My sketchbooks are the first possessions I would… Continue reading Collection #14: Travel Sketchbooks—China, Part 1
Collection #13: Needlework
I have needlecraft in my genes—my grandfather was a tailor and my grandmother was a charter member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. My grandmother’s specialty was crochet. She made this afghan while watching her soap operas and Perry Mason. My mother preferred embroidery, especially cross-stitch. Following my legacy, I began… Continue reading Collection #13: Needlework
Collection #12: Upcycled Furniture
Upcycling is the act of turning trash into treasure (my favorite HGTV show is Flea Market Flip). Older furniture sometimes looks for a second life and I’m glad to oblige by adding my personal touch. Crying for Color This golden oak chest of drawers was craving a trip to Tuscany. I painted Italian… Continue reading Collection #12: Upcycled Furniture
Collection #11: Chairs, Chairs, Chairs!
I have an obsession for chairs—more for their aesthetic than comfort. I find them at garage sales, antique stores, and even at the curb on junk night. Some of them I refurbish into a whole new look. Red Renewals My pride and joy is my Throne. It was a faux-Tuscan contemporary dining room chair… Continue reading Collection #11: Chairs, Chairs, Chairs!
Collection #10: And more Italian majolica
I’ve already posted about my Italian pitchers and my Italian plates , but my obsession for Italian pottery continues beyond those objects. So I’ve gathered all the rest of my pieces into this random collection and that should conclude the majolica tour of Italy. In my early days of searching all things Italian on eBay,… Continue reading Collection #10: And more Italian majolica
Collection #9: Vintage Children’s Books
I love vintage children’s books from my vintage childhood (some passed down from my vintage cousins). Who knew my very early fascination with the illustrations from these books would lead me to my adult career—being an art director and working with many talented illustrators, and doing some illustration work myself. I still treasure the… Continue reading Collection #9: Vintage Children’s Books
Collection #8: Rocks
I’ve got rocks in my head and proud of it. I’m no geologist, but I love the variety of colors and textures of rocks. Ever since a school field trip to the Museum of Natural History in NYC when I bought a small box containing samples of rock types glued to a card, I was… Continue reading Collection #8: Rocks
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