Like Lyrics to my Melody...

I swear this is the first time I've seen these pillows, but the art I finished (last Sunday) for my portfolio looks like it was meant for these pillows right down to the color palette (and I had an entire series planned in my head for this) oh well, there's not much to be done that hasn't been done before. Check it here if you'd like to buy some Laidback pillows.

"Press Play"

Blogging and Blabbing--Sneak Peek

I figured I should say something since I've been missing in action for over a week now. I've been busy as can be working on my artwork to submit for school and it seems that things just get busier as the days go by. This is a synopsis of what's been going on with me...



Since I decided that I'd change my major to textile designs I thought it would be fitting to work on some patterns, this is one of the felt patterns I began.

I started construction of a needlepoint project from a self portrait that may be familiar to some of my long time readers...this is a sneak peek from weeks ago but it's almost complete now.

I experimented with oil paint for the first time but because I thought I could do things my way I didn't have linseed oil nor turpentine on hand so from now on I'll follow directions! I still like the outcome...the only thing I think I'll change is the brown in the picture (I don't fancy it too much).

I bought some fabric (100 % cotton), some dye (in primary colors), and I mixed them so that I could hand dye some fabrics at home then paint patterns on them later. It wasn't nearly as messy as I thought it be and I enjoyed doing it.

This is one of my favorite hand painted patterns I worked on, of course I've finished it now but since this is just a peek I posted the the incomplete picture.

I also have two other projects in the works and as soon as I get my camera fixed I'll take some better pictures of the completed projects above to share. (I have to use my blackberry camera so I apologize for the poor quality)

As always thanks for reading!

Isn't this ironic!

One of my bff's not too long ago moved to a new place and bought new furniture so of course she had to have some original art work for her dining room wall. We decided to get together and have some dinner and do some painting...as WE painted (it was very much so a joint effort, by the end of the night I didn't have a brush in my hand) the picture sort of evolved into somewhat of a mixture of swirls...like a tornado or hurricane with the "eye of the storm" at the top of the portrait. We jokingly called it a hurricanes and even contemplated naming it such. How ironic is it that not even two weeks later Hurricane Gustav hit and devastated Louisiana, 95% of the city is without power and things are a mess. However, this was the end result and I love it...what do you think?

I also recreated a circle painting that I'd done for our recently decorated patio (which Gustav destroyed, but we're planning to rebuild) This is the painting below, scroll down for a photo of the patio in it's original state and you can see a larger version of this painting.

I've been dealing with the business of life, and since we now have a natural disaster in my city (Baton Rouge), I really have even more to deal with but all is well...and I'm BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED! Thank everyone for always checking with Hue and showing so much support. LEAVE SOME COMMENTS...I want your opinion on things!

Party on the Patty!

After lots of sweaty days, hard labor, and a sun that just wouldn't quit I am so excited to finally be able to show off the new patio roomie and I built! I don't have much time so this is only a preview but I just couldn't wait any longer to share with you the finished product. Needless to say there have been...and will be many Party's on the Patty!!!

This is the before and after, we took on several projects on the patio and I'll share them all with you during this week but so far...what do you think?

Here's an ever better view of the above finished picture. (Please excuse the towel and the wine bottle but we were still cleaning and celebrating!)

It's been a long time coming...

but a change has came and I've finally got some pictures I feel are suitable to post! There are still a few changes I'd like to make, but I'm excited and I feel really productive when I come to work in this room (which was the whole point).

The picture shown above is of two frames that sit on my desk that really motivate me, they are hue's logo and a pop art picture that I made; it's FULL OF COLOR, which I feel is my biggest inspiration.

The picture above is my desk/table, I needed something large enough to have an accurate amount of workspace so we bought a cosco folding table and jazzed it up a bit! I love to recruit help so my little sister painted the surface of the table with the yellow paint used on the chairs. I'd seen these panels in a fabric store that appeared to have a print similar to damask but instead of buying them I went to the hardware store and bought three wood panels...

Painted them black...

Drew and etched out a stencil, then painted the stencil onto my boards.

I must say I was very pleased with the outcome of the boards. Next I needed plenty of storage for my sewing machine, project samples and hardware so I sewed this skirt for the table and added black satin ribbon to finish the edge and there's a TON of stuff under that table, which made it an even better buy!

Of course roomie couldn't be left out, so this is her work area shown above. We had to add more color so I dissected a picture of us that I'd changed to a black a white photo, added some pops of color and mounted it to the wall (below).


We found this great chrome hand statue that I think sums up the feel of the office...A OKAY!

Last but not least, I've said all along that the office had to function as a guest bedroom. I played with the idea of several things on the wall and ended up going with a pattern that accented the "vaulted" ceiling. We also decided instead of a traditional looking bed we would convert this day bed into a lounge sofa, it sits pretty low to the ground but it's nice and quite comfortable...we've even had a guest to sleep here already!

A couple of things that didn't make it into the photos were the window treatments (you can glimpse in the photo above) but they are three sheer panels, two of which are the black and white pattern and one yellow sheer between them. We also have a black shag rug to break up some of the blah berber carpet. All that's left now is to mount the tv to the wall, or find an eclectic television stand and maybe a couple of floor pillows.

Perfect time for us to "Fade to Black"

I'm a huge music fan, so you'll often see me quote lyrics during my posts and post titles. Jay-Z happens to be one of my favorite artists but it wasn't until this picture was being painted that I found it appropriate to title the work. Initially the only goal I had in mind was to create something that would pull together the "crayon explosion" color palette that I call my living/dining area! I ended up with the picture shown below, and I LIKE IT. (I really really like it!) So as we officially end this week full of color I'd like to share with you what came to be my interpretation of "Fade to Black".

I apologize for the picture quality, light is a tricky thing and I'm far from a professional photographer, but I'll try to get another picture minus the blinding light spot!

Handpainted Chairs

As many of you may know my roommate and I recently relocated to a 3 bedroom condo from a two bedroom townhouse, so that we could convert the extra bedroom to an office for Hue! I'm pleased to announce that we have almost finished the room, and I wanted to give a sneak preview of the space.

In the quest to find chairs to go into the room we wanted something eclectic and unique, therefore we began scouting all thrift stores for a traditional style chair that could be converted into the perfect accessory for the room. We found these great chairs pictured below, they may look a little funky now, but they get even funkier (good funky; lol)

The color palette for the office is black, white, and golden yellow. We'd already decided that we'd use a damask print as the pattern in the room. I hand painted each chair (with about 5 coats) of yellow paint, and recovered the seat cushions, it only took about two days, and that's including letting the paint dry, while I worked on other projects.

So check out the results...what do you think of the new twist on these traditional chairs?

I'll post even more pictures later this week, as I said this is just a sneak peek stay tuned for the entire room reveal.

How about one more teaser...

I'll show you where this project previewed above, found a home in the space.

REmodeling

For those of you who aRE REgular hue REaders I'm sure you've noticed the change with the blog. I'd grown tiREd of the dark background so I decided to fREshen things up a bit! Please bear with me as I make a few changes.

I've been drawn towards very eclectic design lately, you've probably noticed that as well, with some of the posts I've done. I came upon this cool stoRE called RE...wheRE they REpurpose, REcycle, REscue, and REstore items. TheRE weRE some gREat finds and some things that I found just plain pREtty, like the brooms shown below. Check out their site and see what's theRE for you to love.

I thought the way they incorporated their name (RE) into each shopping category was neat, to me it was like finding a piece of themselves in everything that they sell...it also REminded me of some hidden message quotes that I'd cREated a couple of months back. I'm still working on what I'll do with them but I'd like to shaRE.

Within each message I capitalized the letter that form the "hidden message" which from top to bottom state..."be content", "got time", and "be honest".

I decided to have a little fun with this post and capitalize the letters "r" and "e" each time I found them combined...this post was fun, I hope you enjoyed it and, as always happy shopping!

It's that time again...

Time to see more portfolio pages. I had so many room ideas and color concepts in my head, and wanted to transfer them into something tangible, so I took one weekend to slave and create a portfolio which included room ideas and rooms that I'd already done. I ended up with about 15 different rooms and I've been periodically posting pages from the portfolio. In case you missed it you can see other pages that have been posted here and here.

And now for your viewing pleasure... (I'm so silly sometimes)

Teach Me...Scrapbook Interior Ideas

I've mentioned before that I do this thing I like to call Scrapbook Interiors, well let me tell you a little bit more about it. I don't personally scrapbook but I've always admired those who do because I appreciate artistic expression. I also love the color combinations that are used in scrapbook paper as well as the awesome patterns! I like to use the paper to aid when designing on a budget...here are some pictures of how I've used it.

Here I used the paper in a 9 square grid pattern to create what looks more like one piece. Be sure to measure so that there is even space between each sheet, I used double sided mounting tape to adhere the sheets to the wall. For a different look try mounting the paper to canvas boards that are the same size as each sheet of paper to have a 3-d effect. (Paint around the edges of the canvas so that it looks finished)

In this bedroom I used the paper to create a "headboard", I mounted the paper to the wall using white thumb tacks (to coordinate with the white furniture in the room). You could take this idea a step further and frame the headboard using wood molding, or even strips of chrome for a contemporary look.

Finally, here I used the paper to create a picture display wall. I didn't want to place pictures on every square because in my opinion that would have made the space appear cluttered. I used colorful thumbtacks to mount the squares to the wall. I was pleased with the final look.

I have more design ideas using scrapbook paper so check back to see what else you could do!

Most of the time I do these types of post for the love of music (I'm inspired by it), this case is no different, but I'd like to add that I love the shelves in this video and I happen to think the entire setting and visual concept is HOT! Here is Musiq Soulchild's new single "Teach Me"

This video has been deleted by Ms.Hue...
Musiq Soulchild - Teach Me
Video sent by kevinb1984

Photograph...Photos meet entertainment

It's always nice when you can incorporate very personal touches to your decor and this can easily be achieved through photos. Pictures also jog your memory and can take you back to the time and place of the picture setting. It's a great idea to change the photo so that it stands out more than a photo you'd simply place in an album. If you're familiar with any photoshop programs they're a great way to edit and change your pictures. I've featured personal photographs that I've taken while traveling, site-seeing, and spending time with my family; most of the pictures have been altered in some way to achieve a different effect. My favorite thing to do is add BOLD color to a photo so that it's more contemporary however the photos displayed here have more subdued tones because of the subject matters. Also remember to be careful when choosing your frame and matting (if you desire to use matting), so that it's appropriate for your picture's subject.

Take photos...Make memories...Create art

Check out Nickelback's live performance of "Photograph" below

This video and it's content has been deleted by Ms.Hue
Photograph - Live
Video sent by saturion

Snap, Crackle, Pop Art Preview!

Okay guys, so I told you in an earlier post I had been working on some original designs for Hue interiors as well as some Pop Art accessories...well here's a preview of what's to come.

These are photos taken by yours truly and manipulated into pop art. There is LOTS MORE WORK to be done but as soon as I have all artwork complete I will be showing more samples of what can be done with your personal photos as well as photos from my collection. Once the artwork has been changed to reflect your desired effect it can then be transferred into art prints, pillows, handbags, etc. I'll have even more information and images coming soon

Thanks for all the love and support!

XOXO

S.Earls