Design Work for Posh Little Pig's New Store Revealed!

Posh little Pig's owner, and my friend, Brina is such an inspiration!
She had a dream years ago of opening a very special children's botique and now,not only has she done  it, but she has grown her business and moved to a brand new beautiful location in Sherman, TX. She sells the most unique clothing and accessories for little boys and girls you've ever seen!

When Brina asked me to help her with some ideas for the new store I was more than happy to meet with her and brainstorm. Then when she started referring to me as her store designer, I was over the moon excited. I LOVE getting to do things like this, but this is the first time I have had the chance to work with a store owner in designing an entire space! Wow! I was thrilled, to say the least!

For several months leading up to the store opening we brainstormed, shopped, shared ideas, talked colors, finishes, fixtures, lighting, displays and more and I felt so privileged that she would let me share in this whole exciting adventure! I am so very proud of Brina and her amazing courage, energy, passion and dedication. I know her business venture will be blessed and it will be a blessing to others.

Along the way I got to do fun things like re-finish and paint furniture pieces, design and create a huge mural. The mural is on the back wall behind the cash wrap. We had it covered in sheet metal and painted in chalkboard paint. Since it is metal we can also hang things on it and move them around using magnets. The chalk art can stay or change through the seasons.

Here are a few photos:

 The walls are a subtle buttercream yellow, complimented by display wall sections in various pastel shades. The ceilings are exposed up to the rafters. Window displays have been custom built out of stained wood planks with dazzling chandeliers hanging from above. Gorgeous stained concrete floors. Ecclectic painted furniture pieces scattered throughout showcasing a grand variety of children's clothes and accessories (many handmade!). A mix of industrial and elegant. The vision was Anthropologie style for children.

We hope to also do some very creative artistic window displays for the holiday seasons!

I'll share with you a few images from the construction phase:

Oh, yes and I must mention the scaffolding that I was so excited to climb up on and use (ha, ha....some of you know of my slight fear of heights, lol)

 

So, before I could start the mural in chalk I had to prime the chalkboard walls.

*Very important because if you don't prime your chalkboard walls then whatever you draw on first will leave a permanent impression.

We primed with black powdered chalk (the kind you use to mark a chalk line) and that was awesome because it kept the walls looking nice and new (unlike it looks when you wipe white chalk on it!)

 

Since I had around 300sq ft to cover I opted to use a large dust mop and dip it into a paint tray filled with chalk powder.

Can you imagine having to use sticks of chalk to color this wall and then wipe it off!!! No way!

 

 

 

 

Here we have the inside of the children's Fitting Room. Again you can see Brina's excellent taste in crystal ligting fixtures! So beautiful....the photo does not do it justice.

 

The walls are the same soft yellow and I have hand painted in script the words to the little piggy nursery rhyme wrapping around the three walls in light pink.

We did an almost tone on tone effect because we wanted it to be subtle.

I painted the text the way Brina's little boy says it so one word is different. See if you know what it is:

"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy ate a biscuit, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy went wee, wee, wee all the way home."


My favorite accessory to create for the store so far was the tie back for the fitting room draperies. I am in love with the flowers, feathers and details! I didn't want to part with it! Now I will have to make more so I can create bows for my girls!

And I have to share a little secret, I owe my mom a huge thanks for helping me in a time crunch with the sewing on the fitting room drapes! She didn't want me to mention that she helped but I cannot take credit for her beautiful work. Thank you mom!

 

I also thought I would share a picture of my original sketch for the store mural:

 

The mural has a "Fitting Room" sign with a little paper doll standing above. Her outfits hang from clothspins on the high wire. We used actual outfits to give a fun dimension to the wall design. There is a little toy plane flying through the sky and a sailboat braving the ocean waves. The opposite side of the room has a decorative chalk sign for the "Restroom". Behind the cash wrap we needed to display several special gift wrapping options for customers to choose from and Brina asked me if we could do a tree....Wow, why hadn't I thought of that to begin with! So smart! So I drew a tree and we hung the wrapped gifts from the branches. The tree can be decorated to compliment the seasons throughout the year. And since the wall is metal we can put magnets on leaves in the fall, ornaments for Christmas (and even lights), flowers in the spring.....and much more! Finally, we have our adorable little piggy riding on a unicycle holding his little umbrella.

My intent was to show images that would remind customers of happy childhood memories, fanciful daydreams and long treasured children's books. And I had a wonderful time along the way. Thank you Brina!

 

Please be sure to stop by and visit the new store location if you live in the area.

 You can also "like" Posh Little Pig on Facebook. ;-)

Working With Gray Wood Stain

      Click on the image to view this tutorial:

Spring Photo Shoot Collage

I've had the chance to do some spring photo shoots recently and I wanted to share a collage of some of the images of the beautiful people who let me take their pictures.

(*the image sizes and quality are significantly reduced in these examples so that they would load faster, my apologies)

Thick, Textured Abstract Painting of Flowers

Calling all painters!
Beginners to experienced artists, if you have never cranked up your favorite music and completely let go with your artwork here is something you've got to try!

It is exhilirating to abandon all "careful attention to detail" to squeeze thick paint directly on the canvas, swirl and slash it loosly around with a palette knife or rough brush to create an abstract image with tons of movement and texture!

Tip: No overmixing or overblending allowed! It may take some practice to learn when to stop. But I encourage you to approach it like a child getting to do something for the very first time - with excitement and abandon and not intimidation. Have FUN!!!

Here is my example. A painting I created for a friend. Her Requirements: match these rich bold accent colors (red/orange, navy/blues, cream) to tie in with living room decor, and make it abstract - loosly resemble flowers.
 I was so happy with the finished piece and so happy that she loved it too.
I will paint like this more often.

Once your artwork is complete it may take several days to dry since the paint is so thick.

Finish by painting the edges of the canvas or framing it.
ex: Mine has 1.5" thick edges that I painted black and there is no need for a frame, this gives a more modern feel.

A protective clear sealer can also be painted over the finished work when it is completely dry. Make sure you use something designed for artworks. Liquitex makes some great options matte or gloss.

Furniture Makeovers

I have re-done furniture pieces several times but recently this aspect of my creative work has exploded!

It started with getting a design job helping create a unique home office for a dear friend. She and her husband purchased a sprawling ranch style home in an older well-established neighborhood and they have been working steadily turning it into a place you would see featured in a magazine!

So when she gave me the chance to put my mark on her home office I jumped at the challenge. It will be a little longer before the finished room reveal but I just have to share these two pieces with you.

The first was in search of an eye-catching "storage option". I looked and looked for weeks, searching and sifting through armoires, buffets, consoles, dressers and more before I found the perfect cabinet. It has a great Art Deco feel with the multiple squares, and clean lines. And I just knew it would look fabulous in turquoise!

After a LOT of sanding, cleaning and three layers of hand painting (including 160 squares!) it was just right for the home office. Looking forward to accessorizing!

Storage taken care of, we move on to the next piece.

She already has a high gloss white desk in the office, incredible soft metallic paint on the walls, and huge windows all around looking out to lush greenery........but there was something special she wanted next.

It was time to search for the perfect seating. A relaxing spot to recline with laptop or tablet in hand and get some late night work done at home (or maybe browse Pinterest a bit).

This piece needed to be all about comfort but also a total "show stopper" so it took some serious searching before I found the treasure I had been seeking. It was a bit rough to begin with but I could see potential.

On the vintage chaise makeover I sanded down the wood and painted it a gloss black before taking it to a local upholstery shop to have them professionally re-cover it in the gorgeous fabric we had purchased on a shopping trip in Dallas. Then I made coordinating pillows with more of the incredible high end upholstery fabrics we picked out. The pillow forms are down filled so they feel very luxurious!

I must say this piece was hard to part with! But her home office will be stunning once all of the finishing touches come together. I think one of our next challenges will be draperies and accessories....oh yes, and a huge colorful abstract photo artwork of her kids!



More furniture makeover posts are already in the works.........

Recycling Craft Tutorial "Soda Can Roses"

Check out my new tutorial. I think you might really like this one!

 

 

Happy 1st Birthday Photo Shoot

This little sweetheart was the perfect model for her 1Year Photo Shoot.
What a doll.....and so lucky because her creative mom Sandy, brought all of her adorable outfits and balloons and made matching banners, pink tutu, and glittery #1 for us to use!

Love them and love these photos....here are some favorites: