DIY lamp

if the question is: are you tan? the answer is: YES! i hate to gloat, but i can't seem to stop myself! it must be all that sun.... my considerate nature is buried beneath my peeling skin. 

but now we're home (hurry up spring!) and new projects abound! today i've got detailed instructions to make your own black pipe lamp and shade.

but first a quick tropical shot. i love the color and the natural wear that the sea brings.

my first attempt. this is really a poor picture- it looks better in person. (and yes, i probably could have taken an extra minute to take a better picture, but it seemed more important to make a drink and read the new yorker. i'm having a difficult transition from vacation life)

i love the blend of heavy industrial base and frilly shade.

what you'll need: an old shade, some fabric and ribbon, make a lamp kit, 12" length of 1" black pipe (it's used for natural gas), flange for 1"pipe, and a connector to go from 1"to 3/4" (you'll also need some black paint and a bit of sandpaper). to assemble the base you'll need a screwdriver and hammer; for the shade you'll need a hot glue gun and a needle and thread.

these are some of the parts from the lamp kit. the white rubber thing needs to get hammered into the 3/4" part of the connector (you can try screwing it in with a wrench too- it was kind of hard both ways)

take the brass parts from the lamp kit and the black iron connector with the white rubber part and spray paint them black (really any kind of paint would be fine, i used chalkboard because i wanted a really flat finish and i already had some). you should probably give the brass fixtures a light sanding so the paint sticks better.... once this dries the making a lamp part is easy. screw the base to the pipe, thread the lamp cord through. then holding the base thread the cord through the white rubber (inside the connector). then screw the connector to the pipe. follow the instructions on the kit to attach the last parts (the ones that used to be brass) and you're done with the base!

i cut the shade a pulled it away in one piece so i could use it as a pattern for my new fabric.

the new fabric cut out. i made the new piece about 4 inches wider because i wanted the new shade to have a gathered look (they hide imperfections and give a more feminine impression) then i hot glue gunned ribbon to the top and bottom.

under this little strip of ribbon, the two edges of fabric were hot glue gunned together. i did the same thing on the other side of the fabric. (you never notice how visible the inside of a lamp shade is until there's some crappy thread hanging around)

i folded the ribbon around the metal frame and hand stitched it together. you may want to pin it in place to make sure the extra fabric is evenly spaced. (you also might curse less this way- but that's not a promise)

ta da! finished! again, not a great photo- but you get the idea.  happy lamp making!

quick round up

our family is about to leave for a fabulous tropical vacation with my mother in law so please forgive if parts of my post don't make sense! my mind is elsewhere...

but before i head out to the land of drinks by the shore, i wanted to give a glimpse of what's been happening at s&b.

my biz cards....i love the handmade look, but my hand doesn't. i think this may be the last batch before i take the plunge to a printer. although we can't forget that it's almost impossible to tear me away from my shop....  which includes the quick walk to the copy shop.... so another hand made batch isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility!

what i look at all day from my studio.... not so bad.

some booty from the ice storm! the original camo.

i paid 10$ for this and as i was loading it into my car someone said- you paid too much for that. but did i?

not quite finished- but well on it's way! 

victorian couch frame. this sat in my shop for a couple of weeks before i worked on it. it was such an intimidating project!

but once i got started i couldn't stop!

the finished product- the hardest part was not moving it into our apartment when it was done!

a new piece from nate! finally some furniture diversity in s&b!! it's hard to photograph but that's actually a pale blue. something about the shop eats shades of white/ grey. it's a constant source of discussion.

stunning trunk from nate. come in person to see the sweet upholstery in the drawer!

bedside tables.... these two are a real mystery. they are not an exact match (which i LOVE about them) and yet have some very particular features in common- like vents in the back and bottom!!? any idea's? 

i'm so glad these are going to friends so i don't have to say goodbye!

sweet custom bench. i love upholstery buttons- and i also hate them. they are the perfect finishing touch- the kind that takes hours longer than you anticipate and injures you in the process. the sacrifices i make for beauty.....

excuses part 2 (or- excuses, excuses)

more work from last week (and a little from last night...)

accck! i love this table and it sold before it even made it onto the sales floor! 

i'll just have to make another right away!

before of a 4$ flea market table

after lots of wood glue, elbow grease and resin- tada!

new influx of door knob coat hooks. my most popular item so far......

i made 4. one sold before i could photograph and another is promised to someone. it's a good feeling of yea! and yikes! all rolled into one.

before of a lovely but wobbly table.

and the after..... so leggy!

excuses

how would you like to read a blog full of excuses for why i didn't blog last week? 

thats what i thought... so we can just pretend there hasn't been a large gap between postings, ok?

custom job, i wish i had a taken a before... but either way i'm loving the finished product.

this table is as close to a water fountain as any piece of furniture i've ever seen.

finished!

custom refinishing job for some old friends...

a close of up of the interior of the cabinet. the copper lining was their idea and i  think it came out great! i tried to bring the copper outside with additional nails on the top and front.

before of sideboard. the flash in this photo gives the deceptive impression that the woodwork was in good condition. in reality the veneer was peeling and it was pretty beat up.

the black was a custom request, and i think the finished product is very classy!

new diamond pillow. the back is the same deliciously soft green fabric of the diamond.

before of desk chair.

and the after. i know i've done this style chair before, but i just love the look of the wood grain in the letters. yum.