Painted cabinet

Finished

Video of finished cabinet

The moment I saw this old cabinet I knew this wold be my new project.  Its octagonal shape reminded me of Moorish architecture; hot nights in Morocco or Andalusia. I decided to paint it in bright colours with stylised oriental ornaments.

This is the cabinet before:

Old cabinet

Demaged surface

I followed the curves and lines of the cabinet and painted it with blocks of colors. Masking tape was used to make lines. Paint wasn’t applied very neatly, becuse I wanted to show that it was handpainted. It also looks a bit shabby, like it is the old piece of furniture.

Blocks of color and lines

Masking tape

When the background was completely dry, I used the template to make the ornaments. I made template by printing the ornament on the transparent foil and cutting it with scissors. I’ve traced the tamplate with the pencil to the cabinet, and paited with the acrylic paint and brush.

Painted background

Template

When dry, I used 2 coats of mat finish. This is final result:

Cabinet

Detail

Detail

 

Elder Futhark – reused wood & clay tiles

Elder Futhark (Runes)

Most Runic texts are found on hard surfaces such as rock, wood, and metal, and this might explain its angular shape. Because of the resemblance to Mediterranean scripts, it is very likely that Futhark was adapted from either the Greek or Etruscan alphabet. Even though the earliest Runic inscriptions are from the 3rd century CE, its origin may lie much deeper in the pre-history of Northern Europe. …

The Futhark of 24 letters is called “Elder Futhark”, and was used mostly before the 9th century CE. But as languages changed and more Germanic groups adopted it, Futhark changed as well to suit the language that it came to write.

Source: Ancientscripts.com

I spent this summer at the seaside as usual, on the Island of Pag , at Croatian Adriatic sea.  I’ve been collecting pieces of driftwood, pebbles, sea shells and other items modeled and shaped by the nature.

As the civilization gradually infiltrates into every bit of this planet, thus the construction sites  invades the shore. But the sea is the builder, the sculptor and the destroyer, so it takes from the land into its  depths then returns something scared, changed but beautiful. Walking down one of this deserted construction sites by the sea, I found pieces of planks, and bricks and roof tiles. But most interesting were those tiles fragments,  modeled and rounded by the sea,  looking like little pebbles. Sea made contemporary everyday objects look like ancient pieces. I wanted to make something with them, something that has an air of history.

So  I thought of runes…

Materials

Background and runes

Finished

Details

Details

Back

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Cottage in the woods (painted tree stump)

I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.

– Friedrich Nietzsche

Music theme: Cry of the Forest – Forest Elves

This is tree stump I found with several other pieces rot in the rain and sun and open sky. This is pine or spruce, I’m not sure, and still smells beautiful. My association was instant: deep forest and small secluded cottage. I always dreamed of having such small getaway from everyday life.

I removed all the debris, resin, cleaned the stump  well with water and left it to dry. Than I baked it in the oven to kill the microorganisms. When dry I applied some fungicide liquid.

I used acrylic paint and  waterproof wood varnish.

I’m quite happy how it looks in the garden. I think the dog likes it, too. J

Found

In the oven

Process of making

Varnish

Closer look

Dog is posing

Owl – reused wood and stone

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

This piece is made of pine stump, bark and twig. I’ve used that to make a base. I didn’t polish the surface, because I really like the texture of the wood itself as well as the traces of the saw. Bark removal revealed smooth silky wood side, as the contrast to the rough front and back surface. I’ve applied “foresty” colours (shades of green, brown and yellow) on the front and back.

Than it was time for the owl. I had one stone I picked up in my walk. The moment I saw that stone I knew it was going to be the owl one day. So, I grabbed my acrylics and the owl was born!

Finally, I glued on bark, owl, and twig on my base wood and put on some varnish.

Et vóila!  My recycled wood sculpture is here.

Photo gallery of materials and finish piece:

Wood and stone and some

Front

Bottom

Side

Back

()()

Bottles reused

There are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them. Sometimes they gust with the fury of a hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one’s cheek. But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore.

-Message in a Bottle, Nicholas Sparks

Music theme: Time in a bottle – Jim Croce

Days of Christmas and New Year celebrations are over. What is left are some good memories and few empty bottles of sparkling wine.
It would be such a pity to throw those beautiful bottles away, so I decided to upcycle them and make some decorative items with them. Well, a vase was obvious choice.
Materials: empty bottles, bamboo sticks, hot glue gun, spray paint and acrylic paint in tubes.

Painted bottles

Materials

I applied hot glue on the bottles, sprayed them and then put on some paint on the embellishments with my fingers.

Hot glue

Spray

I painted bamboo sticks with matching colours, and my vases were born.

Vases with baboo sticks

Vase

Seashells from Adriatic sea

I spend my every summer on isle of Pag in Croatia. This is s beautiful island in the Mediterranean sea. My nieces are good divers so they collect  plenty of seashells every year. I kept them in boxes and didn’t quite know what to do with them.

This year I ‘ve chosen the most beautiful ones and made a wreath:

I’ve used straw wreath and hot glue. It’s rather big wreath so I used up lots of shells, I must say. And here is my stash of remaining seashells:

I have so many ideas what to do with them… So much to do, so little time! 🙂

Last, but not least, I would like to share some photos of beautiful island of Pag.

Novalja’s boardwalk

Boat

Seagull

Streets of Novalja

Ancient Roman Aqueduct

Sheeps on the streets of small town Lun

100 years old olive tree

Old church

Planjka beach

Ferry, Novalja

Novalja

Sunset

Marina, Novalja

Sunset

Marina, Novalja

Marina, Novalja

Cista beach

Cista beach

Cista beach

Sea

Caska beach

Way to Metajna beach

Way to Metajna beach

Way to Metajna beach

Metajna beach, Rucica

Jadra beach

Jadra beach

Jadra beach

Pinecone flower

This one I really like!

I have a bag full of pinecones, waiting for the Christmas time I guess… Then I will make wreaths, Christmas ornaments and other seasonal  items. But one was bigger than others, and caught my attention with top that looked like a flower.

So, I took leftover lath and coco rope:

Some hot glue and few strokes of acrylic dye later and my wall hanger is finished.

Quick pot pad

I found a piece of OSB panel, circular cut.

I’ve painted it with acrylic paint, draw some fruits and there is pot pad . 

“Prehistoric art” on drift wood

When I saw that imprint on the rock I found on the beach, it reminded me of the fossil pictures I saw on National Geographic. So I thought, let’s go with the flow… and make something prehistoric-like.

I had some driftwood and rocks picked earlier.

All it needed is some water colors, acrylic paint and finally varnish and voilà!

Lighthouse at sunset

This wallhanger is made of saved wood.

I found some leftovers of wood on the construction site. I’ve painted it with oil colours, than glued on sea rock. But, the picture seemed somewhat empty. So, I addes sea shell which i’ve converted to little lighthouse with red marker.

Materials: