As I look around our house, I notice I have a lot of what I call “found artwork”. That is, items I have made or others have made that I framed and use as accessories in my decorating. They always make a space really personal and in many cases bring back very fond memories of people from my past. Very often, I am able to find ready made frames from Target or art stores that serve the purpose very economically. Other items, merit using a professional framer. Even the vintage suitcase has been relined with one of my fabrics and I often use it as a display piece, both open and shut and always for storage. I generally keep my “found art” in the suitcase when not displayed.
Two items that I did a few years back involved scrap book paper, Modge Podge, clay board and an office clip to have decorative mounting boards for snapshots of Taylor and Ella. At the time, Taylor was really into Teenage Ninja Turtles, so I cut out images from a little book from the grocery store and made a collage of the popular group. I then glued on old-fashioned office clip and clipped a favorite picture of Taylor in his Teenage Ninja pajamas. The clay boards can stand on their own, or be displayed on a small easel, or hung.
For Ella, I picked papers that were definitely little girl in nature and picked the bird print because that was one of her first words. I glued the row of bows along the top edge because her mom always had a bow in her hair, even at a very early age.
Both picture display boards have found their home in their rooms at our house. Great thing about these…no glass to break as they handle them and move them around their rooms. I often find them in the playroom. You can see a glimpse of a bow in Ella’s ponytail.
Long ago, I found a quilt block in my grandmother’s things when she passed away and had it framed for my sewing room. She was a very early influence on the things I love to do and it is a nice reminder of her talents. The basket block is from a quilt made for my husband’s parent’s wedding. It was the only handmade quilt they had as a family and it was well worn. I was able to selvage 4 blocks from it for all four of the children in his family.
The toy horse tree ornament is a favorite handmade ornament that I made 25 years ago. I also have it in my sewing room displayed with a favorite baby toy from each of my children. The giraffe was my son’s and the rattle was my daughter’s. They share a shelf with a unique antique rabbit puzzle.
The lion artwork is a piece I saved from my daughter’s 2nd grade in elementary school. It is now hung in Taylor’s room at grandma and bapa’s house. It is perfect for this space above his bed.
I made this piece of artwork using two Dutch Boy paint chip cards. They have large color cards that combine coordinating colors as suggestions for the home decorator. I often cut out animal images while playing at the “art table” with Taylor and Ella and this shape was a favorite. I traced it onto one of the color cards and carefully lined up the stripes on the background piece. Because the color cards displayed different colors the animal shape pops out. It now hangs above the blue folding kids chair on Taylor’s bedroom wall.
The crazy quilt picture was a Christmas gift from a co-worker. It is a piece from a quilt her grandmother made well over 100 years ago. My co-worker lost her battle to cancer a year ago and this too hangs in my sewing room and I think of her every time I walk into the room.
Lastly, I even find things in magazines that are flammable…this was a picture used in an ad. I loved the graphic wood cut look it has and use it during Halloween. It just looks like a Halloween night to me.
These are all of little value to others but priceless to me.
