CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Cool Idea: Mounting Mismatched China

casasugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:00:00 -0700

Flea markets and thrift stores can be a treasure trove of mismatched china, which could lead to trouble depending on your level of impulse control. One too many "Oh, this little dish is too cute to pass up!" and next thing you know, you've got boxes of quirky plates without coordinating mates.

That's why I was mesmerized by this wall I snapped at a Northern California diner. The quirky patterns look so serene, mounted on the seafoam-green wall. What do you think of this idea? I loved it so much I never wanted to leave. The diner did something similar with mismatched mugs on a shelf. Curious about this curiosity? Then

Casa Quickie: Kids' Art on the Wall, Not the Fridge

casasugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:00:10 -0700

In Amsterdam, a Dutch couple based its décor on a range of noncolors, using blacks and whites, asphalt, variations of gray, earth tones, and light — skillfully (and daringly) playing with blends and mismatches. In the playroom, they used the dark colors but made a bold move by wallpapering with their children's drawings. Rather than letting their children run loose with fabric markers on a muslin sofa, they made large-format, black-and-white photocopies of their children's artwork and adhered them to the wall in a repeat, much like traditional wallpaper. This technique gives the children a sense of involvement in their home, without sacrificing taste. You may not have kids of your own, and maybe you find the drawings a bit unpolished. But, you can still use this technique of wallpapering photocopies with illustrations or imagery that's more refined. Just make sure there's a theme that runs through each image uniting them, such as the color scheme here.
Source

Get the Look: A Cashmere Mafia Bedroom, the Art

casasugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:00:47 -0700

The last element of this Get the Look is the wall décor. Production Designer Stephen Hendrickson whose dark brown graphic wall art, which resonates with the lines of modern furniture and brings the earthy tones of the room together. I've rounded up some similar items to help you get the look of Zoe and Eric's bedroom in your own home. Stay tuned for more Get the Looks to help you achieve the interiors of your favorite shows in your own interiors. Enjoy!

Source

Steal of the Day: Starburst Wire Wall Mirror

casasugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:00:09 -0700

I must admit I'm very much over the starburst mirror trend. But, if you're still feelin' 'em and you want to get your hands on one, you might as well buy it on sale. The Wrapables Starburst Wire Wall Mirror ($29.99) will do the trick, and save you some dollars to spend on more happening trends, like ombré or mercury glass. Then, toss in some classics, so you're not such a slave to the flavor of the month.

And the Winner Is . . .

casasugar — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:37:44 -0700

At long last, we have a winner!

To see who won the Ferm giveaway, just

And the winner Is...

casasugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 13:51:49 -0700

...Kmariem! Congratulations to Kmariem, who has won a a set of Yee-Haw Industries' "Flowering Trees of Appalachia" series, which includes hand-carved wood cuts of Dogwood, Magnolia, Paw Paw and Redbud trees. These can be used as cards, but I'd consider framing this series and hanging them together. I have some framed in my own home, and they look great when grouped together. All are letterpress printed in delicate color blends of pink, green and brown ink on recycled white paper and come with recycled kraft envelopes.

Dressing My Walls: Chair Painting in the Dining Room

casasugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:06:08 -0700

On this, the last day of Dress Your Walls month, I bring you another picture from my home. As you may know, my fiancé and I are currently in the middle of trying to combine our styles and belongings, which is always something of a challenge.

This painting, by Austin artist Brandon Petree, only received a so-so reaction from Peter when I hung it on the wall. But within a few hours, he'd already warmed up to it. Painted with regular house paint, this canvas sat in my mother's garage for four years, seemingly immune to my attempts to ship it across the country. Finally, just this past summer, my father drove it out when he came to visit. I missed it so much, and I—and now Peter—think it looks pretty amazing next to the dark wood of our Parsons dining table and the rich yellow of the walls.

Wall Murals for Kids

casasugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:01:14 -0700

Artist Devon Holzwarth created Mural Studio in 2003 with the intention of applying her fine art training and imagination towards creating murals that can transform a space. I especially love Devon's kids' murals, and would've been thrilled to have one of her underwater murals decorating my bedroom as a kid.

To find out about how to buy one of Devon's murals, and to see images of her fabulous children's murals, just

Artist of the Day: Clare Mallison

casasugar — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 06:54:00 -0700

Clare Mallison grew up in the suburbs of Surrey, England, and attended Kingston University, where she received a BA in illustration. Since then she's pursued her passion for illustration and has been commissioned by a wide range of newspapers, magazines, and advertising agencies.

She mostly draws on location, using a combination of dip pen and ink, marker pens, screen print, and digital media. She currently lives and works in a studio in East London, where she's completed work for the likes of Homes and Gardens, Marie Claire, and Budget Living magazine.

I admire the quick lines and inclusive, life-is-beautiful interpretations of chaos that Mallison brings to her work. There's always a palpable sense of movement inherent in her images, whether in the people she features or the lines of the furniture she draws.

CasaSugar Giveaway: Yee-Haw's Art Prints

casasugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:41:43 -0700

Earlier today, I told you about the beautiful letterpress art from Yee-Haw Industries. And now I'm giving you a chance to win some of their creations!

Yee-Haw has given me a set of their "Flowering Trees of Appalachia" series, which includes hand-carved wood cuts of Dogwood, Magnolia, Paw Paw and Redbud trees. These can be used as cards, but if I were you, I'd consider framing this series and hanging them together. I have some framed in my own home, and they look great when grouped together. All are letterpress printed in delicate color blends of pink, green and brown ink on recycled white paper and come with recycled kraft envelopes.

Enter to win simply by leaving a comment below! For the official rules, go here.

ferm Contest: AcornTree's Wall

casasugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:41:25 -0700

We've been running a contest all month long for Dress Your Walls month, this time with the fabulous ferm LIVING, which is giving away a wall's worth of gorgeous wallpaper to one lucky reader.

Here is the (perhaps last!) wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what AcornTree says about her wall, just

Dressing My Walls: Grouping Art by Color

casasugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:00:16 -0700

These pieces have seemingly little in common save the color. One's a tiny acrylic painting of a cartoonish girl; another a hand silk-screened concert poster; another a welded, upcycled fish sculpture, and the last a collage made by Karen Ondracek. Yet, given the shared color scheme, they all work together.

Artist of the Day: Karen Ondracek

casasugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 05:56:55 -0700

Artist Karen Ondracek makes deceptively simple images out of difficult-to-manipulate scraps of paper, photographs, and ephemera. Her fanciful, creature-filled collages often feature animals speaking nonsense out of comic-style dialogue balloons. And now, for full disclosure, I'll also say that Karen is a good friend of mine. I've known her since she was 12, and now she lives across the street from me, where she and her boyfriend throw elaborate parties and host craft days. Even if I wasn't friends with Ms. Ondracek, though, I'd still definitely recommend her art.

To see a gallery of Karen's collages, as well as read my interview with her, just

Double the Frames for a Dramatic Effect

casasugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:03:31 -0700

Sgdish writes on Su Casa that she "found this adorable oil painting of a Yorkie on eBay, but it needed a little 'something something,' so I came up with adding an extra antique frame around the picture to give it more presence. Try it with a piece of art that just isn't big enough."

I love this idea, and I love that painting, too. Sgdish, by the way, is a proud owner of four Yorkies herself, so the painting has a lot of personal meaning, I'm sure.

ferm Contest: Angelaevans' Wall

casasugar — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:26:34 -0700

We're running a contest all month long for Dress Your Walls month, this time with the fabulous ferm LIVING, which is giving away a wall's worth of gorgeous wallpaper to one lucky reader. Check out this post to find out how to enter the contest.

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Angelaevans says about her bedroom wall, just

ferm Contest: Lov3laura's Dining Room Wall

casasugar — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:25:37 -0700

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Lov3laura says about her dining room wall, just

ferm Contest: Shadesoftrue's Naked Living Room Wall

casasugar — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 03:59:28 -0700

We're running a contest all month long for Dress Your Walls month, this time with the fabulous ferm LIVING, which is giving away a wall's worth of gorgeous wallpaper to one lucky reader.

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Shadesoftrue has to say about her naked wall, just

DIY: Magnetic Frames Inspiration Board

casasugar — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 05:37:54 -0700

Looking through the flickr group, Inspiration Boards, I was inspired by kitty80's board, which she created by painting her walls with magnetic paint and covering them with a beautiful wallpaper that is printed with ornate frame outlines. The magnetic paint allows her to hang her inspirations with magnets without damaging the wallpaper.

To no avail, I searched high and low for her wallpaper. I did find a similar paper by Graham & Brown called Frames ($40/double roll), designed by artists Taylor and Wood, and also The Family ($230/roll) by Lisa Bengtsson. These wallpapers are very interactive, allowing you to paint directly on them, or hang up inspirations or your own artwork. They also very much resemble the Deborah Bowness wallpapers I posted about recently.

For additional info. on this project,

ferm Contest: Bombshellvintage's Wall

casasugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:00:41 -0700

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Bombshellvintage has to say about her boring wall, just

And the Winner Is....

casasugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:16:52 -0700

Rivrchild! Congraulations to Rivrchild, who's won a set of Jill Bliss's beautiful limited edition art prints, which are printed on recycled matte cardstock with soy-based inks

Thanks to everyone who left a comment. Check out today's Yee-Haw Industries post for another giveaway.

ferm Contest: Minoti's Hall Wall

casasugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:58:05 -0700

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Minoti has to say about her plain hall wall, just

ferm Contest: Polka_Dot's Wall

casasugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:54:47 -0700

In case you haven't heard yet, we're running a contest all month long for Dress Your Walls month, this time with the fabulous ferm LIVING, which is giving away a wall's worth of gorgeous wallpaper to one lucky reader. Check out this post to find out how to enter the contest.

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Polka_dot has to say about her wall, just

ferm Contest: Treu's Blah Bathroom Wall

casasugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:43:57 -0700

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Treu has to say about her blah bathroom wall, just

ferm Contest: Hihowareya's Wall

casasugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:40:38 -0700

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Hihowareya has to say about her uncensored kitchen wall, just

ferm LIVING Contest: Manduh's Awful Entry

casasugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:51:58 -0700

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To hear what Manduh has to say about her awful entry wall, just

Jill Bliss Native Herbs Print Set

casasugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:12:49 -0700

Not so long ago, Jill Bliss spent a month at the Strybing Arboretum studying native herbs. All of that erudition resulted in these beautiful limited edition art prints, which are printed on recycled matte cardstock with soy-based inks

By simply leaving a comment on Jill's art, you'll be entered to win this set of native herb posters ($45 value). (For the official contest rules, go here.) So comment away, Casa readers, and tell me how much you love Jill Bliss!

Some Weekend Bookshelf Rearrangements

casasugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:47:04 -0700

Katedavis sent before-and-after pictures of her bookshelf, which she reorganized after reading my post. She writes, "CasaSugar provided the impetus I needed to get up and do what I had wanted to do for a long time. Thanks!"

Before:

After:

I think the difference is pretty stunning. What about you?

Some Weekend Bookshelf Rearrangements (Part 1)

casasugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:43:20 -0700

A few readers took the bookshelf challenge this weekend and rearranged their books by color. I think the results are pretty fantastic.
Carolinacosmina writes, "Thanks for putting out the challenge! I arranged them by color last spring but wasn't happy with it, plus I just don't have enough books yet. So I bought some mirror tiles from Ikea yesterday, ran them along two shelves, and did some rearranging, and I'm so pleased with it!"

To see Cocochic's bookshelf, just

ferm Contest: QueenLizzy's Wall

casasugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:00:02 -0700

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To read what QueenLizzy has to say about her neglected bedroom wall, just

Dressing My Walls: Blue Bedroom

casasugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:06:33 -0700

One of the changes I made this month for Dress Your Walls was to paint the bedroom blue. It used to be a drab beige with a weird brown border along the bottom (this was pre-CasaSugar move-in), and it took two coats of low-VOC primer and two more coats of low-VOC paint to get the color right.

Cool colors, such as blue, brown, and grey, are thought to promote concentration and calmness. so they're great for bedrooms and offices. I know that I feel calm and happy whenever I walk into our new blue bedroom.

ferm LIVING Wallpaper Contest: Show Us Your Wall!

casasugar — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:08:20 -0700

Attention Casa readers: We have another contest, just for Dress Your Walls month! Ferm is giving away a wall's worth of gorgeous wallpaper to one lucky reader. To enter the ferm LIVING wallpaper contest, though, you have to follow four steps:

Join the ferm wallpaper contest group I started.
Enter a photo of the wall you want redone, along with measurements of the wall (height and width).
Add a description of the wall (a short paragraph will work) explaining why you think the Ferm paper would benefit the wall.
Post a picture of the ferm wallpaper that's your choice for your wall. You can pick from Collection No. 1 or Collection No. 2. Both contain gorgeous patterns!

If your wall hasn't been painted in the past decade, if it's full of imperfections, if you've redone the rest of your house and are just waiting for the right wallpaper to come along, then you're a good candidate for this prize! So send us your wall pictures! If you need any help, just send me a message and I'll try to offer any assistance I can.

Interested in more details? Click here for the Official Rules. The ferm LIVING contest will run through Monday, October 29th, 2007, and be sure to get your entries in by 5 p.m. PDT on Oct 29, which is when the contest will end.

The contest will be judged by myself and the lovely Christiana Coop, ferm LIVING’s wallpaper expert. She, along with business partner Aimee Lagos, represent ferm LIVING in North America and are thrilled to be able to bring ferm LIVING products here from Denmark. We'll be posting contest entries for the next several weeks, and will announce the winner on the last day of the month. And one last caveat: YOU MUST PROMISE TO SEND US "AFTER" PICTURES OF YOUR NEW WALLPAPER ONCE IT'S UP!

I can't wait to see your walls!

Dressing My Walls: Color-Coordinated Bookshelf

casasugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:35:38 -0700

Just in case you were wondering, yes, I've been working on my walls, too! Last weekend I spent some time reorganizing my bookshelf by color, and I'm kicking myself now for not taking a "before" picture to contrast with the "after," because the difference is truly phenomenal. (And no, that is not my teddybear. It's my fiancé's from when he was a wee thing.)

So my challenge to you this weekend, Casa readers, is to rearrange your bookshelves by color, and send me your photos. Can't wait to see the improvement!

ferm Contest: Wio's Wall

casasugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:00:55 -0700

Here is the fourth wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To see what Wio has to say about her wall, just

Artist of the Day: Jill Bliss

casasugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 04:05:28 -0700

A week ago, we gave you a peek into Jill Bliss's home. This week, we're going to show you her beautiful artwork. And check back in later today, when we give away a set of her beautiful native herb art prints!

Jill is a talented artist and craftsperson who works in a number of mediums. Her artwork has graced journals, stationary, and notecards, and has been featured in magazines such as ReadyMade. To find out more about Jill's nature-inspired artwork, take a look at my interview with her when you

ferm Contest: Paperedtogether's Wall

casasugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 08:05:23 -0700

Here is the third wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To read what Paperedtogether has to say about her naked, sad studio wall, just

Artist of the Day: Hilary Williams

casasugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:31:30 -0700

San Francisco artist Hilary Williams works in a number of mediums creating screen prints, paintings, drawings, and dolls. To see a gallery of her work, just

Dress Your Walls . . . with Light

casasugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:00:14 -0700

If you've been reading our posts this month, you know that it's Dress Your Walls month. I've shown you a plethora of smart ways to attire your walls, including tips on hanging wallpaper, great art online, fab paint colors, and paint-by-numbers borders. I've even offered you a free wall's worth of Ferm wallpaper. But if you're not up for new paint colors, wall decals, or a fun new pattern 24/7, I have another solution for you and your boring walls.

Dutch baby Jonas Samson has created hi-tech, light emitting wallpaper which uses your two-dimensional flat surface as a source of light, instead of those oh-so-typical 3D objects called lamps. The "wallpaper" is just that, except that when you turn it on it emits the beautiful shape of a blossoming tree and bird overhead. If you'd like to "undress" your walls some of the time, don't worry: As long as the wallpaper is turned "off," it is indistinguishable as a source of light.

Source

Casa Quickie: Making Small Spaces Seem Bigger

casasugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:05:44 -0700

One way to make your small pad seem visually expansive is by exercising a light touch with your color scheme. If you use lighter textiles for upholstery, blond wood for large furniture pieces, and a lighter color palette for your walls, your small space will gain some visual square footage.

ferm Contest: Grumpalita's Wall

casasugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:46:46 -0700

Here is the second wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To read what Grumpalita has to say about her off-kilter, awkward bedroom wall, just

Giveaway: Nikki McClure Signed Print

casasugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:54:14 -0700

Last week, in the Artist of the Day post, I told you we'd be giving away a Nikki McClure print to one lucky CasaSugar reader. (Click here for official rules.) Let me know what you think of Nikki McClure's artwork by commenting below, and you will be automatically entered to win this "Gravity" print signed by the artist.

If you're in need of another giveaway, Ferm is giving away a wall's worth of gorgeous wallpaper to one lucky reader, so be sure to check it out.

ferm LIVING Wallpaper Contest: Show Us Your Wall!

casasugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 16:22:50 -0700

Join the ferm wallpaper contest group I started.
Enter a photo of the wall you want redone, along with measurements of the wall (height and width).
Add a description of the wall (a short paragraph will work) explaining why you think the Ferm paper would benefit the wall.
Post a picture of the ferm wallpaper that's your choice for your wall. You can pick from Collection No. 1 or Collection No. 2. Both contain gorgeous patterns!

I can't wait to see your walls!

DIY: How to Mat Your Own Prints

casasugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 08:03:30 -0700

If you've started your art collection, you've probably encountered the high costs of having your first pieces framed and matted. Or, if you're thinking about starting your collection, you may be anxious about those costs. Either way, don't be fearful. Although a beautiful frame can really make a piece of art stand out, if you've chosen something that is unique and that is unequivocally "you," that alone will make the artwork. So, all you need is a simple, inexpensive frame, and to learn to mat your own prints.

To get the supply list and learn the steps that I learned from the small object,

Great Art Online: The Decoder Ring Design Concern

casasugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:09:13 -0700

The Decoder Ring Design Concern creates both lovely and edgy silkscreened concert and art posters (thanks for the tip, Penelope829). Founded in 2004, their mission statement is simply "Do work we love for clients we admire." Partners Christian Helms, Geoff Peveto, Paul Fucik, and Derrit DeRouen have worked with clients including Leo Burnett Worldwide, Levis Jeans, Toyota Yaris, MTV, Sony BMG's Epic Records, Capitol Records, South By Southwest, Modest Mouse, Dave Matthews Band, Erykah Badu, and Wilco. Each project Decoder undertakes reflects what they love about design: collaboration with companies, groups, or individuals who have something important to say and deserve to be heard.

To find out how to contact The Decoder Ring Design Concern for custom orders, and to see a gallery of their work, just

Artist of the Day: Katie Gastley

casasugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 07:10:07 -0700

As I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for text in paintings, so I was quite excited to see that artist Katie Gastley uses text from Moby Dick, cupcake recipes, and television theme songs in her work. Born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Katie has spent most of her time creating exciting things, and the rest of her time admiring exciting things from others. Whatever is left over at that point usually is spent commuting. Growing up with graphic designer parents, Katie would paint and draw her favorite rock stars with a great passion and declare that she would never, ever, in her entire life, be a graphic designer because it was incredibly boring and painting was so much more fun. Then, in 2002, she enrolled at Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn, New York as a graphic design major.

To find out how to purchase Katie's work, and to see a gallery of her paintings, just

Nice and New: Ballard Design Black & White Pattern Plaques

casasugar — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:30:00 -0700

I usually don't like products categorized as "wall decor" because I feel like they're equivalent to the mass-produced artwork you can buy at major inexpensive retail stores. They are by no means original, and your friends might recognize them from aisle #9, where they bought toilet paper in bulk

That said, these Black & White Pattern Plaques ($89) from Ballard Design are changing my mind—or at the very least proving themselves to be the exception to my rule. In this case, I like "wall decor," and I like them enough to share. Ballard Designs is notorious for selling my most avoided type of wall décor, the faux-French vintage home accents. When they turn out great products like these plaques though (especially during Dress Your Walls month), I am willing to be merciful and forgive them their inventory sins.

Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

casasugar — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 10:37:45 -0700

This week's Casa Craving Challenge asks you to design a room of your choice around this preppy striped Danish bench.
Our ferm LIVING wallpaper contest is running till the 29th of October, but you might want to get your photos in ASAP!
Speaking of which, check out the first featured entry from the ferm contest.
Have I gone contest crazy? Because I'm also giving away a Nikki McClure print.
Have you tried the Less or More game? Bet you don't know which one is more expensive!
If you're looking for a good resource for online art, you can't go wrong with Jen Bekman's 20x200.
Live in LA? Got spare time this weekend? Then get down to the green home tour.
I really want to know: Which room is your personal haven?
This week you and I both had rather mixed feelings about the orchid chair.

Jill's Blissful Portland Digs

casasugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:36:11 -0700

AT: SF recently posted a house tour of artist Jill Bliss's home in Portland. Jill is one of my favorite artists, and she currently has a show up the fabulous West Berkeley home decor store Relish at Home. I love Jill's use of blue on her walls, and the natural touches that can be found in her home accessories. In the AT: SF post, she describes her home's style as consisting of "[f]ound or made items and modern design pieces [that] are slowly replacing the ubiquitous Ikea items. We like simple shapes and designs, and natural materials (especially wood), plus hints of color." This last statement also describes some of my favorite elements in Jill's artwork (and if you like Jill's work, to, you'll be happy to hear that we'll be giving away a set of her art prints later in the month for Dress Your Walls month).

To see more pictures of Jill's tranquil home, just

ferm LIVING Contest: Telescopeeyes' Wall

casasugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:03:39 -0700

Here is the first wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To read what Telescopeeyes has to say about her sad, neglected bedroom wall, just

Artist of the Day: Nikki McClure

casasugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:02:30 -0700

Nikki McClure is a wizard with an X-acto knife, and has singlehandedly given the cringe-inducing term "papercuts" a whole new meaning. She is known for her painstakingly intricate and beautiful imagery, which she cuts from a single sheet of paper. Her work depicts the virtues of hard labor and patience (i.e. weathered hands washing dishes, people sweeping, mothers caring for their babies, and farmers working the land), and her artwork certainly requires those virtues as well. Large elements of celebration and the enjoyment in the simple pleasures of life and the earth are also depicted in her work. She regularly produces her own posters, books, cards, t-shirts, and a beloved yearly calendar. She also designs covers for countless records and books, including illustrations for magazines the Progressive and Punk Planet (R.I.P.). She is a self-taught artist who has been making paper-cuts since 1996. McClure's ability to have a steady hand holding that oh-so-sharp X-acto knife absolutely mystifies me, and I can't wait to get my less adept paws on one of her prints!

To find out how to win a signed print by Nikki McClure, and to see more of her artwork,

From the Archives: How to Hang Wallpaper, Part Two

casasugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:09:50 -0700

For Dress Your Walls month, I thought I'd repost some bright ideas I had earlier in the year that relate to this month's theme. It's sometimes hard to dig these up from the archives on your own, so I'm finding the best ones for you to save you the trouble. When I find any archived posts that are particularly helpful for this month's theme, I'll run them in addition to the regular posts I'm putting up each day. And since we're running the amazing ferm LIVING wallpaper giveaway this month, reviewing wallpaper-hanging techniques is a must!

Wallpaper is back in a big way, but I'm still very intimidated by the idea of hanging it. But after reading some great tips in Blueprint and online at This Old House and Lowe's how-to section, I'm feeling up to the task. Yesterday, I gave you my pre-installation pointers, and now, we're ready to hang. Here's Part II of my wallpaper primer: installation. If you have more tips, please tell me in the comments!

The Installation

Cut strips of wallpaper about four inches longer than the height of your walls, then lay the pieces on the floor to make sure the patterns match up.
Flip the pieces over, so the back is facing up. Fill a paint tray with wallpaper glue. Using a paint roller, apply it quickly and comprehensively to the back of the paper, all the way to the edges.

For the rest of the pointers,