A Replacement for Shades...

Remember how I was lamenting being unable to find any more of the 80s woven wood window shades? If I can find some that are thin enough, I have found a solution.

April talked me into buying a couple of bamboo strip place mats at the rummage sale for 25 cents a piece. I tried using them this morning. I needed to do window and door surrounds in the cottage and decided to give them a try.

I always liked the shades because they could be cut with a pair of scissors. I thought that the bamboo would be too hard...I was wrong!

They are a little harder than the luan mahogany that the shades were made of, but they seem to work pretty well.

I used the white ones out of the place mats. When I get desperate, I will use the blue and acid yellow ones and a lot of paint.

I simply cut the threads holding them together and cut them to size. They seem to be very dry. They drink paint like they are dieing of thirst.


While I was painting, Tessie dropped in and plonked down this Russian hand. It is one that April brought back from one of her trips. It is made of terracotta and hand painted.

There is an area that is famous for it's decorative painting and this is an example.

Anyway, Tessie announced that we should put some painted wares like this in the cottage for April.

Yes, Tessie is resigned to letting April have the cottage. It seems that she found out that there wasn't a bathroom in the cottage and she might have to for go the pleasures of bubble baths.....She told me, "Let April go dirty. I am moving back into the townhouse as soon as possible. I need my bubble baths!"

I looked around and found a couple of pitchers like Marlies http://marliesminies.blogspot.com/ makes. I think that I can find some paper suitable for making pitchers that look like the decorative painting technique. If not, I will get out the old paintbrush and get to work.

Here's a shot of the surrounds all put in....Now I only have to do windows and doors...Back to work.

See you tomorrow.