Friday, February 19, 2010

I have a little collection...

OK...I have a thing for old lampshades...right...
but there's something about bed lamps that really strikes my fancy.

When did these all come about and why...were they just nightlights...
were they just fancy baubles to decorate one's boudoir...

...cause it's not like your gonna read a book by them...at least not with these bifocals...

Many, many designs and color combination's embellish these lil' jewels,
but oh, the work that went into sewing them.

This is an art form called 'sugar shade'...first the silk is hand-painted,
then coated with a thin layer of glue.
Next step is sifting tiny beads of glass all over the shade,
shaking off the excess, then the shade is allowed to dry,
then trims are applied.
I've restored a few of these shades for clients, even hand-painting on new floral designs.
The end product is beautiful and client is delighted!


Back in the day, they had a little machine that you could run the silk chiffon through and it would instantly pleat the fabric...
cause let me tell ya, pleating every lil' fold is a ginormous pain!!!
Right Cathie...
C. Conz...a fellow shade maker and dear friend/soul sista has been making shades
as long as I have.
Her shades embellish her home and are to die for!!!
Though neither of us does much anymore in the shade biz,
because, as artists, we have to explore all media
to fulfill our need to create stuff.

So, this lil' relic sits on it's perch, awaiting it's turn to evolve...
it'll be a while lil' friend!!!