The ombre landing theme continues! 

Yesterday I finished painting the mirror and it really has come a long way!

I also refinished the shoe cabinet recently, click here to read more.


I started with this maroon technicolor mirror purchased on clearance at TJ Maxx for $20 - I originally painted it white, but decided that our bland rental wall needed some color!

I got a color sample from Benjamin Moore - mixed some white to make two samples lighter and airbrushed a subtle ombre with the bottom darker and top lighter


Airbrushing is very similar to spray painting, but less paint comes out so you have more control over where the paint goes. However, the paint must be the correct thickness to go through correctly - too thin and it will come out watery and too thick - it wont spray or spray very slow.

This mirror has three shades - the original color and two lighter shades - I overlap the colors and blend the transition by spraying less paint

Im loving the ombre theme on the landings! (click here and here to read more about the other ombre landings)

I also love the cheeriness that it adds to a dark corner!




Can you spot Annabelle? She says hi!


Peonies are my favorite flower and are in season now - so I had to pick up a bunch!

Ive got big plans for the rest of the landings too ... but first I need to work on the guest bedroom! 

Have you added any colorful spots to your home recently?

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The fabric arrived yesterday so I can get started on the guest room!

fabric 1. 2. 3. 4.

We are building a headboard and the 54" fabric width is tricky with the way I want the pattern to run (solid fabrics are more diy friendly!) I think I have found a solution without it looking pieced together ...

Whenever I open fabrics that Ive ordered online I hold my breath - hoping that they look like the photo ... luckily all of these did!

but that hasnt always been the case - I fell in love with a richloom print, waited for it to get off of back order and when it arrived it didnt look quite like the photo :(

via

The photo from the website (top photo) looks vibrant with rich colors while the photo that I took looks washed out - still pretty, but not what I wanted - so I thought I would share some tips on what have helped me order online ...

1. Google the fabric and check out images of scale and color: many fabrics have photos of pillows, chairs, etc. that have been taken in a variety of lighting - a great way to get a feel for what the fabric will look like

2. For photos that include a ruler: make sure to check the scale - sometimes photos can be deceiving - the pattern can look larger or smaller than it actually is

3. Take note of the material: Becoming familiar with fabric types gives you a better idea of the weight and texture of the fabric. i.e. duck cotton will have a tight stiffer weave and medium weight  - while a cotton sateen will be a finer weave, lighter weight, and smoother touch


Finally when possible, I would recommend ordering from fabric.com - they offer free shipping for orders over $35, great prices, and FREE RETURN shipping!



Stay tuned to see my solution for 54" fabric for a wider headboard (fingers crossed it works!)

Recently I have been asked my opinion on the value of FSC certification for small woodworking shops.
It’s difficult for me to offer advice to other woodworkers as to whether or not they should get certified but I can share with them my own experience.
About six years ago I was contacted by an architect named Omer Arbell, who was working at the time for Busby Associates, a firm specializing in “green” or “sustainable” design. Omer was looking for FSC certified woodworking firms to supply millwork for a demo project they were doing called “The Sustainable Condo”. It was a full size mock-up of a small condo designed to be “sustainable” or “green”. Omer was lamenting the fact that at the time his choice was limited to one firm, Ornamentum.
Given the very tight time constraints there was not much I could do to help with this particular project, but I did get the impression that this was a growing field and that demand for FSC certified millwork and wood products would grow. I also thought that this might be a new segment of the industry where the focus was not only on cost and a fast turn-around time, but that there was a new emerging community of like minded businesses interested in doing the right thing, not necessarily to increase profit, but to have a positive effect . It seemed like an opportunity to become part of a new progressive community.
I did some research into the process and decided to make the investment in time and money to get my shop certified. For a small shop like mine this involved putting in place procedures to maintain the chain of custody for FSC certified materials from the point of purchase through the manufacturing process and sale to the customer. It also involved re-arranging my shop to accommodate these materials and keep them segregated from non FSC certified materials and set up a system to provide documentation for annual audits by the certifying body.
One of the first things I learned was that because of the altruistic associations with FSC, green, sustainable and environmentally appropriate things, there was an expectation on the part of design professionals in the field that you would provide your services for either a discounted price or for free. Many so called “green” design professionals clearly expected us to discount our work in exchange for the “opportunity” to work with them.
Another thing I learned was that the segment of the public who were concerned about the environment and making a “greener” choice were not the same people who could afford custom, high quality woodwork. Often they turned out to be people who would buy from us if it didn’t cost more than other suppliers within their budget, such as Ikea.
Another important issue that I did not fully appreciate was the lack of supply of FSC certified material. I did speak to some of my regular suppliers about it and many of them such as A & M Wood Specialties, PJ White Hardwoods and General Woods had at one time either been certified or had considered it but not pursued it. At the time, there was only one certified materials supplier in Vancouver and that was the Eco Lumber Co-op. They carried a variety of certified products including flooring, veneer and lumber. However, shortly after I became certified The Eco Lumber Co-op dropped all of these products with the exception of flooring. Not long after that, The Eco Lumber Co-op went out of business, apparently because their sole supplier lost their FSC certification. At that point we were left with no suppliers for FSC certified material, at least not smaller quantities locally available.
Another problem was the reliable availability of sheet goods to substitute for traditional products like mdf and particle board. At the time I was using a Canadian product called ISOboard, made from corn stalks left over from the harvest. Apparently, this company got into trouble and was bought out by Dow Chemical, the company that had been providing them with the adhesive for the strawboard.
At first this seemed to be a good thing. They improved the quality and distribution of the product. Soon it became available with a melamine coating making it suitable for kitchen cabinets. They gave the product a new name “Woodstalk”, a play on words relating to the hippy, back to the land culture of the Woodstock nation and the corn stalks from which the product was made. I thought this was somewhat cynical because I associated Dow Chemical with napalm during the Vietnam war.
Just when it seemed like Woodstalk had become the industry standard for FSC projects, Dow closed the company and we were left without a suitable alternative.
It seemed only like months after receiving my FSC certification that I got notice from “Smartwood” the company that carried out the certification process, that we were due for our first annual audit and that it would cost something like $1500 to $2000. I was shocked as I had yet to complete a single project requiring FSC chain of custody. After some negotiation it was agreed that the audit would be conducted by phone rather than in person and the price would be reduced to $600.00. The only thing to be audited was a single receipt for a few hundred square feet of FSC certified veneer.
When the next annual audit came due, having done no subsequent FSC work, I declined and gave up my certification.
Although I haven’t spoken to other small FSC certified shops in the Vancouver area (I think there are only two or three) I suspect they will have a similar story. Ornamentum, the first one to be certified is no longer in business.
Some of the materials suppliers, such as PJ White have become re-certified and I think some of the larger shops are considering FSC certification, probably with an interest in satisfying more serious interest south of the border.

So Teagues blocks are finished - I was aiming for 50 and ended up having time for 46. Not too bad.

Theyre unit blocks, with the basic block having 1x2x2 dimensions. Making these blocks, and their larger siblings, was pretty straight forward - just dimensioning the stock really (well except for a few of the "special" shaped blocks), but it was fun practice.

The width of the stock is very close to the final width of 2 inches, so after planing off the finish (they are old library chairs) it doesnt take much more work to get there with just a jack plane. The thickness is another matter - too much to remove with the jack, and too little to resaw - well, I suppose if I really wanted some thin oak veneer...

I tried my scrub plane, but wasnt happy with the results. Just too much tear out to get close to the layout line. I switched to a #6 fore plane with a fairly cambered iron. It was the right tool for the job, fast, but clean, stock removal. Heres a shot showing two pieces of oak - the right is the "before" and the left is the "after" example.


After the fore plane got things close, it was quick work with the jack to finish removing stock down to the line. It was a little wasteful, but a definite time saver.

I tried to take a picture of the fore plane iron to show the amount of camber:


Heres a shot of work on one pair of ramp blocks:


I had to leave extra wood at the ends to adjust for the kerf and flattening of the angled plane. After everything was true, I cut the ends square and to length. I experimented with several different saws for cutting the angle and ended up liking the Japanese style rip saw the best.

I had anticipated having to do a lot of work with a plane to clean up the cut, but in the end it came out pretty clean straight from the saw. Just a few minutes with the plane, and it was fine.


Chamfering the edges of the blocks was much easier by pulling them over an upside down plane - once again the jack was pressed into service:


The final test of the set before the birthday boy got his hands on them (what can I say, theyre fun!):


In action - I think he liked them, and the chest too:


Im sure I will be making more to expand the set as time goes by and his construction skills grow.