Flower Power Wallovers Stencil

For those of you fabulous painters out there with busy lives and even busier schedules that could not make this years IDAL Memphis convention but really REALLY wanted to… NEVER FEAR…  LULU and her Patina Designs Painting Posse are hear to give you the scoop on all the hot happenings of this years convention…

Above is a new stencil from Wallovers … Its one of their latest creations and it was flying off their shelves like wild fire… I even bought one myself. If you feel like staying ahead of the game then pick one up yourself…They only cost $48.00!  At the convention Wallovers was having a special that if you spent $100 on stencils you would get their handy dandy Allover Brush for FREE!  I bet if you ask them nicely they will hook you up with the same special because those gals are so sweet and kind!

Foiling Around

Next up…Innovative Stencil Guru Melany Royals is delighting our senses through a new series of affordable Virtual Workshops.  YES folks… this means you can have Melany right there in your very own home now without having to travel to California!  Registration starts: 7/27/09  and for only $150 you can get 6 beautiful finishes that incorporate foils with Royal Design Studios Stencils and Modello Decorative Masking Patterns.  I am beyond thrilled that last night at the auction, one of my partners Terri Roberts one a FREE Virtual workshop so the three of us will be crowding around the computer to enjoy that on October 1st!

Architectural Enhancements

The artist  du jour was without a doubt Cindee from Minnesota’s own Architectural Enhancements.  Us Patina gals know Cindee quite well, and it brought the biggest smiles to our faces to see how well the decorative Industry was responding to Cindee’s booth at the Expo.  There were times when it felt like everyone in the expo center was huddled around Cindee’s booth watching in awe as she turned concrete into elaborate stone fireplaces or counter tops!  We have a whole library of finishes that we offer from training with Cindee in Annandale.  Decorative Concrete is on the up and up and as finishers we need to stay ahead of the trends.

Donna Phelps said something in class Tuesday that really struck a nerve with Terri and I.  She mentioned that the trends are leaning towards regular paint contractors doing simple plaster and glazing techniques.  As finishers we need to really show just how capable we are at the finer parts of the industry, the specialty finishes that no contractor with a trowel or sponge could replicate or dare to try.

Tribal Wall Tattoo

Next up:  everyone was in awe of  WALL TATTOOS… I wish I could find their website right now…but am having a heck of a time.  I’ll swing by their booth later today and more of the skinny for you!

Totem Coatings Marble

And last but certainly not least, if you have a hankering for hunky Italian Stallion men and lime based plasters TOTEM COATINGS is the place for you!  I had the pleasure of monitoring Joe Greco’s class on Tuesday and these Eco- lime plasters are Beautiful, easy to work with and most importantly Affordable!!!!  But here is the biggest and best secret of all that we at the convention were privy to know.  Joe has a talented finisher on his staff named Rose and she has perfected the craft of marbling using lime based plasters… YES, you heard that right.  I saw board after board of what this master painter has created and I am telling you now…. I have never, EVER, seen a marble board that even compares to hers EVER.  Want to be the best marble finisher in your neck of the woods?  Then go to Toronto and take a class with Rose at Totem Coatings!!!  I can’t wait to get up there and learn this brilliant technique myself!

There you have it folks…. I really hope to see all of you next year at Portland Oregon’s IDAL convention 2010!  and if not…you can always come back here and I’ll give you the skinny again!  MUAH painty people!  lulu

Sweet Damask...so soft...so sweet

Inspiration in Color and a little History too…

Junebug Weddings

Damask Stencils sure are GRAND in just about any shape or form!   I find myself constantly drawn to fabrics or wallpapers as inspiration for new stencil recipes.  I love Damask stencils in particular because that they have a beautiful visual flexibility to really make a statement, be it elegant and tranquil or freshly funky and fun, they run the gamut style wise of creating a wonderful feeling…and you can cater them to your comfort and color liking.  I especially enjoy these designs when paired with the certain artists who always seem to take creativity and design to the next level.  Dare I say it ..AHEM …Melany Royals anyone?

Designer Stencils

Damask came to life originally in Florence, Italy in the early 1400’s. The methods were epically intricate with silk and praised for the showing of a reversed satin design.  At that time, creating these detailed pieces was a top secret and anyone who was caught sharing the secret recipe was beheaded.  GAWLS..  Perhaps I should stop writing…You guys wont behead me…right?…right?  RIGHT!

Damask Wall Decor

Damasks later became mainstream in the 20th century…no more heads were lost.  They began by making a statement in the textile linens industry but later becoming so popular that they because a staple for Victorian decorating.  “Typically, in wall decor, a damask describes an all over pattern that completely covers the wall with an offset repeat of the same design. A wallpaper effect.”  Victoria Larsen

Beautiful Grays and Whites

I love a nice clean tone on tone Damask, but like I said I’m really drawn to some radical and funky finishes because of how striking a Damask can make the color.  Try this DIY video on How to Damask Stencil your walls for those of you wanting to give it a go!  would you rather read some instructions vs.  watching a video?  Creative Evolution has a lovely step by step article  for you newbies!

Now… shall we look at some rocking Damasks or what?

Yummy Bold Blue and White

Does it get any better that a bright color with clean white Damask? YUMMY!

Daring elements in Damask design

Damask does not have to be the Victorian style which it most comfortable with… Look how this designer made a Damask by using a really clean allover oval shape.  Or below, how suddenly paisley takes stage with this allover design?  Are we getting inspired yet?

oh paisley

Yes Please!  I would LOVE some pink paisley goodness in my kitchen or office.  Why you may ask? Because I am a total color nut…and colors always seem to have a way of putting the biggest smile on my face!

What are your favorite Damasks?  What do your clients seem to love if your a finisher? Do they tend to play it safe, or do you get the occasional bold color loving client?

Are you working on any new samples now?  Questions, Questions people!!!   I’m currently working on a bumble bee stencil, (think colors black and white only with elements of white for pop) . Where is your favorite place to order allover Damask Stencils?  I prefer Melany Royals or WALLOVERS!!!!

Hope you are all having a beautiful week…and to learn about some of the beautiful things that YOU are doing with Damask Stencils.  Happy Painting!  lulu

This morning I struck a gold mind.  Actually I struck a golden paper mill!!!  I was lucky enough to stumble across ellynelly, a mother daughter team that makes to order an array of  BIG, BEAUTIFUL, & BOLD wall designs.  These wall graphics are made suitable for walls, windows, doors, mirrors and furniture.  Here is what I love about these graphics most,  they are crisp and clean and can add that extra punch to a room that may be lacking its 37 pieces of  flair.  Yeah, I just said flair…

Joanna Quits Flair style

It gets better…ellynelly uses tree friendly paper for printing that is made from 50% cotton fiber and 30% post consumer waste and even more again the paper is also made using 100% wind energy!!!  WOOT WOOT, good work ladies!

Oh and here is a little more goodness for you… for a limited time they are offering a FREE PRINT with the purchase of any two!!!

You do want to express yourself don’t you?  Well then, Let us see your flair!  Which is your favorite or perhaps you have favorites? They are all so yummy to me, but here are a few of the wall designs that have me salivating the most!!!

Crossword wall Graphic by ellynelly

For more topics like this visit: Blik Iron Vines or Interactive Wallpaper

]]> http://lulupainting.com/2009/06/pattern-your-life-w-ellynelly/feed/ 9 http://lulupainting.com/2009/05/blik-iron-vines/ http://lulupainting.com/2009/05/blik-iron-vines/#comments Tue, 05 May 2009 18:15:23 +0000 lulu http://lulupainting.wordpress.com/?p=729

Steph’s House, Minneapolis, MN

For those of you wondering where this stencil came from that’s posted on my website… (I’ve had quite a few inquiries…)  Its actually not a stencil at all…Its a series of Decals from What is Blik. I suggest making your own stencil out of the decals  for continued use and more flexibility in color selection.You can purchase them at: http://www.whatisblik.com

for a bedroom?

and

I love this clustered look!

If I remember correctly you get about 8 of them, They are pretty intricate so if your cutting your own stencil from the design it will take some time.

enjoy!!!

lulu

I was getting all excited about one of my best friends beautiful poetry the other day…  I decided I want to paint my favorite poem by her entitled “HOME” on one of  the walls in my kitchen…or maybe on the wall that I face in my office.  Its a beautiful poem… She is a beautiful writer.  Once I get a hard copy I will be sure to share it with all of you!

Its about Home, and Love, and Nesting and Ruffling your feathers… It always makes me warm and fuzzy when I read it.

This got me poking around on-line, and I noticed some pretty rocking decals for decent prices on Urban Outfitters.  Here’s a better idea though… Find the ones you like and then make stencils.. way more freedom and much more cost effective.

Here are a few of my favs…

Who doesn’t love trees?

cute idea to spruce up some furniture.  Add a little interest.  Art is not only for your walls!

Darling little blue birds…

Spread your wings and fly!!!

All can be found at urbanoutfitters.com

]]> http://lulupainting.com/2009/04/decals-stencils-from-urban-outfitters/feed/ 1 http://lulupainting.com/2009/03/10-things-that-make-buyers-bite/ http://lulupainting.com/2009/03/10-things-that-make-buyers-bite/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:08:11 +0000 lulu http://lulupainting.wordpress.com/?p=544 For those of you trying to sell out there in this..well….we will call it an interesting market, here is a great feature to keep you motivated and inspired.

http://www.frontdoor.com/Sell/10-Things-That-Make-Buyers-Bite/64

I’m smitten with the Entry way photo.  I can’t begin to tell you how many entryway transformations my team and I have done.  This serves as a multipurpose change.  If you’re trying to sell or not, your entry way  is one of the first ways you can welcome folks into your home.  I’d really love to see people painting their front doors a little more artistically.  Perhaps some Damask stenciling, or flavorful artwork.  Why not?

An entry should say: “WELCOME” !!!  This is most easily achieved with something as simple as glorious, magical PAINT!!!  Check out how these folks added some good welcoming vibes to their entry way with some little fluffy clouds…

P.S.  We adore painting clouds…so if you’re in the market for some dreamy ceilings… do call!!!

with painty love, lulu

I was touched to know that there is another sassy little painter out there, working her butt of to create beauty in  homes across America, and inspiring people to re-use and re-fresh with something as simple as a gallon of paint.  I had heard through the grapevine that Jen was a complete peach of a person and would be a joy to speak with, but honestly, I had no idea just how truly sweet this peach was.  I was inspired instantly  from hearing her bubbly laughter and love for her work.  Not only is Jennifer dedicated to creating beauty, she is driven to help people use there budget wisely without having wasteful spending.

Here is the conversation that Jennifer and I shared:

Firstly Jennifer, Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to speak with me, I know how hectic things must be and on top of everything you are pregnant, right?  Or did you already have your little bundle of joy?

J: No, I haven’t had our baby yet, I’ve been so blessed in the past year and in life in general.  Its all kind of happening in one big sweep and of coarse in the midst of everything with Design Star and HGTV I managed to get myself pregnant.  Its our first child and I will be having a C-section in the coming weeks.

(Photo by husband and wife team Bertrand Designs)

L: (This is then when I stupidly expressed my fears of pregnancy…but I caught myself and the  re-iterated how wonderfully blessed she is.)..It only seems natural to be blessed with a beautiful baby amidst all these other wonderful blessings you are receiving.

J: Yes I am so lucky!  Its our first so its really exciting, Everything about it is new and that keeps the excitement alive, Its not the best timing, but its so exciting for us and we have been staying really busy  through all of it.   Our plan is to keep up with the multitasking from teaching to the design business we operate.  My husband is going to be the stay at home dad while I go out and bring home the bacon.  Its actually all working out perfectly.  I get to do what I love by flying out to California for a few days at a time and then will get to spend even more time home with my family since my work schedule will be so flexible.  We have always made a really great team, and none of this ever would have been possible without my husbands support.  I am so lucky.  We have a great team effort in our relationship and are able to balance everything so effortlessly.  March 18th is the due date and we are naming our baby boy Winston Spencer Bertrand!

L: I read somewhere that you sent in your tape for Design Star on the last day it was due.  Did you just know that you were going to get picked when you were sending it off.  Did you get “that feeling” like something big was about to happen?

J: The Design Star experience for me was so surreal. It was like an out of body experience the whole time.  I can remember sitting on the couch and watching Kim Myles (of Myles of Style) and thinking I could do totally do this.  All of the sudden here I am, in the judging room with all of these people I had seen on T.V. The whole experience never really hit me because we had such busy schedules and were working so hard all of the time.  It was like my brain was constantly on fire.

As for the video tape I sent that in on the very last day for receipt.  It was on a whim, I kicked my family who was visiting  us from out of town out of the house for a couple hours so my husband and I could film it.  It had to be post marked by 4:00 and that was when it was post marked.  I used to always say joking to him “Stick with me kid, I’m going places.”  I’ve always loved what I do, and if you don’t put yourself out there, you will regret it, I guess that’s what made me make that video so last minute.

I was shocked when the casting crew called.  They actually asked me who that funny English man in the background was on the video.  That was my husband, we run our design company Bertrand Designs together and they loved him so much too that we both went out to California to interview for the show.

L: Has your style changed at all as a result of being on the show?

J: My style seems to always be evolving.  It evolves on each job I do to fit any kind of situation or home owner.  It has nothing to do with my taste and everything to do with my clients.  On each job that I do my goal is to make the outcome so much more than they could have ever imagined.  To really take them on an experience.

L: Beautiful!  I love this!  Now I also read that you actually met your husband here in Minnesota.  I have to ask where?

J:I love Minnesota!!!!  I go there a lot.  I was just there over Thanksgiving at the Mall of America doing a demo. We met at a place called Camp Hupert at Camp Lincoln.  We actually
hated each other while at camp.  Its a really lovely story.  Something like in that movie “Sliding Doors” .  We never said more than “Hello” to each other.  Then 4 years later in a different town we were having a camp get together for 2 weeks right before I was leaving to move to Italy.  We began talking and instantly we both knew that this was it.  Next thing I knew when I was flying from Rome over to London to meet his family.  We have been together for ten years now, and its just lovely.  Sometimes people think I am a liar with all my travels from being a military kid and falling in love.  But its all true.  I really am so blessed.

L:  I believe you!!!  That is lovely! Is your house positively fabulous?  You have such wonderful style and color sense.  I imagine your home being representative of this?

J:  Oh my its anything but.  After a long day of painting out in the field the last thing you wanna do is go home and work on your own walls.  My house is sort of a hodge podge of different finishes.  I couldn’t do anything for my clients that I didn’t do for myself and know was durable and solid so I have Venetian Plasters in the laundry room and Faux Painting in just about every nook and cranny.  The one room that is lovely is the babies room.  I’ve put a lot of love into that space and we just got the the warmer bamboo flooring installed.  I am going with a more contemporary feel for the room.  The colors are shiny white, lime green, milky chocolate, and then some hints of a red.  I am designing the room more for my husband and I because I feel like at this age its more for the parents to enjoy, and then when he gets older I can paint whatever he wants, even if its Dora the Explorer I’ll do it.

L:  Oh my goodness. I hope you will post pictures once you get that room done.  I love that you are staying as far away as possible from the traditional baby blues and pinks.  Its sounds fabulous!

You are such an inspirational soul and work so hard to inspire people to get creative with paint and there homes.  I am wondering where you draw your own inspiration from?

J: I get inspired by anything and everything.  It could be a book, a magazine article, a piece of fabric, or a shirt someone is wearing.   Usually I draw inspiration from people.   I watch a lot of DVR recordings  of certain inspirational stories, movies or interviews.  There is this

(photo by Bertrand Designs)

great movie about a French Designer that I love or the Iconoclass show where they will take two inspirational figures and have them converse and tape it.  For example, Stella McCartney and a Russian Pop Artist or Tony Hawk and the director for the movie Iron Man.

L: And your incredible drive?  Where does that come from?

J: Sometimes I think that my drive is a sickness.  I am a really creative person and I have always had to believe in myself in order to make everything possible.  Before I went onto Design Star I got a little scared that is was so much bigger than I am but I told myself I was just going to be me, to be true to myself and have integrity.  When my husband was dropping me of at the airport before the show we were laughing because we were sure I’d be the first one to get sent home.  We laughed and said, see you in a couple of days.  You couldn’t have any contact with family during the show so you can imagine how strange it was after 6 weeks of taping and still being on the show.  Most people don’t live in tv land where they have an audience, have to do everything themselves and have millions to spend, so it was a little harder to find drive when things were so different then what I had always known.  Its just something that is deep within you, and tells you to never give up, no-matter how how hard things may get.

L: I know you do a lot of canvas work as well.  Do you have any of these pieces in your home?  Do you sell them often?

J:  Yes we do have a couple in our home.  They are really hard to sell but I do sell them from time to time.  Our home is filled with different colors and so are my canvas works.  I love champagne lustrestone, its so calming.  I’m a big fan of lime green, and turquoise is my favorite color.

L:  Is there anything about your upcoming shows that you want to share with us?  I love the Paint over specials available on HGTV for viewing.  I really hope you will be doing more of them, the potential is endless with paint.  Couple that with your unbelievable free-hand and I’m on cloud nine.

J: Yes, I love doing Paint Over.  I love the DIY people out there and look forward to making more Paint Over shows.  It was hard because each show takes 2-3 days, and I am just so pregnant so things are really put on hold for now until after Winston is born.  I have the Showdown Episode that aired in February with Kim Myles, and may be coming out with my own line of stencils soon.  Tell all the other Painty Ladies from your NTA and SALI group happy painting!!!!!

Well, I have to say from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU SO MUCH JEN!  Thank you so much for being out there and creating art!  Thank you for your drive, your passion for paint, your wonderful personality.  You are such a great face for all us painty ladies out here and we will surely be watching your shows and your next moves so we can watch in awe of your talents and designs!

Happy Painting Right back at you!  and the very best of wishes with your new little honey Winston, any day now! If you would like to learn more about Jennifer Bertrand you can find her at:

http://www.hgtv.com/jennifer-bertrand/bio/index.html or you can view Bertrand Designs website @: http://bertranddesigns.com/

Hurray for Paint and Talented Happy Ladies!  with a painted heart, LULU