The Soul, Of The Piece

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Life was lost in this piece, seeing through the years of scratches deep into its lacquer finish, and a few to many personal touches given to it with carved initials in it, making this piece a total loss to many who laid their eyes upon it. To me it was a beauty to behold, and a price that excited a quite scream with what a steal. Our local thrift shop had several mark downs on it, and as a designer and buyer they give us an additional 25% off making this piece a price tag of $26.58 All I could think about was, it was going home with me where I will paint it, distress it with age, making sure I give it a new life.


Appreciating pieces for their beauty (rather than value) being unafraid of mixing eras and styles, while understanding the most important thing is having confidence in your own vision. Inspired by rustic romance, and a huge regard for the past, I find myself embracing a rickety distressed piece for the brave journey its been on, before it had found a new resting place in my hands.



Being attached to European designs this finished piece fit right in with my other French pieces, coming together making it a unique fit. Not to worry about the over sized piece, a simple and sparsely furnished room with over sized pieces create a calm and intimate effect, a feeling that the treasured "keepers" are here to stay.


Always looking at the soul of the piece, while breathing new life into it.

Romantic Aviary Retreats

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If I were a bird this is where I would want to live, over looking the room singing, just singing.
My passion remains undimmed for collecting birdcages and birdhouses. As a designer I feel the trend of adding nature to our homes will never wither away. Like many collections, it doesn't matter what you collect as long as its done with passion. Mixing your collecting into your home design without looking like a collection. I am enamored with this cage, it truly has my heart.


Late 19th Century French Birdcage, France.
Hand carved and painted wood, late 19th Century, French Birdcage. Sliding cage doors on either side, open space for feeding tray, wall mount.
height: 37" depth: 12 1/2" width/length: 38 1/2"
Price $1,675
Regalo Antiques
351 Peachtree Hills Ave
Suite 137
Atlanta, GA 30305
usa
Phone: 404-237-4899
Ref. : 0901238269282


Birdcage, large, French, weathered wood and aviary wire
France
erarly 20th c.
Birdcage, large, French, weathered wood and chicken wire.
height: 48 in depth: 15 in width/length: 45 in.
Price
$3,600
DHS Designs
6521 Friel Road
Queenstown, MD 21658
usa
Phone: 410 827 8167
Ref. : 091119870480



French Birdhouse built by me (Dore) I added antique embellishments, and used vintage woods restyled into the making of the birdhouse.
Wild Bird Feed sign is listed for sale in my "etsy" on this site
Artist Dore L. Callaway
Dore L. Callaway Interior Designs
760-949-4650
Southern Calif. usa
I adore my vintage collection of old rickety birdcages. I find myself adding to them and then selling off the ones I can do without. European flea market style decorating allows you to incorporate new with the old, elegant piece's with the rustic, adding uncommon elements to complete your flea market style.


Aviary cages take me on a beautiful journey wondering where these perfect, and cozy cages have been before they found a resting place with someone to love. These little old properties filled with character will steal your heart, letting the wild birds work in harmony in your home and garden.



"Inspiring the hunt for lost birdcages, giving them a home."

Quiet, Calm & Soulfully French

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Artist Dore Callaway (Me)
A gracious European flea market find, these serving trays inspired the French feel and look of a hand painted Fresco panel. There were four trays with beautifully aged brass handles that held the trays on there stand. These handles added a perfect piece of history enabling them to hang artfully. My next step was to give them a new old paint finish to each of them painted to look inherited with lasting romance, while adding centuries-old European character to any euro chic room.


Vintage serving trays that I have painted restyling them with paint like plaster tones of whites and grays, French guilt touches of gold undertones peek through here, and there. The plan for these trays were to turn them into French fresco panels, giving a home a collected and gathered feel rather than one that's forced with design style.


I love when home decor is understated, its not boastful or aw-inspiring its just rich with European flea market finds and oh so peaceful. This serving tray is painted and distressed with water stained techniques, adding to the gracefulness of the floral vines and wild bird perched upon its twig. I don't always' feel you need to use dramatic color's to define your space, I just love creating with color and piece's that don't compete with other elements to much like this fresco art panel painted with heirloom quality.


"Inspiring French flea market style" You will find this piece listed in my peaceful "etsy" SOLD!! To Jill In Canada 1-4-11 One more left to be listed.

The Art of Giving

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Oh! lovely voices of the sky
Which hymned the Saviour's birth,
Are ye not singing still on high,
Ye that sang, "Peace on earth"
~Felicia Hemans

How did Ann, and her flea market chic GiveAway that I won over at "The Tin Rabbit" know that she was designing a perfect vintage tattered holiday center piece for my home, and see how well it fit right in. I would love to thank Ann for adding her beauty to my home for the holidays. The moment it arrived and I unpacked it, I let it tell me where it wanted to be placed. You will find it on my chest in front of the sitting room sofa, its the first holiday piece that greets you with tattered charm. What I love about it is when people pass through they take beautiful notice, while capturing there creative eye. Please go visit Ann at...
"http://thetinrabbit.blogspot.com" while taking lessons in creativity. We all thank you Ann, we are so looking forward to all your creative beauty in the New Year!!

Ann's Inspiring piece from "The Tin Rabbit" and her lessons in creativity.
http://thetinrabbit.blogspot.com

Altered Cloche Tree... From A Winters Garden

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Mise-en-scène (French pronunciation: [mizɑ̃sɛn] "placing on stage") is an expression used to describe the design which essentially means in visually artful ways.
I took a left over tomato cage from a well seasoned garden then turned it upside down and wired the ends together in a whimsical fashion. By adding to the trees form with treasures I have hesitated to throw out it became an artful French and Swedish style cloche like Christmas tree. A peaceful tree plastered and painted with white and pale gray, anything can become inspiration and I left no boundaries between wire and junk allowing this piece to become an objet d'art. By wiring aviary wire to the form and painting it with a mixture of plaster paint I started to add a little of this and that. I was inspired with pieces that no longer had a good purpose for its use, all adding to its vintage artful French flea market cloche style.


This cloche like tree brought to life with broken necklaces painted and plaster with aged added just the right kind of garland to it. Paper birds and wire letter ornaments add to the theme of an European tree as you would imagine it to be, a perfectly peaceful resting place for nature. The crowning glory is the sweet miniture hand made wire crown that my daughter Hannah made for it adding peace, joy and love to our Joyeux Noel.

ARTFUL HOLIDAY from simple beginnings.

Inspiring a, who could imagine a "Tomato Cage" and "Junk Jewels" becoming an artful tree with the glow of soft candel lights casting a silhouette shadow so sweetly.

La pièce d'inspiration, Joyeux Noël

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Fragments from our home and yard echo a French cottage style holiday season, with plain rustic creatively designed, and found pieces. While capturing the essence of a Joyeux Noël in French flea market style.

Inspired by rustic European cottages I was drawn to gentle shades and natural forms adding all the charm I could to my interputation of a soulful peaceful holiday. Festive tree branches, junk jewelry, paper ephemera book pages, plaster and paints added a muted glow of calm. A formula that makes for a Joyeux Noël, and will steal special attention from the room.


I have taken tree branches and misted them with gray primer for a gentler appearance. Then poured a plaster mix into a plastic bowl while placing the tree branches wired together into the bowl just right. After the plaster is set and dried you then cut down the plastic bowl to a shorter size covering the container with an old torn, and tattered square of a pillow case. Using a strip of the case while holding all four corners together and tying it around the top gives the appearance of the tree having its root ball covered, and ready for planting. The best part is gathering up old necklaces while dipping them into a mixture of plaster, glue, and paint then hanging them out to dry for the use of aged old garland, with old world charm. I even dip crystals into it giving the glass a frosted aged look, as if they have been un-earthed from years of weathering outdoors with perfect age to them.

I took and cut out paper book pages in the shape of birds adding a perfect touch to this holiday tree. The vignette design under the tree includes a vintage birdcage, making for a simple display of peace and joy.
Inspiring one special holiday design that outshines all the rest.

Dreaming of a White & Gray Christmas

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Artist signed "Dore Callaway" I am featuring my latest hand painted Christmas sign inspired by, rustic intriguing European villa cottages.
"O splendid season brightened white and gray" May Christmas bring you one very special moment.


Painting a season of joy! This is one of the two "Merry Christmas" signs I have painted. They are one-of-a-kind, painted with exterior laytex enamel paints. A matte hand-rubbed sealer finish is applied for heirloom quality. While I have enjoyed painting, I have to mention there will be perhaps one more in the works, and the last of this perfectly imperfect solid mahogany wood is retired. I will be on the hunt for more pieces of aged distressed wood as well as, unique finds that will allow me to paint peaceful art with words.

I would love to Thank "Kim" at http://whitewhisper2u.blogspot.com for the etsy purchase of 1 of my 2 "Merry Christmas" signs she found, and purchased from my peaceful etsy shop! Please go visit her for some holiday cheer, while adding some cheer to her holiday!

"Inspiring a Merry Christmas" this sign may be found over at my "peaceful etsy" It SOLD! as soon as it listed.

A Galvanized Crush & Announcing The WINNER!

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While I am excited to announce the "WINNER" Of the Eco-Natural Soap GiveAway! I want to show you some pictures of my latest crushes. Yes I am crushing on "galvanized" I am enamored with galvanized buckets, as well as wash tubs. Just about anything galvanized will catch my eye, like this back yard bathing tub. Can you just imagine soaking in a beautiful recycled galvanized tub with nature all around you. While also bathing with ECO-NATURAL SOAP products that are 100% natural, and healthy for you as well. You may visit eco-natural soap at http://econaturalsoap.com. I want to thank each, and everyone of you for your support, and beautiful comments. Eco natural soap feel so blessed that you showed so much excitement over a GiveAway featuring their product line. They would love for you to visit their site, and get aquainted with what they have to offer you with their skin renewal, with their natural skin care products.

A galvanized 8 on the side of a bucket oh my! Could number 8 be the winner! Having to calculate a winner is the tuff part, although their is only one, (1) winning number picked by the automatic calculator used. I find myself wishing I were Lady "O" yes Oprah from the Oprah show annoucing her big GiveAway!...Making you all the winning number, where is Oprah when we need her. No the winning number is not number #8

Do you not just love this rusted galvanized tub. As I posted in my older recycled holiday gifting post, this tub would be a great recycled gift to your cottage garden loved one, or dear friend. I can just see it filled with beautiful terry cloth bath towels, and soaps from eco-natural soap company. Can you not see it wrapped with clear gift wrapping, and a burlap bow tied to it tagged to a dear one. Giving a recycled gift like this will not be forgotten. Showing them their is euro chic-ness in recycled French flea market gifting. Best of all, we are doing our part in recycling a beautiful found piece with history.

I love how this bucket is displayed. It reminds us daily, that an old cast off can add a little European flea market charm to our recycled homes. Encouraging a recycled, and eco-natural soap HOLIDAY!

I hope you do visit "econaturalsoap.com" and try their eco-natural herbal beauty, and healing products. My daughter Hannah, and I were gifted some of their most important natural aids to the health, and beauty of your skin. We must say, in a few days of use we would like to announce results with rave reviews. Eco-Natural Soap company have created a natural, and a healthy beauty formula made for a healthier more beautiful you.

CONGRATULATIONS! to our beautiful WINNER!!"SANDY FOSTER"
"#75 calculated through... Random.org"
Please visit Sandy's beautiful site at http://myshabbystreamsidestudio.blogspot.com.
While also visiting eco-natural soap, 100% natural products "econaturalsoap.com" the beauty nature has to offer.

Inspiring a healthier you, in all of us!

Rescue, Re-Think And Reuse

Recycled found objects make for beautiful holiday gifting.

Every recycled piece has a class of its own. Giving these teacup candles and old saucers a new place in our hearts and homes by filling them with candle wax and wicks. Breathing new life into them, while scattering kindness when gifted to a special someone. I collected 38 of them from yard sales, thrift stores and where ever I could pick up an odd one here and there. I was room Mom one Christmas for my daughter Hannah's 4th grade class many years ago, where we made them for a class Christmas gift project for there Mom's. What a great gifting idea for those mismatched sets, making for beautiful candle light moments.

When thinking about recycling for gift giving, it is important to stay far away from memories of using garish crocheted object from craft fairs as possible. Stay away from mass produced pieces, items we have all had enough of seen over and over in one home to another. Choose items that fit each ones personality with simple aged beauty like these Italian flint, and wine bottles. You can cut off the bottoms with a bottle glass cutter then sanding the edges smooth turning them into vintage hurricanes for there garden, or home dinning. These hurricanes in a set of 3 wrapped up with candles would be a gift that shows how much you gave them great thought.


They’re gathered from estate sales, vintage markets and antique stores all over and European flea market chic in style. So what if the pieces don’t match? That’s half the fun! It’s a true celebration of life in gifting beautiful thoughtful collections of mismatched silver and plated flatware. You can find these charming pieces everywhere these days. Just take and polish them up, wrapping them with a sweet holiday note to as why you felt they were the perfect gift for there cottage home entertaining. You can never have to much silver, and silver plate with the charm of the history behind the settings. When they see that you did your part in recyling they too will be charmed and will wish they had thought of it first.

These Silver, and silver plated butler tray's are the new hot item in our cottage and euoropean flea market decor. We short list a beautiful cast off, not recognizing the buy and hunt for recycling a claim on a salvage piece. A rustic Christmas holiday shopping trip to a local thrift or a great salvage junk shop is not only fun, but rewarding knowing your doing your part in recycling and sharing your love of history in these beautiful treasures. To buy for a recycled holiday can be idyllic that proves recycled is beauty for your home and earth. Despite its piece or where it came from a treasured find of any kind is one that cannot be passed up. Best of all the savings are worth the creative effort. I love using these trays on a night stand with a lamp placed on top of it with beauitfully framed photographs placed just so. The tray will beckon you in to take a closer look at your bedside vintage charm.

A real bakers gift with these vintage rolling pins. They can be found at most all thrift stores, and make for farmhouse cottage charm to any country bakers kitchen. How about these recyled rolling pins wrapped up with your favorite pastry recipe book for a holiday gift. You can taged the rolling pin with your favorite pie crust recipe card, and a beautiful pie baking dish. This gift will let a love one know you remember, and miss her beautiful tasting pies.

These vintage silver flatware forks turned into cheese markers inspire all those odd mismatched forks, turning them into art. What a great way to recycle vintage found forks! and a perfect holiday gift for anyone who loves to entertain home parties with an assortment of cheese's and wines. I just know "Rita" at http://beachhouseliving.blogspot.com will love creating these. If you have not been over to see Rita lately, please do. Check out Rita's vintage flatware on her site, along with etsy shop. Rita will amaze you with her recycled silver flatware markers, a perfect recycled holiday gift buy.
INSPIRING RECYCLED HOLIDAY'S