Painting a Chair - Modern

I forgot to mention in my last post, not only am I giving a Painting Class in Umbria, Italy, but I am also creating an E-Course on Painting Techniques for Furniture, Walls and Art that can be sent to you where ever, you are in the world.  It will consist of little films, photographs and writing.  I think it is going to be pretty cool.  All I want to do is have fun and encourage others to have fun too.

I’m working hard on the E-Course, but it isn’t done yet, soon I hope.  In the mean while I am still have to work and be a Mama and right now, as I write to you in my peripheral view there is a couch full of clean laundry to fold.  The mound is getting bigger it might be a mountain soon and the volcanic type.  The Italians are freaker’s for ironed clothes.  I can’t get to folding let alone ironing.  They actually iron underwear.  Freakers I tell you.  To all my Italian readers, you look gorgeous, I know.

Paint Class in Umbria, Italy

Today I am complete thrilled and enthralled with two things. The first is last night we moved our clocks ahead one hour Daylight Savings Time has begun.  Yahhhhh!  You know what the means one hour more to paint in good light and one our more to sit in outdoor cafes.

The second thing is I have finally organized my Painting Class in Umbria (click here).  It is going to be such fun.  You can read all about it above this post, below the Sette Design sign there is a section titled Painting Class in Umbria click on it. 

Party Decorations/Temporary Art

I’m always impressed by the people who create temporary art, like stones piled high on the beach only for the waves to crash them down, or building furniture in the forest out of twigs, drawings on the street.  Here in Umbria we have the flower festival in Spello after the designs are complete there is a religious procession that literally walks over them (Here is the link to the Flower Festival, it's amazing).  At the Flower Festival I always leave before the procession, so maybe I’m still learning to love and understand the concept temporary art, maybe I romanticize it.

Cuteness Power

The Simple Life

Cuteness Power is when something is so adorable and cute that it makes you just stop and exclaim how wonderful life is.  It gives you that giddy feeling like life is full of hope.

 

Sette Design

Having this little guy in our home for just 24 hours did that.  Everyone who came over said ooohh and owww and then got that melted expression of love on their face.

A Feel Good List

The Simple Life

Good Morning

It’s  March and Monday in Umbria Italy, presently the day is bright and sunny. I’m going to give you some feel good homework for the week.  I love lists and I love to check things off my list.  Last week I had 27 things to do on my list.  I actually accomplished 17 of those.  It was a joy to check 17 boxes off.

Tin Can Planters

I like to joke with myself sometimes and say “Oh I just had an old idea”.  We are supposed to be coming up with new ideas no?

Valentines and Some Quotes on Love

bejeweled foil heart-thorns and all - sette design

Happy Valentines my darlings.

Here are some great quotes about love.  

Above Splendid

The Simple Life

I just go crazy for a cappuccino in a jar.  Then I can take it to the job site or move it around my big Gothic apartment.  If I get a phone call or distracted I can just close the lid and come back to it.

Also above splendid is:

The fog in deep and riding on our bikes with our bike lights glowing in the grayness.

this is not me, but I wish my bike was this red

Sleeping with a hot water bottle at the bottom of my bed.

A tower of blood red oranges on our kitchen counter.

Going for a run with my black gloves and cashmere hat on.

Having a moment to freely put down some ideas.

coffee, charcoal pencil and a paint brush  - heaven

A presto,

can you see the sideways hidden heart?

Natalie

Joy- Gioia

Joy -Gioia in the new year 2014

Oh ragazzi

Happy New Year


Buon Anno!


Joy - Gioia

This is going to be a year of astonishing joy.

and 2014 =7

I hope you will keep coming back to this little Diario di Design because there will be lots of joy around here, because of you and because we bring it around the world.

Cheers,

With affection,
Natalie

Painting Crystals

It is a rainy Monday morning in Umbria.  Yes I have a cappuccino by my side, do you? I love the rain, to me it always magical.  The Italians are funny because they will sometimes have their umbrellas up even when it isn’t raining.  For this Northern California girl it has to be really raining for me to put up an umbrella or even carry one.  Now I know to look out my window not to see if the umbrellas are up but to look on the river and see if there are needle-point circles in the water.  Then it is raining.

 

the crystals I wired on with a flexible thin gage wire

I’m really excited about this post because a while back I had a great idea.  I thought why not paint with colored glass paint the crystals that go on chandeliers.

In the past I had tried to use glass paint and I found it really hard to work with but that was when I was painting kiln loads full of pottery and the kiln makes everything look so amazing that glass paint seemed pathetic.

Now that I’m painting furniture and walls, glass paint seems just like another fun alternative.  Plus I’m all about process and learning new techniques.

I'll show you some before shots now.

here it it before straight from the junk store

candelabra painted white already better

On crystals I suggest a thin layer with a soft brush that does not show too much brush stroke.  Then if you want to let it dry a few hours you can do another layer.

 

here they are before flash photo

I painted only one side of the crystal, this was all that was needed to show the color effect.

painting crystals
glass paint comes in many colors go to your art store

I absolutely love brown with a warm color.  I think it is so hip.

I like the idea of doing an amber brown color with this white chandelier. 

sorry I don't have the photo of it installed yet

painted crystals on chandelier

I wish you all a good start to your week.  I hope it is raining wherever you are in the world.  Remember every week do something creative that fills your soul up rain or shine.

plus the holidays are coming!

XO

Natalie

I'm linking with:

Between Naps on the Porch

Modern Vintage Life

Romantic Home

French Country Cottage
Shabby Nest

First Anniversary

Happy 1^st Anniversary Sette Design Blog

I started this Diario di Design a year ago today and I remember that it had snowed on the mountains around the city that we live in here in Umbria and I thought I’m going to write about the color white, just delve in Nat, you can do it.  I took the plunge and now here we are a year later.  I am so thrilled you are here too.

one candle in sette design studio

I want to Thank You for hanging around and taking part in the fun and inspiration that I hope is Sette Design.

oh the possibilities

It was so pretty, I had to put in my macho work boot.

I love it that we have a little-BIG creative community around the world and around the corner.  Everyone is full of positivity and joy and encouragement, it is quite astounding.

love wins

in my studio

I made a wish for Sette Design. 

 

happy birthday sette design blog
homemade cinnamon, sugar oat bread Yumm

A few dreams-goals:

I want to complete the E-course I am creating on painting techniques and creativity.  It is going to be so gorgeous with little films, and photos and stories and ideas.

I want to organize a Furniture Painting and Art Class here in Umbria, Italy that you can come to.  Imagine learning Venetian Stucco and Frescos painted as motif on furniture or panels, taught easily as process and technique so that anyone can do it.  Then going to find a cafe to sit in and have a cappuccino.

AND

I want to encourage you all to go after your dreams, to stop and pause and figure out what those dreams are.  Right now start some project that you want to do and if you just can’t possibly start it now.  Then pull out a notepad and write down what it is you have in mind to do.  Then you will have already begun it by writing it down.  It’s in the works!  It is that simple.

HAPPY One Year!

Let’s go for 2.  It is going to be an adventure.

Cheers,

Natalie

Eye Candy

Eye Candy - The Simple Life

I think Eye Candy is supposed to refer to looking at yummy boyz, or girls, whatever your desire, yet for us freakers in the world of design eye candy can be so much more.  Do you find you walk around in a daze sometimes feasting your eyes on the small details of life? This is what I love about this simple life I am trying to live and enjoy here in Umbria and the world, the eye candy is everywhere.

Hot pink azaleas with moss green velvet yum!  The crystal vase is really a wall sconce that I turned into a vase.  I love it with the silver leaf table.

silver leaf and azaelas

Some days the eye candy just jumps out at me.

who doesn't love pink columns and cobblestones

This gray-green is the bee's knees.

this side mirror is beyond fabulous
1964 Ford in Foligno, Italy... strange culture
time warp

If this table and stools were mine, I would like to move them inside put felt all over the bottom to not scrape the floors and then make velvet cushions in slate blue to go on each stool.

way cool as your dinning room table

Sometimes the rain makes the colors richer in the darkened skies.

Umbria in the fog

And the fog and mist makes life mysterious and romantic.

 

I love going to work by train

Is there anything better then a red bicycle?

A surprise birthday candle for a friend?

Remember to slow down and enjoy your own eye candy -whatever it may be or wherever you might find it, that is the simple life embraced.

Cheers,

Natalie

Create a Kitchen Garden

The Simple Life

Happy Weekend!

I’m eating popcorn, writing to you and waiting for clients to arrive to my studio and pick up come gorgeous chandeliers that I painted very carefully for hours and then went crazy working on all the missing crystals attaching them in the right place.

windowsill herb garden

Today I want to show you my kitchen garden.  O.k. it is just a windowsill but it feels like a garden to me (serious city girl) and makes me ridiculously happy about life.  I love to use fresh herbs while cooking.

I labeled the herbs with popsicle sticks,
so the girls can help me cook

I like that I can come home from a trip or a long work day and if there is nothing in the house, except flour, yeast and olive oil.  I can always make rosemary pizza or onion pizza – man is that good with the onions sautéed first.  I should get onions for the balcony next year.

I also like to move the herb pots around and used them to make things look pretty.

mint and a stack of books-gorgeous

I put Basil in the bathroom to make it smell nice.

basil in tea cups

And I put candles and sprigs of Rosemary in my studio to absorb the paint smell.

make a wish

Does it make you want a kitchen garden a little bit?  Or do you already have impressive fields of flowers, herbs and fruit trees? 

Cheers,

Natalie

I'm linking with:

Between Naps on the Porch

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Romantic Home

French Country Cottage