Step up

So, when my nephew turned one, I thought long and hard about what to get him for his birthday.  It was tough to think of something fun and useful.  I like to give gifts with meaning that last beyond a few uses.   After a lot of bad ideas (drum set, an "I Love My Aunt" onesie) I came up with the idea of painting a step stool for him.  He will turn 6 in February and he uses it all the time.  I made one for his brother and recently made one for his sister as well.  When I was making the one for my niece I decided to make one for Geffen.  Here is what I painted:

So in LA there is one store - ONE - that sells unfinished wood step stools.  It's where I bought my nephew's gift 5 years ago and where I bought this.  As I did with the name sign for Geffen's room I designed the art on my computer, used carbon paper to transfer it onto the stool and hand painted the rest.  Then the clear coat and sanding.  And the clear coat and the sanding.  And the clear coat and the sanding.

Again, I wanted something clean and contemporary.  The possibilities for this project are endless but I am really happy with the finished product.  Geffen's cousin, Tali, got a matching step stool with her name in Hebrew and English.  One day they will each use them to get their parents liquor out of a high shelf or something - that's just fine with me!  (Just don't let my husband read this...)

What's in a name

So before Geffen was born I spent a lot of time thinking about how to decorate her room.  I am Israeli and my husband is American so it's important to me that both Hebrew and English are represented in her life.  Since the elephant stencil in her room was a sage green and my husband loves burnt orange, I tried to find a way to combine something warm and inviting while staying clean and contemporary.  I also wanted to create something that would stand the test of time.  I would love to see my creations sitting on Geffen's bookcases when she has her own home one day.

So this is what I came up with.  I bought small canvas squares and thanks to good ol' carbon paper I was able to create the look on my computer and transfer it almost exactly on to the canvas.  I then hand painted the canvas with a combination of the wall paint we used to stencil her room and acrylic paint from the craft store.  Here are a few close ups of what i did.

What I like about the canvas squares is how versatile they are.  I can hang them in a bunch of different ways and, because they are so small, they can even stand on a bookcase.

I had/have so many ideas of what else I could do with this idea: add some art to a few extra squares, attach ribbon to each one and hang them from the ribbon individually, add rope behind the entire thing and hang them together...

Where to begin...

At the beginning I guess.  31+ years ago my parents had one wonderful passionate night that...ok maybe not that far back.  My creative streak goes way back.  There is a photo of me when I was about 3 or 4 carrying a pen and paper around the house.  When I was 10 or so my parents bought me a handheld sewing machine.  I hadn't sewn anything before but, without hesitation, I proceeded to design outfits for my Barbie made from old clothes.  Proof below (no comments about the glasses or haircut please!)

I have always looked at crafty things with an eye on learning it how it was  put together in order to recreate it or a version of it for myself.  This skill-set has come in handy with countless pieces of IKEA furniture and a number of creative ventures (including the bedroom set I once made for myself).

This all bring us to today and to T.W.Bean.

T.W.Bean was born both literally and figuratively in January 2011 when my daughter Geffen, my little bean, was born...

Having a child has been fulfilling in more ways than I could have imagined.  Not only did she fill me with an over abundance of love and joy.  But she filled me with this great desire to create.  She is such an inspiration and T.W.Bean is my attempt to channel that creativity in such a way that would allow me to spend more time with her, T(time).W(with).Bean(her nickname).

I hope you enjoy these projects and inspirations and share them with those you love and those who inspire you!