Sari McNamee

Just putting this out there, I know I haven't blogged in a while but here you go, vote for these pieces if you like them I am trying for the People's Choice Award.

Click on my name below!

Thanks!

Sari McNamee

Market Day

It was market day at the Fieldstone Vintage Market.  After being juried into the show by the lovely Lily and Rachel of Birch and Bird, it was all prep and a little play to prepare for the much anticipated vintage market.  My helper, Emily and I arrived at 8:15 am.  The gates opened at 9:00 and the hype was huge.

There were people lined up to get in, it was fantastic.  I had Willow Creek Embroidery there as a business booth offering handmade items, vintage goods and a few embroidery samples like hats and leather key chains.

Driving out to the Market

The unexpected morning fog put a little "damper" on things but soon enough the weather cleared and we had a fantastic day.
 Here are a few photos from my booth.  After set up and all, it was beyond me to find the energy to take pictures of all the other booths, oh well, maybe next year.

This fellow was part of the scenery at the Bakerview Eco Dairy

Isn't he beautiful?

Some of my vintage finds offered for sale.

A close up of silver trays and accessories.

Handmade pet blankies and other ephemera!

Some vintage furniture pieces and embroidered home decor pieces.

Babies, kids and handmade vintage look pillows!

Mocha Mitts and the embroidery corner

Its just me.

A closer look at what Willow Creek Embroidery has to offer.

The Home Decor corner!

Ominous clouds!

The rain held off and the grass stayed dry, whew!!!

from shabby to CHIC

Some DIY on vintage furniture can be quite rewarding.  I found a new product that is reminiscent of the metallic paints from the past I have come to know and love.  The painted metallic finish seems to fall out of favour every once in a while until someone creates something spectacular and the trend is back on.

I found this vintage piece at the thrift store and just knew I could turn it into something spectacular.  I wasn't exactly sure how but I was feeling pretty confident.

Before shots.

I took the time to sand it down with soft sanding blocks.  They were the perfect grit for the wood and they reached into awkward areas and the spindles were a piece of cake to sand.  A damp rag removes any sanding dust.

To make the painting process a little easier, I took the table apart and painted it in sections.
A good quality 2" bristle brush is essential.

It is also handy to have a smaller 1" brush for the tight spots.

This is the product I found at the local paint shop.  I found it easy to work with and even though it took several coats to cover the dark brown, I did not need to prime and the end result is spectacular.   What do you think?  I am now working on a stand-alone magazine rack.  Once I finish it, I will post more photos.

And the After shot.  I love it! 

All Paths Lead to the Ocean IV

All Paths Lead to the Ocean IV

Well, hello all. My apologies for not blogging in a while. My life was very busy there for a while and I will blog about that later. I just thought I'd share today's art project. I took one of my older photos and revamped it in HDR. This is a process called High Dynamic Range. I use a fantastic program called Photomatix Pro to process my photos. The idea is to take a photo with 3 different exposures and then process it with this software package and end up with a, well, dynamic, photo. It is possible to cheat though, you can use the same photo 3 times in the software and have the software change the exposure settings for you. I love HDR photos. Google the term if you want to find more samples. There is a trick to applying HDR processing. Some artists tend to overprocess their photos and the results can be disastrous. Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.


p.s., this is Dundarave Beach in West Vancouver, B.C.

The Lovely in LIFE!: A most fabulous DIY

The Lovely in LIFE!: A most fabulous DIY

A most fabulous DIY

Although I haven't had the time to blog as frequently as I would like, I do love being part of a fab group of Design and Lifestyle Bloggers here on the West Coast.  Today I wanted to share the DIY project of Rosa Pearson of Flutter Flutter.  She is one talented gal.

Barbie, you're too KIND!

What a great way to start the year.  I bought a Barbie doll at a local thrift store.  I paid $2.  She was lovely, her left leg didn't bend properly but she was worth having.  She looked pretty old and wouldn't you know it Mattel stamped her info on her butt.   Made in Japan it said.  Copyright 1958.  Wow, I thought, should I do some further research?  I went onto one of my favorite vintage product research sites.  

Ebay, yes ebay has sold listings that you can research that can give you a pretty good idea what an item might be worth.  I had never sold anything on ebay so I thought what have I got to lose?  I only paid $2.  Well, as intimidating as the process was, I mustered up some entrepreneurial energy, took some photos and listed the fab barbie. I had her on for a minimum bid of $7 and I set my reserve at $120.  7 days later, she sold for $272.00 I was so excited.   As soon as those paypal funds cleared, I rushed to adobe.com and upgraded my Photoshop to the latest version.  Barbie paying for the entire upgrade.  Thanks again Barbie, you're too KIND!

Do you think she'll LOVE it?

It was my  honour and privilege to be invited to one of our best friends' daughter's first birthday party.  I was the official photographer.  When I asked Mom what sweet little Ava needed, she assured me that her wardrobe was full and toys were plentiful but a book would be great.  Well, could I get Ava just an ordinary book?  No, I had to make her one, her very own alphabet book.  I think she will love it and cherish it for many years to come, what do you think?

Decorating the Dr.'s Office

When Dr. David Hammond of Glover Road Chiropractic here in Langley sent me an email over a year ago, I honestly thought it was spam.  He was telling me he had found my business card in his new office and wanted to see some more of my artwork.  Sounded a little suspicious to me (only because I've been approached on numerous occasions via email by scammers about my artwork) but soon enough I figured out that Dr. Hammond was the real deal.  He really was interested in my photographic art.  I met with David at his office and we discussed art.  Much to my surprise, he wanted me to give him some decorating tips along with my art consultation.  Well, not being a designer, I was a little nervous.  My first thought was, can I pull it off?  My second thought was, surely all these years of watching HGTV is finally going to pay off.  Well, like most things I tackle in life, I jumped in with both feet and started sharing my ideas.    Turns out the decor part was far easier than I had originally anticipated.  There would be no painting, new furniture nor decor items.  Re-arranging his office was more like the game plan.  Here are some of the before and after shots.  I'm still waiting for a plant in the waiting room for some organic presence.  My suggestion for moving the diplomas out of the reception area to the blank wall in the hallway has yet to be completed but overall, I think the space looks pretty great.  Small changes DO make a difference. 

Before





After





After





Before





After

Before, that bulletin board was such an eyesore.



After, a nice black and white canvas print
and some vinyl lettering, what an improvement.



Check out the ugly Electrical panel to the far left.
My favorite project was to create a magnetic board that
served as a cover and
promotional piece.

Here it is, it turned out so great.  Had my art shop make up a frame, my sign shop a
vinyl reverse lettering cover for some galvanized steel and voila
a magnetic board covering up the ugly electrical panel.
Thanks to 3M products this cover is just velcroed to the wall
and is easily removed when necessary.

No one would ever guess there is an electrical panel behind this.