Straight from Regina’s Laptop. Word!

I don’t know if you know this about me, gorgeous ones, but I really enjoy Pinning.  I do know, though, that I’m not alone.  Most of us also enjoy sharing proper credit and give a virtual high-five to our fellow creatives — but then you click on an image’s link and find yourself at a site where there is no information whatsoever.  What to do?

I thought that today I’d give a short tutorial on two ways to find the original source of an image and/or credit, especially for a site such as Pinterest.

SRC IMG BOOKMARKLET

The first way is super quick and easy.  I must give a huge round of thanks to Lynne Rutter for clue-ing me into this in her recent post about wonderful blog policies to keep in mind.  She mentioned a “reverse image look-up tool called Source Image” — and that opened a whole new world to me.  Src Img is a free tool that does the image research for you.

Simply go the site, drag the link to your Bookmarks tab and Voila!  The next time you come upon an image where you would like to know the original source, click on the Src Img link in your Bookmarks tab while the picture is open on your browser.

(above) I’ve used one our studio’s Venetian Plaster projects as an example.  The bookmarklet will bring up multiple white squares with questions marks within them.  As you hover over them, they will individually turn black (like so) and once it does that while you’re over the image you want to research, click on it.

(above) It will then bring up the best guesses for that image via Google Images.  As you can see, it includes Pages and Visually Similar Images.

Sometimes, it will bring up the true original source, other times it will bring up a blog or website that featured it and provides accurate information for you.  The pages it brought up for this image — my Home Workshop guest blog post Venetian Plaster Demystified and my Pinterest page — both lead back to my studio, Garay Artisans.

GOOGLE IMAGES

Let’s say you have an image on your hard drive and you’d like to know the source or you don’t want to install the bookmark.  For this, you can go directly to Google Images itself.  Here, I’ve used an image I had for the post on the book, Living in Cuba.

(above) I paned the Windows side by side, clicked on the image and “dragged” the photo onto the Images bar.

(above) It’ll look like this…

Google Images then gives you it’s best results for that image.  Please note that both those pages come back to Fauxology, where I would definitely have provided proper credit.

~ ~ ~

Sometimes it takes just a few more clicks into the pages given to find the right source, but I think it’s worth the extra few seconds if only to provide the proper information and credit.  I always think “What if it could lead to a project for them?”.  I like that thought.   Let me know if you have any questions or if there’s anything else I should cover.  Have a great day, lovelies!

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From the keyboard of Peggy Pardo…

Even though spring hasn’t “officially” begun, I am well under way with the spring cleaning. After the hard stuff is done, I can get to the fun things – like decorating the table!

Centerpieces don’t have to be elaborate flower sculptures to be beautiful. In fact, I find that some of the simplest arrangements using everyday items are the most charming ones. There are no rules; so uses your imagination and have fun!

I’m always looking for creative ideas for centerpieces and while searching I found plenty. I thought that I’d share them with you…

Photographer: Keith Scott Morton

Photographer: Aimee Herring

Photographer: Andrew McCaul

Photographer: Aimee Herring
The above photos are all from Country Living

The above photos are from Martha Stewart

Quilts as table cloths, cupcakes as decorations, watering cans and birdcages as vases  – everyday items used in creative ways to make fabulous centerpieces. What unusual item have you used to create something beautiful for your table?
Cheers to all,

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From the keyboard of Peggy Pardo…

I’ve always wanted to paint stripes in my house, but alas, for now I’ve had to satisfy that urge through fabrics and other textiles. I love the bold look of stripes splashing across the walls. Your eye can’t help but follow. Look at these lovely examples I’ve found for you…

Source: Coastal Living
Photograher: Laurey W. Glenn

Source: Elle Decor
Photographer: William Waldron 

Source: Apartment Therapy

Source: Elle Decor

Source: Blount Design

Source: Elle Decor
Photographer: Pieter Estersohn

Source: House Beautiful

Source: Apartment Therapy 
Artist: Ashley O’Brian

How do you paint perfect stripes? That’s the question Centsational Girl posed to her readers and they answered with some of the best tips I’ve read on this subject. If you are planning on painting stripes, you must read these tips first.

Horizontal, vertical, diagonal or otherwise, stripes create a bold impact. They can be wide, narrow, vary in width, and have any number of colors in the design. They also go with almost any decorating style.

Now I REALLY want some stripes!! Where shall I put them? ……Hmmm…………have to think on this one…..

Have you painted stripes before?

Cheers to all,

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From the keypad of Peggy Pardo…

Hello Everyone!

Lately I’ve been really loving all the burlap pillows with stenciled lettering that I’ve been seeing everywhere. It’s such a simple look, but adds so much interest and style to a room. The other day I was checking out some of these pillows at one of my favorite sources for decorative items, Home Decorators Collection.

Here are my favorites…

Postmark Pillow

Belle Jardiniere Pillow

Burlap No. 85 Wreath

Burlap Floral Bouquet Pillow

Cafe Pillow

Louvre Square Cushion

In the next couple of weeks Regina and I will be creating a burlap lampshade using a stencil. Don’t you think these pillows would be a nice accompaniment? Perhaps this could be a future project…hmmm…..I wonder…..

Cheers to all,

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I’ll tell you a secret. My Mom and I have a running joke that even though I can handle 20′ walls with ease, she’s the master off all things small. She’s a very creative artist with small boxes, paper projects, picture frames — even when painting rocks with my 8-year old nephew. Whereas me? Eh. Not so much. We took a handcrafted jewelry class together and she took to it like fish to water. The teacher came by and said “Silvia, that’s incredible! I love your choice in stones and colors!” and then she looked over at my hot mess and after a pitying look helpfully said, “Regina…(sigh)…what you might want you to keep in mind is…”. So, yeah. Not my finest moment.

My Mom recently suggested we take a ceramic class together and after squelching the initial mini panic attack, I agreed.  She is, after all, a seriously fun person to take an art class with.  Plus, it comes so easily to her and I love seeing her happy.  Coincidentally, I then spied this in an Anthropologie catalog…

How cute is this?  It’s an allover pattern in bright, fresh colors on a coffee mug with an initial painted right over it.  I totally have that technique down so I’m feeling so much better about the ceramics class.  Here’s a close-up…

The lovely artistry is done for Anthropologie by Samantha Robinson.  She is based out of Australia and creates beautiful porcelain objects.  Then, I spied the following in the Design Inspiration blog by The Stencil Library.  They were showcasing a Painting on China How-To using stencils and ceramic paints.

Helen Morris, owner of The Stencil Library, says the rose stencil is "a sweet, two layer design based on the traditional folk art roses found on canal barges and boats". I'm also enjoying the lettering in both the interior and exterior.

Have any of you tried the process?  It looks great and I’m now really looking forward to the class.  I’m sure it does take a bit to perfect the artistry (I mean, there’s a reason ceramicists spend a lifetime perfecting their craft) but I do have hope that I will not receive a pitying look this time.  Have a great day, gorgeous ones!

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From the keypad of Peggy Pardo…

This Saturday is St. Patrick’s day; so I thought it would be fitting to celebrate the color green this week. While I don’t have any green beer to share with you, I do have some fabulous photos of rooms all decorated around or with the color green.

This bath is one of my favorites. I love white and green together, even more so when it’s combined in a pattern as beautiful as this wallpaper. The look is so fresh and elegant. I especially like it combined with the rustic sink base – which is a great way to re-purpose an old farmhouse table. You could recreate this wallpaper using a stencil; I found some similar designs here…

Source: House Beautiful

A bright shot of green cabinetry brings this kitchen to life.  If you want to change your kitchen but don’t want to re-do the whole thing, try painting your island in an accent color. Love the gingham print ceiling…

Source: House Beautiful

Let’s move into the dining room now, shall we. The bright green vinyl on the chairs plays beautifully with the traditional styling of the table’s pedestals – I am so loving the finish on these! I wonder if the walls are done with a stencil similar to this one…

Source: House Beautiful

My last inspirational photo from House Beautiful shows an elegant sitting room in a softer green palette. Hanging the drapery higher above the windows then taking them all the way to the floor brings attention to the height in this room, thus making it appear larger…

Source: House Beautiful

This kitchen was designed by Emery & Cie. The blue and green are so calming. And those tiles. Wow!…

Source: Emery & Cie

It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s without Kelly green. This is a bold color, but it works so well with the black and white accents…

Source: Apartment Therapy

Green comes in all shades. The finish on this wall is gorgeous! Regina MUST show me how to do this!…

Source: Traditional Home

By painting the walls, ceiling and trimwork all the same color, this large room feels cozier and more intimate. The large window allows in natural light as well as a view of nature. I am so loving the fact that they added a touch of red in the chandelier…

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

You don’t have to commit to doing the whole room in green. Bring in touches of it, as they did in this room with the green chair and accent pillows. Most of this room is done in neutrals, but the pops of green, yellow and red invigorate it…

Source: Better Homes and Gardens

This had nothing to do with design, but I couldn’t resist this green Kate Spade bicycle. I just want to hop on and cruise around the streets of Paris! By the way, did you notice the Champagne and flowers? Someone has been good…

Source: Adeline Adeline

Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth and harmony. It also represents tranquility, good luck and good health. You can use it as the main color or to add vitality to a neutral scheme. Have fun with it!

What is your favorite color of green paint to work with?

Cheers to all,

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From the keypad of Peggy Pardo…

Let’s see…there’s The Fifth Dimension, The Fifth Element, pleading The Fifth,  being a fifth wheel, Fifth Avenue (the actual avenue or the candy bar, whichever you like)…but today I’m talking about the fifth wall – The Ceiling!

This wonderful piece of “real estate” is often the biggest uninteruppted expanse in the room and the one that most often gets overlooked when working on a room’s design. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to do something awesome with all that space!

To get your creative juices flowing and inspire you, I’ve found a few fabulous ceilings for you to take a look at.

I’ll start things off with the bathroom ceiling of Om Home creator, textile designer Oorbee Roy. His textile designs were used on the ceiling and vanity. I LOVE this ceiling; what a fantastic color. Note how the design extends down the wall…

Source: Apartment Therapy

Salvaged beadboard was used  to create this unique ceiling. The mix of colors really adds to the charm…

Source: Country Living

Interior Designer Annsley McAleer used the ceiling to bring added interest and pattern to this home office space. You can can get the same effect using a stencil. (I found one that is very similar at Royal Design Studio)…

Designer: Annsley McAleer

Bold stripes liven up the ceiling in the Avalon Hotel. Having the rows alternate makes it even more interesting…

Designer: Kelly Wearstler

In India, tiles are often used to decorate the ceiling. Royal Design Studio has many stencils available that allow you to achieve the same type of look as does The Stencil Library…

Source: Apartment Therapy
Original Image: Mountain Label

NCF Studio created this fabulous metallic plaster ceiling…

Source: NCF Studio

This is a floor’s eye view of a gold leafed ceiling done by Garay Artisans…

Source: Garay Artisans

Ceilings are just as much a part of the room as the walls and floors. They shouldn’t be overlooked when decorating a space. The right color or finish can often be just what a room needs to make it look complete.

Take a look around your home. Are there any ceilings where you can try something different?

Cheers to all,

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