FanningSparks – Page 58 – A DIY and lifestyle blog authored by Peg Frizzell.

Peeking Behind the Studio Curtain

Is there anything more fascinating than peeking behind the curtain at the world of a talented artist? Seeing where they work. Observing their surroundings. Learning about their backgrounds and motivations. Understanding what originally sparked their interest. Getting a glimpse at what inspires them. Imagining yourself in their place creating world-class artwork… OK, maybe not that last part… that might be a little overly ambitious. If this piques your interest, you may want to join me on this Artist Studio Tour.

The Henderson County Open Studio Tour, held in North Carolina, supports and promotes local art. The tour, in its eighth year, was held on Sept 22 and 23, 2018. I counted 51 artists in 35 locations in this year’s tour guide. With that many artists I had to narrow down my destinations and plan my route carefully. Thankfully, the tour is very well organized. Artists were listed with enough information to help me choose. Art pods, or districts, grouped together artists that are located close together. Maps were well labelled. All of which helped me spend more time visiting and less time driving. Not that driving around Henderson County is a hardship! Henderson County, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern North Carolina, is a beautiful area.

As it turns out, I had the pleasure of visiting over 15 studios over two days. I deliberately chose a mix of mediums and styles including ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture and woodworking. Every artist was friendly and welcoming. All the artwork was thoughtful, innovative and high caliber. I wish I could share photos from every studio I visited but that would, of course, not be practical. Instead I’ve chosen to focus on 3 of the talented artists I met so you too can peek behind the studio curtain.

Walt Cottingham’s studio is tucked away in his old family home overlooking a wooded mountain side in Zirconia, NC. The studio is surrounded by nature which obviously inspires his work. He makes one-of-a-kind birdhouses from natural and reclaimed wood.

Walt originally learned to work with wood by helping his father with carpentry work around their home. He went on to learn from other craftsmen and carpenters. But he credits the groundwork laid by his father for inspiring him to build his own home. His use of natural and reclaimed materials, which is at the heart of his craft today, also played a big role in the house he built.

Walt’s birdhouses are built to the preferred size and shape of various bird species. But that’s where the predictability ends. Every birdhouse is a work of art. Walt told me the wood itself inspires the character and features of the finished piece and his goal is to reflect what he sees in the wood.

Cat Martin’s studio is newly constructed. It’s a dream studio… white and bright, big windows, flooded with natural light… the perfect place for someone who creates with glass. Cat’s studio was filled with examples of her beautiful artwork. It was a pleasure to stroll around and soak it all in.

Dec 18, 2018 Update: The below fused glass pendants and earrings inspired a new holiday version of my favorite DIY Woven Statement Necklace. Check out the post Add a Little Sparkle to see the results and learn how to make one.

Cat took the time to educate her visitors on some fused glass techniques. She thoughtfully shared some projects that were in process like this one with parallel bars.

Cat also demonstrated the making of vitrigraph which she will incorporate into her glass designs. It is made by melting scraps of glass in a terracotta plant pot. Once melted, the glass can be pulled through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Cat slowly pulls the vitrigraph into interesting twists and shapes as it cools.

MaryJo Lanik’s studio, The Wool Room, is located in historic Hendersonville across the train tracks from the old Hendersonville Railroad Station.

The studio is full of personality with lots of interesting tools and supplies for spinning, weaving, needle felting, knitting and crocheting. It’s a combination of shop, studio and classroom. A couple of MaryJo’s lovely hand woven rugs are shown in the photo below.

Yarns and wool, in every color imaginable, were ready for use.

MaryJo and her husband David are charming and delightful hosts. When they learned I was originally from Nova Scotia, they shared their story of an unrealized venture that would have seen them relocating to Nova Scotia. You can read more about their story here. Another interesting fact I learned from this article, was that MaryJo was first exposed to spinning and weaving by her grandmother.

There are several looms in the studio and one was set up for visitors to try. Of course, I couldn’t resist! I didn’t create any masterpieces but I quickly learned that the rhythm of the process could become quite addictive. MaryJo was probably starting to wonder if I going to stay all day.

It’s fascinating to me that both Walt and MaryJo were inspired by family members. Walt’s father instilled the love of woodworking. MaryJo’s grandmother introduced her to spinning and weaving. I’ve already shared on my About page that I credit my mother with my own love of making. I wonder how prevalent this is… how often is the love of making or the passion for a particular art/craft passed down from one generation to the next? Are we doing enough to ensure this continues to happen?

I met several wonderful artists during this tour including Chris Ray, Melinda Lawton, Jean Greeson, Suzanne Cancilla-Fox, Jo-Ann Jensen, Beverly Kies, Mary Mason, Rebekah & Rex Ellsworth, April Johnson and Jeff Miller. Special thanks to you and all the other Henderson County artists for generously opening your studios and sharing your stories.

More Info

You can learn more about the Henderson County Open Studio Tour at www.hcost.org.

Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to find a single reference source listing artist studio tours so you may have to do a little research to find others. Try searching for “open studio tour” in your area. If you do happen to know of any comprehensive online resources, I’d love to hear about it. Please share in the comments section.

Here is contact information for the artists highlighted in this post. If anyone has additions or changes, please feel free to share via comments.
Walt Cottingham; Zirconia, NC; wcottjr@yahoo.com; mentioned here
Cat Martin; Horse Shoe, NC; CatMartinGlassArt@hotmail.com
MaryJo Lanik; Hendersonville, NC; The Wool Room website; mentioned: here

Dec 18 2018 Update: See the post, Add a Little Sparkle, for more of Cat Martin’s beautiful glass work.

Today’s Takeaways

Take part in an artist studio tour to peek behind the curtain at the world of a talented artist.
Consider supporting local artists and craftspeople through participation in their events and purchase of their products.
Consider if there is knowledge of an art or craft you could learn from and/or hand down to members of your family.

Artists Clay Events Make Travel

Event Expands Pottery Proficiency

50 of Georgia’s finest potters were featured in the Perspectives Georgia Pottery Invitational held recently in Watkinsville, Georgia, USA. The event featured 3 exhibitions including the main exhibit “Participating Potters: 2018”. Each artist contributed 2 of their own best pieces along with a favorite piece from another artist. Thus, visitors had the pleasure of viewing the work of about 100 different potters offering a wide range of styles, forms and colors. As if that wasn’t enough, there was also a gigantic pottery sale with more than 6000 pieces of contemporary functional and decorative handmade pottery.

The show and sale, hosted by the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF), wrapped up on Sept 16 2018. Don’t worry if you missed it, though, because I have lots of info and photos to share on the blog today. You may also want to make plans to attend the OCAF Holiday Market, scheduled for Nov 30 to Dec 2 2018 in Watkinsville GA USA, which will include pottery and many other art and crafts objects. See More Info below.

I spent several hours observing, absorbing and learning about pottery. But the highlight of my day was a gallery talk designed to “expand your pottery proficiency”. It was led by Michael Pitts who is a well-known Georgia potter. To be honest, increasing my pottery proficiency was easy since I was starting at zero. Michael led our small group around the gallery exhibit and pointed out varies aspects of the work on display. It was fascinating to examine a piece and learn about the materials and techniques used to create it. We learned about types of clay and raw materials. We heard about thrown vs slab construction. We learned about glazing and its many variations in materials and technique. We heard about kilns and various firing techniques. I even learned about cones and what it means when a piece is “Cone 10” or “Cone 6”. Cones, as Michael explained, are pyramid-shaped pyrometric devices used by potters to gauge a temperature equivalent during firing. Google “pyrometric cone” to delve deeper.

My pottery proficiency definitely improved but I have a long way to go. There is much more to making pottery than I ever imagined. The biggest surprise for me was that some techniques seem so unpredictable; I got the impression there’s a lot of trial and error involved. For instance, I imagine a salt glaze finish, which is created by throwing salt into the kiln during the firing, must be incredibly difficult to control. The potter can’t simply place the desired colors and textures on the pottery piece at least not with the precision one can achieve with a brush and paints. What an unpredictable challenge! Is it any wonder potters love their craft?

With all this in mind, I have a deeper appreciation for the beauty of this work. Here are some of my favorites from the exhibit. See the More Info section at the bottom of this post for the artists’ contact information.

This beautiful piece, by Kathy King, is titled “Sawyer’s Gift. The gallery card notes “B-mix clay, long red glaze, soda fired (cone 10)”.

I love the lines of this handle from the “Armenian Basket” by Adrina Richard. The gallery card notes “Little loafers highwater clay, glaze inside (cone 6)”.

Here’s another piece with gorgeous flowing lines. This “Cruet” is by Tripti Yoganathan. The gallery card notes “Porcelain, water blue glaze, soda fired (cone 7)”.

This charming teapot set is by artist Vernon Smith. While the colors are soft and calm, the pattern and texture give it lots of personality. We learned this unique treatment was likely accomplished with wax resist. The gallery card notes “Porcelain, white glaze”.

The hall gallery displayed a special exhibit called “Yes, it is clay” by Keok Lim. Keok was born in Singapore where she worked as a dentist before moving to Atlanta in 2001 with her family. I have a special place in my heart for Singapore having lived and worked there some time ago. But I would have loved Keok’s work regardless of where she’s from. It’s her first big show but I can’t imagine it will be her last. Her work is so amazing it warrants its own post but here are a couple of pieces to give you an idea. The first piece is called “Backpack Story” and second one was labeled “Happiness Platter”.

There were also a number of lovely pieces that caught my eye at the Pottery Sale. I couldn’t resist imagining these pieces in my own home and life.

This beautiful scraffito vase is the work of Deborah Woodward Adornato. She thoughtfully posted an explanation of this technique. The artist builds the pots on a potter’s wheel and allows them to dry to leather hard stage. A coating of liquid clay is applied and allowed to harden. Small wooden and metal tools are used to draw the designs by “scratching through” to the dark clay underneath. Picture this vase in a starring role on a set of beautifully styled shelves.

Barry Gregg’s work was a crowd favorite. I heard one visitor say she came to the show specifically to see his work. It’s easy to understand why; his pieces are whimsical and fun. How could a dog lover resist these pieces?

I admired the work of potter Minsoo Yuh for its delicate designs and Asian flair. This mug would be perfect for that morning cup of coffee. Minsoo Yuh’s bowls and plates were also outstanding.

I’ll wrap up with the work of Michael Klapthor which, if I were forced to choose only one, would be my favorite potter at the show. Here’s his amazing piece, titled “Heavy Escort”, from the exhibition. I love the old-timey feel of these robots.

Aren’t these plant pots amazing? They’re perfectly on trend since succulents and house plants are all the rage right now.

More Info

You can learn more about the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF) on their website. Here’s the link for info about the upcoming 2018 Holiday Market.

I’ve listed contact information for each of the artists mentioned in this post. I wasn’t able to find complete information for everyone so if you have additions or corrections, please share in the comments.

Kathy R. King; Roswell GA; email kking111@bellsouth.net
Adrina Richard Earthworks; Atlanta GA; website
Tripti Yoganathan; Tucker GA; website; Instagram
Vernon Smith; Atlanta GA; website; Instagram
Keok Lim; Atlanta GA; website ; Instagram
Deborah Woodward Adornato; Alpharetta GA;
Barry Gregg Clayworks; Decatur GA; website ; Instagram
Minsoo Yuh; Athens GA; Instagram
Michael Klapthor; Scottdale GA; website; Instagram

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider purchasing a unique handmade item instead of one that is mass produced.
2. Consider supporting local artisans and craftspeople through the purchase of their products.
3. Seek out opportunities to learn about artisans and craftspeople either in your own community or when travelling away from home.

About General

FanningSparks Turns 1/2 Year

FanningSparks reached a special milestone this week. The blog turned 1/2 year old.

It’s been 9 months since I retired from my IT career and decided to launch a DIY/lifestyle blog. Www.FanningSparks.com was launched on March 20, 2018. Many of you, my family, friends and former colleagues, have taken the time to visit the blog and engage through comments, likes, or subscriptions. Thank you SO MUCH for your support! It’s still early days in blogosphere terms and FanningSparks is slowly, but surely, building a following. I’m often asked how the blog is progressing so I decided to celebrate this milestone by sharing a few behind-the-scenes highlights with you.

FanningSparks Blog Content Categories

The FanningSparks social presence is primarily a website blog with multiple supporting channels. I publish a new post, with original story and photos, every Tuesday here at www.FanningSparks.com. FanningSparks is about making and decorating from inspiration to creation to sharing. Inspiration comes from everywhere but I have settled into 3 primary sources: Traditional arts and crafts (aka Making by Others), Nature and Travel. Here’s the lay of the land: 4 content categories including Travel, Decorate, Nature and Make.

I’ve published 30 posts with original stories and photos. Photography is a big part of FanningSparks and nearly all the photos I share are my own work. I’ve loved photography since I was a teenager and I’ve amassed a sizable inventory of photos over the years. The blog gives me a reason to get creative with my camera and it provides a venue to share my best work. The blog has served up approximately 3,100 unique page views since launch with approximately 250 unique readers visiting every month.

Let’s look at some example posts to give you a taste of what you can expect to find on the blog.

Nature Two of my favorite posts about Nature are:
Color Palette by Mother Nature

Patterns by Mother Nature

Travel Two posts about travel include:
Majestic Lovable Elephants

First Light at Peggy’s Cove

Make The majority of my posts fall into the Make category. The subject could be arts and crafts made by others, such as…
A School for Makers

… or it could be traditional arts and crafts that have inspired me, such as…
Re-imagining the Cross Stitch

… or it could be things I’ve made myself, such as…
DIY Woven Statement Necklace Tutorial

The Ultimate Maker’s Cabinet

DIY Pyramid Trellis Tutorial

Decorate Recent posts about home décor include:
A Before Tour of Our New Casual Lake House

Glide It On and 14 More Painting Tips

FanningSparks Social Media Channels

The FanningSparks Instagram account has proven to be a great way to announce posts and share photos with a broader audience.

Instagram has brought in the most new followers and provided some great exposure. I was thrilled when my recent post on Joy Spotting was featured in author and TED speaker Ingrid Fetell Lee’s Insta story.

Pinterest, the visual search engine beloved by the DIY community, is another critical channel. FanningSparks has 9 boards with over 650 original and curated pins. According to the mysterious Pinterest algorithms, an average of 7.5K viewers/month see FanningSparks’ pins.

The FanningSparks Facebook page has become a great way to share original content with relevant organizations, small businesses, and like-minded Facebook groups. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the amount of activity in Facebook.

Two other channels, email notification signups via the blog and the Bloglovin’ blog reading service have small, loyal followings.

Creating and publishing FanningSparks has been a great experience. I’m learning something new every day. But the best part of all has been connecting with kindred spirits whether its meeting an artisan, a shop owner or a fellow workshop participant. Occasionally I’ll hear from a reader directly. One of my favorite reactions was this one: “You gave me an idea. I too have a cabinet I can convert. OMG I’m so excited now. Have a wonderful organized day.”.

I’ll wrap up by re-sharing my original launch invitation and inviting you to join in.

Cheers,

Artists Canada Make Travel

Artisan Transforms Quahog Shells

The small Acadian village of Cocagne is nestled along the Northumberland Strait in New Brunswick, Canada. It’s an area of natural abundance; a “land of plenty”, which is what Cocagne means in French. It’s a beautiful part of the world. Inspired by this natural beauty Marcia Poirier, the artisan behind Wildabout Wampum, creates spectacular jewelry from quahog shells. Quahogs are edible clams that live on the eastern coast of North America. Admittedly, when I think of the unremarkable clam I do not immediately think of spectacular jewelry. At least, I didn’t before learning about Wildabout Wampum.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Marcia’s home-based studio and meeting her in person. Marcia is friendly and welcoming. She’s full of energy and passionate about her art. She personally took us on tour of her studio and boutique. I love the story of how Marcia got started making these unusual treasures. As she tells it, Marcia and a friend were walking along the beach when she spotted a quahog shell with an unusual marking. Marcia picked it up and pointed out a heart shape in the purple layers of the shell. She tossed the shell and they went on with her walk. A few days later, Marcia’s friend surprised her by giving her a carving kit along with the very same quahog shell she had tossed away. Marcia went on to carve out that heart and then wore it as a pendant.

Friends admired Marcia’s quahog heart pendant and asked her to make one for them. Marcia has been making hearts, and other beautiful jewelry, ever since. Isn’t that a great story?

Marcia eagerly shared her knowledge about quahogs explaining how the purple and white layers of the quahog shell are annual growth bands. The age of a quahog can be determined by counting the layers in the shell much like counting the rings in a tree. The vibrancy of the purple layers is affected by various environmental conditions including the level of iron found on the ocean floor. Marcia has learned which areas produce the most intensely colored quahogs and exclusively sources her shells from those locations.

After selecting and preparing a quahog shell, Marcia transfers a design onto the shell. She selects and positions the design to maximize the natural layering of the shell. The design is carefully carved by hand using tiny power tools. The piece is then sanded by hand to a smooth, shiny finish.

After watching the artisans at work in the studio a visit to the Wildabout Wampum boutique is mandatory.

The shop is well-stocked with a wide selection of pendants, earrings, bracelets and other items. This stunning whale tail pendant is a popular design.

Of course, I couldn’t leave Wildabout Wampum without selecting my very own one-of-a-kind memento. Isn’t it lovely?

Marcia’s success in turning quahog shells into beautiful jewelry is a remarkable story. But it doesn’t explain the name of her studio. Why “Wildabout Wampum”? After she started making her jewelry, Marcia learned that Native Americans, the Wampanoag Indians in the area now known as northeastern USA, carved beads from the purple sections of the quahog shell. These beads where used for trade and ceremonial purposes. The Natives used the beads as currency for trading. They also wove the beads into patterns to form “belts” for ceremonial purposes. The patterns indicated tribal history, inter-tribal treaties and even sanctified wedding vows. Today, wampum (like those shown below) still have a special significance to Native Americans.
Mystery solved! Wildabout Wampum doesn’t actually sell wampum but the name is a clear nod to this honorable heritage.

While I love wearing my Wildabout Wampum heart pendant on a chain, I couldn’t help but wonder how it would look on a woven statement necklace. I found yarn in nice complementary colors and then followed the step-by-step instructions from my post DIY Woven Statement Necklace Tutorial. I made a few refinements such as leveraging a blank metal jewelry connector for the top bar and using decorative yarn for the top row of fringe. The woven necklace provides the perfect backdrop for the gorgeous quahog shell heart. Now, I have two ways to wear my Wildabout Wampum heart.

I’m always intrigued by how traditional arts and crafts can be re-imagined in contemporary ways. I seek out examples of how materials and/or techniques have been changed to bring new life to an old practice or product. This is a perfect example. Thanks to Marcia Poirier, the original art of carving wampum has evolved into hand-crafting beautiful quahog shell jewelry.

More Info

Learn more about Wildabout Wampum on their website. Be sure to check out Marcia’s video “The Art & Design of Marcia Poirier” and the galleries of her collection.

The Tourism New Brunswick website has additional information on Cocagne, New Brunswick, Canada.

Here’s the link to my post on the DIY Woven Statement Necklace Tutorial. It really is an ideal DIY project. It’s fairly easy, it’s inexpensive, no special tools are needed, and it’s fast. But the best thing about this project is its versatility. You can change the colors, embellishment, size or design to make your own one-of-a-kind work of art!

Today’s Takeaways

Keep your eyes open for unexpected sources of inspiration.
Consider ways to transform the ordinary.
Seek out opportunities to learn about the artisans and craftspeople in your community.

Pin for Later

You may want to pin this post to your Pinterest board for later reference. Please pin this image.

Decorate Exteriors Make Tutorials Wood

DIY Pyramid Trellis Tutorial

A pyramid trellis, or tuteur, is the perfect way to add height to a garden space. Unlike a traditional trellis which requires a wall or other support, the pyramid trellis can be placed anywhere. A pyramid trellis can play a starring role with interesting design, materials and colors. Or it can play a supporting role and hold up climbing vines and flowers. Either way, a pyramid trellis can add character and interest to the garden.

A pyramid trellis is an easy project you can do yourself. Choosing a design that doesn’t require complex multi-angle cuts is the key to simplifying this project. It’s also a great opportunity to make something that’s unique and one-of-a-kind. Vary the materials, the dimensions and the colors to make it your own. I’ve made 4 pyramid trellises, 3 for myself and 1 as a gift. Today, I’m going to show you how to make your very own pyramid trellis. This is a substantial structure; it is nearly 6’ high and nearly 2’ square at the base. I created this step-by-step tutorial while making the below pyramid trellis as a surprise for my beloved sister.

Materials/Supplies Needed

Lath Strips: 12 – strips of 7/32” x 1 ½” x 8’ long PVC Lattice Molding
The first three pyramid trellises I made were constructed from 6’ wood lath strips. I was able to buy these at my local Home Depot in Georgia. However I made the fourth pyramid trellis while visiting my sister in Nova Scotia and was only able to find wood lath strips in 4 foot lengths. I substituted 8’ PVC Lattice Molding for the wood lath. The PVC was considerably more expensive than the wood but comes prefinished and is very easy to work with. I’ll be showing the PVC version in this tutorial.

Finial: a decorative top about 1 foot high and no more than 3″ square at the base.
This is the fun part! Use your imagination to finish off the top of your pyramid trellis. I found the perfect resin finials at Hobby Lobby when I made my first three pyramid trellises (shown on green trellis in above photo). But they were no longer available and I had to get creative for this most recent version. I used a furniture leg of turned wood topped with a curtain rod finial. More details in the below tutorial.

Screws: 32 – size #4 ¾” flat wood screws
Screws: 4 – size #8 1 ½” flat wood screws
Screw Hooks: 4 – 1 ⅞” The screw hooks are big enough to slip over a piece of rebar which can be used to anchor your trellis.
Staples: 1 ⅜” long preferably rust resistant
Wood: 1 – 1″ x 4″ x 8″ long pine or other softwood
Tape: Masking or painter’s tape
Paint: Exterior paint in your desired color. Since I left this trellis pyramid white, I only needed to paint the finial and the anchors and to cover up the staples and screws.
Sandpaper:
Templates: Download the DIY Pyramid Trellis – Complimentary Download – Sept 2018 . See More Info below for an outline of the contents.

Tools / Working Space Needed

Jigsaw with an appropriate blade for cutting PVC or wood lath. Alternatively, use whatever saw you have available and are comfortable using.
Drill with appropriate bits for the screws and screw hooks.
Staple Gun: An electric staple gun is ideal but a manual staple gun would also work.
Paint Brush and any other painting supplies needed.
Clamp
Tape Measure
Pencil
Work Surface: 58” by 25”
Barn: You may also want to borrow your sister’s cool barn to work in but obviously that’s optional.

Assembly

At a high level, the construction process is quite straightforward. Cut 40 pieces of wood lath to the specified lengths. Lay the parts on a large flat surface to staple together into 4 identical sides. Stand up the 4 sides into a square and connect. Cut and attach the parts for the finial and the anchors. Here are the detailed step-by-step instructions.

Step #1 Cut Lath Strips

There are several guides included in the DIY Pyramid Trellis Download file to assist you with this step. Print the Templates for Angled Cuts and the Templates for parts H, I, J, K on heavy paper. Ensure they printed to the intended size and cut out. If the template pieces are not the intended size, you may need to adjust your printer settings (see instructions on the cover page in the download file).
Review the Cut Plan and Part List. The Part List shows the specifics of each part to be cut including the length, quantity and angled cut instructions. Note the “How to Cut Ends” column. Some ends are straight, others are cut at a 10°angle and others are cut into a picket shape with 45° angles. The ends may be parallel or non-parallel. The angles of the Legs (Part A) must be parallel. The angles of the Crosspieces (Parts B-E and H) must be non-parallel. See the Angled Cuts Guidance for diagrams of parallel and non-parallel cuts. Take care to cut all ends as indicated.
The Cut List shows which parts to cut from each 8’ length. It is color-coded to match the Part List.

Mark each piece with the part letter.

Sand all cuts. You should have 40 parts at this stage.

Step #2 Prepare Work Surface

Select a large, flat work surface at least 58” by 25”. Use masking or painter’s tape to mark a triangle on the surface as follows. Choose one 25” edge to be the bottom of the triangle. Mark the center of this edge. Measure and mark 10” to the left and right of center. Label these as A. Measure and mark 56 ⅞” up from the center of the bottom edge. This will be the peak of your triangle. Next mark the 4 crosspieces. Measure up from the bottom edge and mark as follows:
At 4 ⅛” from bottom, mark B.
At 18” from bottom, mark C.
At 28 ⅝” from bottom, mark D.
At 38 ¼” from bottom, mark E.

Run pieces of tape from each side of the bottom of the triangle (marked A) to the peak. It’s not necessary to have these lined up perfectly since the lath strips will be straight. Place a mark at each of the above points along both sides of the triangle. Your work surface should look like this:

Step #3 Assemble Pyramid Sides

Align the lath strips with the markings on your work surface. Note you’ll be placing the front side of your lath strips down on the work surface and working on the back sides. Start with the legs which are the outside angles of your triangle. Place one Part A along the right side. At the bottom of the triangle, align the inside edge of Part A at the 10” mark and ensure the angles match. At the top peak of the triangle, align the inside edge of Part A with the inside edge sitting on the center mark. You may wish to tape the part to your work surface to keep it in place. Repeat this same procedure with another Part A on the left side of the triangle.

Attach the top crosspiece Part H. The short edge should align with the top of the two Part As. The sides of crosspiece H should be indented by the thickness of your lath. Use a scrap piece of lath to check this alignment as shown below (note the photo doesn’t show Part H). Staple Part H in place.

Attach the bottom crosspiece Part B aligning the top edge with your 38 ¼” mark. The sides of Part B should be indented in the same way as Part H. Staple in place.

Attach the remaining 3 crosspieces – Parts C, D and E – in this same manner.

To attach the pickets, remove the partially assembled pyramid side from the work surface. At the bottom of your triangle, measure 4 ⅞” from the center line to the right. Taking care to align with the bottom edge of your work surface, place a piece of tape at the 4 ⅞” spot, mark and label G. Repeat this step to the left of center.

Place the pickets on your work surface. Align the long center picket – Part F – with the center marks keeping the bottom end one-tape-width up from the bottom edge. In the finished pyramid trellis only the legs – Parts A – touch the ground. As shown below, align the center of one of the short pickets – Part G – with the 4 ⅞” G mark keeping the bottom end one-tape-width up from the bottom edge.

The picket should be parallel to the long center picket (part F). Repeat this step with the other short picket – Part G. Place the partially assembled pyramid side back on the work surface with the front side facing down (the same way as it was constructed). In this way, all staples enter from the back and will not show on the front of the pyramid trellis. Ensure the pickets remained in position. Staple all 3 pickets in place.

At this point, your pyramid side should look like this on the work surface…

…and like this when standing:

Assemble the other 3 pyramid sides following step 3.

Step #4 Paint Pyramid Sides

Clean up the parts by removing labels and erasing marks. If your wood isn’t finished, this is the time to paint. It’s much easier to paint the pyramid sides before they’re fastened together. At this point, you should have 4 finished sides like this:

#5 Assemble Pyramid

The next step is to attach the 4 sides into a pyramid. Use tape to temporarily hold the sides together while you’re working.

The trick is to alternate the sides so they overlap… one end is over and the other end is under. See the Pyramid Assembly Detailed Diagram in the DIY Pyramid Trellis Download file for details. Use small wood screws (#4 ¾” long) to fasten at every crosspiece and leg juncture. Be sure to drill pilot holes first. Optionally, you may wish to staple the sides together before screwing them.

Your pyramid should be quite firm at this point but the next two steps will strengthen it substantially.

Step #6 Finish the Top

Use templates I and J from the DIY Pyramid Trellis Download file. The small square (Part J) should fit snuggly inside the top of your pyramid. The large square (Part I) should sit on top of the pyramid and align with the sides. Make any necessary adjustments to the templates. Use the templates to cut two squares from the 1″ x 4″ x 8″ wood.

Mark the center of the two squares. Center the small square on the large square and attach with #8 1 ½” wood screws as shown below.

The next step is to add your finial. As noted in the Materials/Supplies Needed list above, this is where you get to be creative and put your personal mark on your pyramid trellis! The actual parts you use for the finial will dictate how to attach it. With my first pyramid trellises, I drilled a hole in the top squares and inserted a dowel to hold the finial. On the pyramid trellis in this tutorial, I used wood screws to attach the curtain finial to the turned furniture leg and then screwed that into the top squares.

It looked much better after assembly and a little paint:

Insert the top squares (and your finial) into the top of the pyramid, pre-drill and screw in place through the top crosspiece.

Step #7 Add Anchors

This is the final step. To be honest, my first pyramid trellises don’t have anchors. I learned the hard way, wind will blow over these pyramid trellises if they’re not tied down. Adding anchors to the bottom of the legs makes it easier to ground them. The idea is to insert small triangular supports with screw hooks in the bottom of each corner where the legs come together. After placing your pyramid trellis in the garden, slip pieces of rebar through the screw hooks and drive the rebar into the ground.

Use template K from the DIY Pyramid Trellis Download file to cut 4 triangles from the 1″ x 4″ x 8″ wood. Paint if needed. The anchor pieces will look like this.

Insert a screw hook into the long edge of each triangle. Be sure to pre-drill so the wood doesn’t split. Then slip the anchor piece into the bottom corner where the legs come together, pre-drill and screw in place.

That’s it! Your pyramid trellis is done! But the fun’s not over yet; now you get to decide where to put it! Or in this case, my sister gets to decide.

More Info

Be sure to download the DIY Pyramid Trellis – Complimentary Download – Sept 2018 for the guides mentioned in the above instructions. The following are included:
1. Angled Cuts Guidance
2. Templates for Angled Cuts
3. Templates for Parts H, I, J, K
4. Cut Plan and Part List
5. Pyramid Assembly Detailed Diagram (for Step #5)

Special thanks to the folks at This Old House for the post How to Build a Pyramid Trellis which inspired the version I shared today.

Today’s Takeaways

A pyramid trellis can add character and interest to the garden.
A pyramid trellis is an achievable project to do yourself.
This pyramid trellis can be customized. Change the color, size, design and finial to make it your own.

Decorate Interiors Nature Wildlife

Patterns by Mother Nature

When it comes to decorating my home, one of the steps I enjoy the most is selecting textiles. There are numerous surfaces that allow me to incorporate color, pattern and texture with fabric and other textiles. Some examples are upholstery, pillows, seat covers, bedding, blankets, quilts, shades, curtains, tablecloths, runners, towels, rugs and mats. The best part is the countless options from which to choose. Whether I shop for ready-made or create my own, this is the perfect opportunity to add personality to our home.

In my previous post, Color Palette by Mother Nature, I shared the idea of looking to nature for color inspiration. Today, I’d like to take a similar approach with patterns. We’ll look at several different types of patterns including animal prints, stripes, floral, foliage, geometric and abstracts… all courtesy of Mother Nature. A pattern is defined as a discernible regularity where elements repeat in a predictable manner. In the world of interior design and decorating, pattern is used to foster cohesiveness and add interest. Typically, patterns work closely with color and shape to add continuity to a living space.

Let’s begin with the popular pattern category of animal prints. I’ll share a few of my all-time favorite photos taken while on safari in South Africa to illustrate these splendid patterns. This beautiful leopard had the perfect lookout perch. There’s much to say about this photo (see More Info below) but we’ll just admire those gorgeous leopard spots for today.

Watching the elegant giraffe lean over to drink is an unforgettable experience. The giraffe’s spots are another outstanding example of an animal pattern.

Stripes are a classic pattern. The zebra’s distinctive black and white stripes are the perfect illustration.

While not nearly as dramatic, this birch bark is another example of the beauty of stripes.

Florals are beloved patterns in surface design. These purple coneflowers repeat to create a lovely floral pattern.

Here a single bearded iris bloom showcases a subtle mix of branching patterns.

Foliage inspires another category of patterns. Ferns and succulents, in particular, are very much in vogue. Here a graceful fern casts intriguing shadows on the moss covered ground.

In this close-up, the veins of a hosta leaf illustrate a pleasing branching pattern.

Here’s another example of a foliage pattern. The distinctive branching pattern, repetition of the curly edging and the bumpy leaf structure all combine to transform the lowly cabbage into a thing of beauty.

Often the repetition of a simple shape forms a pattern. These shapes can be geometric or organic. Here the simple oblong shape of a catkin repeats to form a handsome geometric pattern.

The disk florets in the center of this sunflower create an intricate geometric pattern. The repetition of the flower petals (more correctly the ray florets) provide another lovely pattern. I love how that one little wayward petal disrupts the pattern and shakes things up!

The triangular scales on this pine cone form a familiar geometric pattern.

The delicate spiral shape of this fern frond provides another example of a repeating pattern.

The raindrops on this Lady’s Mantle leaf form an interesting, circular pattern.

The final pattern category I’d like to include is abstracts. By definition, abstract is non-representational and does not depict a person, place, or thing in the natural world. So it would be difficult to draw upon Mother Nature for examples. But given that we’re simply looking at types of patterns for interior design, I’ll use a looser definition and take the liberty to include these two examples. The below photo is polished granite with the look of movement. This is actually our new kitchen countertop in Viscount White.

Our final photo is another example of an abstract pattern. It’s actually clouds at sunset but resembles a watercolor.

More Info

Color and pattern work together to add life to a room. See the post, Color Palette by Mother Nature, for more information about inspiring color palettes.
Jan 22, 2019 Update: Check out Texture by Mother Nature for even more decorating inspiration from nature.
May 19, 2020 Update: Form by Mother Nature is the latest post in this series.

In addition to color and pattern, there are 5 more interior design elements. They are space, line, forms, light and texture. The Interior Design Academy explains the 7 elements of design must work in harmony to create an aesthetically pleasing interior.

To see more photos and learn about my African safari, see my post on Majestic Lovable Elephants.

I learned an interesting fact about patterns in nature while researching this post. Scientists have found that the endless variations seen in nature can actually be traced back to a few simple themes and rules. For instance, the familiar form of Queen Anne’s Lace, is referred to as a branching pattern with an explosion shape. This pattern illustrates how nature has found the most efficient way to reach all points in a large area while moving the shortest distance. The dense array of florets in the Queen Anne’s Lace flower head attracts the most insects possible.

Today’s Takeaways

Consider broadening your scope and looking at all options before narrowing down to a selection.
Consult Mother Nature for pattern inspiration. Take time to observe the variety of patterns in nature.
Use pattern in your surroundings to foster cohesiveness and add interest.

Peeking Behind the Studio Curtain

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Patterns by Mother Nature

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