Tuesday, May 13, 2014

wanderlust...

As stated in the dictionary, this fabulous word is defined as follows...
wan·der·lust  [ wóndər lùst ]   a strong desire to travel
 
With summer vacation just a mere few weeks away, there is no better time than to share this window of mine with all of you.  I created this window completely inspired by the original lithographed map in the background.  Found at an estate sale, I knew I had to have it.  The rich aqua in the print is stunning, along with all the signs of age in the water stains, tears, etc.  The best part:  they had 3 of these maps rolled up and tucked away in a corner.  Talk about a fabulous find for me!  Going through my rather large stash of vintage windows, I found one that fit it almost perfectly.  The overall dimensions of the window itself are appx 40" wide X 30" tall.  As you can see, this window is rather massive to say the least.  As for the word "wanderlust"  I chose it because of the magical feel to it.  It sounds so whimsical. 
 
Right now hand lettering and script fonts are all the rage.  I have always had pretty decent penmanship, so I decided to hand write it rather loosely.  Surprisingly enough, I liked the overall look and I created it within the framed space pretty effortlessly.  As for the mosaic tile on top, I painstakingly cut every single piece to create the overall design just so.  It took many hours, and there are close to 1,000 tiles on there!  Lastly, I applied and "carved" out the mocha colored grout in my signature style. 
 
Although this window has already sold, I am currently creating another one just in time for my next show in June, JUNK HIPPY ROADSHOW.
 
Since I am such a fan of recycling and upcyling with an artistic flair, I always enjoy visiting Lessology's Blog to see what current challenges they have going on.  Right now, the challenge is "Window Display," using at least one upcycled product in your design.  Could my Wanderlust Window fit the criteria any better?!?  If you like upcycling materials in your work as much as I, you should stop by their blog for more details, the deadline to submit is June 1, so come play along!
 
Talk to you soon!
Amy

7 comments:

yyam said...

A fabulous find indeed! And you've done such an awesome job with your penmanship. It looks amazing!I want one to make one too.:)

Thanks for joining us at LESSology!

Lizzy Hill said...

Oh my...ohmyohmyohmy....I'm in total LOOOOVE with this - no wonder it sold - it's fabulous & what a wonderful find in the first place. Perfect for our LESSology challenge...thanks for sharing:):):)

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

This is AMAZING! I am loving that map background!!! Thanks so much for playing along with LESSology!!

Audrey Pettit said...

I saw your window on FB this morning, and had to pop over here to tell you how amazing, gorgeous, and inspiring it is! Wow, Amy....seriously, seriously stunning work!

Kirsty Vittetoe said...

Awesome, thanks for sharing with us at LESSology!

Mitralee said...

putting eye balls back in head, this is amazing! Just pinned you up! WhOOOHOOOO! SUPER COOL! So glad you played along with us over at LESSology! I have by the way, gotten my hands on a map book...just used it for the inside of my pirates chest that I just threw up on my blog...

http://mitralee.blogspot.com/2014/05/pirate-chest-with-legs-argh-matey.html

Yell if you want a sheet or two!

Somdeepa Das said...

I found you in Lessology...this is so cool! I love the beautiful map...your whimsy mosaic hand lettering and the vintage frame.