The Booth...again.

The booth....seems like that's all I've been talking about on the blog for weeks is...the booth. It's probably because that's all I've been working on and finally we've taken our first installment down to The Depot at Gibson Mill  for the booth. I don't know why I even bothered to make a floor plan because I had to make changes first thing...but that's okay, it turned out fine. I hope there will be bare spots when I return with more things this week anyway!

Like in our shop at home, I tried to have areas of similar items, which is a challenge in a 10' x 10' space. This month, we are featuring all of our pitchers and creamers on the tiered unit on the left just as you enter the booth.

From the shop, we took out the entire side wall of treasures for little girls and ladies of all ages, including the matching vanity and chair, jewelry, dresser accessories and some vintage clothing, hats and some really, really cute evening purses.

I'm excited beyond measure to have a concrete floor to showcase my floorcloths! I normally have to hang them and no one knows they are rugs if they aren't familiar with floorcloths. Now, I just hope people will go ahead and walk on them. The one in the back is a 4'x6' and took over two weeks to complete and the one in front is a 2.5' x 3' and took nearly a week. There is a lot of preparation work before the art ever goes on them and then there are 6 coats of poly applied for protection...so go ahead and walk on them...it's perfectly safe. I've been making them for almost 23 years and I have it down to a science. About the only way to damage them is to fold them or place them on a carpet instead of a hard floor.

I should have gotten more pictures of the side walls, but I Erin was ready to go, bless her heart for helping me all day, and we had much to load back onto the truck before we could head home.

I hope you can get to Concord soon and visit not just my booth but the other 500+. I see something each trip that I need! Really!

Next week I promise to talk about something besides the booth! See you then.

We are open this weekend....

....and are looking forward to seeing you!

Take Your Floorcloth to the Door

Business Card Floorcloth  Angie Nelson © 2011

Why not greet your customers at the door with your logo and product information?  You know what "they" say about branding...the more places people see your logo the more likely you and your business will be remembered.

Angie Nelson © 2011

I made this floorcloth/business card for the stair landing leading up from the shop to my studio. People always ask, "what's up there?" Now they are asking to GO up there. It's opened the door to more questions about my work which is the whole point of having my studio above my store. Right? 

Before our Spring Open House at Ranch Dressing Handmade and Vintage, I'm going to make one for the shop as well that will be placed at the front door where this photo was taken. It will be more rectangular to span the width of the double doors. Didn't know you could take your floorcloth outside? Sure you can.

Angie Nelson © 2011

There are only a couple of things to remember before placing your floorcloth outside...

1. Sweep the floor surface completely clean of any and all grit. You can, but don't have to, place a very thin rug pad beneath it. No mesh; anything with a pattern will transfer to the surface...permanently. 

2. If it's windy or rainy, take it in. Water will not hurt it, but you don't want it soaked through and through.

Other than that, you are good to go. I can only recommend this for MY rugs because I know what they are made of. I use the best materials available for making a quality product that will last you indefinitely with proper care. 

Angie Nelson © 2011

You will notice in the photos that they are heavy and lie flat. My floorcloths resemble a thick, heavy piece of leather in both weight and feel even though the base material is #8 canvas duck. After all is primed, and painted with multiple layers and then with acrylics for the artwork, they are sealed with 5 coats acrylic poly on the front. If you let me know ahead of time that you will or may even use yours outside in a covered area, I will add a couple of sealer coats to the back for added protection. 

To clean them, just sweep and mop with your floors or wipe with a damp cloth. Floorcloths are ideal for the door area as there is never any problem with doors catching them like with a thicker type traditional rug.

Want one for your business or as a custom welcome mat inviting guests into your home? I can help you with that. Send an email to angie@freereinart.com or call me to set up an appointment at the studio 336-905-0386  Let's get started! I'm excited to see what you have in mind.

My Newest Work and My Inspirations

Newest floorcloth

The newest floorcloth is coming along very well. It will be finished on Friday...tomorrow...well, maybe Saturday. I always give it a day or two before I apply the finish coats of poly. It never fails that I find a pencil mark or some detail that I've overlooked...and sometimes it is then, when I should really be finished, that I get a new inspiration and add something that I wonder why I hadn't thought of from the beginning. But, that's the beauty of this business! Floorcloths can be changed and reworked...or even started over before the finish is applied. 

Finish coat?...floorcloth?...what? If this is the first time you've visited my blog and don't know what in the world I'm talking about..In a brief description, a floorcloth is a hand painted #8 canvas(the weight varies by maker) that is essentially a hand built rug. I begin with raw canvas, build up layers of paint to form a smooth and flexible surface, hem the edges, paint the design, and seal the design with many coats acrylic polyurethane. For a more thorough description and the history of floorcloths you may want to visit the About Our Floorcloths page on my website.

This one is another 4' x 6' and will be debuted at the Design America-Texas show in May. Like most of my designs, it will work in almost any size you need. All of my standard designs are available in any size and you can even request custom colors at no additional cost per square foot. Our Standard Floorcloth page on the website lists the most common sizes, but I can do anything that works for you...even the shape.

Because I have a studio on our farm and have very little overhead, I've managed to keep my prices the same for the last few years, even though materials and shipping have gone up annually. I still ship floorcloth orders free in the Continental US, so when you are comparing my rugs with other makers you will want to keep this in mind. The average 4' x 6' floorcloth  ships for about $35 depending on the distance between you and I. If you're like me, it's hard to spend money on something you can't see even if it's necessary...like the plumbing, your heating system and yes taxes! So, it's my pleasure to ship your order free.

This spring, I will introduce four new designs, including one round rug and another in the Neon series like you see below. I'm sometimes very surprised at my inspirations and they seem to come out of nowhere to suddenly now here! (Heard that one from Wayne Dyer and I love it!) 

The Neons have been really popular for recreation rooms and kitchens...and were the idea of my son, who was in the 8th grade at  the time. "Hey Mom, why don't you use the glow in the dark stuff like you used with our Halloween sweatshirts when we were little?" I did, and it worked. When you turn off the lights, the outlines glow in the dark and look almost neon-like.

Neon Cowboy Cafe...inspired by a photo of Dryk Godby from the inside of his CD cover. This one is actually mine but yours could have any caption you'd like! 

Click on the link to Dyrk's website and check out his art and music. I'm a big fan of both and have have decorated our home with several pieces of his art. We have the two shown below are in our kitchen and living room along with several originals.  

Countin' 'em Out by Dryk Godby

Legendary Studs by Dryk Godby

Dyrk's attention to detail has been very inspirational to me. I hope you will try to see it first hand and I'm sure you will become a collector as well if you have a love for horses and the authentic western lifestyle. 

Next week I will have a preview of the newest Neon floorcloth for you. I hope you will stop by for a peek.

Tomorrow, is Friday's Featured Shop Items here on the blog. Remember, if you're local, our shop is open on Fridays and Saturdays now. Come out to see us! 

Friday's Featured Shop Items

What a busy week it's been...here it is Friday again...and it's alreadyt 5:30. That rolled around quick!

To catch up on the week, I've finished a 4'x 6' floorcloth for the show in May. Here's a little peek...

corner of floorcloth

...now, if you want to see it before May, you'll have to stop by the studio and say "pretty please" or come to the show. I've got another 4' x 6' started. I hope to have it finished next weekend if all goes as planned. Check back in and I'll have another snippet for you.

Now on to the featured shop items for the week. This weekend, I've got two sets...one for the ladies and one for the men...for Valentines Day. If you haven't gotten your sweetie anything yet why not swing by the Ranch and pick her/him out something unique.

For the Ladies

Something pretty to present her chocolates on that she can later display on the wall or on a stand.

Beautiful selection of vintage beaded clutch purses for an evening out

Pieces of vintage costume jewelry from an estate collection

For the Fellas

Authentic vintage string box turned trinket box...great for his ring, keys, pocket knife...

Inside of trinket box with vintage sheet music

Charles Russel prints from the 50's

Buck Jones Comic Book

 ...and as a special note for my male readers....

What NOT to buy her from the shop....

 Pink Heath-O-Meter Bath Scale with original paperwork.

Although it is really cute, if you have a retro pink bathroom. I was excited to find these...and yes, they are in the shop.

We will be open Monday -Valentines Day -by appointment. 

Worktable Wednesday...A Peek into my Art Journal

When a customer orders a floorcloth from me they can have anything under the sun they would like...some want something completely original and some like the standard designs just the way they are...and then some want the standard design, but customized. That's the beauty of a floorcloth...it can be tailored to your needs.

On the worktable today is a blank canvas waiting on approval of a design. The customer found something on my website that she liked but wanted something with fringe. In my mind I couldn't see fringe on it in it's original composition and I asked her if I could tweak it a bit in order to make it work with fringe.


Here's where we are today....

The Original Floorcloth Design      Hugging Bear            Angie Nelson© 2009

These are the sketches from my art journal...where I keep records of my designs and ideas..sometimes for specific client's and sometimes just things I'm thinking about painting. For this client I've scanned the page and sent her three options according to her thoughts on color. This is the first time she's seen the idea of using the bear motif as a border rather than as the only focal point on the rug.

Here are a couple pages from 2008 when I first started thinking about tipi art for floorcloths...I either use markers or Prisma colored pencils...and sometimes both.

Since my customer already knows what the bear actually looks like I probably won't do a mock up of the entire piece like I would do for a new design. There is a small design fee for new work that covers the time spent on the concept and I will actually do a small acrylic painting on paper representative of the actual piece. The fee is applied to the cost of the new floorcloth so it really is no additional cost.

So here I sit with the blank canvas...ready to start. I'm looking forward to seeing her decision...I'm kind of leaning toward the red fringe myself...how 'bout you?

Worktable Wednesday

If you are a follower you know what my worktable "really" looks like these days...but I actually finished a commissioned floorcloth last week...Benadryl and all.  If you are a Face Book fan you've already seen it there.

Normally, I don't show commission work online because of piracy. My clients pay me to design and paint something specifically for them and it really hurts us all when a knock off shows up on ebay for mere pennies...yep it's really happened.

Anyhoo...this one was commissioned by a woman that is donating it to an auction that will benefit breast cancer and the more people that see it the better. It will be part of the silent auction at the Rally for the Cure - Golf Tournament at the Old North State Club July 14th, 2010.

She called me in May and said she wanted a floorcloth with a woman in pink on a golf course and that she liked the gate there and would like to include something from that......

So this is what we ended up with.... Stylized gal and stylized trees with an argyle border to coordinate with her pink sweater. The emblems in the corners are from the sign at the gate with the club's logo. Very "cutsie". Lots of fun.

Live, Laugh, and Do whatever it is you love!

Where Bloggers Create Party...Welcome to my Studio

I'm always a day late and at least a dollar short...and here I am again late for the party I've been looking forward to. Not my birthday party which was last night and lots of fun by the way...but the Where Bloggers Create Party sponsored by My Desert Cottage. To visit all the participants follow the link and look on the sidebar for the "Party Guests"

There are never good excuses for being late but always lots of reasons. On Friday which was my 50th birthday I had planned to finish up work in the studio around noon and take the afternoon to do some fun stuff for myself and write this post. Well, I ended up spending the day in a Benadryl funk and in and out of consciousness. I got stung by a wasp on Thursday and by Friday morning was absolutely miserable...swollen, red, blistery and itchy like you can't imagine. I didn't even celebrate my birthday until yesterday....anyway...I am now much better and ready to party!

My studio, as some of you that follow, may have guessed, is in complete chaos as I write. I've mentioned it in many posts recently that it looks like a hurricane blew through. When I signed up to participate in the party, I thought I could show you old photos and you'd never know the difference...but, that just isn't right! I will show a few old and a few current.

This post will serve two purposes....1. the blogger party. 2. the before pictures for our renovations that are soon to start.

My husband built the studio in late 1991 and I began working in there full time in January 1992. I had the upstairs portion and he had the downstairs. This is what it looked like last summer. This summer it will get railing and a board ramp like I showed in a previous post. And be updated with white trim and red screen doors. The garden in front will also be replanted with delicious smelling herbs like scented geranium and lavender.

The studio has served me well as my floorcloth studio and as space for art classes over the last 18 years. You can imagine the beating it has taken with all the hauling of materials up and down stairs and kids regularly running in and out.

I have had the same white walls and stenciled wild horse border since day one...ugh! My tastes have matured quite a bit but I just haven't had the time to make any changes until now. I'm going back with white walls but the border will bite the dust by the end of this week I hope.

 So here's where I am today....working simultaneously on floorcloth commissions, making items for the shop that will open in September, and renovating the studio upstairs and down.

WARNING: THIS IS NOT GOING TO WIN AN AWARD FOR PRETTY! Maybe next year...

You will be greeted by one of our sweet dogs upon arrival. This is Ada. She usually comes in for the day unless she's shedding...like now. By July we will be good to go again. Bless her heart, she just doesn't understand I can't have black dog hair in the finish coats of my floorcloths.

Welcome

As you walk in the stairs are immediately to the right...this is one of the first floorcloths I designed 20 years ago. The one on the floor is maybe 10 or so years old and yes that's dirt! I know I should be ashamed!

You see my office in the corner when you arrive at the top of the stairs. I've taken out the giant old Gateway computer and rarely ever take my laptop up there. We've also taken out our land line and it's actually been quite liberating to go unconnected while I'm working. I'm in the process of finishing a small floorcloth and once it's delivered I will stack as much as I can on the work table and begin painting the walls and ceiling this week. I've already unloaded some shelves.

This is my inspiration board where I have been accumulating ideas for my shop for the last couple of years...it has spilled over into a folder now but I leave the original things up to remind me that dreams come true and start with an idea or two. The custom boots have always been inspiring to my floorcloth designs...and too I am giving myself a pair sometime this year to celebrate being 50.

The corner where I keep my paint...outgrew it quickly so I also have a cabinet just for acrylics and specialty products. Another one of my first designs..."1840"

Multiple projects going on here...finished projects and loads of supplies underneath...You just don't know how much I am looking forward to opening the shop and having order back in my studio.

More finished projects and more stuff literally stuffed under the table, in boxes, drawers and cabinets.

I look forward to the day when I have floorspace again to paint large floorcloths...My worktable is 8' x 8' and my available floor space used to accommodate room size rugs. It will be so wonderful to have that much space when most of this stuff goes downstairs into Ranch Dressing.

So, this is my studio where I create. I hope you will come back in September to see the finished shop and renovated studio. I apologize for the length...when I haven't written for a while I tend to ramble. Now, I'm off to visit the other bloggers that create and look forward to seeing the beautiful places they work and live.