Love! Valour! Compassion! Freestyle!

I love the community that exists in Cambridge.  The intelligent and interesting people, the creativity on display in everything from customized bikes to unique lawn ornaments, the area practically hums with ideas.  I also appreciate that friends keep a lookout for free stuff, and call me when sightings happen.  Such was the case when “Lady K” (girlfriend of Technologist Roommate) had her boyfriend call me with notice of ‘a nice-looking frame on the sidewalk’ near our house.  So, shoes on, keys in hand, out I went to scavenge on a sunny afternoon [clearly this was a while ago!!].  I didn’t bring a camera, but I was impressed with Lady K’s ability to spot a nice frame amongst a pile of miscellaneous cabinets.  It was a framed poster for the 1997 movie Love! Valour! Compassion!

In all the excitement I apparently never took a photograph, but look at the picture above, then imagine it in a frame, there you go.

Found: black metal frame (minimal scratches), glass front, white poster-board backing

Size:  poster size, approx 24x36 inches

Now, as much fun as Jason Alexander was to watch on Seinfeld, I never saw the Love! Valour! Compassion! movie, so had no attachment to the poster. Sorry poster, off to the recycle bin for you.

Creative Roommate took charge of this project, and painted an imposing lion to adorn her wall.

It's just a yawn, really.

You might notice that there is no glass in the final version, if so you should be complemented on your keen eye. Why no glass? Well, let’s just say someone experimented with tension forces and unconventional dis-assembly techniques, learned a valuable lesson, and now knows the proper way to take apart a metal frame.  Fear not, no one was injured in the making of this freestyle post.

Remember, if you don't want it, maybe someone else does. It never hurts to notify.
Happy freestyling!

Are those wooden ducks?

I don't know when duck hunting season starts, but we found these little beauties back in June 2012 (yes, yikes! last year) and just couldn't resist their avian charms. So Creative Roommate bagged 'em carried them home by hand and stowed them away for future use.

Results of the day's hunt

The 'mallard' arrived first with his colorful red beak leading the way.  He found a home amongst the wall art from futon pieces, remember those?  Luckily they make him look almost like a peacock with a fancy set of tail feathers.  The female arrived later, and seems to still be evaluating the situation.

Meanwhile, the fashionable ladies continue to chit chat in the corner, totally oblivious to the giant wooden ducks hanging over their heads.  

Happy freestyling!  Watch out for quacks.

Lampshade to dirtshade - Update!

You might remember an earlier post about some glass lampshades repurposed as planters.  Here is the original photo:

Did you notice the mismatched saucers?  Well, I sure did. It was okay at first, they were at least the same color, but one was octagonal and the other round with some floral impressions, not exactly a matched pair.  I thought I could do better, it is the living room after all.

People seemed to be getting of dishes left and right during November and December, so when I found these nice little tea saucers with gold painted edging at le dump I knew exactly where to put them.

Nice rims. 

Happy freestyling, and keep your eyes out for tea saucers, they always seem to come in handy.

The freestyle not taken - remembering a rattan étagère

Contrary to my first impulse I do NOT pick up everything cool that I find on the street. Now that it is deepest winter, and the heady days around moving season have long past, the street furniture pickings are greatly reduced.  With all that non-existent extra time I would be happy to have a few projects waiting for me in my ground-floor heated workshop...which doesn't exist. Darn, that puts a crimp in my plan.  Finding big stuff at this time of year is harder because it is cold outside, and sometimes rainy, or snowy, or all three at once...not exactly conducive to leisurely strolls with no destination in mind. But I can share with you, dear reader, a few things that I spotted on the sidewalk back in the day and didn't grab - the freestyle not taken.

Our first exhibit, the rattan étagère, a.k.a the rattan shelving unit.

  

How's that for a bad picture?  Old phone, nighttime, no flash, only streetlights for illumination. Thank goodness for the help of Picasa, but it can only do much. Still, you can sort of get the picture, I hope.  The shelf was laying on its side, the top was curved like a roman arch, and the 5 shelves seemed to be intact and attached.  Even the caning looked ok.  If I had been in need of shelving I so would have taken this.  Rattan (or whatever this was made of) may not scream 'New England,' but it does make sense if you have to move a lot.

Perhaps in an earlier life stage the shelf looked like this picture (pulled from the web).

via auction website

I could have sanded and painted the shelves and backing, the options for rattan and wicker extend far beyond white or black.  (Plus, if it is free one doesn't feel quite so worried about small mistakes or imperfections in the paint job...)  Some colorful painted wicker inspiration pulled from the the interwebs:

Orange

via Etsy

Grey and natural

via

Pink

via Etsy

Periwinkle

via Etsy

Happy freestyling, and remember - if you have to let it go, at least take a picture and be ready with ideas for the next time.