Patty Van Dorin

zombie baby charm lamp

 
the charmed lamp
always changing finding stuff to add
bits and pieces of accumulated junk
a lamp that is a charm bracelet
 
 
 

the reading corner

I am getting to the place where I can almost show full completed areas of the gypsy wagon. Today, I worked on some pillows and the walls. The alcove shown below has poor natural light and despite my efforts to brighten it with light color fabrics and wall treatments, it just stayed dark. So finally I wised up and quite fighting the lack of good light. Even though the corner is a bank of windows (the aqua circle pattern fabric is covering windows) the windows are small and have heavy accordion shades that I have to keep in place.

The Solution: add a dizzing array of colors and patterns.
 
This is my reading corner in the gypsy wagon. There was an impossibly uncomfortable love seat here originally, the most miserable piece of furniture ever. And Ugly. I will have to see if I can find a before picture.

My solution was to take an equally uncomfortable memory foam mattress that I hated and replaced. When I realized that the mattress was entirely foam, I used my electric kitchen knife and cut the mattress in half lengthwise. (I don't recommend doing this as it was kind of dicey in regards to safety) I stacked the two long pieces of foam, made a cover and now I have the most comfortable "sofa" ever to be found in a gypsy wagon. Later on down the road, I will probably make a frame and use just one layer of the foam but for now it works.

I will show more when I finish the walls in this alcove. To add even more pattern and color, I am collaging the walls with paper, paint and stencil. Kind of like a visual journal page on the wall.

no space to waste

Living in the gypsy wagon, there is no space to waste and very little space to put things.

My main living area functions as a kitchen, dining room, living room, office, studio AND guest bedroom in a 18 foot by 12 foot area.

Storage demands creativity especially when having a dog that eats lots of food.
 
A plastic rolling dog food container does not look good.
 
But some fabric (World Market Curtain Panel), hot glue and a tiny sewn lid cover turns a plastic food container into an end table.

 
Easy to use and easy to look at. Next I want to find a tray or basket to sit on top of the lid.

More pictures of the gypsy wagon coming soon as I am finishing up projects.

little purple basket

My color scheme for the gypsy wagon are rich jewel tones in purple, olive green, red, turquoise and burnt orange.

I am in love with these baskets from World Market. In additon, I used a couple of curtains also from World Market. The curtain panels came with tie backs which I didn't have any use for but I thought they would look cute to accent a little purple basket.

 
a quick project
-purple basket from World Market
-curtain tie back
-K and Company brad
-hot glue

 
a key and catch all basket for inside the door
 
I especially like the wood bottom and the $3.00 price tag.

more pictures of the completed gypsy wagon coming soon