I'm in Rochester!

Pattern for the sign of Luvaboos luvaboos.com

This weekend I am in Rochester working on the store.  A lot of progress is happening and even though there have been days of spinning my wheels in a non productive way, things are looking up.  All I know is that if I ever move out of Whitesboro NY I am moving where there is a Kinkos.  After a week of trying to get an enlargement of Heather's Logo  to use as a pattern that didn't cost my firstborn grandchild, we were able to get one done in about 10 minutes at Kinkos.

Last week I did the mosaic that is on the front of the building.  Heather wanted an organic metro look.

Here it is in progress.  I used glass tile, stained glass, mirror, small pieces of copper, green marble, metal tiles, glass gems,  many cut to different sizes by me assistant Crystal.

Last weekend my son, Steve and his wife, Heather, Crystal, my assistant and friend, went there to install the mosaic and work inside the store.  Steve and Heather did some building in the windows and installed flooring in the windows as well as other carpentry work.  My son-in-law worked on repairing the tin ceiling and my daughter Heather (it is confusing; 2 Heathers)  took care of the grandsons, worked on her inventory and brought us 'Sticky Lips', which is amazing barbecue.   I took this picture at night in the rain.  Tomorrow I want to get a better picture, but I wanted you to see the copper trim we found under the old chipped paint.  Another hidden treasure.

Inside, the ceiling is done.  Topher, (my son-in-law) sprayed it after cleaning it (with help from my husband) with primer, rust blocking primer, and glossy white paint.  I rarely recommend white ceilings, but this ceiling with all its beautiful detail, screamed white to me.  White-white, which in my opinion is Behr ultra pure white, the whitest paint in a can that I know.  They also sprayed the brass chandeliers.

Today wall color was started.  Heather loves the colors of fall, so there is a burnt orange wall, a coffee bean brown wall, and a gorgeous green wall. 
Look at the ceiling against the wall...

The green wall is my baby.  I am doing a wrinkled silk finish on it.  Actually I use tissue paper to do this.  A special heavier tissue paper that I order.  It involves painting, applying the tissues and painting again, then the layers of glaze go on depending on the effect that is desired.  Here are pictures of the process so you can see why it is better for the owners to be gone when a complicated finish begins on a wall.  It can look rather scary to the person who is paying a good amount for you to put a 'mess' on their wall.

This is what it looks like as the paper is being applied.  Even though this is a heavier tissue than most it is still easily torn when wet so you have to be careful as you are applying it on the wall.  You can also vary the amount of wrinkle in the paper and one has to resist regularity so that it remains organic and natural looking.  There are variations where you can use regularity to your advantage also.  It depends on the look.  So this is the first step.  ( there are so many wonderful ways to do a tissue paper finish, dimensional stencils, patterns or words underneath, squares and rectangles, paint underneath, metallic glaze on top...)

If you look at this full size you should be able to see the wrinkles in it.  It is now flat to the wall , the next step  is the glaze to enhance the effect. 

It is incredibly fun to watch this space change and to listen to people comment on it as they pass by.  Even though it is tiring, I love changing spaces and enhancing environments.  This old dirty shop is becoming beautiful and creative design does this.  It is in an area of Rochester where many small businesses are blossoming and you can feel the sense of neighborhood in the air and in the people who stop to talk.  While we were working on the mosaic a business owner across the street brought us bags of popcorn, the landlord who own the fish market next door feeds them wonderful fish sandwiches and fish fries.  Old things are becoming new again because people see with creative eyes.  This kind of atmosphere breeds hope instead of the despair of deterioration.

  Well, that is all for now but there will be more to come as well as her grand opening in November.  If you are in Rochester, stop by and say "Hi".