(Checking in with Chicago! Welcome to Heather, a guest poster from the windy city who is trying out for the editors role. Comment away.)
Libations and lighting have never been mutually exclusive. No longer merely a garnish for sweet island drinks, the classic cocktail umbrella now creates the perfect mood for entertaining in its new incarnation: lamps. Last fall at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago's Wicker Park, I discovered these whimsical lamps made by Heather Wells of *bright lights little city*.
Heather's creations include two collections, Lush and Milky Way, and are offered in various shapes, sizes and styles.
For the Milky Way Collection, Heather has woven colorful quilling paper to structure both hanging and table lamps for $75 each. At 5" wide and 12.5" tall, the lamps cast light that brings to mind mint juleps and raspberry berets, butterscotch and moonlight (all appropriately and deliciously named).
I like the idea of them...I am just not sure I like the little nubbins on the top of them. Anyone know what the inside looks like (the underside of the lamp)? I am curious to see if the inside looks like a porcupine turned inside out.
I saw these at Renegade, they are very cute!
i think these are so cute. the website shows how they look when they are glowing--wow! These are a good find and really well priced. they remind me of a sweet swim cap circa 1954. i love the idea of supporting the crafters!!!
They remind me of hydrangea blossoms, only wilder. They're pretty dang swell, if ya ask moi. These look like something that you kind of need to have in clumps, now that I've seen that little trio together.
i love them!!!
SUPERcute!
These are fab! I'm loving on both collections, which I could see working equally well in a vintage or contemporary setting. They would also be perfect clustered in a kid's room. Your Chicago blogger has sassy prose and a good eye, and it's great that she plugged Renegade, which is fast becoming a local institution.
I think they're really cute, but I hope they're treated with fire-retardant spray, which is good to do when you make lampshades out of paper products.
... yes, they are.
I love these!!! What a fun way to decorate for parties, BBQs, or just because. Does Heather distribute these anywhere on the west coast???
The Cocktail Umbrella lamps are fabulous!
I love the way your blogger describes the unique items she selected, "cocktail-centric" and the opening line, "libations and lighting...." I'm entertained by the writing and impressed by her eye. I'd like to read more!
i love on the website that you rollover a lamp's pic and it shows it illuminated! Renegade Craft Fair is a haven of great ideas come to life- way to keep an eye out for the DIYer, heather, you sassy blogger, you.
michelle is right; that's a very cool feature! Especially for such a very specific kind of lamp, where the look is so very different on and off.
I think it's exciting that we're going to have so many cities represented in such a fleshed-out, fully-realized what!
uh... I meant to say ... "fully-realized WAY."
How innovative- I often help my friends redesign their pad for parties and these awesome fun glowing colors with interesting textiles makes for what blogger poetically coins as "libations and lighting" the perfect ambiance for a fab party!
Something old is new again! What a great way to reuse what we toss aside when we're through with a drink. Hats off to the creator and writer who is bringing Heather's creation to "light"!!
Super creative and unique! I like "Martini Time" best. Thanks for promoting this artist-crafter!!
to jenny on the west coast:
it looks like heather distributes all of her handmade lamps on an order by order basis. her website doesn't list any stores where her products are sold, but does give contact info and shipping fees for orders. you should also check out her fair/show schedule, although up until now she hasn't been west of chicago for a show.
Here are the instructions from Heather Wells who appeared on the Martha Stewart show today, October 4, 2006:
Cocktail Umbrella Lampshade
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=stv3170018&layout=martha
This cocktail umbrella lampshade adds a decorative and creative touch to any room in your home.
Tools & Materials
Cocktail umbrellas (amount varies depending on size of lampshade)
Glow-in-the-dark paint
Wire cutters
Waxed paper
Self-adhesive UL-approved mini lampshade
Fabri-Tac glue
Silicone
Fire-retardant spray
Clear automotive lacquer
25-watt lightbulb
Process
1. Dip the top point of cocktail umbrellas in glow-in-the-dark paint; let dry. Cut off the stick part of the umbrellas' sticks with wire cutters.
2. Working over waxed paper, place the first umbrella so that it overhangs the bottom of the UL-approved lampshade, creating a scalloped edge. Glue down.
3. Place the second umbrella next to the first so there is a matching scallop along the bottom of the shade. The areas of the umbrellas on the shade will overlap slightly. Glue down the second umbrella where it overlaps the first.
4. Place the third umbrella above the first two so it overlaps them and creates a triangle. Glue down the overlapping areas of the umbrellas. Once youve covered a large portion of the shade, the top row should overhang the top of the shade by about 3/4 inch. Remove the cardboard ribs from the overhanging portion of the top row by breaking them and unpeeling them from the umbrella, leaving just the colored paper.
5. Continue placing the umbrellas in a triangular pattern, following any color pattern you desire. If youd like to highlight a certain umbrella, place the 4 umbrellas on the shade, leaving a place for the umbrella that will cover these. Glue this umbrella so it overlaps the others with no umbrellas covering its design.
6. To finish the top of the shade, glue together umbrellas where they overlap. Trim the overhanging scallop about 1/4 inch from the top of the shade. Put a thin line of Fabri-Tac glue on the inside of this row, and fold it over toward the inside of the shade top.
7. Patch any gaps or tears with scraps of matching umbrella paper. You can reinforce the edge of the umbrella scallop with a thin coat of silicone, applying it with your finger. Let the silicone dry for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can use the stick of a previously cut umbrella to apply the silicone to the bottom edges of the shade that your finger can't reach.
8. Spray the inside of the shade with a fire-retardant spray, and let dry. Spray the outside of the shade with clear automotive lacquer. Let dry overnight in a well-ventilated area.
9. Place the finished shade on a lamp base. Insert a 25-watt lightbulb.
Resources
All supplies used in this craft can be purchased from a crafts store.
Special Thanks
Heather Wells of bright lights little city
I should have added for those of you who might want to try to catch the show for the demonstration when it runs again: The show with Heather Wells is billed as the "Mr. T." show.
An extra note: Martha used a special applicator, with a finer tip, to apply her Fabri-tac.
Also, they mention that this craft would be a fun thing to do at a girl's birthday party. Good ideas...
On the *bright lights - little city* site you can see the lamps "on" if you take your cursor over the lamp. They do look differnt when on. I wonder if there are colored low-watt bulbs available?
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If you like something a little less over the top, try the Caravaggio from Lightyears:
http://www.hightoweraccess.com/pricelist/lightyears.html
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