Rachael's Handmade Designs

When I first read Austen Kleon's "Steal Like an Artist" and then his "Show Your Work" I was astounded at the simplicity of his ideas. If you have not read these books, then as an artist - YOU SHOULD. They are simple little books with big ideas for creatives like you and me. Moving onto Kate Bolick's "Spinster" which I read recently. At first I did not care for this book at all, however when I completed it, I found that I had rather enjoyed the read and that it got me thinking about my own creative heros in my life. So I put together a list of my creatives, with photos or snippets when applicable. Frida Kahlo Frida is probably one of my favorite artists, not only for her work but for her fascinating life. She was a surrealist (a label that she herself rejected, although her body of work is decidedly surrealist in my opinion) and which is an odd choice for my own tastes as I most definitely do NOT appreciate surrealism. Frida regarded her...

Check out my new fancy RCA Victrola Phonograph! It actually WORKS and I just about squealed when I found it. Top down Top up Inside I paid $60.00 for this piece and although it needs a $50.00 needle, it's in good shape and has a fold out speaker on the left. And it means I can listen to my Elvis records! :D And it looks pretty freakin' cool in my home. I was so thrilled with my find and I hope you like it as well!

How many pairs of vintage cocktail earrings does a girl need? One to go with every outfit!! I found these screw back vintage earrings in a secondhand store near my house. I liked this pair because they remind me of snowflakes. These stood out because they remind me of my grandmother's era, circa 1950's, waterfall dressers, and classy perfume bottles with the little poofs at the end. This pair I thought would be fun for the holidays, but I haven't had a chance to wear them yet. Other delectable vintage goods and secondhand pieces can be found at The Furniture Guy !

I adore vintage barware and collect it, so I wanted to have something to showcase it. I put together the wet bar below from an old record player, which I purchased gutted. Drunken pink elephant ice bucket. Vintage. Vintage black and pink polka dots glassware with vintage caddy. Here is the inside: my plans are to replace the doors (they are cracked) and mirror the inside of the doors. I also want to mirror the back of the entire piece and wire it so that when the doors open, the unit lights up. The bottom of the piece has a fabric covered speaker cover, which I would like to put a hinge on so that it folds downward. I want to hallow the speaker casing out and use that area for more storage. This tray will eventually be taken out. The glass piece above the tray is intact and wonderful. When I wire up the rest of the piece I would like to wire this to light up as well. Obviously, I need to take a wiring class, but I feel like this is a very do-able pro...