Winners for Our 1st Annual Canvas Rug Design Contest

When I first began the contest, the intention was to select one design, make and paint it onto a canvas rug. But we judges were stuck on 2 different designs so we decided to have a Grand Winner and a 2nd place winner.

But first, a big thank you to the wonderful responses from so many of my Design Newsletter readers who submitted their design ideas; it was tough getting down to the final decisions with so much talent to view. 

And because of the response and the great fun of the whole thing, I've decided to make this an annual event. To get wind of the details for an upcoming announcement for our 2nd Annual Canvas Rug Design Contest, if you haven't subscribed to my newsletter, go to it!

Ta-dah!..our 2nd Place winning canvas rug design goes to Nicole Yee. Nicole is a principle and lead interior designer of NY Interiors, working on both the east and west coasts. And because she travels quite a bit, her rug was shipped to her residence in the east while she was headed for the west. So she hasn't seen it yet, but we've sent her a photo and she promises to forward a photo with her winning design en suite.

What we liked most of Nicole's design was its simplicity and the contrast of the white design on black. Congrats, Nicole and thank you for participating.

Drum Roll, please. And the Grand Winner of Laurel's Originals 1st Annual Canvas Rug Design Contest goes to.. Lundy Wilder. Lundy, owner of Villa LagoonTile, is a talented lady with a cement tile design and manufacture company out of Gulf Shores, Alabama. Her submission was taken from her Pescado line of tile; we were was so drawn to the detail of sea life incorprated and the over-all color choices. The canvas rug is currently in production but herein is a photo of the tile design as it was submitted. I hope you'll agree it was a perfect winning design as a canvas rug.(visit her site for some great tile designs)

 Thank you, Lundy, for your support & participation. Look forward to seeing a photo of the finished canvas rug in your home!

Make it a great day, everyone!

~ Laurel

 

Tropical Decor: Beach Decorating

“Out with the Old, In with the New.” There is something about a beginning and an end  that allows us to reflect back on the last year’s lessons and look forward to the new years hopes. The new year also provides the perfect time to come forth with new ideas, (beach decorating!) resolutions and energy. Imagine if we didn’t have a new year, if it were all one long stretch of time with no punctuation points. Mmmm, not as much fun! 

This year I discovered people like to put my canvas rugs on their walls as much as on floors. I learned new ways to make this easier for them, opening up a whole new venue for my art. In the past I have always painted on useful things: t-shirts and dresses, handy canvas bags, canvas rugs, but never considered my art would be used as, well.. art! This has been a revelation to me and very encouraging.

I also learned how to make large canvas rugs. The process itself is challenging to the point of knocking out a wall in my workplace to fit them in! Learning to be flexible, and also that once an idea takes hold, whether or not you know “how” it can be accomplished, the answers come in surprising ways. Each new job brings a learning curve, and added experience that enhances each future project.                           

This year will bring many new ideas into focus. I talk a lot about the tropics, how canvas rugs, floor cloths or wall decor works well in tropical climate; how easy they are to care for, especially living on the beach. So, thought I, why not offer beach decorating to tropical homes here in Costa Rica?

As you might have guessed, my first new design for this new year is a canvas rug with a beach theme.

This one, shown above, with sea shells and sea stars grew in front of my eyes, a stamp here, a shell there, why not a soft wash for the middle? It thrills me to be back at the brush again.

Would love to read what kind of beach decorating idea or design you envision on a canvas rug…or wall hanging. Please! leave a comment.

Interior Design Ideas

This time of a New Year offers renewed hope, a focus on setting goals and promises to do things a little differently than last year; we can apply any or all of these ideas to relationships, business and interior design ideas.

Two years ago when I needed to rethink my souvenir related business here in Costa Rica, I had spent lots of time researching different ideas. It was the suggestion of a good friend to look into hand painted canvas rugs and immediately I fell in love with the product.

Thanks to veteran canvas rug maker, Lisa Curry Mair, and her book, Floorcloth Magic, which explains how to make a canvas rug, I learned the basics in cutting, prepping, sewing, paints, and protective coatings. There were, of course, the inevitable trials and errors, but what appealed most to me, as an artist, was the creative aspect in coming up with all kinds of interior design ideas.

Using the 100% cotton canvas material as my new found medium, there was a wide range of potential products that lent perfectly to interior design in addition to making and painting a canvas rug. My mind raced with ideas such as curtains, place mats, pillow cushion covers; a canvas rug for the kitchen, the patio or patio, living and dining rooms.

Needless to say, I was really excited and felt confident that although Costa Rica is without a history of canvas rugs, unlike Europe and the USA, I would blaze a new trail with canvas rugs and related interior design ideas...something I love to do as much as painting.

The response these past two years has been wonderful and I am grateful for the many clients who have graced their floors and walls, homes and businesses with my work.

This year, however, my focus and goals will shift somewhat to include working more with interior design for home and hotel professionals. And for that I need help. Fortunately, I have found someone to assist me with the administrative and marketing aspects of growing my business. We work really well together and the energy generated from our like-minded brainstorming sessions is a force to be reckoned with!

If you, or someone you know (in Costa Rica), is looking for fresh, new interior design ideas please forward them the link for my site or have them contact me directly. 

Here's another goal for this New Year: generate comments from my blog readers...so please don't be shy! Have a question or comment about canvas rugs, interior design ideas, painting on canvas? Anything related to these topics are welcomed!  

Happy New Year!

~ Laurel