“But My Walls Aren’t Lime Green!”

January 25, 2017

Bright colors characterize our booth displays. 

Many of you have been in our booth at shows, fairs, etc. and as you well know, it’s colorful! While those flat panels and fabric drops in bold colors are eye-catching and help us stand out in the crowd, not everyone decorates that way. In fact, neutrals and muted tones are far more typical. Not only that, wall textures are often anything but flat. Hence the very reasonable question: How will this piece of Haitian artwork look at MY house on MY walls? To which my response will pretty much always be, “Why great, of course!”  But you don’t have to simply take my word for it.  Let me show you…

You’ll see here that I have placed our SM401 “Hummingbird to the Sunflower” design against a variety of backgrounds. Just as our Haitian metal sculptures adapt well in a number of decorating schemes, they also are inherently versatile against a wide range of colors and textures. See what I mean? And you aren’t even limited to hanging it on a wall.  You could stand it up in a window, as in the bottom right photo. Or lean it on a shelf. Or hang it on a fence…You are limited only by your creativity and imagination – and certainly not by color and texture.  Display away!

Contributed by Linda for It’s Cactus

Hanging Your Haitian Metal Sculpture

May 28, 2015

Use your thumb to find the approximate middle of the piece where two design elements are joined. It has become apparent that I have put the cart before the horse with regard to decorating with Haitian metal. I have posted numerous blogs in which I have offered lots and lots of ideas for WHERE to display our sculptures, (On the fence, on the wall, above the doorway, on the fireplace, etc.) but most of them require knowing HOW to hang them first. So let’s back up a bit and I’ll do a little show and tell. Some of our recycled metal sculptures come with a hanger riveted to the back of the piece, making it pretty obvious how to get the job of hanging done. If it doesn’t have a hanger, it’s because it doesn’t need one. The job is still a snap and all you have to do is follow these 3 simple steps: 1. Looking at the front of the sculpture and find the approximate middle where design elements are joined or closed. In this tree of life, it is where two leaves meet. Hammer the first nail in there. 2. Then, find another place where design elements are joined or closed. Use this point to straighten and secure the piece. If the sculpture is large, you may want to use another nail or two, but for most sculptures (23″ round or smaller) 1-2 nails are sufficient. ” When you step back to admire your work, you’ll see that the nails have “disappeared” into the sculpture. 3. If your sculpture has a “face” such as that of a bird or mermaid, for instance, make sure you DO NOT put the nails in the eyes or mouth. A viewer’s attention will go right to those elements and therefore, straight to your nail. That is exactly what you don’t want. Now, didn’t I tell you? It’s a snap. Contributed by Linda for It’s Cactus

Pound the first nail into the spot you’ve identified..

See? The nails disappear right into the sculpture.

Sometimes, we just need a little help…

September 19, 2013

Crazy good antique store that still has MY French typewriter. Coulda, shoulda, woulda….

Horizontal pieces, such as this one-of-a-kind angel by LaGuerre Dieufaite, can add interest above an interior doorway.

A few weeks ago, I had the great fortune to have a morning to wander through the Sablon section of

Brussels for a few hours, all by myself.  The Sablon neighborhood is upscale and wonderful with the highest density of antique shops per square block that I can possibly imagine.  In fact there were so many, I started taking photos of them, just for fun.  But I didn’t go into any; most were a bit, um, rarefied, shall we say?  Except one.  It had a

“wanderer-friendly” appearance and in I went.  There, amidst the art deco glass and brass buckets was the most glorious manual typewriter.  It was French, I could tell by the arrangement of the keys and the accent marks. Accent aigu! Accent grave!  I loved it.

LOVED IT.  But I didn’t know what to do with it, so I didn’t get it and now I am left with nothing but

aching melancholy and remorse. I bet I could have thought of something.  Surely I could have.  I’m a clever gal.  I could have done something great with that fabulous old typewriter with the French accent marks.  Maybe I just needed a little guidance.

Which got me to thinking:  How many times have I overheard the remark at trade shows and in the shop, “You know, I really love

this Haitian metal piece, but I don’t know what I would do with it.”  OHMYGOSH! Let me spare you the anguish of loving and leaving – your guidance is HERE! Take a look at a few of these ideas for displaying Haitian iron.  These photos are not meant to be directive, but suggestive.  Hopefully, they will inspire a few ideas of your own.  So much the better!

Make a grouping that combines color, texture, and depth. Hang a few birds as though they are about to perch in the tree. (RND 253 plus SM491 B and E)

Tuck a smaller piece into a smaller space, such as a corner by the window.

First in a series. Contributed by Linda for Beyond Borders/It’s Cactus