When Was the Last Time You Played Musical Chairs?

We’ve been playing quite a bit of it at Belle Melange lately… with the 25 customized chairs, stools and ottomans at our shop!

In fact, the show is called “Take A Seat at Belle Melange”… and we invite you to come see for yourself at our Ithaca store on State Street.

Our collection includes upholstered, painted and wooden seating options to complement a variety of rooms within your home.

Here are some of the many pieces you’ll find:


Blue ottoman with swirl pattern (upholstered)
By Anne Steinle

Vintage chair re-upholstered in a toile fabric
By Luann Demare

Zebra stool
By Nina Maniscalo and Anne Steinle

Handpainted wooden chair
By Nina Maniscalo

Red stool
By Nina Maniscalo and Anne Steinle

Who ever thought sitting could be so stylish?

Purchase Wedding Gifts at Belle Melange

Lately, many customers have popped into the shop seeking unique items to give as wedding gifts. Something newly weds won't already own... that wasn't on their registry... and that they can be surprised to receive (and add to their home).

I was reading about wedding gifts in today's economy... and the giving of tangible items has declined. Today, the most popular wedding gifts have been money or help with the honeymoon. Wouldn't it be nice to still receive something in the present batch that's not cash or from Bed Bath and Beyond?

Within our Ithaca store on State Street, shoppers can find wedding gifts to surprise the new couple. Something they are guaranteed not to own OR receive twice... and also to add character to their new home. Each day your gift can bring joy to the couple's lives, as they see it hanging on their walls or sitting on their table... and be reminded who it came from.

Here are some of our featured wedding gift items that I personally recommend:

Peacock Mirror, handpainted by Nina Maniscalo

Sweetheart stained glass window hanging, handcrafted by Lisa Burns

African Seat Cusions, handcrafted by Ann Steinle

Weeping Willow by The Lake, stained glass window hanging by Lisa Burns

Window on The Red Wall, photographed by Sheryl Sinkow


Customized Cocktail Cars, by Lisa Burns

Note that "Just Married" cars can be created upon request! These unique glasses come in wine, beer and martini style glasses. Specific cars may be requested.



Java Time, handcrafted wall hanging by Mary Reynolds


Birds in the Wild, quilted by Alice Gant

All items within our store are handmade or hand-painted by one of our eight contributing artists. I look forward to helping you discover the perfect gift for any wedding... celebration or special occasion here at Belle Melange.

Got Inspiration?

At some point, every artist is asked about inspiration. It’s a window into the world of the creative process and a chance to see the first step an artist takes. But inspiration is an illusive concept, and there is no magic formula that goes a + b = art. We are all surrounded by inspiration everywhere, but it’s the artist that takes that initial motivation and expands it into an interpretation.

I find the key for me is to be aware of the stimulus going on around me at all times. An architectural detail might catch my eye, or standing in line behind someone wearing a dress with a great color scheme. Perhaps it’s the feel of the wind, the touch of running water or listening to a movement of music. It’s more about learning to take a thought and trying to let it find a place in my art. It’s about keeping my brain out of the way and allowing the idea to find a way to speak to me. We may speak a different language for awhile, but eventually we understand each other, and then the fun begins. It’s a wonderful state of mind when one is so absorbed at something that time travels a different path.

Then again more often than not, it’s the motivation I need, not the inspiration. But that’s a whole other story.

The Art of Flame Working, with Stefani Woodams

All the pieces we sell at Belle Melange encompass multiple art disciplines, one of my favorites being flame working. Our featured artist devoted to flame working is Stefani Woodams. Her creations represent miniature replicas of the life forms she loves most: animals, insects and birds.

Not only has she mastered making these pieces realistic, but also stylish to wear around your neck, dangle from your ears or wrap around your wrist. At Belle Melange, there's a variety of Stefani's glass jewelry to choose from.

On First Friday, July 3rd, Stefani will showcase her best work here at the shop, including her flame worked jewelry, pet pendants, signatured pieces and even some watercolor greeting cards.

One of her specialties is creating custom pendants to replicate pets. I'm always impressed by how closely her pendants resemble the "model" pet, as she incorporates as much of the pet's personality as possible into the piece. These pendants make adorable gifts, and many of them will be on display here on First Friday.

Stefani cares about sharing her craft with others and that includes the process of creating the art. Our First Friday visitors have the opportunity to view the equipment she uses and also learn about her technique.

What Exactly is Flame Working?

Flame working is the process of manipulating glass with heat and then molding the glass during the cooling process.

"It was the Romans who discovered that the fluid property of glass as it cools makes it possible to blow a bubble into the glass and create a vessel. And so glass blowing began," says the Glass Encyclopedia, www.glassencyclopedia.com.

Many artists use ovens, torches or simply an open flame to mold their glass. The glass itself comes in vast varieties, of which artists select depending on the project at hand. Stefani uses Murrini glass rods and torches to manipulate the glass without molds. She relies on her own eye to create her realistic figures.

Come see for yourself First Friday!

Unique Home Decorating -- An "imprecise" guide to building a room around color!

When introducing new colors into your home, there's a quick and easy way to find balanced color combinations without leaving your living room. Simply go online and use the color wheel!

Here's how...

Check out an online color wheel, such as this one here on http://www.colorschemedesigner.com/. Although this color wheel is for web designers, I love this handy tool and use it for selecting paint. Here's how it works...

First, select a color by clicking on the wheel. At the top of the page, you'll see the different selections of color schemes.

I'm going with a color scheme that uses three separate colors, called a "triadic" scheme. Once I've selected my main color, in this case a mustard yellow, I click the "triad" button at the top of the page. Now, I have three colors selected to work with. A yellow, a blue and a shade of red.


Now, instead of using all three equally, I vary them using a 60%, 30%, 10% ratio. This variation is very important for creating a balanced room.

Your selected color will cover 60% percent of the room, while the two complementary colors cover 30% (for one) and 10% for the other.

Putting the Room Together

When putting together a new room, I don't always follow these percentages precisely, rather I use them as more of a guide. I know which color to "lay on thick" and which colors to use sparingly with specific accent pieces.

So, shall we begin piecing together our room using the triadic color scheme? Let's start with the most prominent color, the yellow...

Yellow, 60%

Chair

Wall

Lamps


As you can see, the yellow to covers 60% of the room in a variety of ways: the walls, a chair and the lamps.

Now it's time to bring in our complimentary shade, starting with the lighter blue shade provided by the color wheel. Therefore, I've selected the furniture below...

Blue, 30%


Couch

Tables:

To finalize, we end with the last complementary color... a shade of red.

Red, 10%

Fire Place Screen


Vase

This final touch of red is just that... a "touch". Nothing more. Keep the 10% factor in mind when adding in this final color to avoid an over-stimulated room.

Additional Items to Complete the Room:

These are items to go with any colors scheme such as frames, tables or side tables. We will need to complete our room by adding in...

A Coffee Table


Wall Hanging with Picture Frames



When we're through, a balanced room full of color remains... and in tasteful proportions.

To use this color wheel within your own home, remember that no matter what scheme you choose... balance is key to achieving a beautiful result.

On First Friday, June 5th... We're Going Hawaiian!

You don't want to miss First Friday at Belle Melange... that is if you're into Hawaiian prizes, children's books, discounted jewelry, and tropical photographs!

Patty Alessi will be here on First Friday, June 5th, from 5 - 8 pm, signing copies of her latest children's book Rrreggie-T Rex's Vacation on Maui -- a book for children of all ages. Anyone who purchases a copy can save 15% on a jewelry purchase. Belle Melange has quite a vast jewelry collection, so don't miss this "sterling" opportunity!

Here's what one reader had to say about Patty's book:

"When I received my copy of Rrreggie T. Rex's Vacation on Maui, I showed it to my granddaughter, Caitlyn, at a Mother's Day brunch. The first thing she said was, 'It's a Maui guidebook!' She was so interested in the names of the dinosaurs and loved the glossary, which explained the different kinds of dinosaurs, their sizes, what they ate, etc. We started reading it together. In one of Rrreggie's adventures, on a whale-watching cruise, Caitlyn giggled as Rrreggie imagined himself as an Elasmosaur, making it possible for him to out-swim a shark... she couldn't put it down to even eat!"

-- Donna Del Rio, Concierge and Maui Resident

Bill Klietz will be here as well showcasing his collection of tropical photographs!

All First Friday visitors will be entered into our drawing to win a Hawaiian-themed wine basket filled with goodies.

We hope to see you at First Friday... no hula skirts necessary!

Aloha!

Customize Your Home

The key to creating a homestead that radiates your own style and quirkiness is by filling it YOUR way. Paint… upholstery… furniture… lamps… window hangings… curtains… pillows… wall hangings… you name it. There are multitudes of unique combinations to be made within your home. But, when it comes to finding just the right items to do the filling, wouldn’t it be nice to find something entirely YOU that’s not already owned by thousands of others?

Belle Melange offers a vast variety of pieces that cannot be found in department stores. We offer all handmade art pieces and furniture to identify your own style. Whether you want to use a flamboyant upholstered chair, a stained glass fireplace screen, feathered bird pillows or a stained glass window hanging to customize your home… we make the process easy.

Some of our most popular items to help you add some new style and originality to your favorite rooms include these pieces that our artists have spent hours perfecting.

Take a peek….

Floral Chair



Towel Rack


Bird Ottoman

Fire Place Screen

Bird House Collage

Stained Glass Mini

Peacock Mirror

Stained Glass Lamp

It doesn’t take an entire makeover to add style and a vibe of your own to your home. Come see us at our store in Ithaca to find just the right piece for your home… or the perfect gift for a friend.