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.

Artist Interview Series-Nina Maniscalo

Are you a full time or part time artist?
I am a part time artist with a full time artist's attitude. I have to put it that way because I have never been able to make a living from art alone, so I do many other forms of work to make that happen. Somewhere along the way... about fourteen years ago... I got married and became a parent, and that took up a lot of time. The good thing is that as my children grow older I am afforded more time to create art, yet I still work part time to help support my family and my art.

Is there a business name and how did you come up with it?
Yes my business is called Blue Lotus and this is how I came up with it...

It had been a while since I'd been painting furniture on my own and thought it would be nice to have a logo, and ID so to speak. My name is really a mouthful, and I wanted to have some way to identify my art that would be easier, so I started to brainstorm. After filling 5 or 6 pages of a notebook with little sketches, I then called my friend Kathy to run the ideas past her. She was very helpful in pointing out the flaws in most of my ideas and what I was left with was the Little Blue Lotus that I shortened to Blue Lotus. I then painted an original image of the Blue Lotus that is used to create all my promotional graphics. The Blue Lotus image comes from Tibetan Buddhist Art. I am influenced very heavily by this art and the philosophy.

Are you self taught or academically trained?
I am academically trained, but I like to think that part of my training is self taught as well. I received my degree, a BFA in Painting at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, but I don't think that my receiving of that document somehow made me an official artist. I believe that becoming an artist is a process that begins with an aspiration to want to become one, followed by many years of working toward that goal. I continue to grow and refine my artistic tools through both formal and informal training.

What is your description of an artist?

This description is as difficult to define and intertwined with the concept of "What is Art?" There is no universal opinion of what art is. So from my point of view, art is something that calls to the viewer. It shines and sparkles and draws us into it, while raising questions and telling us stories. Art is rarely boring and needs to please someone, be it the creator or the audience. Art can express a vast array of emotions and attitudes.

So what is an artist?

To me, it is someone who spends most of their time either thinking about or creating art.

When did you first call yourself an artist?

It was some time after I'd left school and lived in the real world--the world where I needed to make money to afford rent and food etc. I had worked in many venues that were not art related and others that were. Regardless of these things, I continued to keep sketch books to draw and to paint. I realized after a while that no matter what I did to make a living, in my heart it was the art that mattered.

Did you have or would you like to pursue other careers?

As I mentioned in the previous question, I have worked in many venues. Some of which were: prep cook, salad chef, house cleaner and cell painter for an animation house. I found my way into computer animation for video and continued on that path for about 11 years, until I became a mom. Throughout this span of time, I continued to make art, usually in the evenings or on weekends. What I see in my future is something that will relate more closely to my art and somehow include it. I'm very interested in interior design and helping people visualize things, I want to be a visualizer for hire.

In what way does your art make you feel vulnerable?
My art doesn't really make me feel vulnerable, well not too much anyway. Maybe I used to have doubts about my abilities, but over time I was able to see a pattern emerge in the creative process, one which included making mistakes and throwing some things away. The cycle always comes back to finding something I like and am happy with. I don't really do any art that would expose myself so to speak, but there is always a feeling which is hard to pin down when I begin of an art piece, in which I think I'm not sure of what the outcome will be. Will it match my inner vision... or will it take on a life of it's own? I never know for sure... so I just keep on creating.

In what ways, if any, are you trying to make your business more earth friendly?
I began in the last couple years to use Low and No VOC paints, I still have a little of my older paints left but not much. For finishing products occasionally I use a water based polyurethane but more often I have been using a polymerized linseed oil with beeswax which is non toxic. It feels great when I clean my brushes in the sink, that what is going down the drain will not harm the environment.

What is your current project?
Currently I have been creating mirror and picture frames using reclaimed base board wood. I paint them with interior house paint. I create color patterns and textures on them. The current series I have been working on is influenced by Tibetan Buddhist Art. Many of these patterns are simplified representations of the basic elements like fire, earth, water, air and space. I also enjoy making these patterns come alive a little. I do not try to make them perfect... rather I like to see them dance on the painted surface with a bit of irregularity.

What is your next project?
I look forward to collaborating on some furniture pieces with Anne Steinle. She has given me a few chairs and stools to work on, some of them she has some specific Ideas about, and the others I will come up with the inspiration. I'd also like to some more paintings on canvas. I began a series of studies called "Shiny Things" and hope it will lead me somewhere.

Where and how can I find your work?
You can find my work currently at the Belle Mellange Gallery. Also I'd be happy to speak with you about commissioned work. My phone number is 607.227.5770 and my email address is maniscalco4@verizon.net

Artist Interview Series-Ann Steinle

Belle Melange emcompasses multiple artists who all bring unique talents to our store's collection. We've decided to give our readers a little insight to each of our artists and what inspires them. We begin with Anne Steinle...

Are you a full time or part time artist?
I've had a residential upholstery business for over 25 years, but it was not until about 16 years ago that the real artsy work started being produced as well.

Red-Winged Blackbird Pillow

Is there a business name and how did you come up with it?
Yes, my D.B.A. says it's Littlestone Fabric Works, but I now call it Littlestone Designs. Littlestone is how you translate Steinle from German to English.

Ring-Necked Pheasant Pillow

Are you self taught or academically trained?
On-the-job training is the only (and best) way to go in this business!

What is your description of an artist?

I know that I feel differently when I work on an art piece. I enjoy my work, no matter what the project, but when it's a true art piece, I look on it as if it were my child... sort of giving it life. Also, it's easy and, frankly, exhilarating to feel that not all the ideas are coming from me, but rather through me sometimes. Maybe this is just how you feel when you free yourself of pre-existing ideas and the barriers of everyday life.

When did you first call yourself an artist?
When I first felt those feelings I just mentioned. But I didn't say it in public until someone else called me one first.

Did you have or would you like to pursue other careers?
I used to do landscaping... I love gardening. But if my body gives way, I've always wanted to operate an employment agency. I've always thought that if people were working at a job they liked, so many problems today would be nonexistent.

In what way does your art make you feel vulnerable?
I've had some clients give me total artistic license with their furniture. I've found that way too nerve racking, so now I at least show them colors... maybe a glimpse of the idea. They are going to be living with the piece for quite some time, you know. I do try to drop their jaw, though. That's just fun!

In what ways, if any, are you trying to make your business more earth friendly?
Well, years ago, I started asking that question about every product and method I used. Over time, I have reduced my garbage from around 5 bags a week to about 1/2 bag by recycling, finding other uses, etc. I try to use as little foam as possible... a petroleum product. I question the actual need for all products available and find that I can easily do without quite a few, silicone, spray glue, silk film (plastic) to name a few. I look for quality existing frames, using what's already around instead of adding more. With unusable frames, I save whatever I can from them for later use... legs, corner brackets, horsehair, springs, etc. It's actually not hard to reduce the amount of waste and toxins we individually put out there if we just give it a little thought.

What is your current project?
I'm always working on a variety of things, but a constant focus now is the Bird Pillows. I'm offering limited editions of some Northeastern Songbirds, a few shorebirds and the Bald Eagle. As another design develops, it will be added, but a special commission of just one pillow is impossible to do for a reasonable price considering the amount of fabric and work in each one.

What is your next project?
Most of my work is commission based, so who knows what that will bring... always exciting! I am looking for the right chair for another big leather piece.

Where and how can I find your work?
All my work, from simple footstools to my remaining Bird Series Pieces, can be found at Belle Melange. Most, if not all, items are shown on the Belle Melange website. Simply call the store (607.277.3782) or my studio (607.277.5119) for purchase information. You can also email me at LittleStone5119@aol.comfor purchases and custom orders.
You can purchase Ann's work on our etsy site starting in June!

Energize Your Home for Spring... One Pillow at a Time!

Spring is the time of year to refresh and rejuvenate yourself and your home. By de-cluttering and updating your rooms with new accessories, you can significantly boost your mood and add just the right dose of springtime energy you need in your surroundings. One way to go about it is through updating your room's accessories.

You don't need to purchase or replace any furniture or spend money on new paint and upholstery. All you need is the right pinch of detail to invigorate a room. Through updated tapestries or curtains, pillows, and even fresh flowers... rooms can take on an entire new life form.

The accent pieces below, which includes Bird Pillows hand crafted by one of our artists here at Belle Melange, are simple to add to any room. I put together the arrangement below to show anybody how simple it is to transform your living room for spring!

These vibrant bird pillows electrify this couch and create an energizing, welcoming and friendly atmosphere for spring. The feathers hand sown into the pillows creates the feeling of being outside, even when you're in!

I found this basket and fell in love with the beading. It's a quick and easy makeover piece to add to any coffee table or side table. The yellow beading really accents the pillows, while the green adds a new touch of color to the room! To make the basket even more functional, fill it with fresh spring flowers, like green hydrangeas (fill the bottom with a shallow bowl of water).

Curtains can change the entire mood of a room! For spring, the vibrant green of these sheer curtains accents the basket while enhacing the yellow in the pillows.