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Makeover - From Cluttered to Multi Purpose craft Room

6/23/2019

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The problem:  Sun room serves two purposes: a craft room and lounge area. It was cluttered, did not have enough storage, space, or working areas. It lacked places to work and space to just sit and relax.

​​Janise's Solution: Create a multipurpose room room that serves as a craft studio and lounge area.  To create double purpose storage areas, seating, and works spaces  that are functional and stylish.  Work with owner to identify room style and up-cycle and re-purpose as much as possible.
Help me Makeover My Space
Janise's Process:
Style: owner's chosen style is retro / eclectic vintage
Transformations:  
  • Created 2 different spaces in one room 1) crafting work area and 2) sitting lounge area
  • Craft working area:
    • open work space for multiple people with seating
      • up-cycled vintage kitchen table top, added vintage manual sewing base as legs - 
      • re-purposed cube storage drawers
      • custom made cushions to create seating over cube storage drawers
      • re-purposed retro chairs
      • vintage dress form holds craft tools near working table
      • vintage tins, tray, baskets decorative organizer containers
      • vintage fur accents from old coats
      • refurbished vintage fan for cross ventilation 
    • standing work bench: created several stations: hot torch area, grinding & polishing, sawing and shaping 
      • mounted movable lights, magnifiers, and tools
      • recycled lazy Susan under workbench for easy access to organizers
      • recycled jars, plastic containers, baskets, and trays for organizers
      • table top tools organizer
      • re-purposed plastic chair mat as carpet protector
    • ​storage cabinets
      • up-cycled and vintage writing desk: added custom shelving, and made door handles from deer antlers
      • recycled jars, plastic containers for organizers
      • converted boat shelf into cleaver storage for beads & findings
      • recycled old beer crate into book storage cabinet
      • re-purposed lamps for extra movable lighting
      • re-purposed deer antlers, fur, deer head for decorations
      • open space behind the boat shelf to store in process projects (windows were the current projects when photos were taken)


      Sitting area: comfort area to relax with friends or meet with clients
      • up-cycled old suitcases into a stacking side table with storage
      • re-purposed an old couch
      • re-purposed pillows
      • up-cycled old vintage wig box into retro style side table
      • re-purposed vintage lamps
      • refurbished vintage accessories, decor, & props that are functional and ascetic
        • dress forms that are used to design and display
        • working fans for ventilation
        • deer heads
        • fur accents from vintage coat 
      • pull down shades for filtered lighting
      • white cotton curtains - serves as sun control and photography backdrop

Want to work with Janise on your own DIY or Makeover project? contact Janise
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mAKEOVER: FROM OLD SUITCASES TO sTORAGE SIDE TABLE

6/15/2019

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​The problem:  not enough storage space in craft studio area
​This was part of a craft studio remodel project, look for next posting about the entire room.
Picture
The Story
My good friend Michelle's mother was down sizing and relocating her home of many many years. She asked me to assist her with cleaning out her mother's attic which had been use by many many family members as storage.  Little did she know, I was thrilled to do it.  My inner child came out and I was imaging all the forgotten treasures, special memories of tokens, keepsakes, dishes, wedding dresses, hats, toys, movies, photos, etc... My imagination went wild thinking of all the possible oddities that await in the attic. 
 
It was clean out weekend... we ventured up the stairs to find an attic full of stuff that needed to be gone through and sorted by what to keep, trash, sell, or donate.  As we sorted through, the memories and stories started to come to life.  The experiences of those who came before and childhood memories filled the air.  It made a dirty job very rewarding.

The Process:

Out of the trash pile I gathered these old suitcases.
Design: to create a side table that doubles as storage.
  • determine height needed
  • secure stacking of each suitcase
  • how each case could be opened or removed individually
  • room style would determine legs
Cleanup: the cases were structurally fine, but in need of some good old fashioned elbow grease, deodorizing, and removing worn out linings and trimmings.  
Purchased ready made legs from hardware store along with appropriate hardware.
​Stained and attached the legs
Use double sided sticky Velcro in between the suitcases to secure one to the other, also allows for easy removing to access the storage areas.

Want to work with Janise on your own DIY projects? contact Janise
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Farm Tables Complete

6/1/2019

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We are very happy to announce that we have completed the large task of making 15 farm tables and 30 benches.  A true labor of love and each table set has it's own distinct characteristics.  We can't wait to see them in place as we celebrate our daughter and future son-in-law's wedding. :)   Read more about it
Ed assembling the legs on farm tables
Want to see the whole process?  Check out album here.
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The Process of Making Farm Tables & Benches

3/4/2019

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Update: We have two tables and bench sets completed.  Our second table set turned out to be a beautiful blue gray slate color (first photo).  Really lovely color, but not the color we were going for so back to the stain development process to get the warm brown gray undertones we originally planned.
I will update the product page soon, but if you are interested in this color, please reserve it now as we will only be making one set. (just put a comment on the checkout page "I would like the blue gray set" or contact us.)


Ed has our shop buzzing with sawing, drilling, sanding, and assembling.  Janise completed the developed a custom stain and fishing technique to provide the warm gray brown undertones with the white wash overlay we desire.  Now back to the finish work of staining, white washing, sanding, and clear coating of the remaining sets.  
​
In this video Ed is demonstrating biscuit and pocket holes joinery, the techniques he uses to build farm tables modeled after Amish style farm tables.
The purpose is to join two pieces of wood to each other. The benefit to biscuits is that they add strength and durability to a project. Their main purpose is as a joiner.
Pocket hole joinery is a very simple process - it involves nothing more than drilling an angled counter-bore into a piece of wood and joining it to another piece of wood with a screw. The screw sits inside the hole and provide a sturdy out of sight joint.
Gray Farm Table & Benches Crows Nest Arts
Gray Farm Table & Benches Crows Nest Arts
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January 21st, 2019

1/21/2019

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The labor of love has begun as Ed steadily hones his furniture making skills and Janise fine tunes her custom finishing processes.  The goal is it turn the piles of raw lumber acquired from a local Amish mill into beautiful gray farm house tables and benches before June of 2019.

We are thrilled to say have one table and two benches completely finished.  We have had so many complements on them, we decided to offer them for sale. They would be available for pickup/delivery at the end of June.  
Farm table Crows Nest Arts
Learn more & reserve your table
Handcrafted Farm Table Crows Nest Arts
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Farmhouse Tables For A Bride-To-Be

1/2/2019

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As with most everything the Crows make, there is a story. Ed, the “Father of the Bride” and a wood worker, wanted to make something special for his daughter and future son-in-law's wedding.  He loves projects, so in keeping with the venue of the wedding and his daughter's dreams for her special day, he decided he would hand make tables and benches.  Ed poured over design ideas, local resources, and came up with a design and plan. He made a prototype table and two benches (which are shown here). Janise researched and experimented with many stain and white wash techniques and finally came up with a finish that was exactly what they hoped for. 

The test was to see if the future bride would like the prototype and want to use dad's hand made tables for her wedding reception.  She loved them, now Ed had his wish come true, a special project for his daughter's wedding day, 15 handmade custom farm house tables with benches, in a gray white wash finish. 

We will post our progress of making the 12-15 tables and 24-30 benches along the way, so keep following us.
Cutting wood to construct farm table and benches Crows Nest Arts
Sanding handcrafted farm table and bench Crows Nest Arts
Gray handcrafted farm table and bench Crows Nest Arts
Unfinished handcrafted farm table and bench Crows Nest Arts
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Beast In Me                               recycled/repurposed exhibit

5/25/2018

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"Beast In Me" Fashion & Wearable Art by Janise Crow recycled/repurposed art exhibit
"Beast In Me" Fashion & Wearable Art by Janise Crow recycled/repurposed art exhibit
"Beast In Me" Fashion & Wearable Art by Janise Crow recycled/repurposed art exhibit
Picture"Beast In Me" by Janise Crow
by Janise Crow
​I recently learned of a local art gallery looking for art submissions using recycled/re-purposed materials. Naturally I was curious so I investigated more.  T
he theme is "Beasts Among Us" I couldn't stop thinking about it.  Ideas flowed in and out of my mind quickly.  I grew more excited about what found treasures I could use to convey my message. I quickly scavenged my stash. I connected with friends to ask for their unwanted items and I dug through the local recycle bins.

T
his is to be my first large art piece I have ever submitted to a juried exhibit.   My goal was to stay true to who I am as a fashion and jewelry artist.  I want to create a wearable art piece that is unique and beautiful with lots of interest. That sparks enough interest to make you want to look closer and explore all the details. that are not so obvious. All the while pondering the question what are the "Beasts Among Us".   This is an introspective view of the Beast In Me.

Consider This While Looking at "Beasts in Me" 
A beast is usually thought of as a large and dangerous four-footed animal.   There are many types of beasts in the world.  A domestic bovine farm animal is one.  Dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, birds, and fish are all beasts. Even tiny critters like bugs are beasts.
People can be called beasts, too, when they behave in a beastly way. Anyone acting in an uncivilized, depraved, savage, violent, or cruel way is being a beast.


Beasts are considered powerful and can be cunning.  Consider how they might use its skills toward prey, unnoticeably observing, listening, and learning.  Beasts make subtle and strategic moves to lure, demobilize, and devour its prey.

Beasts live among us and they seem normal and a vital part of daily life.  But they can be deceivingly attractive either in appearance, beneficial use, strength, power, and acceptance. 

What happens when the beast is human?
What is happening today?
What is the beast within me?


What's it made of?

Discarded and recycled materials from nature, fashion, food, electronic, and construction industries.
Shoulder Sash of Beast In Me by Janise Crow
Shoulder sash Beast In Me
The shoulder sash is made with the tail feathers of a grouse donated by a friend from one of his hunter gatherings; a mink from a vintage stole whose holes have been patched with old window screen, and computer web camera spying eyes. The floral and fona embellishments are made from a peacock feather; recycled gemstones. The flowers are made from Tyvek that is hand-painted and cut in flower shapes. The leaves are green plastic soda bottles that have been shrunken and shaped with a heat gun. The butterflies made from aluminum cans, cut into butterfly shapes, embossed, hand painted, and accented with beads. The large focal flower is made from the spout of a soda bottle, heated and shaped with a heat gun, it has a light bulb center, a snakeskin belt has been cleverly used as the the under-structure and a printer cable with wire crocheted around it is a vine winds and snakes it way through the entire piece leading your eye to investigate what is lurking with in the beautiful bouquet. 

Middle Sash of Beast In Me by Janise Crow
Middle sash Beast In Me
​The middle sash continues the floral and fona theme. It's embellishments are leaves made from green plastic soda bottles, the flowers are made from Tyvek and then hand-painted, cut to shape, and have computer components and skull centers with accents of fox fur, crystals from an old chandelier, and netting from fruit bags.  The butterflies are hand-painted, embossed aluminum cans, and a printer cable with wire crocheted around continues to wind its way in and out of a snakeskin belt.
Lower sash of Beast In Me by Janise Crow
Lower sash Beast In Me
The lower sash continues in the  floral and fona theme with a twist, the large bulb flower is a computer camera suspended by a battery accented with crocheted wire, plastic bottle leaves, Tyvek flowers, skulls, a leg from a mink stole pelt, aluminum can butterflies, net food bags, crystals from a chandelier, misc. auto parts, snake skin belt, and a blue heart.
Left shoulder of Beast In Me by Janise Crow
Left Shoulder of Beast In Me
The left shoulder continues in the  floral and fona theme, the crocheted printer cable is the main vine snaking throughout the piece.  A varmint skull adorned with chandelier crystals, fox fur, rhinestone, and aluminum can butterfly is center stage.  It is further embellished with a headdress of plastic bottle leaves, Tyvek flowers with skulls and computer parts as centers, a leg from a mink stole pelt, aluminum can butterflies, netting from plastic food bags, and more fox fur.   The vine cable continues to the back of the piece where a little surprise is waiting.
Beast in Me - the back by Janise Crow
Back of Beast In Me
The back is complete with a mink tail and grouse tail feathers. A plastic soda bottle holds this beautiful arrangement made of tail feathers, Tyvek flowers with skulls and computer parts as centers, chandelier crystals, fox fur, rhinestone, and aluminum can butterflies with the crocheted printer cable plugged in to complete the circuit. 
On Exhibit​
  • Train Station Gallery, Clinton County Art Council
        2 East Bald Eagle Street Lock Haven PA 17745
        June 8th 6-9 pm Opening Reception
         June 8 - July 7 2018  


       Train Station Gallery Hours:
       Thursday-Friday: 1pm-5pm ~ Saturday: 9am-4pm ~ Sunday: 1pm-4pm
  • Crows Nest Arts
       State College, PA
       July 8, 2018 -   (by appointment)
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Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous, Ridgway PA Outdoor Arts Festival

4/28/2018

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Saturday is our ladt day here, there are soo many fun things going on today; live carvings, tri-athalon, auctions, foods, crafts, meet the artists and more. Something for everyone.
​
Stop by our booth, carver #12, on Center St and say hi!
Don’t forget to vote for your favorite carver!!

Saturday, April 28
9am - 5 pm Carver & Artist booths open Around the courthouse
9am - 4pm Vote for People's Choice Award
9am - 4 pm Collaborative Carving - Nature Pole Tribute to Dave Love
11am - 4pm Live Music
1:30pm - 3pm Carvers demonstrate during Quick Carves, carvings will be auctioned at the end of the carve session.​
5pm awards for carvers

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