TRANSFORM THE LOOK OF YOUR SPACE WITH JUST A COAT OF PAINT! IT'S METAMORPHIC MONDAY; SO GET BUSY!

IT'S METAMORPHIC MONDAY! WHAT HAVE YOU TRANSFORMED LATELY?? IF YOU HAVE, TAKE PHOTOS AND SHARE WITH THE REST OF US ON BLOG WORLD!

The amazing thing about paint is that with very little or no money, you can completely transform the look of a room. Take a look at the first photo and notice the brown dresser. Very pretty but wait til you see the same vignette in a completely different color....


Same dresser with the same items, but such a fresher and cleaner look with a coat of primer and a coat of paint. The space feels brighter and airy with the antique furniture painted white. My father used to tell me to leave an antique in its original state. But for me, brighter and cheery make me feel more alive in my space. So, "whatever works best for you is just right" is my theory. This look fits in perfect in our beach guest cottage. Our guests seem to enjoy the space and their surroundings a lot!

It's always fun to see before and after photos. And there are so many of my blogger friends who are talented and creative. So, grab a cup of tea and a seat and head on over to BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH blog and visit the many sites of fellow bloggers to see what they have in store for you!

BLUE MURANO JEWELRY FOR BLUE MONDAY!

Last summer on our treasure hunting in Italy, I was amazed when I discovered the art of murano glass making. I couldn't believe how each piece was truly unique and no other was alike and each one a truly beautiful work of art.

This is a set of earrings and matching necklace that I fell in love with and wanted to share for Blue Monday because of its amazing shade of robin egg blue!

Working with a kiln, glass & gravity becomes for most artisans, a new & exciting skill. Handmade glass beads are made using a process called lamp work that first began in Venice around 1615 and is still used by Murano artisans today. It is a labor-intensive method, demanding concentration & skill as the glass is melted over a hot flame and at the same time wound around a steel rod. Different colored glass is melted and combined to give different designs & effects. Beads are kiln annealed to give strength to the glass.
Another form of glass work is dichroic glass, which is a glass with a very thin layer of metallic oxides sprayed on it in a vacuum atmosphere, resulting in layers with a total thickness of 3 to 5 millionths of an inch. As the angle is changed, so do the colors.
As each is a study in individuality as no two pieces are the same.
Here are some photos of artists creating Murano Glass:

Murano is just a short vaporetto (water taxi) ride from Venice, where murano glass is made, but this quiet island is a world away from often touristy Venice. Murano has its own Grand Canal, along with fascinating shops and sidewalk cafes. Murano also has a marvelous glass museum and several glass factories where you can watch these artists work in their own environment.

So, if your ever in Venice, don't forget about visiting Murano and visiting the factories where these talented artists create for you right before your very eyes! And if you can't get there anytime soon, visit TessorFino.com, my boutique, and browse under "Treasured Jewels" to see more jewelry from Murano! In the meantime, don't forget to head on over to SMILING SALLY'S blog to discover many posts today with the theme of Blue and see what my many blogger friends have in store for you!