Made from a repurposed family Heirloom (A cherry wood dining table), this is one of four pieces made from the original table. This bench was the last piece to come together from all the bits and chunks remaining after dismantling the original table. My original intention was to repurpose the traditional legs into a skinny hall table. But I decided the bench would allow me to use more of the cherry wood because of the base platform for shoes. I also love a piece that is multifunctional. With this piece there is a bench, shoe rack and hidden storage under the seat. Final size was approx. 36x18x14.

This tray was built from the the two end flaps of the original cherry table that folded down to make the table a space saver. I added a nautical touch with the rope wrapped handles. It sits 3/4” off the table top with the original slides in place on the back side. Easy to pick up and lots of space for a great spread at a party. Final size is approximately 34” x20”.

Made from a repurposed family Heirloom (A cherry wood dining table). This is one of four pieces that I made as a surprise thank you for my client that had gifted me an Airstream! Yes, You heard it right. Airstream. My client had the table for years, but wanted to be able to somehow share it with her brothers. She gave it to me and said “work your magic”. Neither of us had any idea of what would come out of the project. This little box was made from the top leaves that would inset to extend the table. I decided to keep the reference to the little pegs (that held the leaves in place) you will see here in the lid. Final size was 11x11 square and about 8 inches deep.

Made from a repurposed family Heirloom (A cherry wood dining table), this is one of four pieces made from the original table. This is a dual purpose reversible cherry wood tray has a smooth surface with a carved inset on one side , the other side has a small rim to keep small bits from rolling off. The tray was formed from the original table top. If you look close you can see where the pegs for the table leaves were. I left them visible as a nod to its first purpose. The final size is approx. 18”x12”x1.75”, not including the additional length from the black steel handles.

This was an upcycled & repurposed an antique mailbox door into a little custom bank box for my clients Mom as a surprise Christmas gift. The little door was a sentimental find her Mom came across sorting through old boxes that had been left by a friend that passed on. This gift honors that friendship. The blue is her Mom’s favorite color and I designed the box to compliment the mission style home it now sits in. The final size was approximately 10x12x8.

Inspired by a road trip to Chesapeake Bay with my hubby. This was my first attempt at carving since college (about 30 years back) Blue crabs were everywhere in Chesapeake Bay. They are beautiful little creatures and we found them crafted as ceramic “sit-arounds”, painted on cards and canvas’s, grilled on sandwiches (a bit to crunchy for me) and on the rocks around the bay. This little guy was carved from bass wood, painted with chalk paint and touched with gold highlights to bring out the details. The final finish was a clear wax. Size is 6”x3”x9”.

The metal framed letters were salvaged from old signs. Wooden letters were cut to sit inside metal frames to house a string of garden light bulbs. The light is controlled by a pull switch at the bottom of the “i”. I love the look of old marquee lighting. It’s hard wired in the entryway of my home to greet my clients and friends. The final size is 3’ x 3’.

This is Cookie, my folks‘ cockapoo. She’s always so sweet and happy that I couldn’t resist putting her likeness in a painting. Acrylic on canvas. The final size is 11“ x 14”.

This piece is the first in a series of three. Each has a custom illustration to express the lyrics of Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly" and is wrapped in an original guitar string used by Tom Petty. My client had collected the guitar strings and wanted them incorporated into the final pieces in some way. They make the perfect "swoosh" behind a tiny 3D paper airplane. These were created as gifts for 3 Tom Petty super fans. RIP Tom Petty. Final size is held in a 14"x14" frame.

This painting was commissioned as a gift for the owner of a rad childhood banana-seat bicycle.  A cycling enthusiast and competitor in adulthood, his awesome retro bicycle had rusted out and was being kept on display at a local bike repair shop. My client wanted to have a painting of it for him to enjoy at home everyday. The bright colors were intentionally chosen to bring an old memory back to life. Acrylic on canvas. The final size is 3’ x 4’.

This chandelier was created for a kitchen that was in need of some fun lighting. My client loves to enjoy laughs and a glass of wine with goods friends. It made perfect sense to incorporate a chandelier made of wine bottles. The bottles were diligently consumed (work, work, work!) cleaned, collected and housed in a base made of walnut and hung by two support bars made from gas pipe. This light was custom built 4‘ long x 1’ wide to fit her kitchen ceiling space, then hard-wired with a nod to the past using ever-popular tube-style Edison bulbs.

I had some scrap barn boards from another table project and a left over steel stand from an industrial fan, so I made a little bar table to go with my bar stools. Final size is 30" tall x 26" round table top. Cheers!

This was a thank you gift for some friends that are from Boston, are BIG Boston Red Sox fans and their last name starts with "B". It was intended to hang at their cabin in Breckenridge, CO as a "shingle" for their guests to find their way. Final size is approx. 14"x14".

The idea of this project was to make something from a single board. I found the board on an afternoon trip with a friend exploring old barns. This one off by itself buried in the tall grass. It was originally a piece of a door frame. The interior is the white side you see turned to the inside of the box and the exterior is the crusty red paint side. Final size is approx. 12"x16'x5".

This table was created from a fallen walnut tree. It was cut, milled and dried over the period of about 5 years and milled again to get the lumber to a workable size & shape. And finally crafted into a beautiful solid walnut table for a family heirloom. Final size is 60"x60".

For this cabinet remodel.... my client wanted a more modern style with a little splash of color (flat black, blue chalk paint & black wax to give an indigo finish) to match their newly remodeled office. The original cabinet was well made. So, it really just needed a little "face lift". Check out the before, during & after pics at the Basilblue Facebook page. Final size is 72"long x 16"deep x 30" tall

This mirror frame was custom built to fit in the entryway of a clients home. It’s constructed from poplar and sanded to a buttery smooth finish. I love that the client wanted to see the wood grain through the nutmeg stain. It’s a grand statement in the entry of their modern home. The final size is 8‘ x 3’ outside the frame.

The inspiration simply came from a photo I had taken of cone flowers. Acrylic on canvas. The final size is 3’ x 3’.

This was a sketch done in a class that I took with my Dad at the Des Moines Art center. Such a fun experience.

This little table was requested by a good friend and colleague of mine. She had salvaged these logs and wanted to "bring the outdoors in"! My friend, her son and I made an evening of it. We cut, sanded and organized them into a small grouping. Then wrapped them up tight by twisting wire to resemble old fence posts and sealed the logs with teak oil. The final table measures approximately 16" tall by 32" across.

I am the proud owner of a Great Dane named Lily. She is constantly standing at eye level when I am at my desk working. (I have yet to win a staring contest.) Her crooked ear is always laying on top of her head, as if there are high winds from the West. She is my sweet 100 lbs. of four-legged love. I had to paint her. This painting was submitted and accepted for a show at the Polk County Heritage Gallery in 2013. Acrylic on canvas. The final size is 3‘ x 4’.

This table was remodeled for a family of 8. Originally, a standard 6' wooden farm table with 3' extensions on each end. The homeowner had the idea to take the existing table and cover it with the gray bamboo flooring you see here. He also wanted to be able to raise it up to match the height of the island in their kitchen and roll it out of the way to make space for family and friends at larger gatherings. This is the table as it sits with out the wheels added. This table measures 9' long X 5' wide.

This dart board wall was designed to preserve the surrounding drywall from rogue darts and give a casual, fun and functional "hang out" space for the teens in the house. I built this in my shop and secured it on a french cleat designed to hold the weight and be easily removable if the homeowner ever decides to take it down and repurpose it, possibly, as a sliding door or large table top. The final size is 4'x8'.

A client and friend generously offered a day of salvaging lumber for woodworking projects from a collapsed barn on her acreage in southern Iowa. The land was about to be cleared, so... off we went to save what we could. These two little tables were constructed of wood salvaged from a primitive dining table that had been crushed and pulled from the collapsed barn. Such a fun and productive day.  The final size is approximately 2‘ tall x 18” sq. on top and approximately 1’ square for the smaller table.

This letter “A” painted as the start to a line-up of alphabet letters. Each additional letter was painted or constructed by a different person for decoration in a new babies room. Too cute! Acrylic on canvas. The final size is 1’ x 1’.

These are sliding door panels made up of reclaimed / salvaged windows. Stripped, repaired, painted white and re-framed into 2 tall panels. I installed a white background to the backside of the windows to cover floor to ceiling shelves used for household storage. They open side-to-side on metal a barn door sliding track. Final size is 3’6” x 8‘  and
4’ x 8’ to create an overlap to camouflage the gap between the front and back panel when installed.

This wood veneer tube light was the brainstorm baby of an asymmetrical shaped built-in TV wall. On the right side of the TV was a perfectly square cabinet cut-out with a couple shelves and on the left side of the TV was a tall narrow cut-out cabinet. For the tall narrow cabinet we had enough room to work with about 7‘ tall and 12” deep & 12” wide. My client suggested a vase filled with tall twigs or a sculpture. Because the wood is dark, I suggested a lighting option. After a couple rounds of sketches we landed on a tall tube light wrapped in a web of thin wood veneer.  This lamp is a one-of-a-kind sculpture and easily turned on at the base with a click of a switch that is hidden behind the light. It is held upright in a sturdy base and top plate and has a surprisingly dramatic light and airy look. The final height is 12” round by 7’ tall.

What can I say... cupcakes are delicious. Equal parts cake to frosting ratio. The inspiration speaks for itself.  It was my son's idea to add the sprinkles. Acrylic on canvas. The final size is 1‘ x 1’.

These little signs were painted for 3 girl's rooms with their nicknames based on their favorite colors. Acrylic on wood, framed and sealed with a high gloss finish. The final size is approximately 6” x 14”.

This is the beginning phase for a couples' home that is turning their modern stark white interior canvas into a rustic and cozy home for their family in the country. They salvaged and cleaned the wood themselves and hired me to install it floor to ceiling in their entryway. The wood in itself looks amazing with all the aged-to-perfection colors of rust, gray and white. They were thrilled with the transformation and excited to get to the next phase with decorating. 

Some of my work requires a little team support...  I had to call in the big guns for a little heavy lifting to create a dining table from an 11’ strip of salvaged bowling alley. My Husband and I cut it down to 7‘ making it a manageable size. We had milled a salvaged walnut tree and I used some of the walnut to frame the edge of the table. The original gym floor coating was a mess, so I removed it completely and refilled, sanded and clear coated it to preserve its original color. It rests on a sturdy steel base that measures 26.5” tall x 42“wide x 78” long. The table top measures 43.75“ wide x 74” long x 3.5“ thick. This table is currently available to purchase.

This is Ruby, a spunky golden retriever puppy. She got in trouble playing in the mud and tracked it all over. Which, of course, led to a cute snapshot. Ruby’s owner received the photo captured in this painting of Ruby as a surprise gift from her daughter on Mothers Day. Acrylic on canvas. The final size is 18” x 24”.

I was contracted to remodel a friends' bathroom & kitchen. I will talk more about remodeling projects in the Blog, but wanted the share a simple solution for a shelf I made for her new bathroom that you see here. This is simply gas pipe and a salvaged chunk of lumber from an old barn. It’s a great way to add some character and function in a smaller custom space. The final size is approximately 30‘ tall x 10” wide x 36”  long. 

My client granted me creative freedom to make a piece of art for her and her hubby. The final resting spot would be a tall narrow area between two mirrors at a double vanity in their master bathroom. My thought was... it had to special and interesting enough to want to see it everyday. They are both musicians along with their many other talents. I found out “their” song, "Us Against the World“ by Cold Play, and created imagery to go with the lyrics. I drew it out on glass (to cast a shadow) in a retro tattoo style because my clients are cool like that. They were touched by the surprise of it and I was thrilled to make a one-of-a-kind piece just for them. The final size is approximately 13” x 26“.

It’s always fun to think of new ways to use products that may not be expected. Wood lathe is typically used behind plaster walls, but as it turns out its a fun, inexpensive solution to putting a twist on a barn wood feature wall. It was time consuming with all the small pieces, but totally worth the effort to get the texture and warmth it created in the room.

Three Edison bulbs, three inexpensive light bulb cages, vintage twisted electrical wire and black vintage inspired sockets all wired together into one simple lighting solution to jazz up a small kitchen nook with an industrial flair. 

Meet my friend Gordon. This was painted from a color corporate head shot. The inspiration came just before his 50th birthday. His lovely wife, posted  “Fifty shades of Gordon”  (which was a different photo of him everyday for 50 days leading up to his 50th Birthday). Brilliant!  Gordon has a lovely loaf of silver hair and what better opportunity to do fifty shades of gray in black & white. Thank you Gordon for being my muse ! The final size is 3’ x 3’.

This beautiful sliver of wood was cut from a log, sanded, sealed, set on a gas pipe post and then balanced on a small block of colored concrete. My client wanted a simple, modern but earthy sculpture to bring some of the outdoors into her home. Being from Iowa... everything is better on a stick. (If you are a fan of the Iowa State Fair, you know exactly what I mean.) The final size is approx. 18” round standing no taller than 24”.

Animals are always fun to paint. They have huge personalities and the art is always so personal to the owner. This is Roxy, she is an energetic, vocal little chihuahua. This was painted as a gift for an amazing couple that has commissioned me for several projects in their home. They recently had a baby and Roxy, desperate for some attention of her own, finally let me pet her! The final size is 1‘ x 1’.

Made for a Bridesmaid party poster. There were actually 2 separate posters. This one ended up being cropped and framed for the bride. Super cute and fun painting.

This is my last name made with old print letter blocks. I simply glued them together to set them on a ledge. Simple and fun. I’m an antique lover and the character and color of the old blocks was irresistible to me.

Inspired by a craft I had seen on Pinterest that I wanted to give a try. This was a fun and simple project to spice up an otherwise boring old coat rack.