finishing up

It has been a long time, I know. No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth..just lots of transition happening and I have been quite busy finishing some things up. Like, for instance, part three of the Summer Lotus triptych. She is almost done. Just in time for the official beginning of SUMMER.

Something else that is about to begin is a new season for me. That's right. My time at 615 Creative is wrapping up. It has been such a fun year..and very foundational. There are some doors opening up for me to focus more on the aspects of art, styling and design that I do best, so I am about to walk through them into the next chapter of the story.

One of the (many!) things I have learned in this year with 615 is that I truly love blogging and sharing life, art, inspiration and beauty with all of you. So, that will not be ending. My new blog is currently a work in progress, a blank canvas so to speak, but in the meantime..you can keep up with me on Facebook (aimee siegel creates) as I embark on my new adventures. Also, be sure to follow me on twitter...for a daily glimpse of what is going on in my (sometimes messy, but always beautiful!) world.

Many thanks to all of you for listening, looking, reading..and, with your encouragement, helping to launch me into new endeavors. I hope that we shall continue to journey and CREATE together!

part two

here it is. One more piece and the "Summer Lotus" triptych will be complete! Then: onto the NEXT set of work. I'm thinking it may be entitled "Global Bazaar"....but, I digress.

Part two? She is complete and I think I am quite happy with how she turned out.

(the icing on the) Cupcake Break

For the next week or so, I will be taking a break from the weekly "icing." Lots going on...lots of changes coming that (hopefully!) I will be able to tell you about in the next couple of weeks. But, for now, here's what I think we should ALL do.

The Icing on the Cupcake

Moroccan tea glasses. They could definitely add some spice to your next tea party. But, what about filling them with some bubbly and raising them in a toast at a dinner party celebration? Or, picture them brimming with colorful, freshly squeezed juices at your next Sunday brunch. SO many possibilities for these little lovelies!

I purchased my favorite orange and gold glasses while shopping in this amazing town, but if you aren't able to take a quick overseas jaunt before your next party they have some fun ones here . And, I would bet you could also find some here.

Cheers!!

collecting and gathering

Busy putting together a colorful pile of props for a photo shoot tomorrow morning in this fun area of Nashville. Good times are about to be had..especially if the shoot is followed by lunch here. I'm telling you, people, Saturdays just don't get much better than this!

The Icing on the Cupcake

Same little clear glass bottles as last week, totally different look. Fill them with chartreuse spider mums (one of my personal FAVS), tie silky black ribbon onto them and hang them from a white, multi-tier, metal plant stand. Viola - This week's icing!

work in progress...

I know. I have been talking about it alot and (finally) part two of the Summer Lotus Triptych is under way..and here's some proof. Truth be known, I am actually even farther (or is it further?) along then this picture shows. But, I just haven't gotten it all photographed yet...still busy trying to get the remains of the Mod Podge off my sticky fingers.

Hope your Monday has been HAPPY!

sunshine and happiness

Blueberry cream coffee at sweet local bakeries, inspiring conversations with creative friends, scouting jaunts through sunny local parks, and tomorrow....my hands will be covered with paint and glue.

Weekends like this one could spoil me forever.

The Icing on the Cupcake

This week's decorating detail is another finishing touch from the wedding I featured last week. Clear, tiny, versatile glass bottles. These were specially requested by the bride. I must say that they happen to be one of my favorite items that I have collected over the years, so I was quite happy to work them into the design. For the ceremony we filled them with beautiful, sweetly scented ivory and lavender roses and hung them, from a wooden frame at the altar, with glimmering copper and eggplant ribbons.

But, you really should know - and see - just how versatile these tiny treasures are, so...next week I will show another (completely different!) look that incorporates them as well.

Happy (mid)week to all of you!

Blossoms

Spring is in full bloom. And, it's sorta making me want to put flowers EVERYwhere. This weekend I glued some to metal...and made hair pins. What could be more fun than a vintage fabric flower, pinned in your hair on a sunny spring day?




Next up: I will glue them onto wood. As in the second wooden canvas for the Summer Lotus Triptych.

Because, actually, THAT might be the only thing better than vintage fabric spring flowers...a vibrant, shimmering SUMMER Lotus.

The Icing on the Cupcake

Eggplant, lavender, ivory and copper. One of the most unique - and beautiful - color combinations chosen by a bride that I've worked with. Carrying that theme over into the floral design, I chose to incorporate some copper wire twists and ivory pearls into the bride's hand tied, casually elegant bouquet. It was just the "icing" it needed to be complete.




And, this picture of the lovely bride and her bouquet (taken by my friend, ian) is definitely one of my most favorite wedding photos. You could even say it's like the sprinkles on top of the icing. rainbow ones.

Part One

Just a little look at the first finshed piece of the "Summer Lotus" triptych that I am currently working on.

Part Two...coming up...soon..

It's a be-A-uuu-tiful Saturday and I am putting some spring sunshine on the table. And, getting ready to go buy a wooden canvas. I am going to put some sunshine on that too.

The Icing on the Cupake

As promised last week: some more birthday party "icing." Using one of my favorite little tools (alphabet stamps) I created a "happy birthday" sign for the bouquet of pink and red carnations.




A simple, easy little detail, but it turned out to be one of my favorite finishing touches...that and the noisemaker in the candy. Colorful Noisemakers + Bright Fun Candy = Pure JOY. Don't you agree?

Have a sweet - and COLORFUL - day!

This summer...

there will be an art show. Therefore, there must be art. Some new art. A new triptych, in fact. The first piece is just about done. It involves red acrylic paint, turquoise and gold fabric and paper (from Nepal) and more colors. Lots of color.

Pink, red, yellow, orange PLUS the turquoise and gold, of course. That's right. Aside from international newspapers and some vintage fabric scraps there is not much in my world right now that is black and white. And, I like it that way.

More sneak peeks of the triptych in progress coming soon....

The Icing on the Cupcake

The guest of honor at a birthday party is ALWAYS a RockStar. And, they most certainly deserve a star (or some kind of creative trinket...the possibilities are endless!) on their drink bottle. Personally, too, I think the only way to make a drink this color look even better is to add a sparkly red star to it.

More "icing" from this colorful birthday party coming next week!

this week we are....

1. Shopping here for the perfect wedding invitation
2. Beginning to (gulp) organize and restyle the creative studio
3. Feeling inspired by these AMAZING and coloful still life pictures
4. Looking at recipes for pink champagne cucpakes (for a creative project, but - trust me - a taste test WILL be involved.)
5. Needing to get some paint on our fingers again (canvases are calling..)
6. Watching daffodils rise from the dirt to smile in the (almost!) spring sunshine.
7. Celebrating the shoot we styled with our friends,Tabor Jean Weddings, being featured here!!
8. Soaking in the bright daylight of a new season.

Happy (week before the official first week of) Spring!

The Icing on the Cupcake

A quick, easy, always beautiful and fun decorating detail? placing a fresh flower inside a cup at a place setting.


Especially a sushine-y daisy.



in a crisp, white mug.




with a colorful vintage cloth napkin on the side.





happy.

happy.

happy.

new color crush

Daffodils that have been sleeping under the dirt outside my front door, sunny paper bead necklace purchased in a Ugandan market, tube of lemon-y acrylic paint calling to me from my art studio: I cannot stop thinking about you. And, I am so ready to see more of you. You are cheerful. fresh. bright. hopeful. Just like spring.

New Weekly Feature: The Icing on the Cupcake

When I am working on design and decorating projects I often find myself feeling the most excited - and unable to stop smiling incessantly - at the little, lovely, unexpectedly falling-so-perfectly into place DETAILS. Whether it be a spur of the moment restyled vignette in my home or a carefully planned, unique bridal bouquet - each week I will share with you some of the details that have made the rooms, events and weddings I've had the priviledge of working on come together...the finishing "frosting" that made them complete.

So, why "The Icing on the Cupcake?" Well, I really do love cupcakes. Seeing a beautifully decorated one, with piles of pastel frosting on top, never fails to make me smile. My hope is that the fun details I will be sharing with you will also bring a smile to YOUR face...because we can always use that. Especially around midweek when the weekend can suddenly seem way too far away and our creative juices are often in need of a recharge.

And, speaking of (literal) cupcakes. These are my favorite here in my hometown of Franklin, TN. If you live in the Nashville area and have not yet tasted these...you really need to. If you get them to go, they put them in (the cutest of cute) bright pink bakery boxes - which, to me, is most definitely The Icing on the Cupcake (metaphorically speaking.)

Be watching for the first official Icing on the Cupcake post - coming your way next (mid) week!

Oh, and the fun photo above was taken (on my living room floor) by mister ian collins. You can see more of his lovely work right here. By the way, the "Icing" on THAT cupcake? The tall, thin, bright red candle. It makes me smile.

on the horizon...

We are beginning to dream and scheme about a fun, colorful summer event that you won't want to miss. Can't share all the details yet - because, honestly, I don't KNOW them all yet, but I can tell you that it involves:

1. Pieces of art created in Uganda
2. Collaborating with these creative friends

and...last, but definitely not least..

3. Making the world a better place for an amazing group of kids on the other side of the globe.

Oh so many fun things...just around the corner! Stay tuned...it's going to be quite a happy (grass-turning-green-and-flowers-beginning-to-bloom-all-over) sort of season!

Picture Perfect

Spent a sunny, Nashville Sunday here with my friend - and amazing photographer - Kelli Trontell. The mission? Capturing photos of two brides and two grooms. Two couples with two totally different styles, but both equally gorgeous. And so much fun to work with!

To accomplish said mission we scaled mountains and rocks...Ahem. Okay, so it was actually rolling hills and stone pathways, but when you are carrying camera accessories, boxes of props and bride's bouquets they do sure FEEL like mountains and rocks. But, it was completely worth all the trekking for the beautiful end result. I can't wait to share the photos with you as soon as I am able to!

One of my favorite things about designing weddings is getting to see how different and unique each couple is and discovering how to coordinate and execute a look that accurately represents who they are. So, with that in mind, here is just a little preview of the two wedding designs we are working on:

Wedding #1:

style - Modern Classic Elegance
colors - black and white with touches of crimson red, lemon yellow and soft sky blue
textures - glass, metal, silk and lace
couple affectionately known as - "our GQ couple"

Wedding #2:

style - Rustic Spring Woodland
colors - browns and spring greens with touches of teal, pink and lavender
textures - burlap, bark, yarn and twigs
couple affectionately known as - "our Anthro couple"


Two completely different directions - but, I love them BOTH. And, both are going to be so much fun to work with...just like Kelli, who by the way, just re-designed her site. You should check it out. Really, you should.

And now it is time for me to go unpack the previously mentioned "boxes of props" and try to put my jumbled studio back in order before the next round of wonderfully chaotic creativity begins!

a Beautiful evening

Candles flickered and cupcake paper flowers stood tall as we sat beside the Nashville skyline and were inspired. No, more than inspired. Called to action. By friends who are not only compassionate. They are changing the world.

And, when creating centerpieces meets world-changing? Well, THAT is when life (as an artist and designer) is truly beautiful.

this week we are.....

busy. And, busy is good. It is especially good when it involves collaborating with wonderful, creative (and FUN!) friends on their new ventures .

Busy is also (oh so) good when it includes making pretty things for shindigs like this one. Clear glass vases, red paint, cupcake papers, floral wire and round paper boxes have all gathered on my work table. And they are ready and waiting to be transformed into lovely, unique centerpieces. 5 designs. 25 tables. 3 nights from now.....it's time to (go grab a paintrush)and CREATE.

More details (and photos)from both projects will be on the way soon!

Custom Artwork: Delivered!

Here at 615 Creative our New Year began with custom artwork: signed, sealed (with many generous coats of Mod Podge) and delivered to our friends, Zak and Erin.

I first had the pleasure of working with Erin when she called on me to design and style her and Zak's wedding several years ago. It was a creatively chic brown and (several shades of) pink affair that included unique details like: a Bride's bouquet made entirely out of Baby's Breath, a dance performance by a ballerina dressed in a frothy pink confection and wrist corsages for the bridesmaids that were handmade from ribbons and orchids.

Not too long ago Erin and Zak moved into a new home here in Nashville. And, once again, Erin called on me to help. This time she needed some style direction and color advice for their new, spacious living room. Erin, herself, actually has such good taste - and a great eye for design and creative details - that she makes my job easy! It's always lots of fun to collaborate with her, compare ideas and then turn them into a reality.

Once things started coming together with the direction and plan for the room, there was one particular wall that seemed to just be begging for a substanstial piece of artwork. So, she commissioned 615 Creative to begin, what was to become, the largest piece of custom artwork we've done so far!

It was Erin's (brillant!) idea to use an old door as the canvas. We began to cover the door with grey acrylic paint, tissue paper, glue, newspaper from an international market and, finished it out with: trees painted with white latex, a red origami crane and flying, blue, paper birds. And, it was FUN. So much fun that - if I had adequate storage space available - I would like to promptly go out and begin collecting old, abandoned doors and cover them all with colorful paint and fun papers!

For now, though, we will just be happy to have made Zak and Erin so happy. Oh, and once the piece is in place and hung we will be sure to show you more pictures of this stylish couple and their fabulous, artsy modern living room!

color crush

I think my first color crush of the year is developing. I'm not sure if it is just the need for something fresh and crisp on my plate after December's sugary overload..or, maybe a subconscious longing for the leafy foliage of summer, but....I can not stop thinking about GREEN. The cheerful kelly green cardigan hanging in my closet, the refreshing lime ice green paint on my kitchen walls, a roll of deep blue-green yarn sitting in the art studio and...my favorite vintage tablecloth: green perfection, captured (oh so beautifully) by my friend, Ian. And, I know just the bowls that need to sit on top of it. They are chartreuse.