New website and blog

Spring has finally sprung and Shandell's winter project is in full bloom. Shandell's has a new website and blog combined. I have to thank Margaret Roach, head gardener at Awaytogarden (and all of her many projects, my favorite is now The Frogboys), Brad at Webdev Studios and Stephanie for her pictures.

Here is a snap shot of what I have in store for you. The address www.shandells.com.
Come visit my wacky world and enjoy.

Peace,

Susan

Peacock Blue

For anyone who knows me, they know that purple is my favorite color. I do not wear it, but I use it as much as I can. My second, is Peacock Blue. Not Navy or Turquoise, but the deep stunning Peacock Blue that Maxfield Parrish could paint and that came from the Orient.
This color in vintage goods seems to have a depth that is not around today. I have been working on my studio and have come across a group of Peacock Blue lamps. I was very surprised that I had so many. So I started rewiring and making shades. This lamp is stunning, the glaze is beautifully crackled a great piece to bring color into any room. I have paired it with a shade made from Japanese paper that compliments the lamp, added a wonderful finial and now this vintage treasure is ready to make some one smile.

Peace,

Susan

Spring is right around the corner

As one of my winter chores has been to organize my new studio space, I have been going through all of my inventory of fabulous finds. I came across a wonderful pair of architectural pieces, these came from a 19th c main gate of a formal garden. I made them into lamps and paired them with lampshades made of sea grass, giving a wonderful texture and glow.
Thistles are a favorite of mine and these seem to show that off.
Enjoy looking, spring will be here soon. Come and explore Shandell's studio in person or visit my Etsy shop online. New items will be added weekly.

Peace,

Susan

Cherry and Copper

One would not think that you could
make a lampshade from real wood that is durable and pretty. I have found a great source here in the USA that makes sheets of different wood veneers coated in a patented process, allowing me to make lampshades from them. The one pictured here is a cherry wood lampshade that I trim in real copper. The wood and the copper, like wine will color with age and use. The shade gives off a wonderful glow adding a warmth to any style.

Peace,


Susan

Blue and white

Organizing my new studio and going through all of my lamps I have collected, has been a January job. I seem to have a style for just about everyone. This has spurred me into making lampshades to go with them. The new year always seems to inspire creativity. I have these wonderful robin's egg blue, flecked lamps bases from the mid 20th century paring them with rectangle shades, made from hand made paper and trimmed with blue and brown stitched trim.
I found these great blue tiger eye finials that will make you smile.
I will creating madly and share with you often.

Peace,


Susan

Happy New Year

I went to my mail box on Saturday to find two cards from friends of mine. They both tell there own story and I am sharing them with you. The first is a picture of my God child Hanz, taken on Plum Island, MA. by his mom my very good friend and non blood sister Jen Wright. The second was sent to me by Kenneth and Barbara Cooke, friends I have met since I have moved to the area. Each has a place in my heart, when I was reading them it amazed me that each of them was from graphic field and how there talents shined. Let 2009 bring hope & progress as Jen and Kenneth so brilliantly shared with us.

Peace,

Susan

Memory Boxes a gift to make anyone smile

I wrote about these in September and are being requested daily at the studio. So I decided to write about them again. They started last year when my friend Colleen Dealy
asked me to make a tissue box cover with pictures of her children
for a gift from daughter Elaine to her husband. From there they just took off. They became great one of a kind gifts to remember any occasion you can think of from births to graduations and beyond.
You just send me up to 8 pictures and leave the rest to me.
Recently I was sitting and reading one of my favorite blogs Awaytogarden and Margaret had a great picture of one her frogboys, well needless to say I have talked about my love affair I have for these guys, so I made her one. I figured that every one has to have a box of tissues in the house and why not have them covered up with a box that makes you smile.

Peace,

Susan

Unpacking and setting up

It has been has been a week of unpacking boxes filled with amazing stuff from years of collecting. I am enjoying this new location, the view is spectacular and best of all I get to see the Christmas tree light up each evening. The holidays are around the corner. I spent the day unpacking holiday ornaments that I make from vintage wallpaper and arranging them in Shandell's new home. One of my favorites is Santa on Skis, a great pattern of paper I have and seems to give such a smile to who gets it. Come and explore Shandell's new home.

Peace,


Susan

Grateful

Grateful I am, Shandell's is starting it's 5th year in Millerton, NY in a brand new studio. The sign went up on Weds., most everything is moved from the old location. I will finish moving by the end of the weekend. I did not realize how much stuff one can have. Lots of lamps and more. I am thankful for the many people that helped me make this happen.
Come and explore Shandell's new home. Plenty of things to make you smile.

Peace,

Susan

Horse lovers delight

With the holiday season right around the corner, I thought I would put together a couple of themed gift ideas. Brighten up any room in the house with a vintage sporting art lamp, hand made by Shandell's. There are many to choose from, this is one of my favorites. A tissue box with vintage horse images, this tissue box I call "Jane" she is very regal, tissues around the house are a necessity, but I find they are not very appealing. So cover them up with a pretty box.

A divine hostess gift is a box of matches with vintage images trimmed in copper. All made in the USA, in Shandell's working studio. Have a good time exploring Shandell's.

Peace,

Susan

Shandell's New Studio

Shandell's is getting ready to move into a fabulous new studio. Still located in Millerton, NY, Shandell's will be located at the corner of Rt 44 (Main Street) & Rt 22, in a restored 1930's garage. I have taken some pictures of the new space and will share with you the progress.
I found some great vintage pendant lights that are 1930's army surplus, they give the space a great feel and lots of light, something I have been missing in the current studio. Shandell's new studio will have a huge wall of windows for all to see what is going on. A parking lot and a great place to have a garden. I will shut the studio down the week of November 17th to move and reopen on November 28th, the day after Thanksgiving, which is the anniversary of Shandell's journey in Millerton, NY. Shandell's will be starting our 5th year, come & explore.


Peace,

Susan

Frog boys

I was sitting having my morning coffee a couple of weeks ago, as I drink my coffee I look at my list of daily blogs. One of my favorites is Away to Garden. Margaret has a group of Frog boys that live in her garden and she is frequently sharing them with her readers. I secretly have a passion for frogs and especially tree frogs, I would have them, but they require crickets as food and I just cannot bring myself to touching them.
I was looking at the pictures and decided to make Margaret a Memory Box with them, as they will be hibernating soon, she would have them with her as the weather turns cold.
Visit her blog Away to Garden often, even if you do not have a place to dig in the earth, you will get such joy and most of all laughter from her.

Peace,

Susan

Monograms

I have this fascination for letters, especially the letter "S". Being that my name is Susan and my business is Shandell's , I collect them in every form, from vintage letter press pieces, old sign letters, new letters made by artists, 19th century alphabets and fonts. Just about anything that is in the shape of the letter "S".
Well I figured that I am not the only one with this fascination. After many years of collecting all kinds of alphabets I am putting them to good use. I first put them on night lights and now they are on tissue boxes. The next will be matches and then lampshades, they are both coming soon. Trying to find that gift for someone who has just about everything, try a night light or a tissue box cover with there letter on it and wait for them to smile.

Peace,

Susan

Indie Love

Shandell's has joined a great group of artists in a virtual market of hand made goods.






Visit Poppytalkhandmade to see all of these wonderful things. In a world of mass production, it is fabulous to be among a group of people who work with their hands from all parts of the world. Poppytalkhandmade is celebrating their year anniversary on Canada's Thanksgiving day, a great time to thank Jan & Earl for their creation.

Indie Love is a pre-holiday market for all to enjoy. Shandell's virtual table has our newest addition for the holiday's, a Dove ornament made from vintage wallpaper and 19th century glass glitter. For years I have keep all of my rolls of vintage ceiling papers and have finally found a great use for them. Doves, make a perfect platform for their tone on tone patterns, the patterns look like feathers. You will also find tissue boxes and matches with fun vintage images great for any room in the house. Shandell's Star ornaments made with vintage wallpaper are still as popular as ever. More to come in the next couple of weeks.

If you happen to live in the north east of the USA, you are enjoying as I am the unbelievable change of color at the moment. The colors this year are breathtaking.

Peace,
Susan

Guinea Hen, Chinchillia, Pheasant and more...

Feathers, you see them on the runways, pillows, hand bags and now on Shandell's night lights. I say you cannot have enough of them. For those who love them, are intrigued by them, they bring a kind of sex appeal to an every day item, such as a night light. Everyone needs that light in the middle of the night, why should it not be fabulous. Shandell's just married our night light with feathers, Guinea Hen, Chinchilla and Pheasants in an array of colors.
A great house warming gift or something to make you smile. Shandell's will be putting them on a series of lampshades, check back soon to see them.

Peace,
Susan

One of the prettiest times of the year

Walking my dogs this weekend, there was a strong smell in the air of autunm. With that brings early nights and fires in the fireplace. Shandell's has added a newMust Have to it's website Decorative Matches.

I was given a box of matches like these long ago by a friend to celebrate the holiday season. I saved it for years and finally designed a perfect prototype for us to make. What makes these great is that they are made in the USA, all from products that are made here. The only exception is the ink that I use. I have put 24 different styles on my website with more to come. I have a huge image library and will be adding lots of new images frequently. There are lots of vintage imagery of dogs and horses, they are my favorites. Please let me know what you wold like to see. You can also have custom matches with your favorite picture on it made.
I had a customer last year give these as Christmas cards, on one side was a beautiful poem by her and the other was a picture of her family.
These make the best hostess gifts, stocking stuffers, teachers gifts and more.... Enjoy looking.

Peace,
Susan

Fall is around the corner

Hello to All,
Greetings from Shandell's. There is a chill in the air and fall is just around the corner. I was reviewing my list of fall projects and updating my website, I came across a picture of a tissue box that I did for Elaine, the daughter of my friend Colleen Dealy.

She has been bugging me to add this to my website and I did just that, last night. Memory Tissue Box was so much fun to make for her. A great way to give a memory, that will be used and loved. It will always bring a smile to whom ever receives it.

Shandell's is joined Poppytalk for it's fall market. What an amazing group of artists to be side by side with. Please take a look and enjoy your time there.

Lots more to be added to Shandell's this fall.

Peace,
Susan

Hurray, my first post.

Welcome, I have finally sat down to write my first post. Unsure of this territory, I will dive in as I have always done with things in the past. It has been a very busy summer, Shandell's was lucky enough to be featured in the NY TIMES in July. Bringing an array of wonderful new and old customers to visit. For those who have never been to Shandell's, please let me introduce my self. My name is Susan Schneider, I am all of the hands at Shandell's, a working lighting studio that is located in Millerton, NY. Specializing in custom lampshades, vintage lighting and "things that make you smile", recycling old into something new. Dan Shaw of Rural Intelligence wrote a great article about me, he did a much better job, than I can do, click on the link and enter the world of Shandell's. There are two other members of Shandell's they are Pansy & Tonto, my Jack Russells. To let you know a little secret, I really work for them.
Email me your comments and things you would like to know, I will start to post often, as Shandell's is getting busy for the fall with lots of new things.

Peace,

Susan