The little scottie dog shape comes from my Mostly Teapots applique quilt pattern. These tiles over back of stove.

Hand painted ceramic tiles run around the entire backsplash. When we were building the house, the kids and I did a bunch of these tiles for $5 each at a a local paint your own ceramic shop. What fun!

A jolly rocketship inspired by Tintin's Adventures on the Moon and an amusing cow teapot image make working at the kitchen sink more fun.

More Day of the Dead decor from Mexico and SPAM are among the odds and ends on display. Although it's not in our usual diet, Spam tastes mighty fine on day 26 at sea on an ocean crossing under sail!

Front hallway

The banister is covered with painted and collaged plywood panels with images of Mexican Day of The Dead from a beautiful calendar. Collage elements and stamping add extra surface design to these decorative and functional panels.

Lampshade edge is decorated with old earings from early days of jewelry making. Polyform clay shapes were embossed, baked then gilded before attaching dangling beads drops. I had these leftover and decided they looked just grand as a bejewelled fringe on this vintage lamp.

I bought this piece by ceramic artist Kathryn Raven last year and just had to put her cheeky little face in my hallway. Kathryn Raven's small vase with small skull appears in image farther up this page with the rocketship tile by kitchen sink faucet.

Painted dresser features pirates, flying fish and imaginary islands sporting real names from places visited in our sailing days in the Caribbean. I matched the plastic wood handles to the images below them to help the handles dissolve more into the image instead of stand out.

The lilac flowers are from Bloomsbury Garden Jacket pattern on these decorated ceramic plates.

Applique motifs are often great shapes to stencil or freely paint onto furniture & other useful projects. Blow them up and embellish a simple fleece jacket or shirt and have some fun.