The Lampshade Lady Blog

6 Top Lampshade Ladies of 2022 - Bring on the Color

I have taught many a lampshade maker over the years.  My DIY Lampshade book, The Lampshadelady's Guide to Lighting up Your Life, Potter Craft 2009 spurred on many new lampshade makers. I have loved watching artisans grow their design skills; I look back at my early work and see the huge progress I have made since those early days. It takes a heck of a lot of work to succeed in this business, but then who wouldn't want to play with fabric, paper and color everyday. Persistence pays off.

A few of my recent lampshades. (shameless promotion)

I am sharing some of my favorite fellow lampshade ladies, they are all super talented, have a creative eye and really hard workers.  I am sure I will miss many, sorry in advance.

One of my first students that comes to mind is Kristi Uvence from Seattle, Washington. Her business on Etsy is called Sassy Shades. Kristi flew east for a private workshop with me after my book came out. We had a blast. We made lampshades, went looking for vintage fabric and had lots of laughs. She has persisted thru working full time and developing her business. I am very proud of her accomplishments. Below are some of Kristi's work.

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Another great lampshade maker I sometimes chat with is Maggie from Vero Lampshades. We met on Etsy thru my book. I often get questions from lampshade makers and I'm happy to try to help with their questions. And sometimes they help me too. Maggie must be a very hard worker. She is always getting new inventory posted in her Etsy shop. Maggie has a great flair with her fabrics. It's been fun to see her grow as well as Kristi. Check out their work.

Vero Lampshades (Below)

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When I started making lampshades in the early 1990's I spotted another lampshade maker that had a similar style to mine. She is the fabulous lampshade maker Susan Schneider. At that time I used to travel down Rt 22 down to CT for many craft shows. I remember poking my head in her shop window that at that time was in Millerton, NY. It seems like a million years ago. Wow, I was blown away with excitement. She was closed but loved that cute little shop. I thought it sure would be fun to have my very own shop someday. Susan's business is called Shandell's. She's gone thru many phases of her lampshade business. These days she's making gorgeous marble papers for lampshades, boxes, belts, etc. Plus teaching marbling, too. We've never met but we have both been at this lampshade thing for a long time. You can order from her website as well as other events. She's top notch and I'm a big admirer of her work. She is in the process of restoring an old barn for her shop/ studio. I wish her well and someday we shall meet. Follow her on Instagram @Shandells.

Susan's Marble Lampshades (below)

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Robin Koppernaes makes great lampshades and is also one of my students. You can see her work on Etsy, Creative Lampshades. It is fun to see her work pop up in my Etsy feed. It's been years since my workshops but seems like it was just yesterday. Follow Robin on Instagram, too. She's way down in beautiful Beaufort, S.C. I just love this orange lampshade, bet it lights up beautiful. Orange and reds are the best for warm light.

 

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Another great lampshade lady is Linda Daniel, aka Elle Daniel from Sarasota, Florida. Years ago Linda flew up to my shop to have a private workshop. She was ready to start her next business. There was no doubt that Linda would go on to establish a great business. She's a super marketer and stylist.

Linda's lampshade shop in Sarasota is at Address: 1616 Oak Street, Sarasota, FL 34236. Her website is https://www.elledaniel.com . Elle Daniel lampshades can also be purchased in her Etsy shop as well as her own website.

 

No doubt I have forgotten many lampshade ladies! It's a fun business and heavens knows there's plenty of work for all of us!!!  Susan and I have been making lampshades for over 30 years; we both have pivoted and evolved with the times. Making a business with your hands is a labor of love. We have all struggled to get to where we are whether it's crooked lampshade frames, clips that have bad solder joints, bad glue, bad styrene, rusty wires, grosgrain ribbon sourcing or just learning the art.

It takes a lifetime to learn the lighting industry.

All of these Lampshade Ladies agree that there is more than just a white lampshade!!! Light up Your Life!

xoxo

judy

ps My workshop days are over. It was lots of fun while it lasted.

pss My book, The Lampshadelady's Guide to Lighting up Your Life is out of print but can be found used on Amazon and other used book venues.

 

 

 

Experimenting with Japanese Indigo Vintage Fabrics

I have been having fun learning about and experimenting with Japanese vintage fabrics. The blue and white shades are made with indigo dyes and have been printed with a technique called Katzome, similar to batik but with a buckwheat paste. These kimono fabrics come from the countryside; they are a homespun fabric thicker and more primitive than their wealthier city kimono fabrics.

These kimono fabrics are about 14" wide and cost about $1 an inch. Not sure these are less expensive than my pretty French fabrics but they certainly do add a new depth to my Vermont shop. Having a retail shop  I have a variety of customers with different styles. The large bulk of my customers have a classic look but it's fun to sneak in some funky shades like these Indigo beauties.

Here's a few of my new shades: This shade can be found in my Etsy Shop.This size is 5" across the top by 10" bottom and 9"high. Pricing is a tad higher due to the fabric costs. I think customers recognize this and value the gorgeous fabric.

Here is another pair in my shop, below: This is a pair of boxy hex clip lampshades. They are 6" across the top corner to corner by 8" bottom and 6" high.

 

This is also another pair the same size. The fabric is also a katzome but in bold funky colors. Such a treat. Here is their link in my Etsy shop.

There's lots to learn. I am just starting to dig in with these fabrics. Stay tuned for more.

thanks

judy

A Sunday Hike up Haystack Mountain and New Projects from my Lampshade Studio

Me and Ziggy poked our way up Haystack Mountain on Sunday. I breathed a sigh of relief as the sun warms up a bit this time of year. Phew, we got by the coldest bit of the winter! I woke up to a beautiful day off and I definitely needed some serious exercise. We are lucky to have this little gem right in the middle of town. I grabbed some lunch, dog biscuits, hiking boot grippers, my ski poles and off we went.
I find hiking in the winter is much more fun than in the summer if the trail is packed and not too icy- somehow it's easier to slide your feet a long the snow than step up on rocks. It was a supreme day on Sunday and easy to stop and take a peek at the beauty in the land. I must admit my legs are still sore from Sunday... 3 days later. It was a good grunt up and pretty sweet on the way down. I ran into a couple I know in town, a nice guy that works at the local high school, a nice young woman that grew up in the area and another couple as well as Phil who farms the land abutting the Haystack hiking trail. Phil and his kids came sledding down the steep hill ready for some farm chores or maybe a trip to town. Pretty busy day for winter hikers I'd say.

With a hike behind me, I was ready to kick off the week with some new lampshade making! This pretty floral lampshade is from some bark cloth fabric I found a few weeks ago. It's $98. and measures 9"top x 14"bottom and 9.5" high on slant. It's hard to find some of these soft color curtain panels these days and was pretty sure this one will do well in the shop.

A friend dropped by some of her vintage Blue Fish clothes that she had cleaned out of her closet. I put them on my ironing board in the shop and thought....ohhh, maybe lampshades? Let's give it a try.
This was the first Blue Fish Shade- a big rectangle. Often the design of a shade is determined by the size of the pattern or imagine you want to show off. This one easily spoke to being square or rectangle and my rectangle frame fit it a little better. Fun! It worked together pretty easy. I chose the homespun European sheeting for the other 3 panels and trim. The next Blue Fish Shade I did was not as great- the light really blurred the image....I am trying to add some fabric paint to see if I can make it pop better when lit up. Stay tuned, I've got stack of clothes to make shades with!
My farm animal shades have become a shop favorite! Happy to have a few back in my inventory. How could you resist for a baby present! Easy clip on shade- 7"top x 10" bottom x 7" high. $75.

a detail of my next shade. I found this children's needlework matted in an antique shop up in Maine. The wooly lamb sold me on it! Had to get it for another kid's lampshade.
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep lamp shade! Again, the shape of the textile led me to a rectangle frame. This one has a nice bell to it. I trimmed it with a rick rack and a vintage trim. $95. I can see this handed down from generation to generation. Sure was fun to make.
A pair of hex bell Daisy lampshades made from vintage embroidery. $68 per shade, 5" top x 8" bottom x 6" high and clip top. I found this embroidery on my Maine trip too. Always good to get away for some new inspiration! After a few days away I so happy to be back in my little shop again.

All for now,

xo

judy lake

ps, my Lampshade Lady book is no longer in print at Crown Publishing, but can be found on Amazon as well as maybe your local bookstore. I have a handful in-stock....would have been nice of them to communicate with me that they were selling them through... but why would I expect it now if they didn't communicate before... ahhh publishing..... guess I crossed that off my list after 2 editors (the second one didn't give a rats ass and came on just at publishing..... so helpful) and 4 assistant editors---interesting process during the crash of '08'. But sure glad I had the chance to make a book despite disappointments along the way.

It's fun to be a tourist once in a while...

Today was a day off. Yikes, it's always hard to take a day off when you know tourists are still around... but when the neck gets stiff and one of my eyes start twitching from over work... It's time to get out of the shop and "play" being tourist. I've been itching to drive around and "leef peek". I had my millions of errands in Manchester today and took a little round about on way home to Pawlet.
The foliage is still really beautiful!  Sykes Hollow, just off Rt 30. I used to live just around the corner and the colors drew me right down the road.
Pretty, pretty. Old barns- a lovely farm nearby.






I arrived home to be greeted by my Aussie, Ziggy! And showing off the vibrant crab apple by the end of weedy vegetable garden.
And in the door with loads of groceries! And ready for a short nap. Just made homemade pasta with spelt and semolina / roasted red peppers, basil, etc. YUM! A nice day off after working a 7 day week. Now I'm ready to get right back at it down at my shop, Lake's Lampshades.

Just got a bunch of new shades up on my ETSY page.

This was one of my favorites. Just love this thick embroidery/crewel.

Hope you too get to play tourist for real! I still didn't get to pick apples or even get those cider dounuts...yet. We've got another pretty week ahead.

xo,

judy and ziggy

Crafty Girl 1975-2013

I am visiting my folks in Falmouth, Maine where I grew up. My mom has just gotten a new knee and am around to keep the pieces together. All around the house are many of my old lampshades. It's fun to see the progress of my work. Yes, our work does get better the longer we stay with it. But some of my early work was also really beautiful. I'll post a few of them as well as a few of my early fiber art.

Okay, here's one of the first! Sort of sweet in a folky way. I did cut and pierced shades for about 10 years until my good friend Judy Pascal urged me to try making fabric shades with her vintage fabrics. Thank goodness for Judy! Most lampshade makers that continue making the cut shades end up with carpel tunnel, not to mention lower back pain. Ironically I studied textiles in college... sometimes it just takes longer to end where we are suppose to be.
Here's a sweet embroidery I did before my lampshades. Mom dated it on the back; I think it was 1975. Embroideries are still my favorite to work with in my lampshades.
This must be around 1976. I had a great weaving teacher, Rosalie Smith at North Yarmouth Academy. I hope Rosalie knows how much us crafty ones loved having her share her art with us. Not many high school kids had this level of teaching.

A little more tapestry weaving...
Detail of an early cut lampshade. I loved making up my own patterns from fabric designs or vintage prints.
Here is the full shot. My shade on a Flower Brook Pottery Lamp Base.
More cut and pierced. This one was very popular in it's day. Oh, how easy it was to screw up. Any little fleck of coffee or pen mark or slip of the #11 exacto blade and it was done for!!! This one has seen better days!
detail of shade. These are all hand cut. Many cut and pierced shades these days are die cut, ie cut but machine. You can tell the difference if the cuts look flat they are die cut.  If they are hand cut they are cut on an angle. Big difference!!! I ventured into it once, but just didn't want to sacrifice the look.
a variation on the paneled shade. These were pretty time consuming as I recall, but I liked the overall pattern.

This is the grand finale of my lampshade history tour! This is the crown jewel! I love loved this pattern. A HUGE challenge. I found the pattern in a victorian pattern book. It was the size of a postage stamp; I blew it up and reworked it to fit the shade. Tons of work. Only did a few of these!!! Of course Mom got one!


Today. Favorite fabric/embroidery/coronation work Lampshade. This is a shade I did last summer for Mom. Love this fabric!

detail of the beautiful vintage textile work.

I guess we never know paths our life will go or where it will continue. At least I don't and kind of like it that way. It's like antiquing or flea marketing--- you never know what treasure might be around the corner or WHO might walk into your shop! Speaking of shops, I am missing my dear shop while I'm here in Maine, but a little sabbatical will only spur the creativity for foliage. My hands are really happy to take a break from work.

diy lampshade making = use the right materials

                    
                            

  There are a few basics that can make or break a lampshade. It totally helps to use the right stuff. Slinky grosgrain could drive you to nutty... crummy glue... poor fabric can be impossible... some of this is repetitive for some of you, but these are questions I'm email every day... so here goes.

1.) use the right grosgrain. 40% cotton/60 rayon. Most craft stores carry rayon or poly. Order from The Lampshop or other on line sources.

2.) use quick glue; available at The Lampshop. Transfer it into a squeeze bottle. It'll make your life so much happier.

3.)use a galvanized wire frame.... no rust- a happy lampshade maker.

4.) do great design. start with good materials & great fabric. great fabric is so much better than wasting time with poor quality.... I just finished  a shade w/ client's fabric was printed sooooo far off the grain of the fabric- impossible and will never look perfect as many times as I tried to line it up.

5.) I get asked a lot about the price of styrene. It's isn't cheeeep but one yard goes a long way. Just look at the price of nice lampshades. You can probably get 4-6 lampshades out of one yard of styrene depending on size of shade.

6.) The Lampshop  in Concord, NH is one of the main lampshade material supply sources. They have a very good on-line catolog. 

***Hope this helps out some of the  new lampshade makers! I'm so happy to hear there are lots of new lampshade makers in the works. I've been doing this over 27 years and still learning new things every day. I swear!  There is plenty of work for good designers. 

be brave + try new ideas + experiment + stick you neck out and have fun + go beyond average... keeping pushing your design skills and color combinations + stay away from cliched design trends.... they will be gone in a flash... who's so bored of chevons.... and maybe black....and even hanging light bulbs, thank god....I think good design is something you are  still in love for 10 years not 10 weeks!

My Lamp Shop in Deep Winter

Snow has just started, again. The days are starting get longer and customers are waking up a little. How hard is it to keep making our inventories when things are slow? Sometimes I have to keep reminding myself to keep MAKING and DESIGNING because the busy days will be back. The Brimfield Flea Market will be here before I know it! I know my other craft friends that do shows have a few events in the deep winter, but mostly slim pickings. oooh how to survive the deep winter as an artist...??? recharging our design batteries is not a bad idea.
Painting my shop! I went to pick up a quart of paint in Rutland and the dear little man that mixed my paint gave me a gallon instead of a quart. I have been redoing my son's crudy bathroom and this is the wall color. LOVE it. Soooo. It's time for a new color at my shop and most likely I have almost enough. It's called Cool Aqua Semi Gloss from Benjamin Moore. It is super happy and time to say goodbye to the California Lilac!
I have a pair of these ticking shades. One of the most beautiful vintage tickings I have seen. Size 7" x 12" x 8" high, hex washer. Also just started a pair of 5" x 10" x 7" clip on, too. Fabrics like this don't last long in here!




New wall color! Everything looks so pretty against it. And the cobwebs are gone, for a while.
Pretty Paisley. One of the best ever!





One gray day this week I pulled every crazy bright color off the shelf and started in and made springlike shades! It turned into a really fun day. Color is such a vital element in our lives. Remember to USE it. I was recently in a friend's house and beige and gray were her main colors... even a little of this magenta would light a spark of light.

oooh and look at this! Do you remember these cloth kids books? I just sold one yesterday, but still have this one. Can't wait to make more. Just love the idea. So cute for a baby present or for the farm house.
here was another from the dark, winter day this week. THINK SPRING.
Well, it's time to do the other side of my shop!

Here's to hoping the snow drops come up sooner than later.

xo

judy

2 Bird Needlepoint Lampshade

It's a snowy Monday after a long stretch of cold weather and I was looking for a fun project today. I just got this needlepoint last week. Isn't it sweet. Saturday I figured out that I would use this handsome cut-corner-rectangle frame. The birds filled the front panel perfectly. The hard decision was finding the right fabric for the rest of the panels. I must have pulled a dozen fabrics over to try on Saturday, nothing worked. This morning I tried this linen that I had tucked away on my fabric shelf. Yes, that's the one; it will light up nicely and show off the front needlepoint.

detail, aren't they sweet?

ok, now it's time to get back to working on my orders....I needed to get my creativity playtime first.

If you like this shade it is up on my Etsy Page or you can also hit the Mini Etsy to the left top of blog. Speaking of Etsy a few of my local friends were interested in having a little session on getting started on Etsy. We gathered here at my shop on Friday afternoon for a couple of hours. Yikes, that was hard to teach... so many details. I have found to make Etsy work one must spend 5-10 hours per week uploading photos, emails to clients, packing and shipping, writing text, BUT it has been totally worth it for me. Especially since my adorable little shop is literally in the middle of no where but only a mile and a half from my house! The goal is to see how many days can one tank of gas last!

Bye, time to shovel fresh snow!

xo

judy lake

Lampshade Lady Loves her Flowers.... and look what the flood brought just outside my door!

Look at this dear little Hollyhock that has seeded itself right outside my door. So brave it is there just waiting for some little kid to knock it over!











Hi Betsy! Remember Betsy worked at The Station for all those years!
pretty hollyhocks! Maybe the restaurant will open one day! They are pouring the footings for the fancy retaining wall today and river looks beautiful. ps no photos of the back of my shop.... must sell lots of lampshades for new siding....


Summer is a busy time. Lots of shipping and making. I have several spots for my 2 workshops this fall. If you were hoping to come, don't procrastinate signing up. I will not be adding additional classes this fall. Email me at [email protected] if you want a spot. There is lots of info on the workshops several posts ago.

xo

judy

A great start to the day: new magazine in the mail and a pretty embroidery arrived, too.

Just arriving here at my shop this am. I'm feeling a little groggy and lazy and maybe have worked too many days this week... ya, you have to make hay when the sun shines as they say here in the country. It's a beautiful day here in Vermont. Humidity has fled and flowers are watered. Absolutely one of those beautiful summer days but I'm kind of grumpy that I'm inside today. BUT much cheered up by the arrival of this yummy silk embroidery. Isn't it pretty, especially for those purple lovers like me!!! And many of my friends, too.
Detail of my morning package. Beautiful shading of the embroidery threads. Wonder what I'll make with this? Wonder who made it? I wonder where it came from? The maker was very talented and especially tidy in their work. This really cheers me on this morning.
Today was a double treat at the post office. Also in my little box was a new magazine, Living With Style, published in Montreal with text in English & French. My dear friend Ellen surprised me with the kind gift of this subscription. I promise I will pass them on to you Ellen when I have finished, BUT their maybe a bunch of pages ripped out.....:)

As you can see by the cover there seems to be lots of more beautiful textiles and embroideries! yipee. I am pretty close to Montreal here in Vermont; it's just a train ride to the city and way overdue for a venture up. Years ago we took the train up for my 40th birthday.... January in Montreal is darn cold. The train goes right along Lake Champlain, so romantic with snow falling and ice fishing guys out on the lake.
Thanks so much Ellen for this beautify. The pages are beautifully designed and the paper is a delight to feel. Some of the on line rags are great but this beats any one I've seen. Ohh, to savor the feel of this magazine; just what the magazine addict in me needs. Note to self: time to chuck out some old magazines in bathroom! *****I can envision a long afternoon break on the porch couch with a cup of tea and peeking deeper into these articles.

Lots to do today, time to stop procrastinating. I'm thinking of my friends at Brimfield this week. They are in for some nice weather for the rest of the week. Here in Southern Vermont is a super antique show on Saturday in Dorset, The Dorset Antique Show. It's a top notch antique show; a bit fancy on prices and dealers, but I always find a little something. I usually sum it up as an education. The show runs every other year in the village of Dorset. I try to scoot out before I open my shop. Check it out.

enjoy the day!

judy