OTTOWOMAN (2) RECYCLED

OTTOWOMAN 2

Number 2 in the Ottowoman series, recycled and completed

I finished another of the footstools in the series I call "Ottowoman." This series started when I found a fairly sturdy yet plainly decorated footstool at the flea market. I attached all sorts of cloth and beads to it. I found another one that was even more substantial and started to decorate it last week. It took a total of 6 hours and a lot of glue. Yes, I glued it together instead of upholstering it. I glue just about everything I create, including the beaded decorations on my car, B-Dazle.

B-dazle shown here on the Roanoke City Market

"Before" picture of the stool I found at the flea market

Materials I found in my studio or purchased to embellish the new Ottowoman

As you can see, this footstool was in very good shape. I like the size of it. I already had a lot of the materials I used to decorate it, but I still had to purchase a bunch of things to pull it together. For example, the fanciful colored buttons I placed in the center of the cross-stitch flowers and the tassels on the four corners had to be purchased to give that final touch I was looking for. If I had used only materials found in my studio, I could have kept the price down. As it was, the cost for everything was about $45.00 with the original stool accounting for only $4.00 of this. I’m not sure if I could have found one at a store for the same price or less, but it was rewarding to know I brought this little gem back to life.

Detail of Ottowoman

I have the perfect use for my new Ottowoman in mind. You see, I own a 2-story bed and I need to be able to get into it without having to take a running leap to land on it. Getting out of bed in the middle of the night is another problem. Without the Ottowoman, it is almost like falling off a mountain on a pitch black night. This little footstool will be perfect for eliminating both problems.

My new Ottowoman is getting a lot of use already. The Polar Bear Club, my swimming group, came to my house for a luncheon/swim the other day, and one of my friends, Pamela, asked to see my 2-story bed. I was pleased to show it to her. Being a lot shorter than I am, Pamela had all of us laughing as she tried to climb up on the bed without the Ottowoman. With it, she was finally able to reach the top with ease.

Pamela said, "This certainly gives new meaning to the Trundle bed."