Kitchen Art: Pear, Strawberries, Apple (Charcoal)

Kitchen art available individually or as a set:


Apple: 8x10 Checked Charcoal Back Ground... seeds and stem in copper leaf, leaf in silver leaf... remainder in acryllics and stain


Strawberries: 8x10 Plaid Charcoal Background. Featuring gold and copper leafing, acryllics and stain


Pear: 8x10 Featuring copper and silver leaf, acryllics and stain


Ginko Leaves: 16x20 (Silver Leafing) applied over contemporary pattern in a soft gold metallic eathy greens and stain shading.

The past couple days at Kustom Kate Studios have been busy and full of inspiration. Keep our custom artwork in mind for your holiday shopping... custom orders taken.Tell a freind!

Kustom Shades

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to find a cute lampshade when you need one? ... there's not many options out there!
Click to enlarge, reptile skin pattern applied for a leather effect... black trim for a "finished" look

Call Kustom Kate with your artistic needs today!

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The Studio.... (inmygarage)

This Week's Project.... (Cabinets)

After just short of a year of living in Oklahoma... this past May/June ; I got really annoyed with lugging my supplies into the house from various storage places to work on samples, and projects. So one day I got motivated, made a list, went to Lowes, and got to work creating myself a work-space. Of course summer came early this year... I spent a little over a week organizing and putting shelves up etc in 105 degrees 'til about 10:30 pm each night. Who-da-thought the rest of the summer would be mild?

Anyways, I LOVE working out there. I have spent many of the summer evenings working, creating, playing and jamming to tunes. My work doesn't really feel like work to me... I CRAVE it... just ask Mike.. I go crazy if I don't have something to paint :)

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Kitty in a box.. Iris has made herself a home in one of the boxes from Mikes Birthday... She thanks my mom :)

Meg's Leaf

A close friend of mine from college, Meg, recently moved from the mountains of British Columbia to a suburb of Vancouver. They've been fixing up and revovating the home they bought and she's been looking for unique artwork for her dining room. She was looking for something with a nature theme but I know she has always had a knack for the contemporary. She sent me pictures of the room and other selections she has made in the house so I could get an idea for color and the direction of style they are taking throughout the home.
When a vision finally came to me and I described it as a leaf "like something a hobbit would drink tea or water from" I knew she was probably a bit nervous. But the final result is not that creepy... it's whimsical but not wierd... at least I don't think so.
I haven't shipped it yet. but I e-mailed her a picture and it sounds like she's rather excited!
This is something I want to be doing a lot more of. If you're stumped on a gift idea for someone or need to fill a niche in your home with some thing unique... keep me in mind! Everything I do is custom :)
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Breakthrough

We moved down here to Oklahoma just over a year ago.. it's been a great year of meeting new people, making new friends, learning our way around, building [or starting over for the 3rd and final time] Kustom Kate, and working on the house and yard while waiting for my marketing efforts to come to fruition :)
The good thing is that the house is personalized (for the most part) and the yard has lots of plants flowers and a vegetable garden! However in the meantime there have been ups and downs and lots of conversations with God asking for revelation and direction. I actually really connected with Third Day's song "Revelation" when they started playing it on the radio.
It feels like just in the past week or 2 things have begun to come uncovered for both of us and I am jumping out of my skin with excitement waiting to see what God has in store for us in this next stage...
We're in the process of getting connected in a church that's doing a great job of making the Gospel: The message of Jesus Christ relevant to today's world.
Mike's working with the 9th and 10th Grade boys... I am looking to serve in some way also... I have a great idea for a ministry I'd like to start and see expand to many cities that I will share later.
We went to our first Community group/Home group/Bible study... whatever you want to call it :) on sunday evening and REALLY enjoyed the people!
Kustom Kate is starting to grow... I have worked hard and invested time and resources into marketing harder than I have ever had to before. Not knowing anyone in a depressed economy while trying to sell a high-end luxury service has really been challenging. I thank God for the strength and perserverance and will continue to need it... Everytime I wanted to give up I thought "What else would I do?" Paint is my passion... that's what I've been given.
And I have been getting into more and more fine art which has been really fun... I hope that continues to grow... I would even be really happy if that's where Kustom Kate was ultimately going... we'll see :) One of my pieces got selected for viewing among other local artists with Tulsa Young Professionals to hang in Gilcrease Museum for a week... I am excited about that. What does it mean?? Nothing really, but it's exciting and something to add to the resume :)
Anyways, it's been an uphill climb and it feels good to have finally reached a plateau... I am going to enjoy this for a while because as we all know... the terrain changes quickly!
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" PH 4:13

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Sunflower For Kate

I couldn't post until this Gift reached it's rightful owner....
I had fun doing it though!

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Cub's Room

Today I finished painting a Todler's Room in Bixby OK in a Chicago Cub's Theme. It was a treat to do... considering I'm a Chicago Girl myself!

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Hand Painted Vanity

This week's project was fun! Some furniture pieces can really be fun!

I used a little silver tamise for some sparkle :)

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Laundry Room Paint Update... before and after!

This room was 100% updated with Paint!

These are obviously the "after" pics... Owls and Pairs. Think it'll sell? I think it's trendy :)
Here's the ugly "before" with 70's dark cabinets. Also note that I moved the holes and chose fresh 'retro' hardware'.

(click to enlarge)
Always coming up with something new here at Kustom Kate Studios!

Now I will be anxious to put some fresh tile down... hmmm I'm thinking slate!

Comments and criticism are always welcome!

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30

I haven't been up here in a while... so I thought turning 30 would be a typical thing to blog about... :)
The truth is, birthdays come and go and I don't give much thought to it. It's crazy how time flies, that just reminds me how I need to be responsible with what I have. Taking care of myself [ I NEED to work out and re-balance my diet], and using my time wisely... investing in myself and others. That's what it's all about!
Anyways our good long-time friends, Tony and Melyssa, came in for the weekend. We had lots of fun visiting and catching up! Always a ridiculous amount of laughter :) It was a great way to celebrate.
Business has been picking up... actually some-what consistent... for now! I'll take it, I am thankful.
That's pretty much it... Mike's sister Kristen is planning on coming with her 3 little ones this weekend, so I have a bit of cleaning and shopping to do. Hope the sun comes out!
We break ground on Tulsa Habitat for Humanity Women Build House #9 on Saturday... so that'll be fun and busy too! http://www.habitat-tulsa.org/lady_builders.aspx

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Oil for Auction

Okay, I have yet to sign it... and possibly add another piece of stem... [and maybe a tiny little bug on it] but this is pretty much it.
Along with donating a custom project of my decorative art services, I also offered to do an oil painting for the upcoming Habitat for Humanity auction. Proceeds from these two donations will go toward Women Build, a group I have been involved with since Fall.
I'll be curious to see how the painting does... I have never sold nor auctioned any of my oils... I tend to get too attached after hours and hours of work... this one probably only took me 12-16 hours though... so I'll keep a picture :)
Today I'll be working on the Kustom Kate display... then hopefully I will be finished with auction stuff with a couple weeks to spare... not like me to be so ahead of schedule... but the painting will probably take a couple weeks to dry.

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My Latest Saga

I probably shouldn't even discuss the situation... because in some ways I feel like it reflects on me as either oblivious, or a bad house-keeper. However, most of my two readers are either on twitter or facebook and know anyways, so I would like to share a part of the story. I have no idea how my indoor cats got fleas for the first time in their 10yr life, in a house with carpeting that no one has ever lived on before us... but they did.
Anyways THEY have been treated and will continue to be. I have stripped every pillow and mattress down to the bones, and vaccumed and laundered. They can't go in the bedrooms now because I will be doing laundry like it's my job for a month 'til the problem iis completely handled.
Mike was kind and picked up the carpet powder however I read the container and absolutely NOT comfortable using it. It is a pesticide, there is a great chance for sickness [us or cats] or death [cats], (I've been googling) especially after losing my father to a disease most likely caused by environmental toxins, and being a painter for 10 years... I have had enough chemicals... especially if I want this body to house a baby someday!
So I did some research... the vet did not even reccomend anything but vaccum often... she also said that soap and water will kill fleas... that is a fact. So google articles I found recomend sprinkle salt on carpet and vaccum up 24 hrs later. I think I will do that and then rent the carpet cleaner and soap the carpets in a couple days too. It sounds safe and effective... however I am open to any other safe and natural options.

As a side note, my meeting at panera went well today.... I met a couple business owners with unique skills and services to offer as they thought of some great referrals for me! We'll see... just keep pluggin :)
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New Painting

Here is a picture I found in our Oklahoma Living magazine put out by the Electrical Company (co-op) I can't tell if it's a photograph or painting. There is an artist's name (Brent Stovall)It's of Beaver's Bend State Park in OK. Pretty huh?

I started painting it this week... hopefully I can keep working on it!




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What's new?

Not too much here... here's a brief summary...

Mike and I have been working on my "new" website in our free time. I believe you can see it if you type in www.kustomkate.com/test. That is not a live link because it's not for everyone to see. It's very general so far, we have a lot of work to do with the pics and menus. We're currently working on general look, and feel. Comments and suggestions are welcome. We plan to turn the kustomkate into a logo, and possibly have some tone-on-tone paisleys in the background.

I have been promoting Kustom Kate Pretty seriously, making progress, just not money. Thankful that God is my provider...and that Mike is working hard and my #1 supporter!

We have decided to continue looking for a church home. We have spent 4 1/2 months at AG Coweta and it is not seeming to be the right fit, so please pray for us!

I have been blessed with the spare time to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity 1-2 days a week. I am learning alot, meeting really nice people with giving hearts, and coming home with sore muscles! Pounding nails is hard work!

Mike is officially 1/2 way through school... YAY Mike! Now comes the hard part :)

We have been working on perfecting our homemade pizza recipe... any suggestions or crust or sauce recipes are greatly appreciated!


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"Tiny" Mistake

I have invested time, resources, and lots of energy into doing this big marketing push to Tulsa Builders. About 1 1/2 -2 weeks ago I found a great resource online with a list of about 250 builders. I wrote a nice letter with links and indiividually E-Mailed each one so I could attach pics and address it to each individual's name. That probably took me about 16 hours... well a few days anyway. I designed and ordered some new brochures last week, they came yesterday... they really gear toward model and spec homes.
My plan was to get a mailer out to each contact within a week so they would hopefully have the whole name recognition thing going. I wrote up another letter today and went to office depot to get them printed out. I came home and have been addressing envelopes for 4 hours. Got 'em all done with a cramp in my hand. So I started to sign and Tri-fold each letter because mike said after he finishes his homework he'd help me stuff each envelope with a brochure, a card, and a letter... then apply a stamp and "Kustom Kate" address label to each.
I signed and folded about 10 or 12 before realizing that the phone # in my signature at the bottom is 630 370 1788. Grrr.. any of my readers that know me know that is my OLD phone #! What a waste! Well.. there goes another $25 bucks... well that's nominal compared to all the real expenses going into this mailer. (The sad thing is the stamp for each envelope costs a couple cents more than the tri-fold full color 6-photo brochure they each get [thanks to vistaprint.com]) One more trip to the store... looks like I'll be stuffing away all by my lonesome tomorrow.


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Website Updated .. for now :)

I just finished updating the photo descriptions on my website... hopefully the extra verbage will get me some more hits!
Today I made some really unique samples for an interior designer I met with last week, I hope she's as excited as I am :)
Tomorrow I have another project at Mike's boss's house, I'll post pics!
I am getting the itch to get started on the kitchen... maybe next week I'll start painting the cabinets and take down the wallpaper... The backsplash will have to wait until I can save up for the tile!
I have a headache... maybe it's from so much computering??

Did you vote on my next painting?? (Scroll Down for Options vote in upper Right) I still have a tie! BTW any foliage on any painting I plan to do in fall colors :)
If you voted in the comments, I logged it in the tally, thanks!

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What should I Paint?

I have decided to do some oil paintings and see how they sell. My friend at Elegance by Design offered to display them in her shop... so we'll see how it goes!
My thought was to take some pictures of things here in Oklahoma for inspiration, so the other day I was driving around looking for some interesting "subjects" then again yesterday Mike and I did some driving around and took some more pictures. Here are some pictures I am deciding between for my next project, please feel free to vote! I will paint what you vote on and then post the finished painting!
This could be fun! It also makes me more accountable to get going!
#1

#2

#3


#4


#5



To view more oil paintngs by Katie Stenglein :
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Elegance by Design

Elegance by Design is a unique furniture and accessory shop in Mid-Tulsa, located at 5151-A S Mingo Rd. Most of the furniture and accessories sold in this great little shop can be found nowhere else in the Tulsa area! The few items that you might find in other area shops are likely to have a better price at Elegance by Design... so it's worth stopping by to take a look!

This week Kustom Kate and Elegance by Design have teamed up offering a display of Kustom Kate's Fine Finishes that we guarantee you will never have seen any thing like before! Stop by... take a look! We dare you! You won't be able to keep your hand off!

Here are a couple of preliminary photos... just a sneak peek!




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Come See my Work!! ... If you can

Today I will be debuting my wall finishes in Tulsa Oklahoma! By the beginning of next week I will have completed 3 finishes at "Elegance by Design" in Tulsa OK!

So... any of my Tulsa readers who would like to see my work in person please stop by!

5151 A S. Mingo Rd Tulsa OK 74146
(918) 622-0199

Pass this link along to your friends!

Also Please Check Back to view photos next week!!

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Bath Finished

Well, I finally finished the bath that I said I was going to finish 2 or three weeks ago... a few things came up... procrastination being one of them.... oops! Anyways finally done... on to some thing new!

BEFORE


AFTER






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