Work in progress: Katie's business card lampshade

Um...he doesn't work here anymore.

Remember the post brainstorming what to do with old business cards? As some of you know, we're wrapping up the second month of lighting month at Process 376. The inspiration for this one was a box of cards* with a fantastic orange pattern on the back, and I worked them into a temporary lampshade in time for our big design show-and-tell-and-drink last week.

Ingredients:

• Hideous pendant lampshade (thrifted cost $2, including cord kit and working CFL bulb)
• Tyvek Fed Ex envelope (used and free)
• ~100+ stale business cards (free)

I stripped the original shade down to the frame. Then I cut the cards into strips and laid them out on the Tyvek envelope. I do a lot of mosaic-ish layouts in my glass work, so it didn't take long to find a pattern I liked. Glue + patience = voila! The final texture is interesting, and I like the way it looks with light behind it. I still have some details to polish (Binder clips? No.) before it's done, but there's potential here.

The full photo session (thanks to Tricia and Alex!) is on for next week, so expect a flurry of strange and wonderful Process 376 lighting coming soon.

*Kindly left behind by one of my coworkers who has moved on tilt at other windmills.

Image from Katie Broughton