Projects

Here are the rest of the projects from this week that I got finished.  First a red catch all I painted and stenciled.

  Peace sign, a metal sign I picked up and a door panel.

Fun handmade storage box, probably made in shop class.

Cheap pressed board table I painted and Modge Podged fabric to the top.

Metal tier stand made from two fluted pans, a funnel, and a screw in finial.

                                                          Rabbit tote I picked up for 3.00.

Small bench painted and given a new fabric top.

                              Magazine rack from the sixties painted and decked out.

                                               Metal charger attached to painted pedestal base.

It was a good week.



"Where flowers bloom so does hope."

"Where flowers bloom so does hope." - Lady Bird Johnson

 I  am always looking for ways to add color to my booth at the Peddler's Market.  I stumbled on a package containing a paper flower garland at GW Boutique last winter and thought time to catch up on some old projects that I hadn't finished.

50 cents - pure joy!

I didn't use the flowers as a garland. I had this twig arrangement I have been wanting to do something with for a very long time and gave it a chance as a vase for the flowers.  They were a lot of work I think I could have made up my own from scratch easier .50 isn't always cracked up to be!  I had to unfold and separate each piece of tissue without ripping it and it make this little annoying crackling sound when I did it so I couldn't do it next to the TV (my very favorite place to craft).  I glued the flowers to a stick I pulled from the twig vase and then wrapped it in green floral wrap tape.  I put a bow on the vase and proclaimed it finished, finally after a year!  Once again never give up, good things come to those who craft!

JUNK

My new favorite sign hanging in my shop.  I made this sign from a door panel I bought for 2.00. I mixed some paint up for a project and it didn't work on the intended piece so I grabbed something from the stash to use it up on.  I had wanted a Junk sign for a while so fate took over to speed me along.  So now if people are confused in what I do all they have to do is read the sign and know I love and sell Junk!

I like the effects in black and white too!

My House

What to do with a 5.00 table from the local thrift shop? Why paint and stencil it of course!  I primed it first with my special bonding primer from Lowe's and then painted it blue.  I didn't even notice until I put is all together that I had painted the bottom drawer a lighter shade of blue.  I like the way mistakes add character.  It took me three tries to get the top the way I wanted.  I messed it up twice before I decided that this design would finally work.  I painted the top blue again for the third time and them painted the edges medium gray.  I stenciled on the verse from the Bible -

Joshua 24:15b

"But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

I was very satisfied with the outcome and added new hardware that I spray painted black to the drawers.  This is a good example that no matter how hard you try to get things right sometimes things will just not work out the first or second time.....take a break and give another go it will eventually work out.  It may not be the original plan that you had in the beginning but it doesn't matter. What matters is that you did your best and didn't give up proof positive that sometimes mistakes only perfect. 

We All Need Love

I went to the shop 2 weeks ago and found another army trunk in fair shape sitting in one of the garages.  I had seen it before many times but this time I got a vision that it needed to be painted and stenciled, it was ready for change.  I know the feeling, I am thinking that this coming spring change will be visiting me as well.  I am not sure but I am looking forward to a time of new beginnings.  The last of my seven children will graduate this May and I will have made it to the finish line as a Mom as far as High School graduations go. Yeah. Good job kids!

Anyway, I loaded the trunk into my Rendezvous and was on my way home with another piece to paint and love.  I decided to paint it off white and the hinges black.  I brushed a coat of dark brown glaze over the whole piece and the poly coat.  I thought I would make it simple and stencil a saying I have seen on Pinterest that caught my eye.  

I painted the inside a khaki green just make it nice and neat and added a chain to steady the open lid. 

When you have love you have it all.  Something I learned in the group that my husband and I lead on Friday nights is to make sure your reaction to a problem is never more important than the relationship.  Exercise your thoughts and actions in love and you will never go wrong!

These Boot Are Made for Walking and Go With Everything!

I love boots, I have several pair and don't seem to tire of any of them.  Unfortunately one of my favorite pair was the victim of a hit and run.  I am not sure what happened to them but I noticed that a spot on the top of one of them had a worn spot.  These are one of my most comfortable pair and I wear them with everything so what's a girl to do?  If you know me it is a no-brainer when your stuff gets worn out give it a make over!!!!!!!!

These boots are really black but I tweaked the color so you could see why it was necessary to call in the make over swat team.  First I stuffed each one with plastic grocery bags so that they would stand by themselves and I could work on the tops.

This isn't the best picture but you get the point, stuff as many bags as you can into the boots so you can work or them without them flopping over.

Next I got out my stencils that I got from Walmart and found one that I liked. 

I placed the stencil over the spot and centered it on the top of the boot.

I bought a bottle of black glitter glue from the Hobby Lobby and started filling in the spaces in the stencil.  It was so easy, I just kept slowly painting on the glitter glue until the design was completed.  I worried a little about when I removed the stencil if the design would smear but it didn't.  It came out very nicely, I did fill in a bit more once the stencil was removed to define the design more.

I am so glad my boots came out well, I sure didn't want to get rid of them, they are like an old friend that your are comfortable with and goes with everything.

Everyday is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.

The pictures below are of some things that I had the great fortune to find.  Nothing special just validating that everything has value and purpose.  I am often reminded each day that we were put on this earth for a special reason.  We were uniquely created and meant to use whatever talents Our Creator gave to us, presents or gifts to bless the lives of others.  It is no secret that I am delighted in taking the old and making it new and useful and our Awesome God does the same for us when we become his children. 

Old Shutter with wicker pouch painted blue.

Miscellaneous items pained silver and blue.

Crazy feather flowers that I couldn't resist!

When Life Gives You Junk........

If you have ever heard the saying "When life gives you lemons make lemon aid" when times get rough.  Another is the glass half full or half empty? Well I apply that to most everything in my life when possible but especially when it comes to found objects.  I always say, "When life gives you junk, make something beautiful out of it and drink up because the glass is over flowing!"    I went to one of my favorite stores to look for something different to work on.  I found two handmade totes for 3.00.  One had a handle to top and the other didn't, perfect!   I could see them stacked and separated by some spindles I had in a box at home. Needless to say I hurried home and got to work.  I decided that the tote was missing something and added a stool for a base.  I an not a wood worker as you well know from viewing my postings but I do love to put things together and slap a coat of paint on it and it doesn't hurt anyone so what the heck. I figure this tote will come in real handy for someone to put magazines, mail, or handwork in.  If this piece had cheeks I would be pinching them right now I think it is so dear...okay overboard but I am passionate about what I do.....

Drop your Drawers Here

February is turning out to be a wonderful month, we are having a very mild winter here in Michigan and I love it.  It makes it nice for treasure hunting too.  On one of my last trips I came across four old drawers and a discarded bench. 

I saw the drawers and just had to have them.  The price was right ...free... my favorite!   I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.  You see I am the kind of person or quasi-artist that creates as I go along, whatever the catch of the day becomes my medium.  It took me a little longer to put the piece together but take a look and see what you think, it came out just as I envisioned it would.

I used an old door panel for the lid and had to replace the drawer handles because one was missing. I added side and top handles too.  I painted it winter white and used a new method of staining it which I must say worked super and saved me some time.   Funny thing when I went back to the place where I got the drawers I found one more, being that this project was already completed how could I resist the remaining drawer, not possible.  So I am sure in the near future the fifth drawer will  surface and become a creation.