Bird Feeder

I love the postings on Pinterest that say, "Today I will make something I saw on Pinterest."  I am always making something to take to the shopand for the record, I was repuposing before repurposing was cool...Pinterest just connects us all together as one big happy family. And by the way feel free to pin anything I post on my blog -that is why I do it so other people will be as happy as I am...share the love I always say.  I hardly ever make the same thing twice anyways so I am good with pinning just so you know.

I saw an idea on the Big Pin the other day and decided that I had to make one too. You take a vintage enamel bowl and put it on a wood pedastal candle base and make it into a bird feeder.  I had plenty of bowls to pick from but I wanted to use a fancier base.  I found this metal candle holder at the neighborhood thrift store and decided that it was perfect! I cut off the little metal nib that sticks up to hold the candle with some metal cutters and then spray painted it from black to fabulous.  I painted the rusty old knicked up pan because in its original state it was too messed up to use as it was.  I stenciled a Fluer de Lis on the inside and coated the entire thing several times with Krylon Spray top coat.  I glued the top to the bottom with E-6000 and let it dry overnight.  I gave it the once over and it seems to be holding well, E-6000 is great glue.

Well my Creative family hugs and blessings to you all, hope you make something real pretty today!

Garden Table

I went to the Re Store in Greenville the other day and found a really nice door for 5.00- most of the things there are out of my price range but this door was just right.  It was probably once part of a bi-fold closet door in some one's bedroom.  I love making garden tables I have made several and the best thing is you start with a discarded door and just keep adding things.  Right off the bat I knew that I would use two other doors and a drawer making my masterpiece.  I put them all together and started painting away very pleased with the progress and yet it still needed something.  All I had to do was look up....hmmm heard that before and it is always the truth.  When in doubt look up! Well this was no exception for hanging on the wall was a chair shelf I had made some time ago.  I love taking old chairs that don't have all their legs and chop them up some more and make them into shelves. You can buy reproduction ones at the fancy decorating stores but nothing beats a vintage farm chair hanging on the wall piled high with delightful treasures. 

This particular chair shelf had been waiting for just the right time to make its debut.  I needed something to complete this project and I knew that this was just what I was looking for. You know how they say Necessity is the Mother of Invention, she is my BFF we are inseparable.  As you can see the chair was a perfect fit.  I did add another drawer on a shelf on the bottom half, you can never have too many places to stash wonderful things.

This is the chair shelf I have hanging in my house.  I thought I would post this picture so you could see another chair shelf I made.

Graphics Galore

I so love vintage graphics and ephemera.  The Graphics Fairy is one of my favorite places to visit.  If you sign up for their emails you get new graphics every day. The one I used for the metal box below however is not from them this one is from Pinterest if you visit me there you can snag if for yourself.  The other projects do use clip art from The Graphics Fairy so you can get those as well. 

 I found this metal box with a glass lid in my stash of wonderful treasures.  I had it for a long time and was waiting for just the right picture to place under that special glass.  I love the look on the little girl's face. She is precious.  The picture isn't very good I am still learning to use my camera, the glass is beveled and it really doesn't have any imperfections as the photos may present. 

This box is a copper colored metal with green velvet lining.  Once again I rummaged through my favorite saved graphics and made a collage of these to make up the top design all from The Graphics Fairy.

 This is a free vase I got at a tag sale last year.  It has sat under my work bench for over a year now.  It was free okay I didn't need it but it was free for heaven's sake I couldn't walk away..........no just couldn't.

 After much thought about "waste not want" not I came up with this design. I spray painted it first with a gray primer and then painted it with the blue.  The gray paint does show through in places so it does look worn.

 I found this wonderful bird picture on The Graphics Fairy and printed it out 2 weeks ago to use on a dresser I was working on. Well the bird didn't seem to work out for the dresser so it was just sitting there next to the painted vase...hmmmmm.....I wondered could it be, would it work?  Aha it did work I plastered that little birdie on with some home made Modge Podge (recipe also found on Pinterest on one of my boards) and there you have it, my free vase has finally become an object of my affections.

This week just seemed to be the week to work on small projects. I had this reproduction fishing creel for some time and decided this was the week to get it painted too. As you can see I choose a white paint and filled it with silk red roses.  I thought it needed just a little something to make it extra special so I found a tag shaped wood piece and decoupaged an old post card graphic (once again from TGF) on it.  I don't really want to sell this but duty calls or should I say my bills....anyways I love it . Old post cards art is so cool, maybe next week I do something more with them. 

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!

Subway Art Trunk

Two weeks ago I found myself sorting through my stash and I came across another hopeless piece that was in such bad shape most people would have tossed in the dumpster, I  say bring it on!  This very old wooden box was so dilapidated, the top was in pieces the hinges were pulled out, and it filthy. Some people think when they hear the phrase make over of a new hair do or shade of eye shadow I on the other hand see junky worn out furniture that needs love. I am so co-dependent when it comes to furniture.  I don't know if it is a gift or a obsession either way I am good with it. 

When it came to this box I had to replace some the of the wood that was missing and the hinges too. I left the old hinges on for ornamental purposes.  Then I gave it a thorough cleaning and a coat of bonding primer my new BFF. 

I like the "Subway Art" that is all the rage so I decided to use that as my design.  I envisioned several shades of blue with gray and white as my complimenting colors. 

I painted the inside Army Green with an over wash of Dark Gray.  I also added the legs to give it dimension and top coated it with the Min Wax water based Poly Coat.

I painted 2 handles Aluminum Gray and mounted those to make it easy to move the piece from place to place.  I also installed 2 eye screw and a chain so the lid would fall back every time it was opened.  When repurposing old wood stuff it is always a good idea to add things like handles and chain catches because the wood may be fragile and your project ruined if not given a little TLC. Prevention saves a lot of heart ache later.  Well, another one saved and tonight I sleep well. Until we meet again, blessing to you and yours!

Pink Trike Love

I really am getting into this pink shabby movement that is sweeping the blog world.  I went to one of my favorite hangouts the GW Boutique and found a trike in very rough shape. It wasn't priced so asked the clerk how much it was.  A she took the sweet little trike to the back of the store to tag I thought to myself well there goes that dream!  I was sure my found treasure would come back with a 9.99 tag on it and that is out of my range totally.  To my delight the clerk brought the trike back with a 2.99 tag and I couldn't be happier.  You know they say diamonds are a girls best friend well I beg to differ give me a good piece of rusty junque any day and I am as monkey in a banana tree! ; ) 

 I took my little find home and sprayed it a cotton candy pink.  I found 2 boxes in my "stash" that I mounted in place of the seat and in the front for flowers.  Over all the color in the picture looks a bit brighter than it is. I used a ameretto color glaze over the whole piece to give it soft aged patina.  I think it will go well in my booth at the Peddler's Market and hopefully find a new owner that will love it as much as I do.