A Trip to Treasure Island

" The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart."

Maryanne Williamson

Nice saying I love great treasures. I know that nothing in this world is comparable to having God in my life that is my greatest treasure. But he gave me this thing that is overwhelming at times to take things and make them into things that hopefully others will enjoy. It can't be all bad right? Sometimes I wonder why I am the way I am, it seems I am always thinking about the next thing I am going to work on. I have come to the conclusion it is my calling and try not to feel guilty how much joy I get from doing what I love.

I got a chance yesterday to treasure hunt and found some great stuff. I really like vintage that is a given but especially if it has anything to do with Paris. I don't know why but I do maybe because I am under the impression that if I collect enough Paris themed goods, I will mysteriously be swept away and land somewhere near the Eiffel Tower...... it could happen.......

Anyways I found this great glass with a Paris theme, it's about 7" high. I can imagine it filled to the brim with ice and my favorite Diet Vernor's. I know it was initially meant for mixed drinks but that was then and this is now. Found a nice scarf too marked "Paris, France" it has a really cute 60's type Frenchy design. I remember the day we used to wear these as a head coverings when we went out. How times change.

If I thought I could look as elegant as Audrey I would keep it and wear it everyday while of course standing near the Eiffel Tower!

  I also found another colonial couple I am a real sucker for these. I have several and I really know better than to buy glass figurines because I tend to be accident prone but what the heck for 2.00 (my magic number) I couldn't resist.  The wooden box is something I intend to paint and pretty up later on and the shell I have already given a coat of white and is waiting for the amaretto glaze and some of my handmade flowers.  The Statue of Liberty is destined to go into a shadow box collage I am working on and the mirror into my personal stash ( I don't know how many I have gone though so far but here is another victum I mean contestant).  The 2 white wooden pieces will adorn something in the near future, I have a screen door that I have been waiting for just the right amount of inspiration to tackle.  Who knows this might be it!

I found this little pink metal lady in a 50 cent box and she too is going in the shadow box collage too.  I just love a Southern Belle.  The rabbit has a tiny chip but so much personality that I couldn't pass him up.  He too will be in a collage so the chip won't even matter it is so small.  The little dog I don't know what I will do with him yet.  He is nice just to look at and makes me smile so time will tell.

 I found this little metal chair that was painted gold, it looked so forlorn all by itself with a 2.99 price tag.  I went ahead and gave it a coat of primer and light pink spray paint, my way of saying "I love you!."  Then I made a cushion out of 2 toile napkins I "just happened" to have.  The miracle was that I could find them amongst my stuff.
                                                      
The next picture is just a preview of my latest project. I already have a coat of winter white painted on it and I have the design that will replace the grapes all planned out. So keep watch for the finished project, I will post it as soon as it is completed.

I almost forgot about this SWEET umbrella caddy I picked up at a thrift store that will be closing soon.  I got it half price so it was 10.00. I know that is 5 times what I am used to paying but you have to admit it is wonderful.  I plan on giving it a makeover so I will post the outcome when it is finished.

So tomorrow I will go to work and see what I can accomplish.  I am full of anticipation so I think it will be a good day.  You know any day is a good day if you get to spend it with a paint brush or a sewing machine. Oh yeah, I am working on a purse too, remember the denim skirt with the neckties? I mentioned I was thinking about using the leftovers to make a purse. Well  I almost have it finished!  I am letting it settle a bit while I make the final decision to its embellishments.  It is looking good so far. I have about 3 hours into it, I love detail and hand sewing.   Until we meet again blessings to you all. Thank your for your generosity and sharing your time with me! 

All Tied Up!

I was supposed to go to a festival today but we had a thunder storm and I had to stay home. So what better to do than get at one of those projects that have been sitting around for oh... a year or so!  So many to choose  from, a hard decision to make.  Went into my closet and saw a bag of neckties that I bought  at a resale shop a long time ago and thought there it is! This is the project that will make me forget about  aebleskivers. I looked on the rack and found the perfect candidate to complete my project a long blue jean skirt I never wear.

After I fearlessly cut the bottom off from the skirt and pinned on one neck tie that determined the length I wanted it to be.  Then I cut all the ties to the same length and started pinning the sides together so I could stitch them into one skirt piece.  I just overlapped them and top stitched them in black thread until I had the skirt completed. 

After I got the ties pinned to the bottom of the jean skirt I stitched it onto skirt and serged the seam. Over all I like the outcome, the ties I used were definitely vintage and  really fun.  I may add some trim to the skirt in a day or two and if I do I will definitely update this post.  I can't believe I took a picture of the backside of the skirt with me in it I don't usually show my backside -oh well I wanted you to be able to see the neat combination of old neck ties so it was worth it.




I love the picture above of the inside of the skirt, the ties are so cool I could make a project just using the labels.  I still  have the bottom of the jean skirt left and the remainder of the ties I used and I am thinking they would make a cool tote bag and hopefully they won't sit in my closet for another year waiting for a rainy day!
I love anything blue jean, especially skirts so be sure and stop by again to see if I have any new creations. Winter is coming and I know in Michigan I will probably be stuck indoors for most of it and looking for something to do. 

Pretty Poodles

I have never been fond of poodles (sorry if you are a poodle lover) but when I came across these two I couldn't resist them (especially since they were only 50 cents each! These chalk ware poodles are all chippy and shabby and look great sitting under my church bench.  In the picture you can see they are sitting on a nice little chair.  The chair is a vintage metal lawn chair I found for 10 bucks at a resale shop. I took it home and cleaned it up and gave it a fresh coat of red spray paint.  The chair I am selling at the shop where I consign at but the poodles I guess I am a poodle lover after all!

Worth The Wait

The Graphic Fairy is the best resource for vintage images, if you are on their mailing list you get daily emails with new graphics. I have used several and they always look fabulous. I painted this wooden watering can and it sat around the house just waiting for the perfect design to grace its front. Then it came one day in an email and I couldn't wait to print it out and Modge it on. I had this little Geranium plant just sitting in my stash and thought what a perfect match!

Shabby Chic Prims

I finished some projects this week and thought I'd post them so you can see them, I hope you enjoy seeing them. I love to share and hope you love to look. I know I love to see the things other people make I am always amazed and inspired.  The first project I worked on was a candle holder I found at a sale.  It had a stained finish so I thought I would paint it and use a design I found on The Graphic Fairy to give it a new look. 

http://www.graphicsfairy-diy.com/search/label/French%20Chic

In the backround you can also see a tray I painted shabby white too, it already had the cool Paris them going on all I had to do was update the paint job.
I found this cloche-her is some infor on the word "cloche" I never know how to say it! The definition really doesn't cover the idea of cloche like mine but it is what they call them.

[KLOHSH] French for a bell-shaped woman's hat, cloche refers culinarily to an unglazed stoneware, bell-shaped cover used in baking bread. This baking cloche is soaked in water, then placed over the bread dough prior to baking. When heated, the water-soaked clay produces steam, which coats the dough and gives the finished bread a crackling good crust. Cloches, which are about 10 inches tall, are available in gourmet shops. An unglazed earthenware casserole dish can be substituted.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/cloche#ixzz1VVR1SbQ4 at the G.W. Boutique for 3.00 and grabbed it up.  It was originally for cheese but I had other plans for it.  I found a nice chunky spindle piece and base and glued them all together with my favorite Gorilla Glue.  Then I did the shabby thing-black undercoat, white, and then a dark glaze.  I think it will be great with a vignette setting inside. 

Two Dollar Shelf-Million Dollar Make over

Well maybe I exaggerate, yeah I do but I take artistic license...I keep telling my husband that I don't think I have yet to convince him. Back to the shelf it really was only 2.00 I love the 2.00 range first the stool now the shelf.  It was in need of a make-over, the brown finish was worn and I knew that with a coat or two of paint it would be good as new!  I undercoated it with primer then flat black my favorite thing to do, then painted it with a white flat paint.  After all that dried I gave the shelf a coat of black-brown glaze and then a top coat of poly coat. I took it to the shop today I wonder if it will sell I hope so I have plans to make more stuff and will need the room! LOL!

Mon peu défraîchi français tabouret

I went to the shop to deliver some goods and there sitting out in the sun all by itself was this stool and the selling price was only 2.00, even I can afford that! Wow what a deal.  So I took it home and glued it back together and set to work on a design.  I decided to undercoat it in a flat black so I could take more time to deliberate and come up with a plan.  After the paint dried I knew that I wanted to paint it a shabby white and use a post mark design, I really like the Parisian influence on art world!  I had seen a project online (wish I could remember another thing I need to work on along with the before and after pictures!) and came up with a design that fit perfectly on the top of the stool.  I used a brush to sponge on the 2 circles and then stenciled the words and date.  After everything was dried I painted on a black-brown glaze and then sealed the stool with a poly-coat.  I love how it came out and sure hope to do more with the post mark design so keep watch I promise not to disappoint!