Notes from A Cottage Industry

Playing with the Playroom.

Now that I live up here in the Pacific Northwest, I have the luxury of playing around with projects, not only at my own home, but at my two daughter's homes as well. (Oh, and you know how I love a project!!!)

Well, there are quite a few new projects going on between all three of our homes, and I just had to share the latest project over at Mr. C's home.

There is a small bedroom just off of the kitchen that was used as a playroom for the last family that lived here, and Mr. C's mama decided to continue using the room that way. It makes perfect sense, really. This way, Carter can walk in and play while his Mama is in the kitchen and it's easy to keep an eye on him..or join him!

Carter's Mama, his auntie, and I all got together one day and painted the room Robin's egg blue. My daughter had found a vintage shelving piece (At Camas Antiques...where else?) that we think must have been part of an old kitchen set up. Anyway, Carter's daddy mounted it to the wall and it holds lots of toys now. (How cool is that?!) A small thrifted cottage style coffee table, complete with a long drawer (perfect for housing coloring books and crayons later!) and a painted child's chair work great for Carter to play at. (Actually, he loves to eat little snacks here!) We used chalkboard paint and created a nice big chalkboard on the opposite wall, which I then painted a dictionary description of the word Play on, and finished it off with a frame made from simple painted one by fours. We completed the fabulous chalkboard area by adding a couple of little metal sparrows I still had from way back when I had my teeny tiny shop at Arlington Gardens Mall. Carter is fascinated with the birdies and loves to point at them way up there in their nest!(fyi...the smudgy look on the chalkboard is 'coz I had just painted the words and tried to clean a bit of the chalk template off...rest assured it all looks uniform today)
Old shutters that we found at the salvage yard completed the vintage details for the playroom. (which was a bit of a challenge when all of today's toys are incredibly bright and plastic!) Once Carter is a little bit older, we may add a curtain on a tension rod to the closet to create a puppet theater, but for now, the closet is crammed full of toys. I am not sure exactly who likes the playroom more, Carter, or us girls!

New Year's party hat how-to's.

I was really surprised at how many of you emailed me with questions on how I made my party hat, so I decided to share the instructions right here. It's very nearly New Year's, so you'll have to get right on this if you want to use it this year. Otherwise, you've got plenty of time if you are thinking ahead for next year's New Year's eve.

Oh, one more thing. Keep in mind that the instructions will work for any kind of party hat, not simply New Year's, so think outside of the box here.

SUPPLIES NEED FOR HAT:

sheet music, book pages or scrapbook paper of your choice

Liquid Starch

Bowl to put liquid starch in

Cardboard or mylar party hat (doesn't matter what it looks like, 'coz you're gonna cover it up)

Adornments like the clock face (make one or google a picture up...whatever you like) buttons, glitter, etc. (I printed the words Happy New Year on my printer and cut out the strip like a mini banner, then glued it in place.)

garland edging if the hat doesn't already have some on it.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pour liquid starch in a large bowl and tear paper of your choice into strips of various sizes. Dip paper in liquid starch and scrape off excess starch with your fingers as you pull it out of the liquid. Drape sloppy wet paper onto hat at any angle you like until the hat is fully covered with the torn pages.

Let dry. (I placed my hat over a mid sized pyrex bowl to be sure it maintained it's nice round shape at the base of the hat.)

Add adornments with a hot glue gun.

You're finished!

I'd love to see pictures of your hat and so would everyone else, so please send me a picture when you get yours completed and I will add it to this post with a link to you!

Make it Special Furniture Painting DVD kit!

Thanks to a lot of work by my dear friend Anne, (Who directed and filmed me) and my daughter, (Who edited and produced the dvd) it's finally ready! The first run of my latest DVD kit, "Make it Special, Furniture Painting" is available in a limited quantity. SORRY. THIS KIT IS SOLD OUT. The DVD and handy booklet cover everything you need to know, start to finish, for painting small items like chalkboard frames (...which is what I have my students do in an actual hands on workshop...so easy and it takes all of the fear out of learning the techniques of painting!)
...to large pieces of furniture
....to painting cupboards and cabinetry in your home.

If you requested a pre-order, you should have already received your PayPal invoice. Current supply is limited with more on the way very shortly. Simply click the Buy Now button to order your copy. Get 'em while they're hot, and just in time for Christmas!

Price is $30.00 and includes shipping within the USA. (For shipping outside the  US I will email you any additional cost for shipping) SOLD OUT!

 

A painted furniture workshop

   Each week I get questions from readers on how to paint vintage furniture; techniques, tips and how to's, as well as paint recipes. Well, if you're anywhere near the biggest little city, I'm excited to tell you that I will be teaching another "hands-on" workshop with all of the hints and tricks to get you inspired and painting! That's right, attendees will be creating their very own take away project... we'll learn all the tips and tricks for priming, painting and antiquing furniture, accessories or cabinets. We'll practice it all on framed chalkboards to take home, and while we wait for our paint to dry between the steps, I'll be sharing more information and tips.
     The workshop will be held next Wednesday evening from 6-8 pm at the Pickled Tink Studio. You can sign up right on their website, or email them to register!

An easy little recycled picture frame tutorial

    Our new little place of business needs a nice sign for the restroom door. I decided to make one from an old framed art piece that I got for fifty cents from some yard sale that I had stashed in my craft supply closet. I had bought the picture for the frame, because I liked the rectangular shape. I love using things I have instead of having to run out and buy something new, don't you?

I printed the French word for Restroom on an old dictionary page, in several different fonts because I wasn't sure of the look I wanted. I printed a vintage photo I had of a man and a woman, (cropped the photo in half on my computer so they could be two separate pictures) and gave them old looking photo edges in my little print program. I cut them out to add to the new sign.

Using the picture glass, I made sure they were laid out just right. I spray painted the old oak frame a glossy black.

I cleaned the picture glass all nice and clear, and put the completed new sign in the fabulous recycled frame. Total time it took to create this little gem, just under 45 minutes, including dry time for the picture frame.

 

Perfect for the restroom door...for ladies or gentlemen.

A little backyard photography practice

I am working on improving my portrait photography skills and Miss Isabelle graciously agreed to model for me this past Tuesday morning.(See? It's not another shameless Gramma Cupcake bragging post, it's about improving your portrait photography skills!)

Anyway.

Each time I practice, I learn a bit more of what I am doing wrong and it is exciting to see ways of improving my skills with this. Even though she was getting over her first cold, sweet Miss Isabelle was such a good sport all the same. And, hopefully she will be back over for another session in just a week or two when she is fully over her cold so I can work on this photography thing some more.
I am by no stretch of the imagination a pro at this, just somebody's Gramma, trying to get better with  my picture taking skills, but here are a few tips that I have learned from trial and error so far...(learn from my mistakes here, people.)Take the tips for what they are.

*For outdoor shots, don't photograph directly in the sun. It's just too bright. Glaring. Make sure you, with your camera, and your model are in the shade, at least for the most part. (See the grass in the picture above? Some sun, some shade? You want the subject of the picture in the shade fully, or there are too many visual distractions in the picture..just my opinion here.)

*Close ups are nice, but the photo doesn't have to be a close up to start with. Cropping it in after wards works really great, and you may end up with two shots from the same photo that you like both ways, like here:

*Be organized and prepared when photographing babies and little children...(actually, I guess it's good to be organized when photographing anyone.) The time frame is kind of short, since they aren't always thrilled to keep posing and being repositioned for you for hours on end. Check out the area in which you'll be taking the pictures. Look through the camera viewfinder at the area before the subject arrives to get the are a set up if you're doing this shoot outdoors, as I was. Then you see if it's too sunny, or has too much going on in the background.

*Have fun! Just take the shots you can, and then gather up your model (and her mama!) and go out to lunch. It worked for me!

Easy vintage style votives tutorial

Thanks so very much for all of the well wishes and especially for the name ideas for the shop.(I am so excited about it all!!!) We're trying to narrow it down to the top two or three and decide within the next couple of days, so you know I'll be sharing that!

Today I thought it would be fun to share an easy peasy tutorial for making vintage style votive candle holders. After the last wedding a year ago this past March, I had oodles and toodles of votive candle holders left, and I knew from the start exactly what I was going to do with them. They have been waiting ever since.
    Last weekend I finally began my little project, and I am quite smitten with how they came out. (Why didn't I make these sooner?) So simple and sweet, and so easy to assemble. If you don't happen to have 40+ votive holders laying around like I did, you can buy them very cheaply at places like WalMart or a craft store...or...you can use little jars, or empty votive holders from past votives that came with a candle in them (Like the Glade ones at the grocery store)

Here's the supply list:
votive candle holders or small jars
ribbon or lace
millinery flowers (mine are new, from Michael's. I coffee dyed them!)
old book pages (the more yellowed with time, the better!)
optional* old buttons of vintage tags to adorn the votive instead of the millinery flowers

Scissors
glue stick
optional* glue gun

Step one:
take an old book page and make sure it's the length that will wrap around the votive holder. Fold the page so it is about 1/2 inch shorter than the votive holder.Tear the page along the fold for a soft look. Fold the top two end corners so when they meet around the votive holder they will form a nice little "V".

Rub a bit of glue stick to the back of the paper and then wrap the paper around the votive. Cut a length of ribbon and tie it around the jar. Tuck in a flower and you are all set! (At this point you can glue gun on a vintage button or tag...)

I think these are so charming. I can picture them on a table setting by everyone's plates, (Maybe add a coffee dyed tag with each person's name?) or simply tucked into a bookshelf near old photos and books...or, how about boxing one up in a see through acrylic box with a bow, and shredded book pages in the bottom for a hostess gift? They are perfect just about anywhere you want to add a bit of personality!

 

The J O Y continues

   Okay, I know I promised that I would show pictures of my own Christmas decor this year.  I have been a little slow this year at getting my decorating act together, but I am ready at last to share some fresh new little decorating ideas with you all!

I was so happy with my J O Y letters that I decided to do a little table setting with it. The Sewing Queen gave me these sweet, sweet little clip on bottle brush trees for my birthday and I decided to use them to hold place cards!(She had the girls get them at Monticello in my beloved PTown, from Jean at Burlap and Bling!) I made some simple place cards to coordinate and now I am ready for a sweet lil' meal with a friend. After all, I am a firm believer in living a charmed life (on a shoestring) and making all of the everyday moments as special as any holiday. (You should too!)

Next post...a Christmas time tour of my merry little cottage.

J O Y to the world

Kind of cute , huh? Guess what? It cost me next to nothin' to make this, and I'm going to share the process with you.

    My daughter bought an entire bag of assorted 3D cardboard letters at the GW (Remember? I told you that's what the "regulars" call GoodWill...)several months ago. (Yes, she's got the gift of spotting a diamond in the rough, and I'd like to think she got that gift from my side of the gene pool, thankyouverymuch) You can find these at places like Hobby lobby or Ben Franklin's Crafts, if you're not lucky enough to stumble upon them at the GW.(Other supplies include scrapbook paper or sheet music or old book pages, a glue stick, some ribbon, jute or twine, and some odds and ends from around your home)

Anyway.

 As I said, it was an..um..assorted collection of letters in the bag, so there were only certain letters. (I am now thinking I will do up some of the individual letters as monograms for sale in the Junkees Tumbleweed Cotillion booth)  I wanted to spell a word that I could use at Christmastime and after some digging, I found the letters to spell JOY and I was set to begin a little Christmas Craft project! I took some old sheet music that I have had for a year or more (thrifted of course) and tore it into small pieces.(you can do this with old book pages, or scrapbook paper...whatever you like) I then glued it to the letters (all over them, not only the fronts of the letters) with a simple glue stick.

At this point you'll want to wander around your home in search of old bits and pieces of craft items...Christmas bells, little trees, angles, whatever you like. Also, you might like to make a cute tag to attach to one of the letters like I did.

I made my tag by printing a favorite bible verse on a paper and then cutting it out to be a tag. (Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalm 98:4) I still may go back tomorrow and add a verathane glaze and antique the letters just a bit...maybe, we'll see. (if I do, I'll be sharing my update!)

*sigh* I just love making little things out of bits and pieces of what I already have, don't you?

Catch-up week.

     See the cute sign in the photo? That's one of my friend's favorite sayings. She gave me the three foot long framed welcome sign that she got on clearance at TJ Maxx longer ago than I care to admit.(you won't even believe how long ago...let's just say that sign has spent all four seasons at my home)  Today I will give it to her and she will hang it in her office at work (if she remembers why she wanted it)
     I had offered to repaint it with her favorite saying and then...well, I kept putting it off, doing other things, then I actually forgot I had it after a few months...then, I remembered, and procrastinated some more. (What is up with that?! Why did I do that?!) I even printed my wording template two different times (Um, ya...I had to print it a second time, 'coz I took so long that I lost the first template.)

Anyway.

Finally, finally, this weekend, I got it finished. The shroud of guilt has been lifted! Tonight I am planning on starting to paint three small furniture pieces for another friend that has been patiently waiting since before the Tumbleweed Cotillion.

I want to get them done before autumn arrives.

A very easy little craft project that I did for free.

     I showed you my hallway photo wall work in progress earlier. Now, here is the little project I was telling about in that post.
Here's the old framed country art. I've had it since the early 90's and it had already done it's time. I love the long rectangular frame. The picture inside, not so much. I'll take it all apart and recreate it into something I can love again....

    First of all, I am going to dismantle the frame and the matte...taking the double matte apart with the "proper tool" (they glue these together at the factory, you know...dental floss works well also.)

Next, I will paint the frame and both of the mattes with spray paint (The frame and the inner matte are both black, the outer matte, white) and put them back together...

Now, to add a computer generated verse to make it perfect for my family photo wall.(Don'tcha just love this quotation?)

See? Easy peasy. And, one of my personal favorite 4 letter words...F-R-E-E.

Ever evolving chairs make over...

   

So many of you have asked about the chair in my daughter's cottage that I thought I'd better share it with you. I used the same technique as always...like in Furniture re-do 101, except the paint color is a darker wheat for the base color. (Sorry, I don't have the Behr recipe, so just pick one you like!)
     I found 4 of these chairs on craigslist well over a year ago. They were so cute, but they are reproductions, not antiques and a couple of them were scuffed up.

     I primed one, then painted it a light yellow-ish wheat color. After that, I glazed the chair frame in a tobacco color and slid some fabric I had over the cushion to get an idea of how we'd like it.
   The newest maid-of-honor wasn't sure of what colorway she wanted to go, so the chairs have been there, in transition.   As her cottage has taken shape, we have chosen a color palate at last. We are set to paint all 4 chairs black, along with the drop leaf round kitchen table very soon, and add new cushion fabric...oh yes, you know I'll be sharing the results with you!

Totally free two minute art project

    Everybody's doing the monogram thing these days...Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Ballards Designs, Horchow.... and me.
Isn't it classy looking? Ya, I thought you'd like it. That's why I just had to share this easy-as-pie and basically free idea with all of you today.
     While cleaning out the workroom, I've been going through all of my old scraps of paper, pages from magazines...and ads. I came upon a Pottery Barn page where they are actually selling printed letters of the alphabet. Are you kidding me?! Who is buying these things? Are they charming? Yes. Sophisticated? For sure. But to pay money when we can all just print a letter out on our deskjet printers..? Pul-ease. I want to meet the folks buying these, 'coz I have a bridge I want to sell them.

Anyway.

I also ended up with a semi large collection of assorted picture frames. Some small, some not so small, you name it. I took a frame I liked (an old TJ Maxx clearance find for $3.99) and I then printed the letter in WORD in a large font.(I think the font size was 160) I centered it on the page, then I took the glass from the frame and laid it over the paper with the letter "B" on it. When the letter was centered, I drew around the piece of glass, and then cut out the square. I placed the glass and the paper back in the frame and I was done.

So...I am thinking these will make fabulous gifts.(Maybe for Valentines day? Gee, I hope my kids aren't reading this...) Frame one, or do a collection of the same letter in different fonts, (masculine or feminine) how cool would that be? Or spell out a  word, like L O V E or H O P E or B L I S S in 4 assorted frames with one letter in each, and done in different  fonts, then place them together to form the word?

**edited to add: OK, to get your font size larger than 72 in WORD, all you need to do is highlight the lstter (or whatever) and then in the font size box that reads 72, click and type in the number you want to try...say...175, then hit ENTER. The highlighted letter will enlarge.

Oh. My. Gosh. My mind is reeling at the many ideas you can create here, for free, people!

Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

    Oh yes, I'm still working in my workroom/home office, and I am having a ball setting it up in such an organized fashion!
    You saw this mirror in the "before" state already, but here it is again.

    It was originally on top of an old dresser, but the brackets that were to hold it in place were broken. Of course, I had big plans for it, just not sure what the big plans were.
     I've been hanging on to it for a year and a half now, waiting for that right spot to jump out at me. Looking at the two bookcases with the old piano bench (newly re-slipcovered in the same fabric as my dining room chairs, by the Sewing Queen of norther Nevada!) I knew I had finally found that special spot.
    The first step was to tape it all off....

    Oh, and I had plans to add an appliqué to the top area that had been broken off before I got the mirror.
     I primed it with my favorite..Kilz water based primer....

    A couple more coats and I was ready to antique the piece....

I added the antiqued appliqué (I always antique appliqués before attaching them, and then do a bit of touch up)and I hung it on the wall....

I sat back and admired the look. *Sigh* Nice. Just the look I was after. And it didn't cost me anything but my time.

Hmmm, now, what am I going to do with the ugly mdf board on the backs of those bookcases?

Christmas eve breakfast tablescape...charming and cheap.

Wow. Two posts in one day. What can I say? I'm still high on life from my fabulous Christmas.
    I have a few shots from our Christmas table in P-Town that I wanted to share. *sigh* Such fun being up there, even if time was too short. (It always is)
To start off the holiday, we all gathered for a fabulous Christmas eve breakfast. We did the table up with hints of blue and mocha to coordinate with the dishes.(followed later that day by an amazing dinner, with white dishes and all silver and glittered accents!)at the current maid-of-honor and her sweet hubby's cottage.

    For the base of our center piece, we used a very old, chipped mirror from a thrifted sideboard. It works perfectly as a shabby backdrop for anything glitzy and is a nice long rectangle. (Think about using a mirror on your table next time you're stumped for a tablescape)

    I took my "Wish" tickets along with me...my gosh, have I gotten my money's worth out of those little gems, or what?!

    Their place is cozy, with only room for a darling vintage drop leaf table and 2 chairs in the area between the kitchen and living room, so we took an old wooden closet door (it was actually 4 feet by 8 feet in size) and placed it right on top of the table. We then covered the board with a beautiful white cutwork table cloth (TJ Maxx...on sale right before Christmas for only $8.99!) and set the table. Voila'! We took a caned back settee (yard sale find!) and covered the cushion with fabric that matched with the table (actually an old vintage damask drape purchased at the Willows Nest event last summer!) The caned settee coordinated perfectly with my daughter's chairs around the table. It looked amazing. Truly.

  Oh! Another idea you'll want to remember. Hit those after Christmas sales! The items on this tray at the bride-to-be's home are all simply Christmas ornaments and a long plastic silver beaded garland. Toss it all on a silver tray (or an old mirror, or whatever suits your fancy) with some candles, and you've got instant (and so affordable!) glam.
     I'm sharing this because I want you to know that no one cares how big your home is, or how fancy, or how many your table usually seats. It's about people, not things. It's about thinking outside of that box.
     Look around your home next time it looks like you may have a space limitation, not a large enough centerpiece, or not enough tables. Use what you've got. Ornaments, thrifted finds, old books, a piece of heavy plywood (or a free closet door left from your remodel!) and make. it. happen. Make it special. Show you care.

That's what it's all about.

Most unusual cupcakes indeed.

    These cupcakes aren't for eating, there for heating.**
     That's right. They're fire starters, and they make wonderful gifts for anyone with a woodburning fireplace.

    I thought everyone already knew how to make these, but I found out while conducting my workshop last Saturday that many of you hadn't heard of these yet...so here's the skinny on them.

FIRESTARTERS

Cedar shavings (found in the pet section of WalMart or at pet stores. It is meant for the cages of guinea pigs and hamsters)
parifin or candle stumps left from used up candles..any color will do
An old large pot (from a thrift shop or yard sale- you won't be cooking in these things after this)
Cupcake pan (again, from a thrift shop or yard sale)
cupcake liners

Melt the wax on low heat on the stove. Watch it, wax can be flammable if overheated. Fill cupcake liners with cedar shavings (don't pack it too tightly) Pour melted wax over cedar shavings. Let set up (put in freezer to speed process up) Bag up the fire starters, along with a few pine cones if you like, and instructions for use. When you're done, let any left over wax cool and harden in the pot and store the pot, cedar shavings and cupcake pan for later use. As you have little candle stubbs, simply drop them in the pot and when you're ready to make more, you'll be set.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

Put one of these little babies in the fireplace, beneath the grate. Add some newspaper and your logs on top of the grate. Light the fire stater, and it will burn for a long while, starting up your nice big fire.

Bag a few of these little gems up in a large corsage bag or basket with directions for use and you're finished. These make perfect gifts around the winter holidays for neighbors and friends alike!

**side note here** I will admit that the first time someone gave me a bag of these (my eldest daughter was in Kindergarten and her teacher gave them to the room mothers as Christmas gifts...)and I did think they were some odd kind of bran muffins. (I vividly remember thinking that they looked a bit dry to me.) Luckily, before I tasted one, a fellow room mother announced to me that she was thrilled to get some, because they were the coolest thing for starting a fire.

Easy peasy handmade thank you's

    

     If you thought you'd heard the last about the wedding, (since I was put to work half of the weekend finishing up those kitchen cupboards) you'd be wrong.
     There's more. (you're not even surprised)
     You see,long before the wedding, the bride had a fabulous idea. She asked me to make a cute "Thank You" sign for them to hold up in a posed shot at the reception, and then make the picture into thank you cards. Well, in all the festivities of the day, we both forgot to have them pose to take the picture.
     Not to worry.We got a sneak peek at a couple of great pictures of the darling couple from the photographer, and I made them some thank you cards, post haste. It was so very easy to do, too!
     I used a little cheapo print program on my computer, but you could create these in MS Word just as easily. Simply take a photo and put your wording underneath, print it on card stock so you get four copies to a page, cut, and voila'! You have very classy looking cards with plenty of room to write a nice note, and then to put in invitation sized envelopes. All in less than one hour's time.
      This idea doesn't have to be used only for wedding thank you cards. Picture using this idea for a child's birthday thank you. Take a photo of the birthday boy or girl blowing out the candles on a cake, and then let the child write the thank you note. Or how about a picture of you in front of your new home on "we've moved" cards? Possibly a picture of that new puppy to share your news of the newest family member? Oh, my head is spinning; the possibilities are endless.

     Oh! I almost forgot to share these little treats with you! The groom's sweetheart of a Mom ordered these adorable personalized m & m's for the big day as well! Look close now. Are these incredible, or what?! See the tiny  names? See the tiny date? Too cute.
    *sigh* I saved these especially to share with all of you.

The moment we've all been waiting for!

Yes friends, it's finally here.
Strike up the band, clap your hands, ooh and aah, and for gosh sakes, somebody throw some confetti!
The kitchen cupboards are done. Painted. Antiqued. Fini. (Well, all except for knobs, which are laying on the counter in a bag, and I do promise to get them all up this week, and to share photos!)
     Here is a before shot of part of the kitchen as seen from my entryway. It's a bit digitized, as it was from the virtual tour of the cottage online. (I showed the counter re-do before on this post...oh my. Was it really all the way back in March?!) And just below the before, is an after...including a vintage table that used to be painted red and served as a night table in a guest room in my last house. ( it's just exactly the perfect size to use as a kitchen island now that I am in my sweet, sweet cottage!)

Now, it's been reinvented, and I owe it all to the Maid-of-Honor. (I had no idea this was what Labor Day meant...) She was like a pit-bull drill Sargent. I only got to take a break twice, and that was to assist her in an hanging a light fixture in the master bath, and then for a quick deli sandwich.

     In the end, it was all worth it. I love the cool, calming, vintage-y look and feel it gives my much-loved cottage kitchen. I wonder why it took me so long to wrap this lil' job up?

*edited to add: If you're interested in trying this paint method,  I have full instructions here.
For my kitchen cabinets I used Behr Brand from home Depot "Ultra Pure white" in eggshell finish for my paint color, after I painted 2 coats of Kilz primer.

A gentle reminder

...Always.
     I painted this sign last night to hang above the French doors in my cottage dining room. I saw a picture of a sign hanging in someone's kitchen on a home tour on somebody's Blog, and I adored the sentiment. (sorry! I don't remember which one of you shared it, but thanks for the inspiration!) I made a mental note to make one for myself, when I got the time.

     I shared the technique on how to paint verses on things when I made my garden sign from an old headboard a short while back. The cake sign was actually an old sign I already had that was a Thanksgiving themed sign, and I didn't have the right spot for it in my cottage, so I just thought I'd reinvent it as a year round sign. A little bit of primer and paint, then a bit of antiquing (You really can't see it unless you click on the first close up photo to enlarge it, but I used a tobacco colored paint to antique the edges of the blue area) and what was old was new again.
     I think it kind of lightens the mood in the dining room, don't you?

Time began in a garden

 

  I like quotations. You know, little verses hanging about, here and there, in surprising  places around my home. In my last house I had one out near the front courtyard to greet people as they arrived. The Thanksgiving time photo is pretty blurry , but you can get the idea:

      I finished up a sign for my garden today, and I thought you might like a tutorial. This one is made from an old twin sized headboard. Now, you can use anything, a board, cupboard door, or even a larger headboard if you like (I once made a fabulous sign for a friend's shop using a full size old four poster headboard upside down- darn, why didn't I take a picture of that?)

Anyway.

I have several old twin sized headboards in my inventory in the garage. You can get these for next to nothing at yard sales or thrift shops, and if you're lucky, you'll find a headboard and a footboard, which will give you two signs. Here's how:

1. Prime and paint the headboard.

2. Print your verse in a print program or large font in Word and tape it together.

3. Rub chalk on the back side of the paper. If the headboard is painted a light color, use colored chalk.

4. Place the verse, printed side up, on the headboard, exactly where you want it.

5.Using an old fine tip felt pen, outline all the letters, pressing fairly firmly.

6. Remove the paper. (The chalk letters did not photograph well at all, but trust me, they're there...)

7. Paint in each letter, coloring book style.

8. Seal with marine varnish or other sealer.

9. Plop in in the garden, nestled in between some spring flowers, get yourself a nice glass of something cold and delicious to drink, and have a seat where you can enjoy the new sign.(Once my plants fill in and get to blooming it will really be pretty.

See? Easy as that. What are you waiting for?

A little crafting

    I really enjoy creating a pretty table when I entertain a guest. Now, I try not to get too carried away with my table settings, and have the kitchen look like something off of a Sandra Lee show (Yes, I watch far too much Food Network) however, I do adore a table done up with place cards, especially creatively done place cards, and that is what prompted the chair cones idea.
    This past weekend was all about entertaining, (Oh, I had forgotten how much fun it is!) and after I posted the table set up, my sweet friend Marcia asked me how to assemble the cones I made for the backs of the chairs in my table setting.
    I thought I'd share a pictorial of directions today, in case anyone else is having trouble figuring them out. It takes about 5 minutes to make one of these charming cones, start to finish. Really.

You can use any kind of paper you like; wallpaper, scrapbook paper, old book pages, whatever.(I am using scrap book paper for this demo)

Roll the paper to form a cone shape, making sure the bottom creates a point. Then, staple the cone so it holds it's shape.

Trim off the top pointed area to form a true cone with a straight top edge.

Punch holes on either side and tie a coordinating ribbon through it. If you're going to hang it from a chair as I did for my breakfast, make sure to leave a long enough section of ribbon.

   Fill with flowers. Or Ivy. Or candy. And a name card if you like (Or a verse...)Hang it on a door to welcome friends, or on a chair as a place card holder, or other any place you like, just to add a bit of beauty to a small spot in your home.
    *sigh* Simple pleasures are the best.

furniture re-do 101

Here is the charming little table that I showed you a few weeks ago. It began as a plain wooden piece, rescued by my daughter from someone's driveway at a yard sale.
I thought I would walk you through the process, so you'll see just how easy it is to unearth a diamond in the rough for yourself...Here's how:
1. Prime it. I like Kilz Brand- spray or brush on. (the spray can may clog sometimes, but for spindle style table legs And such it works well)To avoid drips when brush painting, apply a thin coat.

2. Spackle and fill in any areas like holes from previous knobs.

3. Lightly sand.
4.dust with a tack cloth.
5.Paint. I like eggshell finish enamel by Behr. With light colors, one coat will do. For darker shades it may take 2 coats of paint.

6. Antique with glaze or by sanding lightly with 150 grit sand paper,(this is what I do on dark pieces, especially black) depending on the look you want. To make the glaze, mix 1 part paint to 3 parts glaze. (Glaze: I use Behr Brand, sold at Home Depot. it looks white, but is actually clear until you add a paint color.) Add more layers of glaze as wanted.*edited to add: You can glaze light, with a white or cream paint, or dark, with a dark browwn, burnt sienna color. You can brush it on, which works best in creases, or use a rag. I like to wipe it off with a very slightly damp cloth, to even it up.

7. Add knob.

8.Enjoy!