Free Windows

This was the year of free old windows.

Word has spread that I make various 

things from the chippy old panes.

My shed rafters are busting with

the stockpile!  It's been a while since

I made some wall art windows.

Here is my latest creation:

I love this quote & think it 

speaks to a lot of other people!

My handy dandy book called 

THE INSPIRATION STATION

is loaded with phrases, quotes & titles

for scrapbookers & cardmakers.

I use it to dream up new projects 

all the time.

I used my Cricut machine to cut

the adhesive vinyl letters & 

"eyeballed" them on!

Linking up to:

THE DIY SHOWOFF

More Arrow Signs!

I'm loving all the more

natural trends right now.

They call it "woodland" style.

As an avid outdoors lover,

decorating with arrows & antlers 

comes very easily!

The "happy" signs have gone well 

at my craft booth.

Here are a few of the holiday 

signs I made...

Linking up to:

StaceyEmbracingChange

AND

RootedInThyme

Fancy Desk

Hi folks.

I'm excited to share a cool desk transformation

with you.  I forgot to get a "before" picture.

But as you can imagine, it was your typical 

dark brown wooden desk. 

Here is the updated piece...

This was a ready to paint, sturdy desk.

It had minimal varnish & since I planned on

distressing the edges, I did no sanding at all!

I chose not to prime either.

In my opinion,

skipping these steps should 

only happen if you: 

Use Annie Sloan Paint

or

Plan on a very distressed look

Clean well with TSP

Apply a super thin base layer

Give the first layer ample dry time

It had great hardware,

which can make or break 

your furniture sale.

These were intricate, 

fine & had a great patina!

The top got a fancy stencil design.

I made it using my Cricut machine & 

adhesive vinyl.

It's a messy, tedious process.  But in the 

end it is very much worth the time.

I've gotten pretty fast at it!

Sometimes choosing the design can be tricky.

For creative stencils,

the biggest trick is to

make sure your base layers of paint

are good & dry.  Otherwise, when you pull 

your tape & stencils off the paint will 

peel right off with it.

I don't apply much pressure to the

tape either.  

Now the honest breakdown...

paint brand: Valspar

desk cost: $5

selling price: $80

After cleaning,

 3 coats of paint,

stencil time,

& distress sanding:

about 3-4 hours of work

Now, I am already moving 

on to my next project!

Linking up to:

Coastal Charm

and

Between Naps on the Porch

DIY Ornament Tree

Check out this creative use for old Christmas
 ornaments on Pinterest.   Crate & Barrel Knock-off

I tried my own version of this craft.

Some items used are reclaimed cedar wood,

Shiny Brite ornaments, embossed tin

 & salvaged wire.

How great would this be for an apartment

that lacked room for a full sized tree?

The tones of these glass balls are 

gold, silver & green.  It's a neutral look.

Here is an example of using whatever"junk" you have!

This spool was rescued from the woods,

as was the old embossed tin building edging.

So, which TREE do you like better???

Thanks for stopping by!

You can find more inspiring projects

at these blog parties...

Linking up to:

the DIY Dreamer

and

Coastal Charm

Pedestals

I had a large stockpile of wood spindles. 

Many were from a friend that was moving.

 So, one day I painted all

kinds of them.  When lightly sanded

and paired up with weathered wood,

they look pretty cute.

The copper one sold first.

This would make a great candy dish.

Copper works great for fall.

I love the plain wooden ones.

They look festive with a

pumpkin on top.

Linking up to:

The DIY Dreamer

&

Coastal Charm

Annie Sloan Caddy

I'm still pecking away at using up my

Annie Sloan Olive paint.
The stuff seriously NEVER goes bad!

 

I found an ugly, glossy blonde

wood caddy at a garage sale.

Just look how cute it is now,

as part of my fall décor....

 

 

That dark wax gives the illusion

of year of use.

I like the dark A.S. colors because

you can get away with skipping the

clear wax step.

It can save you some money,

if you haven't gotten into stockpiling her

brand of paint products.

 

 

I often wonder if these style totes

are made for hauling paint cans.

Quart cans fit mighty well.

 

The beauty of this type is that it's deep

enough to stand on either end.

You could hang it as a wall shelf too!

 

 

This mellow green is the perfect

addition to the fall color palette.

It goes great with orange, red, yellow

and pale blue.

 

You could easily switch it out

for Christmas color items in a few months.

I love that army green color,

it's very natural & versatile.

You should consider adding it to

YOUR color palette.

 

 

Linking up to:

Coastal Charm

 

 



Rustic Fall Signs

My friend gave me the BEST old wood

from the hot tub they tore out.

 

It was weathered, but solid.

Plus, it smelled like heaven

every time I cut the cedar.

 

 

If you follow my blog,

you'll know that I use my

Cricut machine to cut

adhesive vinyl words & shapes.

They make good stencils for

nice crisp signs.

 

 

 

 

The happy signs are a huge seller.

I can't make them fast enough!

 

 

This sign would look cute on a wall by

framed photos of your children!

 

 

You could hang a couples photo or wedding picture

under the LOVE sign.

 

 

This little spooky girl is

darling for Halloween.

 

 

Linking up to:

The DIY Show off



Orange Dresser

I'm in the mood for fall!

It is always fun to paint furniture

a seasonal color.

I'd like to share the dresser that

went from dark & drab to

bright & lively!

I did some major sanding on this 

project, and some modifications too.

There was one drawer slide and 

a pull knob missing.

That meant that I had to make

the large upper front space 

a usable shelf!

The two drawers inside the door 

area were long gone as well.

I used some thin wood that 

was laying around from another

dresser fix to whip out some handy

little shelves in that area too!

This paint was 9 years old,

from when we built our house!

It had never been opened,

so it was good as new.

The Menards brand Pittsburg paint called

Ginger Jar was just as pretty as when

I picked it out!

A lot of research online still left me clueless 

about the specifics of modifying a dresser drawer space.

So I got bold & borrowed the father-in-laws air nailer.

My hubby game me a few pointers and advice.

The biggest struggle was making some bracing in

spots to actually have some wood to nail into

and hold my shelf ends & corners in place.

Now, it can the void can hold cute baskets or 

be used as an entertainment center!!!

I envision this piece in a room with grey or ivory walls.

If someone was very bold, it could go with turquoise!

I did some dry brushing in brown 

and some minor distress sanding.

The finish turned out just as planned.

The wheat hardware was just right

for the rustic fall dresser.

I hope you like my latest

major project outcome!

It was not a project for the

weak of heart, but I'm thrilled

to give new life to yet another

sturdy old piece!

 

 

Linking up to:

 

Coastal Charm

 

Stacy Embracing Change

 

10 cent Frames

Every once in a while at a garage sale

I will spot an item with potential.

These old 5x7 frames made me smile.

Those curvy little edges & beaded trim were

screaming "PAINT and SAND".

Ivory paint over any dark surface 

can look divine when a light sanding

is done.  

I pulled out the old floral images

and found some book paper to frame.

The leaves were cut on my Big Shot

die cut machine with Tim Holtz brand

leaf dies.  The glitter paper gave this project

some serious sparkle!

Linking up to:

Ivy and Elephants

and

Coastal Charm

and

Share Your Style

Teak Tray

I love quick little paint projects.

This teak tray I snatched up from the local

church garage sale looked inspiring.

For .75 cents I was willing to take 

on the challenge!

I gave it several coats of ivory paint.

Then using my Cricut machine,

I made an adhesive vinyl mask

to create that awesome oval pattern!

Isn't it so stylish?

I have great luck selling these type

of trays in my craft booth.

It's so fun to keep creating different

patterns.  The possibilities are endless on

my Cricut machine!!!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

I know the posts have been less frequent.

I'm prepping my junk for two shows this fall.

After September, I should be able to blog

more consistently.

Linking up to:

Little House in the Suburbs

The DIY Dreamer

Coffee Pillows

I have mixed emotions about handmade pillows

I love them, especially vintage fabric and such.

But they don't sell in my craft booth.

It was a pleasure to sew some cute

 burlap throw pillows for my sisters birthday!

My sis had given me a few coffee sacks she bought

down in the city from her favorite coffee shop.

To get the project rolling,

I purchased some tan fabric & did a base layer 

 so the stuffing wouldn't show.

The print forced me to make them 

slightly upright in shape.

The sacks were a bit smaller than most,

I thought the burlap would be rough

and make an uncomfortable pillow.

They were pleasantly textured & 

so cute it didn't matter!

She loved them.

Linking up to:

My Romantic Home