LOVE TAGS

Hello visitors!

The new year is blasting by us

at warp speed, don't you think?

It's time to decorate for 

Valentines Day!

This ivory painted display is a vintage dresser

mirror frame! The chicken wire I added

makes a great clip board. A few decorative 

boards made it a free standing unit.

In order to "JAZZ" it up,

I added hand made paper tags.

This set features:

 old book page Sizzix die cut letters

Bobunny paper

 lace & ribbon

die cut scallop circles

I also decided to peck away at 

using up some old jars.

My stockpile is unbelievable!

(I have more painted jars

 to share in future posts)

These plain jars, with no embossed words, 

are ideal for making heart "windows".

Then if you add candy to them,

they look super cute.  The old glass mayo jars

are plentiful & plain like this.

I used actual JAR PAINT from the 

craft store.  It really does stick the best!

Be warned, if you have a heart sticker

on, peel it off right away while the 

paint is wet.  Then, for your second coat,

add a fresh heart sticker when it 

has completely dried.

I made some decorative tags

using the Minnesota made

UNITY brand stamps!

Linking up to:

Coastal Charm

and

Creative Country Mom

Painted Drop Side Table

Check out this old dark table...

Before:

I spent a few hours sanding the 

extra glossy finish off this functional piece.

My inspiration for this table came

from the Special Issue 2015

Country Sampler's Christmas.

There is a cherry red drop side table

with ivory legs in that magazine.

After consulting my sister 

and mother about the magazine 

table idea, I took the plunge on this 

unique bold paint job.

I started this project by painting the legs.

While it was upside down I did the 

bottoms of each drop side, 

since they will show when down

from certain perspectives.

Then I had to completely cover the legs

so no dark paint would splatter down 

on my crisp ivory paint.

I was also careful to protect all my cupboards

from that strong pigment red paint.

After:

I love this type of table.

It would come in so handy for holiday

meals, card games and tea time!

The striped pattern is similar

to the old grain sacks.

It's a fun blend of modern & vintage.

Don't you think?

I prefer to use flat Valspar paint.

This color is called Rushing Red.

I had to go back with a swath

of painted cardboard & match

it to the proper sample.

Mystery solved.

Linking up to:

Coastal Charm

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