Mamie Jane's

My Hero

2012-01-26T19:04:00.000-06:00

Almost two years ago, shortly after my husband Bruce was diagnosed with ALS, he was the honoree at a local ALS golf tournament. Prior to the tournament, the ALS association asked us to write up a little bio about Bruce that could be displayed at the tournament.

Bruce and I sat down and wrote the bio and when we finished, he read it, and then commented that it sounded like he led a pretty ordinary life.

I couldn't disagree with him more.
Bruce led a life that was anything but ordinary and the true character of this man and just how extraordinary he was really shone after he was diagnosed with ALS.

From the day he was told he had a terminal disease Bruce faced the reality of his fate with courage, optimism and a will to fight. He never asked "Why me" and he put his energy into volunteering for clinical trials and raising money for ALS research. For two years running he was the top fundraiser for the local "Walk to Defeat ALS" fundraiser, raising over $60,000 for the cause. In late December he collaborated with the local ALS chapter to set up a Promise Fund Campaign so that the work to raise funds for ALS research could continue in his name. He was comforted knowing he could continue the fight to find a cure for this horrible disease after he was gone. He made a difference and that made his life anything but ordinary.

Bruce lost his battle with ALS today.
He died peacefully with his family by his side.
He lived for 54 years but will leave a legacy that will last forever.

I want to thank all of you for your support and prayers over the past few months.
I know they were heard.

You can read more about Bruce on his ALS Promise Fund page:
Bruce's Battalion, Fighting ALS

Jane

Letter Love

2012-01-17T11:25:00.001-06:00

I love these little metal letters that were once used in an old engraving machine.

I bought them from one of the dealers in the antique mall where I have a booth.

There are over 100 letters in this cool little box.

I bought the box of lowercase letters. I'm kicking myself for not buying the uppercase box too.

The letters are 1 1/4" in length making them perfect for some jewelry projects. I'm sure you'll be seeing them repurposed in one way or another!

I'm linking with Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.

Have a wonderful day.

Jane

New Booth Space

2012-01-09T13:04:00.000-06:00

A belated Happy New Year to everyone!!

I'm slowly trying to get back in the swing of things with creating and posting. It's been hard to find a lot of time but we have settled into somewhat of a new routine (for the moment) and I am finding little bits of time here and there to work on some projects.

The biggest project I had to tackle this past weekend was moving my antique booth space. The entire antique mall moved from the location it had occupied for 8 years into a building down the street. I have to admit, I was skeptical that the new location was going to work, but things are coming together and it's really starting to take shape.

Since I only had my booth for 2 months prior to the move, I was low girl on the totem pole when it came to picking a new space. I was rather dismayed (at first) to be in the back room of the lower level.

This is my 10' x 6' space (from the pole to the white door is 10' and from the pole to the wall is 6').

When I walked out yesterday afternoon this is what the space was looking like.

All of my display pieces are thrifty finds.

It took a lot of moving things around to get the pieces to all work.

I still have some empty shelves to fill (and the owner has a big hole in the wall to cover).

Now that I am settled in my new space I am very happy with the location. It has great lighting and I have some wonderful "neighbors".

If you are ever in the vicinity of Parkville, MO stop by the Parkville Antique Mall and check it out!!

Have a great week.

Jane

Holiday Hello and Thank You

2011-12-29T12:02:00.000-06:00

I am long overdue writing a thank you to all of you for your overwhelming kindness and concern for me and my family. I read each and every one of your comments and e-mails and appreciate the thoughts and prayers sent our way. It really meant a lot to me.

I would like to share a quick update with all of you. After a very rough couple of weeks around the Thanksgiving holiday, Bruce's condition has stabilized. Some of the troubling symptoms he was experiencing are under control and he is much more comfortable now. He can no longer walk or stand and I have become quite adept using a hoyer lift to get him in and out of his bed and/or power chair. His voice is pretty much gone but he is still able to use his hands and that has been a blessing as technology has become his way to communicate with family and friends via texting, e-mail and facebook. It hasn't been an easy transition into what we now call our new "normal" but we do feel very blessed that we are welcoming in a new year together.

Happy New Year to all of you! Thank you again for all of your support!

Jane

Extended Break

2011-12-07T13:39:00.001-06:00

I have shared with you before that my husband has ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease. He was diagnosed in January, 2010 and the disease had slowly progressed since that time. Unfortunately he experienced a rather rapid decline over the Thanksgiving holiday and is now under hospice care.

I have taken a leave of absence from work and I am taking an extended leave from my blog as I spend this time with my husband and family.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers during this time.

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Jane

Yardstick Ornaments

2011-11-20T11:32:00.001-06:00

I had quite a few various sized yardstick pieces leftover from some of my yardstick projects so I thought I would put them to use as Christmas ornaments.

A few Scrabble tiles, some plastic snowflakes, a little glitter and some ribbon and the unused yardstick pieces are now ornaments for the tree.

And before I sign off I want to wish a big Happy 50th Birthday to my little sister Peggy!

Wish I could be there to help you celebrate!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Jane

Wire Brush Card Display

2011-11-18T08:56:00.000-06:00

I found this old wire brush this week for $1.00.

I liked the long wire bristles.

I tied the bristles with a torn piece of red and white ticking fabric.

And then inserted a Christmas card.

I placed it on an ironstone plate and added a couple of red ornaments.

A simple display in less than 5 minutes.

Have a great weekend!

Jane

Caster Wheel Photo Paperweight

2011-11-16T09:09:00.000-06:00

When I purchased the caster wheels for these bookends I made a couple of weeks ago,

I also purchased this larger cast iron caster wheel.

Since there was only one available I thought it would make a good paperweight.

It would work "as is" but I decided to add some old photos of my Dad to the wheel to personalize it.

I have a huge library of family photos on my computer so I sized five of the photos to fit the wheel and lined them up in a strip (I copied the photos to Word and resized and aligned in that program).

After cutting the strip, the photos were the perfect size for the wheel.

If I was to do this again I would probably first change my photos to a sepia tone to better blend with the caster wheel. Since the photos were in black and white, I did ink the photos and the edges with a little brown ink (I used a chalk ink pad in Chestnut Roam) to give them more of an aged look.

After gluing the photo strip to the caster wheel, I called it finished.

I can now spin the wheel and see several different favorite photos of my Dad.

This high school football photo is my very favorite.

My Dad is now 82 years old. His health has been declining the past few months and he has been in the hospital this past week. I've been thinking about him a lot and really enjoyed looking through all his old photos as I put this project together.

I'm linking today with Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday.

Have a wonderful day.

Jane

Altered Christmas Books

2011-11-13T20:52:00.001-06:00

I don't thank Karen @ The Graphics Fairy enough for the wonderful graphics she posts daily for us to use.

No matter what the holiday or occasion, I can always count on finding a graphic I need when I search Karen's blog.

So of course when it came time to alter some books for Christmas, I looked no further than The Graphics Fairy.

I found several fabulous, vintage Christmas graphics on her site that were perfect for some altered books. You've seen this idea from me before (tutorial posted here). But since I was making some new ones for my booth, I thought I would go ahead and repost the idea and show you how my new ones turned out.

This Santa image,

Was altered for this book.

This cute Santa postcard,

Was used on this book.

And this adorable angel,

Now graces the front of this book.

These are very simple to create and they really make a nice decoration for the holiday.

Thanks Karen for posting these wonderful images!

I'm linking this with The Graphics Fairy for Brag Monday.

Enjoy your week.

Jane

"JOY" Banner Using Horse Harness Parts

2011-11-12T20:29:00.000-06:00

It has been way too long since I last posted!!

We had company for the past two weeks and that made it difficult to find time to create and blog.

We are now back in our normal routine and I'm really looking forward to working on some projects and catching up on what you all have been up to.

The first project I wanted to work on was a banner that I'm linking to the Saturday Nite Special party hosted by Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors. The theme for tonight's party is Banners/Pennants/Buntings and the rusty horse harness parts I found a few weeks ago were going to come in handy for this project.

This wonderful box of rusty horse harness pieces set me back $5.00.

For this project I used two of these hooks.

Two round pieces.

And two rectangular pieces.

I used red ribbon to attach the pieces together.

And then cut some corrugated cardboard to use as the base for the banner lettering.

I printed the word "JOY" on sheet music and glued it on the cardboard pieces.

I didn't have a spot for it in the house so I hung it on the back of my wood theater seats to get pictures.

I'm kind of liking it there and think I may just have found it's spot for the holidays.

On another note.....things are going very well at the booth. I have been taking things in daily and it finally looks almost like the vision I had in my head. I haven't taken any pictures yet but I promise to get some posted soon.

Thanks for stopping by! I promise I'll be posting a lot more frequently!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Jane

Vintage Suitcase Clock

2011-11-05T23:41:00.001-05:00

Vintage Suitcases.

That's the theme this week for the Saturday Nite Special party hosted by Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors.

I love old suitcases and have them stacked in various spots around my house.

Last March I turned one of the vintage suitcases into a clock and I thought I would re-post some pictures of it for tonight's link party.

This is the rather beat-up suitcase I started with.

I took an old clock face and a rusty metal gear,

And glued both pieces to the front of the suitcase. I then glued some chipboard numbers on top of the gear.

Using the hole in the clock face as my guide, I drilled a hole in the suitcase and added the clock movement.

I also added some luggage labels to hide some of the flaws on the outside of the suitcase.

Don't forget to turn your clocks back tonight!!

Jane

Caster Wheel Bookends

2011-10-31T09:08:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!!

I tried to work on a quick project this weekend in-between pricing all of the stuff that is going to my booth. It is taking WAY longer to inventory and price than I thought it would but once I get this initial inventory in the booth I think it will be easier after that (please tell me it will be!)

So the quick project that could have taken me less than an hour became an on again/off again project that took me all weekend but I am happy with the results.

I bought these old, rusty casters a couple of weeks ago for $1.50 apiece.

They aren't exactly alike but close enough to use together for bookends.

I purchased a huge box of children's building blocks a couple of years ago and have used them for several projects. I dug through the box and found these two smaller blocks.

I wanted to use the blocks as the base of the bookends but ran into a slight problem......not enough depth to the block.

I didn't want to go out and buy wood so I improvised.

I rummaged through this box of rusty harness parts (I'll post about these later).

And found these two rings that were pretty much the diameter of the base of the caster.

The addition of the ring to the bottom of the caster allowed me to use the wood I had on hand.

I drilled a hole in the block.

And then stained the wood and inserted the caster.

Another set of bookends.

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a safe Halloween.

Jane

Barn Pulley Giveaway Winner

2011-10-29T17:45:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! Hope you are enjoying a nice weekend.

It's time to let you know who was winner of my giveaway for this pair of vintage barn pulleys.

But before I announce the winner I first want to thank all of you for your wonderful response to this giveaway. I really enjoyed reading all the comments!

Between comments on the post and e-mails from those that couldn't comment on the blog there were 211 total entries. Names were put in a hat (the old fashioned way) and I had my husband draw the name.

And the winner is:

Elaine @ At Home With Elaine

Elaine said in her comment that she was a girl from a farm so I think these are going to a good home.

Thanks again for playing!! I promise to not wait so long for my next giveaway.

Jane

Booth Display Piece

2011-10-25T20:47:00.001-05:00

Next Tuesday I will have access to my booth at the antique mall and I have been frantically looking for different pieces to display some of my stuff. I've never had a booth before so I'm starting from scratch.

Last week I stopped at an indoor flea market and came across this metal display stand.

I thought the size would be good for the booth and it only cost $5.00 so I brought it home.

Once I got it home I was pleasantly surprised to find that the piece hanging from the back of the stand could be lifted and secured (I'll show you how I'm thinking of using it further down the post).

To make the shelves more usable, I placed a 2' length of wood on each of the shelves.

I plan on using this to hold some of my smaller vintage sewing items (vintage trims, spools, buttons, patterns, etc.) so I played around with adding some old sewing machine drawers and cigar boxes as storage.

And that top piece I showed you earlier......

I think it will be great to hang some vintage lace and crocheted trims,

mimicking how I've displayed the laces and trims in my studio.

(Although for selling purposes, I will be wrapping the trims individually on tongue depressors).

This isn't the finished display but I thought I would post and get your input.

Would you paint the display stand a different color? At first I thought I would keep things simple and just keep it black but now that I see it put together with the wood drawers I'm thinking that good ole' heirloom white might just be the way to go.

The wood shelves are unfinished and I was debating on painting or staining them too.

So what do you think? Keep it black or paint it?

Paint or stain the shelves?

I appreciate the feedback.

Jane

Vintage Hardware

2011-10-24T20:38:00.000-05:00

Last week while shopping at my favorite junk spot for old, rusty pieces I came across these three matching pieces of hardware.

I thought they would be perfect to attach to an old piece of wood and use as hangers for jewelry or scarves.

I didn't have an old piece of wood that would work for this project so I bought a new, unfinished piece at the hardware store. Now I had to figure out how to match the new wood to the old, rusty hardware.

I first distressed the board by hammering the edges and hitting it with a chain. Then I painted the board white. Once dry, I sanded the edges and then wiped the board down with some stain. At this point I'm not liking the look so I found some green paint and mixed some in with the stain. I wiped this on the board and finally got a look I was happy with.

Here's my finished look.

I didn't have a chance to screw the hardware to the board yet. I want to spray the hardware with a clear sealer first to protect that perfect chippy, rusty finish.

Speaking of wonderful rusty pieces.......I'm having a giveaway for a pair of vintage barn pulleys. You can enter the giveaway by commenting on the giveaway post.

I'm linking tonight with Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.

Always fun to see all the thrifty finds and projects being posted.

Jane

Barn Pulley Giveaway

2011-10-22T15:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry I'm a day behind posting about my giveaway.

I was going to take some pictures and write the post last night but I fell asleep on the couch at 8:30. I guess the week caught up with me!

I have been wanting to do a giveaway for some time now but wasn't sure what to give as the prize.

I received a lot of positive comments about the barn pulleys that I was using as bookends (posted here) so when I found another matching pair this week I knew I found my giveaway item.

So here they are:

They're old and rusty (and heavy) and perfect for the inner junker in all of us. Because of their weight they make great bookends or they look wonderful as an architectural element on a shelf or hanging on the wall.

So here is the simple contest rule:

1. Leave me a comment on this post and let me know you would like to be entered.

If for some reason blogger doesn't let you comment on my post, you can leave me an e-mail and enter that way.

That's it.

I'll be picking the winner on Saturday, October 29th at 5:00 CT.

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful support of my projects and my blog.

It means a lot to me.

Jane

Thank You and An Upcoming Giveaway

2011-10-20T21:52:00.000-05:00

First I want to pass along a big thank you for all of the supportive comments I received about opening a booth at the antique mall. I appreciate all of the valuable advice that was so willingly shared.....it made me feel like I had my own personal business consultants! I promise to keep you posted on all of the details.

Next, I've been thinking it's about high time I had a giveaway.

I received a lot of positive feedback when I wrote a post about using these vintage barn pulleys as bookends.

So, when I found a similar pair while out shopping today I bought them so I could give them away to one of you.

I still need to clean the pulleys and get some pictures taken so I'll be back tomorrow with the giveaway details.

Enjoy the rest of your evening!

Jane

Open For Business

2011-10-19T08:21:00.002-05:00

Well, I made a big decision this weekend.

A booth became available at my local antique mall and on November 1st it will be mine.

This is a completely new venture for me.

I've had a desire to do this for awhile but honestly, it was out of my comfort zone and I never acted on it.

But I feel like this is the right time.

The fact that a booth opened up right before the holiday season in an antique mall just a couple of miles from my house was the sign I needed to take the plunge.

So.......any and all advice that those of you operating a booth would like to share with me would be greatly appreciated. Your experiences, good or bad, will be helpful to me as I spend the next couple of weeks gathering, organizing and pricing my inventory.

Thanks in advance for your help. Wish me luck!!

Jane

Book Cover Chalkboard Easel

2011-10-17T19:17:00.000-05:00

When you take the covers off of books to get this look.

You end up with a lot of these.

If you're like me and hate to throw things out......

add some chalkboard paint to the outside.

And some scrapbook paper on the inside (along with two same size strips of ribbon to help it stand).

And you've got yourself a book cover chalkboard easel.

Nothing goes to waste!

Linking up my thrifty project with Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.

Jane

Halloween Mantel

2011-10-15T16:23:00.001-05:00

One of the advantages of gathering "treasures" all year is having everything on hand when it comes time to do a little redecorating. Since the theme for this weeks Saturday Nite Special link party hosted by Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors is Fall Mantels, I decided to put some of my finds to work and redecorate my living room mantel for Halloween.

I had not touched my living room mantel since I took the Christmas decorations down last January. I didn't take a picture of the "before" mantel but just imagine one picture hanging above the mantel, very plain.....funny how I overlooked how bad it looked all year.

So I went completely opposite for my Halloween mantel and I packed it with Halloween and thrift store finds.

I didn't spend any time making anything new for the mantel, I just gathered some things I had or had already made and went to work layering all of the pieces.

The first piece I added to the mantle was a large frameless mirror I bought at a thrift store for $2.00 Next I layered an empty black frame on top of the mirror and then added a painted canvas sign that was a retail purchase several years ago.

Two old shutters (thrift store find for $5.00 for the pair) were added left and right of the mirror. They have the perfect worn look for a Halloween display.

Then I just started adding stuff......a "Boo" display I made last year, some old books, wire brush tree, candles, thread spool, and an altered cabinet card.

A vintage camera and skull.

And on the right side......more old books, candles, clock face, pumpkins, and my altered shoe form.

It's quite a change from what I've been looking at all year and I'm happy with the new look.

To get a look at a lot of fabulous fall mantels, link back to Donna's blog. Lots of wonderful inspiration!

Happy Fall!!

Jane

Metal "C" Clamp Photo Stand

2011-10-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

I found these metal "C" clamps at a thrift store recently and bought all seven ($1.00 apiece) with no real plan in mind. (That's probably why my basement and garage look like what they do......I seem to buy a lot of things with no real plan in mind!)

But after looking at them for awhile, I saw these two matching red clamps,

as a photo stand for a wonderful old photo of my grandfather and his 1922 basketball team (my grandfather is sitting on the far right).

This project definitely falls into the super easy category.

The clamps are simply screwed into the photo display, which in this case, is a cover-less book with the photo printed on the front page (tutorial for book can be found here).

Super, super easy!!!

I'm linking this tonight with Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for "Wow Us Wednesday".

Hope you're having a good week.

Jane

Fall Photos

2011-10-11T07:31:00.000-05:00

We have been enjoying some gorgeous weather in the midwest.

Last night I took my camera outside to get some pictures of a project I was working on and I ended up walking around the neighborhood snapping photos of the beautiful fall evening.

The colors of summer,

are giving way to the colors of fall.

This is such a pretty time of year.

Have a great day.

Jane

Short Break

2011-10-04T20:23:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone is enjoying a nice week.

It's been awhile since I posted and I want to say thank you to all of you that have inquired if everything was OK. I really appreciate the concern.

Fact is, it has been a challenging past couple of weeks.

A storm of events that all decided to hit at one time.......

New challenges with my husband's ALS disease progression,

my Dad starting chemotherapy,

a new territory and customers at my job,

and my prior commitment to participate in a craft fair that I wasn't totally prepared for.

Put it all together and I have been somewhat stressed.

So I'm taking a short blog break, just a little time away to get some rest and get reorganized.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by.
I'll be back in a few days!

Jane

Thrift Store Tablescape

2011-09-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

Give me a "B"

Give me an "O"

Give me another "O"

Spent a little time changing out the display on my kitchen table....all with thrift store finds.

Hope you're having a wonderful week!

Jane

Black and White

2011-09-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

I was finishing up a few projects today that are going to the craft show with me next weekend when I realized everything I was working on was black and white.

I found this little triple frame at a thrift store for 50 cents.

It said Halloween to me so I painted it black and added the word BOO printed on old book pages.

These are more thrift store finds.

I discarded the three drawers with the wire fronts from the little cabinet and then painted it white. I painted the the inside of the loaf pans white and the outside with black chalkboard paint. A new storage piece for small items.

I worked on some more spindle spider webs (project posted last Sunday).

I put the finishing touches on more of these little guys (tutorial posted here).

And I painted wood blocks to create more of these picture stands (tutorial posted here).

Finally I cleaned up this enameled metal piece that I purchased at an antique store this week.

This is a pretty large piece and was originally the back part of a vintage stove.

I'm taking it to the craft show with me to display the magnets that I'm selling.

This is just a small sampling of the magnets I've made.

I should be able to fill this piece for the show.

So that's my black and white project weekend.

I have a lot to finish before the show next Saturday so you probably won't be hearing from me much this week.

Wish me luck!

Jane

Tiered Pie Plate Stand

2011-09-23T20:58:00.000-05:00

One inspiration photo from Flea Market Style magazine.

Two old pie tins.

And one vintage wood spool.

Cut the spool into three pieces.

Then glue pieces to the pie tins.

One finished tiered pie plate stand.

I really like how the metal on the spool matches the patina of the old pie tins.

The hardest part of the project was lining up the spool pieces to make it look like one uncut piece of wood.

Now....what to put in it??

Jane

Vintage Barn Pulley Bookends

2011-09-22T16:09:00.000-05:00

I found a pair of matching vintage barn pulleys at my all time favorite junk/antique store a couple of weeks ago.

These cast iron and wood pulleys show their age with weathered wood and just the right amount of rust.

I thought they were a good price at $7.50 apiece (and then realized what a great price they were after I checked the internet when I got home).

The cast iron gives them some weight, making them perfect to use as a set of bookends.

I didn't do anything with the pulleys except give them a little cleaning.

I love a simple repurposing project.

I'm linking with Debra @ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday.

Have a great weekend.

Jane

Sugar Bowls

2011-09-20T21:22:00.000-05:00

I have a new obsession.

Sugar bowls

(And if I'm lucky, the matching creamer).

I can't really explain the attraction.

Sometimes it's just love at first sight.

I probably don't need another collection, but at least they're small!

I'm joining Kathleen @ Faded Charm for White Wednesday

and Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday.

Hope you're having a wonderful week.

Jane

Spindle Spiderweb

2011-09-18T19:55:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.

It was a cool, rainy weekend in the midwest. There were a lot of neighborhood garage sales going on but I didn't go to a single one. I'm trying to show a little buying restraint (very difficult) as I really need to use what I have on hand before buying more.

So with that in mind, I dug through some of the stuff I had and I came across a huge bag of old spindles that I remember buying at an antique mall.

They kind of look like a pile of bones don't they. Might be good for Halloween "as is".

Each spindle is 5 3/4" long.

I first started playing around with the idea of making a sunburst ornament.

I cut a small circle out of cardboard and then glued 12 spindles around the circle.

The sunburst ornament idea wasn't working for me but since Halloween is on my mind I thought I would try and turn this into a spiderweb.

I grabbed some string (I found 3 huge spools of string this week at a thrift store for $2.00 apiece),

And began wrapping it around the spindles to create a web.

The indentations in the spindles made this an easy process.

Once I was finished stringing the web, I glued a button in the middle and then added a big, black spider.

Twelve spindles used.....a hundred more in the bag......so.....

I'm thinking "icicle" ornaments for the Christmas tree this year.

I cut off the nub part on a few of the spindles and added screw eyes so they could hang on the tree.

I don't have a tree handy to see how they look, but I'm hoping they will resemble icicles.

Any other ideas that you guys might have? I would love to hear them.

I was curious if these spindles were still available to purchase through the retail market.

I did find several online companies that sell this exact spindle (unpainted).

A quick google search for "wood spindles" was all I did to find them.

Just sharing the info. in case anyone was interested in making some spindle projects.

I'm linking with:

Mary @ Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday.

Have a great week.

Jane

Soda Crate Display

2011-09-17T16:24:00.001-05:00

Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors is hosting her weekly Saturday Nite Special link party and the theme tonight is "Ultimate Repurpose".

I have long admired Donna's ability to repurpose just about anything into funky decor. On more than one occasion I have looked at her projects in complete awe.

So I was ecstatic when I read her blog post last night and saw that she had highlighted several of my projects for her Ultimate Repurpose post!

Thank you Donna!!

I wouldn't classify the project I'm posting tonight as one of my ultimate repurpose projects but it was a lot of fun to create and I now have a cute display all ready for Halloween.

I had this soda crate that was missing all of the dividers.

I also had these vintage strawberry baskets.

As luck would have it, six strawberry baskets were a perfect fit inside the crate.

I turned the crate on it's side so that I could accessorize the strawberry baskets with some Halloween decor.

Since the baskets angle slightly on the sides, they were not sitting very evenly in the crate.

I took a piece of lightweight wood, cut it to size, and slid it into the crate where the one of the original dividers used to be.

Then I began filling the baskets with some holiday decor.

The tutorial for the crochet thread pumpkins can be found here.

The yardstick star tutorial is posted here.

I didn't make this felt pumpkin but I think it could be easily duplicated (going on my project list).

The wire pumpkin on top of the display was the inspiration piece for one of my very first tutorials posted in September, 2009. You can check out the tutorial on how to make a wire pumpkin here.

Nothing is permanently attached in this display. I can keep as is and change it out for the seasons or dismantle if I decide to use the crate and strawberry baskets for a different purpose.

Thanks again to Donna for featuring my repurpose projects in her post last night.

There are always hundreds of fabulous projects linked to her weekly SNS party.

Click here and check them out!

Jane

Map Art Project

2011-09-16T09:22:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday!

Debbie @ Debbiedoo's Blogging and Blabbing hosted a link party this week that challenged us to create something inspired by something we saw in a magazine.

I finally got a chance to finish my magazine copy cat challenge project last night but I wanted to wait until this morning to get some pictures with a little better lighting.

Well, it's cloudy and rainy today so I'm still not getting decent pictures but I'm going to get this posted anyway. I really love how this project turned out but I don't think my pictures do it justice.

My inspiration for the copy cat project came from Flea Market Style magazine.

When I saw this picture of old weathered wood being used as a backdrop for two framed photos, I knew I wanted to try something similar.

I didn't have a weathered wood door but I did have this old cabinet door that I purchased from a local antique store this past summer.

I removed the hinged piece of wood from the door but left the hardware intact.

I turned the door so the bead board ran horizontally and then screwed the small piece of wood to the bottom of the door to create a shelf.

I found several old maps in a 1902 geography book

And framed them in some thrift store frames.

After hanging the bead board cabinet door in my home office, I hung the two larger framed maps on the cabinet door. I layered a smaller framed map on top of the large frames (using a Command Adhesive Strip), and then placed two additional small framed maps on the shelf.

My copy cat project isn't exactly like the magazine photo but the inspiration from that photo helped me create some new wall art that I'm really happy with.

Speaking of inspiration......Debra @ Common Ground hosts a wonderful link party every Friday called Vintage Inspiration Friday. If you have a chance, hop on over the Debra's to view some of the wonderful linked projects.

Enjoy your weekend!

Jane

Magazine Inspiration

2011-09-14T16:34:00.000-05:00

Debbie @ Debbiedoo's Blogging and Blabbing is hosting a fun linky party called

The Magazine Copy Cat Challenge. The name says it all.....find something you love in a magazine and recreate it!

For this challenge I went no further than the current issue of Flea Market Style magazine.

There are so many things to copy out of this issue but there is one picture that immediately caught my eye when I first looked through the magazine.

I had full intentions of completing my copy cat project so that I could join the party but time got away from me this week. I have the idea and all the things I need to create my project so I'm just going to have to tease you with these pictures for now and post the completed project later (I'll post my inspiration picture then too).

Here's what I'm using:

Old Cabinet Door

Picture Frames

And map pages from a 1902 geography book.

The book has definitely seen better days.....lots of school kids used this book over the years.

I framed some of the map images and that is as far as I've gotten.

I still need to assemble and hang the piece.

But my husband and I are attending an ALS benefit dinner tonight so I'll be back tomorrow with the completed copy cat project.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

Jane

Yardstick Tray

2011-09-11T21:10:00.003-05:00

The last of an odd assortment of yardsticks was sitting on my workbench just waiting for a project.

When I found this old tray last week I knew the yardsticks would make a great base for the tray. The glass that came with the tray was broken so I threw it away.

I love these handles.

Since all of the lettering on the yardsticks was black, I painted the tray black and then lightly distressed it.

I cut the yardsticks to size and glued them to a lightweight chipboard backing that had been cut to fit the tray.

I attached the backing to the tray and the project was finished.

And since one picture is just never enough....

This project would be easy to duplicate with just about any picture frame. Attach door/cabinet pulls to the picture frame to create handles that will turn your frame into a tray.

I'm linking this with:

Mary @ Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday,

Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday,
Carrie @ Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday,
and Amy @ WhisperWood Cottage for Authentic Style Series.

Have a wonderful week.

Jane

Altered Wood Shoe Form

2011-09-08T19:07:00.006-05:00

I seem to collect a lot of different things.

One of the things I collect are wood shoe forms.

This summer I found an old shoe form to add to my collection at a garage sale for $2.00.

What I loved about this shoe was the little heel.

I recently rediscovered this shoe form in my garage (sadly, this is where it has been since I bought it this summer) and decided to spruce it up a bit and use it in a Halloween display.

I wanted to add laces to the shoe so I gathered six picture hangers.

These can be found at any hardware store. I found a bulk box at a local bargain store.

I then drilled six holes in the shoe and screwed in the hardware.

I touched up the bottom part of the hanger and the screw with a little paint to tone down the silver on that part of the hardware.

And then I laced my shoe.

I added a little button accent to the toe area.

And then placed my altered Halloween cabinet card in the notch.

(The pics below were taken before I added the button detail).

The ribbon will be fun to change out for the holidays. I can definitely see this with red and green ribbon with some jingle bell accents for Christmas. It would be perfect to display the annual Santa picture or a favorite Christmas card.

I also played around with some white ribbon.

Add a little bling to the toe area and I think this would look wonderful used in some way at a vintage inspired bridal shower or wedding displaying a photo of the wedding couple.

I'm linking my laced shoe with Debra @ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday,

At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday,

Roeshel @ The DIY Showoff for The DIY Show Off Fall Festival,

and

Liz @ The Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Jane

Vintage Quilt Pieces

2011-09-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

I love old quilts.

I have a couple of vintage quilts displayed in my guest room. One is a family heirloom and one I found for an unbelievable price at a thrift store.

Most of the quilts I find while out thrifting are cutter quilts or quilt pieces and I love these too. Because these pieces typically show considerable wear, they are perfect to use for projects.

Back in the spring I made some pincushions out of an old cutter quilt (posted here).

A few months back I came across a bag of old quilt blocks at an antique store. There were 10 blocks in the bag for a wonderful price of $2.00.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the blocks until I was inspired by one of the projects in the current issue of Flea Market Style magazine........pot holders.

These blocks are going to be perfect for potholders.

If you've seen the magazine, you know they printed old recipes on fabric and sewed them to the front of the pot holder. Some of the center squares of these quilt blocks are tattered so the addition of the fabric recipe will be a great way to disguise the flaw.

Sorry, no pictures of the finished pot holders yet.

But I will be posting pics as soon as I finish them.

In the meantime I'm linking these quilt block pictures with Kathleen @ Faded Charm for White Wednesday and with Stephanie @ Junker Newbie for Would You Buy It Wednesday.

Do you buy quilt pieces when you're out shopping or are they something that you immediately pass by?

Happy Wednesday.

Jane

Cigar Box Lid Display

2011-09-05T17:49:00.001-05:00

I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing Labor Day.

If you read my post on Friday, you know I was deliberating about taking apart some old cigar boxes I found at the flea market to use in a project. I was really indecisive and it took me until this morning to finally decide to move ahead and use them.

A couple of my favorite things about the old cigar boxes are the graphics and the colors so I chose a project that would really highlight those elements.

The base for this project was an old, chippy, white cabinet door.

I purchased this old door a month or so ago for $6.00.

This small narrow piece of wood was attached to the cabinet door with hinges.

I took it off the cabinet door, removed the hinges and set the piece aside.

I cleaned and lightly sanded both wood pieces and then sprayed them with a couple of coats of clear sealer.

I then took my cigar boxes, removed the lids and started arranging the lids in the recessed area of the cabinet door.

A few of the lids had to be cut to make everything work but this is what I ended up with.

I took the narrow piece of wood that I had set aside and attached it to the bottom of the piece to use as a display ledge.

Although there is a ledge, I don't want to display anything on it that would compete with the cigar box graphics. Maybe a few cigars in an open glass jar or a couple of old tobacco tins.

Now that I have finished this project, I have cigar boxes without lids.....any ideas for those?

I'm joining a few parties around blogland today:

Mary @ Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday,

Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday,

Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

and

Kindra @ At Home With K for Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

Have a great week.

Jane

Flea Market Friday

2011-09-02T22:51:00.002-05:00

What a hot afternoon it was to walk around an outdoor flea market!

The temperature was once again in the triple digits and I think I spent more money on ice cold lemonade than I did on treasures.

Today was just one of those days that I didn't see a lot of things I wanted to buy. My biggest purchase of the day was eight old cigar boxes @ 50 cents apiece!

I have a hard time passing up cigar boxes. I love the graphics and the bright colors and I like how useful they are for storing smaller items.

I have an idea in mind for a few of these boxes but it would require taking them apart and I am indecisive about doing that.

I love the look of this tall stack of boxes so I just can't decide to leave them be or move forward with the project.

Maybe a good night's sleep will help me decide.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Jane

Would You Buy It Wednesday - Oak Library Card Cabinet

2011-08-31T08:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday!

It's been a few weeks since I've been able to join Stephanie @ Junker Newbie for "Would You Buy It Wednesday" so I'm happy to have something to link this week.

While out thrifting last weekend I came across this oak library card cabinet that needs a little TLC.

The cabinet has good bones. It is sturdy and intact. The finish on it is shot and the hardware needs a good cleaning.

Although this cabinet needs some work, I have always wanted one and so I bought it.....for $20.00.

I'm going to work on it this weekend and see how it cleans up. I'm hoping I can sand it down and re-stain. But if that doesn't work I will be painting and distressing.

Would you have bought this piece? And what do you think....stain or paint?

Thanks as always for stopping by!

Jane

Crochet Thread Pumpkin

2011-08-29T19:56:00.003-05:00

I know it's still August and I know we have a lot of hot summer days ahead, but my brain is shifting gears to the beauty of fall.

Remember this tray of crochet thread I showed you in Saturday's post?

Who knew they would make such cute little pumpkins?

I took some twine and thread it in and out of the holes of the spool to create the pumpkin segments. I went outside and found a fallen tree branch, cut it to size, and then wrapped twine around it. I glued on a fall-colored leaf and then added some coiled wire tendrils (Thanks to Vicki @ Rusty Rooster Vintage for giving me the idea to add the tendrils. She embellished the pumpkin project she posted today with some and I think it's the perfect finishing touch!)

Then I inserted the stick in the top hole of the "pumpkin".

So quick.....so easy.....so thrifty!

So, I'm linking this with Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
and
Kindra @ At Home With K for Terrific Under Ten Tuesday,
and
Roeshel @ The DIY Showoff for The DIY Showoff Fall Festival

Have a great evening!

Jane

Bullseye Molding Picture Display and Altered Cabinet Card

2011-08-28T21:06:00.001-05:00

Today was one of those days where I seemed to go from project to project with no real direction.

I started the day removing the seats and then cleaning and sanding these two chairs (thrift store find for $1.00 apiece).

I did manage to get one painted (dark gray) but I'm not sure I'm loving it so I decided to move on from that project and come back to it at a later time.

I then saw five yardsticks on the workbench so I spent some time turning them into more stars. These are going to the craft show with me in October.

Then I decided to alter a cabinet card for Halloween.

Yesterday I made a trip to one of my local antique malls to pick up some cabinet cards that could be altered. There's a booth at the mall that has 1000's of cabinet cards and several can be found for 50 cents apiece....those are the one's I bought.

So with some leftover scraps of paper, buttons and a stamped phrase I made this. Nothing too elaborate but fun for Halloween.

And since I wanted to display the card, I decided to make a display stand.

I started with this old bullseye piece of molding and added a couple of nails at the top (which will actually be the bottom of the display).

I wanted this piece to stand but I also wanted it to tilt back just a little bit.

I found a wood block and cut it at a slight angle. Then I glued it to the back of the molding.

The nails hold the cabinet card in place and the head of the nail keeps the card from sliding.

I think the two pieces work well together.

Now, back to the cabinet cards I purchased......

I found some fun cards that I think will be perfect to be altered for Halloween.

I thought I would share a few with you.

Feel free to copy and use for your own projects.

If you use any of these I would love to see what you make.

I'm linking with Mary @ Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday

and Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

Have a great week.

Jane

Crochet Thread Spool Vase

2011-08-27T12:20:00.001-05:00

This morning I found a great lot of old spools of crochet thread at the thrift store.

Twenty four spools for $2.00!

Since the theme this week for the Saturday Nite Special party hosted by Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors is "Things Used As A Vase", I thought I would make a little vase out of a couple of spools of the thread.

This is a very simple and inexpensive project.

Stack a couple of spools.

Insert tube and fill with water.

The tube I used was found at the thrift store filled with spices. I think floral water pick tubes would work well too.

Arrange flowers and you're finished.

Wouldn't these be cute to display fabric flowers?

I've got a couple of other ideas for the crochet thread spools I will posting later.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Jane

Repurposed Vintage Slaw/Cabbage Cutter and Box

2011-08-25T20:49:00.003-05:00

I love a super simple project and this one could not have been any easier!

A few weeks back I was cleaning out the closet in my studio and I came across this vintage slaw/cabbage cutter that I have probably had for a couple of years. I decided it was time to get it out of the closet and repurpose it as a display piece in my kitchen.

I have repurposed a slaw cutter before. This past spring I posted a tutorial showing how to make a memo board out of a slaw cutter (tutorial here).

My repurpose idea for this larger cutter was a lot easier. All I did was lay it on it's side.

The box is now storage for salt and pepper shakers (The shakers were a thrift store find that were originally a faded red. They got a fresh look with some white spray paint).

The metal cutting surface is a perfect spot to add a few recipes with magnets.

And the upper ledge gives me a little display space for a few small plates.

The ironstone bowl with the dog treats sitting in front of the display.....I found it and a matching smaller bowl this week at a thrift store for $1.00 apiece!

It was late in the day when I got to the thrift store and I was so surprised to find these bowls sitting on the shelf (I guess not everyone is as obsessed with ironstone as I am).

Now that I have my new countertop display in place, I can't believe I let that slaw cutter sit in my closet for two years. I think I better go check out what other treasures I might have hidden up there!

Since I am on the subject of kitchen displays, I want to show you one last picture of a recent thrift store find.......this wonderful aluminum mid-century canister set. I found this set (it also includes the flour canister which is not pictured) for $4.50!! Love it!

I'm linking my vintage kitchen pieces tonight with Debra @ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

and

Liz @ Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday

Have a fabulous weekend!

Jane

Flea Market Style Magazine Fall 2011

2011-08-22T20:41:00.001-05:00

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am.

The Fall/Winter edition of Flea Market Style magazine will be hitting the stores soon.

The cover is fabulous......I love how Ki has repurposed old suitcases into unique shelving.

And inside the magazine are pages and pages of wonderful junk makeovers.

So what could make me more excited than finding this magazine in my mailbox today?

Opening the pages and seeing this (on page 33).......

Back in April, Flea Market Style magazine contacted me and asked if I would like to be included in their favorite bloggers article. I was at my hairdresser's when I read the e-mail and you should have seen the look on people's faces when I let out one big scream! I couldn't e-mail back fast enough to say YES!

I can't say thank you enough to everyone at Flea Market Style magazine for this opportunity. This magazine totally resonates with my love of all things vintage and how I incorporate flea market finds into my home. Being included in this issue is a dream come true.

I'm not going to give out any other information about the magazine because I know you will all have your hands on it soon enough. All I will say is make sure to set aside an entire evening to pour through all the pages. You won't want to miss a detail!

Have a great evening.

Jane

Embroidery Hoop Container

2011-08-21T16:25:00.003-05:00

I hope you all had a good weekend! Mine was very uneventful and that was just what I needed to get a few things done around the house.

I did get to a couple of thrift stores and I found a few things I'll save for another post. What I am going to share today are these embroidery hoops. I am always seeing embroidery hoops when I'm at the thrift stores. They are plentiful and inexpensive.

Another inexpensive thrift store staple are tin containers.

I decided to combine the two to make a super easy embroidery hoop container.

Because I didn't want the top edge of the tin container exposed, I layered a piece of fabric over the edge before I started adding the embroidery hoops.

To assemble I opened up the embroidery hoop (I only used the outside part of the hoop), slid it over the tin container and then tightened. I only needed five hoops to completely cover the tin container.

After church this morning we were given one of the alter bouquets to take home.

The bouquet fit perfect in the embroidery hoop container.

Super easy and it only cost me $1.55 to make!

I'm linking with Mary @ Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday,

Susan @ Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday,

and with Passionately Artistic

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Jane

Vintage Inspired Coat Rack

2011-08-18T21:39:00.000-05:00

I love this style of vintage hook. I have had good luck finding quite a few of these and have used them in several projects.

I have been wanting to make a coat rack with some of the hooks and a few weeks back I found a 2 1/2 ft. piece of wood molding with a great old patina that was perfect for the project.

Once I finished the rack I got to thinking about how I could incorporate it into my home. Although I kept thinking of it as a coat rack, I decided to hang it in my kitchen.

I have a small wall space in the kitchen between the entryway to the dining room and the entryway to the family room. For the past few years this plate rack and plates have been displayed.

Since I have incorporated more ironstone and wood into the kitchen I decided to take down the plates and hang the coat rack to display cups and creamers.

I rounded out the display by hanging an old ironstone platter above the rack.

I like the change and the addition of the white and wood coordinates with the other elements in my kitchen.

I'm linking tonight with Debra @ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday.
Debra is celebrating her first anniversary of hosting Vintage Inspiration Friday with a fabulous giveaway. Make sure to check it out!

Enjoy your weekend!

Jane

Oil Can Pumpkin

2011-08-13T21:08:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted.

It's been a little hectic around our house this past week in preparation of taking our son back to school tomorrow. He's going to be in an apartment this year so we've been busy finding all sorts of things for his new place (I found some great dishes at the thrift store I'll have to post about later).

Anyway, there was little time for creating but I did manage to put together one super simple project to share......another picture holder.

I've had these old oil cans for a few months now.

Back when I got them I painted one and turned it into a picture holder.

As I was looking at the largest oil can I started seeing a pumpkin.

The round bottom.....the spout as a stem.....

So I painted it the colors of a pumpkin and turned it into a picture holder for fall.

I have this adorable old photo that I thought would be perfect displayed on the "pumpkin".

(The tutorial for the wire picture holder holding the photo can be found on my sidebar).

I painted some oil cans with chalkboard paint too.

Write something on the oil can with chalk, add the photo, and you're good to go.

Time to get back to packing. We are leaving first thing tomorrow morning and we've got a long way to go!

This is being linked with Roeshel @ The DIY Showoff for The DIY Showoff Fall Festival.

Jane

Combination Bulletin Board, Chalkboard, Key Holder from Repurposed Items

2011-08-07T11:19:00.002-05:00

That's kind of a wordy title for this post but I was stumped what to call this project.

I started with this wood board.

The board is the top pull out shelf from an old desk (example below is from a desk in my studio). I found the board for $1.50 at my favorite junk store.

Then I gathered a frame and some cork board.

Some label holders and cup hooks (I painted the hooks black).

And an old drawer with galvanized sides.

I painted one side of the drawer with chalkboard paint and attached it to the bottom of the board. Since the galvanized side is magnetic this can be used as both a chalkboard and magnet board.

I added the framed cork board to the top of the board (you can see I used a different frame than what was in my original photo. The heavier looking frame balanced the piece out better).

And then I attached the label holders and cup hooks.

This is what the finished bulletin board, chalkboard, magnetic board, key holder looks like. It could be used sitting on a countertop or hung on a wall. I did add hangers to the back but since I'm not going to keep this piece I didn't hang it on my wall.

I'm a day late but I'm linking this with Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors for the Saturday Nite Special party where the theme this week was chalkboards.
I'm also linking with Mary @ Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
and
Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

You will probably see a couple of more chalkboard projects from me this week. Once I got that chalkboard paint out I couldn't stop painting things!!

Have a great week.

Jane

Five Minute Chalkboard Project

2011-08-06T13:41:00.002-05:00

This past February I posted about turning old locks into picture holders (posted here).

This morning when I got out some chalkboard paint for a project, the old locks caught my eye and it got me thinking about incorporating chalkboard paint with the locks.

This one was perfect for a little chalkboard paint makeover.

This is the front.

The backside was plain so I painted it with chalkboard paint.

I wrote 1958 on the lock and found one of the magnets I've made out of old keys.

Then I attached this cute 1958 photo of my husband.

If you want more of the lock to show, just attach the magnet to the backside.

Super simple and finished in less than 5 minutes!

I'm linking with Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors for the Saturday Nite Special party.

The theme this week....you guessed it.....chalkboards.

I'm working on a couple of other chalkboard projects and hopefully will get them posted later today (more likely tomorrow).

Enjoy your weekend.

Jane

145 Year Old Family Heirloom

2011-08-03T23:36:00.001-05:00

Long before I started blogging my free time in front of the computer was spent researching my family's genealogy.

I love researching family history. I love discovering information that goes beyond just names and dates. My research goal has always been to find out as much as I can about the lives of the families that lived before me.

So, you are probably wondering where I am going with all of this.

It has to do with this cup and saucer.

When I was in Ohio a few weeks ago my mother-in-law gave me this cherished antique.

It is a cup and saucer that belonged to her great grandmother, Matilda Bremkamp.

And there is a story behind this heirloom.

The woman on the cup is Matilda and the man is her brother, Carl.

In the fall of 1866, Matilda and her four children were getting ready to immigrate to America to join Matilda's husband, Charles. They were leaving Germany on the ship, Bremen, and were to arrive in New York on November 20, 1866.

As a going away gift, Matilda's brother gave her this cup and saucer.

In addition to the painting of the man and woman, the cup was painted with Matilda on one side.

And Bremkamp on the other.

But it's the saucer that really tells the story.

The inscription on the saucer is in German and we had a friend translate it.

The loose translation is:

Goodbye Dear Sister (this is on the cup)

Since your entire trust of God, you are moving from here to North America directly.

To remember your brother Carl Loechner.

On the 3rd (unknown word) of the Garde.

Soldier Regiment in Berlin, 1866.

This cup and saucer survived a trip across the Atlantic and then a trip from New York to Ohio. For 145 years this cup and saucer has been in my husband's family and passed from generation to generation. I am honored to be the keeper of this heirloom until it is passed on to my son.

Matilda and her husband Charles lived out their lives in Ohio. They had four more children once they were settled in America.

This is a picture of the Bremkamp family circa 1886.

Matilda looks like one tough lady!

Matilda died at her home of heart failure in 1901. She was 64 years old. She left behind her husband and all eight children.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to show you this heirloom and tell you the story behind it.

I'm linking this post with Suzanne @ The Coloradolady for Vintage Thingie Thursday.

I have been working on a couple of projects that I hope to finish soon. I've been a little lazy this week....I'm blaming it on the heat!

Jane

Miniature Clothespin Wreath

2011-08-02T22:39:00.001-05:00

I love the simple look of a clothespin wreath. I made this one for my lower level mantel and it hangs from the frame of an old window.

So when I saw these little 1" clothespins in the craft section of Walmart I thought I would make a miniature version.

This is the package the clothespins were in.

I found a key ring in my stash of stuff.

And began attaching the clothespins around the ring.

I used 18 clothespins for the miniature wreath.

You could leave the wreath as is for a simple, rustic look but I decided to add a little bling with an acrylic gem (found at Hobby Lobby).

I think a little mirror or a button would work great in the middle too.

I'm thinking this will make a cute Christmas ornament or an embellishment for a project or gift wrapped package (or a wreath for a dollhouse).

And the best part.....it took less than 5 minutes to make.

I'm linking this up with Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday!

Enjoy your day.

Jane

Shopping At My Mother-In-Law's

2011-08-01T23:06:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I took a road trip to Ohio to visit his mother.

While there I took the opportunity (with my MIL's blessing) to go up to her attic and retrieve a few treasures to bring home. "Shopping" at my MIL's was a lot of fun. I was never sure what I was going to find when I opened up a box.

Here are some of the things I brought home.

This awesome Telechron clock.

My MIL said at one time it hung in their church.

The clock no longer works but I'm going to see about getting it fixed. I would love to use this in my home.

OK....how cute are these???

These were my husband's baby bottles.

They are 54 years old.

I love the graphics!

My FIL worked for the telephone company for decades.

At one point in his career he climbed telephone poles and checked phone lines.

This is the phone he used to check the lines.

I also brought back his hard hat so I want to come up with an idea to display both pieces together.

I am so glad my MIL didn't throw things out.

These are my husband's old roller skates from the 60's.

She even still had the key for these old skates. For those of you unfamiliar with this type of skate, the skates were more or less a "one size fits all". The key loosened a nut on the underside of the skate so it could be adjusted to the size of the skater.

More wheels!

This is my husband's first (and I think only) skateboard.

This board dates to around the mid-60's.

It doesn't look too beat up so I'm not sure how much use it really got.

I also found a few old frames that I loved.

I have a lot of old pictures of my in-laws that will look great in these frames.

I also brought home a 50 year old Huckleberry Hound Dog stuffed animal that my husband had as a kid. It has seen better days so no photo of old Huckleberry!

I had a great time shopping at my MIL's.

I found some wonderful family treasures and it didn't cost me a dime.

I'm linking my thrifty, family finds tonight with Linda @ Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday. Linda hosts a popular party, be sure and check it out.

Have a wonderful Tuesday (we are supposed to hit 108 degrees tomorrow and break an all-time record......can't wait!)

Jane

Would You Buy It Wednesday - Help Me Decide

2011-07-26T22:16:00.004-05:00

It's almost Wednesday and I've got something new to share for "Would You Buy It Wednesday" hosted by Stephanie @ Junker Newbie.

It's got plenty of rust and chipped paint.

And a warped and broken seat.

And yes, I bought it.......for $6.50.

I haven't had time to do much with it yet.

I did remove the three layers of wood veneer that made up the seat.

Now I need to decide, should I paint it or keep it as is?

And how should I use it?

Maybe a plant stand?

Or a stool with a new upholstered seat?

Or maybe the base of a table with a larger circle top?

I think I'm going to make this an audience participation post.

Comment and let me know:

1. Paint it or leave it be

2. Keep it as a stool, make it a plant stand, turn it into a table or any other idea you have.

I'll update this piece based on what gets the most votes.

Thanks for your help. It will be fun to see what you guys think.

Happy Wednesday.

Jane

Thrifty Tabletop

2011-07-25T21:13:00.002-05:00

I played around with the display on my kitchen table this weekend.

It all started when I found this mirror at the thrift store.

This old mirror is 2' x 2' and heavy! I laid it on the kitchen table to clean it and then decided to leave it there and use it as the base of my display.

I added just a few pieces on top of the mirror.

An old scale that was a thrift store find.

Blue Atlas jars found at a garage sale filled with old silverware.

An ironstone bowl and twig ball, both thrift store finds.

And a large white pitcher purchased at an antique mall.

This part of the kitchen gets a lot of natural light and I love how the sun shines through the blue canning jars.

We don't eat at this table very often so no worries about moving this display at mealtime.

In fact, this table is probably used more for taking my blog photos than it is for meals.

I'm noticing a trend in my kitchen.....it is now almost completely decorated with my thrifty finds. The stacked picnic baskets in the corner and the ironstone pieces on top are all thrift/flea or garage sale finds.

And the chairs that you see behind the big pitcher.....

these were a thrift store find for $3.00!

This shelf hangs on the wall in the kitchen and it is completely decorated with things found while out thriftin'.

And the top of my kitchen cabinets display several other thrifty finds.

I love decorating with vintage and repurposed items. I think they add a little bit of character that can't be found in new pieces.

I'm linking all these thrifty pieces with Nifty Thrifty Tuesday hosted by Linda @ Coastal Charm.

Thanks for stopping by.

Jane

Snowman Tutorial

2011-07-24T18:56:00.003-05:00

I participate in one craft show a year with my mother at an annual Octoberfest event in my hometown.

So even though we are in the midst of the hot summer, I have been working on fall/winter items in preparation for the show.

One of the things I have sold for the past couple of years are snowmen.

They are really easy to make and are always good sellers.

I thought I would share a quick tutorial:

Pick a container for the base of the snowman. I have made these from salt and pepper shakers and other small glass bottles.

I recently found a bag of 10 milk glass spice containers at a thrift store and thought they would make cute snowmen.

Roll a head for the snowman out of air dry clay. I use Crayola brand. It is a white clay and works well for this project.

Once the head is in place I use small tacks for the eyes and mouth and a toothpick for the nose (the nose isn't painted in this photo but I will paint it orange).

Don't worry about little imperfections in the clay (like the marks on the left side of the mouth in the picture above). You will eventually be adding glitter to the head and it will cover the little marks.

Now it's time to decide what kind of hat your snowman will wear.

For this snowman I decided to use an old clip earring (making it more of a snow woman).

Since this earring covered the head I didn't add any additional elements.

Now it's time to let the clay dry. This is an air dry clay and I usually let it sit for 2-3 days to insure that the clay is completely dry.

Once the clay is dry it is time to add some glitter.

I "paint" the clay head with watered down glue and then pour on the glitter.

(The rest of the pictures are of a finished snowman since my tutorial snowman is still in the drying stage).

I added a ribbon scarf accented with a piece of an old earring.

And for the body of the snowman I glued on a piece of sheet music and two black buttons.

One of my finished snowmen.

I decided to look back and find some pictures of snowmen I made last year.

I used all sorts of different bottles for these snowmen.

Here are a few of the snowmen I made using silverplated salt and pepper shakers.

If you like snowmen I hope you give these a try. And if you do I would love the see the finished pieces!

I'm linking this with:

Mary @ Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday

and

Susan @ Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

Thanks for visiting!

Jane

Would You Buy It Wednesday

2011-07-19T20:10:00.004-05:00

It's time once again for Would You Buy It Wednesday hosted by Stephanie @ Junker Newbie.

My entry this week.....an album/record rack from probably the 1960's or 1970's time frame.

This metal rack has two tiers to hold dozens of albums.....you know, those round vinyl things we used to put on a turntable to listen to music.

I found this rack for $2.00 at a thrift store.

Here's how I'm using it now.

I don't have any albums to store but I do have a lot of old, ironstone platters so this rack now houses and displays the platters.

Previously all of these platters were stacked on a shelf on my dining room hutch and I never really knew what I had.

Now I have easy access to the platters and I get to enjoy the beauty of these old pieces.

The rack is currently in the corner of my kitchen eating area under my ironstone wall display.

I'm thinking about painting the rack but I'm going to live with it awhile and decide later.

Would you have bought it?

I'm linking with Stephanie @ Junker Newbie for Would You Buy It Wednesday.

Stay cool!

Jane

Wooden Wine Box Display Shelf

2011-07-18T22:24:00.005-05:00

I've had this wooden wine box for awhile.

My sister gave it to me. Imagine my surprise when I opened it and realized it was just the box, no wine.

Oh well.....the box was going to come in handy.

I painted, distressed and antiqued it and then turned it on it's side to use as a display shelf.

It's perfect for my collection of Baby Ben alarm clocks.

One more project off my list!

Jane

It's All In The Details

2011-07-17T18:25:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

My husband and I got back late last night from a road trip to Ohio.

We were in the car for 13.5 hours yesterday.......12 hours were spent driving and 1.5 hours were spent sitting on I-70. A semi-truck had overturned and they temporarily closed the interstate while they cleaned up. Sitting in a car for 1.5 hours going nowhere was frustrating, especially when we still had 8 hours of driving to do.

But we made it home safely and that's the important thing.

Being away for a week means no new projects but I thought I would show you a little more detail of a couple of storage pieces in my studio.

(If you are interested in seeing my post for the "Where Bloggers Create" party and a tour of my studio space you can see it here).

This black storage piece was a $5.00 thrift store find.

On top of the piece is a metal tool box that I bought for $2.00 at a thrift store. It originally looked like this.

I cleaned it up and spray painted it white.

I then sawed off two pieces from a folding ruler and glued the ends to the tool box lid and base to keep the lid open and stabilized.

My original thought was to hang the tool box on the wall in this position and use it as a shelf.

But, quite honestly, I ran out of wall space in my studio and had no place to hang it.

So instead of wall storage, it became countertop storage.

I had collected four glass refrigerator water/juice containers over the past month or two and had not been using them for anything.

They fit great in the tool box and became storage for old game pieces.

In front of the tool box is the removable tool tray. I spray painted it white and am now utilizing it for additional storage.

I have six matching "Rexall" bottles that fit in the tray.

They are a great size to hold smaller items like thimbles and dice.

Another piece that I repurposed for storage was an old shoeshine storage/carrier (pictured on the right).

I don't have a before photo but it had a stained wood finish.

I painted it white and it is perfect for storing more of my trims and rick-rack.

One last item that wasn't pictured in my previous post was this old lunch box I bought at a flea market for $1.00

It sits on a small shelf on my typewriter stand and houses part of my stash of old folding rulers.

I still have LOTS of creative spaces that are linked to "Where Bloggers Create" to visit.

It may take some time but I hope to get to as many as I can.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a tour of my studio and for your nice comments.

It took some time to get it organized but I am excited to get in there and start creating.

Enjoy your week!

Jane

Welcome To My Studio

2011-07-14T20:00:00.002-05:00

Thanks for joining me for the Where Bloggers Create party hosted by Karen @ My Desert Cottage.

I am very happy to be participating again this year. This party has always been a great motivator for me to get my space cleaned and organized.

The basic pieces in my space haven't changed much since last year but I did add a little something new here and there to help the space work better for me.

I had a couple of goals when getting organized this year:

1. To have things displayed more visibly so I knew where things were.

2. To use use the old boxes and containers I've accumulated over the years for display and storage.

Some people in my family think this makes for a very cluttered looking room. Cluttered to them, organized to me!

So, on to the tour! I hope you enjoy it.

The anchor piece in the room is my antique cubby.

This has always been one of my favorite pieces and it's fun to fill with photos and little found treasures.

My mother's first sewing machine, a 1948 Singer Featherweight, is displayed on top of the cubby. My mom taught me how to sew on this machine and I'm very happy to have this sewing machine displayed in my studio.

Old bread boxes and wood boxes were put to use for storage. I finally got smart and labeled the boxes so I knew what was inside.

The shelf above the cubby was a thrift store find and it was a perfect size to hang above the cubby for more storage and display.

This year my laces and trims hang underneath the cubby from a white, chippy towel bar.

The clips slide right over the towel bar making the trims easily accessible.

Underneath the right side of the cubby I hung the front of a 1926 Kolster radio. The metal front is perfect for my magnets and to display an old photo or two.

To the right of the cubby is an old typewriter stand holding a German beer crate full of paints, glues and other supplies.

Above it hangs a spice cabinet repurposed to hold small bits and pieces used in projects.

I recently found this wonderful green cabinet and couldn't resist the chippy paint. It's now hanging above the spice cabinet.

On the wall to the right of the cubby hangs another old shelf.

I pictured this shelf in last years post and I haven't made any changes to it since then.

The shelf system pictured below has been hanging since last year too.

Two large wood boxes supported by iron brackets hold a lot of various supplies.

I did whitewash the boxes since last year to update their look.

Since one of my goals was to keep things more visible, I hung all of my keys on the box to keep them front and center.

This wall of photos is across from the wall with the cubby.

I contemplated removing the photos to utilize the wall space for more storage but I like this display of family photos too much to take them down.

To the right of the photo wall is the corner that my dress form "Shirley" calls home.

I've utilized the wall space behind Shirley to hang doilies and vintage handkerchiefs.

And above her I hung a vintage drying rack to hang embroidered pieces.

I'm very fortunate that my studio space gets a lot of natural light with three windows on one wall.

In front of the windows I placed a wire rack with eight locker baskets.

I've had the locker baskets for a few years but I just found the wire rack at an antique store a couple of weeks ago. I'm so happy to finally get my locker baskets out in the open for storage and display.

To the right of the wire rack is a $5.00 thrift store find that is another great piece to hold more of my supplies.

The freshly painted tool box on top is put into service to store bottles of game pieces and hold some of the magnets that I've made.

And tucked into the corner is my shopping cart filled with rolled papers and maps.

Hanging above the shopping cart is a shelf from a vintage trunk displaying a couple of apothecary jars and a few thread spools.

And what's a studio space without a television?

I found a little more storage by placing a vintage suitcase filled with sheet music under my TV (the TV sits to the left of my antique cubbie).

I decided that the red curtains I've had hanging in this room were too dark and heavy looking. I took them down and created a new window treatment by clipping vintage dress patterns to a piece of rusty, garden fencing. I found a crocheted window topper in my stash of stuff and clipped it to the underside of the patterns.
My version of a quick, no-sew window treatment.

Rather than have all of the patterns stored away in a box, I get to enjoy the wonderful graphics every time I'm in the room.

I don't think my pictures really show off this window treatment to it's best advantage.

Another addition to the window area are two old, wood, time card holders.

(This was an earlier photo when one of the the holders was hanging on the wall in my studio).

The wood frames between the windows in this room were the perfect size to hang the time card holders.

The slots in the holder are great to store and display some vintage packages of trims.

I'm almost finished but there is one more thing to look at on your way out.

Hanging on the door is the holder I made from an old piano roll.

I filled it with old photos and cabinet cards that I will use for projects.

But until I get to those projects, I think it's a nice way to store and display the photos.

Thank you very much for stopping by for a visit!

I know you had to endure a lot of photos and I hope you enjoyed the tour!!

If you want to step inside more studios be sure and head over to My Desert Cottage for a list of the bloggers participating in the party this year. I can't wait to see all of the beautiful spaces being linked.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jane

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall

2011-07-08T23:50:00.002-05:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall.....and on the counter, and on a shelf and on top of a cabinet!

This week's theme for the Saturday Nite Special hosted by Donna @ Funky Junk Interiors is mirrors.

I have quite a few mirrors in my house. It's not because I like looking at myself all the time, it's just that I love old mirrors and have collected quite a few over the past couple of years.

I really love the old, frameless mirrors.

This grouping is hanging in my guest bedroom.

I love how these mirrors show their age.

To me the bare spots where the backing has flaked off adds to the charm of the piece.

I have another mirror display in the guest bathroom (I know the little mirror looks out of place. I did a little rearranging after I hung my clock shelves and the little mirror now needs to be replaced).

This mirror has such beautiful detail.

I love the scalloped edge too.

I have a couple of shaving mirrors displayed in this bathroom too.

They are a perfect compliment to all of my vintage shaving brushes.

And now moving on to my bathroom......I surrounded a round, vintage mirror with part of my hand mirror collection (I told you I had a lot of mirrors!) There's also a small mirror on the shelf and one resting on the wicker desk too.

The rest of my hand mirror collection hasn't found a home yet.

This one is probably my favorite.

It has a beautiful monogram on the back.

The backs of several of the hand mirrors are beautifully decorated.

While the fronts of others show how well used and loved they were.

The last mirror I'll show is the one I used for my starburst mirror (posted here).

This beautiful, beveled mirror and the vintage knives were a perfect pairing.

As I reflect on this post (I couldn't resist), I realize I have a lot of mirrors!

You can view even more mirrors if you hop on over to Funky Junk Interiors and check out the links.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Jane

Organized Chaos

2011-07-07T21:06:00.002-05:00

Hi, my name is Shirley and I decided I needed to step in tonight and be Jane's guest blogger.

You see, Jane decided she needed to clean and organize her studio for the upcoming Where Bloggers Create party hosted by Karen @ My Desert Cottage. Well, between you and me, she has made a complete mess of her space and she is now frantically trying to put it back together before she leaves for vacation this Sunday.

Her goal was to take everything out of the studio space and start fresh. Only those things that she really needed were going back in.

So currently her bedroom looks like this:

Her guest bathroom looks like this:

And her studio looks like this:

I don't think her plan is working very well!

But I do see a little glimmer of hope.

She has organized and labeled a few things.

But she still has a long way to go and the pressure is on!

She asked me to tell you to come back on July 15th for the big (organized) reveal.

Wish her luck.....she's going to need it!

Shirley

Vintage White Thread

2011-07-05T20:33:00.003-05:00

In the past couple of weeks I have had some great luck finding vintage sewing notions at a couple of the thrift stores I frequent. I found some trims, some vintage seam binding, some buttons and a lot of vintage white thread.

I don't know why I'm so drawn to vintage thread.

Part of it could be the old, wood spools.

Or maybe it's the labels.

Or possibly the different shapes of the spools and cones.

Whatever the reason, I can't resist vintage thread when I'm out thrifting.

And since the cost of this thread ranged from 25 cents to $2.00, I don't feel too guilty about bringing home some more to display in my studio.

When you're out thrifting is there one thing you will always buy, even when you know you already have too much?

I'm linking with a couple of Wednesday parties:

White Wednesday with Kathleen @ Faded Charm
and
Would You Buy It Wednesday? with Stephanie @ Junker Newbie

So would you have purchased all this vintage white thread?

Enjoy your week!

Jane

Changes In My Studio

2011-06-26T22:51:00.002-05:00

Are you planning on participating in the "Where Bloggers Create" link party on July 15th?

This great event, hosted by Karen @ My Desert Cottage, not only gives you a chance to show-off your creative space but it also allows you to take a virtual tour of creative spaces all over the world. Last year there were over 300 people who shared their creative spaces and I'm sure this year will be just as big.

I'm planning on joining again this year but I have a lot of cleaning, sorting and organizing to do before my room will be ready.

Today I thought I would give you a sneak peek of a new addition to my studio that is going to help me get organized.

I found this wire shelf at a local antique store and knew it would be perfect to hold some locker baskets that I have had for a couple of years.

The shelf can hold eight baskets with a little room to spare for a couple of small boxes.

I love having everything visible in the baskets.

I am forever forgetting where I put things so I think this storage system is really going to keep me organized.

That's all I'm going to show of the room for now. I need to save the rest for the 15th.

On a different note, I wanted to show you a picture of my husband with his new wheelchair.

He has been anxiously waiting for this chair and it finally arrived on Friday.

So Friday evening we took it for a spin around the park.

The chair can go up to 6.5 miles per hour, it has an "elevator" that can raise Bruce up to bar height, and it can do a full recline (which Bruce took advantage of at the park)....all with a touch of a button.

This chair has given him so much more freedom to get out and about.

Today when I was returning home from running some errands I saw him about a mile from home cruising down the road. I think I'm going to have to get one of those big hazard signs to put on the back!

Have a great week. I can't believe it is already the last week of June!

Jane

Oak File Cabinet - Part II

2011-06-23T21:18:00.002-05:00

In yesterday's post I showed you the bottom part of an old oak file cabinet that I found at the thrift store.

I pictured it with some vintage suitcases on top for a nightstand for my guest bedroom.

When I originally purchased the cabinet I was not intending on using it for a nightstand.

At that time I was most interested in the drawer.

Looking at how the cabinet drawer was made I thought it would make a cool shelf.

The face of the cabinet drawer is now the bottom of the shelf.

Lots of room for display.

And the wood slider piece in the drawer that held the files in place......I anchored it with a couple of screws so that it could be used as a mini shelf.

Now I have to decide. Do I use the drawer as intended in the cabinet for my nightstand?

Or do I keep it hanging on the wall as a shelf?

Well....I love the drawer as a shelf so it's going to stay on the wall for awhile. It can easily go back into the cabinet if I tire of it hanging on the wall.

OK, now I have a big opening to fill in the cabinet.

I guess there will be a post called "Oak File Cabinet - Part III.

I'm linking this with Debra @ Common Grounds for Vintage Inspiration Friday.

Have a great weekend.

Jane

Would You Buy It Wednesday

2011-06-22T22:17:00.001-05:00

It's time once again for "Would You Buy It Wednesday" hosted by Stephanie @ Junker Newbie.

(I know, I'm a little late to the party).

I love the idea for this party.....post about something you bought at a thrift store or garage sale, etc. and then have your blog buddies weigh in on whether they would have purchased it.

So here's my "Would You Buy It Wednesday" item.

The bottom section of an old oak filing cabinet.

Cost: $5.00

It has one drawer.

And no top.

It didn't matter that the piece was topless because I had a couple of vintage suitcases that were a perfect fit for the top.

It's not in it's permanent spot yet but I think this is going to be my new bedside table in the guest room.

I do have another idea for this piece and I'll post about it tomorrow and have you weigh in on that idea too. There was no time tonight because I got sucked into watching "So You Think You Can Dance". Yeah, I think I can dance.....it's just that nobody else does.

Hope you had a nice evening.

Jane

2011-06-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

Today my work colleagues and I got the opportunity to volunteer in Joplin, MO to help with their tornado relief efforts.

It has been 30 days since the devastating tornado hit Joplin. Areas of the city are unrecognizable. As we drove through town I snapped a couple of photos with my cell phone.

The pictures don't begin to tell the story.

Several different distribution centers have been set up in the city to aid those that need help. We worked at a center today that was distributing food, toiletries, paper products, baby items and cleaning supplies.

If you have ever wondered if the items you donate to relief efforts get to the people that need it, I assure you they do.

Pallets of food and supplies arrived from all over the U.S.

These items are carefully and thoughtfully organized so that people can "shop" for the items they need.

As volunteers we uncrated boxes, distributed items to the proper tents, restocked the tables and made sure that people knew it was OK to take all they needed.

It was amazing to see families that lost most or all of their possessions worry about taking too much. They wanted to make sure that there was enough for everyone.

I am very thankful to my company for giving me the opportunity to volunteer. It was one of the most fulfilling days I've had in a long time.

Jane