Plum Perfect Friday - Crafted Characters or Significant Signs

 

 

I was inspired, by the following BHG photo, to make this vintage looking sign, so I went to our local Safeway to check the dumpster area for an old pallet.

The perfectly wonderful, shabby pallet.

 

An example of what my piece looked like before I painted it.  (Forgot to get a picture.)

 

 

 

After sanding the coat of paint.

I followed this easy tutorial from Homespun Happenings and printed my letters, then colored the back of the sheet of paper with charcoal pencils.

 

Traced them onto the board,

 

then began outlining,

 

and filling in the letters with a paint pen.

SO EASY...

 

...that I'm gonna make more!

 

After more sanding to shabby up the letters.

It only took a few hours to make!

 

Here is another one I whipped up last week for our house in Canada.  This one was made with vinyl lettering...still easy, but not near as CHEAP!

Have I ever written that I get a thrill from getting a bargain?   See ya next time...

Plum Perfect Friday - Family, Finishing, Frills and Finds

I got the absolute BEST surprise of my life on March 28th...my son, daughter-in-law and grandbaby, who live in Texas, showed up on my doorstep for an extended visit!

In their Easter finery last Sunday...aren't they all just beautiful???

Celebrating with the rest of my children, minus my oldest daughter. (Missing her!)

Due to the recent family room makeover, the bookshelf needed a black facelift. I began this project before my son and family arrived, however, needless to say, my efforts were forestalled for a period of time, as a result of their visit, as well as the fact that everyone currently residing in my household (except the baby) has been afflicted with a horrible stomach flu!

(HERE'S THE BEFORE)

(I am so DONE with that green!)

Got the black paint on and it's lookin' better, but I now still need to distress the finish. At least with all the time that has passed, it has given the paint a chance to really cure. I'm really looking forward to having this done so that I can get all my dishware off the floor! I will definitely post a picture of the completed project.


I also started a gallery wall in my bathroom...it's a work in progress, and I still gotta make a window treatment in there... man, so much to do!

I like the idea of ribbon and lace, but think I need a prettier container--like I said...

On a whim, one day, I painted and stamped some boxes to conceal all my little un-mentionables.

(French label courtesy of The Graphics Fairy)

Love rag balls.

And last by not least, LOVE this extremely inexpensive vintage strainer that I happened upon at a thrift store. If this would have been at an antique mall, it most likely would have been a lot more pricey! Did I say that I LOVE it? This is another piece that will be so versatile...for now I will probably fill it with more rag balls.

Just thought I would catch up a bit, things will settle down again next week, when the Texas family head back to their neck of the woods...bummer! I will sorely miss them, but will hopefully get up their way during the summer!



Hope you and yours had a beautiful Easter together!

Plum Perfect Friday - Further Facelift Finery

So here is my refashioned Armoire (that's Ticking Stripe fabric) in the family room makeover.

I am loving the new paint color so-ooo much, it makes such a huge difference...


(Just for side-by-side comparison.)

I moved my family wall (minus a photo, it's still in the works) in there as well and added some wall words.

I took the phrase from my sister, Michele, who also has it on her family room wall. She lives in another state, though, so it's okay!

Then, of course, I needed a new window treatment in the dining area...so put together one from an antique table cloth that I had found at a garage sale about a year ago.

...Adore the vintage, handmade lace!

The room feels so much less complicated and brighter!

Some of my newly found treasures in a fun vingette. I'm also into old music sheets and have been using them here and there...

What do you think? With or without the lamp on the right?

More treasures and a vintage photograph of my mother as a teenager as well as my rosette sphere that I became mortally wounded in the making.

A pile of old books and a little bit of whimsy (I love bunnies)!

I have a fondness for antique bottles and tarnished silver, and like the way it goes with the black.

This was a thrilling aquisition! I have been looking for an old street sign and this one was a perfect find from a small antique store that I happened upon! I googled the street name, and found it, most likely, to be from Schenectady, NY. Cool!

A cute shelf vingette with more tarnished lovliness, to steer the eye away from an unsightly doorbell/intercom.

Just like the rag balls and more vintage music. I found the antique furniture carving several months ago and finally found a home for it!

This will be a continual work in progress...because, of course, changes become a domino effect. I will have to repaint some furniture pieces now! Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoy the evolution!

Plum Perfect Friday - Setting the Stage

Yay! The painting is done! I wanted to "Stage" it before I personalized it completely, so that I would have an example to show. I'm loving the new look, but it will continue to evolve...the domino effect is really in motion...there are several items that I now have to repaint! I am completely and thoroughly enjoying myself, however, it's my passion and just what I do!