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...

Rusty Rave Monday - Winning Walls

For the ON-GOING transformation of my current redecorating, I just "go shopping" in my home, and use items that I already have.  (I do that A LOT!)  The shelf was moved from my bedroom and I gathered together some of my silver creamers and vintage linens.  Added a collection of white buttons, and an old paperback bundle.  The silver tray is a family heirloom that was my mother's.

This is a vintage wedding portrait of my mother.  I sandwiched it between two pieces of glass in order to view the damaged corners and show the age of the photograph.  (She would be pleased!)

Another family wall in the hallway...it makes the thermostat control almost disappear, or at least, look like an additional element in the collage!

Love, love, speckled eggs...found more images from The Graphics Fairy...printed them up, painted some old frames and viola!

Off to do another project...so see ya next time!

Rusty Rave Monday - Silver & Salvage

It thrills me to find wonderful items and not have to pay very much for them. Following are some of my most recent "Fabulous Finds.

I love the colors, and unexpectedly beautiful things that are found in nature, and am so fond of incorporating those little details in my decor.  On a recent weekend excursion to a town not far from our home, I ran across this authentic looking nest for only $12!  Such a steal...I couldn't even buy the elements to make it for that so I was pretty excited!

I was in Texas the beginning of June to visit my son and his family and we, of course, went antiquing (my son and his wife are both into it).  SERIOUSLY...vintage and thrift stores in Texas are so awesome!  I couldn't resist these little olive/pickle forks, and small silver bowl.  I saw the idea to use old pattern pieces as filler in a couple of the stores we went to and just love the look. 

My current table display that I, kind of, threw together...this will definitely evolve!

I obtained some more cool items to add to my bookshelf "dish display", it now feels complete and I am finally happy with it.

The gravy boat is my most favorite recent find and was $3 at a little store outside of Houston.  It was owned by a nice old gentlemen named, "Bob" who preferred taking checks!  Wow!  (He told me, "you can just make it out to 'Bob'...they know me down at the bank"!)  So cool.

This is SO old and I love how the gold trim is perfectly worn...impeccable shabbiness!

The tag on this small milk pitcher said it was a "barn find", I love the profile, beading and exquisite patina!

This was my favorite little pitcher until the "barn find", now it's definitely a very close second for many of the same reasons.

Another item from "Bobs Antiques", he sold this to me for $1 because of the flaw on the left.  (That was one of the things that I liked about it!)  I have been on the lookout for black transferware dishes and couldn't believe my good fortune...I had seen a plate similar to this at an antique store in my area for over $35 bucks!  Once again my thrill from a "good deal"!

A cute little old jar that just made me happy, I like to think about the history behind the object...

Hope you're stumbling upon some "fabulous finds" of your own,

Rusty Rave Monday - Polished Off Projects AND Pillow Pride!

Over the last week or so, I have been in a project frenzy...trying to complete things that I have started and make some new things.  If any of you follow me on Pinterest you know that I have a ton of projects posted that I want to try my hand at.  Here are some of the results, and you just may recognize some of them...

I love this little gem of a wreath!  (It can be found here at Jones Design.)  I recycled some linen napkins that I purchased at the Habitat for Humanity Restore (the same linen napkins that I used in making the following pillows in this post). I created this very close to the original, but of course, made it my own with small silk flowers, an organza ribbon bow and opted for "non-sparkly" eggs.  Part of the beauty of it all was that I had everything on hand and just used whatever I found in my craft supply stashes!

 

I just adore wreaths...I have them all over the house, inside and out!  This one was from another Jones Design tutorial, found here.  I took the same linen napkins to wrap the form, then added the rolled paper flowers that I made with old sheet music.

After rolling my flowers, I "smushed" the top of them down a bit, so that they looked a little more like real petals, added the paper leaves, and then satin ribbon to finish it off (I wasn't about to spend all day making flowers to fill the whole circle!).

I made this for the entrance to my little "frenchy privy" facilities in the master bath

...and it just makes me happy!

Another idea I discovered on Pinterest found here, a stenciled pillow.  Here again, I made it with a couple of my linen napkins.  Of course, I too, had to have my own quote...that's the beauty of creating your own stuff from ideas that you see around you! 

Mine is actually a quote from Dr. Suess, and if you are a child of the 70's you would also recognize it as the words to the closing song that Carol Burnett sang at the end of her show each week!  I love what it says, as well as, have fond memories of watching that with my mother when I was growing up.

From my sister's blog here at Something Special.  I just love her pillow ideas and I am pretty sure that she got the images from the Graphics Fairy.  Once again, it's the linen napkin re-purposed!

I acquired 2 of these little wood boxes at a moving sale in my neighborhood.  They were painted "checkerboard country cutsey" which was okay, but I had a vision for them...

...so they got painted, and distressed, then the cute drawer pulls were added (purchased at one of my most favorite places, Hobby Lobby).  These will be so versatile for fabulous little vingette's over time...

Last, (but not least by any means) I whipped up this stool idea

found here.  I didn't use Annie Sloane paint, like the decor-chick, just got the idea for a stool that I already had.

I recently visited my son and his family in Texas and while I was there we, of course, went "antiquing".  I found this stunning handmade, scalloped edge, vintage apron.  (I should probably iron it...)  I didn't know how I would display it, but was just delighted with it...then the idea hit me...and I tied it to the stool!  Gotta have a bit of whimsy in your life, too cute!

Thanks for stopping by...until next time...

...here's to the little things that make us happy!

Rusty Rave Monday - Black Battered Bookcase

 

As part of my family room redecorating, I finally got the bookcase painted and distressed...

 

...and got my dishes displayed.  I need opinions...What do ya think about the placement of the items on the top shelf and bottom shelf?

Look at the three pictures and please let me know which one looks the best.

I am also toying with the idea of adding the music sheets to the back of the first three shelf areas.  Might you have an opinion on that, as well?

Just FYI:  Here's the before green.

 

The process...

 

...and before the distressing...

  I would appreciate your thoughts!  Thank you and have a great day!