December Finds

I haven't posted my finds lately.

It's been busy around here getting ready for Christmas.

We've been doing a bit of painting,

making garlands,

folding and glueing ornaments.

Last weekend, I found some wonderful things

tucked away in the back of a booth

at the antique mall.

There were also a few things that I'd "organised"

and hidden from myself

instead of putting them in my online shop.

I found these letter tiles zipped away in an old plastic bag

Tucked at the back of a booth.

Today, I took them outside

spread them out on my favorite tree trunk

and made words with them.

Merry Christmas

Star

Wish

Snow

Joy

Peace

Noel

Love

Faith

What an awesome find!

There were also
Bingo Cards

Bingo Numbers

and

Children's Alphabet Wood Blocks

Tucked away, I found some things

that were from my trip to Dubuque, Iowa

a few months ago.

Trio of Oil Cans

Mexican Flower Pots

so much like the one my granny used to have.

Drawers from an old watchmaker's desk

The desk was beyond repair,

so we salvaged the drawers from it.

  I've been needing to refill my shop,but the oh-so-shiny-things of Christmas time have distracted me. So now the shelves have a few more items,maybe I can squeeze in another project, or two......or three? 

Free Blocks for a Little Peace & Joy

I'm always on the lookout for free or low cost projects.

I'm always happy to find bits of  leftover wood

and low cost paint.

This project combines the two

for a total cost of under $2 for twelve blocks.

While digging for some old blue jars in storage,

I found bits of wood.

My bf's family had repaired the local bandstand

and these were the pieces that were left when they were finished.

I've been wondering just what to do with them

and had been hoping to make some angels,

but there's nothing in my stash that would make a good angel head

to sit atop the block of wood.

A couple of weeks ago,

while at Home Depot,

I'd purchased sample pots of Martha Stewart paint,

that were marked $1.

The colors are Barn, Cornbread, Sultana(green), and Francesca(black).

After the blocks were painted,

they were sanded with 60 grit to give them

the I've-been-knocked-about-a-bit-too-much look.

Gesso was then applied with letter stamps and a stencil.

(I like to use stencils.)

After the paint dried,

the letters were sanded with 150 grit paper for distressing.

The JOY blocks were washed with brown paint.

To finish things up,

two coats of Minwax Wax Paste was applied to seal in all the goodness.

Who doesn't need a little more Peace & Joy?

Below are a few more of my Christmas ideas

Just click the photo for more details

If you'd like to visit my shop,

please click the button below.

 

Sheet Music Ornaments for the Christmas Tree & Holiday Decor

It's Monday after the long Thanksgiving weekend,

and I, along with many of you out there,

am recovering from the festivities today.

Fighting off the lethargy,

struggling to focus on tasks,

and all the time thinking of how comfy the couch would be,

how nice to snuggle up all day in a blankie,

and just watch some of the episodes of NCIS

that are stored on the DVR.

However, that's just not going to happen.

It's been a busy morning,

my Daisy, a big, old, fluffy 20plus pound Shih,

had an eye that was not looking so well.

Luckily, the vet said some drops would help relieve the pressure,

so the eye should be back to norm in a few days.

However, he also confirmed what we had feared,

Daisy has very little sight.

It doesn't slow her down alot,

but lately she's been bumping into more things.

But she is happy,

and bouncy,

and jumping about,

now that she's home from the vet.

Daisy does not like to leave the homestead for long.

She's a homebody and doesn't see the need to be out and about.

I'm like that somedays too.

I'd been hoping to make some fan paper ornaments

to decorate my booth at the antique mall.

Thankfully, the thrift store had more sheet music,

as I'd used what I had making these ornaments.

I can't remember when I first learned to make paper fans,

perhaps in first grade,

but maybe even before.

So this project takes something that many of us learned as children

and combines it with something that we use everyday - paper.

You can do this with any paper you have about -

brown paper bags, magazine pages, gift wrap,

or, as I've done here, sheet music.

 I want to make a HUGE wreath like this

from some wrapping paper that I found recently.

Crossing my fingers that it works.

If so, I'll be sharing it tomorrow.

Below are a few more of my Christmas ideas

Just click the photo for more details

Click to visit my shop

Scrap Garland for Christmas - Part II

This week I made my first scrap, rag garland

using muslin and toile fabric.

You can see it and learn how to make one here.

It was my first attempt,

so I wasn't disappointed that it didn't turn out perfect.

Last night I made two more fabric garlands.

One is a traditional Christmas red and green.

The second garland is a muslin with blue striped ticking.

The red and green check fabrics were thin,

so cutting them into 8.5"x2" strips worked wonderfully.

One yard of each fabric,

yielded a three foot garland.

The muslin and ticking fabrics were a little thicker than the check,

so the strips were cut into 1" widths.

The difference in volume can be seen in the photos.

So if you're looking for a full, well filled garland,

the 2" width should give you this.

If you like the garland a little less voluminous,

the 1" width may be just for you.

If you make a garland and would like to share a photo,
please feel free to post it on my Facebook wall.
Today 2ndEssence shared a photo of the garland
she added to her mantle.
after being inspired by my previous blog post.

The barn door has been used as a background in a number of my photos recently.

Although it's listed for sale in my shop,

I'm kind of hoping that it sticks around for a bit longer.

Maybe long enough to be made into a coffee table!

Were you inspired to make this garland?
If so, please leave a comment with a link to your post showing your garland,
and I'll share it here.

Below are a few more of my Christmas ideas

Just click the photo for more details

 Click here to visit my shop 

Summer Hill Antique Mall

Today was a rainy, gloomy day.

The closer I got to the Summer Hill Antique Mall,
the darker the sky became,
the harder the rain fell,
and the creepier the gray fog became.

However, once I got there,
this was the cheery sight that welcomed me.

If you were driving along the highway today,

and noticed this warm welcoming window,

it would beckon you to stop for a visit,

to browse through the rooms,

and to savor a few memories sparked by the treasures within.

I love this!

It's so rustic with the fence, bucket, and geodes.

This green table is adorable.

It would make a wonderful coffee table.

My windows, covered with rain,

it's time to take them home,

and do something with them.

I'm thinking looking glass spray

and some twinkle lights

would make them prettier.

This child sized cabinet is beckoning to me,

calling to me,

but there are already too many projects

and too little space,

so if it's still there after a few projects are completed,

maybe it can come home with me.

I debated whether to keep this milk can or take it into the mall,

but decided to take it in

because I'd hate to one day be seen on an episode of Hoarders. 

The can is from a cheese company that was once in the county,

the Pike County Cheese Company.

It has a wonderful patina and the lid doesn't even stick.

Isn't she a cutie?

As I was getting ready to leave, I saw her sitting in her chair,

so calm and serene.

Handmade Etsy Shop - Stephanie Makes All

Stephanie Makes All is a wonderful Etsy shop filled with handcrafted items.

You can find

fingerless gloves

baby hats, headbands, & blankets 

washclothes, dishclothes, potholders

journals & other paper

trivets & items for your home

Stephanie Makes All also offers scrubbies and soap savers.

Steph is on Facebook and Twitter.

Visit her Facebook page to learn all about her Black Friday Sale.