Wood Dough Bowls

Months ago, I was inspired by a post from Angie at The Country Chic Cottage.

Angie had been wanting a dough bowl of her very own,

but they are incredibly expensive.

What does a DIY'er do when they want something?

They make it themselves!

Angie took a $1 bowl from the thrift store and created a dough bowl.

You can click on the photo above to see just how she did this.

So I've been looking at wooden bowls from time to time,
but never finding one I really liked.

Then last week, I came across some blah bowls.

They were sad with their brown and black colors.

They were crying out for somebody to give them color.

I couldn't wait to get them home and splash on some paint.

The base paint is a green oops paint from Home Depot.

Two bowls have a terra cotta over the green.

Two bowls have a yellow over the green.

After the second color was added to the bowl,

it was distressed with 150 sandpaper.

Then two layers of wax were applied to seal the paint

with a good buffing after each application.

The color is a robin's egg blue,

or maybe a turquoise,

or an aqua.

I'll be adding more upcycled and handcrafted items to my shop in the next week.

They'll be a little bit country, rustic, farmhouse.

Kinda like me.

Click to visit my shop

Piano Rolls

At a recent estate auction,

I scored a box of piano rolls.

Five boxes were lined up on the table.

The auctioneer kept selling them off one at a time.

Finally, when it was down to the last box,

I won.

It was a partial box,

but held plenty of rolls for my use

and to add to my shop.

So now I'm looking for ideas on just what to do with the rolls I'm keeping.

Pinterest has lead me to some wonderful ideas.

Roses

Junk Market Style

A Wreath

Pinterest

Lanterns

 Junk Sophisticate

An Organizer

Mamie Janes

Tablerunner

 A Rather Lovely Wedding

Lantern

I-CDN. Apartmenttherapy

I have a few rolls listed in my shop for $5,

but there aren't many,

so if you'd like one,

hurry while they last.

Linked up at
Knick of Time Interiors

Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt

Occassionally, I find something that I really love

and hope to find someone else that will love it just as much.

A couple of weeks ago, I found a box filled with quilt blocks.

The box was bursting with over 200 pieces.

Sena, who I've not introduced you to yet, but hope to do so soon,

(She is wonderfully creative and uses her talents in helping others.)

identified the pattern as Grandmother's Flower Garden.

As my goal for the week is to FOCUS and get my Etsy shop refilled,

I took tons of photos this morning of the quilt pieces.

An Etsy shopper noticed my first listing for the pieces and was thrilled to see them.

With the second listing, she was even more excited.

With the third, she was hoping there would be enough for a quilt.

It looks as though the quilt blocks may have already found a new home

and will one day be made into a quilt.

I'm hoping that the buyer will share a photo with us.

I'd love to see the finished project.

Click to visit my shop

The Old Block House Etsy Shop

My poor blog and Etsy shop have both been terribly neglected lately.

All focus has been on getting my booths at Summer Hill Antique Mall

ready for the Pike County Fall Color Drive.

Now that I have enjoyed that weekend,

and had a week to recoup from all the festivities and preparations,

and given the house a cleaning and a promise to get better organised,

and celebrated my son's 18th birthday,

NOW it's time to get my act back together

and devote some time

to my blog and my shop.

Last week I snuck in some time to give my blog and shop a bit of a makeover.

I love snowmen,

so it seemed fitting to go with a snowman theme for both my blog and shop.

Etsy has finally allowed shop owners to change their shop names.

My Etsy shop is no longer known as Cherished Hearts,

but now shares the same name as my blog - The Old Block House.

I was so happy to be able to make this change.

For me it makes the blog and shop more complete in uniting them.

The weather was lovely today,
so I spent some time photographing new items for my shop.

Granite Ware Coffee Pot
Wouldn't this be gorgeous filled with flowers?
Daisies would be my choice of flowers.
I love daisies.

Granite Ware Lids

I'd love to make one of these into a clock for the kitchen wall.

Granite Ware Pan

Grandma used to sit with one of these on her lap and peel apples into it.

Granite Ware Bowl
I love this color.

Granite Ware Pan

Another pan with turquoise.

Vintage Handcrafted Mexican Pottery Planter

Granny had a blue one like this.

I still have it.

Ice Tongs

Did you know ice was once harvested from the Mississippi River and stored for summer use?

Player Piano Roll

Star Spangled Banner

Patent 1891

Player Piano Roll

The Church in the Wildwood

Mom used to sing this song alot when I was little.

Tomorrow I'll be adding vintage quilt blocks to the shop.
My lovely friend Sena has identified the quilt pattern as
Grandmother's Flower Garden.

They are gorgeous and I can't imagine all the time that went into them.

Have you begun prepping for the upcoming Holiday season?

Burlap Ironing Board Memo Board

 Last night my mom and stepdad stopped over for a bit of supper.

The meal was a bribe.

Our toilet has been running and running and running.

After a couple of attempts to fix it,

the decision was made to call in my stepdad.

He can fix most anything.

In only about ten minutes,

much of that time even was devoted to fighting with an old water valve,

he had the leak fixed.

Amazing!

They had also brought some goodies for me -

SEVENTEEN burlap sacks!

YEEHAWW!

I have plans for these.

Some little footstools are going to get reupholstered.

I also have some old grungy looking tabletop ironing boards ($1)

 that I've been picking up at the thrift store.

Initially, I was hoping to make them into shelves,

but the plan had been changed to make them into memo boards.

The old covering was removed.

(and tossed, it was icky).

The burlap was folded around the board and stapled.

A tab was stapled to the back of the board,

so that it can easily be hung on the wall.

What do you think?

There are four of these boards in total,

but I ran about ten shy on my staples and have one more board to finish.

While picking up more staples, I'll be grabbing some thumbtacks.

With a little hot glue and some vintage buttons,

we'll have some unique pushpins to add to the memo boards.

The memo boards are heading to my booth at the antique mall.

Our annual Fall Color Drive is this weekend.

I am hoping to be busy, busy, busy.

I am also hoping my booth is empty, empty, empty.

On 11-1, my first booth will be moving in next to my second booth.

This will be much more convenient.

An empty booth would also make the move so much easier.

Filling my booths and filling my shop are next week's projects.

Does your area have an annual fall event?

I've had a couple of emails inquiring about this project.

You don't have to have an ironing board on hand to make this.

You can make it out of any board, cardboard, foam, etc

that you think would be suitable for a memo board.

Simply cut the material you're working with into the desired shape.

Cover with desired material.

Staple material into place.

Auction on a Saturday Morning

It's a little after midnight here on a Friday night.

I'm scoping out the auction listing for tomorrow.

Here are a few of the things that have caught my eye.

Milk Bottles

Crate or Trap?

Telephone

Mixer

Wicker Baby Buggy

The auction has a huge listing.

I can't wait to find all the things that they've uncovered!

Click to visit my shop

Christmas Tree & Tea Pots

 

This is the earliest I've ever put up a Christmas tree!

 

Of course, it's not in our home.

 

The tree has made its home at the Summer Hill Antique Mall.

 

Pike County Fall Color Drive will be here next weekend,
so I've been busy, busy with getting ready for it.

 

What would you find in my booths?

vintage

antiques

primitive

crafts

 

It's very ecclectic.

 

Here are a few photos of my tree after the teapots were added.

 

Lots of work still to be done.

 

 

 

 

 

My son brought home the old brown jugs.

Christmas lights bring them to life!

So much to do and such little time!

I'll share a photo when it's all completed.

Click to visit my shop

Pumpkin Patch for Fall Color Drive

Finally, I'm able to post photos of my little pumpkins.

These little guys have kept me busy in my spare moments here and there.

It's amazing how little time you can actually have when you're squeezing it in between everything else that has to be accomplished in a day.

Drumroll please........

These are only half the pumpkins.

Another batch are still awaiting their stalks.

While out of town one day,

I stumbled across a fabric store

that was relocating and clearing out

their present inventory.

Thirteen custom fabric samples were marked to a mere fifty cents each totaling $6.50.

The spools were found at a flea market 40/$1.

The stuffing was from a ten cent pillow that looked to have never been used.

The huge spool of twine was in a $2 auction pile.



I don't really sew.
I've never learned to use a sewing machine.
So each of these was handstitched.

Inside each of these little pumpkins
is a bit of patience, a pinch of frustration,
a few uneven stitches,
but a sense of accomplishment.

Are they perfect?  Nahhhhh,
but much of the time that went into them was while snuggled
on the couch with the kiddos.

What more could you want?

These little guys are off to my booth in preparation for the Pike County Fall Color Drive.  It's next weekend and will be one long, fun, action packed weekend.  It's a wonderful way to spend an autumn weekend.

  

I'm linking up today at these fantastic parties!