Welcome Spring!

We are well into the first week of March and these tulips are just so lovely.  Our little cottage by the lake is bright and sundrenched with it's huge windows, a perfect place for these treasures.

Anyone who knows me, knows about my obsession with blue Mason jars!  

This one hangs at an angle on the side of my kitchen cabinet. I wrapped the neck securely with some copper wire, and made a simple loop.  Then, I hung this with a simple screw-in teacup hook.  Super easy and how darling is this!?

I love to put fresh peonies or big pink carnations in there!  :)  

I hope this inspires you to do something similar, sometimes simple is best!

Have a lovely weekend!

_/\_ namaste

Karen

Tutorial Time! I Made My Very Own Handmade Sign!

Welp, I bit the bullet and did something I thought I would hate...pained a sign.  It looks hard, and it looks fussy, messy, and I hate painting intricate things.  Give me an old dresser and I'll paint that all day.  Ask me to paint a leaf?  Or a spiral or a cottage rose and you're on your own.

So, here's what I did:  I made this! 

Not bad, eh?  It cost me a whole  $0.53.  Yes, fifty-three cents.  I had most of the materials on hand, and I found the wood at the Habitat For Humanity Re-Sale Shop.  It's an old cabinet from someone's kitchen.

Here's how I did this.

Coat your old cabinet with a couple of coats of primer.  I found this in our garage, so I used this.

This stuff is goopy and snotty and smelly, so use a foam brush that you can just toss.  Let it dry really well and give it a couple of coats of acrylic paint.  I used these:

Here's one that's on my workbench, waiting for a little more love.

Now, we're going to get down to business, and I apologize for not having photos of this step, but I was getting down to business!

Print your message out on your printer, to the exact size that you want your letters on your sign.

Cut them out and tape them very gingerly onto your painted board, with a piece of ordinary carbon paper underneath.

I used this:

I had this laying around, but I believe you can purchase this at Office Max or Staples for less than $2.00.  

NOW....trace around your letters.  Take your time.  Use a ballpoint pen and push hard enough to leave a bit of an indent in your wood.  This helps the paint "stay in the lines,."  Use a teeny tiny pointed brush...here's a photo of my brush collection. Yes, I have a problem.  I love craft supplies.

The super pointy one?  That's the one.  Outline your letters, then fill in with a thicker brush.  Take your time, take breaks....relaxxxxx.

When you are satisfied with your masterpiece, give it a light sanding....I used "finishing" sandpaper (pictured above)...I sanded a bit heavier along the edges, and lighter over the letters, but the overall effect was "weathered."  I think I did great.  Here's a closeup.  See my corneres, there?  And the white kind of showing through toward the bottom?

I considered an antiquing finish as well, but I was simply tickled with what I had, so I finished off with a light varnish, added a couple of sawtooth hangers and BOOM.  I made a sign for fifty-three cents.

I would estimate that had I purchased all of my materials, this would have still cost less than $20.00 to make!  

OK, your turn!  Really, give it a shot!  This project only took a couple of days due to drying time, and was well worth it! 

Here is my next victim! I found this sweet thing hanging out at the end of someone's driveway on trash day!

What should I do with THIS little sweetie?

We are FINALLY moved! HOORAY!

As some of you know, Kevin and I made a big decision and decided to move to Lake Michigan.  After much consideration and thought (and love of the beach)...we researched school districts for our son, who will be entering 8th grade, and is a person with Autsim, and we chose to make Grand Haven our new home.  And we love it here.


Our son is a new person at the beach.  For some reason, all signs of Autsim just disappear.  He is relaxed, and is "in the moment" ie: no "zoning",  and is joyous.  Seeing that makes me joyous.  He has been through hell this past couple of years, and deserves only good things.  He was bullied nearly to death in Holt.  So we're letting all of that go, and starting over!  


Yesterday, Matthew and I just rolled around in the sand.  It was overcast and actually a bit chilly, but the sand was warm and Matthew was happy.  He wanted to bring home a ziplock bag of sand.  


So, that's what we did.  When I got this sand home, we sifted through it and found TREASURES!  And that's what inspired my latest listing in my Etsy shop.  I love this!

See the little snail shell in the largest photo?  SO CUTE!  And shells, and moss, and driftwood and seaglass, and seagrass!  LOL!  Fun.




You can view the actual listing here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/101131564/silver-mermaid-lake-michigan-sea-glass

Have a lovely day!  And if you find yourself in Grand Haven, Michigan, look us up!  We love the beach!

Ugly Cabinet / Pretty Cabinet - An Adventure in Thrift Shop Furniture Refinishing

This cabinet has lived in the shadows of our home for many years, first, in a corner in the basement, where we just piled miscellaneous treasure on top of her, to my daughter's room where she held up my daughter's tv, pop cans, candy wrappers, you get the idea.


In preparation for our big move, I wanted to give this baby a coat of paint and make her gorgeous.  I've always known this cabinet had big potential, but I had no idea it would turn out as good as it did.  I'm just tickled!


So......I dragged it out into my driveway on the first sunny day we had (we're in Michigan, enough said)....and began to remove the cobwebs, dust, and gave her a good once-over.

As you can see, this cabinet is just sad.  The top is scratched, the are gauges all over it, no biggie.  


I removed the handles (they are lovely).....and, because I am LAZY....I didn't even sand it.  I used this magic stuff:  (2 cans)

Covered absolutely EVERYTHING.  You don't need a lot, just make sure every surface is covered.  Now came the fun part.  PAINT.


I chose a color called "Well Water" , I got it at Lowe's, and I chose a semi gloss, just because I adore semi gloss.  




I had these napkins, I think I found them a year or so ago at Party City.  The "well water" (it's Robin's Egg, in my opinion), blue in the napkins perfectly matched the blue on my cabinet.  

SO.  I grabbed a foam brush and my trusty Mod Podge and, in a very short time I had THIS:

Isn't she pretty?  I'm just in love with this cabinet now.  I replaced the original handles, and they just give it that finishing touch.  I will still add about 3 coats of varnish to the Mod Podge part, and one to the overall piece, but I just couldn't wait to share this.  After our move, I will show you an "action shot"....I have big plans for this baby.  LOVE.  


If I recall, we paid $10.00 for this cabinet at a thrift store. :)


To say I am just tickled would be an understatement!


COMING UP NEXT.........Vintage Printer's Tray re-do.  


Have a lovely Friday!