DISPLAYS

So I saw a pin and I followed the link and I found this image.

I do not know how long ago. 

But I guess the idea stuck in my brain. 

Then......

I thrifted this wooden tray. Well made, kind of blah, but at 1.99 well worth the expense. And I knew I could make something  better of it. 

Rode it around in the car for a few several days.

What is it about the muse named --- THAT'S IT, THAT'S WHAT WILL WORK.

So I scrubbed it with plain old soapy water. Let it dry and painted it with a bit of Pantone Paint Sample

in Whitecap Grey  which Pantone describes as a classic - off white. 

I love this color and in my work of late I am seeing that I much prefer a low color - low contrast look. 

I've also recently used Valspar Twine (has some pink undertones) and Valspar Tightrope (very similar to the whitecape grey)  as well. 

Then I used my modpodge and some sheet music and covered the inside of the tray. 

Once that dried , I sprayed the modpodge area with some clear sealer too keep it from getting sticky in the sweet southern hunidity.

Then.......

I found jar lids and rings in my stash (imagine having two boxes of those??? .I'm sure I was planning to can or make jelly in the past.)

I stamped a music pattern imprint on some mulberry paper. Cut circles to fit my lids and using plain old Elmers white glue , glued them into the jar lids.

I stamped the back of some vintage ticket with the words - journey, rejoice, faith, and dream.

More glue - this time UHU glue stick. Love that stuff.

I then had to the most awful part of this task --- she smiles as she types this. I dug through the buttons in only ONE of my button containers. I found similarly sized and tones brown buttons and glued them in place using Alene's Tacky Glue.

This will be used to display pendants at craft shows.  24 compartments - an almost perfect fit. Nothing is permanently attached to the tray except for the decoupaged music. And the lids even come out of the rings so i can easily change that part too.

Versatile - and as the compartments are emptied, it is still pretty to look at too.

This was a fun little project.

More fun stuff to come.

(notes - I am spending a lot of time in the studio of late. I worked hard to fix it to be usable and comfy for me. I am using up stash constantly and that is a good thing too. It's also a really place for pondering and sorting out details of my life. Its a wonderful thing. And when the MUSE shows up to play --- well that it just Icing on the Cake.)

Have a wonderful day.

MORE ALTERED COMPOSITION BOOKS

I've been very productive of late. This is a good - no GREAT thing. 

I've got a big stash of the composition books and a ton of ideas for them. 

But when I sit down and start on them - sometimes I just stall out. 

The two I'm featuring today were STALLED - seriously stalled for a bit. 

See that blue paper background? HEAD OVER HEELS for that paper. Looks like old old crackled wood. and I was determined to use it. 

So I covered the front of the book and then could not find any embellishments to go with it. 

I thought and I dug and I pondered and fretted.

Then  remembered a box (SOMEWHERE) that I had hardware in. Old doorplates and pulls type of hardware. 

Found the box and this old doorplate. I scrubbed it up and sprayed it with some sealer. But what to do about the keyhole - the lock was long gone.

I scrounged around and found this stamp. It is patterned after old postmarks. I stamped it and glued behind the plate. Then I filled it in with 3d paper glaze. Fun and perfect.

Glue onto the cover. I really really like this one a lot.

Another one that stalled (and that I almost just left without anything on it) was the old measuring tape one.

This is a great paper - with glossy and embossed areas - featuring these old measuring tapes.

Again - I pondered and dug.

For some reason - this felt like an old general store kind of thing.

Gather - old receipts from a dry good store (1920's receipt) and some from a traveling salesman to a lumber company (1950's)

I had a torn bit of a tape measure  - and a polite "collection notice" sticker (thank you MaryAnn)

But for some reason this felt unfinished.

So I left it and came back to it later.

I found some shims I had tucked away and stamped them with some block numbers. (8-15 happens to be my grandmothers birthday - The Man's grandmother's birthday - AND my daughter's birthday)

But they were not exactly the right color ---- GlimmerMist - great stuff and they now have it at JoAnn's.

I sprayed the shims and knew this was perfect.

Pile it all up - and glue it down.

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.

Hope you guys have a great day.

I still do make things and notes on stash busting....

We are getting nine beautiful new blessings in our life this year. That means 9 baby gifts for Miss Teresa to make. I'm well into it and have posted a few of them already. This is also a challenge in that I want to finish ALL of these from my stash. So far - so good. 

This one is the latest finish. Honestly - I had no idea if I would even like this one. I so rarely work in any kind of bright colors. The purple lustersheen yarn was in some that I was given a long time ago. The white was from an afghan that my mom started and didn't finish. While I had the pattern and the same size hook, I was not able to get the stitch size right. So I "frogged" it and kept the yarn. Plain granny square pattern, a fairly quick finish. The center is a strand of white and purple, the white band is two strands of the white, and the purple is two strands bright, all held together for the duration. (Is there some magic trick to doing that easily? My yarn kept tangling on itself.)

When I finished it, I do like it. Its for the next girl. 

I had quite a bit of yarn left from the "green" blanket. (yes, I know its not green - but there is green in there and that's what we wound up calling it.)

The next baby on the list is a boy. So I wrangled with myself and decided to go with the idea that these could be "boy colors" and maybe be used for longer than just the "baby" years. I love the basketweave pattern on the blanket above so I am using that same pattern and yarns on the smaller blanket. That's the travel project right now.

The pattern is basic double crochet in a variation. The blanket above was done in a 4 stitch block. Here is a link to a tutorial on the stitch.

There has also been a bit of studio work. A friend of mine wanted a spoon pendant with her husband and children represented. Here is that fun piece. --- a topaz, garnet, and turquoise drop (birthstones) completed the assemblage.

Then on a jaunt thru the foothills of the North Georgia mountains, I found these keys, The graphics on them were so pretty to me. Aged just right too. I haven't had much studio time, but I did sit down and pull some blingy stuff out and make two necklaces.

This one is a mix of a key and an earring single that I just couldn't toss. I mounted the bling on the less decorative side and left those gorgeous graphics uncovered, so this one can be worn either way.

 I also look for butterflies everywhere I go and find them often. This necklace is a mix of a butterfly and a skeleton key.  Loving this one too.

Both necklaces will be in my booth at Junk In The Trunk in Athens, GA .

And last, just because he's cute and lovable, here is my sweet helper after a really long day of babysitting the cat. Isn't he sweet. Have to say, he's a great dog, but that tail is NOT coffee table friendly.

I hope you guys are well --

My life is beautiful ---- have a wonderful day.

about the stash busting --- What is it about creative "stuff"? I keep bringing it in and I can see all the incredible things to be made, but then I have a hard time using it. This is an issue I continue to work on. I turned 48 on Sunday. At a friend's suggestion, I am going to try and make 48 projects before my next birthday using nothing but stuff I already have. Goes along with HAPPY DO YEAR quite well, don't you think?


Teresa

yes -- the muse awake --

There was a lot of activity this weekend, but I did manage to get into the studio.

I have a baby blanket crochet project that is traveling with me and is almost complete.

But the box below is sitting by my chair in the house --- there will be another garden blanket to happen from some of this. (all thrifted crochet cotton)

I'm stash busting too and that includes planning and gathering for a Youth Work Day at Jones Chapel UMC.

The youth will be making cards and tags to sell. Fundraising for their activities. I'm providing the sample and making kits, trying to make the work day highly productive.

Then there was some heavy metal work too. Not really. A few spoons stamped (one has some custom wording and I messed the spacing up on it - three times - but that's what's called a learning experience)

I am quite happy with the ones using these love charms from Hobby Lobby.

It's good to have her back --- and to be making things again.

have a wonderful week.

Junker Heaven

Saturday started out much, much better than the middle of the day became.

We jumped in the truck and took off to Carlton, Ga.

Mind you, I have lived in this neck of the woods for some 26 years. Carlton is (maybe) 15 minutes from my house. But it is on a section of road that I rarely travel. On the way there, we hit a few dirt roads and found the old grist mill (now turned into someone's home). It was a trip I will now make regularly.

Mind you I could have taken hundreds of pictures.

NOTE - this place is for junkers. It is NOT an antique mall type of place. The stuff is dirty. Rusty. Piled. Stacked. Dumped. Tucked. Scattered. It is also REALLY REALLY FULL of treasure and tidbits.

Just look - that chest just to the right of those people -- that is a tin ceiling tile tacked to rustic wood. UH - HUH load it up please.

 See what I mean -- rusty old cut nails.

Want old house parts?  Got it covered. The proprietor takes apart old structures and salvages these parts. LOTS LOTS AND LOTS.

There is even a complete old bank window enclosure with a safe. 6000.00 --- it would be perfect for sectioning off the kitchen in a loft. Now that would be an amazing space.

Boxes of stuff (these are ceramic insulators) to dig through.

 Hardware - yes.

Light fixtures - yes.

Paper stuff - yes

Tools - yes.

I had never seen a Flax hatchel. He has not just one - I saw two.

Old clothing - yes.

There is a dedicated section (store) for books.

Furniture - that too.

Now, those who know me well, are aware that I adore primitive wooden boxes, shelves and such. Upon entering the first section, I spotted the one thing that continues to haunt my thinking. I didn't buy it even though it was well priced. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I WOULD PUT THIS, BUT I AM SERIOUSLY IN LOVE WITH IT.

An old WOODEN post office section.

Just look (converted to dream state at www.befunky.com )

WANNNNNNNTTTTTT

What did I come home with???? A quart jar of buttons - Well worth the ten I paid for it. and this......

An entire enamel dishpan of knives, forks, spoons. There is junk in here - but there is also some serious bracelet making treasure too.

I am going back and planning to make it a major time wasting kind of trip.

Anybody else?

Have a great day.

From my childhood -----------

I was born in a small town. (yes now you may sing the Mellencamp song - I did.) I grew up in that same small town -  Royston, Georgia - Home of Baseball's Immortal TY Cobb. And from the time I was born we shopped at a local shop called Philips Variety Store.

I have searched and search for images of it as I remember, but this is the only one I can find.

Agnes Shipp ran the store -- And yes it was one of those Inconic things. She carried Dixie Bell Lingerie - also known in my house as little girl and old lady panties. This store was piled high literally with clothing and such. She never clearanced anything either. She simply piled new stock in on top of the old stuff. Tables and racks and shelves of "stuff". I so wish I could find pictures of the interior of the store as it really was. There are no words to describe it - one of those "had to be there" kinds of places.

My mom and I have often talked about buying it and continuing the business - from the time I was a teenager until recently.

Then Miss Agnes was killed in a car wreck. Her family closed the business and sold a lot of the stuff out of the building.

Fast forward to Saturday - January 28, 2012.

I was in Royston with a friend - headed to my Mama's. Cell phone rings and indicates that we have been spotted, so on the way back through town, we stop and visit with more old friends. They have purchased the building and are in the process of renovating. As I walked in I remarked - I would love one of those shelves..... and just look what happened.

An 11' 11" long by 6'2" tall shelving unit that was site built in that building landed on a trailer -- (that's billy in the picture)


and.......

Rode to my house.

Yes - that is a massive item - and it is one section too long for anywhere in the house.

There was measuring and pondering and such.

It has been determined that chopping off one section will make it work.

There are fun little details that I hope I can keep --- I plan to clean it up, do a tiny bit of sanding and then simply seal/protect it.

Apparently some things were just a quarter.

Saw marks from the rough cut lumber

Medium Maybe???

No one has figured out the "y" it appears to be random.

I know these pictures look fuzzy and all white washed out. That is actually years of dust and crud. Got a ton of cleaning to do.

One end of the shelf has been painted - look at the picture of it on the trailer at my porch - and you will see that there are two colors on it. Gonna try and get this back off and just have the wood tones.

I cannot wait to start filling it up with my stuff.

Now for the fun part of being in the right place at the right time ---- an early 1900's site built shelf out of a building from my childhood, an items representing a place from my past. All of this coming to my house to live. Money is not important on this one, but I paid less than a 100 buck for this bad boy.

Love love ---- happy girl. I'll keep you guys posted as I get this in the house.

NEVER EVER ----

This beautiful girl turns 21 today at 4:01 pm. She is smart, funny, pretty, disciplined, creative,  and I can go on and on. But I am biased. Oh well. 

About that creative part, she paints, she sews, she makes jewelry......

And on Saturday, I broke a major rule with her.

The rule??? NEVER - EVER GO ANTIQUING AND THRIFTING WITH SOMEONE WHO LIKES THE SAME STUFF YOU DO.

Because we were in a tiny little antique store on Saturday and she spotted this.....

Ok - I'm excited just because it is old and it is a container and I LOVE OLD CONTAINERS. One reason - because you never know what is in there - right ?

OOOOOO - sewing stuffs.

I'm excited and she ain't letting me poke through them.

Buttons on cards (she pased then by - lucky me) and wooden spools (check out the blue stained spool. never seen one like that)

She wanted to poke through these ----

And then she played the ACE --- "mama - its my birthday and I'll just take a few of these and you can have this one and this and this. "

So guess what mama did ---- Yup

She bought the college girl a big box of buttons.

Happy Birthday - sweet girl ---

A Huge Thank You!

This shelf is over my piano. Yes I collect those old diner creamers. The wire rack has single serving ones.

I spied a box out by the dumpster at work way back in the summer. Our dumpster is behind the building and gets abused by many as "free" dumping. Anyway, this box was on the ground and as I turned to park I muttered four letter words under my breath about losers and idiots. I walked over and picked it up - then I spy the words Old Christmas Things written in pencil on the box. I peeked inside. See all those blue ornaments piled on my creamers - thats about half of the ones in the box. I quickly scooted me and the box back to my vehicle and tucked them away. VINTAGE BLUE AND SILVER ORNAMENTS....... WHOO HOOO FREE TOO. I love the light bulb shaped ones.

Several weeks ago Miss Sandy, over at Quill Cottage, posted her new studio space. I am in love, or lust, or whatever. Well in the series, she mentioned needing (wanting) those woven leather buttons to finish part of it. Well - I just happened to have some of those - imagine that (roll eyes like husband does)

So I sent her a gift of goodies including those buttons.

Yesterday a small yellow box was in the mail. It was a surprise goodie back from Sandy. Bloggers are some of the most generous people I know.
LOOK - I got one of her paper snowflakes (stars) I'm in love - lust - whatever - still. Go see her, her pictures of these are better and she shows you how she made it.

There were lots of other goodies in the too. I love this little tie on cone. (Sandy, can I copy this?) scrumptios trims and embellishments filled the box.

SO MUCH FUN.

Below you can see that I pinned the star to a wooden plaque.

Over the nativity that has the most special memories for my family. I blogged about this last year. HERE.

My mantel - most everyone's mantel - usually gets the "pretty" treatment for the season. Not this year for us. This very special crudely made nativity is much more important than any of the numerous gorgeous ones I have. The angel plaque was a gift from my uncle and now I have a "star" from a far flung friend to add to the display.

Thank you again Sandy. I love my surprise.

It is shaping up to be a wonderful Christmas for my family.

Have a wonderful day.

Well -it's over

Softball Princess team played their last game of the season on Friday night at the State Tournament. They took 4th place in the AAAA division. 4 out of 98 and we are the smallest school in the division.

Not only was it the last game of the season - it was the last high school game for 8 players and two managers - including Softball Princess.

Check out the red noses, swollen eyes, and tear stained faces of the three in this picture.


Yes - even the Man at our Address shed a few. As did many many more people in this crowd.

I don't have a whole lot to say about this. I'm simply in a strage place emotionally with it. After all she's my baby girl. Now we start the search for a college to call her next home.

So I'm jumping onto goodies.

I grabbed a ring of old keys at an antique mall between two of the games. Jewelry to come.

My favorite in the picture above - the "ram head" cutout one in the center.

Favorite in the ones above - the heart shaped cutout on the far right.

More to come in the next few days as my emotions settle down.

I have a beautiful life -- teresa