Since I received so many lovely comments on my pincushion, I thought I would share another recently completed project. I apologize for not having a before shot, you know how it is, you just can't wait to begin.
So please picture this mirror, painted in black with flowers stenciled all over. A goodwill purchase for $1.99. After removing the mirror and doing some sanding to remove the ridges of the stenciled paint, the whole frame got painted this lovely ooops($2.00 Lowes) Aqua color. Then the fun began. After sorting the bags of shells that I bought this summer at lawnsales, all for under $2.00, I began to glue on my design. I didn't have enough of the flat shells to cover the frame in its entirety and I still wanted the color to show through ....... so here it is all completed. I like it. Basically, I have a new mirror for under $6.00 and still have tons of shells and paint left over for a new project.
Since this project was a little different from what I usually post, I thought I would share it over at A Little Knick Knack for Meg's first ever link party Everything but the Kitchen Sink. So just click here to see what other fun things are showing up today.
And speaking of fun ....... My birthday gift to myself arrived today, hot of the presses, my copy of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30's, 40's, 50's & Beyond. Second Edition. This fabulous book was compiled by C. Dianne Zweig.
C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro café.To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.comVisit my website, CDianneZweig.comDianne is a member of:The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Authors Guild, Inc.
For all of us that love our Kitschy Finds, this is the book for us. Honestly, I was drooling at some of the collections being showcased, the canisters and the aprons, oh my.
Not only did I see things I wanted, I saw things I already had, like this adorable little pig. It does not have any markings but looked familiar to me in its style as perhaps Shawnee. In the book it is stated as maybe Shawnee or Royal Copley. Who doesn't love a pig?
To see more of Dianne's showcase of treasures, please be sure to visit her blog, The Kitschy Collector Home of C. Dianne Zweig.
Hope that you all have a lovely weekend. I will be up and out early Saturday morning for lawnsales before opening up the shop at 10:00. I wonder what treasures await?
Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie
The conversation always starts out the same with me asking a friend, a neighbor, or a stranger .. "You're not throwing that out, are you?" and ends with my husband asking "you brought home more junk?" Actually, his question is more of a statement than inquiry. He already knows the answer. Simply put, I just can't resist bringing home treasures that others might possibly-because-they-just-don't see-my-vision-yet, view as trash. I have always been this way. The term Packrat was what my parents endearingly labeled me as, but I preferred to think of myself as the majestic and noble bird, the Magpie, a creative scavenger. Architectural items, rusted pieces of metal, gnarled pieces of trees, sea glass, weather beaten boards and unusual rocks, were and still are my materials of choice. I also have a weakness for wooden chairs, broken or otherwise.
Let's think for a moment about a chair, perhaps missing a rung and the seat split down the middle. That chair can be turned into a planter, a table, and even a shelf. The possibilities are indeed endless with the right imagination.
It is that vision of creative possibilities that led me to asking my friend Darcy if I could have her old birdcage. We were in her barn on a different mission when I spotted the black wire of the cage. It had belonged to her Grandmother and had been sitting for years up in the loft. That was my inspiration. Next I gathered a metal spray of ivy leaves that I had taken from the box marked "free Stuff" from last fall's church rummage sale. As you can see in the picture, it is that not quite brass and not quite copper look of the 60's/70's.
They both got painted Ivory, after all the plastic components had been stripped from the cage. I then purchased one of those birds everyone is talking about from The Dollar Store. I didn't like the way it was painted so I gave it a quick fix with some of the same Ivory paint.
The cage needed a base. Rummaging around in the garage, I found a basket plate, a lawnsale find from year's ago that was a perfect fit. Once painted the same Ivory, I had my base ready and now needed something to cover the whole at the top of the cage where the ugly plastic hanger had been. I used a carved rose wooden pin that I recently found at Goodwill for $.99 cents.
Here is a close up of the pin.
Since the ivy leaves were metal, they were easy to install up alongside the outside of the cage, intertwined with the framework of the cage.
I first covered the bottom of cage with grass, my dollar store bird and a few eggs. It was cute but not enough.
I placed a nest with eggs, a Christmas Tree Shop after Easter clearance special for $.49 cents, in an old ironstone bowl. The bowl is solid, no chips or cracks, just a slight discoloration on the inside, enough to have landed it a "free" pile of a sale. By placing the nest in the bowl, it gives the nest more of a presence. I wasn't sure if I wanted the bird inside or outside.
I was pleased with my little creation of free bits and pieces, but it was still missing something. Using some sheet music found at a recent lawnsale (3 large bags for FREE - A giddy lawnsale moment), I decoupaged the basket. That is what finally made the piece all come together.
Ta-Da. Here is the finished project of my Trash to Treasure. $1.50 (bird and nest) plus the paint for $2.50. My friend Darcy hasn't seen the birdcage since it's transformation. Her home is decorated in the Shabby Chic style. I have a feeling she is going to want her birdcage back. Oh well, she does have a birthday coming up.
I am joining three new parties today, Jane's Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous, Wendy's Frugal Friday at Shabby Nest, and Gina's Transformation Thursday at the Shabby Chic Cottage. I am a little nervous to display my creation along with all the other amazing projects shown at these parties, but here goes.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Got it at Goodwill
Sherrie
