Bridal Shower DIY and upcycled metal duct work vases

Hi Guys! I am getting started on bridal shower decor for my youngest daughter Alexa (2 weeks before the shower!)  I have a somewhat reluctant bride. She wants to get married and doesn't have time for the details. She wasn't even sure she wanted a bridal shower so we got a late start. She wants her dress and bouquet a certain way and everything else is a bit whatever. She has some nos..NO chalkboard, NO burlap, and NO mason jars. ..and the pink can't be too girly and nothing "foofy" or "cheesy". She is a chemistry grad student with a love of Harry Potter ..but doesn't want a theme-y HP wedding. Her fiancee is an engineering student graduating this Spring. She is using books as a part of her wedding table decor..so a winter woodland (but not Christmas-y), book, Harry Potter (but not "theme-y")wedding..Whew. Her colors are plum, blush pink and pale grey. The grey was originally sage but apparently the sage colored bridesmaid dresses were all a bust. SO off I went. I got the idea of silver metal vases and saw this ductwork when I was in Lowes. This is actually an adjustable piece..it can swivel and bend. I just liked the ribbing. You can get smooth and 4" 6" or 8" wide. Here I have a cap in the bottom, but it is not necessary. I am thinking of it more as a vase "sleeve". We are probably using paper flowers and greenery that does not need water anyways, but you could slip this over most vases.

 These flowers are paper roses I made with Harry Potter text book pages. You can use whatever book, sheet music, map paper, etc..she just likes HP. NOTE selling HP roses is against the TM.. you can make them for yourself though.

 I will have a tutorial on how to make these in a day or 2.

These are the pieces I bought. I am using the bottoms to hold succulents, pebbles, and candles. The taller piece will have florals. Probably not the HP flowers, I just plunked those in there to show them.The tall piece was $4-$5 and the cap was $3-$4. (I can probably resell them after the wedding!)

 I got these succulents at Lowes for under $4 each. They co-ordinate with her palette, and I don't have to worry about killing them any time soon!

 Pretty sages, greys, and pinky-plums..

 We found the pebbles at Dollar General for $1 a bag ($3.99 elsewhere for the same thing!)

 Invitations were Target $4.99 for 10 because they went with her "design" and they were just so cute!

 Also got candles and votives at Dollar General ..for $1.

 Dollar General paper plates and silver plastic silverware also at Dollar General for..$1. The plates match her design and are cute!

 Hard to find plum napkins locally, but I found these at Party Supply.

 We wanted to put recipe cards in with her invitations for guests to fill in with their fav recipes. We got these at Hobby Lobby. The recipe cards were 6 assorted styles and matched the recipe box. I also bought paper punches and included small Harry Potter text hearts and stars in the envelope..not so much like a confetti or glitter bomb..just 6 or so...cute whimsy but not a PITA for people to have to vacuum up.

I think these vases are actually going to hold magnolia leaves and paper magnolia blossoms.

                                    

Alexa is putting a couple of these in her bouquet and the rest are going to be part of the wedding table decor. Stop back for the paper rose tutorial and to see more of what we are doing! Comments loved, followers adored! 'Til next time! Julia

Vintage feedsack fabric lace and more estate sale goodies

 Hi guys! Life has been crazy lately. I went to an estate sale 2 weeks ago and I'm just now getting things out of the boxes!. I have had numerous trips to the chiropractor, 6 fillings replaced because they were apparently old..or the dentist needed work? (Hope not!) There was a church Thanksgiving luncheon for 100+ senior citizens and one funeral reception to serve.Not sure how I end up on all those committees?

 Anywho..feed sacks. I loooove these. I got a goodly stack. The ones on the bottom are actually doubles.

 The ones on the very top are an apron, an almost finished apron and 2-3 cut out aprons.

The middle ones are singles and a couple have some pieces cut out. These will eventually be going to Ebay and Etsy. The next couple months are going to be nuts. Thanksgiving, Alexa's bridal shower, Christmas then Alexa's wedding the first part of January. Oh..and we got new flooring delivered this week so someplace in there, that needs to go down...and the walls painted..and the ceilings painted..and the baseboards beefed up and painted..and....quite possible a nervous breakdown in there someplace! 

Pssht.. anyways this feedsack was even stamped on the selvage..never had one like that before!These bags came with chicken feed, flour, sugar etc. in the 1930's-50's. They were basically a yard of fabric each so for a ladies dress you needed 2 matching ones.So many cheerful prints!

I got this antique cotton skirt too. It may be a petticoat. The sides are slit open from waist to mid thigh area and it has a bias tape and hook and eyes waist and pleats on the front..or back..not sure. The waist is tiny though. It was in a wad on the floor of a closet and I recognized this as old fabric..pre 1900's. There are a couple smallish holes but overall lots of cool yardage.

 I got scads of lace, some hand crocheted.

 Also a petticoat with no waistband so it was cheap and a antique eyelet toddler's dress. It has some split seams and I am going to see if I can repair it.

Marcasite cut steel shoe clips..these may end up in upcycled jewelry.Not sure WHEN! After the Thanksgiving dust clears I am going to be sharing things/decor from Alexa's  bridal shower and maybe some OMG befores of my house. Stop back and see what I'm up to! Til then! Julia

DIY Upcycled frame chalkboard signs and Fun with Fungi

 Hi guys! These are some chalk board signs I made this week to take up to my booth. I made them with uhhhgly 1970's and 80's framed "art prints". They were part of a lot Ed bought at auction. Some were antique and great and then there were "the rest'.  Maybe cost $1 each! You can use whatever you have around the house or even buy a cheap new dollar store frame to use. (But check the thrift store first) I took the prints out and used them as a pattern to cut new fresh cardbord/foamboard for the back.I separated the glass from the frames.  I cleaned the glass very well and then sprayed it on one side with sandable spray primer (it is with all the other spray paints in the paint aisle). I used that rusty red because that is what I had, but the grey would work too. Light even coat (or 2). Let dry a couple hours. Then I painted it with spray on Chalkboard paint. I think it was Krylon brand. 2 good medium light coats so no puddles. Let dry overnight.

 I painted the frames with spray paint too and distressed the white ones.I couldn't find any sandpaper in the house so I used one of those Scotch brand green pot/dish scrubbies..it worked! I "seasoned" the "boards" with white chalk..I used the side of the piece as the new chalk hard edges were leaving lines. Just cover it with chalk, wipe off with a soft cloth and repeat. I picked some quotes and picked and laid out my fonts in Printshop (cheap $20 program if they even still make it) I use the "headline" text option as it allows you to make bigger letters.

The garland I just folded a piece of paper in half, free handed the "laurel" and traced and transferred it to the other side for a mirror image. This way I know my "freehand" graphics will stay on track and not wander off in a direction I don't want them going!(I have learned that the hard way)

 On this one for ex. I put a 8 1/2" 11" piece of paper up next to it and noted it was about 2 sheets tall when I held the paper sideways. So I printed out do all things and with on one sheet and LOVE on the next. I rubbed the back of the paper with white chalk, centered it where I wanted it and traced over the letters with a pen on the printed front..remove and BAM ..outlined letters. I got a chalk marker at Walmart for under $3..very cool. It is smudge resistant but it will wash off with water. I did not want these to get smudged in my booth by curious fingers so that is great! This one's frame has metallic gold Rustoleum spray paint..love that stuff!

 I just started at the top and went along the traced chalk lines. A bit of practice will help if you are not used to this but I have been painting for years..even so I find a sure stroke is less wiggly for some reason than a "cautious" one! After I outlined, I filled in the thicker letters. I like a mix of fonts... just looks more interesting and I try to think about the words and their importance. For example,"Be cozy" was soft so I used script and LOVE was a strong important word so I used bigger blocky letters. I put them back together and resecured the glass and backing with small nails and tape.

 I added sparkles with rhinestone details and crystal glitter to the frame of this one because..because! It is much more sparkly in person! These went up to my local booth today but I have a ton of ideas for more and different ones. So fun!

 This was a mushroom..toadstool? I spotted growing on the side of my driveway this week. I had to bail out and snap a couple pics.

 Then I had fun playing with them in Picasa..made me miss my grandbaby Hunter though as he loves to play with pictures in Picasa with me..cool no? I think this one was inverted colors.Love the pops of magenta! (Picasa is a free photo editing program..Google it for a download)

I think this would make an awesome background for an art piece and eventually that is what I hope to do with it! Hope you all have a great weekend! I will have some pix of the vintage fabric goodies I got yesterday morning in my next post..stop back! Til then! Julia

Vintage antique booth pics

 Hey guys! A few pics from my antique/vintage booth. I am ready for a major overhaul. This is a cool piece. It used to be in a hardware store. It is about 12" deep, 6 foot tall and probably 5 1/2 feet wide. My husband and I were arguing about how many drawers it has but it is around 280...19 rows high and 14 or 15 rows across.

 It is wooden and all the cubbies are wooden, but the drawers are pressboard or cardboard.

 Cool little pulls and places for labels.

 There are a few drawers missing on the bottom row.

 Much coolness!

 A metal hardware bin. I sold a taller one last year.We are thinking of opening a shop again..if we do this is coming with. I have tooons of vintage hardware I could fill it with. In the mall though, there are multi dealers and everything has to be priced..that many price tags? Akk! I think I am going put groups of knobs in Ed's Etsy shop.

 A nice harvest table that I wish would sell.. only $250 on it.

 This one is actually tall enough for modern chairs. Maybe I should paint the legs grey.

 A "hoosier" cabinet of my son in law to be's. These used to be a faster seller. He only has $200 on it.

I did a bunch of rearranging and need to do more before the annual Sweetwater Small Town Christmas festival the first Saturday after Thanksgiving. They are having an ice skating rink this year! You cannot skate on any ponds in TN, the ice never gets thick enough. Ed and I looked at a house this week for a possible business location. Yikes. Hole in the roof so bad the floor of the back porch collapsed, no heat or air, knob and tube electricity, leaking pipes, so filthy and when I turned on the basement light and looked down the stairs..12 inch rat! We decided to keep looking! It is hard  to know which way to leap sometimes.(Not this instance! lol)  Hope you have a great weekend and stop back! Julia