Old Town Flea Market in Clovis

We had a good time in Clovis this weekend kicking off the Christmas season with a fall craft show at Old Town Flea Market. Don’s lamps were a hit as they are repurposed and one of a kind. I will be listing some of them in the etsy shop soon. The last time we participated in this craft show it was 108 degrees. This weekend was so much better. The sponsors do a good job of keeping us vendors happy with free wifi and many yummy foods available. I had a mushroom & artichoke tamale that was really good. Clovis has many antique,  vintage,  and industrial items in their downtown shops. The next time you’re in Clovis check them out.

Don made this lamp from an old bottle capper.

This tool box is a great size for a succulent garden.

The bike pump lamp sold as well as the bottle capper lamp. They were my favorites! However, there other random items out there just waiting to be made into a lamp.

Fabric Map

I love maps. It could be that because I used to work as an architectural drafter its easier for me to for me to understand visuals verses words. In any case, my daughter needs some wall art for her apartment so I made a map of the US using the colors she likes. It turned out well and though really time consuming, it was very easy.
First step:
I outlined the states on a map that I wanted to copy.
Second step:
I traced the map onto the glue/bumpy side of wonder under.
Third step:
I cut out all the states from the wonder under.
Fourth step:
I ironed the wonder under onto scraps of fabric.
Fifth step:
I laid out the states on a piece of canvas and ironed them down.
Sixth step:
I zigzag stitched the edges and straight stitched all the states.
The map is ready to hang with tacks or straight pins. You can also sew a sleeve at the top and hang it from a rod.

That’s it! She loves it and all it took was a lot of time – like most DIY projects!

Summer

Happy Summer! I haven’t posted in awhile which is unfortunate, but this is what we’ve been up to; Summer Camps, Summer Vacations, Garage Sales and Upcycling random items into cool home decor. We troll garage sales looking for items we can use for our next craft faire. We’re alwyas interested in rusty metal or metal we can rust. We have found that using vinegar and salt can speed up the process. The best finds are already rusted.

Don took a children’s small sand bucket and repurposed it into a lamp with a vintage lightbulb. He then painted it with chalkboard paint. He added a red cord which adds to the pop of red on the handle. It’s a cool conversation piece.

Hope your summer is going well.

Friday Stitch – Little Details

Some of my favorite stitching projects come about because of a need for a little something up on the wall. My daughter and I decided to paint her bathroom a few different shades of green and I stitched some daisies to brighten up the room. We did the whole project with just the purchase of a some paint and a bedsheet. The rest we had on hand. Here are the little details:

I bought an egshell colored bedsheet from Big Lots for the shower curtain and added this green shabby chic fabric that I had leftover.

I had this candle holder from a long time ago. It was gold so I painted it white and tied a velvet bow on it and placed a candle on it from the dollar store.

 

This towel holder was in another room in the house on a white wall of all things. It looks so much better on this fresh green wall.

 

This is my stitching project. I had a piece of linen, and an old frame that I wasn’t sure I would keep. I sketched some daisies and stitched them with crewel embroidery yarn. It’s whimsical and casual – fits in the budget too.

 

Close up of Daisies

This project was fun and we reused some things that were in the back of the closet as well as out in plain site but in the wrong room. We got a fresh look for under $30!

DIY Wine Barrel Planter

My friend is pretty handy in the garden and came up with an attractive pair of planters for her front porch. She knew she wanted to use a wine barrel for a rustic look. She made sure to attach the wooden slats to the metal bands and to each other with glue so that it didn’t fall apart when she cut the barrel in half. She created a short planter in the top third of the half barrels and fastened each half to the walls on either side of her front door.

She had been planning this for her entry and thought about the details. Each planter has an electrical outlet which operates the self-timed drip system.

They are a nice addition to a beautiful entry.

Friday Stitch – Sailboat

This sailboat was a line drawing and I traced it onto a

piece of linen. It is stitched with the split stitch. Simple lines and good texture;

that is what this little stitching is about. I am not sure what to make with it,

but am leaning towards a Nook cover because it is about that size. Any suggestions?

Friday Stitch – Prayer

This is a little project I stitched a few weeks ago. It is from a coloring book, which is a great source for line drawings to stitch. I stitched it using the stem stitch which turned out kind of jagged but it could also be said it gives it a little ‘texture.’ Hopefully I will master the stem stitch like the ones in this tutorial from Mary Corbet’s Needle N’ Thread , but I must say that I love texture in everything, so I like it!

stitched using coloring book line drawing

Table Redo

This tabletop was once used in an outdoor kitchen as a countertop. The owners decided to replace it ended up in the trash – it’s stainless steel! So it’s a good thing that my husband, Don, is great at repurposing wood and other things. He made this table with some 4 x 4’s that he had leftover from another project. It turned out really well.

patio table

He braced in on the underside with 2 x 4’s

Umbrella Repurposed

When our old garden umbrella became ragged and unsightly, we purchased a new one. Not to throw things out too hastily, my husband, Don, put it aside for awhile in case we wanted to replace the canvas someday. It is wooden and is weathered with texture.  When we saw Christmas lights on clearance in January, Don came up with the idea to reuse the umbrella  in the garden for soft ambient light. He attached the lights to the umbrella with zip ties. Here is the result:

This is the umbrella in the garden during the day.