More Projects Completed

I've been working on a blackboard project for several weeks. I painted a piece of plywood with the blackboard paint, then decided to decorate the edges with white paint. (I used a small stencil...in no particular order.)I found a really beat up frame at a garage sale several months ago. There were two large chunks missing from the decorative edge, but I bought a mold maker and some "Rock Hard" and my husband created a mold from a good edge and re-created the two bad edges. I thought I had taken pictures of the original condition of the frame - but I don't see them anywhere...error on my part because it really was in bad shape. We sprayed it red (of course...as Stephanie says, "Do you have any other color?")

Once the red dried I highlighted the edges and detail with black and placed the black board piece inside. Here is a close up of one of the bad edges. You can't even tell! Hopefully tomorrow I'll get it hung up! I gave you a peak at this piece of drawer front the other day. I mistakenly called it a door front, but it's for a drawer. I painted an undercoat of white than brushed in some brown and teal.
I printed a cute picture of some birds and pasted them onto the board with the "Boudoir" words affixed at the top. Once it was dry I rubbed it all with paste wax to seal it.

Lastly, I had been toying with an idea of a picture I'd seen and wanted to render it in pastels. I've been working on this a couple of days (along with a "self portrait" that is now complete.) Once I sprayed the fixative onto it, I cut some scrapbook pieces to cover the messy edges...now I'll have to see if I can find another frame!
I love that she's wearing an apron and reading a real letter (not an email.) Reminds me of lazy summer days, taking time out from the business of the day to see if there is a letter waiting from someone special. Don't we all still love to receive "real" mail?

One Project Complete

Well...the $10 chair is finally completed. This is how it looked when we bought it.

The fabric really is in good shape - but just soooo out of style.

The chair is also in good shape - a little glue on the joints will help ensure it stays together for many more years.I went with a totally different pattern on the front from the back and different trim. There is a plain chocolate trim on the front. We looked at several places, but Miss Janice never saw anything other than this plain trim that she really liked. For the back I had another patterned fabric and she choose a really fun trim to finish off the edges.
I highlighted the floral relief at the top of the chair... And completed her book bag. Instead of Velcro she is going to use some of her vintage costume jewelry to hold the bag on the side of the chair. All that's left is to take the chair to its new home...but we have to paint Miss Janice's bedroom first!Hare are a couple of my next projects in the works. My husband built this piece to fit the window below and I've undercoated it white.
We bought this window at a yard sale - knowing we'd be able to use it for something good!He cut the plywood to fit the back of the shelf...now it's up to me to get the pieces together and decide on the color scheme. So far...it's all in my head! I do know I want to use it in my office at my craft desk to hold art supplies. This is one of the MANY door fronts a friend gave my husband. I want to make a cute little sign from it.
I know what color I want to end up with so I'll paint white, brown and teal...to start.
Hopefully I'll have some time in the next couple of days...but the weather is wonderful here (in the high 70's to 80's for a few days)...and I have a new bike to break in. I also have "tax" work to complete from last year...but I'm thinking that's a cold day activity!

Sunday Thoughts

Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

More Projects

I love this fabric! It is a linen background with a "flocked" type design on top. I sewed this shell for my girlfriend - she already has a purse with the handle, but I thought she needed a new shell for the winter season. I also made her a small zipper bag to go inside. I added a gusset to the bottom to give it a little more room in side, and lined it with black. It has an inside pocket, so she should be able to fill it with lots of goodies. I have another one cut out, so I think I'll finish it pretty soon for myself.I've been working a little each day to complete Miss Janice's chair (she's off to Colorado skiing...so maybe I can finish it before she returns home this Sunday.) I finally got all the old staples off the frame, and cleaned up the wood. As soon as I laid out the fabric to see what lay out I liked...Baby Kitty decided I brought the chair upstairs just for him to have his afternoon nap!I completed stapling the upper piece and covered the seat of the chair. I decided to highlight the little design at the top of the chair with a bit of turquoise paint. I also used some pretty trim to finish off the bottom edge of the chair. I don't have anything small enough to go around the top, but hope to find something today at Jenny Lynn. I don't have material for the back...yet. I asked Jon to look at his "stash" and see if he had another square or a companion piece of fabric that would coordinate with the front. I have something I could put on the back...but it feels like it should be my last choice, not my first. So while I wait I used up the small pieces I had left to make a little back pillow for comfort. I also made a book bag to hang on the side. Miss Janice sits in this chair to have her morning devotions, so I thought she needed a spot to store her Bible and devotional material.
It has one large pocket to put books, and a smaller front pocket where she can store her journal or writing material. I have it pinned to the arm, but I think instead of using Velcro to attach the tabs that I will use jewelry pins to complete the look that so says "Miss Janice"!

I invited Jon and Carolyn up for dinner last night so we could catch up on each others lives. They have been in Canada for almost 3 weeks and we haven't had a chance to do Christmas or birthday celebrations. Jon said he had a "few" one yard cuts to dispose of and he'd bring them with him. Looks like I have a little work making room for these in my "stash"! For now...I need to finish putting away Christmas.

Last Day to Sign Up

Sassy and Flirty and Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice are having an apron swap and today is the last day to sign up. Check out the details below: Click the link and you too can join the fun!

How To Sign Up
Sassy and Flirty Apron Swap – Sugar, Spice, & Everything Nice

Last Day to Sign Up: January 9, 2009

Last Day to Mail Packages: February 2, 2009

"Welcome to Lucy and Shawnee's first co-hosted apron swap! We've been chatting for months, sharing ideas, getting to know each other, and talking about the ups and downs of hosting swaps. We are so excited to team up together for a special Valentine's Day swap. In addition to using an online registration form and sharing the responsibilities of assigning partners, we are also initiating a $5.00 participant fee to go toward prizes and "angel" contributions for the participants whose pals drop out from the swap."

Here's a Sneak Peak of the Give-aways!

New Year Projects

I picked up this cute little suitcase on a day trip to Oklahoma.

"Katie" had written her name on the top and the inside was awful!There were some pretty nasty looking stains and "smells" when I opened it up. I began by cleaning the outside and scrubbing Katie's name off the top and ripping out the interior! Nothing to be saved from that. I had some pretty linen material (3 complimentary pieces) in my stash (thank you Jon!) and settled on the brown and blue color scheme to match the outside.
A little spray adhesive, glue and a few stitches brought it back good as new! Almost like new! I'm thinking this is a perfect little overnight case.I also picked up 3 doll trunks ($5 each) and I'm going to re-do each of them for the 3 American Girl dolls in our family. Only one has drawers...so I'll have to decide how to finish the inside of the other two.
I'm also working on recovering this chair for Miss Janice's new bedroom "re-do"...
I'll keep you posted.

New Beginnings, sad endings!

First - I want to wish you all a Happy New Year!

Last year ended in sadness...the morning of my birthday my uncle died. It was not as if it was unexpected, however it was sudden. He had been declining, and was taken into Hospice the week before Christmas. We just had not expected it to be so soon. My family was planning to all go and visit him on the 27th...but that was not to be.

Fortunately, Peter, Miss Janice and I took one of our famous "Sunday Drives" and found ourselves in Henrietta. We stopped by to see how he was doing. His granddaughter was there with him and woke him from a nap (she was staying with him to help with the horses and care for him). We had a great visit and I was glad we had taken the time while he was still in his home. The week before Christmas he was taken to the hospital and December 26th he went home! (I have blogged about him in the past: Bad News.)

He will be greatly missed. When I was young he taught me to ride a horse and to shoot a gun. I spent many happy summers at his family farm, and even though he was 10 years older than me...he always made time for a "pesky" little girl. I rode behind him many an evening to bring the milk cow into the barn. He taught me how to milk a cow and feed the chickens. (All new to a big city girl.) He told me that if I left a calf lick my wart - it would disappear. (That didn't happen...I wasn't going to have any of that slobber on my hand!) He tried to make me like "fresh" milk - but I liked mine cold...so I always drank yesterday's milk (so it had time to chill.) He always drank his "fresh"...which meant warm!

He also taught my girls (and my girlfriend) to ride horses, and gave them all life experiences you can't buy! He taught them to help him work his cattle and exprience ranch life to the fullest. They learned to saddle a horse by themselves. They helped him with branding cattle and pulling calves. They did farm chores (some real and some he made up to keep them busy) so they could "borrow" a horse to ride. He always had time in his day for my children, his grandchildren, and his niece and nephews.

Spring break usually became "Farm Camp". We stayed down the road at my mom's farm and he would have his grand kids and his sisters kids...we'd ride horses or go fishing. He would make himself available to do whatever the kids wanted during that week. These are the kind of childhood memories we wish all our children could experience. My girls adored him and thought he was the greatest Cowboy in Texas! He was our very own real life hero and epitomized the verse, Mark 12:31 " The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." He was always ready to help a neighbor in need and never wanted any attention brought to his acts of kindness.

The memorial service was a celebration of his life. The church was packed, not only with family and friends, but with love. The stories of his selfless acts, his humble service to others and his love for his children and family. His love for the Lord was evident in his actions and in his simple life. I think I have to agree with my children...Texas has lost one of its greatest Cowboys and he will be missed!

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2008/dec/28/nelson-steindam/