Ready for Christmas

I think it was on Pinterest that I saw a picture of a bed spring Christmas tree that someone had made and knew I would have to try this too.  So, even though Christmas is a long ways off, I decided I'd better do it now while I was inspired.  It took awhile to figure out how to put the springs together.  I used two different style of spring.    Now it's ready for ornaments next December.

2nd purpose

This seems like an unusual re-purposing, but it worked.  This old sieve has found it's way into our house and onto a lamp to serve as a lamp shade.  The sieve had been residing outside in the garden for a number of years.    It had succulents planted in it for part of that time.  Yesterday I was out in the garden wandering around looking for something else and my eyes settled on the sieve and saw a lampshade.  There's just no explanation for what happens sometimes.  So I took it in the house, gave it a good wash and looked for a lamp it might fit.  And here it sits.  

Inspiration

These photos are from www.butiksophie.dk.  This is one site of several connected to Jeanne d Arc Living.

Wishing everyone a Happy 2012 full of well-being, inspiration and creative fun.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.

 

This is one more welded garden flower I did.  I didn't post it before Christmas because it was part of my daughter's Christmas presents and I didn't want to spoil the surprise since she checks out my blog.  She likes filigree and the center grate is as close as I could come in steel.  I'm looking forward to another welding class in February.

I hope the New Year's brings you inner peace, joy with those you love and well-being.

Just wanted to do a quick post on some recent projects and say 'Hi' and Happy Holidays!!

I've been back in welding class for the last 5 weeks and have been busy welding junk pieces together. 

I saw this in a recent magazine and thought I might be able to make it.

2 pieces of rod from Home Depot, my welding teacher helped me forge the curves and then I welded the 2 pieces together.  Fun and quick!

                Again, Happy Holidays, and I hope to see you on Pinterest.

My absence

To anyone who may have wondered about my absence, I want to explain.  We were on vacation to the east coast which was a wonderful adventure and totally new to both my husband and me.  I also used this time to reflect on what I wanted to do next with my blog.  My interests and activities have changed since I began my blog 2 1/2 years ago.  It has become more difficult to put the inspiration in the blog that I used to feel.  So I am going to take a break from my blog.  I'm not sure how things will evolve, but  I will continue to check in on those of you I've considered blog friends.  And, I'm sure I will still blog to search out inspiration for my own creative interests.  I've enjoyed getting to know so many different bloggers and have been awed by the vast creativity out there.  I wish everyone the very best.  And I will be searching for what will be next.

We're really excited about this FMS project!

I was out looking for the new issue of Flea Market Style as soon as I thought it was possibly on the shelves.  I couldn't believe my luck, but I found it at the 1st place I looked - CVS.  I always go through my magazines fairly quickly the 1st time and fold page corners where I know I want to come back and really explore.  I'm just always so excited to see what is there, I can't go slowly at first.  When I finished my 1st time through the fall FMS, I had 18 corners turned.  WOW!!

So this lazy susan, using a grinding stone was one of the FMS projects that really caught my eye.  I had a grinding stone sitting in the garden and scrape wood, so buying the turntable mechanism was the only purchase which was $6.

There are very good directions and a list of what you need to do the project in the magazine on page 135.  The only part that was a bit challenging was attaching the wood block to the base.  You had to center it then turn it upside down to drill and attach with a screw.  So I finally tacked a few tiny nails around the block to hold it in place and this worked.  They were easy to pull out after because I didn't hammer them in very far.

My sweet husband did the cutting and did a great job of making the center wood block fit the irregular opening in the center.  He finally also attached the turntable to the top and bottom pieces of wood for me.  I have a tendency to strip screws and then he has to get them out, so he's decided it is easier if he does them.  I did the measuring and attached the block.  It took an afternoon which included a trip I made to get tiny screws that were needed for the turntable.  You'd think when we have hundreds and hundreds of screws, there'd be something that worked - but no. 

So here is the finished project sitting on the table.  I love the rough texture of the stone and the lazy susan mechanism works great.  I put some self stick pads on the bottom of the base to protect the table.  It is a very heavy piece. 

There are many other interesting things in this magazine. 

Hope you have a great weekend with a fun project of your own!!

Let's try this again - Our newest project!

OMG - I just realized when I read TG's comment that all that I had written on this post didn't come through.  I have had some weird things happenings with the blog again.  I got 267 spam hits one day, but they were blocked by content.  Thank goodness.

Anyway - although this is rather late - let me explain these pictures.  We had been to a gallery recently and seen some beautiful rustic frames made from old material.  My husband looked them over and said he thought he could make this for us if I would get the material and draw up how I wanted it to look.  So that is what happened.  I went to my fav local junk store and - can you believe - he had just what I was imagining including the mirror.  It cost $11 for all.  The photo doesn't show it well, but the brown wood is inset and actually goes out to the edge under the turquoise wood. 

 

We are very happy with how it came out.

Again, I apologize for not even checking my blog post.  I had it all written and assumed it would post as usual.

I hope all who are in the hurricane's path this weekend will be safe.

2 projects done . . .

I thought I could do both of these projects the same, but that didn't turn out to be the case.

The top photo is the one that is done and was pretty simple.  I got the frame probably 1 1/2 years ago for $2.  It had a pan in it, but kind of grossed me out because it had been used in a butcher shop.  So I sold the pan and kept the frame which I really liked.  It is sturdy and I like the wheels.  The pan has a rolled edge and a guy gave it to me at his yard sale.  I've had it a year or so but had stashed it and just re-discovered it and suddenly thought - it was the top for the frame.  They work together.  So I just got some bolts and wing nuts.  My husband drilled the holes - that way they end up straight.  We slipped the bolts in, twisted the wing nuts on and it was ready to go.  It is pretty heavy, but rolls nicely. I haven't decided where to use it yet though.

The second project I thought would work the same way.  The frame is an old postal basket on rollers.  We found it years ago for $12 at a great yard sale.  I think I paid $8 for the pan.  I use this as a work surface - hanging laundry or a place to put my tools when I'm working on something.  I sealed the pan with a clear varnish spray.  When it came to drilling through the frame to put the bolts in, I discovered it is solid and the drill wasn't going through.  So I used another approach to fasten the two pieces together.  I used little metal straps and bolted them to the top pan.  I am SO happy with how both pieces came out.

It has been fun re-connecting with good old junk after a rather long dry spell.  Can't wait to show you the project my husband and I worked on together when it is finished.  It was fun.

Have a great weekend.

Love this patio

I don't remember how many years ago I tore this out of a magazine.  It was either Country Living or Country Home and it was probably 15-20 years ago.  I have always kept it and ran across it the other day.  I wondered it this was where my idea began for wanting bricks in our garden.  I realized when I looked at it at this time, that my daughters house that they bought a year ago has this exact set up on the back of their house.  I gave her the picture for inspiration.  I thought that was a pretty interesting example of how ideas come together over time.  There was a closed patio room in this shape when they bought, but it wasn't in good shape so they opened it up.  The bones are all there for something like this to be possible.