Another "Coming SOON"....

LITTLE PINK HOUSES......

I have been trying to think of ways to shake things up a bit but still keep my primitive roots....This wee little spoon ornie is one of a set that I am in the process of writing a pattern for...This pattern and the saltbox table I shared a few weeks ago will go up on eBay (visit my store here: http://tinyurl.com/2fr778 ) tonight or tomorrow...

Delayed but not forgotten.....

Well it's been awhile since my post concerning this thrift shop frame....Here are some "after" photos....I was very happy with the results- just haven't had time to finish what goes inside the frame! Too busy hunting for more junk and having fun, I suppose....

I sitll think it looks pretty good on the wall, so there it hangs in my studio (also known as the guest bedroom)...waiting for its' "filling".

When it's done, I will post one last picture of the completely finished project....

Time FLIES....

When you're having fun, right? How 'bout when you're just going about your daily rituals? Anyway....point is, I haven't posted in over two weeks because I was thoroughly enjoying a visit from my Step Mom. She was our first visitor in this house we recently moved into, and I was scrambling like crazy to get everything "perfect" before she arrived. Needless to say,

THAT (the perfection) didn't happen, but we had a lovely visit nonetheless....

She was kind enough to accompany me on a much anticipated junking weekend to Ohio May 17-20. We met up with a bunch of my "Secret Society of Dirty Sisters" (NOT what you're thinking! We are an eBay seller's Group- check us out here: http://tinyurl.com/2s995d) Sisters in Springfield, Ohio. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to meet some of my online friends and I was not disappointed. We had SO much fun! Three days of laughter and junking with the girls- what more can a gal ask for? Thanks Kaffy, Diana, Jude and Jen and of course my step-Mom Karen....

For as long as it takes, I'll be posting pictures of all of the "treasures" (if you ask ME, they are treasures. If you ask the dear husband they are....well, I think you get the idea...) I acquired in less that 48 hours of shopping. I think between the six of us, we made quite a contribution to the economy of Ohio! This first picture is of my "instant collection" of old alarm clocks. They have so much character, don't they?

We stumbled upon a yard sale of just about nothing but old, non-working alarm clocks. They looked so kewl sitting there: traditional chime types, art deco style, round, square, all well-loved and way past their "useful" lives. I for one, LOVE the look of vintage pieces that at one point in time, were essential to every day life. Old phones, metal-blade fans and these alarm clocks are just a few examples.

Of all my timepiece treasures, I think this little guy is my favorite. At this point it its' life, the "Our Beauty" printed on the face is a little ironic, don't you think (I suppose that is in the eye of the beholder, but still...)? I am sure at some point in time, this was quite the snazzy little alarm clock. I also loved the fact that it only has one bell instead of the traditional two.....different is good....right?

RIGHT!

Coming soon....

I just finished this table for a neighbor of mine....Think it turned out pretty good so now I am busy writing a pattern for it...my first "new" non-magazine pattern in awhile....

I'm IT......

I have been tagged by my friend Kathi Robinaugh.....

http://www.outonawhimstudio.blogger.com

So now I have to share seven interesting (you be the judge-lol!) tidbits about myself......hmmmm....These are in no particular order....

1. Until this past December, I had NEVER seen a Rocky movie. DH really wanted to see Rocky Balboa, so I went along for the ride (must say I enjoyed it despite not seeing the other 20 or so). I can also say the same about Superman (saw the recent version also- it was OK). And one more movie tidbit....The Hunt for Red October=instant sleeping pill in my world. It even put me to sleep when we went to see it at an IMAX theatre....I hear it's a really good movie....

2. My daughter was born in a German Hospital ( I do not speak German), where only one of the Doctors spoke English (and none of the nurses)...that was interesting!

3. I hate caves....must be the claustrophobic in me, but unless they are on the scale of Carlsbad Caverns (ie you can take an elevator down!), they give me the willies....

4. In my 39 years I have lived in nine different states and one foreign country. Have a father who changes jobs allot and marry a soldier and this too can be your life...I am SO looking forward to dh's retirement from the Army in 3 years, 8 months and 10 days (but who's counting)...which leads to #5.....

5. I am secretly builing my "forever" house in my head....you set up 10 different households in sixteen years (most of them in military housing) and you'll be doing that too....My forerver house has a huge front porch with wicker furniture and ferns...hardwood floors, a deep kitchen sink with one of those tall faucets, a different paint color in each room and lots and LOTS of windows.....that and the nearest neighbor will be no closer than 100 yards away...that's all I ask for...

6. My childhood dream was to be a famous writer or a baseball player (didn't say it was realistic)...I was an editor on my high school's Newspaper Staff and once won a city wide (san Antonio, Texas) column writing competition for high school students sponsored by the local paper....

7. I am a Disney junkie! It all started with a vaction in january 2005. Before that I was very Disney-phobic. Didn't like the pricesses that much (still don't really) and Mickey was over the hill....but having kids, it's almost a requirement to make one trip during their childhood. Well all I can say is those people know how to do an amusement park! It kills going to any other park for us now....we went back this past January and I think it will become a regular vacation for us inthe future....The picture above was taken in the Magic Kingdom....

So there goes....some (and some not so) interesting tidbits about me....

Who's next?

What's New?

Well, I have a few new patterns on Ebay and more to follow in the coming weeks....This cute Summer time bucket was just listed this morning....Look for a small tabletop pattern and some new crow items in the near future....

The June 2007 issue of Create and Decorate features a set of spice bottles painted folk art style with a saltbox house, willow tree and American flag....This month's project is on Pages 80-81......

Altered Art 101....

Well I have been collecting all SORTS of supplies to use in Altered art and wouldn't you know that everything for my second project had been in my house all along?! My guest bath has a seashore theme, with sage-ish green walls and lots of creamy white. I had bought these plates months ago, intending to hang them on the wall in this bath. I loved the detailed edges but the centers were very bare- too bare. So I went looking through family photos from a trip to the beach we took a few years ago...these are my kids...kinda cute aren't they? I love the way these turned out and they look great in this bathroom......

Inspiration has a Way of Finding YOU....

So how did inspiration find me today?

It just happened to be in the form of this antique picture frame....

I have been in this house for about two months now and of course My space is the last to get decorated (that's why the walls are screaming "Make me pretty...NOW!)). I did manage to paint everything this gorgeous vintage blue ("summer cottage"is what Lowe's calls it, I think) before we moved in. I also bought the sweet quilt you see on the twin bed that has no mattress yet-told you it was the LAST room! And that's about as far as I have gotten so far.....

I picked up this big heavy ornate frame at one of my favorite thrifts...less than $4- what a bargain! It was all sorts of shades of gold (the gaudy, not the good kind), so I decided on a quick basecoat of my favorite chocolate brown (dark burnt umber by Delta Creative). I've already started a grunging process I use in almost all of my instructional painting patterns (and will share with you here): I took an old taper candle (any taper works- I use the cheap emergency candles from the dollar store) and rubbed it all over the embossed patterns on the mouldings of this frame. Next I will paint the whole thing a creamy antique white. After that's dry I will take some very fine grade sand paper and lightly sand the raised area of the frame. This will pull the cream paint up and let the chocolate show, highlighting the great details of this old frame (I'll post more pictures when it's done). To be continued.....Up next...The finished frame and what to put in that big gorgeous frame.....

Playing Hookie...

I LOVE Geraniums....I think it comes from the four years I lived in Germany with my soldier husband. Window boxes filled with red geraniums were fairly standard no matter where you went. Warm weather has finally arrived in the DC area, so I decided to play a little hookie today. Went to the nursery and filled my cart with beautiful RED geraniums! Makes me want to create something just as cheerful and colorful as my favorite flower.....