Lamp update

You may or may not remember the lamp bases I purchased last August from Hobby Lobby for $1 each, but I finally finished updating the smaller one. It basically went from this:



To this:





Sprayed it with a flat black and went to town with Rub 'n Buff in Antique Gold. I used my fingers to apply and a paper towel to manipulate it a bit. Being the "perfectionist" I am, I did mess up in a few places but if you work with it a bit you learn how to correct some of your mistakes and forgive it a bit. Seriously, you don't need hardly any at all (especially if you use your fingers) to get the look you're trying to achieve. I am digging this stuff. Now I just need to put it aside or I might get happy with it on other items around the house. Haha.

I need to look around for a better shade but the one that I have on it now will work. At least it's a shade and boy, what a difference some paint and antiquing can do to make something work for your own decor and preferences. It's sitting where it was intended, in my bedroom now and with the gold curtains and black and goldish bed covering, it works.


Join the fun:

Transformation Thursday - @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous

My kitchen window is now a dapper fellow

His day look as he heads to the office:


He believes in simplicity for an evening look. And women think they are the only ones that can make a simple day look to an evening look in a manner of steps:


What he really enjoys is that his look was only $2.50!

(doesn't include the curtain rod though - that was $3 - the foam board was on hand and this time I used a combo of tape and hot glue.)

Here's a reminder of the before-before and before...haha!





Links:

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous

Saturday Nite Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch (Messed up my link over there. The link is correct, the title's all kinds of wrong.)

What's on the 99¢ Menu?

Please see previous entry to learn more about this curtain set.

Before:



In progress:



Hand sewing (but you can't see the stitches unless you look hard):





Now to buy a real curtain rod (like the one in my bedroom - cheap double rod) and find something to make a valance to break up the pattern a bit and have it feel a bit more finished. Also, it needs to be trained (as I have seen in other blogs)and perhaps a couple of fishing weights to help them from getting a wild hair.

Not bad for 99¢ by golly!

EDITS:

PS The cobalt blue votive holder came from my hallway table.

It's Tuesday and that means it's DIY day at A Soft Place to Land! Check it out.

Thursday already?  Time for Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage!

It's fffffinally Friday and time for Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous!

OTHER EDITS:

I ended up getting a gold cafe rod from Target because the other rod requires some height in order to put the rods on the brackets and it was the cheapest of the cafe rods. So, no valance unless I make a pelmet box with only one side and somehow attach it to the ceiling.

The window is in a tight position because the duct work runs over the kitchen ceiling making it only 7' high. There is only 2 1/2" to the ceiling from the window and 4" to the corner which is not much room to work with. Oh well. It's completed for the moment. I might get creative and hang a valance from the ceiling in such a way you don't know.

I'm employed outside the home!

Had an interview today with an animal daycare/kennel. I got the job!

Tomorrow I go for my pee test (I will pass with flying colors) and then when they get the results back, I am to start the day after they receive them soooo, yipeee!

I will primarily be dealing with the pet parents, taking phone calls, processing payments and such. I will also be trained to take care of those wagging tails and meowing faces and help out in the main store as needed. I think it's a good fit for me.

It's part-time and I am just fine with that. Being self-employed for so long, this will be a transition for sure but since it's part-time, the transition will be a lot easier to swallow.

Now I am thinking of all the things I can start to work towards that I have put off for so long and some of my immediate needs are a new pair of Danskos because they are the only shoe brand I own that doesn't make me want to cry (I have horrible feet). New glasses and not the cheapest either, I need glasses that can handle me using a tshirt to clean them without the minor scratching...the pair I have now weren't the cheapest but they weren't like my LensCrafters glasses (that I still have) that took a heck of a beating. Also, I can finally look for a comforter for my bed so I am not making it twice a day. Then there are the not so fun things like paying down some debt (all private as I don't have any credit cards, thankfully).

So YAY! That takes a load off my mind and I think it will be a good fit for me. I am confident I can and will do a good job because I am that way. I am not a wuss.

A couple of small projects are in the works. I went to Hobby Lobby to look at the fabric remnants on Saturday because I am tired of using a towel to block the cold air at the front door (it faces north) from the winds we get here. I found a 7/8 yard remnant (52" wide) of basic canvas for $3.67 which would have been $6.11! They had poly fill on sale so I got two of those - one for one of the dog beds (it's gone flat) and the other for making a door draft dodger. I also got two adhesive strips of Velcro to attach the draft dodger to the door so it will keep the air out when I leave the house. I will have to hand sew it but that's okay, I am going for function over beauty here.

The other project will be to use the remaining canvas to cover the front of my craft and computer shelves:


Photo from Sept. 16

I only have black thread so I thought I would have a bit of fun with it using a blanket stitch - we'll see how that goes, I haven't done embroidery stitches in years. How I am going to attach it, that's another story. In my travels tomorrow, I will see if I can find a simple tension rod like you might find for showers but on a small scale. I figure I can fit one up inside and behind the part that comes down in front. I will think more on it. I just want it to look cleaner than it does now.

So, I have a place that I will report to for work, a couple of small projects in the works and feeling like a bit of weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Life is good. It's not perfect but this will do by golly. I hope everyone has started off their week in such a positive way too, no matter how mundane you may think it is. Sometimes it's the smaller things too.

Working With What You Have

My schefflera cutting needed a more presentable place to dwell:



Like this:



Use what you have:



Carefully place bamboo skewers against square, (coffee helps):



Measure, tape, pencil 3 1/2" line, cut with needlenose pliers while watching some fly across room, tape, repeat with the now shorter skewers:



Wrap around plastic tub/container, tie with jute twine, remove tape:



Happy Liz. Happy plant.

Virtually no cost because I had everything on hand.

Hope everyone has a fine week!

EDITS to link back to various "link parties" this week to appear below. Changes as they warrant. Click through and see what everyone else is up to!

First is: Sanctuary Arts Before and After Links (hope my little project is within the scope of the link party...if not, I feel like a dope, I don't think I have linked over on her blog before).

Of course: Metamorphosis Monday on Between Naps on the Porch. Yep, pretty sure this fits because my little schefflera has new digs to show off her growing branches and is transforming with each week.

Tuesday means: DIY Day @ A Soft Place to Land. Always a lot of projects here to see there so make some time in your day as there are usually around 200 links to click through to view creativity at its finest.

Thursday means: Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage. Another link party that you should put aside some time. Glad that she's having it today because I am stuck at home with nothing to do.

Finally Friday: Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous! Of course I didn't pay full price for my project...the paper clip container would have gone in the trash several weeks ago but I am not one to throw things away. The bamboo skewers I cut up I've had for forever and a day which I bought at King Soopers (our flavor of Kroger) and it's been so long I haven't a clue what I paid for them while the jute was leftover from other projects so basically it was all FREE!

Big Girls Don't Cry

But this big girl has year-round allergies. Doesn't help that I have been battling a persistant sinus infection for 11 months now so I buy a lot of tissues and I leave a box in my living room for quick access.

I get the larger boxes of tissues because you get more tissues for your money. Also, for even better savings I get the Kroger brand tissues or I find them at Dollar Tree. The thing is, I am not a fan of the designs on tissue boxes at all. Some people think I am a bit overly anal because of this but when I display them in my living room I prefer to have tissue boxes covered. I've been painting the boxes with black acrylic craft paint but that gets old. I had gotten a cover from Hobby Lobby for $4 so at least it was covered but plain balsa wood doesn't do it for me either.

The other day I picked up wood pieces from HL and later realized I didn't have decent glue so I picked up some Elmer's wood glue at Target since I had to make a trip there anyway.

Several months back I ran across this Mod Tissue Box Cover project on Crafty Nest. While my home is not "mod" I do like simple lines and understated pieces. I present you with my interpretation of her project:





I like it despite its flaws and I am always proud of my small accomplishments now because so much of my life had centered around alcohol. I always had intentions of doing things like this but rarely did. In addition, I had a lot of unfinished projects and while my ADD is mostly to blame, the alcohol made it much more difficult to just get things done.

Anyhow, a few pointers on this project:

* Sand your project even if it "feels" okay. Basic acrylic craft paint will highlight the grain if not very well sanded. I didn't do it and in hindsight I wish I had.

* In this project, choose your balsa wood cut-outs carefully. Paint will show flaws and the glue did warp the wood a bit.

* Carefully measure if you are particular about this kind of thing, I am. I know the flaws and it bugs me.

* After gluing the parts together (I applied the wood glue with a paintbrush on both surfaces), let it set up a bit before you weight it down. I didn't on the end side and the last two pieces shifted so they are off from their original marks.

Over all, I rate this super simple and a pretty cheap project. Had I already had the glue, the total cost with the box and the packet of wood pieces (paint was 99¢ but already had some, used about half a 2 oz bottle) was $6.33 before taxes. I'd say for a custom piece, that's a bargain...

I can see this done in many different ways for baby's rooms, kid's rooms, offices, etc. Heck, this would be a good house warming gift if you know your friend's or relative's decor.

When I went to Hobby Lobby to pick up the wood cutouts, they had 50% off all their candles and candle holders (that was this week so go get em while they're cheap). I picked up a simple votive holder from the candle making isle for $1.34! Sometimes you just need to slowly browse HL to see things that are a bit hidden. I mean, I had no intention of making any candles yet I saw it and saw in my mind a different application:



I already had the votives and the sand. I think it was actually meant to pour your own candle wax and put several wicks in it:


(not the best pics, they really do look better in person)

I love to have nice smelling candles lit so having an inexpensive (frugal/cheap) way to display them is a great thing.

Wow, Wednesday already? Hope everyone is having a fine week!

EDIT Wed. 8:32 pm: Though it's not Thursday yet, hop on over to The Shabby Chic Cottage for Gina's Transformation Thursday. Keep checking back through tomorrow as there are usually a ton of fun projects to see.

I hope my tissue box cover follows in the guidelines of a transformation. I didn't take any before pics but I could take a pic of the box of tissues with black craft paint on it. ;-) I don't think that's needed.

Also, while you are there, please lend her some support as her mother-in-law is in ICU.

EDIT Sat. 10-17 12:50 pm: I love her blog, she has so much my style so check it out: Funky Junk Interiors - "Saturday Nite Special" Lots of new and old DIY projects. Fun stuff!

Basket Makeover!

I bought the following basket about 1996 or 1997 when I lived in the Denver Metro area. It went well with the wire and wicker shelving for my bathroom. The shelving doesn't have apples in the motif but the color was the same (forest green) and I think I got them from Linen's N' Things...anyhow, here's the before shot:



For a while now I was thinking I would have to replace it with a new basket but it dawned on me this morning to clip the wicker pieces that were holding the upper part on the basket. Like, whoa (taps side of head). I was going to paint it with avocado green or burnt orange but as I have stated before, painting baskets with a brush is a pain in the butt so I pulled out "carrot" Super Saver yarn (since I already had it) and made what basically is a wide headband about 1 1/2" smaller than the perimeter of the top of the basket (it's a bit smaller on the bottom) and here we have a cheap and easy finished product:



I store some of my office supplies in it and the clear plastic thing peeking out is a peanut butter jar with my paper clips in it. It's mostly covered so I am not going to get too involved with making that pretty.

Here it is with its shelf-mates and you might notice I finally spray painted the blue basket which makes it look much more cohesive:



Bonus part of that is only my thumb would go numb instead of the thumb, pointer finger and middle finger so now I can put more emphasis in finishing my afghan.

Well, I hope everyone is having a fine holiday weekend. It's been pretty quiet around the apartment complex but I wont hold my breath for it to remain that way.

EDIT: 9:25 pm

Oh, I did a similar thing for a banker's box under my computer table (pardon the wires, I need to secure them out of the way):



I use it as a foot rest and the cat also hangs out on top and between the box and the warmth of the tower...

PS I really despise that ugly, very, very ugly "chandelier". It's just dreadful!

EDIT: Sunday 3:50 pm Oh, a bit early but I think this post is well suited for Metamorphosis Monday! Yes, it's still Sunday but with the holiday weekend, might as well get a jump on things.

Check out the links and add yours at her blog!

EDIT MANIA: Sun 6:00 pm Another link list Trash to Treasures + she's going to have a "giveaway". Stop by, check out the other links and add yours! Yay for having some idle time to click through all these links I am finding today!

EDIT yet again! Mon 2:15 pm I can't pass this one up, Thrifty Decor Chick was the second blog I fell in love with when I started looking at ways to update my decor. She's a master at this decorating thing as far as I am concerned so go check out the Before & After links other people have posted. Oh my. This poor little post is getting edited like never before a post of mine has. :-)

Vase Ideas

Here are three of the ideas I came up (although #3 is just a concept, not a design):



#1 would be the most likely but contained to two strips, a bigger one up towards the bulbous area at the top portion and a smaller one at the bottom...maybe. It goes with the "garden bowls" as pictured.

#2 would be good to carry as a secondary pattern at the bottom instead of having two sets of the circles as outlined in #1.

#3 like I said is more a concept but goes with the idea of combining #1 and #2. I wouldn't do a raised or relief pattern (though it could be done with Paperclay).

I have a ton more ideas but mostly have narrowed it down, thank goodness as I am not one that can make a decision like that unless I just go ahead and do it.

Monday! Glad you're almost over.

Just Sunday ramblings

So, what's happening? Not much here as I haven't been sleeping well and today has been cloudy and in the low 60s and is now about 57°.

With lack of sleep comes me doing goofy things. I bought a vase back in about 1995 from Pier 1 pictured here on the shelf just above the "EL-YEA" newsprint plate (the one on the top shelf, also from Pier 1 still has the price tag on it!):



Up close:



So I got bored with it, sanded it down and painted it:


Yes, those are Broncos fans - I am watching the game while typing this up...hehe.

I was going to go with an orange but I need more yellow in here to balance out the orange and green I have. I used a basic acrylic paint and while it will take a few coats, I like that it's brushed on. It adds a bit of character. I need to put another coat of "golden straw" on it and then decide what simple geometric pattern to paint on it.

I've grabbed various pictures from a Google search on patterns I like but finding the right one that wont be too hard to paint on there with the nature of the curves is difficult for me. From scale to actually being able to paint on a surface that isn't more uniform (perfectly cylindrical or just plain flat) has me a bit nervous. I am nervous as it is that I may have ruined a good vase but I was bored with the color, it didn't have as much pop as I would like and I already had it on hand.

The vase on the top shelf may meet a similar fate. It is a textured surface so I thought a glossy paint would be fun although I would rather go with a semi-gloss or satin as gloss paint kind of scares me.

Anyhow, with my lack of work, I am constantly mixing things up around here. Sonny (cat) chewed the fake plant that was in the pitcher in my kitchen so it ended up in a vase on my ancient speaker.

Oh that Hobby Lobby piece I painted the other day ended up here:



Another "it needed a place to hang out" like the orange bamboo placemats. I put it there just for grins to cover a nail hole from a picture I put up there before the mirrors went up. I've just left it there and it's grown on me.

On Friday I repotted my plants, seriously trimmed my schefflera (umbrella tree) and my philodendron. Since the move, they have been looking pretty sad. They both survived my stay at Parker Valley though. They didn't get any water for a month and then moving here with a lot less light, they've lost even more of their vigor. Both needed some serious TLC and I hope I didn't love them to death. ;-)

I have a cutting from the schefflera in soil knowing it's a small chance with no rooting hormone, using soil and the particular cutting I used it will grow, but there's hope. I put two cuttings of the philodendron in water instead of soil propagation which I have been successful with in the past but decided not to do it this time.

I guess that's all I have for now. There's just enough juice for my camera to last until Tuesday so if I finish painting the one vase before then, I will certainly post more.

If it weren't so early I would just crawl into bed, watch the game as long as I could and just go to sleep. My brain and body need a very good sleep.

Hope everyone had a fine weekend!

Well poo

Good ideas sometimes don't work as planned.

I painted the middle (see previous post) one a solid black with Ceramcoat black and it just looks goofy.

I did that one first on purpose first because if I didn't like how it turned out, I can live with that. So, the other two will stay their faux wood for now and oddly enough the color is pretty close to the stain of the nightstand and the wash stand. I did a bit of touch up with the black and brown paint in the places where the faux wood had chipped off. Unless you know where and gave it a close inspection, you can't tell. So, I am kinda bummed because now I have a $2.49 piece of "eeewww".

Screwing in the mirror hanger was super simple so that pleases me. Since they are so lightweight, I will use very small nails to minimize the size of the holes that will need to be filled up when I vacate in the next 3-6 months.

No pictures of the failed paint project since my camera batteries are running very low as I use it a lot.

However, I can't end a post without a picture or two so I give you:

Cat Loaf:


On Alert:


Oh my, I am getting punchy.  Having a nap in the early evening is bad idea no matter how tired one is!

Getting out the "artist" in me

I've always been a crafty/artsy type of person and for 12 years I transferred that side from hands-on to the computer with my web design. I am also sad to say that the "drunk" I was also took over so you combine computer graphics and photo manipulation so everything looks "just so" (straight lines, not a flaw to be found) with my ADD, and having a buzz for about 75% of the time, my inner artist really suffered.

With my newly found sobriety, living in a new space and idle time I've decided that the inner artist needs to stretch her legs again. I also have to remember that with hand-on materials like paint, brush and whatever other things you use nothing is nearly as flawless as computer generated web graphics. I find that in today's mass produced society, we have tended (myself included) to see handmade items that do have "flaws" as ugly.

Now, with that said, I can say that I do look at Etsy every so often for inspiration and I am either highly impressed with the skills of a certain seller or I am horrified that that person would even consider trying to sell something "like that". It's always in the eye of the beholder I guess, to each their own. However, when it comes to your space, your place, handmade with the flaws and all has a different meaning.

I haven't painted anything that wasn't one color and simple brush strokes in many years so I have been hesitant to just do it. What if it looks bad? What if the lines aren't perfect? What if someone else thinks it's ugly?

Oh stop that! It's my house, it's my space and *you* don't have to like it. So there. ;-)

I have a vision that started with the cheap baskets I put in my bathroom you may remember:



It's kinda blah but I can't afford much and since I decorate in ones, twos, threes or fives (four is bad luck you know?) I thought I could come up with something that would not cost much - ie: things I have on hand. Turning to the fountain in my bedroom:


(sorry for the large pic, I don't like big pics and even with my mad skills in Photoshop, it loses its detail.)

To create my first thoughts on notebook paper (must get graph paper and sketch paper), first with pencil, second with the beloved favorite a Sharpie:



With some quick Paint Shop Pro (I use both Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro) just to see the colors - please note, my web designs NEVER look like this:



To another quick photo manipulation just to see my vision:



I gathered my paints, poster board (cheap, cheap, cheap!) and brushes to come up with this:



It's not perfect, it lacks detail and is very simple, paints are not cohesive (two different types of basic craft acrylics), poster board is not a good vehicle for what I want to do so it's just a prototype but I like it! Flaws and all.

Instead of a mirrored effect, I would like to do the second one using something else that's simple in design. Not sure I am digging the diamond around the dragonfly as it's a bit 80s and not very organic. But I do like the simplicity and the fact I felt brave enough to show the world.

I am going to do a few more things like that on the cheap poster board with cheap acrylics and such so the inner artist I lost along the way is massaged and feeling strong enough to tackle other things. I have no visions of turning my artist into anything worthy of selling on Etsy or elsewhere but I am having fun with it and that's what counts.

BTW, I don't see that that attempt will make it to the bathroom but I may get brave enough to get a couple of small premounted canvases, some real paints and invest in better brushes to actually do it.

Ah, the release of the stifled artist inside feels good. I recommend it to anyone even if they think they can't draw, paint or whatever. It's very satisfying!