Gems From the Yard

 I have been steadily working in the swirls of yellow pollen to get the yard ready for spring planting.  I have made some drastic decisions this past week and have rid my yard of more "treasures" used in the past.  I am not sure what look I am going for, but there will be a whole lot less rusty, crusty things and windows and screens and buckets and . .  .  

Well, I'm taking most of it to the booth so if it doesn't sell or I change my mind, it will be welcomed back.

I had used these screens and several more at one end of the patio.  Wreaths primitively made from vines from the yard hung in abundance on them.  These four were salvageable and went to the store.  The two huge ones had decayed along one side so I took what I could to remember them by and tossed the rest.

Don't worry it was just  two boards I tossed!

Actually just a third of each board was tossed. 

I have a saw and am not afraid to use it.




I had a feed bucket of old rusty stall gate latches that I just liked to look at.

I had to soak them in white vinegar and scrub them.  Off they went to the booth.  The horse shoes I have saved for a future project.  I also have a box of hinges, bolts, and other great hardware from the stalls to use for something -maybe a future project.  I just don't know what yet.

Once upon a time way back in yesteryear someone gave me four dining chairs with plastic back inserts.

What to do, what to do?

I used the seats as tops for stools, made coat racks from the arms, and painted the legs and sold them all.

 

EXCEPT for those ugly backs.

They leaned against the side of the house behind the boxwood hedge and stayed hidden out of sight.  I never thought of them until last week.  There they were patiently waiting for their turn to be prettified.

Over the years (yes, years!) the brown plastic had faded to tan, but they were still very sturdy.  (Will these be the archeological finds of next century?)

I brought out my turquoise go-to paint.

 I did not even take the time to make it chalk paint.  Just slapped some on willy-nilly.  

I sealed them with clear poly varnish.

I think they are beautiful.  I can see them hanging on a fence covered in morning glories - pink ones!

They are now residing in the booth.

The large screens which were in too bad of a condition to keep whole?  They had a beautiful blue-green patina and I have loved them for years.  So the screening was removed and rolled for a future project and the boards with hardware were cleaned and varnished.

I took them to the store.  I am letting my customers use their imaginations of what these lovelies can be.

Plus I saved several boards for future projects.




I am now realizing that this particular post should have been titled "Future Projects"!  Hey, I am supposed to be reducing my workload, not laying aside supplies for FUTURE PROJECTS (say this in a voice of doom!)

I will be waiting for that one last frosty night I feel is coming before putting in begonias and marigolds.  I see some of you out there trudging through the snow.  So sorry for that - excuse me while I go unpack the rest of my shorts!

See y'all!









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