Special Things

It has been raining for several days now.  I am not complaining; we desperately need rain.  I do not water the lawn - I do use a soaker hose for my driveway border twice a week and water the containers.  I do this as a conscious effort to conserve water even though we do not usually have any water bans.  My neighbor's automatic sprinklers are running as I write with the rain streaming down the windows.  The plants in my yard soon learn to live dry or die.  It sounds cruel and heartless, but it does stop water waste.  Well, off my soapbox now and sorry if I offended anyone about water usage. It doesn't even have anything to do with this post.  The sound of the sprinkles just infuriated me so much I got off the subject of BEING GRATEFUL!!!

Okay, okay, I have calmed down.  Now back to special things that bring happiness to me around the house.  First, there is my now-retired husband (I'll leave that there to mull over!) Second, there are the critters: Two cats (Miss Molly and Azalee) and two dogs (Willie and Scout).  Third, the art pieces we have collected over the years.  They are not really anything special except to us.

This little bird on a box sits on the dresser by the bed and greets me each morning. It perches on a little ring box and is sprinkled with glitter, but it is his jaunty party hat that puts a smile on my face!

 I dug through a wet cardboard box at the flea market to find this painting of a beach.  The frame was already properly distressed and the painting just needed cleaning.  It is hung by the computer to remind me that there is a life outside blogland!

This driftwood angel and the angel below was crafted by an artisan who set up at our local craft fair.  I don't know what happened to him, but I treasure his pieces for their quirkiness.

Here's the other angel made from building supplies with a grapevine halo.  I have a third piece smaller than this one that is a door knocker.

Another orphan found at the flea market.  She has her own special place in a wooden crate with vintage garden journals.  Every time I have to move her she leaks a little sawdust, but I cannot find the hole.

This primitive painting of two little Dutch girls leans against a green screen door in the den atop a stack of trunks.  I let them out for spring.  It is just about time for them to retire to their other home - in the trunk!  This is not cruel - I have so many collections, I change them out about every two or three months so everyone has a turn.

One year nothing would do but to have sheep on the mantel for Christmas.  My dear husband willingly drove me to several primitive open houses until I found these.  Of course, he was pleased - they became my anniversary/birthday present!  They are about eight inches high.  So far they have made the all-year-long cut - that is, they never get put away.  The sheep are just herded from one vignette to another!

This group is mainly year-longers.  George Washington holding his ax for the cherry tree is fixing to get the ax for the year and be replaced by a birdhouse.  These sit on the primitive cupboard holding the TV and its stuff.  The bird is a spool bird with nails to hold spools of thread.  The pottery head who I call Teddy Roosevelt is a student art project I got for nothing because his ear fell off when drying in the kiln. (Can you tell? -NO!) The giant chickens are a part of a true art piece by Ernest Lee, a well-known South Carolina outsider artist.  The chickens are painted on a giant dough bowl.  Ernest sets up on the side of the road in Columbia to sell his art.  One day just before I arrived to buy some pieces, a man backed his car over the bowl and drove off.  Ernest was so disgusted, he said I could have it for $35 if I thought I could fix it.  It took awhile, but I carefully glued a little at a time until I had it almost back to normal.  I used to put this away at Christmas, but it has gotten too much to haul down every year and store under the bed.  I just decorate it.

Doesn't his little monkey face make you smile?

This is not a thing - this is Scout who as I was writing this post chewed a hole in the sofa cushion for like the fourth time and pulled out the stuffing.  Does he look apologetic? No way - he is just waiting for Chucks and I to leave so he can get back to his fun.  Chucks just told him that we know why he was abandoned by the side of the road.  Then Chucks gave him a treat for saying something mean!

Did my special things make you a little bit happier?  I certainly hope so.  I think the small things around us every day should be noticed more.  Like small blessings, they are often overlooked.

If it stops raining I might get a project finished this week.. I am still junk sober - I have actually stopped counting the days. I am still shopping inside my house. Of course, the Peach Tree 23 (a 44-mile long yard sale) is this weekend so I may have to cheat a little!.

Another update:  Miss Star Dust, the bed that could, went home this weekend to live with a family who plan to use her - wait for it - A BED!

Got to go sew up sofa cushions.  Go back to your projects because I can't wait to see them.

See y'all!

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Tinware Tizzy

I get into a tizzy over anything tin, steel, brass, or any metal (especially if it is rusty -I am a rust goddess after all!)  When Hobby Lobby puts all their tinware and wire baskets on sale, I go crazy.  

There are others of you out there I know - clutching your 40% off coupons and holding Sunday's ad close.  We are Hobby Lobby addicted.  You know when they check the list to see if you have a bad check history?  Well, my name is not on that list, but there is a special list: the DO NOT ALLOW THIS WOMAN TO BUY CRAFT SUPPLIES list.  Even though my last name starts with a "W", I am at the top of this list.  I will admit my buying is pretty heavy from November through April, then I come to a screeching halt - mainly because my stash has taken over the house.   

Currently I am proudly junk sober and have added "no craft supplies" to my vow.  The only exceptions will be paint and hardware needed to finish projects.  ( To be honest there is enough hiding among everything to finish everyone's projects!)

The tinware used in this post was purchased back in March.  If you need proof, I will scan the receipt!  I have used this tinware in a previous post.  It usually is sold in sets of two or three.  The items ranged from flat trays to large canisters.  The metal has a dark gray oiled-looking finish with designs pressed in to the metal. 

I selected two sets of candle boxes, a set of two square canisters, three buckets with decorative edges, and a set of two square buckets with chickens.  First I clean them with ammonia water, then use Rust-Oleum satin spray paint.  The humidity was not high on this day so painting in the sun was fine.

I actually held these while I painted them.  It was messy, but much quicker.  I was not looking for a perfect finish.  In fact, I rubbed some of the paint off while it was wet.  I wanted distressed.  HINT:  If you decide to spray paint while holding them, wear gloves or moisturized your hands with creamy petroleum jelly.  I also keep a bar of soap handy to scrap under my nails.  This makes for easy cleanup. 

 The canisters and their lids and one set of the candle boxes were painted a buttery yellow

The pails were painted a medium blue. The chicken buckets and the second set of candle boxes were painted colonial red.

Everyone seems to be behaving and drying to my satisfaction so I can slip away to...







...go and visit The Graphics Fairy.  I must decorate the tinware, and what better than tulle, French seam binding, and tags made from Karen's special images.

 For the yellow set of candle boxes, I chose this French Ferris wheel.   You are wondering what French Ferris wheels have to do with candle boxes?

Well, actually, nothing.  I just like this image and have been wanting to use it.  The colors were perfect. 

Here are two of the three candle boxes dressed for success in an ivory tulle bow, brown French seam binding, and the Ferris wheel tag.  I think instead of candles, these would be cute lined with a piece of vintage embroidered linen and cookies wrapped in waxed paper tied with ribbons.  I will save that idea for later.

This tag of a little girl at the beach seemed to suit the three pails down to matching the color blue.  The buckets received a white tulle bow with pink French seam binding.  These would be great poolside with refreshments like frozen grapes.  I love frozen grapes in the summer.  (Also, frozen Zero candy bars, but those are not healthy.  Bad, bad Donna!)

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the chickens on these buckets, but they reminded me of those vintage French graphics of chickens.  So, I know this is a long reach, I made a tag of the Eiffel Tower for them.  (Who knows there might be French hens at the Eiffel Tower.)
The tags were tied with a thin black ribbon and an ivory tulle bow.

You saw one of the finished canisters above, but here they are together.  Tags created from the vintage pink roses image; then tied with pink French seam binding with a white tulle bow.

Here they are displayed in my living room in white drawers.(Another unfinished project, though they are worked on daily.  I will reveal them at a later date!)

You will notice I did not use the red candle boxes.  I am saving them for another group of items with similar themes.

The blue pails and the yellow candle boxes nestle together on Yellow Fellow - Bookshelf Beau at the antique mall.  The others are there, too, but I did not take a photo because the other parts of my booth were not as color-coordinated.  


















I hope I have passed my tin tizzy fever on to you so I am relieved of snatching them up at Hobby Lobby.  How good am I being to my vow?  Well, believe it or not, I did not even clip the coupon out of today's paper!

If you will be in the Georgia-Carolina area on Saturday, June 2nd,  the Peach Tree 23 yard sale is on for junkers everywhere.  It starts in Batesburg-Leesville, SC, and goes 44 miles down Highway 23 to Modoc, SC.  Most fun happens in Ridge Springs.  In the past I have filled one truck, brought it home, and took off to fill the other truck!   I know. I am supposed to be junk sober, but I might have to slide a little on that vow next weekend!


Have a productive and happy week - it begins with a holiday.  That's always nice.  I welcome you to visit again.  There's something metal out on the patio as we speak - got to go finish it!


See y'all!









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