Quickies

Remember the Beethoven bust in gold.

Too flashy for me.

So roll over, Beethoven.

He is not so angry looking in Krylon Chalky Spray Paint in Putty.

Remember the whats-it?

I said message center.

Someone said bird feeder.

Chucks said perfect for sweetener packets.

Now a little blue beauty after painting it in Krylon Morning Sky.

Now I am thinking tp roll.

I've been using this large cutlery box for a few weeks.

Great organizer for small crafts.

Thought of jazzing it up a bit.

Sprayed the sides and back in Navajo White (Rust-Oleum). 

Stained around the edges with a glaze of burgundy.

It said Merry Christmas to me. 

Even though it is only October.

Willie Wonka wanted a place in the pic since he helped me paint all three projects.

Did you notice the tiny bottle brush trees?

Raise your hand if you bought every package of tiny bottle brush trees in Hobby Lobby way back in September?

Me, me, me!!!

Yep, it is time to bleach the trees.

I have finished about 200 of them.

Have 100 of the larger trees to do.

Happy Sunday!



See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA15

SHOP HERE! 

Show and Share No.284

Vintage Charm #2

Shabbilicious Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

Vintage Inspiration Party # 211 

 

 

Plump Pumpkin Revisit

I was pulling these pumpkins out to throw in a basket and thought how easy they were to make.  So here is a revisit from my plump pumpkins from two years ago.

Have you noticed the number of soft fabric pumpkins rolling around the Blog-o-sphere?

Well, I didn't want to be left out, BUT I certainly did not intend to drag out my sewing machine which is sulking in the back of a closet. 

Then I saw this tutorial at Confessions of A Plate Addict HERE!  The post title had the two words I was searching for:  "easy" and "no-sew".

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Now I was a teacher for 22 years, and teachers are notorious about not following directions.  Debbie has excellent directions for super-duper fancy pumpkins, but I just wanted three to throw in a basket.

I found three scraps of fabric in orange tones, orange torn cotton ribbons, and Peel-n-Stick.

If you have never used Peel-n-Stick for fabric crafts, you are missing out.  It is double-stick tape for cloth and it holds up.  I have never used it on things that get washed.  You will have to do your own experimenting there. 

I folded the right sides together and adhered them in a tube shape.

Next tie six torn cotton ribbons together in a knot and rubber band inside the tube.

Please go over to Debbie's to see the real directions.

I made mine up from here.

Turn it to the right side and stuff.  I used leftover Christmas village snow.

Bring the six strands up and rubber band them.  I made little pleats around the pumpkin shape.

I wrapped the ribbons around the top and tied them into a knot.

Next I lopped off the excess fabric on top with pinking shears.

The pumpkins all stuffed and tied and needing something else.

What could that be?  What could that be?

Of course, they have to have tags!

You will notice I made five tags because originally I planned to make five pumpkins, but after three I figured that was enough.

Here they are ready to be displayed.

Noticed I made them in graduated sizes.  (Totally did not notice that until picture time!)

These pleasingly plump pumpkins are nowhere near as fancy as The Plate Addict's pumpkins, but they are cute.

Total time spent making them?  

One hour and most of that was finding the materials and cleaning up the mess I made.


Thank you, Ms. Plate Addict, for the idea for these pleasingly plump pumpkins.

See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA15

SHOP HERE! 

Feathered Nest Friday

Friday Finds

I knew it was a great day when I walked into the thrift store and was met with the greeting, "So glad you are here. We have a bunch of old stuff to get rid of."

I had to recite my new mantra under my breath for several seconds before diving in.

"I do not have to own every single treasure.  I am not a hoarder.  I will restrain myself."

And by the time I had finished, several items had been snatched up by other shoppers.


First this lovely lady - an ironstone wash basin. White with blue floral design.

Yes, delicious brown patina.

Anchor Pottery 

J.E.N. 

Trenton, NJ

Semi- Porcelain

Made between 1890 and 1920.

A generous 17" diameter.

I have three wash stands and not one will hold her. 

She will go to the booth.

Because: I do not have to own every single treasure.




My customers love my suitcases - especially the extra large flat ones.

It went straight to the booth.

I love market baskets like this one.

I have a graduated set of them including one this size.

Since I have so many, this one will be going to the booth.



Because:  I am not a hoarder.

The wooden message box with the glass knob, you will see transformed on Quickies this week.

The pewter bowl is lovely and will be sold.



 

A glass floral frog.

A beautiful piece of ceramic art.

It is a bud bowl sometimes called a pansy bowl.

Add water and arranged the pansies around the opening.




It is now on Etsy.

The gray dresser and several other pieces of furniture sold over last weekend so I bought this MCM cabinet with sliding doors.

You will see it soon.

It is on the list to be painted this weekend.

Hen egg basket.

A brass urn.

A cute hand carved mouse.

The largest cricket box I have seen.

It will be listed on Etsy.

Two Victorian frames.

Slight damage.

A folding bed tray with all its working parts in great condition.

The paint is a little distressed.

The tray can be positioned four ways to draw or write or sing in bed.

Imagination time.

I did not dare remove this lighting fixture until I make it to the booth with it intact.

I am a total klutz and have almost dropped it twice.

So here is half of it.

Two long pendants of cut glass with white/gold iron pieces and chain.

They are twins and hang from one ceiling mount. 

They absolutely scream, 
"Nous sommes Français!"

A very fierce Beethoven.

Maybe he is trying to hear.

I know he is not French, but he would look wonderful sitting under the above lights. 

A free plaid bowling bag so decrepit it has crumbled.

Will be using it for a poinsettia.

Yes, it is time for bottle brush trees.


A round-up of ones Olive of Olive Out found for me at the Salvation Army.

Yes, I have been bleaching trees twice a week.

Last, but certainly not least, my own personal slices of Maid Marion.

The city spent several days slicing her up in different lengths for people to take.

Now I have to figure out how to get the slices dry and what to do with them.

I am not shopping today - staying home and painting.

Because: I will restrain myself! 


See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA15

SHOP HERE! 

Show and Share No.284

Vintage Charm #2

Shabbilicious Friday 

Feathered Nest Friday 

The Alice Cabinet

This is all about a girl named Alice and a cabinet which did not wish to be painted.

Remember the Alice illustrations I bought from Griffin?



Gryphon's Acquisitions HERE 

I had Staples reduce them to regular sized paper.

Scanned them into the computer, reversed the images and saved them.

Remember my oh-so-orange cabinet from a couple of weeks ago?

I decided it would be perfect for Alice.

I just had to sand down the orange finish and paint.

Right?

WRONG!

After sanding it down, I found mahogany - the Kryptonite of furniture painters. 



I tried multiple coats of varnish and sprayed heavy duty white inside.

There is no final shot of the inside.

BUT I promise I fought it until it was white.

Two coats of Krylon Chalky Finish  Spray Paint in Slate.

The sheen is from sanding lightly with a fine grit sponge and buffing with a rough paper towel.

I sanded heavily on the edges and just let that %^&*^%#@# mahogany bleed through if it wanted.

Two coats of Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Lace for the panels.

Because of the rain, I kept having to shove it quickly in the back of the truck.

Chose two of the illustrations to print out onto waxed paper.

You have one chance to flip and transfer.

Practice makes perfect.

The brass knobs were painted in Lace.

Sanded and buffed.



















Dragged to Booth C-23.

Riverfront Antique Mall

The Alice Cabinet.

HAH! You are not orange now!

I know, I know.  It is juvenile to ridicule a cabinet.

I let my Mexican Sunflowers get to be nine feet tall.

Then the rains came and laid them flat.

However they are still a happy sight as you walk to the front door.

My mums are still in their pots.

I never got them in the ground.



Oh, well...


See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA15

SHOP HERE! 

Vintage Charm #1

Shabbilicious Friday  

Feathered Nest Friday 

Show and Share No.284