Union Jacks Revisited

The is the last time I will be visiting Great Britain for awhile.  I need to get back to America for Flag Day and The Fourth of July and paint some Americana pieces.

I started this journey with furniture, then went to torn muslin ribbons, now onward to the rest of the Jacks!

I purchased the small Union Jack flags some time ago and went ahead and put them in the booth.  I guess I will add more as the Olympics get closer, but we will see.

Here is the whole lot of them displayed in my booth at Riverfront Antiques.

I love the bold graphics and the color!

I made the tags first.  The Union Jack image came from Karen over at The Graphics Fairy.  I used the one that had an antiqued color and printed it on an ink jet printer nine images to the page. This is 110 lb. paper - very heavy with a antiqued finish.


 Next I cut them out leaving no border, used red and white washii tape (from Pretty Tape - Etsy) for both sides, and stamped a crown in the middle of the Union Jack.  (I hope this is not considered defacing their flag!)  On the back I stamped:  KEEP CALM AND... 

 I left it to your imagination what you should keep calm about!  There are a number of things I need to keep calm about.  Starting with... Oh, never mind.  If I told you, this post would never end!  

Back to the tags.  Punched a hole on one side, attached a brown kraft paper hole reinforcer (called a hole label in China!), and added a tie of navy French seam binding.  (I love this stuff - there are crates of this binding sitting in warehouses because most clothiers do not sew French seams anymore.  I bought a gross of hundred yard rolls.  I think I will never run out, but....)

Some of the labels I tied into packs of five to sell, but I had to use some of them on...

YES - tinware and wire baskets!

First I attached the labels to the colonial red candle boxes I painted last week.  I told you I would get to them and finish and I did!




 How attractive these would look with British tea bags and biscuits as a gift!

Next up were the wire baskets purchased at Hobby Lobby last month.  (I only have a few more of these left so I hope they get in some soon! -  Oh, no!  I am on the junk sober diet - I cannot buy or drag anything home!)

I squirted out some red craft paint and used a foam brush to hit or miss paint the baskets.  When painting wire, a distressed finish is best.  You can easily become obsessed with trying to cover every little bit of the wire.  Trust me, that will never happen!  I painted these in the living room while watching the rain pouring down outside - glad we finally got some.

Gosh, I cannot believe I actually finished all these Union Jacks!

As you can see the baskets got their own Union Jack tags.  I picture a gift  with a lacy doily, English tea, and maybe some boldly designed tea cups!

I don't really know what I am talking about - I only drink sweet iced tea with a bunch of lemons!  To me hot tea is just a waste of tea!

On second thought,  some croquet balls would look nice in these baskets!

Nice you came to visit.  I really appreciate it.  Wait until you see what is next to finish!  (I'll be anxiously waiting, too, because I don't know either!)

See y'all!



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Union Jack Ribbons

 I just finished watching the flotilla for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee on BBC America.  My husband and I loved it for the historical facts presented and the pageantry.  I am looking forward now to the Olympics in London so I have been working on items for a corner of my booth to reflect the overseas action. 

My previous post featured tables, a chair, and trays with Union Jacks.  Here are the ribbons I created to go with the theme.

Supplies:

1)  Images from The Graphics Fairy printed thirty to a page. I chose15 Union Jacks with an antiqued look, 15 Union Jacks with a new look, 15 crowns with a sepia tint, and 15 views of Big Ben in a sepia tint.

2)  Pre-washed natural muslin torn into 2-inch strips about 4 1/2 yards long (two lengths)

3)  Fabric transfer paper for light-colored fabrics

4)  Scissors

5)  Iron and a press cloth

6)  Ink jet printer

Directions:

1)  Print out the images you choose on the transfer paper making sure to print on the correct side of the paper.  These particular images  did not need to be reversed for transfer - images with typography will need to be reversed.

2)  Cut out the images with a small border around each one.  You do not need excess paper around the images.  Just enough to grab and pull.

3)  If you are a perfectionist, get a measuring tape or ruler to plan your design.  I have done this so many times, I just eye-ball the spaces between the images.  I started with two 5-yard pieces of torn muslin to make sure I used all the images. I had thirty images for each piece.

4)  Preheat the iron to its highest setting - NO STEAM!  I use a folded sheet on my ceramic cook top because it is a harder surface than an ironing board, and I find it works better.(Besides I despised dragging out the ironing board!)

5)  On one ribbon I chose the antiqued Union Jack and Big Ben.  I would place one face side down on the ribbon, press several seconds (I like to move the iron back and forth).  I alternated between the two images leaving about 2 inches space.   On the second ribbon I used the new Union Jack image with the crown.  Each image needs to be pressed individually.  After pressing each, gently lift the paper backing off.  As you raise the corner, if the image has not completely transferred, you can carefully return the corner and continue ironing.  This will not work if you remove the backing completely and attempt to place it again.

6)  Use ribbon as you wish.  I like to fold them and tie with a ribbon and a special tag.  They make great basket fillers.

7)  ENJOY - IT IS A RELAXING PROJECT - NO DISTRESSING TO IT!

The hardest part:  cutting out all those little pieces and not letting the puppies scatter them everywhere!

The entertaining part:  ripping those ribbons into 2-inch strips!

 Big Ben and the Union Jack grace this length of ribbon.

The Union Jack and a crown decorate this ribbon.

I tied each length of ribbon with navy French seam binding and added a Union Jack tag.  (Tags will be revealed in the next post - stay tuned!)

They look quite grand in the wire basket chosen and painted just for them!

I am having fun with the Union Jack theme.  There is one more post involving it before I return to distressing furniture.  I have amassed a large group of half-finished projects now and I am going full steam ahead (flotilla talk).

Hope you will take the time to leave a comment.  I will take the time to visit you.  It amazes me how creative people are!

See y"all!

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British Invasion

 

It's a British invasion.  Everywhere you look there is a Union Jack on flags, wall art , and furniture.  Now, most of you big city girls are thinking, "Has she been hiding under a cotton bale?"  No, I have seen the photographs across the blogosphere, but here in this little town in South Carolina, we have been stuck in France.  Bowing to the decorator gods that dictate which culture we will invade and conquer, I decided to create a Union Jack corner in my booth.  The stand-out here is one of my beautiful old doors I use - basically to hold up the walls!  There are six of them in assorted sizes that have traveled from one antique mall to another.  My husband swears he will not take them down and move them again so I will just have to LEAVE them!?!  I think not!  I'll hire someone.

But I digress (as I usually do).  Back to the Union Jacks.

 Here are the culprits that started me down this path.  This is round red table and telephone chair I bought back in April on my Low Country crawl at the Squirrel's Nest In Summerville, SC.  I do not know why, but time I saw it I thought Britain.  It was probably the colonial red paint with traces of the previous coat of white peeking through.  Yes, it is tilting, but easily fixed with a leg joint glue job.

 I grabbed some Union Jack images from Karen over at the Graphics Fairy.  One a full page and the other a nine-image page.  They stayed like this in my living room (er, project room!) for weeks while I moved the images back and forth trying to decide.

 I went shopping around the house to collect other furniture and items to Brit-ify.  I found a octagonal wooden bowl, a wooden tray partially painted red, and one of those half-round tables that tuck nicely into small spaces.  












First up was the telephone chair - you may have the correct name for it, but in our family it's called the telephone chair because my grandmother had one like this by her telephone table!


I used Rust-Oleum Colonial Red spray paint for these pieces - the color matched the red table perfectly.

I still have not set up my patio for summer so I am painting on my trusty bins.  The half- round table came next.  Since both of these pieces had a matte dark finish, I just washed down with ammonia water to clean off any polish or dirt.  Then I lightly sprayed at an angle so the crevices and turns were not painted.



I could have fully given them two coats, then sanded, but decided against it.  These pieces will probably be used and then repainted  again.  Plus, I was lazy that day.  I really wanted to go swim in the pool. 

I next painted the bowl and the tray.  I did sand off the edges and otherwise abuse them for that distressed look. 

Mod Podged Again!

You knew I had to bring out the Mod Podge - I have bottles of it in three rooms so it is always at hand.  I like the matte finish.  This is what those 40% off Hobby Lobby coupons are for! (NO, I have not been to H.L. this week.)  I Mod Podged the image directly onto the piece.  Everyone has their own way of doing this, but I lay the image face side down on waxed paper, use a foam brush to apply a thin coat covering the entire image, and then place it gently onto the surface.  Then place a piece of waxed paper over the image and with a paper towel firmly rub over the whole image starting in the center and working outward.  Gently lift the waxed paper off.  All wrinkles and bubbles should be gone.  Wait until the image is fully dry before applying a topcoat of Mod Podge over the image making sure to seal the edges.  I let this dry overnight and then seal with a satin varnish over the entire piece - not just the image. 

 Blah -  blah-  blah-   Mod Podge-   chair.


I thought the pattern of the nine-image paper resembled a woven seat so I used the sheet whole - just trimmed the white from around the edges.




 




 I had to work in the kitchen because it was pouring buckets outside.  Here are the round table, the chair, and further down the half-round table.

You can see the chipped red paint with the white showing.

Don't you wish you had country blue and white vinyl flooring in your kitchen?  1980's flashbacks are not for the weak-hearted!

The tray ended up being very scuffed (excuse me, distressed). I took sand paper to the Union Jack and sanded some of the paper and color from the image.

I forgot to take a photo of the bowl - looked about the same as the tray.

The sun came out yesterday.  Here they are.  Yes, they do have some extra friends - I will tell you about them later.  After taking several pictures from different angles, I realized that ninety-three degree heat and high humidity was not good for them,  so-o-o-o-o........

....here they all sit in the shade awaiting price tags and their turn at being loaded into the truck.


My neighbor thought I was setting up for a yard sale and came over to look!  She should know better than that!  What kind of yard sale has everything the same color - even I am not that obsessive. 

Yellow Fellow is still hanging around mooning over Miss Star Dust leaving.  I had to shove his little butt over to make room for Jack - Union Jack, that is.


Well, it certainly makes a bold statement in this booth.  After two weeks of working on this stuff, I hope someone else likes it as well as I do!


If not, that's what 20% Off signs are for!













Two quick notes:

1)My long-time friend who has helped clean the house and yard, refinish furniture, and haul heavy things for me had a mild stroke this week.  I would appreciate a blessing or prayer being sent toward Calvin as he recovers.

2)I have decided not to attend the Peach Tree 23 (44 miles of yard sales) tomorrow.  I fully intend to stick to my vow to stay junk sober for another week.  You would not believe the things I found under my bed!  Well, some of you would.


Thank you for becoming British for awhile.  I loved the Union Jack and the red, but think I will have to go back to France!


Leave a comment and invite me over to your place for a visit.


See y'all!

 

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