My Crafty Days

Vintage Kitchen Scales

2011-10-11T19:29:00.000-06:00

Hello,

Popping in to share these scales I found at an antique sale. I couldn't believe my luck when I found two in the same day, at the same sale, and even the same type (Chicago made Way-Rite). My vintage lovin' pal Char and I have been on the lookout for scales during our thrifty travels and never come across them.

I found the green one first for $8 and shortly after stumbled across the white one for $22. I was madly texting Char and sending pictures on the iPhone to see if she wanted the white one, but couldn't reach her. I took a chance and grabbed it anyways.

In the end we decided the green one was better suited to her kitchen and the white one to mine, although we were both happy with either. They are a little beat up but my husband tested each with a pound of butter and said they are both spot on. Not that I bought them to actually weigh anything!

Thanks for peeking. I'm linking up to Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays

Travertine Tile Coasters

2011-09-25T12:05:00.000-06:00

Hello!

With summer over and the fall routine in full swing I've been finding my way back to the craft room, and it feels great! I've started some Christmas projects already. One gift I plan to give is homemade coasters. I tried my hand at these once before with paper, but this time I tried stamping directly on the tile and really like the results.

A google image search had led me here and I love the ones she created. In fact I plan to borrow that stamp from Char so I can case those. I drew my inspiration from them.

I didn't use embossing powder as it's too messy for me, but I did "bake" in my oven to heat seat. I then applied 3 coats of acrylic sealer, which gave it a nice smooth finish. I also cut out some cork circles with the smallest circle nestie and glued to the under side. The stamps are Hero Arts Old Letter Writing and the butterfly is from Three Artistic Butterflies.

I only made one coaster, as a test, but also as a gift for a co-worker. I had a coffee at her desk the other day and she gave me a Kleenex as a "coaster" so I will take this in for her.

I can't wait to make some sets for Christmas gifts. This is a very easy craft to do, just my type!

Thanks for peeking!

Martha-ish Mistint

2011-09-11T18:21:00.000-06:00

I bought this little hall table a while ago off Kijiji for $20...which is about $10 more than I would have like to have paid for it. But it was the perfect size for a little niche in our upstairs hall and I had been looking for a while, so $20 it was. Here's the before:

I knew I wanted to paint the table green but couldn't justify buying a quart of paint for a single project so it sat. Last weekend I was at Home Depot with my hubby and found this mistint for $3! (It was unopened, the dribble is courtesy of me).

I'll admit I wasn't *in love* with the colour but for $3 I was happy enough. I was very pleasantly surprised after two coats and am now absolutely smitten. I think it turned out super cute and the sea foam green brings a bit of Martha in my house. I added a little glass knob as a finishing touch.

The total cost of the project was less than $30 and it's exactly what I wanted for the space.

I added an ironstone pitcher I found at an antiques and collectible sale this weekend for $6. It has some lovely detail on and around the handle.

I'm linking up my thrifty finds and project to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures party and will be linking to Cassie's Piece of Work party on Wednesday.

Thanks for peeking!!

Wish

2011-08-25T13:17:00.000-06:00

Hello there

Popping in to share a little 6x6 canvas I made my niece for her 16th birthday a few weeks ago. Just used some supplies I had on hand and the cut the butterfly with my Cricut.

Not much to it but worked for a quick and easy gift.

Thanks for peeking.

Outdoor Bakers Rack

2011-07-31T23:59:00.000-06:00

July 31st and the summer is half over already. Just like that. And it's been a great one so far. Lots of time with family and friends, incredible weather, a mountain getaway, lazy weekends at home, thrifting and projects...I couldn't ask for more, really.

But I never seem to find the time to blog what I get up to. However, this recent project of mine is a current favourite so I wanted to be sure to share.

I've really been enjoying my container gardening this summer and even planted a few perennials. Although we have a garden shed in the back yard to house everything, I decided a potting bench would be nice. We have a walk out basement and an under utilized 12 x 18 patio that I decided would be a good place for it. But nothing turned up on kijiji.

What did turn up was this bakers rack. At 3 feet wide and with no glass I knew it would fill the space I had in mind perfectly. And at $35 it was reasonably priced. It's very solid too. I've seen a few of these online used outdoors.

A before shot of the space as a whole, not very pretty and like I said under utilized.

Here is the bakers rack freshly spray painted and ready to hold all my stuff. But before I decorated I decided to spruce up the space a little too. I found some funky Martha Stewart pillows (the smaller ones) on clearance for $8.50 each and an outdoor rug for $14.44 for the seating area.

And here are a few shots with some potting stuff on the bakers rack.

I love how the gardening tools sit nicely on the wine rack.

Some thrifty items on here:

Galvanized tub for my potting soil, $2 garage sale find

Galvanized vases 25 cents each, garage sale find

Terracotta pots 27 cents each at our local greenhouse

(And everything else I had on hand)

Here's the entire space, it's a little more welcoming now.

Do you see that planter? That might be the most thrifty item of all since it was FREE. My office hosted a lunch time gardening session in June where they supplied all the plants and flowers to make a large planter.

Love it.

But I wasn't so sure I loved the bakers rack all junked up with the potting stuff. I think it can also be used as an outdoor space for drinks and snacks (lots of people do this from what I saw online). The tub would be great with ice for canned beverages and there is lots of shelf space for snacks, dishes, etc.

I still think I like it better as a potting bench.

So there's my bakers rack redo. I think I spent about $90 with the spray paint to revive the space. And the best part is we have been using it. It's been incredibly hot this weekend and this seems to be the best outdoor space to keep cool.

Thanks for visiting. I am linking up to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures party and Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays.

Thrifting in the Mountains! With Jake!

2011-07-31T22:05:00.001-06:00

We went on a little vaca in the mountains two weeks ago. My husband was working so I was flying solo with my 15 year old, Jake, and his friend Patrick. The boys golfed every day so I had lots of time to read and relax, not a bad deal.

I did not even have thrifting on the brain but saw a sign that the local Lions Club were having a big garage sale on the Saturday morning. Jake asked if I thought they would have any golf clubs. He hadn't played since the summer before and we hadn't realized he had outgrown his junior set. We were in Fairmont Hot Springs, BC and the place is a mecca for golf (the resort we were at had three courses alone, plus countless others within a short drive). Seriously, if anywhere was to have golf clubs it was there.

So my son got up with me bright and early while Patrick slept and we hit the sale. Within minutes Jake worked out a deal with one of the volunteers for a set of clubs for $10. TEN DOLLARS!! For an entire set of clubs including a great bag with a stand. He was pretty pleased with himself. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree ;). Here's a shot from the iPhone.

And I managed to find something myself for $10. This glass and iron shelving unit. I knew this thing had promise.

But it didn't *quite* fit into my Honda Civic (especially with the third bag of golf clubs!). But I was determined to bring it home and for the entire 3 hour highway drive it stayed securely up top thanks to the 100 feet of rope I picked up at the hardware store and the Mexican blanket I always keep in my trunk, along with some strategic rope tying.

The boys thought I was NUTS. I suppose I am. But look at how this thing prettied up with a can of Krylon Fusion Hammered Finish spray paint.

It was absolutely worth the time it took to mount it to my roof and the stressful drive home worrying if it was staying secure. And the fact that the drivers behind me left lots and lots of room was A-OKAY too. Kidding. I tied that sucker so tight it didn't even BUDGE.

Thanks for visting! I'm linking up to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures party and Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays.

Recent Thrifty Finds & Lamp Revamp

2011-06-19T18:08:00.001-06:00

Hello!

I went out garage saling Saturday morning and must have hit 8 or 10 houses without finding anything good. All I bought were these three books from one seller for $3. Believe me, the last thing I need are any more books. I must have 50 stacked up beside the bed. For real.

I decided to call it a day but on my way home I stopped at another sale where I found some good stuff! This canner was only 50 cents!

These turquoise glasses were also 50 cents (for 8 of them!) And are my favourite find of the day.

Some vintage linens, also 50 cents each. I will use the table cloth and brown and white pillow cases. I think I will make linen napkins with the other set of pillow cases.

I also grabbed this watering container for 25 cents. These always come in handy.

Here's another favourite from the week. A vintage waste paper basket I found at Value Village for $4. Our son had a lacrosse practice nearby and I *introduced* my husband to VV on Friday night ;).

Oh, and a couple of frames picked up last weekend. $2 for a large frame still in it's package and $3 for a shadow box.

And finally, my lamps. I saw these guys for $5 each and looked them over. As I was driving away I thought they might work for our bedside tables, if painted. I've been looking for lamps for a while. However, I want something silver or glass, and definitely not want wicker shades, but I haven't been able to find anything I really *love*. Remembering that I have metallic spray paint I turned around and went back to get them.

Here they are after meeting a can of Krylon Brushed Metallic in Aluminum, and with a couple of new shades to top them off before heading to our bedroom. (And here's one more peek of my blue cabinet I recently finished tee hee).

Here's the before again:

And in their new home:

(check out my 50 cent pillow cases!)

I'm pleased with how they turned out, a big improvement over what we had before and these will work great until I can find the perfect lamps. Or, maybe I will just keep them! (Oh, and I told you I had a few books stacked up!) Anyone else have that problem...buying them faster than you can read them?

Thanks for visiting. I'm linking up to Rhoda and Linda's parties!

Little Blue Cabinet

2011-06-15T20:05:00.001-06:00

eta: also linking up to Debbie Doos Summer Colour Paint Party

I picked up this little cabinet off Kijiji in February. It was my first Kijiji purchase ever and the guy was ~~creepy and~~ a bit of a hoarder. I was happy to have my hubby with me, I seriously could have disappeared forever in that place.

Anyways, 4 months later and I finally painted it and changed out the hardware. It took me THAT long to build up the energy to paint again after this experience. I don't know how the furniture bloggers do it so frequently and so well.

I also spray painted the hinges. I intended to distress it (and still might) but for now am happy with it as is. It fits perfectly on a little staircase wall and we will use it to store our platters and serving ware, stuff we don't use every day. It will also be nice to have a little display space on the top, although I am not sure what to put there yet. I'll have to be on the lookout at the garage sales!!

Thanks for peeking! I'm linking up to Primitive and Proper's Piece of Work Wednesday party. Such amazing inspiration over there.

Tim Holts Word Keys Project

2011-06-12T21:13:00.000-06:00

Hey there,

I bought a pack of Tim Holtz Word Keys ages ago...not because I loved the words so much, more the shape of some of the keys. I actually spray painted these last month but only now got around to finishing this project.

The shadow box frame is from Ikea and I have photo'd without the glass in order to avoid the glare. Hope you likey!

Thanks for visiting.

Krylon Watermelon!

2011-05-16T22:08:00.000-06:00

A recent trip around the blog world lead me to this post where I was introduced to Krylon Watermelon. **SWOON**. I was worried I might not be able to find it in Canada but I found some at Canadian Tire yesterday. I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with it.

The tags are from Papertrey Inks Button Boutique set. Last month I went away for a girls weekend with two dear friends and one of them (the Amazing Char) had prepped these tags and brought out ink, buttons, and embellishments for us to put them together. It was such a fun evening, sitting around crafting, chatting, eating (oh, and drinking wine too). I knew I wanted to do something special with my tags to remember such a great time.

I had bought this frame a couple of weekends ago at a garage sale (posted here). I covered the insert with some burlap and used scor tape to adhere the tags. Easy peasy. And doesn't it look great in all it's watermelon glory? I ADORE it.

I hung it in my craft room near my button and ribbon storage.

Thanks for peeking!

I'm linking up to Sarah's spray painting party. I know it's just a simple frame but I LOVE it (have I mentioned that yet??) and want to share it :).

This Week's Thrifty Finds

2011-05-15T13:54:00.000-06:00

Hello!

I finally got to go garage sale-n with my friend Char yesterday, and we had a great day. We hit up some neighbourhoods in the south part of the city. My first finds of the day were these cool frames at 25 cents each. They are 11 x 13. I can't wait to spray paint them.

I also picked up some unopened Avon bubble bath for my mom for $1 each.

Here's some odds and ends I picked up throughout the day:

The blue vase was $1, unopened case of Bernardin canning jars $3, retro table cloth $1, coaster sized doilies $2 in all, and an old set of wedding cake pans ($2) that I will use for storage in the craft room.

Next up is this decorative (and heavy) iron grate that I may spray paint and distress. It was $3.

And here's my FAVOURITE find of the day. A cute wrought iron plant stand for $3. I already have a plant in it! :)

I also found these wire baskets for $1 each. Not sure what I will do with them yet but I am sure they will come in handy. Maybe for fabric in the craft room.

This box of 12 permanent markers was $1 and the date stamps were 25 cents each. If I ever get around to scrap booking I plan to date the page or the photo.

And finally....I found some Pyrex!! And a pattern I don't normally come across, Horizon! These were actually from an estate sale and were $23 total...my splurge of the day. They are in mint condition too.

I'm linking my finds to my two favourite thrifty parties. So nice to know there are other crazy thrifters out there like Char and I to share our finds with. We were saying yesterday that shopping retail isn't even fun anymore and we would much rather thrift!

Thanks for visiting!!

Thrifty Finds

2011-05-08T17:29:00.000-06:00

Spring has finally sprung and the garage sales are in full swing here in Calgary. Between garage sales and the thrift stores I've found some fun stuff recently and thought I would share.

I picked this up from Goodwill yesterday. At $8 it wasn't the thriftiest find, but I couldn't leave it behind and have already found a home for it.

This frame was a great garage sale find at $1.50. I have a fun project in mind for this.

I'm not sure if I will actually wear this skirt but I picked it up for $2 at a garage sale last weekend.

50 cents for these metal measuring spoons from a yard sale. I can never have enough measuring spoons.

I paid $1 for all three of these Styrofoam pieces. I am thinking of making some funky trees for Christmas decor with the cones.

The cake plate below was $5 at Goodwill and the cloche dome was $1.50 at another thrift store.

And last but not least I found this amazing vintage Pyrex divided dish with lid at a thrift store in Okotoks yesterday for $2.

LOVE it.

I'm so excited to be linking up to Rhoda's and Linda's Thrifty Parties this week. Thanks for hosting ladies! It's been months since I've participated in a party and I can't wait to see every one's fabulous finds. Thanks for stopping by here!

Celebrate Today

2011-04-02T10:25:00.000-06:00

I wish I was celebrating the good weather today...not. We've had over 3 inches of snow since last night. Yuck.

But a friend is getting married today (not in Calgary, thank goodness) and it's another friend's birthday so there is certainly reason to celebrate today. My thoughts are with them both on this snowy Saturday.

Thanks for peeking!

Monday Evening Ramblings

2011-03-21T20:09:00.000-06:00

Hello,

I love Monday evenings because it means Monday is over with! I'm enjoying a quiet night at home watching the snow coming down. Yes, snow, on the second day of spring (I guess we didn't get quite enough this winter - not). Also looking forward to watching the premiere of DWTS tonight, which is one of my favourite shows.

I didn't get up to much crafting this weekend but do have this card to share with you. I made it for my cousin's birthday, which is on Wednesday. She loves purple.

Also sharing a pic of the carrot loaf I made yesterday. Recipe found here. I brought this into the office today for my co-workers. I hope it helped to ease the pain of a Monday morning.

So now that Monday's over with....is it Friday yet? lol.

Thanks for peeking.

Shamrock Brooch Pin

2011-03-15T06:24:00.000-06:00

I got up to some rare Monday night crafting last night. I made my friend at work this little felt shamrock brooch to wear on Thursday. She's coordinating some St. Patrick's Day festivities for us. Our boss is Irish and it's always a fun day, complete with a visit from a leprechaun. And like a kid with a theme day at school, I am really looking forward to it.

When you work in an office like me you have to get your kicks where you can. (Although, I must admit that often involves thinking up crafty projects like this).

I cut the hearts out of cheapy loonie store felt with my Cuttlebug. I sewed each one (inspiration found here) and reinforced them with card stock. I used my hot glue gun to attach the hearts together with card stock and also to add a clasping pin at the back.

To give you a better idea of the size

And here it is on my (decoration) dress form. I realize most people would take a picture of themselves wearing it, but I was in my PJ's about 10 minutes after I got home from work. Trust me, this is much better.

Thanks for visiting, I hope you get up to some St. Paddy's fun!

My Craft Room

2011-03-13T23:59:00.000-06:00

I've been working on organizing my craft room for a while now and thought I would share some pictures, which after taking them I realize are NOT good quality. However, it is unlikely this room will EVER be this clean again so here we go.

Come on in...

This is the entrance to my craft room. It's in the flex room at the front of our house, right off of the entrance. It's a great sized room with lots of light with a west facing window.

This is the NE corner of the room, where my cutting station, Cricut station, and large Ikea Expedit shelving unit are.

This is my "cutting" station, which is a small Expedit unit from Ikea. I put it on casters in case I need to move it around. I usually move my Cricut onto it when using that as it has more clearance at the back. I also use my Cuttlebug here. The green storage squares beneath hold my Cricut and Cuttlebug dies and folders, my nesties, Yourstory folders, etc.

You can see everything is close at hand, including the cartridges on the shelves above. The photo boxes on the bottom shelves hold finished cards, extra adhesive, envelopes, and other odds and ends.

Moving along to the east wall/ SE corner. I used to have this entire shelving unit designated to craft storage and display but my Pyrex collection started to take over. :)

My precious Pyrex collection {sigh}

This corner is pretty congested. I have 12x12 patterned paper in the clear containers and Papertrey card stock under the TV. The two grey drawer carts under the printer hold most of my embellishments, punches, chipboard, spare parts, etc.

Here's a shot of the music stand I use to hold "newer" paper. I bought this to display scrapbook pages but I am yet to make a single page. Some day!

Another shot of that corner as we move along the south wall. The ledges above are also from Ikea and are perfect for displaying cards.

And here's my work area (and my sleepy pooch). We actually have two dogs who are usually my constant companions when I'm in here.

Another shot.

This is looking to the west. Our front porch is on the other side of the window. My sewing station is on the right.

My happy "corner." I recently moved my Copics (in the white and clear stackables on the left), all my stamps and inks to this corner to have everything within reach when I am making cards.

And here's my sewing station. The grey drawer cart beside holds all my felt, threads, needles, fabric, etc. The shelf above holds my Papertrey ribbon and buttons {love}.

Here we are back at the entrance. I have another picture ledge above the doors to display cards.

Finally, what the room looks like when I am in it, with the doors closed while I craft away in my favourite room in the house.

So that's it. Pretty much everything is from Ikea. It's been a work in progress over the last couple of years from when I first moved in there. Prior to, we used it as an office. When our kids are older and have flown the nest I may take over one of their bedrooms up stairs, but for now I really enjoy being in this space on the main floor. As well, those french doors motivate me to keep it (relatively) tidy. I feel so blessed to have this space for myself to create in. I only wish I had more time to spend in it!!

Thanks so much for visiting!

LSC #132

2011-03-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

I was just checking out this week's loonie challenge cards and remembered I played last week and forgot to post. Maybe because I don't like my card.

I was inspired by Char's grey background and use of baker's twine and by Dee's felt flower, but the grey on my card is too dreary I think. I'll have to play along again this week and come up with something better this time :).

Thanks for visiting!

Thank You

2011-03-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Another Sunday where I found some time to craft, good times.

I made this thank you card using some October Afternoon pp and PTI felt and sentiment.

And yes, I snuck another piece of Pyrex in my photo. tee hee.

Thanks for stopping by!

Love Ya!

2011-03-04T18:48:00.001-07:00

After months of snow on the ground and a solid week of 20 below weather, I am so ready for spring (as I am sure we all are).

So here's a little "spring" inspired card...

Thanks for popping by!

My Sweet Jane

2011-03-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Well, she's not really mine but she sure is sweet. Meet Jane, my step-daughter's dog. When Amanda moved back home a few months ago she brought Jane with her. She is a year and half old and has quickly become a member of our family. My husband and I have pretty much claimed her as our own, actually. We have an 8 year old lab retriever cross and I had forgotten how fun these young ones can be.

Shabby Tea Room Buttons and Bows Challenge

2011-02-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Here's my card for the Shabby Tea Room Week #50 challenge. I used PTI Fine Linen cs and pp (Distressed Dots). Lace ribbon is from my stash. The butterfly is Hero Arts coloured with Copics and the Sentiment is from PTI delightful Dahlia.

Thanks for stopping by!

Embellish Challenge with Birds

2011-02-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

I spent my Sunday morning in the craft room making challenge cards. This was one of them. It's been forever since I've done an Embellish challenge. The bird/cage is from the Cricut Songbird cart, the pp is SU (I think), ribbon is from my stash, sentiment is Technique Tuesday AE, and the little rhinestones are Martha.

Doesn't it look cute against my new delphite Pyrex??

Thanks for peeking.

Pyrex Bounty!

2011-02-26T18:21:00.001-07:00

I scored some great Pyrex today

(reminiscent of this post).

If you're interested, I posted details over here on the Collective.

Happy Birthday

2011-02-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

I used this Distressed Dots paper the other day for a card and realized how much I LOVE this paper!! So, naturally, I had to make another card and one can never have too many HB cards on hand, right?

Canvas Heart

2011-02-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to share a little project I made this weekend. I had bought the AC Dear Lizzy ribbon a while ago intending to use for Valentines Day and forgot all about it. I used tea to dye the canvas.

Thanks for peekin.

Princess

2011-02-20T12:08:00.000-07:00

Sharing a quickie card I made the other day while I was playing with the Cricut. The crown is from Celebrations and the font fom the Songbird cart.

Thanks for peekin'

Splitcoast Featured Stamper (My pal Char!) Case Card

2011-02-19T06:24:00.020-07:00

Hi,

My amazing and uber talented friend Charlene was the featured Guest Stamper on Splitcoast this week. Of course I had to play along. I cased this absolutely fantastic card of hers.

Pretty much a blatant copy, but hey the challenge allowed it. Who am I kidding, I am always copying this lady. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right??!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cricut Train Card

2011-02-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hello,

It's my baby nephews 2nd birthday this weekend. Here's a little Cricut card I made for him using the My World and Plantin Schoolbook carts.

Here's the inside.

Cute, no?

Thanks for peeking!

Happy Hearts Day!

2011-02-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

Happy V-Day!

Thought I should post this card I made my husband before the holiday had passed. Please forgive the poor photo - I missed the daylight today.

I hope anyone visiting has/had an awesome Valentines Day, if you're into that sort of thing. Any day that involves chocolate and reminds us to love on eachother is a good holiday in my mind!

Thanks for peeking!

Oz

2011-02-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

I was going thru some photos and realized I never shared this card. I bought a friend & I tickets to the Wizard of Oz musical for Christmas and tucked them into this Dorothy inspired card.

Hope you are having a great week!

LSC #128...Sort Of

2011-02-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

Well Hello!

It's been so long since I have blogged...or crafted. Just got busy with other things for a bit like Christmas, organizing the house (including over hauling my craft room), getting Jake thru exams, going to Mexico on vacation. It only took a month or so to settle into the New Year but I finally have and FINALLY spent some time in my craft room last night. It was so fun!

When I saw this week's Loonie Stampers Challenge I knew I wanted to play along. LOVE the colours and the "retro" twist. I love retro! I have over 40 pieces of vintage Pyrex, one of which is in the picture above. I also love the 70s coloured Tupperware when I can find it.

Unfortunately, when I went to make my card the brown just wasn't working so I left it out. The oven image on my card is from the "From my Kitchen" cartridge and the stamps are from AC "Washer" set.

In the right kitchen, I think retro appliances would be so fun. I love the bright colours and unique designs. If you like this sort of stuff too check out this link for some great eye candy.

Thanks for peeking and thanks Loonie girls for getting me back into my craft room after a too-long hiatus.

Ikea Furniture Redo & Nook Makeover

2010-12-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Our kitchen table and buffet are from Ikea. When I purchased this furniture I thought it would do for a few years until I could get what I really wanted. We were in a new house and what I really wanted at that time was something that matched and was affordable. It is from the Leksvik line and is pine. The table was less than $200 and the buffet was only $99 as I purchased at a damaged box sale. Despite the banged up box it ended up being just fine. The nook has looked like this for many years:

I've never *loved* this furniture (nor has hubby, he hates Ikea) but replacing it has never been a priority. Over the years it has served us fine and I like the glass doors and display shelves. When my friend and fellow thrifter Charlene first suggested I paint the buffet I was totally opposed and didn't think it would be worth the effort. Over time the idea grew on me. I had hung the subway art sign in the nook and really liked the black and white in there. I decided to go for it and started with the table. Although sanding away years of kids handwriting from homework sessions at the kitchen table was a little sad, I was really happy with the end result.

I took a couple days break after finishing the table before starting on the buffet, which took much longer due to the doors, drawers, and shelves. I started the buffet about 2 weeks ago and was happy to see furniture being painted white all over blogland. The only white furniture we have in our house is in my craft room and after priming it was looking REALLY white and I was nervous. I used Pittsburgh Paint Cookie Crumb which is quite creamy, while still 'white' if that makes any sense. I thought about distressing the edges but wanted a modern look despite the shape of the piece. In it's original state it always seemed really traditional looking. I think it is much more transitional in white.

Anyways, I finally finished a little over a week ago and got it back into place. It was *not* love at first sight and I freaked a bit wondering if I had made a big mistake. However, after decorating it and putting my beloved french ovens back in place, I was(and remain)totally SMITTEN. It feels like we got new furniture.

My husband hung a new drum pendant to complete the nook makeover. I debated changing out the chairs but I think their neutral colour balances out the black and white against our maple kitchen. When I look at the before pics I can't believe what a difference painting made. I'm still not sure this set is what I want long term, but I think we'll get at least a few more years out of it yet :)

Although I finished this more than a week ago I'm linking to Primitive & Proper's Piece of Work Wednesday (I didn't get a chance last week). I cannot tell you how helpful Cassie's prepping and priming advice was. The last piece of furniture I painted was my son's baby dresser when I was pregnant (he turned 15 on Sunday!) so was VERY rusty. But trust me, if I can paint furniture ANYONE can.

Another valuable resource was this post on Young House Love.

Thanks so much for peeking and if I've managed to hold the attention of my crafty pals to this point I hope this explains my lack of posting things of a crafty sort lately!

Winter Porch

2010-12-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying changing up the front porch since I first decorated it here and here.

Here's the winter version:

I've had the red berry wreath forever and that was my starting point

The $5 urns proved useful once again. Not sure my sister is ever getting these from me!

The little red lantern on the table was a recent thrift store find. The pillows were rescued from the garage sale pile.

This might be my favourite part of the porch, the greenery in this milk jug vase.

I'm linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick's before and after party I seriously can't wait to check out this month's entries. The thumbnails look amazing.

Here's my most recent "before"

Thanks for peeking!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T13:17:00.000-06:00

Another year Halloween snuck up on me.

Here's a couple of mini cards I made, pretty much the extent of my Halloween crafting. I had so many crafty plans...maybe next year.

Thanks for peeking...I'm off to carve pumpkins before the ghosts and goblins get here. Some people start coming around 5pm in my neighbourhood!

Subway Art Sign

2010-10-28T21:23:00.002-06:00

ETA: I decided to share this with Sarah's Before and After party on the Thrifty Decor Chick site.

I was feeling a little ambitious on Sunday and decided to try my hand at a Subway Art sign. I've long since admired them all over blog land and had been meaning to make one some day. Well, that some day was Sunday...and Monday...and Tuesday...AND Wednesday! I am generally more of an instant gratification kind of girl and don't usually have the patience for a four day project.

For the most part I followed this tutorial, except I used a canvas instead of wood and cut the letters out on my Cricut.

Before:

I used this old printed canvas rescued from the garage sale pile in the basement. (So glad now I didn't actually have that garage sale this summer!)

I had to prime it MANY times due to the bright colours underneath.

Lining up the letters (Monday night). This process took a long time as once measured I had to place them back on a cutting mat to apply transfer tape over top, then back to the canvas to adhere. Despite careful measuring and planning I do have some uneven spacing and slightly crooked words (cherish in particular drives me batty).

I spray painted the entire thing black on Tuesday evening and carefully removed the letters once it dried.

Despite using a brayer some of the spray paint leaked beneath the vinyl. I used a Sharpie paint pen to clean the letters up (Wednesday evening).

After:

And finally hung it tonight! Here it is in our nook off the kitchen.

I absolutely love it, crooked words and all :)

Thanks so much for peeking!

Embellish Vintage Challenge

2010-10-24T21:50:00.000-06:00

I decided to try the Embellish Vintage challenge as I liked the colour combo, but also because I was really inspired by the challenge photo. It made me think of this lemon tree stamp by Flourishes, although I wish the image was a bit larger.

Other supplies used were copics, PTI Teracotta Tile cs, PTI chai ink, and some Making Memories velvet and lace ribbon from my stash.

Thanks for peeking!

Thank You!

2010-10-21T22:54:00.000-06:00

Hello there,

Is it really October 21st already?? Wow. Time to start the Halloween crafting I think! For now though, here's a quick little thank you card to share.

I also posted over on the Pyrex Collective if you're into that sort of amazing goodness (tee hee).

Fall/ Halloween Porch Decoration

2010-10-12T07:16:00.000-06:00

A few months ago I gave our porch a ~~cheap~~ makeover. As you can see, I like to keep things pretty simple. I finally got around to throwing the flowers and herbs away this past weekend and decided to do a little Fall/Halloween decorating.

I left our chairs and cushions but added the $5 garage sale urns my sister(lucky for me)never picked up. I stuffed the bases with newspaper before adding kale for the pumpkins to rest on. The little lanterns are from our rear deck now that we've put the patio set away. I love repurposing things we already own.

As for the Halloween decs I again kept it simple. I have a box full of all sorts of colourful/neon/light up stuff from when the kids were young but decided against that and just added a few things. I also used my Cricut to make a haunted house for the door and some cut outs for the window.

So that's it. Not much to it but I'm happy to have a new look without spending a dime. Other than the produce of course.

Thanks for peeking!!

Technique Tuesday Thank You Cards

2010-10-11T15:55:00.000-06:00

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving! I am loving having a Monday off.

Here's a couple of cards I made last night after our turkey dinner. I made these to participate in Technique Tuesdays latest challenge over on Splitcoast.

Thanks for popping in!!

Happy Fall

2010-10-07T09:25:00.000-06:00

Popping in to share an autumn inspired card. I used the Cricut to cut out some leaves, my PTI woodgrain impression plate, and a sentiment from PTIs Wreaths for all Seasons.

The bowl in the background is Pyrex Friendship. I thought the colours went perfectly with this card.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great weekend! Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend and I can't wait for turkey!!

Ali, Ali, Ali

2010-10-04T17:50:00.001-06:00

I made this one to play in a Technique Tuesday challenge over on Splitcoast using Ali Edwards stamps. The sentiment is from the Loving Words set and the pp is Basic Grey.

The pyrex piece is a beloved 1 qt Butterfly Gold casserole. What can I say? I love cards and pyrex. *sigh*

Thanks for peeking!

Pyrex!!

2010-10-03T13:33:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I went garage sale-n and to an antique sale with my good friend (and co-conspirator) Char . I am surprised people even HAVE garage sales in October, but of course I'm not complaining. I was on the hunt for Pyrex. It's been weeks since I've found a new piece.

Char greeted me with this little beauty she had found in Edmonton. I think half of my Pyrex collection is from Char. I joke she collects Pyrex too, but that she gives it all to me :).

The day was off to a GREAT start.

No finds at the garage sales but at the antique sale, jackpot. It's been almost 24 hours and I still haven't come down off of my Pyrex high. The sale was amazing, the prices were great, and the condition of the pieces were excellent. I had hit the motherload.

Needless to say, I went a little crazy! At one point I did ask Char if she thought I was out of control. I also had to make a few runs out to the car between vendors, and a trip to an ATM machine for more cash. In all, I bought from 5 different vendors and this is what $103 worth of Pyrex looks like:

The breakdown if you're interested is below. These were not garage sale priced, but they were also not antique store priced. I have never spent over $10 before on a piece of Pyrex, however, I was very happy to pay what I did, especially given the condition of the pieces. And with garage sale season pretty much over it's unlikely I'll be adding much to my collection over the winter.

Bluebird casserole dish with lid $8

Snowflake casserole dish with lid $12.50

Friendship bowl $6 (my favourite pattern)

Butterfly Gold bowl $2

Blue Snowflake casserole with lid $12

Yellow refrigerator dish with lid $15

Pink Gooseberry Cinderella bowl complete set $35. (This was a great deal as the set is valued at $65-$80).

Daisy divided dish with lid $12.50

Thank you for visiting and allowing me to share my Pyrex obsession with you!!

I'm linking to Debbie Doos Garage Salen party (although I might be a bit late to the party!).

World Card Making Day!

2010-10-02T19:15:00.000-06:00

Happy World Card Making Day! I am having the best day today...got to do so many things I love. Started the day watching my son's game, then went garage sale and antique shopping with a great friend (and hit the mother load of Pyrex!), had some time to make a card for WCMD and am about to go out for dinner with my husband. All in all a GREAT day!

About the card, I made this to participate in Char's challenge she is hosting on the Technique Tuesday Forum on SCS. I used my Cricut for both the heart and the 'world'. The pp is October Afternoon and the sentiment is Technique Tuesday by Ali Edwards. I combined two different sentiments and used Char's trick of cutting around the letters. I'll be giving this one to my son Jake...he really IS my world.

Now I just have to figure out how to post on SCS!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Thanks!

2010-09-28T19:17:00.000-06:00

I have fall on the brain and am enjoying crafting with all the associated colours...not quite ready for the reds and greens of Christmas just yet. I used my new PTI wood grain impression plate on this one. Fun!

AUTUMN

2010-09-27T16:41:00.000-06:00

Today is the perfect fall day in Calgary...warm, sunny, and bursting with beautiful colours. Only fitting that I share my Autumn banner with you!

I made this last night. I was feeling crafty but a card just wasn't coming to me. I had been meaning to try making a banner for some time. I hung it in front of the window in my craft room in hopes I will change it out with the seasons.

Papers are from the Basic Grey Mellow line. The oranges, greens, and brown were perfect. The ribbon is PTI Orange Zest and the letters were cut from the Cricut Storybook cart.

Thanks for peeking!

LSC # 109

2010-09-18T11:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday.

I made these cards last weekend, playing along with last week's Loonie Stampers Challenge. It was so grey and rainy all week I didn't have a chance to photograph. It's still grey and rainy but I took a pic today anyways.

Love the yummy fall colour combo of this challenge. I don't have the Harvest Gold colour so subbed with Summer Sunrise and added a touch of green too. Here's a shot of the "brown" card.

Thanks for peeking!

Well, hello there!

2010-09-06T20:57:00.000-06:00

It's Labour Day and for me, this final long weekend marked the end of summer. It wasn't the greatest summer on record but I did manage to get away twice and enjoyed the break from the school and sports routine that is our life 10 months of the year. Now, it seems, we are right back at it.

I wish I had something crafty to share with you but the truth is I spent my weekend in the kitchen instead of the craft room. After weeks of BBQ-ing It felt great to cook, and the freezer is well on the way to being stocked with some frozen meals and baked goodness.

I thought I would share some fun cookies I made today. Oatmeal sandwiches with oreo filling. YUM!

I love it when there are cookies in the cookie jar!

I hope you had a fantastic long weekend and thanks for popping in. I really do hope to be back with something crafty soon!!

Enjoy

2010-08-07T11:17:00.000-06:00

Hello,

I'm back from vaca but still have a few cards to share that I made while away. This is one of them. The flower stamp is Hero Arts and the sentiment is PTI.

I swear it took longer to cut out that flower than colour it!

Thanks for peeking.

LSC #103...Text, Yellow, and Kraft!

2010-08-03T22:03:00.000-06:00

I had some time today while waiting for my car to get fixed (it just needed a new battery thank goodness), so I played along with last week's Loonie Stamper's Challenge.

Normally I am not a lover of the yellow (although it seems to be the colour of the day around here), but after seeing it with kraft I have a whole new outlook. I was especially inspired by Wendy's card and just so happened to have some of that dotty biscotti dp with me here on vacation.

And because I am addicted to kraft card bases I made another while I had everything out.

These two cards are for two very special ladies in my life. One of whom may, or may not be, a Loonie herself.

Thanks for visiting!!

Lemons!

2010-08-03T12:11:00.000-06:00

I am still away on vacation with my car in a mechanics shop as it wouldn't start yesterday. YIKES! I am hoping it's only a battery problem, and better now than on the way home.

Into every life a few lemons must fall, I suppose, but I'd like mine with a side of sugar please.

(And a card in honour of the occasion).

Thanks for peeking!

Happy Birthday

2010-07-31T14:42:00.000-06:00

I'm enjoying making simple cards just for fun lately. Added the Happy Birthday sentiment as that is the type of card I never seem to have on hand when I need it.

Thanks for peeking.

Wish

2010-07-29T14:34:00.000-06:00

Hello!

I'm popping in to share another quickie card I made with some scraps. I have only limited supplies with me but it is nice to be able to make a few cards while away from my beloved craft room.

The sentiment is SU, although I have no idea what the set it called (one of two SU sets I own). I do love it though.

Thanks for visiting!!

This sums it up...

2010-07-26T18:48:00.000-06:00

Tanks and flip flops, cool drink in hand....I'm on vacation.

If only I had that body!

Thanks for popping in.

Celebrate!

2010-07-23T22:23:00.000-06:00

Popping in to share a quickie card I made the other day. Sadly, there hasn't been too much time for crafting due to a work crisis, but I did manage to escape on vacation today with some limities supplies. There is also a LSS here. Wish me luck!!

Another Cricut Card

2010-07-14T06:38:00.011-06:00

This is probably the most simple card ever but I couldn't resist that cute watermelon image. It's from the Doodlecharms cart. Green cs is PTI New Leaf and the pink is Bazzill from my stash. The sentiment and ribbon are PTI as well.

Thanks for visiting.

Cricut Bug

2010-07-12T22:18:00.000-06:00

Had a little fun with my Cricut the other night. Image is from the Doodlecharms cart. PP is October Afternoon and the sentiment is PTI.

Thanks for visiting.

Porch Additions

2010-07-11T14:55:00.000-06:00

Hello there!

My friend Char and I were back in action yesterday. It wasn't the most successful garage sale-n day, I think because of the neighbourhood we were in or maybe because it's getting later in the season. But I did manage to find a few things, including a couple of items for our front porch, which got a face lift last month.

I found this wrought iron hanging planter for $1.50. It matches the one one we have on the side railing (another great garage sale find).

Here it after I added my hanging plant to it.

I also found this little plant stand which I knew had some potential. For $1 I couldn't leave it behind and I am so glad I didn't.

Here's what it looks like after a $4 can of spray paint and some accessories.

And yes, that ivy *IS* in a loaf pan and the flowers *ARE* in one of my beloved vintage pyrex dishes. As the plant stand is pretty small I had some difficulty in finding pots that would fit on the shelves. These kitchen items are a temporary fix, but I kind of like them.

The mason jars are filled with river rock and tea lights. I've seen many people in blog land make candles out of mason jars, sand and tea lights. I love the look but I didn't have any sand. I did, however, have some polished river rocks I picked up at a garage sale in the spring.

When I mentioned the mason jar candles to Char she suggested adding lids when not in use so they stay dry (great idea). I found three jars with glass lids in the garage. Love it when you can use items you have lying around. Sort of justifies holding onto stuff!

So, with just a few items and some spray painting our front porch is a little cozier (is that even a word??). I hope you like it!

I'm linking up to Rhoda's thrifty party on Southern Hospitality and Debbie's garage sale-n party.

Thanks for visiting!

Thank You

2010-07-09T19:10:00.000-06:00

Hello and Happy Weekend!

I made this thank you card the other night using a bunch of odds and ends. I finally used some of the yummy vintage buttons Char gave me. I wasn't even planning too....but I think they were the perfect touch with that Basic Grey paper.

Tonight I am enjoying a quiet evening in my craft room and tomorrow morning I'm heading out to the garage sales to see what ~~junk~~ treasures I can find. Oh, how I love weekends!

Have a great one yourself ;)!

Hello, Sunshine

2010-07-08T05:53:00.018-06:00

Hello, indeed.

It's Thursday and that means the weekend is right around the corner. I'm working all 5 days this week and it's been a looooong week.

For this card I used my Hero Arts cloud stamp with Distress Ink Broken China (love that stuff). Sentiment is PTI stamped in Hibiscus Burst. The cs for the window frame is PTI (Dark Chocolate), as is the little sun (Summer Sunrise). The curtains were made by scoring and folding some Basic Grey pp. I glued the back side to the card to hold them in place. Oh, and that fancy little curtain rod is a bbq skewer cut down to size.

Thanks for peeking!!

LSC #99

2010-07-06T19:13:00.000-06:00

Just popping in quick to share my card for this week's Loonie Stampers Challenge. I had an extra flower from this card. The doiley type stamp is from the Basic Grey Pretty Bird set, and the sentiment is Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday (and is my very favourite stamp ever) in Distress Broken China ink. The ribbon and button are PTI. Simple stuff.

Thanks for peeking!!

Wish

2010-07-05T21:00:00.000-06:00

Hello there!

I was catching up on some blogs the other night and came across this AMAZING project by Eve Johnson (Evalicious). Oh my, was I inspired! I love the simplicity of it and couldn't wait to make one of my own.

Off to Michaels I went on my lunch break today to buy canvases. I probably didn't need 14 of them, but this is just what I do.

And then tonight I played.

Orange and green are my favourite colours and there is plenty of both in the Basic Grey "Mellow" paper I used. The butterfly is from the Cricut Indie Art cartridge. And the sentiment is Stampin' Up in Distress Broken China ink.

So simple and I just love it. Isn't it wonderful when talented people share and inspire us? Here's another butterfly project I have been meaning to CASE for sometime. I'll have to keep my eyes open for some frames next time I'm garage sale-n.

Thanks for peeking!

Vintage Pyrex and Funky Fruit Bowl

2010-07-04T15:40:00.001-06:00

With my thrifty-pal-garage-sale-partner ~~in crime~~ Char out of town for the long weekend I decided not to go garage sale-n this weekend. Instead, I stayed home in my craft room and made several cards. It felt great to spend hours in there.

Anyways, as I don't have any *new* thrifty finds to share this week I thought I would show my Pyrex collection to date and a thrifty little project I did this weekend.

I started collecting vintage Pyrex in late May and have been lucky enough to find quite a few pieces between garage sales and thrift stores. I am not sure where I will ultimately display them, but for now they are stacked on the buffet, close at hand so I can use them. I love serving food in the colourful bowls and have used a few items in the oven as well. It's a fun and inexpensive thing to collect. The orange Pyrex are my very favourite.

Onto my little project...I had a birthday recently and was spoiled by my family and friends. I have to share one of my gifts with you. When I lifted the tissue paper look what I found...

Isn't that just a bag of happiness? OF COURSE, it's from my super-wonderful-fantabulous friend Char (you're the best!) and because I am not one to wait to use new things I got busy right away. You may have seen this bowl in my garage sale finds last weekend.

It was a tough decision what colour to go with but I decided on this...

Now, that's a pop of colour in our otherwise very neutral kitchen nook!! I just love it.

Thanks for visiting me today. I'll be linking this up to Rhoda's Thrifty Treasures and Debbie's Garage Salen party

ETA: also hooking up to Sarah's before and after party on Thrifty Decor Chick!

Smile

2010-07-04T12:49:00.000-06:00

I found **yet** another fun colour challenge last night on the W plus 9 blog. I've yet to order stamps from this company but heard recently they stamp really nicely so perhaps I will soon. I've been eyeing this set for months.

For this card I used some of my favourite October Afternoon pp. The cs is PTI, flower is Prima, button is American Crafts, and stamps are Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday. I also used my new favourite embossing folder (Seeing Spots) on the Hawaiian shores cs. Oh, and that little gem in the blue flower is by K&Co.

Thanks for peeking and Happy 4th if you are visiting from the States!

My Pink Stamper Colour Challenge

2010-07-03T13:27:00.000-06:00

I'm back with another challenge card. This one is for My Pink Stamper's (Robyn) colour challenge. I found Robyn's blog when I was learning how to use my Cricut and I must say I learned alot from her videos!

As Robyn is the Cricut queen I thought it only fitting to use my Cricut for the challenge. The popsicles were cut from the Doodlecharms cart, which is actually out on loan right now, but thanks to my handy Gypsy I was able to still cut the image.

The paper is Bazzill from my stash. It's my favourite for using with the Cricut. The sentiment is from PTI's Signature Greetings. Ribbon and buttons are also PTI.

Thanks so much for popping in!!

The Shabby Tea Room Challenge #16

2010-07-03T09:53:00.001-06:00

When I saw the inspiration pic for this weeks STR challenge I had to play along. Such fun colours. I had to add a wee bit of orange though. After making the Moxie Fab card with a similar colour combo, I knew a touch of orange was in order.

Thanks for visiting me today :)

Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger

2010-07-02T09:58:00.000-06:00

Hello again!

I am loving the challenges this week, and this is a new one for me...Tuesday Trigger on the Moxie Fab world blog. I had to participate as the gorgeous inspiration pic contains my four favourite colours (green, orange, turquoise and pink)...and don't they look amazing together in that photo???

I finally tried some of those rolled tissue paper flowers I have been seeing on blogs for a while. The cs is PTI and the background stamp is a Hero Arts cling stamped in Distress Ink Broken China. The Happy Birthday sentiment is by PTI. And lastly, the orange ribbon was a bonus with my garage sale purchases last week, as the chargers I bought were wrapped in it.

Have a super day and thanks for popping in. I am on day #2 of a lovely 4 day weekend. I'll have to look for some more challenges :).

Happy Canada Day....eh!

2010-07-01T06:18:00.001-06:00

Well, it's Canada Day! Probably my second most favourite day of the year. We have plans for a BBQ with family and friends later and will try to catch the fireworks in the evening.

I am so truly proud to be Canadian and so blessed to have been born in this beautiful country. Yeah, it's freezing 8 months of the year, but whatever.

2010 has been such an incredible year for us with the Vancouver Olympics too. It was amazing to hear our anthem so many times with all those gold medals!

Soooo...in honour of Canada Day I made the little card above, which has a twist on our flag. I couldn't resist the eh! stamp in the $1.50 bin at Michaels. I cut the maple leaf with my Cricut and Gypsy (first time I have used the Gypsy in months).

In my festive mood I also added a few flags out front...

And made a little cake (may need to make another - that really is little!!). Please forgive my dark-night-before pic.

Now it's time to enjoy some ~~Canadian Beer and~~ great company.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

Embellish Babies Challenge

2010-06-30T13:11:00.000-06:00

Hello!

I haven't played along in an Embellish challenge for a while so I thought I would give it a go last night.

What a delish colour combo.

And having a baby card lying around is never a bad thing.

The BABY stamp is from the $1.50 bin at Michaels, the sentiment is Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday, and the pp is Bitty Dots by PTI.

Thanks for visiting!

LSC #98...sort of

2010-06-28T19:14:00.000-06:00

Haven't participated in a Loonie Stampers Challenge for a while. Thought I would give it a go this weekend but I messed up, I thought it was Ocean Tides instead of Aqua Mist. Oh well.

I stamped scraps of card stock with different PTI background stamps for this one and used a little flower made by Loonie gal Char long ago (that has been patiently waiting for me).

Thanks for visiting!

Vintage Letterpress Tray...and more!

2010-06-27T14:08:00.000-06:00

It's been a few weeks since I have been out garage sale-ing but Char and I were back in action this weekend. We headed out early Saturday Morning and hit a community sale. At our very first stop I found this vintage letterpress tray. A few months ago I wouldn't have even know what this was, but after I saw how my friend Carly is using hers I have been wanting one. These can sell upwards of $100 on Etsy so I was really pleased to find one at a garage sale for $5!

I would rate the condition as fair and very, very dirty. I spent close to 4 hours cleaning it but could probably work on it for days. My husband (who is not the world's most patient man) suggested I use his power washer on it. Ha! My efforts did improve it slightly as you can see by the photo below (taken after the first third had been cleaned).

The tray has paper backing which was ~~impossible~~ difficult to clean. In an effort to protect my stamps I decided to insert card stock over the paper backing and behind each of the stamps. I'll stamp the image first and it will also serve to remind me where the stamp belongs. A glue dot was used to keep the card stock in place.

And here it is in a corner of my craft room. As you can see, I don't have many wood mounted stamps but now that I have a place to to put them I am thinking there may be more in my future ;). There are lots of small openings which work great for my ink cubes. Now that I have the tray up I've decided to keep my notice boards in my craft room and will be hanging them shortly beside the tray.

Other great finds of the day were two lamp shades in perfect condition for $1 each.

I thought I might cover them but they actually work well in our family room as is.

I almost passed on these charger plates. At $10 they seemed expensive until I realized there were 12 of them, and many still had original price tags of $4 each on the bottom. They will be nice with our Christmas table setting which is orange, cream, and gold.

The other items are a new black Ikea floating shelf which retails for $20 and was bought for $5, a wire fruit bowl bought for $2, two books that were 50 cent each, and a new set of rubber alpha stamps that I picked up for $2.

So there's my haul for the day. Not bad for $27, hey? Not to mention I had a great day with a super friend.

I'll be linking this up to Southern Hospitality.

I'm Here

2010-06-23T07:44:00.011-06:00

I love this sentiment in PTI's 3rd Anniversary set. Isn't that what we all need to hear when we are going thru a rough patch? Unfortunately, someone close to me is going thru such a patch right now. I'm hoping this card will spread some cheer and remind her she's not alone.

The flower image is from the same stamp set. CS and ribbon are PTI New Leaf and the pom pom is from my stash.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Birthday (to have on hand)

2010-06-21T19:38:00.000-06:00

I never seem to have Happy Birthday cards on hand for those times you really need one...like when a co-worker offers you a cupcake at work because it's her birthday that day (and she bought them for herself). Um, having a card on hand that day would have been really good.

So, it's decided. I must build up my HB card stash. Here's the first one made with October Afternoon scraps, some PTI ribbon, cs, and buttons. Oh, the sentiment is PTI too.

Thanks for visiting!

Thrifty Notice Boards

2010-06-20T14:12:00.000-06:00

This weekend I finally got around to completing a project I have been meaning to do for ages. I picked up these two frames last summer at a garage sale for $5. I knew I wanted to do a blackboard in one of them but wasn't sure about the other. I decided on a cork board and cut the cork out of a cheap board I picked up on clearance for $2.88. With the chalk board paint the project cost about $12 for both notice boards.

Before:

During:

I did spray the chalkboard paint right on the glass using several light coats. I realize these DIY blackboards are getting to be old news by now but I'm happy to have finally made one!

After:

Not sure where these will go yet. I originally thought my craft room but perhaps our hall off the garage would be better. We got a new stainless (aka non-magnetic) refrigerator this winter and I miss having a surface to put up important notices. As we exit the house thru the garage that might be a good place to put up reminders...or chore lists for my guys (ha ha).

Oh, and check out this cute vintage canning jar I'm using for chalk. It has a glass lid and was another garage sale find.

Thanks for visiting! I'm linking up to Rhoda's party on Southern Hospitality.

Porch Makeover

2010-06-11T18:49:00.001-06:00

Hiya! I'll warn ya, this is a long one. You might want to just scan the pictures :).

One of the features of our pretty basic SPEC house I love is our front porch. It is covered, west facing, wood (the norm in these new areas is precast concrete), and a decent size to sit out and enjoy the evening sun on. The only thing is we've rarely sat out there in the seven years we've been here as our furniture was really uncomfortable. The little bistro set below was originally purchased for a balcony in a condo we had before the house. Pretty? Yes. Functional? Not so much.

Before:

A couple of weeks ago I decided to spruce up the porch and had almost talked myself into two new resin wicker Adirondack-type chairs from Home Outfitters. I had a 25% off coupon for one item but the pair would still end up costing $175, plus a side table and accessories. I just couldn't justify it. But then I remembered we have 6 chairs in our set on the back deck, and rarely have 6 people around the table.

After:
(Do you see my dog in the window wondering what I am doing outside without her??)

I can't tell you how pleased I was to re-purpose something we already owned. AND I pretty much ended up with the "look" I was after. Now, I did spend some $$$, TOO MUCH $$$, actually. I suppose my instant-gratification-need beat out my thrifty-sensibilities!

I purchased the side table and outdoor cushions. (I originally put out regular cushions but they stained slightly after the first rain). The good news is I was able to use that 25% off coupon on one of the cushions. I also purchased the candle and hurricane on clearance at Winners.

Two of the four planters on the steps we already had, the other two I picked up for 50 cents each at a garage sale last weekend. I filled one of the 50 cent pots with some fresh herbs, do you see the markers? So easy to do and I like them better than the plastic tags that come with the plants. I made some for my herbs on the back deck too..quick and easy with my little alpha stamps.

The wire planter is a new addition, I picked that up at a garage sale a couple of weekends ago for $3. I found the coconut liner at our local garden centre.

Finally, I added WELCOME to our front door. I cut the vinyl out with my Cricut. I'm still getting used to it and think the letters might be a bit too big, so this could change.

So, there you have our front porch re-do! Not including the plants/flowers, I spent approx $100. I think I could have done it less expensively if I had found the table and cushions at a garage sale or thrift shop. But I am pleased that I did pick up most of the accessories on the cheap and used some things we had on hand, namely the chairs. It's not a dramatic difference, but it is more casual and reflective of our style. And when we do have 6 people around the table on the back deck, we can easily "borrow" these chairs from out front.

Thanks so much for visiting! I'll be linking this up to Monday's Thrifty Treasures on Southern Hospitality.

Garage Sale Finds

2010-06-06T10:25:00.005-06:00

Well, I had another great day garage sale-ing with my pal Char. We went to a community garage sale near our office and I think we must have visited at least 20 houses. Considering that, I think I was pretty selective and my junk pile isn't too large this week.

My two favourite items of the day are:

The Cocso retro step chair: I wasn't sure about this until Char showed me it folds and suggested it would be good in the garage. SOLD! for $2. I found some ads online for Cosco stools dating back to 1950. I figure this one with the brown has to be from the 1970s.

Vintage Pyrex 2 qt casserole with lid: This was a promotional item that Corelle put out in 1959 and the pattern appears to be called Golden Tulip according to Pyrex Love. This is my first piece with a lid and might just be my fave so far. $2.

Other Misc. items: Ikea magnet board, which I plan to jazz up with some fabric ($1), baton (25 cents), new teeny tiny Tupperware containers ($1), Carafe (50 cents), 4 wood hangers ($1), NIB portable grill ($2), 2 plants pots ($1), 2 metal planters ($2), burlap ($1), cookie jar ($1).

And one other item to show you...my "splurge" of the day. A desk for my nephew Xavier who is turning 5 in July and off to Kindergarten in September. My sister had asked me to keep an eye out for a small desk and this one was perfect at $10. Char and I did see a wood desk of the same size at another sale later in the day for $40.

And here's our future scholar.

OK, that was a loooong post....thanks for stopping in! I'm linking up to Rhoda's TTT and Linda's NTT!

Masculine Cards

2010-06-06T10:21:00.001-06:00

I made this card for my husband who left on his annual motorcycle trip yesterday morning, two weeks thru Montana, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. I always seem to get a holiday out of it too as I meet him some where during his trip. For the last two years I've met him on Vancouver Island but this year I'll be meeting him in Las Vegas. Actually, all four of his siblings, their spouses, and his mom are meeting in Vegas. Should be very ~~interesting~~ fun.

As I had my supplies out I thought I would whip something up quick for Jake too. These cards really rook no time at all and all products used are Papertrey except for the wood grain (Hero Arts).

I wasn't sure if I would even post them but then I thought it would be a good way to break up the thrifty posts. Oh yes, I was out garage shopping again this weekend and picked up some real gems ;).

Planter Redo

2010-06-03T18:26:00.002-06:00

Hi there!

We don't have a lot of privacy on our deck and I thought adding greenery rather than flowers this year might help with this. There are some gorgeous, contemporary looking planters in the stores this spring but I remembered some metal planters we had from a few years back. They were once a vibrant blue but became very badly sun faded.

And so began my first adventure with spray painting. I say first because it was so easy and I loved the results. I will be doing this again soon.

Before:

In less time than it took to drive to the store to buy the spray paint I had all three of these planters looking fresh and matching our deck decor. I planted palms in two of them and saved one for flowers, which I hope to add soon. The effect was as desired as the plants do provide a bit of privacy when we are sitting at the table. The best part is that I resisted retail and used something we already owned.

After:

This last pic is of the deck (and our dog). I've since added my $5 market umbrella.

Thanks for visiting. I'm hooking this up to House of Hepworths. There are some really amazing projects over there this week.

ETA: I am also linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After party.

Clean & Simple FTL 92

2010-06-01T17:54:00.000-06:00

I meant to make a clean and simple card with this nice, simple layout. I ended up with something very busy and colourful though. It's the first sunny day here in almost a week and I suppose that influenced me, but at least I got in my craft room and made something. Sadly, it's been a while. I also see that the base was meant to be square. I'm not the best at following instructions, as you can see.

Thanks for visiting...I hope you are having a sunny day too.

Card deets:
CS: PTI Hawaiian Shores and Pure Poppy, DP: October Afternoon, Chipboard: Maya Road with PTI Orange Zest ink, Buttons: PTI, Sentiment: PTI Handwritten Notes, Backgound stamp: Hero Arts wooodgrain in PTI Pure Snow ink

Market Umbrella

2010-05-30T17:48:00.001-06:00

Having just been introduced to the wonderful blog Southern Hospitality, this is my first time participating in Today's Thrifty Treasures and linking to Rhoda's weekly party. My "treasure" is this 9 foot market umbrella that I found at a neighbourhood garage sale this weekend for $5. It is in great shape, on a hardwood frame, and goes with our deck furniture nicely. One of my best all time garage sale finds.

Now, if I could only muster up some good weather so we could use the thing. We had a weekend of snow and rain and had to bring all our plants inside, but that didn't stop me from setting the umbrella up! I'm hoping June will bring the sunshine.

Thanks for popping by.

More Garage Sale Shopping!

2010-05-29T22:17:00.002-06:00

ETA....linking this post to Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays !!

Please bear with me....I promise to post something crafty again soon but I really wanted to share my garage sale finds from this weekend. Char and I headed out bright and early (well, maybe not bright as it was grey and snowing!) this morning. Due to the weather we didn't find as many sales as we had hoped and decided to hit a couple of thrift stores. The picture below is of my "goods" from the day.

Not pictured is the golf umbrella I got for Jake and two cast iron planters I picked up for my sister for $5 each. Or should I say my husband picked up as those suckers are heavy! I found the same planters on Canadian Tire website for $80 each new. This pic is from the website.

So, all in all a pretty successful shopping day. I did find the thrift stores much more expensive than typical garage sales but with higher prices also comes better selection. My favourite finds of the day...the iron planter holder, vintage bag (thanks Char!), and umbrella.

Well, thanks for visiting and checking out my junk! I hope you are having a good weekend and that it is not snowing where you are.

Item details:
From top to bottom and left to right: wrought iron planter holder ($3), 9 foot market umbrella on hardwood frame (we really needed one for our deck but I haven't want to spend $50+ on that!!) ($5), stand up paper holder thingies (plan to use for packs of PTI CS) ($1), doilies ($1) wooden hangers ($2), vintage carry on bag that Char spotted but kindly let me buy) ($6), potato masher ($.50), diner-style sugar shaker ($.50), cooling racks ($1), wicker basket with handles ($3), drum lamp shade (oh, I have big plans for this) ($6), vintage Pyrex bowl ($.50), Pampered Chef batter bowl ($.50) and 2000 straight pins with ivory heads ($4).

Funky or Junky?

2010-05-25T04:05:00.005-06:00

Confession time....I LOVE garage sales! Thankfully, my good friend Char also loves them and we often go together. We hit our first sales of the season last weekend and my favourite finds of the day were these two vintage Pyrex princess bowls. I picked up the orange one for $2 and the other was FREE. I love them both and they are the start of what I hope will some day be a fun collection.

I stopped at a few sales this past Sunday as I made my way across the city en route to my sister's house. Sadly, no Pyrex was to be seen but I did find this old roll top bread box for $1. I'm not sure what I will do with it yet, and whether I will even use it for it's intended purpose. I saw a picture on the internet where someone hung it upside down and used it as a shelf. I was also thinking it might be a good cubby for the bills and papers that often accumulate on the kitchen counter. Anyways, both my husband and son said it's "junk" but I really like it. Jake had a friend over who agreed with me it's kind of funky.

I also picked up these books in a FREE box at one sale. All are books I've always planned to read. I'll add them to the 50 plus that are currently stacked up beside my night table, many bought at the sales last year.

So...what do you think? Are garage sale finds funky or junky? Do you believe that one man's garbage is another man's treasure? Or you like my guys who think one man's garbage is just garbage. Haha!

Happy Birthday

2010-05-24T15:55:00.000-06:00

I actually managed to make a card this weekend ~ although a knock off of an earlier one. I wonder when (if) I am going to get my crafting mojo back.

Love this October Afternoon paper.

Thanks for peeking!

Taco Cups

2010-05-23T11:20:00.000-06:00

No card to share. Sadly, I haven't been crafting much. With the warmer weather my attention has turned to the house...spring cleaning and decorating, etc.

But I did want to share these fun little taco cups I made last night. I had my two oldest friends over last night for Mexican food and margaritas and made these as part of our fiesta. I used a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds from tortillas and my Pampered Chef mini-tart shaper, placed a small amount of cooked taco meat in each and baked for 20 minutes or so. I was so pleased with how they turned out. I think this would be a great appy to take to a party on a platter with sides of taco fixings. They were great with a little cheese and salsa....yum!

The next time I make tacos I think I will cook some extra meat to freeze just to have on hand as these would be so easy to whip up when Jake has friends over. I'm sure teenage boys would gobble these up in no time. Us 30-something ladies sure did.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you are having a great weekend.

Another thank you card...

2010-05-03T06:00:00.019-06:00

...using this fab sentiment of Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday. I thought the type text worked well with this gorgeous October Afternoon paper. The other stamp I used was from PTI's Turning a New Leaf set. Not much to this one at all but I likey that OA paper alot-ey!!

Thanks for popping in.

Embellish Challenge

2010-05-01T20:22:00.000-06:00

Just popping in to share the card I made for the Embellish Challenge. I meant to heat emboss the sentiment but totally forgot to. Does crimping the roof count as embossing? If not then OOPS! The blue background pp is October Afternoon and the yellow pp is Basic Grey. Pink cs is Bazzil. The green cs is PTI New Leaf, sentiment also by PTI from Boards & Beams. Rhinestones are Kaiser and I think the chipboard house is Maya Road.

I hope you are having a lovely weekend. I am on vacation for a week and heading to Vancouver Island tomorrow for a few days with a friend while my husband stays home with Jake. When I get home he is heading to BC himself for a short golf trip. Hopefully our next holiday will be together!

Thanks for visiting!

Colourful Thank You

2010-04-29T16:41:00.000-06:00

I managed to get up to some rare week night card making the other night. This is one of the cards I made. All those yummy Papertrey colours make me happy and I'm pleased to report that no full sheets of cardstock were harmed in the making of this one as I cut all the strips from scraps. Ha ha. (PTI shipping to Canada is pricey so I really hoard my card stock).

Hmmm, I'm wondering if this card looks better horizontal or vertical?

Thanks for visiting!