Repurposed Letter Opener and Wooden Stars!

Love junkin' excursions!  On my last visit to an antique store where I usually just look because normally everything is too expensive, the cool guy sold me some silverware...some for making necklaces and three for making letter openers.  He saves the old rounded end knives for a guy who makes them into letter openers for nursing home residents!!!  How cool is that!

He had already removed the real silver on my knives but the handles were pearl so I thought I could fashion a couple openers to sell and one to keep! 

This is how I bought them!

This is how they look now!

Then Hubby made some lovely wooden stars!!!  I would love to have one on my new barn or in my garden.  I don't think I'll paint them but I can see a dark red one on my house.  They are about 30" high - fun project and we'll have smaller ones available too.

 

A couple more days and my house might be back to normal - there are craft projects in almost every room - nothing in the bedroom or bathroom though.  Every flat place has a project of some sort waiting to be finished for our sale at Zimmerman's in downtown Mora on Friday and Saturday!

Enjoy your day!

Bonnie

I Love Chickens!

Who doesn't like chickens???  I don't think I'd ever raise real chickens but I like all other kinds of chickens.  So when we were invited to be part of a Spring Sneak Peek Sale, we decided to make some garden chickens!

It is quite a process - Hubby cuts them out, sands and base coats them.  Then they come into the house where I put their personalities on.  Once I paint their faces - beaks, combs, feet (in some cases) - then I add polka dots, plaid and pattern to their bodies.  Then I rough them up a bit - we want them to look aged like us.  So I take sandpaper and weather them a bit.  Last I put on a finish.  Whew!  So we really have lots of time and energy involved.  They are so cute running around the garden!

I have confessed before to having another addiction - chairs.  I buy chairs everywhere I see one for sale.  These two chairs needed their seats upholstered and today I got the job done!  Leather looks so cool so I upholstered them in faux embossed leather.  Love the look - kinda cowboy/cowgirl.  I'm pleased with the outcome and then there are my chickens roosting on my newly dressed up chairs.

Can't keep those darn chickens off the furniture!

Tomorrow the chairs go to town to the shop and the chickens stay home with me until next week.  It's all good and another day of accomplishing something!!!

Take care,
Bonnie

Lovely Jewelry!

Not to brag but I have two daughters with immense talent!  So this blog will be about Jen's jewelry!  She is a wife to Dave and busy Mom of two - John and Addy!  She has her own website Jenny's Jewelry Box ! 

 

I love this green butterfly necklace!



Ivory and pink freshwater pearls mixed with
beautiful little red hearts  are perfect for Valentine's Day!

I'm a jewelry crazed woman so having a daughter that makes jewelry does cause my dresser to be overflowing with great pieces!  She makes lovely freshwater pearl bracelets and necklaces.  Check out her site - 
Jenny's Jewelry Box  - she's always adding new stuff!
Take care!
Bonnie

Stitchin' Chicks Quilt Camp - Jan. 2012

Home again, home again with lots of projects - some complete and some not.  Fourteen creative women all in one sewing room - heaven!!!  We are beginning our 6th year, I think.  Can't believe we have been creating together that long!

Ok - so my diet didn't work during these five days of intense sewing, eating and laughing.  But I've already lost the four pounds I gained - whew!  Too much olive spread at midnight I guess.

Anyway I did get lots of little things done for our February sale AND I learned how to embroider with my embroidery machine!  Yay!!!

Hot pads - so cute!!!

Journal cover with space for pens and pencils inside!

And another surprise!!!  Another Amaryllis bloom! We need some more beautiful red color around here - the brown grass is boring!  Less snow that we've had in a long time.  I kinda miss it.

Off to finish up some more embroidery so I can show you what I've learned next time we talk.

Take care,

Bonnie

Comfort over Style...and a Giveaway!




Norma Jean - my photo helper!

 





Hey!  Don't you have
something else to do???





Crazy cat!



I'm at the time in my life where comfort is more important than style...at least when I'm at home.  My home attire has evolved to an all time low... leggings, light weight fleece, light weight quilted vest, fleece socks and Birkie's.  Not that pretty but warm and the Birkie's keep my back healthy and almost pain free.  Ugh!

As usual, Norma Jean was all over my photo shoot of my feet - making it interesting to get pictures (why I'm sharing, I'll never know!)

I'm supposed to be cooking for hubby so he has something to eat while I'm gone besides his usual Mac and Cheese with a can of chili added.  He never even asks but my wifely guilt sets in and sometimes he gets some meals in the freezer.  Although sometimes, those items are still in the freezer when I get home from five day camp.  Gotta love him!

Our grandson, John, was here for a couple of days over the weekend.  Grandpa helped him with his Pinewood Derby car so Gram (me) interrupted the bonding and got a couple pictures of their project.  On my way back to the house, I spotted some little galvanized buckets I had Hubby buy a few years ago.  I forgot the project they were purchased for but thought with the chalkboard craze, I would ready them for our spring sale. 

However, while on Pinterest this a.m., I spotted a great idea created by French Country Cottage and when I followed Courtney's link to her page, I discovered a giveaway!!!  Yay!  So you could click on her link and sign up to win a $100 Lowe's gift card.



So now I can get them ready for our Farmgirls Country Sale in June by adding a chalkboard tag!  I'll embellish them a bit more but how clever to just use them for organizing!!!

I better go cook or sew or pack for my quilt camp!

Take care,

Bonnie



Creating Something Every Day...

Today the rubber hits the road - so to speak!  Next week is the Stitchin' Chicks Quilt Camp!  Five days and four nights of sewing!!!  Yay!

Now I have to lock myself in my sewing room and cut fabric so that when I get to camp, I am ready to sew.  As I've said before...can't cut fabric accurately when laughing, talking and/or eating! 

Ok - so the issue is - what projects to work on?  I think its always good to work on small projects being I don't need any quilts right now.  I have quilt ladders and cupboards full of vintage and new quilts.  So baby quilts, purses, pillows, journals, maybe some hot pads and even some jewelry sounds good to me.

Shuffled this little girl around for quite a while and finally made her into a pillow!
She's guarded by two mohair bears I made.

Another little pillow made from a appliqued quilt square
leftover from a quilt I made.  Hugged by one of my loving bears!

I've been trying to make/finish something every day until our February sale...not doing too bad.

Hope you are having a great day!  I'm off to get ready for camp!

Bonnie

Oh, oh - Dr. Appointment Tomorrow...

I'm in love with chickens...

Tomorrow's the day.  Usually I go to the doctor once a year and tomorrow is the day I go to be weighed.  That's all I think about in the days leading up to that day - not my blood pressure or cholesterol or anything else!  Just the scale - that darn thing is not my friend.
 
So in preparation:

• had my haircut this week.  Scale didn't move up or down...darn! 
• parked farther away from most destinations...nothing.
• took my fluid pills faithfully...not a pound gone
• remembering that before Christmas I had lost 7 pounds - apparently doesn't count I guess - its all back...although it gives me hope that I can do it.  Sigh...
• cut down on my Dove love...didn't make a difference.
• went to Curves twice - three times a week is my goal - payback for not going on Monday.
• no ice cream all week - substituted the wrong thing I guess - again. 

I used to have my annual physical near my birthday...I don't know what happened because now its in January.  Not good to schedule appointment so close to Christmas where butter and salt and sugar seem to reign.

Seriously, I need to be serious this year.  I know what I have to do...no magic involved.  Maybe we'll have a "come to Jesus" meeting/appointment tomorrow - well, maybe after my labs come back.  Doctor always says in astonishment, "You are really healthy."  I shouldn't be pushing the envelope - I need to get this part of my life - my health - under control. 

Take care and think of me tomorrow!  Maybe if everyone thinks positive for me the scale will reflect less than last year...

Bonnie