Rolodex Scrapbook Album

 This year I'm making albums for my friends for upcoming birthdays and holidays.  I'm concerned that people don't print pictures anymore and they will last about as long as myspace did once upon a time, so I'm trying to encourage people to start printing them.  This album I put together for a friend and I used a funky little Rolodex container I found at a thrift store.  It can either be a fun way to create a combination of journals from special events through they year/years....or even pictures from a trip or multiple trips.

 I bought a pad of scrapbook paper that had some stickers inside and some really cute paper.  If my friend were a pad of paper-this would be here.  I also grabbed some cute Fiskers stamps, random arrow clips, washi tape and a few other doodads to embellish the scrapbook.

 I pulled out the tabs and traced them onto the scrapbook paper.

 I cut it out and then glued it down to the tabs.

 I arranged them and then added embellishments.

 I added things like this embossed label....

 Small flowers stickers, ribbons etc.  I didn't want it to be too thick since my hope is my friend will continue to add pictures.  I also didn't cover every single page, again, I wanted to leave room for journaling or scrapping.

Some pages just had stamps.  At the end, I super glued flowers and some ribbons to the cover and now it's ready to be wrapped and delivered.

Vintage Ornaments Thrift Store Haul

I hit up my favorite thrift store a few weeks ago and found a real treasure chest full of ornaments I have lots of plans for....few of those plans involved a tree, many involve a glue gun, but first, here's a walk through of my latest vintage ornament haul.

Thrifting in Oklahoma

 One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is take a day trip.  I usually only do this on three day weekends...if then....but....with every mile headed out I feel free.  One of my favorite routes is north to Oklahoma.  I like to scour antique stores and thrift stores.  Over Labor Day I headed north across the Red River.  I've been collecting a few odds and ends for my upcoming craft room.  Mostly, I need functional pieces to organize my materials, but I wanted a few vintage items from OTHER people's craft supplies. I ran into one of my all time favorite stores and found a few finds.  Usually I just share the 'end' result of projects, but...I decided to share a piece to the journey this go 'round.  Anytime I decide to redo something the journey starts months in advance.  I start looking for deals and throwing around ideas in my head.  When it's time to put it all together I usually have most of the pieces I needed, and then I can just add to it over time.  One thing I know I want to store things in are cigar boxes.  I found a few over Labor Day, including one with unicorns inside...what?  Yes.  I also found this little pin cushion with vintage pins...which will go nicely with my pin cushion tomatoes I collected.  I also bought a little stack of books (4) for a buck, including one I'm sure I had as a child (The Night Before Christmas).  These I took up to work where I have a collection of vintage books.  I also found some seed packets from the 80's I took to work...our district's theme this year is growth for all, so....these will probably come in handy.  Again, it was a dollar for about 8 of these.

 OK, the hat pins....those I just couldn't resist.  All but one is from the original packaging...made in America?  What?  I'll probably put these in my craft room somewhere.  The irony of my hat pin obsession is that I never wear any sort of hats, so I would have been the gal without my hat once upon a time, but I just love them....I wavered on this one b/c I knew I didn't 'need' it, but in the end I've learned when I'll regret something I didn't get....and if the money is there I'll go ahead and get it and promise myself "I could sell that..." if I decide it's frivolous.  Trust me, I won't be selling these anytime soon.

 I also bought this antique pink bread box.  It reminds me of some of the color pallets I'm going for and I thought it might be a fun place to store some supplies.  The bird decals?  Those beauties are staying fo' sho'.  Random is my favorite decor pallet!

 Last up from the antique store was this ball jar.  It wa 3.50, but I had a bag of buttons I wanted to put inside from my pal Amber's little gal Charlotte.  Amber knows hat pins are second in my heart because buttons on number one.  I do love a good button.  When I was little they had these bins of vintage buttons you could get bags of at the old MJDesigns and I spent hours sweeping my hand through those buttons and making them click and clatter.

 As soon as I got home I headed down to Home Depot.  They had a deal on paints and I went ahead and stocked up for my craft room and a few other jobs around the house that need to get done sooner than later.

I usually buy one can of paint at a time.  I usually buy one antique at a time, but....it turns out Labor Day was a gold mine for me.  ...and it's Ramen Noodles for October because even at the right price, it sure does add up quick....which is why I need a year to redo any room in the house!

Snowman Muffin Tin

I know, I know....so many snowmen on this blog.  I just love them.  I, clearly, have spent too much time with my friend Terry-who will paint on anything.  Literally, she drives her old car to work on Thursday b/c it's bulk trash day.  I'm not alarmed by this...I'm inspired.  This is another note from her book. She buys old pans at thrift stores and garage sales.  I had this pan from a craft I planned to do about 4 years ago. I bought it at the dollar store.  I decided if I hadn't done that craft yet...it probably wasn't going to happen, so....I got out some paint and made some snowmen.  Gingerbread would be cute too, but...the nice thing about snowmen is that you don't have to pack them away after Christmas.

DIY Quote Globe

 I love globes, but throw in a war somewhere and your globe is quickly obsolete....which means...you can grab a ton of these at thrift stores for a real steal.  My friend Kelly did just that, and she brought me her prize.

 I've actually wanted to paint a globe for awhile....I've got one in mind for myself, but this one is for Kelly.  It was a pretty ugly globe to begin with, but I did like the color of the stand.  So, I bought a blue paint I liked and painted the ugly/retired map.
I then found a quote Kelly and I agreed fit well, and I found a font I liked that looks like hand writing.  I don't trust my own handwriting...ick....

 I used a pencil and scribbled over the back of the papers/over the letters (you could also do this with a piece of graphite).

 Like so...

 I then turned it over on the globe and traced each letter with a pencil and the graphite left a mark on the globe that I then traced over with a gold pen...or three.  Apparently I need to learn to ration ink a little better.

 After that, I added a bunch of constellations in gold and some random stars in white.  They are kind of sort of, not really in the place they would be in the sky....as long as you don't ask an astronomer.  Unfortunately, in this case, that is exactly what Kelly's dad loves doing, so....this globe I'm sure will be a real conversation piece for the critics out there, but.....I can live with that.

DIY Lamp Shades

 I recently was tasked with trying to make some lamp shades with a limited budget.  I'm used to a limited budget.  I check out some shades I like at different stores in the area known for decor and then I went to work.
I grabbed some shades for a buck at the local thrift store....the less 'curve' the easier it is to attach your fabric.
You can use adhesive spray, or a good ol' glue gun.  I measured the shade using a newspaper (wrapped it around, creased the edges, and then I knew how much fabric to cut.   I bought some fabric I liked and got to work...

 I found some ribbon for half price to make the edges (glue gun) and a flower in the hair bow section of the craft store.

I used a base to a lamp I sprayed with water/mirror spray.  That tutorial lives here.
I also made the burlap one (at the top) and instead of a trim I just glued some 'ruffle's from scraps of fabric.

New Old Storage Crate

 I needed a place to throw the pillows/blankets I've been collecting in my living room.  They look great....right up until the time I have guest over and they don't want 8 pillows behind their back.  I had this unfinished crate I got at a store going out of business....and have since seen at craft stores.

 Then I saw a tutorial for turning this into a vintage looking crate at homedepot.  I cut out about 16 of the steps...and just used some stain my brother left in my garage....that should teach him, and some handles I got at half off from Hobby Lobby.
I rubbed the stain on, partially following the instructions, then nailed the handles onto each side over the holes (the original tutorial has you filling in this part of the wood...uh....I don't think so.  A cute little addition to my living room that dust can gather.  :O)

Repurposed Pan = New Bird House

 I saw the idea for using an old pot to make a bird house a few years ago and it stuck with me.  I changed up some of the technique, but my inspiration lives at tatortot.  My first step was to find an old pan.  You can find one you want to paint, but I stumbled across this pink one.  Score.

 I also bought a thin sheet of wood, you could also use foam board, just clean out any test at the end of the nesting season when the family moves out and replace it.  I figure if those foam boards work for election signs out in the season, they should work for this as well.
I used a jigsaw to cut out the circle I traced around the lid of the pot.
I drilled a hole in the middle.

 I took the same saw and drilled a hole in the middle.  The bigger the hole, the bigger the bird or animal that can fit inside, so...if you want cute little song birds, make 'em small.

Now for decorating.  I read up a bit on this:  you want your house to blend in with it's surrounding so you aren't advertising to the enemy (cats) where their dessert lives.  This little guy is going near a garden, so pink should be fine.  You could paint your wood, use scrapbook paper, and lots of water resistant spray, but I found some duct tape that worked.  I'll still probably replace it after a summer outside, but....it should hold pretty well in the weather.  

 I drilled another hole for my little perch.  I found this knob for half off at Hobby Lobby.

 You could use a foil pan, or I found this weird piece of metal in the plumbing section at Home Depot.

 I cut a piece and nailed it down with thumbtacks to help protect the bird family from some rain.
I drilled a hole in both sides of the board and in the pan and I tied it on with ribbon.  I added a dab of glue before hanging so it would hold firm until I was ready to clean it out and refresh the home.

Now.....time to advertise my vacancy!

Old Cabinet Door Chalkboard

 In the new year, I thought I'd pull out an 'old' idea.  Chalk.  What better way to start a year?!?  So....I found this cabinet door in the alley by a dumpster. 

 I blame Terry for this bout of dumpster diving, she taught me everything I know.  I now am not allowed to drive though alley b/c I never know what 'treasures I'll find.  I spayed the middle with chalkboard paint, taped it off, and then added a color to match my room. 

I had removed the knob for the spraying, but added it back again, along with a little handle I bought at the hobby store.  I turned it upside down to hold the chalk (I saw that idea on ETSY).  I'm hanging this in my room. 

Thrift Store+Vinyl=Framed Glass Chandelier

This framed, glass chandelier has a future ahead of her.  She'll eventually hang at a few upcoming parties with no wall behind her, but for photo taking purposes, I plucked down a canvas painting and hung it against the wall.  This was really easy to put together, and I think it's going to make a real splash at the parties it will be attending in the (near?!?!?) future.  ;O)  I saw an idea like this at Third Monday.  This one shop has an old window with a colored vinyl picture like this hanging in the window...and I got to thinking...  I hunted down a vinyle chandelier at Hobby Lobby (they are also all over the net).  I got mine for half off ($10).  It also came with rhinestones, and can be plopped onto a wall if the frame isn't doing it for you. 

I then found a frame at the Thrift Store for $5....I'm sure I could have found one cheaper at a garage sale, but I'm kind of into this molding.  I sprayed it with a 99 cent can of glossy spraypaint from the store. 

I applied the vinyl, and now...I need to start gathering the rest of these supplies for the festivities. 

I have a week of Mother's Day post going on, so I'm interrupting so I can enter this in a vinyl project in a round up at the Iron Crafter 

Linking To:  Dittle Dattle  Funky Junk CRAFT KISS Under the Table and Dreaming The Girl Creative Keeping it Simple Naps on the Porch Trash 2 Treasure