Christmas Crafting with Bottle Brush Trees Galore!

It's Christmastime, so you know what that means....

It means that I'll be inspired and compelled

to create non-stop, well past Christmas.

It's just how I roll....

So, without further ado, here's what I've been up to.

Available in my Etsy Shoppe. Link in Sidebar.

Trees on handcrafted Spools

With S&H Green Stamps & Lotto Markers

With Milk Bottle Caps, Bingo Cards, Handcrafted Berries

With Bingo Cards & Lotto markers

With Milk Bottle Caps & Handcrafted mini-cube stands

And Lots of Dye Colors

Next up.....Repurposed

Creations with old Shiny Brite boxes

and Scotch Tape Tins!

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@MagiaMiaEtsy

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Handmade Halloween Putz Houses

It's that time of year again!
Halloween is in some ways as magical as Christmas to me.
This year I was able to produce 3 Putz houses
instead of just one like last year.
To some, that doesn't sound noteworthy at all,
but when these are made from scratch, without any die cut machine,
and so many details are put into each one,
it's a lot.

This time I took a picture of them at their humble beginnings.

Each house is designed and cut by hand,
with no use of a diecut machine.

Hand-cut siding is applied one piece at a time.

Painted solid black as basecoat to enhance dry-brushing topcoats.

Handmade Paperclay stones.

Finished!

The tree roots are created with a glue gun,
then painted to match the tree.

The Paperclay landscape stones are painted
individually in multiple colors.

This is a Witch's Cottage, with handmade broom,

stick fences, and bonfire stick/stone pile.

All 3 are now available in my Etsy Shop.

View the listings on my sidebar

for many more pictures and details!

Creative Containers for Succulents and Vines

When I was preparing for the Beaverton Flea,

I was inspired to create some plant ensembles,

partly because it was summertime,

but also because plants bring the flea displays

to life and add vibrance.

Anytime I can keep the planters versatile, I'll do it.

I planted these in plastic containers that would fit

perfectly into the planters. This way,

the plants can be removed if they die  don't flourish,

or you wish to use the vessels for other decor ideas.

This creamer and aluminum measuring cup
were easy for fitting liners into.
The creamer has a small plastic drinking cup
that I cut the top lip off of to conceal it.
I planted the succulent into a peat pot first,
and tucked in Spanish moss to soften the edge.

The measuring cup perfectly accommodated
the cut off bottom of a clear pop bottle.

This fabulous Blue Willow teapot was missing its lid,
so I thought its vivid designs would compliment
a crisp green plant perfectly!

I didn't want to add a mess of soil and filler to the teapot,
so to my delight, I found one of those Glad storage containers
that fit snug as a bug into the mouth of the teapot!

By tucking in Coco fiber around the plant,
it did a fine job of hiding the plastic rim.

I found this old mantel clock that had serious body issues,

and knew it was the perfect candidate 

for a chalk paint makeover and a plant.

And so it was. After taking the clock guts out,
I painted it a tomato red, then top-coated it with
a vibrant leaf green. Finally, I painted the little
worn plaque with black chalkboard paint,
so a little something could be written on it.

The Piece de Resistance was adding the wire vine plant.
Again, a Glad or Saran container came to the rescue.
This time, it was one of those little oblong ones.
Once I cut off the rim that the lid fits on,
it slid into the clock like it was made for it!
Sadly, I was away from home for a week,
so you know what happened. The plant expired.
That's okay though. I think I'll sell it with a
fresh liner, so it can have many uses.
I'm thinking a sweet bottle brush tree
arrangement for Christmas!

Join me on Instagram!

@MagiaMiaEtsy

Cats and Dogs and Flea Markets

Since this year I've been steadily Pet-sitting,

I have had a limitless supply

of fur-baby photos.

In the midst of all of this

I was a vendor twice at the Beaverton Flea Market.

I haven't participated in a Flea since a few years ago

at Plucky Maidens.

The Beaverton Flea has a different clientele,

since it's outside with no admission,

meaning more casual passers-by than 

vintage shoppers on a mission.

Another difference though was the fact that

I shared a double space with my junking friend Joyce,

who's participated in this flea several times

throughout the year. She asked if I'd like to

share a space, and I jumped at the chance.

We each had a similar old ladder, so we decided

to use them as display shelving units.

I loved how they turned out!

We got lots of compliments and many pictures

were taken from visitors.

A fun accent we came up with was inspired by
the 4th of July, since our first shared booth
was on the 3rd. We wanted a vintage-looking banner
but wanted something easy and quick.
Enter my old stack of red, white & blue Bingo cards,
plus new clothespins that I ebonized to look old!

It tied the 2 spaces together, was whimsical, and
a conversation piece!

The joy of sharing a space is you can entertain each other

during the down times, and you have help with set-up.

I'm hoping this flea finds an indoor venue for the holiday season,

because I always have a million creation ideas

for Christmas, and some might work better 

in person than online.

Well, that's it for now.
I do plan to have more time again
for blog posts!
Join me on Instagram,
where I post regularly!

@MagiaMiaEtsy

Painting Makeovers and Pet-Sitting, Sitting, Sitting.......

Seems like all of my blog posts this year all start the same......

"What I've been up to". 

It's probably because this is the first year that I've exclusively 

been pet-sitting and NO house-painting.

I'm certainly not complaining, 

as it warms my heart to take care of a variety

of pets, and always in their homes.

It's like being paid to stay at Bed & Breakfasts

with a furry baby, or 2, or 5 at each place!

I wasn't particularly productive as far as my crafting

and Etsy shop are concerned, but I got my Mojo back

at the last house I stayed at last week.

I'm finally putting my vendor hat back on,

after only doing one vintage show a few years ago.

I'll be participating in the Beaverton Flea Market 

Sunday, July 3. My friend Joyce and I  are sharing a

double booth, so I've been painting a few vintage finds

for our space at the Flea. 

Here's a few of them.....

An old mantel clock that's seen better days.

Now with a base coat of tomato red, and many

top coats of vibrant leaf green, clear and dark wax.

I painted the plaque with chalkboard paint,

so now a word or mini message  can be written.

I found a plastic Glad storage container

that fits perfectly inside, so I see a plant in its future!

An old lamp base with great bones.

This base is made up of a few pieces,

held together with the hollow rod

that the wiring is threaded through.

I'm envisioning a wooden tray or bowl

attached to the top in such a way that

allows it to be removed. That way it can

still be an option as a lamp base too! 

As much as we all love weathered wood,

I wasn't stoked with the wording imprinted to this caddy's ends.

If it said the name of an old company, 

that would be one thing, but it said "My Garden Box",

so I sanded down the wording.

I didn't want to cover all the beautiful weathered finish,
so I painted the outer sides, and only 2 of the inner sides,
also leaving the dowel handle and nails alone.
I used the same green as the clock for the base coat,
and dry-brushed aqua ever so lightly over the green.
I distressed it with a chisel and coarse sand paper.
Before I wax it, I will use my rusty vinegar solution
over the distressed wood, so it doesn't look new.

So that's it for now. I'll not be pet-sitting again till 10 days from now.
In the meantime, it's Beaverton Flea Market prep prep prep!

TTFN, Maria

United We Stand

There is NO place in this world for hate.

It Solves Nothing.

There are no words for the people of Orlando.

Hearts from all over the World 

are with you today.

Kitty-Sitting, and....Wait for it.....More Dairy Milk Cap Spools!

It's getting into the busy vacation season,

which means I'm getting into the thick

of critter-sitting!

This week I'm petting my little buddy Charlie.....

She's such a love and a great personality.

I'm always delighted to spend time with her.

Last week, I shared my spools I created 

using vintage milk bottle caps and Bingo cards.

Everyone seems to love them as much as I do.

After a very lengthy search for just the right red Bingo cards,

I've come to the conclusion they don't exist.

So I dug through my cache of ephemera,

and low and behold, I found a delightful alternative!

Check these out!

Don't they have a cool Toile quality about them?

Thanks to vintage play money!

And I'll say it again.....
Upcycling is so rewarding!
For these spools, I used 2 vintage milk bottle caps,
a strip of unattractive Bingo card for the tube,
and vintage play money!
The only thing new was the glue....;)

So give that old ephemera the new life it's waiting for!

Join Me on Instagram!
@MagiaMiaEtsy


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