Showing posts with label Makeover. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Makeover. Show all posts

Friday, August 26, 2016

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



Monday, June 27, 2016

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

Monday, April 4, 2016

Dog-Sitting, Peat Pots, and Berry Baskets

Yes, it's been awhile since I last posted. 
Here's what I've been up to this time. 

Dog-sitting this little imp.

Maisie

Creating Spring/Easter treasures for my Etsy shop.


Last Spring I produced a few of these chicken wire nest baskets.
I love the design, but I thought it would be fun to create them in a different color. 


Moss green makes me happy. 


And rather than stay with German glass glitter for the eggs, 
I opted for Bronze mica flakes from Meyer Imports.
A great bold, yet sophisticated effect.

And more feathers is always a good idea.

I also decided to make twigs by wrapping thin wire, 
bending it into shape, then painting it. 
Real twigs are so fragile and I didn't want
to worry about them breaking.


The final touch was creating a bow using this luscious wired 
French Ribbon in an antique Moss green.

My other creations involved playing with vintage
wooden berry hallocks.
I bought them a while back, but hadn't come up
with a good design yet.
Finally figured it out. All I needed to do was
craft handles by twisting rustic wire.


Just for fun, I thought I'd give them some age,
using the rusty vinegar method.
Some of them turned out darker than I wanted,
so I decided to paint them 
with sheer coats of mossy green. 



Finally, I accented them with thick crepe paper bows and 
Spanish moss, which I hand-dyed for just the right tints.

Up next?
My rustic creations using old-fashioned milk bottle caps!

Join Me on Instagram
@MagiaMiaEtsy


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Monday, January 25, 2016

Crafting My Way Out of Christmas and Into Valentine's Day

After crafting through the Christmas season, it's very difficult to just stop the creative process, as soon as Christmas is over. The only way to placate the Muse, then, is to continue creating, till I'm no longer inspired. The next natural source of inspiration comes from Valentine's Day, and how convenient that I can still use all of my crafting supplies that involve red, white, silver, and gold.


After creating this little bit of whimsy at Christmastime, I wanted to use the same concept for a Valentine project.


So here's one.....


and here's the other.....
Using 3 elements I have copious amounts of.....
Bottle brush trees, Bingo Cards, and German glass glitter!
A new craft I've recently started is creating tiny faux candles
like those found in kitschy arrangements.


Another concept I thought I'd re-visit was making
gift tag ornaments
with vintage button cards.


These are always a pleasure to play with, because the possibilities are endless!


At Christmastime, I played with a very old Tetley Tea tin, and I loved how it turned out. A fun mix of whimsy, using many vintage elements. I've been drawn to old tins forever, so I'm thrilled that I've discovered a creative way to display them as a centerpiece. Naturally this has started a new obsession with me, as I've begun the inevitable hunting and gathering of more vintage tins, especially smaller ones. 


My first non-Christmas tin design I've played with is this Eight O'Clock Coffee tin.
So many directions I could have gone in,
but in the end I chose an old mercantile theme. So much fun!



I guess we'll just have to wait and see what inspiration
the next tin acquisitions will bring...;)

Join me on Instagram
@MagiaMiaEtsy

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Whimsical Dutch-Inspired Christmas Centerpiece

I have a dear friend in The Netherlands
and it has influenced my Junker's eye the past few years.
I now seem to have a radar for windmills and wooden shoes.
I try very hard to not get carried away and impulsive
with my purchases, since there is a plethora
of Dutch souvenirs in the thrift store.

I recently acquired 2 pairs of clogs at the auction,
but didn't have immediate plans for them.
The smaller ones got a bad paint job,
which displayed a poor attempt to improve the 
existing Dutch scenery. Since sanding wasn't helping,
I decided to work some chalk paint magic + distressing instead.
But I didn't stop there.


Ta Da!


I was originally thinking of fitting a small
windmill next to the tree, but then I had an epiphany!
Why not make the tree the windmill?
And really, any excuse to use more mercury beads 
is a win as far as I'm concerned!
The beads are threaded onto thin pipe cleaners,
which I wired together 
then tucked into the treetop with hot glue.


Lots of fun crafty items in this piece.
A little classic, a little kitsch,
and lots of German glass glitter.
The mini Dutch people were from a package
of NOS mini European people from Meyer Imports.
Apparently they were used for snow globes.
I knew they had to join this ensemble.


I secured everything well enough to sell,
but I think I've grown a bit attached to it.
Maybe I'll have to just make more then...:-)


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Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Antique Tin Christmas Centerpiece + Kitschy Reflector Flowers

I know a great many of us are addicted to old tins.
Whenever I can creatively decorate with one, it's a treat.


When I bought this tin, I pictured it with a bottle brush tree in it. 
Well I couldn't just leave it at that. 

Playing with vintage elements is so much fun, and so rewarding to give new life to old treasures. Probably my favorite part is the flower that basically created itself.



Can mercury glass balls, antique metalized tinsel garland,
lacquered holly, and old light reflectors ever be a bad thing?
I think not!


Just for fun, I accentuated some corroded spots
with bronze mica, for a little extra zing...




This Christmas flower is so simple, but with so much instant impact! 
It's the teensiest of tart tins, with a pipecleaner stem of green mercury beads 
hot-glued to it, then backed with the inner layer of a double light reflector. 
Wish I had a bunch more of these tiny tins!


Oh look, more flowers are growing...;-) 
Metallic flowers growing in metal grass on a metal dirt mound. 
Looks like something from the Jetsons....

Join Me on Instagram
@MagiaMiaEtsy

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