welcome sign

I saw a sign in the background of a picture in a magazine and wanted to adapt it for a naked corner by my garage.  Here's what you'll need:

2 1x8 6 feet   ask your local lumberyard, many will cut boards for you free or for a very small charge

1 1x8 5 feet

3 1x2 14 inches

13 11/4" dry wall screws

paint in your choice of colors

carbon paper

spray sealer

Sand your boards especially on the ends, do this lightly just to get the rough stuff off.

Paint the two long boards one color the third board a contrasting color let dry.

Print out letters in the font of your choice on the computer  measure first to make sure the letters will fit.

Draw a light pencil line both vertically and horizontaly in the center of the single board.line up your letters starting in the middle and transfer using the carbon paper  If you have a cutting machine  you could use vinyl or if the sign will be inside you could use paper.  (sigh) I don't have one so I painted my letters in with acrylics.  Let every thing dry several hours and erase pencil marks.  Sorry I didn't get a good picture of this.  Please send any hints for good photography, I need all the help I can get.

Lay the two background boards flat face down and attach the 1x2's evenly spaced using drywall screws, just eye ball this don't make yourself crazy.  If you don't have screws use glue and nails.

Center the board with the word on it on the front of the two boards, measure carefully this time, and attach.  I marked mine top and bottom on the back and the front with pencil first.

Now the rest is up to you.  You can seal this with 3 coats of sealer and you're done.  Or if you like things to look old and beat up sand the fronts and edges to make them look worn.  Water down about 1 tablespoon of burnt umber acrylic paint with water til it looks like ink.  Brush on to the sign, wipe off with paper towels until you like the look.  Finish with spray sealer.

If you wanted to hang your sign you could attach two heavy duty picture hangers to the back.

ENJOY your beautiful new sign.  I think I'll do our name next, maybe horizontally.  Stay tuned.


If there is an empty place I always want to fill it up.
I think the sign fills that empty corner very well.  YEA!! 

happy birthday America

It's the fourth of July1  Happy birthday America.  If you are lucky enough to be a citizen of the United States  you have have been truely blessed .  If you are a woman, consider the attrocities that are inflicted daily to women around the world, and say a special prayer of thanks.  As messy and inperfect as it can be, there is no better place on this earth to live than the US.  This wonderful freedom does not come free.  As the granddaughter, daughter, wife, and mother of veterans I know the sacrifices our military and their families endure daily.  So thank a vet, help their families when you can and keep them in your prayers.  They are the reason you can enjoy your cookouts, family reunions, parades and fireworks today.

Garden sparklers  you will need:

stiff thin wire I used 17ga electric fence wire on one, aluminum on the other

glass and plastic beads they need to have holes big enough for the wire to go through.  I got mine in tubs from Joanns
crimp beads
6-8" of aluminum or copper tubing 1/4-3/8"
vise you can do this without it in a glass or vase but it really is handy
wire cutters
pliers

Cut the stiff wire in 9-24" pieces. Make about 15-25 wires.  Slide a crimp bead on about 6-8" from the bottom.  Add beads and crimps in a random pattern.  Don't put too many beads on each wire or they'll droop too much. See pic one.  Add a crimp bead to the top of the wire, cut it off if it's too long, or if it is bendable make a small loop or curl around a pencil..  When you have all of your wires beaded, slide them into the copper tube and arrange then to suit you.  This is where I use the vise to hold the tube while inserting the wires.  When all of the wires are in place squeeze the tubing around the wires tightly.  OK, I didn't have enough muscle to do this and AH did it for me.  He's very helpful that way.  Use your sparkler in a pot, a vase or put the end into another bigger tube cut as a stake for the garden.

To me they look like strange alien spiders, but they sure are happy and will bring a smile to your face..

My first blog

This is it.  My very first of  many blog entries.  My vintage cottage had its first glimmers of life years ago when blogging first took off.  Family and friends have frequently suggested I start a blog.  I really think they were trying to tell me I'm very opinionated.  Now I'm finally taking their idea to heart. 

I love to create new things from something old, play in my garden, junking for new treasures, garage saleing and cooking healthy(most of the time)

I really hope to inspire, teach a little and have loads of fun while sharing my slightly quirky(OK weird) and creative life.  So I hope you'll come back to my little house in Illinois often to see what's happening next.

The pic at the right is a found clay pedestal, maybe a gazing ball holder in a previous life, with a rusty enamel pan filled with leftover petunias.   All most instant decorating.  The boxes on either side were store sorting bins, but with holes drilled in the bottoms work great as planters.

This is the front yard shot of our vintage cottage.  Built in 1903  as a wedding gift for the daughter of the dentist who lived next door.  It's undergone many renovations through the years.  Indoor plumbing came in the 20's or 30's, electricity about WW1.  We added the front room and the sun room and renovated the kitchen in the 70's.   The patio and pergola were added 2 years ago.  We've lived here for over 30 years.  Being a military brat, I never lived anywhere more than a couple of years.  My kids will probably have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming, unless I'm dead, then it's a short trip down to the end of the block to the funeral home.