Here's to Dinos (and other old, slow things!!)

Oh, groan...It's been awhile!! I am starting this year out at a dinosaur pace...:-))

Partly because I am working more outside the home, and partly because I am kind of in a winter of creativity...but sometimes we just have to sit quietly and let the seeds of new things do the great work of preparing to grow!! And in those times it is paramount to hold onto the belief that Spring will come!! :-))

So I have a little project to share with you that I did a while back and never posted...

I started with this picture that I bought years ago at a church garage sale for $1. It was a little 80's-ish, (OK, a LOT 80's-ish) but I thought it might fill an empty space with color!!



So I had it for awhile, didn't really use it, gave it to Mom, she didn't really use it, she gave it back to me, it sat in the garage...then I got a great idea!!



I had this cool dino picture that I got at the local art institute end-of-semester sale and wanted to frame, but just hadn't found the right frame (size- and price-wise). I wanted something that would really highlight the picture and be, well, free...:-))

Oh, how I love it when things come together so serendipitously...:-))



I just disassembled the piece and removed the picture and mat, then spray painted the frame black. (I probably should have primed it, but just did a couple of coats.) Then I took it to my local Hobby Lobby and got the dino top-mounted on a medium-grey mat. The mat plus assembly fee was inexpensive (like, under $15), and saved me the trouble of putting it all back together!! :-)) This picture is closer to the true colors of the piece...



But it's fuzzy, which drives me nuts, so here it is one more time in lovely clarity!! :-))



Of course, the dinosaur craze in our household is now waning, but there is still enough interest that this will be relevant for awhile!! And it's just cool 'real' art for a kid's room!!

Here's to Holiday Crafting!!

Ahhh...so much time, so little to do...

Wait...other way around!!! (I love that movie!! :-) So here it is, what, two weeks til Christmas???!!! And all the little loose ends to tie up, last presents to find, traditions to keep! :-)) In the middle of everything, I thought I would try making some cute holiday servers, kind of a take-off on the cake plate I did as my very first post!!

I used super glue for glass, although I just used regular super glue the first time around, and it worked great!



Then I gathered some really cute holiday plates, votive holders, aperitif glasses, whatever caught my eye, and started playing around til I thought something worked...







These would all work as really cute candle holders, but you could also put little faux or real flower arrangements in them for use as centerpieces or decorations. I also made these two tier servers that could be used to serve dessert, appetizers like crackers and cheese, or for holding jewelry, or arrangements for a centerpiece. There are just a ton of ways to use these little beauts. That's why I thought I would make them a little more generic...





Hope your December is going just swimmingly and everyone is enjoying all the great sights, tastes, smells, and sounds of the season!!! :-))

Here's to Time!!

So here is a fun project I did recently!!



This cute little platter came in a garage sale box of other things that I wanted...I actually tried to leave it there (as I am pretty sure it is missing a glass insert of some kind that fits in the middle), but no dice!!! And I really wanted the other stuff in the box...:-)) That means I get to call this *free*, right!!



Not that I don't appreciate the silvery/flowery cuteness of it all!! But what to do with it? I almost gave it to Goodwill about three times, and just never quite could...Then inspiration hit!! A clock!

I had a hole drilled in the center of the platter (drilling is WAY past my pay grade ;-)) and bought a little clock-making kit at a craft store.



I also bought longer, black hands (that I didn't take a picture of), as the hands that came in the kit were tiny and gold-colored, not so great with a silver back drop...I thought it was HILARIOUS that the kit said I could "create time"...if only, right!!!!!



Not so hilarious were the total lack of instructions regarding assembling of said do-it-yourself time creation dohicky...But after a little bit of fiddling, I got it together...really, it was fairly straightforward and I didn't even break anything!! YES!! :-))

I finished after dark, so here is my cruddy indoor picture of the finished project...



I wasn't sure about it 'til I hung it up on the wall...so cute!! And it was really so easy...will definitely be "creating time" again soon up in here!! ;-))

Here's to Re-Use!!

I LOVE finding great new uses for things that have outlived their original intent, AND I have limited funds for fall decorating...so this post is all about reusing some items that were no longer suitable for their original purpose to make my house reflect the beauty of this lovely time of year!!

The first item was the cream candlestick holder that I mentioned in my first post...the one that I couldn't glue a plate to because it was cattywhompus...



Here is my attempt at showing its cattywhompusness...didn't really show the angle like I'd hoped...



But trust me...its NOT level!! It is, however, hollow through the middle...



Perfect for its next life!!

Then there is the pretty gold glass candlestick that got broken...





So sad...:-(( But now, ready to be somethin' else!!

Finally, there is the toothbrush holder that has been passed between myself and my Mom for several months now, neither of us having a spot for it in our bathrooms!! But I did think it was cute...hmmm...



SO...

I told myself that I couldn't keep these lovelies if I didn't find a good use for them...and how fun is this!! They all worked wonderfully around my house as vases for oh-so-cute autumnal bouquets!! Yeah!!

Here's the cream candlestick...



So pretty with an olive, plum , and cream palette. And here is the gold glass candlestick...



Gorgeous warm colors with a hint of shimmer!! Love it!! And I got that ribbon at the dollar store...great for the budget!!

Finally, the toothbrush holder...



Such a cute little bundle of classic fall colors!! Easy to tuck into a corner somewhere for a shot of warmth!!

And here they are in situ...









Much more interesting than plain glass vases, and I get to re-purpose the items while making my house look great!! I purchased the fall stems on sale today at my local craft store, so the total cost of the three bouquets was under twenty dollars...a fantastic deal!!

Even better, I can easily replace the fall bouquets with Christmas ones when the time comes, since I use the tried and true stuff-and-fluff method of flower arranging!!

These would even make great gifts...if I could bear to part with them now!! :-))