Monday, November 28, 2016

Tart Pan Ornaments

With Christmas so near,
It time to share 
a few hand created ornaments you can also make for quick gift ideas.
This season I'm putting to use sweet little tart pans.
I find these little treasures junkin and antiquing.
They are perfect to create an original design using 
all those bits and bobs in your stash of craft supplies.
The skies the limit to how you can embellish these little cuties.

Here are a few of the pans I found  recently.
The finished designs will be available in my etsy shoppe
Where my Christmas SALE begins today through Jan.1st. 2017.
Using coupon code
CHRISTMAS25 at checkout.

So as you can see, I gather up all the tart pans in my stash.
Some I paint and others I leave unfinished.

To the bell shape pan, I add musical graphic paper to the background with stars.
Tinsel and snow with a little tree and reindeer are the centerpiece.
Adding a little greeting at the top with a bough of evergreen
completes the ornament.
To hang and display, I simply glued on a ribbon before I added the evergreen around the edge.
This helps hold the ribbon in place and keep the ornament hanging straight without tilting backwards or forwards. 



 This one was designed using sky paper for the background and I hand painted snowflakes over the paper and sealed with modpodge.
Tinsel, a tree topped with a star and a sweet little hand painted snowman
standing in the snow takes center stage.
To the side of the shapes I like to add lace or more tinsel
after I place the hanging ribbon in place.


This one was fun to create using a felt reindeer 
with a musical background paper.
Tinsel, trims and side lace with snow and word ribbon complete another bell shape tart pan.
For the round pans,
 I again left this one original and just added pretty plaid paper for the background.
A vintage deer ornament takes center stage with tinsel,
poly filling sprinkled with glitter for the snow
and
a little sign saying rejoice added to complete with an ornament to fill in the space.
For the bow I just tied a bow from yarn and added a dot of glitter glue.


To the backside I added more paper
for a little note to be written when used as a gift.
A sharpie pen works great here to leave a message, greeting or date.


To this round pan,
I painted the back ground with a soft sky blue.
The star in the center is cut from wood with my hand painted
country snow scene.
I then added tinsel, a star in the sky, ribbon, lace around the pan and of course,
 lots  of glittered snow!


This last little pan was also painted in an ivory color 
with added tree, glittered snow and Noel message 
in the background.
I drilled a little hole at the top for the hanging thread.
And 
let me share here,
for the snow, I use tube acrylic paint in white.
You can place it  on the area you want for snow applying  it thickly 
and glitter while it's still wet.
It takes longer to dry but looks like real snow and stays in place.

So there you have some ideas for little tart pans
and all the little embellishments in your stash of crafting supplies.

Before I go,
I want to share a beautiful hand created card I received from Connie
Connie designs cards using many of the designer supplies and tools
meant for card artists like herself.
Her work is amazing and I always enjoy viewing each and every creation.
It has been an inspiration to visit her blog over the years.
She also does something very special  too~~~
for her comment followers she sends, 
 a lovely card, hand created just for you.

This is the beauty she sent to me.
Love this darling vase filled with flowers.

And,
Connie hand crocheted around each button to form the flowers.

Adding embellishments to her design to complete
for the perfect card original.
Thank you Connie, I will enjoy this and plan to frame it in the new year.

***************

Another beautiful creation I won and received right after Thanksgiving
was from
and Linda has an 
 Etsy shoppe too called,

 I won a beautiful hand created
bookmark from Linda.
I love it and all the gorgeous details Linda adds to her treasures.
Lace, buttons, ribbons, and words.


I collect bookmarks so this is very special.

I love the word Hope and it arrived at just the right time
when I needed to read this word.
Made with fabric with lace overlay, buttons and more make this extra special.
Thank you Linda.
So happy I won this beauty and I will enjoy it greatly!


Now just one more thing!
Next week begins a Holiday Blog Tour,
Cozy at Christmas
It will be hosted by a Texas Friend
15 plus bloggers will share their homes and more
Dec. 5,6 & 7
My day is the 5th 
so if you liked to stop back by,
I'd love to have you visit.
I'll also have the links to all the participates too.


Thank you for stopping by today.
Wishing you a great end to November
with a  beautiful start to December
and
The Christmas season!

Continue Reading
42 comments
Share:

Monday, November 21, 2016

Happy Thanksgiving and a Final Reveal!

Happy Thanksgiving Week Friends!


Well, this second bath has been complete weeks ago
but I've been so busy,
 going in  many directions,
this now
 has been my first opportunity to share  as promised.

This is a longer post with a few painting secrets revealed too.
 I will thank you in advance for the visit.
If you want to just look at the pics.
That's great too.
I love having you here either way!


Little by little
we have updated and changed every room
in my
Rose Garden Cottage.
I can say after 20 years, it's nice to be done
but knowing myself, I may find something else in time~ maybe!!


Looking down the second floor hall leading to  two bedrooms
which share this new updated bathroom.

I keep this hallway very neutral in shades of white.
It keeps it looking larger and open to the rooms.

Sorry for the glare of light.
This bathroom gets a lot of natural
light from the half moon window
above the shower.



This view is looking from the shower into the room
In the hallway, those two stairs, are a walk up to lots of attic storage.
This is where the Christmas and all seasonal decor live!!


As you can see, I've stayed with neutrals in this bath too
as I've done all around the house giving me the opportunity to
just add color changes for the seasons.

As we look around, you will see a few Christmas decorations.
As I put the room back together, I decided to add a few pretties.


Starting with the shower upgrade.
Here I used subway tile in a bone color with the same color grout.
The floor of the shower
 is also subway tiles 
but in a 3" x 3" size with a matte finish for a non slip floor.

 The door with the robe leads to the water closet.


The glass doors are seamless with hardware done in rubbed oil bronze.
The door swings both ways for entry to the shower.


The shampoo box  and accent around the shower are tiled in glass with neutrals tones. 


To the shower I added a teak bench for essentials.



On the wall next to the shower,
I designed this wall shelf from pieces I had in my stash.
With the help of my talented hubby,
we added wood pieces to the shelf,
the crown hooks found at a little French shop in town
and I stenciled the design in burnt umber to complete.


While shopping at one of my favorite 
shops, I found this sweet mason jar
and filled it with neutral tooth brushes.


For the cabinet,
we kept what we had because it was in mint condition.
 I just can't see taking out something that can be upgraded
just by a coat of paint.
So I did paint these a few years ago in a light ivory and added a light tone on tone stencil.
I did however find the hardware drawer pulls to change out
reflect the glass tile perfectly.
These were found at Hobby Lobby half off.

&&&&&&&&&&&

The paint for the cabinet and all furniture I paint
is flat interior wall and house paint.
I don't use chalk paint as I find the performance of flat with primer paint
to work best. Followed by a coat of satin water based varnish to complete.
I'm not a fan of the wax finish either!!!
There I told you my secret.
 Sorry chalk paint furniture painters.
I think you either love it or not!
I do love chalk paint for base coating small items for my shop,
but NOT on furniture!!

It has to be a FLAT finish paint though to adhere properly with a little prep of sanding.
Primer added flat paint works best!!!!!
Semigloss will only scratch off and chip!!

I use Folk Art, Waverly or Deco Art Chalk paints when I do use them.
They are reasonably priced.
However, I have never found any that cover in one coat like they say!
Everyone has their favorites and what works best for them.
I've been painting 35 years and 
these are just a few of mine that I found to work without fail!!

Sorry to get off track~ 
now back to the reveal.

***********

The floor is marble tile called  "Creamfill" with shades of all the neutrals in the room.


The sinks are rectangular with a curved front.
The counter is marble called "Emperador Light"
and is the darker tone of the floor.
Here you can see, I also used the glass tile
from the shower as the back splash
and rubbed oil bronze fixtures.

Our  tile installer is the best and he did an amazing job on every area in both bathrooms.


I searched high and low for just the right mirrors.
Then I finally found this pretty style at Kirklands.
Hobby Lobby had the one I really wanted at first
but my local shop only had one
 and other HL locations out of town
had none.
I guess it's a popular pick at the moment.



For the lights, I found a style I liked and then spray painted them 
the color of the mirror frames.
By the way the wall color is called
"Winter Wheat" semi gloss for bathrooms and it really gives the neutrals a pop.


This is the water closet and the cabinets here are painted the same
as the counter sink cabinet.


Also inside the water closet 
" La Toilet"
 and looking out into the room.
Here I painted an old Rachel Ashwell Cabinet
 I found at Target many years ago.
To the wall above it I added an old drawer painted for a wall shelf.


To the large wall across from the sink,
I added a painting I did a few years ago.


This sweet birdie towel just spoke to me with the colors for this room.


Light pink with the neutrals for now,
just seem to work.
But you know I'll change this out. Yes, you know I will!!
I thinking very pale aqua for spring?????



So we went from this~~~~


To this!! 

I have to say,
Having a great contractor makes all the difference
in doing a big project like this.
We worked many projects in our home
 with a very talented construction company in my area
and my contractor is the best.
He and his crew worked
two bathrooms at the same time
and it was a seamless transition to completion.
For privacy sake,
 I will not post the name and phone number here of the company,
but if you live in the area 
and want more info
for the company I always work with, 
contact me and I will be glad to share it.

***********

I'll be back with decor to share from around the cottage for Christmas
 in the weeks ahead
and 
Texas is blog hoppin again sharing
a tour
hosted by


My day is December 5th and I'll have a list of all participates to visit too.

In the meantime,
I still have a sale going on in my shop through Thanksgiving Day!



See you next week!
Happy Thanksgiving filled with many blessings!

Continue Reading
36 comments
Share:

Friday, November 18, 2016

Fun Features and More!!

Hi Friends!
Is it Christmas yet?
Or
Is it just me or does it seem like this year is flying by?
With Christmas just a little over a month away
my studio has been all a buzz creating
for my shop on Etsy.





Today
is sharing shop features
from favorite Etsy Shops.

It is an honor for me  to be included in her special series
sharing 2 shops each Friday this month through Dec.2nd.





And
 in thanksgiving for a great year of designing and offering
pretties to my special customers,
I am having a special sale starting today
through Monday the 21st.

However, you have to stop over at Jemma's today to see what the sale  is.
She has all the info!!


While you're there at Jemma's
take a minute to enjoy her many blog posts sharing home, projects, gardening, recipes, stories
 and more.
You'll be so glad you did.




Thank you for stopping here today
and 
I thank you in advance for dropping by Jemma's too.

Wishing you all a great weekend.
See you Monday!

Continue Reading
26 comments
Share: