Cleaning up

This is just a quick post to show you some of what I’ve been up to this past week-end.  No creating for me, I’m afraid.  Just cleaning up some of my messes.

 

I got a call from Mom a couple weeks back and she was wondering if I was ever going to come back and take care of some stuff I had stashed hidden over at her house a long time ago.  (ahem, that would be 2 full years ago)

I had offloaded some curb finds to the side of her house so that I could go back and get more (her house being close to the neighborhood I was curb shopping)   Well, bad daughter that I am, I never got back to pick up my mess.  Mom has been awfully patient about this, offering threatening to throw it in a dumpster only a few times.  Her lawn service guy was getting pretty tired of trimming around the junk pile too.

(Yes. that is another ladder, it’s a 10 footer!)

It got a little complicated as I had absolutely no room at home for anything more…and I sure didn’t want Mike to know I had yet another stash of junk somewhere…..such is the secret life of a curbshopaholic I’m afraid. 

Well, this time I PROMISED I would get it cleared out before big trash day, which was Monday.  Starting in the spring her city picks up big items and construction debris once a month.  (something to take note of if you have this in your area, makes for some great curb shopping!)

(2 years outdoors makes  for a perfectly weathered door, I’m sooo excited about this!)

 

So I spent some time Saturday morning cleaning up, and was rewarded with some bonus pallets too!  Yayyyyyyy!   Mom had these leftover from a new tub that was installed last fall.

 

I feel like a good daughter again.  (But not such a good wife, as I’m taking this stuff home to hide somewhere)

 

Thanks for putting up with me Mom! (and for keeping my secret from Mike)  Shhhhhhh……….

Gotta go now, it’s trash day somewhere!

Rose

Chalkboard Night Stand (Care for Cathy project #7)

Ok folks, here is the very last of the ‘Care for Cathy’  projects.  Don’t you just love how I managed to make a week last for 10 days?

Wish I could do that in real life……

 

This last project is actually a cheat, I didn’t make it especially for the silent auction like all the rest.  I just got it into my head I wanted to have 7 items to donate and happened to have this already made with no home to go to.  And since I like to find good homes for all my pieces, I decided to take a chance and put her up for bid.

If by chance you follow Mustard Seed Creations, you may have already seen this end table/night stand.  I was inspired by this creation of Marian’s,  and endeavored to copy create my own version based on her idea.

Since I didn’t have a blog at the time I e-mailed her with some photos of it to thank her for her inspiration.  She was so sweet about it and actually  posted my table on her blog.

She is truly a gracious person.

You can read about it here.

It was a turning point for me, giving me the nudge I needed to finally decide to start a blog of my own.

This table had been pushed into the dreaded guest/junk/laundry basket/more junk hidden in the corners until I figure out where to put it later room.  No wonder we never have any overnight guests, that room is absolutely scary!

She was well received at the silent auction.  I’m happy to report that she sold for $80 and went home with a very cute young lady who loves to draw.   Her dad bought it to use as a nightstand in her room.  I feel satisfied to have finally found a good home for it, where she would be appreciated. (As opposed to being hidden under baskets of clothing.)

End of story.

All in all, the 7 items raised $570 for Cathy’s care.  A drop in the bucket, but it made me feel good that my curb-shopping habit had some merit after all.  Reason to keep my addiction justified, right? 

Not that I was going to quit junking anytime soon……I am, after all is said and done, a Curbshop-aholic!

This does give me some ideas though.  I really enjoyed having a good reason to create.  I think I’ll be looking for more causes that I can donate projects to.  It was a lot of fun. 

Thanks for hanging in there for the whole series….you’re the best!

Gotta go now, it’s trash day somewhere!

Rose

 

 

 

I’m linking up to Reinvented; Trash to treasure Tuesday

Silverware Wind Chimes (Care for Cathy projects #5&6)

This Care for Cathy week is getting pretty darn long! 

Almost done.

I’m combining these 2 projects as they are basically the same.

At the 11th hour I had the bright idea to try my hand at making some wind chimes out of silverware…..I was really getting nervous at this point that nothing I had made so far would even get bid on.

So I decided to do something small to appeal to those not into repurposed furniture. 

I’d always wanted to make wind chimes, I’ve seen them around for ages and have collected a whole box of silverware pieces.  When shopping at the thrift store I’m always on the lookout for tarnished pieces of tea sets.  I’ve found a few odd pieces this way, always for less than $5.  Time to take action and actually use them!  And they fit into my theme for the projects; you use silverware in a restaurant, right?

So here I am 2 days before the auction and starting another project……glutton for punishment, aren’t I?

I did not remember to take any pictures of this before starting.  We’ll just have to skip right to the end….

Let me warn you, it was not easy to get pics of these due to the reflections off the silver!  (even without a flash) These are all very bad….break out your sunglasses before viewing!

     

This is one of the few shots I was able to get without a lot of glare.  I hung it in the sun porch and you can see the trees in the background…

This is not a teapot, rather a piece from a tea set.  A sugar bowl perhaps? 

I loved the handles and the petite size.

Full view with the flattened silverware and beads. 

All were pieces I had in my stash, the beads are from assorted necklaces found in curbed jewelry boxes.

I used a heavy duty fishing line to string the beads.

    

A roll of wire previously purchased for a dollar at Real Deals (my favorite dollar store) was used to make the spirals.  It was wayyyy too heavy of a gauge and very difficult to work with!  My fingers were sore for days after this.

In silhouette. 

The second one is an actual Teapot.  It’s pretty big, and heavy!

This is an early version, the knife in the middle (clapper) didn’t make much noise.  I didn’t like it much.

   

Went back and added some coiled wire and center beads to pretty it up.  Changed the clapper to a flattened serving spoon.  Much better sound!

 I added some crystals and beads to the top just for fun.

The big round and butterfly shaped beads in the center were from a dollar store sun catcher I had purchased last year.

Even without a flash I got the glare from the windows reflecting off these.  Oh well, they actually did come out cute even though you can’t tell here.

I used an old floor lamp to hang these from for the photos and at the benefit.   Drapery hooks worked as temporary hanging hooks.

Would you believe these got the most bids at the auction?  The teapot went for $110, and the sugar bowl went for $90!!!!

Holy Moly!  Who would have thought?

I had everything already on hand for these, collected over time.  I would guess that the total cost for both pieces was under $10.

There is just one more item in the ‘Care for Cathy’ project series. 

I promise I’ll finish up tomorrow! 

Gotta go now, it’s trash day somewhere!

Rose

Linking up to the Make it Yours party at My Backyard Eden

K.I.S.S. (Keep it Short Sunday)

 

I know, it was supposed to be Saturday, but the day got away from me.  Besides, Sunday starts with an S, so it still works.

Keeping it Short.

 

This is Sandy.  Doesn’t she have the best smile ever?

I hope you all are enjoying the day as much as she is….

Gotta go now, it’s trash day somewhere!

Rose

Suitcase Nightstand (Care for Cathy project #4)

 

 

I had to laugh when reading comments tonight from project #3 -Double Chair bench.

2 very astute people asked about the chair legs,

First Granny J commented   “When I saw the cut off front legs my first thought was that together they would make a great little table. I've always been a junker but you've opened my eyes to even more possibilities”

Casual (dash)Cottage wrote  ‘Have you got any plans for the front legs of those chairs?
I know you do... hope you share them soon. ‘

LOL, Am I that predictable already?  Guess so!

 

These were left over from making the double chair bench.

Would have been a shame to waste them, right?

Even though a doggie or 2 had snacked on them pretty good.

Then came a suitcase….

Very conveniently left at the curb for me to find.

The very same weekend I was working on the chair bench.

It was meant to be!

Love the red leather trim on this.

The inside was red also, it even came with postcards!

Alas, there was a lot of staining in the liner.  Looks like some hand lotion or hair care products leaked on the inside.  Could it be ‘dippity-do?’.  I’m figuring that’s how old this suitcase is and around when it was used last….. Do they even still make that stuff?

(You know where this is going, right?)

 

So I had the suitcase, and I had the 2 sets of front chair legs…..

And  I had this for inspiration…..

 

Marianne @ Songbird has a wonderful blog full of pretty photos and great projects.  She is so creative!  I’m a huge fan of hers.

This post called “a new side table for the guest room”  is one of my favorites, and promptly landed in my inspiration folder when I saw it.  Love it!  Who knew you could paint a suitcase?

As soon as I saw mine at the curb, I knew what it would be….

Not having a table to set my new suitcase on, I would need to improvise.

Enter the leftover chair legs.

Joined together, with the bad parts removed…and glued back together.

  

Oh no, not again.  Apparently the camera is the last thing I think of when working along, as once again I forgot to take pictures during the middle part of the project.  Sorry! 

I simply took the 2 front sections, of which each had one good side seat support and one falling off loose one.  Thankfully they matched up to opposite sides. 

All I had to do was glue the dowels into the opposite matching holes.  A little clamping and it was done!

All the new base needed was a top.

After spray painting the suitcase and new base with several coats of primer I then painted it with blossom white spray paint.  Several light coats were needed.

 Now for the inside.  The red liner had to go.  I ripped it out and was left with this ugly interior.

This blue paisley fabric was picked up last summer at a moving sale.  It was 10c for a yard.  No kidding.

I loved the blue color.  Had no place to use it.  Until now.

 

I used cardboard cut from some diet coke 12 pack cartons.

Just the right stiffness to wrap the fabric around after spraying both pieces with spray adhesive.

It’s not perfect at all, and the top lining was a bear to glue, no cardboard to help keep the fabric straight there.

 

Finally it was done.  The suitcase is screwed to the base from the inside of the suitcase.  I inserted a piece of plywood into the bottom of the suitcase to give it some strength. (before adding the fabric)

 

Took off the masking tape.  You didn’t think I could seriously paint over that beautiful red leather, did you?

      

Not as cute as Marianne’s, my suitcase is so much bigger than her little cutie.   And of course I don’t have the beautiful table with the curvy legs….

 

But I love it anyway.

 

This one sold for $80 at the Care for Cathy silent auction.

Cost, 10c for fabric.

Gotta go now, it’s trash day somewhere!

Rose

Linking this post to Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Special #28!

I’m resurrecting this to link up to Jami’s ‘Air your Laundry Friday party #4’ over at Freckled Laundry.