My Past 2-1/2 Weeks....Picket and Time...

Today I was one of 8000 support staff from 24 Ontario colleges that went back to work after a 2-1/2 week strike. Yikes!  It has been 32 years since the College support staff have been in this situation.  I've been employed there for 27 years.  We were so happy to have a settlement and be back to work.  Everyone on the picket line worked so well together and that was a good experience.

I had to put in 20 hours/week on the picket line which left me with extra hours for making...Jalapeno Pepper Jelly...Confetti Zucchini relish...and painting my mosaic table....

Then I separated the pulp from the skins of grapes...discarded the seeds and...

baked a grape pie....

                                           

       I am still in the process of making lavender scented sachets (not yet completed)..

I spent more time at the cottage and we made pizza on the new Weber grill...it was so delicious....

We attended a lovely wedding in Stratford (2 hours from home) ....this might have been a nice picture of Marc and I if the camera hadn't been so shaky..(or the photographer)

saw a wonderful  white cabinet in a store in Stratford but with the glare its not very clear...it was made from doors of all sizes with vintage glass knobs.....can you make something of it?

While it was good to have fun productive things to do with the extra time off...it feels so much better to have a settled feeling...  Work is good....Judi xoxo

Refashioned Bird Lamp Project

When I came across this vintage lamp while thrifting I was happy because it was just what I'd been looking for.  

I sprayed it with Krylon spray paint in ivory.    I got so involved with the project that unfortunately I didn't take any pictures!  I have to confess that I copied this idea and the bird images from a project I saw online.  But I think its ok to do that if you are making it for yourself and it happens to be just what you want. Right? 

I used my folk art acrylic paints to paint on the branches and leaves and carefully cut out the birds from this picture 

and used ModPodge to stick them on the branches.  I found the lovely birds at graphicsfairy .  She has wonderful images she shares so we can make wonderful projects.    The lamp project was there also.

The lamp didn't have a shade so I took it apart and attached a harp so I could put on a shade from another lamp of mine.  I was so pleased with my new lamp.   It fits perfectly on the table with the birdhouse I have painted....

Beside the end table where they sit is the antique child's high chair I found a few years ago at a garage sale.  I use it for my plant and can you see the little blue birdhouse in it?

In the bedroom I also have bird pictures and the bird pillow I made recently using Citrosol to transfer the image to the fabric.  Abby wandered into the room and made herself at home in the picture....

 ....after she checked out the new lamp. 

I had fun with this project .  I'm really loving birds right now and I can see more bird lamps and cushions in the making.  I hope you have a fun loving day today too.... Judi xoxo

Fun Transfer Technique -- Creating A Bird Cushion

I have been having great fun with a new transfer technique using CitraSolv that many bloggers are doing right now.  Citrasolve is a cleaner degreaser that  I was able to find in a health food store.

Graphicsfairy has wonderful graphic pictures and I downloaded a few of her bird pictures.  For this transfer technique you need to use a laser printer and not an inkjet printer.  Something about the kind of ink in the laser.  I cut the bird pictures to size.

I chose a plain white cotton fabric and placed it on a pile of newspaper.  Then I placed the bird picture upside down on the fabric and taped it to the fabric very close to the edges of the picture. 

I used a brush to brush the back of the picture with the Citrasolv.

I used a good heavy spoon to rub the back of the picture VERY hard, all over and over.  Don't miss any areas.

When you remove the tape voila the picture is transferred to the fabric.

I got so excited with this first attempt I tried it again with this sweet pair of birds.  This time I made sure I really rubbed hard (but don't tear the paper) and the end result was even better.

When the fabric dried I placed an older cloth under the transferred fabric and ironed on the right side of the picture to set it.  There are so many things you can do with this fabric.  With one of the transfers I made a cushion which I edged with a light green fabric and sewed a lightly patterned white fabric for the rest of the  front and back.

I made it such that the opening at the back overlaps and a cushion slips in nicely..

This was so fun!  Dancing with the Stars and American Idol won me over tonight so I didn't get a chance to get creative with this further because I HAD to watch them both tonight.  

 I guess I'll have to wait until these shows are over for the season. 

Hope you've had a fun day... Judi xoxo

Time In My Hands...Project Drawer Clock

I love the wonderful inspirations and ideas in Blogland. Recently I visited Creative Ambitions. She has great ideas and I loved the fun things she's been doing with drawers. So I had to find me one!
....and I did. I rescued a computer table drawer and after visiting Michaels....

and HomeDepot I was ready to start to visualize how exactly I was going to handle this project.

Because the drawer didn't have a bottom piece and couldn't stand I cut a purchased white piece of moulding to fit the spot...then sprayed it all with coppery brown texture paint.
ran back to Home Depot for another piece of molding that has gorgeous leaves running along it. I sawed it into 4 pieces and hammered them into place along the sides and ends....

Abby watched me drilling the hole for the clock piece....on my diningroom table, if you please.
The noise didn't bother her at all. She is used to watching my projects in progress....

I couldn't believe I'd used the whole can of spray paint and I was short and then decided I would like the look of contrast using 2 different copper and brown folk art paints instead. I lightly highlighted the leaves in green...

I decoupaged scrapbooking sheets from Michaels that had lovely inspirational words and sentences about family and hope and bountiful words to the front of the drawer.

I found wonderful digital pictures on Etsy from GraphicDivine. Angie was so quick to work with me and to produce a size I needed. I loved the vintage look.

I can't believe I forgot to take a picture last night before I decided it needed a little more.... Today I found some vintage bees digitals from Angie that matched the birds in colour. They added more interest I thought.
I cut and decoupaged 2 corners from one of the bird sheets and voila I was done.

I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project. The clock can hang on the wall.....

or it can be carried to where it might want to sit. You can see the drawer pull on the top. It was a perfectly matched original piece so I left it on.

This really was fun to make and once I finish up one final detail to the back of the clock I will share the purpose of making it...

Now I have to keep my eyes open... I can't wait to find my next drawer.

Is there something you are looking to find? Have a great day... Judi xoxo