Blessed Vintage Bling (and I'm goin' to the flea market!)

April 29, 2011

I put this blessed vintage charm necklace together the other day.  It's hard to believe that I scored the components, piecemeal, over the course of months at various and sundry flea markets.   How I miss the flea markets!


Most flea markets, they're fair weather friends, at least in these parts.....come winter they disappear, not to be see again until spring.  And tomorrow's my first spring fling!


 Thanks to Mr. CBD, I'm going to be able to get away for a spell tomorrow and I. Can't. Wait.


You see, it's those flea markets where I get all my vintage goodies ~ bling, religious treasures, forgotten lovelies. 


I bring them back to life.

Here's to a great Saturday afternoon for all of us.  May we find that special treasure that makes our heart skip a beat.  I know I'll find mine.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. I thought Mendelssohn'sWedding March was appropriate for today, what with it being the royal wedding and all......just sayin'
I'll be linking up here:

Magazine Holder Paint Re-do (or My First Attempt at White Chippy Shabby)

April 26, 2011


Okay.  So I don't have enough projects swirling around in my head already, I need to add PAINTING to the list.  I've always been interested in the idea of revamping old furniture, but I guess I'm just afraid to take the plunge (that ugly old coffee table re-do 20 years ago notwithstanding).  What if I mess it up?  What if it's ugly?  Despite my insecurities I decided to start, but start SMALL.

I present to you the "Really Flowery and Green Painted Magazine Holder That Never Really Went With Anything In My House."

 (Oops, I started priming it before I remembered to take a "Before" photo!  So please disregard the primer on the bottom left corner.)

Call me crazy.  It's not that I didn't like it.  It. Just. Didn't. Go.


So I got to work with some primer and white paint I found in the basement.  One coat of primer and two coats of paint.  Then I took some sand paper to it, just on the edges and corners for a distressed look.  




I wanted to maybe stain it a bit and rub the stain off for a more authentic look, but I'm still such a scaredy cat.  What brand should I use?  What color stain?  How do I apply it?  The list goes on.  I've been amazed at all the talented people out there who do this stuff every day.  My goal is to try to learn from them.  And then it's just trial and error, I guess. 

Look out world, she's painting now!




Since this is for White Wednesday over at Faded Charm, I thought I'd add just one more small white lovely.

     
                       This is sitting on the vanity in our powder room.  It's a scent diffuser from ~ ready?~ a dollar store!  I kid you not!  I've been asked by a few people if I have the Dollar Tree or the Dollar Store.  It's actually Dollar Tree in these parts.  Anyway, the rest of the bathroom reveal will be coming up soon once I find the perfect mirror (and paint it, of course)!

Hope you're all having a great week.  Thanks so much for stopping by!



  I'll be linking up with:

DIY Vintage Easter Cloche

April 21, 2011

Today I thought I'd share with you a peek at my most recent project.  Now for those of you who don't know me, I looooove cloches.  Problem is, whenever I find them in my favorite Club G.W., there's never any bottom part to them, i.e., bowl or platform to place them on.  I finally got fed up with my fate and took matters into my own hands.  Enter the DIY vintage Easter Cloche.

I know it's a bit funky in that I didn't place it on a traditional looking stand.  But the day I found the actual top of the cloche at Club G.W. I was DETERMINED to find other elements that would work to create my final vision.  So the darling glass parfait cup came home with me, too!  Add one robin's egg blue plate special into the mix and voila, I had my cloche display piece.

I love how I can create two different vignettes, one on the top and one on the bottom, depending on my mood.  The vintage blue wooden eggs were a church thrift store find from a few years ago.

 The vintage crocheted doily underneath sits on an old, tarnished silver platter.

I really do love it.  It makes me happy every time I look at it.

Here's to a happy and blessed Easter to you and yours!

  I'll be linking up here:

I Missed the Boat Again! (OR I Finally Made My Anthro-inspired Bib Necklace)

April 19, 2011


Okay, so a few weeks ago I was wasting time doing some research and googled Anthropolgie ~ the store, of course.  I sometimes just like to drool over their jewelry.  And their shoes.  And their clothes.  And their, well, you get the picture.   Anyway, I came across a necklace that I thought was just beautiful ~ romantic, feminine and retro in a boho chic sort of way.  I downloaded a picture or two of the necklace for my "archives" (better known as Somewhere-On-My-Computer-Hopefully-I'll-Find-It-Later-When-I-Need-It archives).  And there it sat.  Oh, I thought about making one for myself, numerous times, even.  But it never got done.  Sigh.


Don't you just love this?
Now I'm kicking myself because I've seen two (count 'em, two!) knock-off posts for the same necklace elsewhere over the past two weeks.  So THAT was the kick that I needed to finally make my own.



 It's really quite easy.  All you need are a few crocheted doilies, a necklace chain, 3-5 7mm jump rings, two flat nosed pliers, a needle and thread, some tulle and perhaps some glue and a few embellishments if you prefer.  I chose to use a vintage pearl cluster earring as my embellishment.  



These are the doilies I had on hand.  All but the one on the left are vintage, scored at a church barn sale last summer.  Guess where the one on the left is from?

It's actually from the Dollar Store!  Right now my local Dollar Store carries these in two sizes.  They also come in white or ecru.  I didn't end up using one for this necklace because it was a bit thicker than the other doilies and I wanted some consistency there, but I do believe that they would work just as well for this project. 

I began by placing the medium sized doily inside the larger one, about 3/4 of the way down.

Then I folded them both over together toward me. 

Then I played around with where I wanted the smallest doily to go.  I then ran the chain in between the inner folds to see how it would look before committing to securing it onto both doilies with jump rings.  Just make sure the chain is centered, and attach it right in the middle with one jump ring.  Again, make sure to secure it through both layers of doily.  I used 5 jump rings in all, spread out over the length of the folded doilies.


I also added a touch of tulle by sewing strips to the back of the necklace.  I believe it was about 8 strips of varying widths and lengths.  (I tried to get a decent picture of the tulle strips before sewing them on but, no go.  Sorry!)  And lastly, I managed to sew the vintage pearl earring onto the front.  I just snipped off the metal clip-on part with wire cutters, and laced the needle and thread through the openings between the pearls, and then down and around the earring itself in order to sew it onto both doilies.   


I'm pretty happy with the result.  How about you?  Let me know what you think and how it goes if you try to make one for your very own.  It might just be the perfect Easter outfit fashion accessory you've been waiting for. 

Have a great week!

I'll be linking up here:

France Meets Chicago

April 13, 2011

What an unlikely couple.  France and Chicago.  But here they are.

This necklace is another one from my line of vintage medals mixed with other flea market finds (and some contemporary elements as well).  I bought the medal in a thrift shop, not knowing till I got home that it says something on the back.  It says "National Shrine of St. Jude, Chicago Illinois."  Then it says "Claretian Fathers."  Hhmmm.......pretty neat, I thought.  I mean, who knew?  I live in the midwest and had no idea that Chicago was the proud home of the National Shrine of St. Jude.  Some days lately I feel like maybe I should go there!  (St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes!)

Okay, so there's the Chicago part.

What about the France part?

Well, I also picked up a vintage rosary at the same thrift store ~  a bit worn, just the way I like it!  And this amazing piece had a crucifix encased in a silverplate mold that says "Lourdes" on the back.  Lourdes!  Now we're talking France!  I was really thrilled to discover it.

So, I gingerly removed some of the r-e-a-l-l-y worn white beads (now almost clear) from the rosary and incorporated them into this necklace.  How blessed is that?
       





There's also vintage bling as well (of course).  And bird charms always make me happy, somehow.

France and Chicago.  I'm glad they met.

On another note, I can't believe that I've almost reached 400 (squeal!) Dear Diva Followers.  You guys have been awesome and I appreciate each and every one of you (and your comments and/or stalking).

So stay with me.  I promise to surprise you.

You're awesome.  No, really, you ARE.

xoxo


I'm linking up here:

Monogram Flour Sack Pillow Tutorial

April 11, 2011

Today I'm sharing how to make a French graphic monogrammed flour sack pillow! And the best part?  It's no-sew! (Well, almost....) 

 
white flour sack pillow monogram A rosettes

This post contains affiliate links. A purchase of any one of these items helps to support this blog and its creative efforts at no cost to you. To read more, please see my disclosure page.

Dollar Store Spring/Easter Mantel

April 8, 2011

I wanted to share another one of my Easter Egg Hunt 101 Series posts with you today.  And this idea serves a dual purpose ~ both Easter mantel and Spring mantel, with just one teeny tiny change.


Obviously, the "Happy Easter" felt banner (Target score a few years ago) can come down after Easter, while the dollar store pastel metal buckets with fresh flowers can remain throughout the Spring season.


I just placed the fresh flowers in small glass jars with water, then placed the jars in the buckets.  Fill out the top of the bucket with moss and/or Easter grass and you're good to go!
  


Have a great weekend!


I'll be linking up here:

May Flowers (DIY Thrift Store Rosette Purse Tutorial)

April 5, 2011

We've all heard the saying "April showers bring May flowers."  Well, we're in the midst of showers all right.  But I'm ready for the flowers NOW.  So I nudged Spring's arrival, in my house anyway, just a little bit.

I'm ready for fun and sun and a little bit o' Springtime.

I've been swooning over flower purses for such a long time, I look and I look, and keep thinking, can I make one of these myself?  Here are a few I found today on Etsy.

Love the tulle and pearls.  Etsy shop here.

Love the feathers and the POP of blue.  Etsy shop here.

Love the bling.  Etsy shop here

And a few commercially made purses also caught my eye.


Okay, so maybe I can't quite recreate THAT yet.  But I AM trying to hone my rosette-making skills.  I figure once I get the rosette down, I'll move on to more elaborate flowers.....


Don't you just love this?  I think it screams Springtime!

Today I thought I'd share my Goodwill rosette purse re-do with you.  Here's what you'll need:

Purse

I picked up mine at Club G.W. for $4.99.  It was just plain enough and pink enough for this {Springy}project.

Fabric
I picked up fabric remnants on clearance at Jo-Ann's.  The amount of fabric you need will vary depending on your rosette size preference and how many rosettes you want to make.

Glue gun and glue sticks

I can not tell you how many times I BURNED MY FINGERS doing this!  AM I the only one? Ouch!  I clearly need more practice with the glue gun.

You'll start out by making small cuts at the base of your fabric and then ripping it into strips.




I made the strips approximately 1 1/2 inches wide and anywhere from 18 to 21 inches long.  Vary the length of the strip to vary to size of the flower.  Try out a few and see what size works best for your project.

Now take your strip and fold it in half lengthwise.

 
Then fold over a corner of the already folded strip into a triangle shape. 

REALLY FUZZY PHOTO ALERT!!!!!!!!!

Sorry.......
Here you can see I used an altogether different fabric which I later decided not to use.  But the principle's the same ~ you need to fold the strip in half lengthwise AGAIN.


Here you see the almost finished flower.  Once you've gotten the inner circle going, start gluing every inch or so until you get to the little "tail" at the end like you see in the picture.  Just fold that over the back of the flower and secure it with glue to hide it out of the way.

The front of the purse I used measures 12 1/2" by 7 1/2". I used 6 pink rosettes and 8 brown rosettes for a total of 14.  The rosettes themselves measure approximately one inch across, give or take.  The good news is that they don't have to be perfect!  Fraying = good.  Different sizes = good.  A few clumped in a bunch or some set out in a pattern = good.

I really wanted to add some vintage bling to the middle of the rosettes.  But when I tried it, it just didn't look quite right with this bag.  Guess I'll have to make another one, then!

Overall I'm quite happy with it and can't wait for spring to kick in full force.  How about you? 


Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're having a great week!

xoxo

I'll be linking up here:









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