Mosaic Monday

In the click of a mouse...my world was changed...JUST KIDDING!  But, it was pretty much one click and whoosh, a virus attacked our computer.  A few days without internet is really different, and I'm pretty sure a good thing.  HOWEVER, I am glad we are back up and running! Thanks to one of my daughters and her amazing computer whiz friend!  Just throwing this out there...Microsoft Security Essentials...may be the best antiviral protection out there, and it's free!

ANYHOW!  How about a mosaic for this Monday?  I'm linking up to Mary at Little Red House for this blog party. 

This awesome old phone is what I'm using at shows to hold my business cards.  And, since I don't do a lot of shows...it holds my cards in my sewing room too!  Ha!  When I got it, the receiver was already gone, but I just loved the shape of the body of the phone.  I just popped out the center plastic piece and replaced the paper in it with one that I had typed "Dial V for Vintage" on with one of my old typewriters.  Do you see what I used on my business cards?  A wordle?!  I haven't played on that site for ages, but haven't forgotten how much fun it is!

Happy Mosaic Monday to you!

Wordless Wednesday. Exclamation Points Will Do.

Wordless Wednesday

Bending Wire is "Bliss" to Me

Here's our mantle updated with some of my thrift store finds from this post.

The sun was coming and going so I took pictures quickly!

I think the glass and crystal is a really nice compliment to the old items.   I could have easily found a big rusty item that would look great next to the vintage glass pieces. (Also, think it could use a little rearranging....but at some point you stop and move on with life!)

And burlap, fabric, and wire are a great compliment to the glass!

 I added a burlap runner first on the mantle then a smaller muslin one.
I did use a low temp. glue gun to attach some of the fabric pieces.  So, it does mean that you can't burn the candles.  I used to think I wouldn't have something in my house that I couldn't use.  Oh, well!  Once again, I change and adapt!

I love wire.  I've said it before,  I'm sure I'll say it again.  I have quite a few projects I'm working on using my hand formed wire pieces.

I added vintage buttons to most of the candle holder bases.  I do think rusty screws and washers would look pretty cool too!

 I stamped some of the candles.  This adds a really nice touch I think!

 Here is a small burlap flower, button, and more wire.

 I thought it would be fun to change out a candle with a sheet of vintage music with some scrap thread to keep it in tight.  Sorry about the blur, the sun was under and out.  Evidently, it was under here!

I paired plates with candle sticks and with silver pieces for the tiered look.  Just a bit of strong adhesive and you're good to go!  This silver cup belonged to "Tom S." according to the engraving on the side.  I think a more tarnished piece would be great but someone at the thrift store had polished these up!  I didn't take the time to "re- tarnish"  I have time on my side for that one!

 Just another stamp and wire accent.

This time I sewed on my wire word to the burlap first then secured it to the candle with a low melt glue gun.

The base is a teacup inverted and saucer secured with adhesive.  I can't decide if the tree looks like fall because of the brown or spring because of the emerging green leaves.  The saucer has the same pretty tree.  






I'm linking this post  up to Kathleen at Faded Charm's White Wednesday and to Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.

Question: Would you have candles in your home that you can't burn because of an embellishment?  And, if so, would you burn the wick just a bit so it doesn't look new and untouchable?

Where I Blog

Well, Nathalie took a picture because Penny took a picture...to show where they blogged.  So, I thought I would post this picture.  My son took this back in September when he was messing around with my camera. See short sleeves?  Ah, some day again!  It was night time and dark in the room.  Well, this is where I blog and often how I am at the computer; with one of my little gals and sometimes both in my lap.  Although, they have both gotten so big, they can barely both sit in my lap now!

I thought this was fun, seeing these bloggers "at home".  How about you?  If you have a blog, would you want to post a photo of you "in action"?!  Please let me know if you do.  I'd love to read about it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Our Field Trip

Meet Al.  He's my new friend.  You can't believe what he can do!  My husband told me that for my birthday he wanted to take me out to see Al's shop.  He thought I might like what I saw and then he would know what tool to buy me for my birthday.

Oh, I liked what I saw alright!  Machines that were amazing.  This one can shear off a thick slab of metal in seconds and can punch holes in metal like a knife through butter.  Yeah, you might have guessed that Randy wasn't thinking something quite this big for my gift.

His computer generated plasma cutter can do this in minutes.  He can pretty much cut out of metal any shape or design he wants.

These are the filings from his metal lathe.  I asked if he used them for anything.  Nope, just sells them back for scrap.  Do you see great potential for these?!  Beautiful, huh?

We told him that what I needed right now was a flat iron pounding block.  So he and Randy carried in this long piece of iron, settled it in "Ellis" and he cut me off two slabs.

Slowly, surely, and smoothly, it cut.

And, again, I was as interested in the byproduct as the other piece.  This iron sparkled almost as much as glass glitter.  Potential?!  He sells this back as scrap too.

My husband and my girls watching.  They thought the pieces would be fun to play with, but soon realized they couldn't even budge them off the floor, so rolled them back and forth.  All fingers and toes were kept safe.  These pieces are HEAVY!

A smaller version of this will probably be what he gets for me.  I'll be able to bend, and shape lots of junk pieces!  More importantly, when I have an idea, I now know what can be done and who can do it, when I think "If only I could"....Maybe, I can't, but Al can!

My pounding slabs.  One for the barn and one for the sewing room.  Now, these spoon easels and stamped ornaments will be much easier!

Happiness Is...

...puddles in February!!

Whenever it rains (or the snow melts) this low area right before our lane is host to a giant puddle.  I enjoy the reflection of the trees in it all the time and today took the time to go back out and shoot a picture.

This is our lane. (Now you see it through my eyes, through my window!)

It was soooooo beautiful out, I decided to enjoy my puddles closer.  Isn't it amazing how clear and beautiful the sky is reflected in a muddy puddle?  (These pictures are straight out of the camera.)

























There was such depth in the image, it made me feel like I was looking in a deep lake instead of 4" of melted snow.

And, what picture of a reflective surface would be complete without a self portrait?

and, another?

We went to the farm today for my husband to take me on a field trip so to speak.  More on that tomorrow, or soon, at least!

I sure hope you had as beautiful of a day where you are as we did here!

Weekend Finds

I had a little bit of thrifting time on Friday and came home with this lovely assortment.  Glass candle holders?!  Really?  Yep!  I have never given much thought to candle holders.  I have a few; just what I need for when we put out candles, but the large assortment available at the thrift store made me stop, pause, and buy.  The candles on the right actually came from Hobby Lobby (half price).  I have a plan, sort of.  It involves the above collection of candle holders, candles, + burlap, + wire.  We'll see how it pans out....Also, in the mix is some old silver pieces and clay pots with a great patina. 

I plan to list that awesome desk lamp on Etsy unless I use it for task lighting in the basement.  I always get excited when I find flashbulbs.  I just think they are so neat, they photograph beautifully and there seems to be a desire for them on Etsy.

Isn't this great chippy paint on this light fixture?  It needs new wiring but really has a nice look about it.  It's hard to appreciate it when it's just sitting and not hanging. I was pretty tickled with my purchases!

I hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day!

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Today, I saw this very lovely creation at Miss Lynn's blog, Create...Breathe, and thought it was spectacular!  Isn't it just lovely?!  She had been inspired by Sheila at Blessed and Distressed.

A while back, I had saved this image on my computer...very sorry I have no idea where it came from.  I just thought it was fun.  Yeah, I know...another heart!

So, tonight I pulled out all my red and pink spools of thread to form a heart too... just for fun.  I am definitely inspired by spools of thread! 

 
I'm linking up for the first time with Debra for Vintage Inspiration Friday's Valentine party.  Goodness knows there is some wonderful blog hopping to do over there!

A very happy weekend to you all!

Wordless Wednesday. On Thursday.

Wordless Wednesday

Love is in the Air, And on the Cake Top

 We finished the cake topper awhile back, but I've been short on sunlight to take pictures! My husband gave me a Silhouette cutter for Christmas.  Now, I'm not a scrapbooker, but thought I'd be able to use the cutter for quite a few projects.  The wedding projects are making us get to know the little wonder machine!  What will work, what won't, and how careful you have to be.  We cut the couple and the banner and text on the banner with the Silhouette. Does anyone else have one and what do you think about it?

The glitter is truly vintage glass glitter, bought from Editha Otradosky's auction. (Don't you love that name?!)  I have so many of her craft supplies; it was a fun auction!
The vines around the topper are from my back yard.  I pulled them out of the snow!  More on that plant in a later post...

And then my soul saw you, and it kind of went,

“Oh there you are. I’ve been looking for you."

A Download For You...Craft at Your Desk!

Since the book hearts were a big hit, it occurred to me that some people aren't inclined to get out their rulers and tear up old books.  So I thought I'd come up with a template so you could just sit at your desk, print, cut, and staple to create your own paper heart.

The problem with this idea is that I don't know graphic design nor do I have the software for such...but, I AM learning to use photoshop AND, I can take pictures!









































So, using my new skills from Kim Klassen, I came up with this pattern for heart pieces that you can just print out, cut, and staple together while sitting at your desk.  I now am really getting better at clipping masks, layer masks, resizing, and using brushes.  Do you know how cool photoshop brushes are?!  They are like a digital stamp.  I used quite a few in this project.  The other images used were photos I took of pages from a very old Etude Magazine.

And, for those who want their heart to be a bit more Valentine's Day-ish, I made a second pattern.

You need to click on the images below *two times* to bring up the full size.  Then save and print.  They are sized to fit on a regular 8.5" x 11" paper.

*Follow the directions here beginning at the point "fold the 4" tab in half" to staple them together.*

Remember:  As you align them to staple the top piece, the front pattern faces in!

Front Image 1

Back Image

You can print the front with either of the front images and then flip it over and print the back side with the text only image. 

Front Image 2

This image is for the back.  It won't matter where it prints or where you cut, it will look good.






















I used one of Kim's textures for the base image on this one.

Depending on your printer settings, the image will print lighter or darker.  I used just standard settings on regular printer paper
and it looked just fine!
















Make one or a full garland of them!


**Note**I have changed my domain name of my blog to www.jillruth.com.  You shouldn't notice a difference but there may be a few glitches, like where is my blog list and followers list?! More to learn!