Trash to Treasure Tuesday~

While blog perusing one of my many bookmarked favorite blogs, I came across this photo of this old-old patriotic umbrella. Blogged about here.LOVE IT.... WANT IT.... TO CHEAP TO BUY IT~ So whats a girl to do but make a cheap imitation of the real thing :-) Luckily, I spotted this tiny painted silk umbrella at a yard sale. Price? .25cents...I measured and taped off sections of the umbrella with some masking tape. (lurve that stuff~) then just painted on a few coats of acrylic paint. I cut out a star stencil using card stock and just painted in the stars. Once that was all dry-- and blindingly white....I mudded it up with some brown acrylic paint and then closed up the umbrella and dirtied up the sides using black & brown ink. It looks very heavily aged due to the light & flash, but if you were to view it in person it isn't so dark.

I also made an American Flag with pickets off of the white picket fence that is in my front yard... I got tired of it and it is currently sitting in my garage!

This wooden American Flag below, I made using some thin wavey wood that you tuck under that plastic wavey stuff that some use for patio covers.... (whatever that stuff is called) it was like a dollar something a piece and comes in 6' lengths. I just cut each piece in two, nailed it to a few pieces of wood across the back.... It is now sitting in my garage as well...lol
Thats my patriotic Trash to Treasure! If you stop back tomorrow, I'll show you how to make gazebo bunting using sheets-- that is soooooo easy-peasy! You can see more Trash to Treasure by visiting Kimm over at her "Reinvented" Also, by visiting Diane over at "A Picture is worth 1,000 words" If you've linked here and wish to view more of my blog... you can click here~

Mod Podge Linky party~

There is an end of the month Mod Podge linky party being hosted by "This is the year" It is sooo worth a lookie-loe...especially if you love Mod podge-ing~ Here are some things I've created using the stuff over the past month. I mod podged a super cute 4th of July hanger. You can read more about that here. I got a new lock & key for my screen door and the key looked like every other key I have on my keychain.....so I mod podged it. You can read more about that here. Here is my take on paper mache using Mod podge. You can read more about my Mad Hatter cheshire cat here. Also, I mod podged this little Mad Hatter's tea pot. It has my 4 month old grandaughter inside of it. You can read more about that here.I also used Mod Podge as a sealant on some party hats for the tea party. I made these for my outdoor statues. You can read more about that here.

Chloe Rose....

Little Chloe Rose was caught wearing a tamborine as a party hat at her Mad Hatter Tea Party....

Mad Hatter's Tea Party~

Welcome to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.... I am hosting this event in my 4 month old grandaughter, Chloe-Rose's Garden. Would you look who is already waiting at the front gate? Why it is none other than the Cheshire cat. The white rabbit will sound the horn announcing each new guest. I imagine the neighbors are delighted to hear such reveille so early in the morning!!Gate is now open... Welcome!I have put out some blankets, umbrellas and party hats if your wanting to partake in such frivolousness. My-oh-my.... would you look at Alice? This is what you get people for putting Brandy in your tea! Nightie-nite Alice, sleep it off girl~We ask that you please teather your high horses at the front gate... Absolutely no high-horse'ing around in this garden!I see the squirral family has shown up.... that family grows & grows each year ten fold!
Look to your left and you'll see cat & bird chatting up a storm. Those two are such chatter-boxes!Poor rabbit is running-a-muck as the caterer is running late~ This is the last time I hire "The Mad Hatter" to cater any of my events! Off with his head! or any other appendage I see fit~Grap a cuppa off of the teacup tree. We are totally doing a casual tea here in Chloe's garden as its hard to be a hostess when your holding your grandchild in your arms~ Please feel free to pull a fresh lemon off of one of the many lemon trees as well. We have flown in the Baby Blues Cockroach Band for this event. They are setting a delightful ambiance with their smooth sounds. Here you see white rabbit joining in with the band for a few songs~My-my-my...poor Alice staggered over to the cuppa tree and had to take another wee nap. Poor girls needing rehab~Cat and duck are not ones to gossip, but hey-- isn't that the added bonus of attending such a large event? The ever present opportunity to see someone make a fool out of themselves? Preferably someone other than yourself!
There is a little table set up with some sugared fruit and some hot raspberry tea. Watch out for that little pixie who lives inside that teapot on the table...she will positively talk you into adding extra sugar to your tea. She has such a sweet nature about her. She has sugared cranberries, sugared mint leaves and then your basic sugar cube. *gasp* Would you look at that...she is kicking sugared cranberries into tea cups... Ladies, hands over your cups! The little stinker is dancing under the spell of a sugar high!My~my where has the time gone.... party is wrapping up. Thank you very much for coming into my grandaughter's garden and having some tea with us. It has been fun visiting with everyone. On your way out, be sure to take one of the rocks set out by the gate. A person can never have to many rocks you know~ Please visit with Vanessa over at "A Fanciful Twist" to partake in more tea party madness~

New keys~

I got a new lock for my front screen door recently...and of course it looked just like the other key on my keyring. I have nail polish on one key already (tacky, but effective) I wanted something more "me"...so I got out my stash of papers and Mod Podged my keys.Soooooooo meeeeeeeee!~ I simply glued on the paper, turned the key over and cut off the excess with my xacto knife. When I had both sides covered with paper, I put on three coats of Mod Podge letting each coat dry.

I did this for both sides of each key. Now...if you've used this Mod Podge before, your aware that when it dries it is slightly tacky. I always use spray gloss over the newly "Mod Podged" area and that seems to end the tackiness! taaaaaaaaaa daaaaaaaaaaa! Instant caute!! You can see more made-over things at Jen's monthly make-over party on her blog Sanctuary Arts at Home.

Mixed media tea pot

I've made a little tea pot with my grandaughter featured as a little "sugar fairy" Can you see her? Dancing amongst the sugar cubes & sugared mint leaves and sugared cranberries? I used pages from an old 1942's Alice in Wonderland book that I picked up for .25cents. Here is a close-up of Chloe Rose.... the photo is a smidge dark-- I may replace it with another lighter one. I made the dress using crepe paper, it is very puffy 3 dimensional~

Treasure hunting....

Sometimes you just have to get up and go treasure hunting whenever the "feeling" hits you right? Right. I spotted this pretty vase with flowers... held it... put it back on the shelf.Then I saw she had a sista! Both went into my cart. $4 bucks each~I picked up these two matching plaster candle stick holders. They are needing some minor repair, nothing a smidge of paper clay some wax removeal and a shabby paint job can't fix. $2.50 each~An aluminum bowlie for $3, and the huge lot of premade bows for only $3~

A Marie Antoinette doll for $3~

And lastly, a chenille crib size baby blanket $3~

Foam core bunny...

I really enjoy working with foam core. I always pick up at least 5 sheets of it whenever it is on sale at Michaels for only a buck. It is really easy to work with...and cuts easily with a sharp razor. Here I've made a bunny blowing a horn-- I am going to use this for the tea party. The collar is made with squares of crepe paper puffed up then stuck on. The bunny has a crepe paper bow as well. You know the secret to making a bow with crepe paper? Something that will last-- you use packing tape. Pull off a large section of tape, place the crepe paper onto the tape and burnish it well. You end up with a fabulous piece of strong crepe paper to work with. I would like to make a lot of things for the tea party...but time is getting away from meeeeeee.... I guess I'm like that bunny with the time piece in his hand running around! hmmmmmmmmm I should make one of those as well!

I've also finished making party hats for every single statue I have in my garden...whew~ No easy feat as every single statue had a different head size and some had ears...and their little heads are tilted. Here is the last batch~ I just used card stock and made a cone shape then covered each with a piece of scrapbook paper. Then I put a coat of Mod Podge over each cone shape so they wouldn't get ruined if they got wet. I am wanting these little party hats to last at least until the end of summer! Now I've just got to add ribbons to each newly made hat and tie them on my little garden darlings and put them out in the garden. These are all going into my newly named "Chloe's garden"...after my grandaughter of course. Speaking of Chloe...here she is sitting all casually, foot dangling-head tilted to the t.v. (of course)

Cheshire cat~

I finally finished my cheshire cat for the upcoming "blog-linky" Mad Hatter's tea party that is going to be held on June the 27th. I started with balled up newspaper taped into a cat shape, the cat form is sitting on top of a foam core base. I used wooden stir sticks under each leg and the tail to keep those parts from ever falling off. I covered the form with strips of newspaper using equal parts of flour and water as the "glue" Once that was completely dried, I tore strips from a brown paper bag and used mod podge as the glue to make it a harder surface. Once that was all dry, I used paper clay to make the details in the face. (I highly recommend trying paper clay-- love it) The white areas are the paper clay. I used it on the face, feet and the tail. (I later decided the tail was tooooo fat, so I tore it apart and made it thinner)Anywho.... once the face & paws had dried, I covered the body with joint compound. I didn't want the lines from the paper showing when the cat was painted. Here is my cat covered with the joint compound-- the "worn" areas are from sanding the compound smooth. I then covered the entire thing with mod podge to seal the joint compound so it wouldn't be so easily damaged. (you can scratch that stuff easily with your finger nail)Here it is with a coat of paint... and some of the stripes that I painted on. I just used masking tape as a quide. Once everything was painted, I sprayed on some high gloss sealer to finish it up. I was wanting the look of something made with that heavy plastic like they make the rides out of at Disneyland. I think the high gloss gives it that look! The butt area ended up looking like a bullseye-- which makes me laugh-- a happy accident, so of course I had to embellish it even more.... Here is the backside all painted with a center bullseye added-- toooooooo funny~ (and yesssssss, I am a cat lover, I have 3)

4th of July swap~

Well...I've finally gotten everything wrapped up and sent to my 4th of July swapping partner, Heidi.

Here is a sneak peek at everything that is being sent to Colorado~ I found this darling little patriotic dance outfit that will surely be fun for Heidi's little daughter for many years to come....I even painted and mod podged on some silver stars to a wooden hanger.... cute huh? I would like a whole closet of hangers like this! lolI also sent along...a vintage flag, a small crocheted doily, a large crochet table cloth, a vintage army/navy prayer service book......some red,white & blue ric rac, also red, white & blue buttons in a small ginger jar, a china doll holding an American flag, a white metal/wire container with chocolates & mints tucked inside... an old goldtone container with glitter and fun pom-poms tucked inside, a patriotic bandana and a small charm for her son that is going to be born in September. I made a few things as well... two matching 4th of July crowns out of chicken wire for Heidi and her daughter. (I'm addicted to chicken wire lately) They appear the same size, but one is smaller. I also made this patriotic bunting as well. I used sheet music that I painted with watered down paint. I think it turned out cute. One of these days I'll make one for meeeeeeeeeeee...isn't that how it always goes? I also put together this little frame with a little fairy sitting on a nest of rhinestones & beads inside of a vintage bubble frame.I also stuck a pair of fairies sitting on the edge of this patriotic sequined ornament. I glued a pin to the back of the fairies so it can be removed if Heidi want's to do something else with this vintage piece.

I hope Heidi enjoys all of these things that are coming her way~