Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Coastal Charm is having a Nifty Thrifty Tuesday blog party to which I'm linking.

I adore many of the things in my home that I've thrifted, some of which I've already shared with y'all, but I have plenty I can draw on for this party and many more to come.

This lamp was actually found by my dear friend Margie--we met in the ninth grade a hundred years ago--and she has a great eye for thrifting. (That's the Hub's workshop you see out the back door.) The lamp needs a new shade but I've not decided what style I should get.

Here's a better view of the detail on the middle part of the lamp. Gotta love the dolphins. It's made of spelter and was painted gold when Margie found it. I stripped off as much paint as I could without totally destroying the patina.

And a close-up of the bottom section. (I apologize for the pictures. Yesterday was a dreary day in Central Texas.)

The next lamp I found at a thrift store in Oak Cliff, a suburb of Dallas, almost twenty years ago. The brass was practically black when I bought it. I cleaned it until I was blue in the face, but it's darkened quite a bit since then.

Actually, it's part of my office redo. I've already changed out the lampshade and like the new one much better. (Forgive the plug in the corner of the shot--I thought I'd cropped that out, but don't feel like going back now and fixing it!)

The detail on the lamp: the bottom part has a raised chrysanthemum design. (I had to move the tassel out of the way to show the design. Now it looks all cattywampus.

For my final thrift show and tell: I bought this chair around 30 years ago when a builder moved his  model homes and sold off the furniture. I think I paid $25 for it, and it's served me well over the years. (As a design note: those drapes are full-size matelasse bedspreads I clipped to a curtain rod, which is actually a 2" wooden closet pole my builder left behind when my house was finished. I'll take pictures of that one sunny day in the future.)

And that's all for this first Nifty Thrifty day. Why not check in with Linda over at Coastal Charm to see all the other nifty thrifty posts.

Crafty Thrift Store Finds

Last week was a busy one. We had to go to Austin twice, which meant I got to go to Savers Thrift. Yay, Savers!

All I found when we went Monday was five chenille upholstery samples. 

They're large, approximately 26" square. And they're luxurious. These pictures aren't the best, especially the last one. I took them in a hurry while out in my studio this afternoon with the light from a clip-on. Believe me, they're the kind of colors that make you want to snuggle up in them.

I've made them into so many things in my head since I brought them home. I've mentally clipped them to curtain rings to make a semi-valance over my curtains; I've sewn them into a valance for my dining room/kitchen windows; I've covered the 24" pillows at each end of my sofa; I've made seat cushions for my six dining chairs. Oh, and I even mentally used each of them as backing for the b'day pillow I made for my SIL!

I'm thinking though that they'll probably become chair cushions. I was wavering on that because they are five and my chairs are six, but my friend, whom I talk with every Sunday, suggested I use the leftovers from each sample to patch a cushion for the sixth chair. That'll work!

Two of the swatches are the same pattern. I thought at first they were different colorways, but checked the label when I was photographing and found they're the same colors too.

In these photos the first four appear to be similar--they are--with the last looking very different. It's much the same as well. Actually, the next few pictures gives a better representation of the color.

These five swatches were $2.99 apiece. All in all it wasn't a bad buy, though maybe not a great one. But I love the pieces! And the way they've kept me entertained all week long, they've probably more than paid for themselves.

This though was a great buy. The funny thing is I bought it from a thrift store that's quite proud of its stuff--and I almost didn't buy it. It's a bolt of felt that cost $4.30. Since I prefer using wool felt and couldn't tell what this was made of, I really hesitated, finally convincing myself that at the price I could find some use for it.

But guess what? It's wool! I tried the burn test on it and couldn't tell much from that. It didn't crinkle up like synthetic, but it didn't smell all that much like burning hair either. (Notice the color of the sample it's sitting on--that's the true color range for that last fabric I photographed.) But I read online that if you put a fabric into bleach and leave overnight, whatever's wool in it will melt. Mine melted. Yay! I don't even know how many yards I have of this--36" wide--but it's all pure wool. And I've never seen pure wool felt for less than $20 a yard. Doncha love bargains!

My final pics today are of the pillow I made for my SIL's birthday. That birthday's a week away, but Sunny doesn't do computers so I think I'm safe. See how the colors in her pillow don't go with the ones in my samples? That's why I nixed using one as a pillow back.

This was her fabric--she just had window treatments done--and her pillow form; all I did for the gift was sew the pillow and make the tassels.

Here's a closer look at one of the tassels. I made each a bit different. Hey, why not? The yarn I used is something I picked up in Washington state about five years ago, a textured thick and thin yarn with all kinds of fibers--and all kinds of colors--in it. It's got burgundy and purple and turquoise. So one tassel has a wooden bead with red and gold dots and the other end has a painted purple bead with white and black dots. I like it--I'm hoping she does too.

I guess that's all for today. (I really am working on my office, y'all. I started cleaning out the bookcase today. I hate giving up books, but I think it's time some of them blessed someone else! The writing ones are hardest for me to give donate--and some of them I won't even now, even knowing I'll probably never write again.)

I'm also linking this post to Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.

 

Ta, y'all.

A Room a Month

Recently as I wandered through blogland, I came across a post where a blogger planned to redo a room a month in her home. I'm thinking that might be a good way to go. I'm always all over the board when it comes to decorating, never concentrating long enough on any one area to make a difference. So...for March--don't ask about January and February!--I thought I'd focus on my office, mainly because I'm close enough to being done in there that I might actually manage it!

This is looking into the room from the hallway. Treadmill's gotta stay. I actually use it--though not as much as I should.

So for what we see in this picture, I need to 1) hang the window treatment (or rather mistreatment) I've already made, 2) change out the lampshade, 3) put the slipcover back onto the desk chair. (I took it off for the picture shoot, cuz it was part of my redo, but was done way earlier than the rest. I told you; I have no focus!)

Lastly, the wall looks a bit bare behind the chair. I'm trying to decide whether I want to hang something back there.

Another view from the doorway. Biggest thing to do for this area is declutter. (Aside from the afore-mentioned slipcover.) I'd like a shelf over the desk...I think.

Bookcase mostly needs decluttering too. I intend to get rid of most of the books. Some I haven't looked at since we moved here five years ago.

This area's not so bad. I picked up the boxes a couple of years ago at Hobby Lobby and they keep the shelves pretty neat. (The painting is the one done for the cover of my first romance novel. Not what I'd usually choose but it has sentimental value.)

Another shot of my desk, which emphasizes my need to declutter and also how much I need something to hang over the desk. A shelf? A picture? A pinboard?

In a perfect world, there are a lot of things I'd do with paint in this room but it's not a perfect world and the Hub is not a lover of paint, so I'll pretty much stick with the things I've outlined and report back on this matter in a month. (Suggestions/comments appreciated!)

Ta, y'all.

Of Cabbages and Kings

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--And whether pigs have wings."

No boiling hot sea here today, nor wing-ed pigs, but I thought I'd share with y'all a couple of pics of the gifts I made for our GG (gym girls) January birthday girls.

My sister Ginger had a luncheon for the ladies last Friday and did a bang-up job. We met around eleven and left about four. I love these ladies and could spend forever just talking to them. (Actually I talked far more than I should have. I can't believe myself when I do that! I always try to salve my conscience afterward by saying I'm a natural born storyteller, but the truth is probably far south of that.)

As a note, I made PW's apple dumplings for dessert. OMG! Those things are so easy and so scrumptious. And yes, being diabetic, I only had half of one--well, truth is, I had the other half when we were getting ready to leave, but yunno, that was four hours later.

Both of my gifts were much the same. I picked up the gift bags at Dollar Tree--aren't they cute! The needlefelted cashmere heart is a sachet with lavender from my garden, the small jar is filled with that lotion I made a few weeks back--doncha love those jars!--and the unfinished bag is made of reclaimed felt. (It was unfinished cuz I had no pink ribbon in my stash. The finishing touch is to thread two pieces of ribbon--approximately twenty inches or so--through the pockets made by the buttons--one ribbon goes through two pockets, the other through one. The ribbons are then tied in a bow on top.) It's similar to this one, though I used a triangle instead of a square. I think maybe next time I'll do it differently.

And this bag was for Mary. (I forgot to mention the felt brooches on the handle. I'd never made that style before, but I think I like 'em!)

Now, as an end note--and truly the reason I'm posting at 6:58a Monday morning--Etsy Texas Crafters are having a First Monday Sale! Check here for a list of the participating members and the terms of the sales for each. In my SumpnSassy shop, I'm offering 15% off every item with free shipping--that's continental US and Canada--and 25% off buyer-paid shipping items. I'd love for you to check out the shop--I've added some new items and hope to add another, maybe two, before the day's done. (Finishing is the easiest. Then comes photographing and listing. Sheesh!)

Take care, y'all. And thanks for stopping by.

Etsy Texas Winter Design Challenge

"What makes winter wondrous to you? Is it the holidays that occur during December? Or perhaps the miracle of snow in Texas? How about it finally getting cold enough to wear those scarves, gloves, and hats you love so much? Maybe long hot baths with your favorite handmade soap or bubble bath or slathering on your favorite handmade lotion or body butter to fight off winter's drying effects on your skin? There are so many possibilities!"

The Etsy group I belong to--EtsyTexas--has combined its December and January Design Challenges for one with a winter theme. There are a number of lovely entries, including  this one by Anastasia of WildMoonDesigns.

 Frost

Gorgeous, isn't it? And I'm not even fond of jewelry!

Apparently Anastasia is from my part of the country; she says she made this at her friend's bead shop in Fredericksburg. (For those who don't know the area, F'burg's about an hour drive from my home--one of my fave day trips.)

This is another entry I find interesting: an ID badge holder made of upcycled junk jewelry. Clever, huh? This one is from Monica at TheIDconnection.

 Fallen Snow

And this darling hoodie for a child! How cute would a kid look in this? It's from Julie at StitchesbyJulie.

 Winter White Child's Hoodie Sweater

Another by Julie from her Nature In Pastels shop.

Winter Stream

And of course I entered a couple.

Bloomin' Winter

This is the one on which I did the tutorial before Christmas. You can see it here.
And a sewing set created from upcycled herringbone wool. Gotta love it! (At least I do.)

Herringbone Sewing Kit

If you have a minute, why don't you stop by here, take a look at the entries, and vote for your favorite?

Tassels redux

I've been playing with tassels again.

It's not an obsession. I can go months with hardly a glance at my tassel-making supplies. Then, all of a sudden, inspiration strikes.

This first idea started with a gift bag from my birthday last year. It was such a cool bag--glossy white with black dots and stripes--that I had to translate it into something. Ergo...

 

Once I'd made the head, I stalled. What kind of a skirt did it call for? I tried one of  peach silk--didn't work. I made another of variegated blue ribbon yarn--cool skirt, but not for this head. (I'll be finishing up that tassel this week sometime.) The next was made of fall-colored ribbon yarn. It's now gracing a needle-felted pumpkin head--one of my faves. But nothing was working for this head. Then I stumbled across some recycled sari silk ribbon yarn here on Etsy.

 Lovely, isn't it? And it made a great tassel skirt. See--

Here's a shot of the whole thing.

 

The ruff was made from eyelash yarn and embroidery thread I already had. (I'm working on adding ruffs to all the tassels I have on hand. I think it adds a finishing touch lacking in my earlier attempts.)

This is one I made last September. 

 

Here it is with a ruff I made of some leftover fringe. 

Makes a world of difference, doesn't it?

Another from last September.

And with the ruff. (I'm liking this ruff; it was an elastic bracelet with wooden bell bangles that I picked up at a thrift store in Arlington last August. My sis Ginger thought it might work with tassels. She was right, though I don't think this is what she had in mind.)

Here's a closer look at the bracelet/ruff. Kinda cool, huh?

That's as far as I've gotten with the tassels. Now I need to find a way to photograph them to good advantage. I see a lot of shots on an angle. Maybe I'll try that tomorrow from my bedpost.

Have a good one, y'all. And thanks for stopping by.

Ta.

Lotion Tute

Happy new year, y'all! I know I've been silent for a couple of weeks, and I have no excuse, not even a reason. Laziness perhaps. Actually, laziness most definitely.

I'm in the process, as it appears many in blogland are, of cleaning and purging. Along the way--in the first closet--I unearthed some plastic containers I bought last year to package homemade hand lotion in. Never got around to making it and then sorta misplaced the containers, then got distracted by something else, then totally forgot I'd even thought about it.

When I finished the closet--well, sorta kinda--I made some hand lotion, which isn't as procrastinatory  as it sounds since there are a few birthdays coming up, and I usually include a jar of lotion in each of those gifts. Anyway, I thought I'd share the lotion-making process with y'all. (This has been around blogland for quite some time, so y'all might have already see it. If so, never mind!)

First, the ingredients--these all came from my local dollar store--baby lotion, Vitamin E cream and petroleum jelly. Total expenditure for ingredients: $3. The biggest cost is containers. I've used plastic travel size from Walmart; I've saved empty jars from purchased lotions; and I recently bought some lovely glass jars from an Etsy seller Supplies For You.

Darling, aren't they? I bought a case of 12 of the small jars and think they'll make the lotion part of my gifts a bit more special.

Back to the lotion:

Dump ingredients into a bowl. I use a stainless bowl reserved specifically for crafts.

Mix thoroughly.

To aid in the mixing, I heat a pan of water and set the bowl in the pan. The water in the pan is below the level of the bowl. Makes mixing easy.

Fill the containers. A plastic bag with a small hole cut in one corner works great; funnels, not so much--believe me, I've tried. Be advised: when you're finished, your hands will be more lotion-covered than probably they ever have been!

 Clean outside of filled containers with alcohol.

And voila! Enough lotion to last all year--unless you share, which I generally do. Honest, this stuff is good. Very moisturizing. For gardeners, you can double the amount of petroleum jelly. You'll need to rub longer to get the lotion worked into the skin, but it's great for abused hands.

Unless you plan ahead, you're likely to wind up with more lotion than containers. As mentioned earlier, I save old jars, and I've been known to tell my friends they can have refills as often as they want so long as they return the container.

I'd love to hear if you try this, or already have done. (I can't stop feeling of my hands. They're like babies' bottoms!)