What I Did With My Glazed Book

Earlier I posted that you can glaze a book.   If you want to read that post it is here.

The book needed a home so I placed it in a clay container with grapevine, an artichoke and yep more pine cones. 

I thought it turned out pretty.  Reading blogs has really helped me learn how to put things together better than I use to.  I am thankful for so many inspiring posts.

I hope everyone is having a great week.

Tracy

 

Table Top Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple

Under $100 Linky Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence

Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Did You Know? You Can Glaze a Book?

Most of the books from the father in law collection that you can see here have been used for decorating.  The few that are left aren’t the right color for my house.  In the past I have covered books to hide the color. You can see that here.  I just tried a new experiment and it worked! 

I glazed a book. 

Oh yes I did.

Here it is with the edge glazed and the back unglazed.

And the front and edge glazed.

Totally changes the color. 

I love those easy 5 minute and under ideas. 

Don’t you?

UPDATE:  If you want to see what I did with the glazed book check it out here.

Tracy

Linking to

The Power Of Paint @ Domestically Speaking

Fall Mantel

I have been working on different projects for my very first fall mantel.  I guess I was a little excited so I have it completed way before the fall season has arrived.   In the past I have  NEVER changed it except for Christmas. 

I have already showed you the pine cone frame in a post here

I also showed you my pine cone ball and wreath here.

The only missing parts to share with you are some cute wooden acorns I found at Hobby Lobby.

I thought they would be even cuter with a little  bit of paint

So I dry brushed  mint green paint on the acorns and then glazed them with dark brown glaze.

You can see the difference.  The small one is unglazed.  I didn’t want to completely cover the acorn with paint because I wanted some of the dark stain to show through. 

Here they are on the mantel.

I really like the soft muted color of them.  If I had left them dark then they would have blended with the candle holders.

Finally all of it together.  I think it looks pretty good for my first attempt.  I am trying to get better at the layering thing.

Using nature in decorating is my very favorite.

The texture of the pine cones is so appealing to me.

 

Here are a few more shots.

Thank you for all of the kind comments on the mantel projects leading up to this post.  I truly do love reading each and everyone of them.  All of the encouraging words keep me motivated.

Tracy

Linking to

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Anything Related @ All Thingz Related

Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple

Show and Tell @ My Romantic Home

Remodelaholics Anonymous Meeting @ Remodelaholic

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Fall Mantel Party @ Nesting Place

The Bench From Knock Off Wood

My husband was tired of me nagging asking him to build me a bench for my bay window in the dining area so Friday we went to Lowe’s and got the wood to build it.

Knock Off Wood had the plans to build the bench that I had in mind.  You can see the plans here.

After getting all of the wood pieces cut

my husband stayed up late to get it finished for me.

 

I think he did a great job.  After buying $30 worth of wood my sister comes by and informs me she has one of these in her attic that she bought for $5 at a garage sale.  Oh well.  I would rather have one my husband made just for me.  Plus it lets me talk about him on here which I told you he likes.

Ok here it is painted. 

 

Sometimes I think my glazing technique just makes things look dirty, this was my 2nd paint attempt because the first green made my bench look like a baby shower mint.

But I couldn’t leave well enough alone.  I found a cool stencil at Hobby Lobby this weekend that I wanted to try. 

I got out my favorite color of stencil paint (Folk Art in wrought iron) and my favorite stencil brush.

  

Now that the bench is done, I need to come up with something else for him to make so I can nag some more. 

Tracy

 

Linking to

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping It Simple

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Anything Related @ All Thingz Related

The Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking

Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts

Strut Your Stuff Thursday @ Somewhat Simple

Show and Tell @ My Romantic Home

Thrilling Thursdays @ Paisley Passion

Remodelaholics Anonymous Meeting @ Remodelaholics

Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors

Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed

2 More Pine Cone Additions to the Mantel

What do you do with left over pine cones after you use them on a frame?   You make a pine cone ball. 

When the idea hits you panic because it is late at night and you have already made several trips the the craft store this weekend.  So you find what you can use that you already have and you feel a little guilty for covering something you like with pine cones for the sake of fall.

You glue on pine cones while

watching your son do this.

His grandpa gave him the helmet.

And I was a little jealous while watching my dog do this. 

She looks so terrible shaved, but her coat is very soft like cotton and gets matted easily.  She has to be shaved about twice a year. 

 

And because I am now obsessed with pine cones I also had to make this.

The pine cones were collected during a walk with my son.  When I first glued them to the grapevine wreath the blended too much into the wreath. I lightly dry brushed some green acrylic paint onto the edges of the pine cones.

The green goes with my candles already on the mantel and now they have some contrast to the wreath.

You can paint them even more if you would like by pushing the brush inside onto the scale of the cone.

Here is an example of one with more paint on it. 

I am trying to decide if I should post about the whole mantel yet?  I know it isn’t even September and I have gone fall crazy, but I have never had a fall mantel before. I think that give me a free pass to do fall decorating in August.

Tracy

 

Linking to

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

My Son Made a Sign. Well Sort Of.

My husband is finally working on my bench I have been begging him to make from Knock Off Wood.

I know some of you gals can do this on your own.  I have not become one of those gals yet.  Notice I said yet.  Someday I want to not fear this kind of project.  For now I will let my husband build it especially because he secretly likes it when I blog about him. 

Anyway, I let my son use a wood burner to play with some of the extra wood pieces.  This is what he made.

Don’t you think it should say Dad and Mom?  Me too.  Oh well, I thought it was cute.  Of course he had to try to burn a hole all the way through the wood and broke the tool.  So now I have no love and no wood burning tool, but I will have a finished bench soon.

Tracy