Indoor Fencing

First, let me introduce you to the new addition to our family.  Her name is Cricket.  We've had her since August 2012. 

I had to include Daisy too!

She really is adorable.  We wanted a friend for Daisy, but we also knew that we would have to find a friend compatible in size as she is only 3 pounds.  Cricket looks alot bigger (in the pic) but all her hair makes her look much larger than she really is...she is a bit taller than Daisy and weighs about the same.    Anyway, they have become best friends!

So, now that you've met Cricket...my next project will make sense!  I needed to block access to the living room - a few accidents still happen.  My husband had put in this temporary board after Daisy arrived, but, as I said,  it was only supposed to be temporary.  I ended up painting it and living with it for 3 years but it's still ugly!! 

I decided it was time to build something new...something a bit more appealing.  Here it is...

I can easily remove it when company comes over and I think it looks alot better. 

Thank you for stopping by...have a great week!

Lesa

Twig Heart

I have this twig reindeer which I bought years ago to compliment my Christmas decorating...but I've gotten very tired of it and I finally decided to throw it away. 

Until...I had an idea to take it apart and

use the twigs to make a heart wreath!

I drew a heart shape onto craft paper so I had a pattern to follow.

I then used hot glue to assemble a heart shape using the twigs.

Then it was just a matter of attaching twigs here and there until the heart was filled in.

I made a loop from a piece of twig for a hanger.

I was going to just hang it on the wall, but decided to make a frame from pallet wood.



I assembled the frame with wood glue, stained it with dark walnut and then painted it with "Sandbar".  Once dry I used sandpaper to remove some of the paint, exposing some of the stained wood.

I used a piece of satin ribbon to attach the heart to the frame and now I have it in the corner of my kitchen, behind the sink. 

Oh...and "behind the sink" now needed a shelf, so I built this corner shelf and stained it dark walnut.  I think it looks much better now.

Thank you for stopping by...have a great day!

Lesa

"Welcome" Sampler

I was somewhat overwhelmed by the emails I received asking if I would consider making and selling my rustic number samplers.  Then I had a request to make a "welcome" sign in the same style so here it is...

I followed the same process as my number sampler...drawing out a pattern, tracing onto various types and thicknesses of wood, cutting out the letters with my scroll saw, sanding, painting and staining the wood and the cut-out letters. I cut the "W" from metal and attached it to the wood background using rivots and the letter "C" is a chalkboard.  I thought it might be fun to incorporate a chalkboard since they are so popular right now.

I made a frame using more weathered lumber and attached it to a 1/4" plywood background using an air nailer.  I then inserted the letter pieces, like a jigsaw puzzle, inside the frame using wood glue to secure to the plywood.

I attached picture hanger hardware to the back.  That is it.  Now I have to figure out how I'm going to wrap and ship it AND I hope she likes it!

Thank you to everyone who has left such nice comments and thank you for visiting!  Have a great day.

Lesa 

Rustic Number Sampler

Here is a project I'd like to share with you...

I call it a "Rustic Number Sampler". 

If you are like me, I save all sizes and shapes of  wood.  "Scraps" from all my wood projects.  My husband was so glad to see that I was finally using up some of my collection.  He thinks my scrap collection is a bunch of junk wood, but I always can see it's potential.

So, I started with an idea which I then put to paper, making myself a pattern.

I  searched my scrap pile to find the right size pieces of wood cutting them all to size using a table saw.  I then traced the numbers onto more scrap wood.  I used mdf, plywood and pine lumber all in varying thicknesses.  The number "2" was cut from scrap metal, the "3" and "4" were stenciled and I did an inside cut for the number "5" on 1/4" plywood.   I sanded everything to get them ready for stain and paint.  And, I filed and polished the metal number "2".

For the color palette, I used "Sandbar" color paint from Home Hardware, "Buttermilk" and "Lamp Black" by DecoArt and Minwax stain in two colors - dark walnut and puritan pine.

Once everything was dry, I did a bit more sanding to give some of the pieces a bit more of an aged appearance.   I then secured the numbers to the wood pieces using wood glue, stenciled the "3" and "4" onto the wood and secured the metal "2" with rivots.  Oh...and because the number "5" is an inside cut, I needed a backing so I used a piece of burlap!

Now for the hard part...how was I going to secure it all?  My husband suggested that I attach all the pieces to 1/4" plywood...good idea!  So, I made a frame out of weathered wood - again, a scrap collection sitting outside along the shop wall buried in snow.  (of course, I had to be patient and let the wood completely dry before assembling)  I attached the frame with an air nailer to the outside edges of my backing piece (the plywood) and then glued the numbered wood pieces inside the frame...kinda like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.  Once the glue dried, I attached picture hanging hardware to the back. 

I'm very happy with the way it turned out.  Best of all, I used up some of my scrap lumber, the project was free and now have new artwork to hang in the living room!

Thank you for stopping by...

Lesa

Rustic Plaque

I'm just getting a parcel together to send to my daughter, Taryn,  and I thought I'd make something for her.  Here it is...

It might not be "her thing", but I had fun making it!

I started with well-weathered lumber.  I cut 4 pieces 12" long.  I then cut one of the pieces in half .  These two pieces will sit at the bottom of the boards, one on the front and one on the back, as the base.

I glued all the boards together, then further secured them using an air nailer.  Once together I sanded the boards.

I made a flower pattern on paper, cut it out and traced it onto 1/4" thick mdf board.  I used my scrollsaw to cut the flower.

I then found a font on the computer which would be easy to cut out of wood.  Again, made a paper pattern, traced the letters onto 1/4" mdf and cut the letters using my scrollsaw.  Once I had all the pieces cut, I sanded them using 100 grit and then 220 grit sandpaper.

The flower center...my initial idea was to use a wood button...didn't have anything big enough.  So, I scrounged through all of my husband's scrap metal, bolts, screws, washers, etc.  This is what I found that I thought would work as a flower center.  Kinda rustic...

I placed everything on the plaque and drilled a hole (for the bolt to fit through) where the flower center would be...

I stained everything with dark walnut by Minwax.  Once dry, I painted the flower with "sandbar" and the letters with "blue mist" by Decoart.  Once dry, I lightly sanded the edges to allow the stain to be revealed, giving the pieces an aged look.

I secured everything with wood glue and inserted the flower center (the bolt) through the hole and secured it with a "nut" on the back.

 Hope she likes it!!

Taryn

Thank you for stopping by...

Lesa

"M" is for...

Here's a quick project I'd like to share with you...

First I made an "M" pattern on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper.

I then traced it onto a scrap piece of wood and cut it out using my scroll saw.

I used a scrap piece of tin that I found out behind our wood shed.    It was similar to the weight of metal/tin flashing - thin enough to easily cut with metal shears.

I then traced my pattern onto the tin and cut it out with metal shears.    Make sure to wear gloves when doing this because the metal has very sharp edges.

I then secured the metal "M" to the top of my wood "M" by drilling holes through both the tin and the wood and then hammering rivots in place.

I used a metal file along the sides to remove the sharp metal edges.  I rounded the metal with the file to make the wood and tin look like one piece.

I applied a grey paint color to the sides of the wood to blend with the metal  and then polished the metal surface with fine steel wool using a circular motion.

It was a bit too shiny so I wet the steel wood (slightly) and applied a "dab" of black paint to the steel wool.  I repeated the polishing process.   The black helped tone down the metal and bits of color settled around the rivots.

Now I have one accessory to add to my shelving...



Thank you for stopping by...

Lesa