Chalkboard Banners

My big seller this month looks like  it  will be chalkboard banners!  I am not sure where I got this idea...Pinterest, another blog, Etsy...???  I have seen several variations but finally settled on this one.  My Hubby cuts out the triangles then I sand them and paint them with chalkboard paint.  I put up a sample in my booth and sold 21 triangles the first day.  I sell them individually so you can buy as many as you need.  I think this is a great idea because you can have one set that adapts for every holiday.   You can add different ribbon or even some fabric panels, buttons, bells...anything.

 

This is the sample I put in my booth -"JOY" only for home I added a bottle brush wreath on top of the "O".  I have been trying to think of some words that only take 3 letters so you could get more use out of it-  "USA"   "BOO"   I plan on keeping them in the booth year round so people can buy more triangles if they need them.

The Santa mugs with the mini trees are also headed to the booth tomorrow.   I have a few more boxes of Christmas to take out there before the holiday open house.  Then I will have a week before I start decorating at home.

In the mirror you can see a reflection of our $4 palm trees!!!  They are from the backyard and they grew so much this year that they will not fit in my low ceiling basement for the winter......  I just may decorate them for Christmas and forget the big tree....

Sweater Pumpkins

 My best seller of October has been the Sweater Pumpkin!  Made from old sweaters that I had in the donate or dispose of bag and some odds and ends.  I have made a lot and spent only $1.50 for supplies.  All of the remaining pumpkins in my booth sold this weekend so I whipped up this basket full during tv time last night.

One of my customers complained that I did not have any orange pumpkins so I spent $.50 for a thrift store sweater.  For small pumpkins cut off sections of the sleeves.   Gather one end.  Stuff. Gather the other end. Decorate.

I used twine, a felt leaf, a branch and 2 buttons.

One button is glued on the bottom,

They are each unique.

For the  bigger pumpkin just cut a circle out of the body of the sweater and gather the edge like I did with this one-

 

I hope all of these little ones find new homes this weekend !

 

Editted- Seven of the ten pumpkins sold before I left Angels on Friday!  I will have 14 more in the booth by Sunday :) 

Extreme Measures

I had to make some changes at the Swamp.  Lulu, the Boy's cat, declared war on my parlor furniture.  There is no way to keep her off the furniture - there is no door-   I tried sprays, aluminum foil, water gun, even a motion sensor- she could not be stopped.

So as much as I did not want to do it - I switched the parlor and dining room furniture.  The dining room has pocket doors that the cat can not get open.   Since I was beginning to decorate for fall and cleaning up this seemed like the time to take these extreme measures!

So now when you walk through the front door you see the dining room first.

Now I really have to keep this table looking good so I played with my dishes to have a fall look.  We have not had dinner in here yet.  It will be a few extra steps to bring the food in here,

I will try to live with it a while or until I outlive the cat!

If you turn right and go thru the doors you are in the parlor.

The thing that I like about this arrangement is that I can sit in here in the morning with my paper and coffee.  The room is very light.  I also can have a rug in here since there will be no animals to destroy it!

I am going to have to make curtains for this room now.  I have them cut out but I liked the light so much that I never finished them.  There will be times when I will  want more privacy now.  It never bothered me that the neighbors could see us having dinner but I want to read the paper in my pajamas without company!

New Wheels

 The last little bird in my nest is stretching his wings.   He got a job as a bus boy in the spring and has saved every check toward some wheels.  (We are those mean parents who want our children to work for their car!)  So it has taken some time for him to find something in his price range that runs.  I am so proud of him and he is pretty proud of himself. 

World's Longest Yard Sale -Short and Cheap Edition

With the retirement of my Hubby and our poor memories the World's Longest Yard Sale slipped up on us. Since we didn't have plans we just jumped in the truck and spent one day on the Alabama end of the sale. We got to Gadsden at bout 6:30 Saturday morning and drove until we found some early sales. Within an hour things began to get more crowded but the clouds kept the temperature down in the morning so it was nice!
We were picky and cheap on this trip so it was slow at first, but the truck was full by the time we headed back home. I didn't take pictures of most of the electronics which is not my thing- but is the bread and butter of Hubby's sales every month.

This is a gun cabinet for his booth. The glass is gone so it is a "project"- he has sold these well. The watering can and rusty tool boxes are for my booth!
This old stool is a project for me.... can you see my vision?

The clock is his. The other stuff is mine -trays, books, wood pieces , more molds and the pink planter....

Isn't it sweet? I have already moved it to the mantel in the dining room in hopes that I will "forget" to sell it....at least for a while...

This little table has a date with some chalk paint. The 2 shabby jewelry boxes
already had a makeover today.

I got the bottles to alter for Halloween, and the Japan stacking mugs will join some we have in the booth. I think I will spray paint the metal sconces.

There are a couple of other boxes that I have not unpacked yet with more small things. I was really tired after that 17 hour ride!!!!

On another note - my Mom made me this cute table runner. It was waiting for me in the mailbox. I was not too tired to play with it!

It is made from a dropcloth. The directions were in Country Living a couple of months ago!

Recycled T-Shirt Skirts

Here are the T shirt skirts that my friend and I have been making in their debut at Angels. We have been buying up t shirts at yard sales and thrift stores. It takes 4-5 shirts per skirt depending on size. The scarf is also made of recycled shirts.
Sorry about the cell phone pictures- I never remember to take my camera out there and by the time I get organized - the thing has sold! (which is a good problem!) This skirt sold the 2nd day it was out there.

Here is the "guinea pig" skirt- I will keep this one. It was a learning experience so I wanted all of the mistakes on my skirt. If I had a serger this would be easier. I am not crazy about sewing on knit. I have had to play with my knit stitches and overlock to get the best look.

It sits low on the hips, so the only place you have to fit it is the hips and length. The waist band has to stretch enough to go over the hips and not slide back off! It folds back down. That is one shirt bottom. The other four shirts are sewed in a big tube, gathered, attached to the waist band and hemmed. Not too hard! You can make any of the panels be the front- so 4 skirts in one!

I wore mine today to test it out- comfy and cool. My friend is making some for her daughter out of her Hello Kitty Tshirts that she has outgrown. I can't wait to see that one! I found a UNC shirt at the thrift store and will hunt for more. I don't outgrow my shirts and am not willing to cut up any of my favorites! Maybe I can get Mom (hint,hint) to look for some in NC! DO NOT PAY MORE THAN $.50 FOR ONE!!!!

Thrify Finds and Projects

I had a "Craft Day" last week with my thrifting buddy. We worked on a pattern for a recycled Tshirt skirt (pictures to come later) and some altered playing cards. I made this card and later found this small canning jar at the thrift store.

Next up is this tiny nativity set that was almost free....Love it!

From Mexico-

At the same thrift store found this cute jewelry chest and gave it a facelift with some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint-

These shabby little chests never last long at the booth. There is one I did not paint out there that has never sold even though it is much larger and much cheaper. Time to bring it home and paint it!

I found these screen prints from the 70's by Marushka last week. I really love them but just do not have a place for them. And I do not see a cottage by the beach in my future. They are pretty tall - I especially love the one with the jar of shell since I have jars of shells all over my house!

This sad little table was at a yard sale this weekend. A quick coat of ASCP -Graphite - made it a winner! The last table I painted this color sold the same day I put it in the booth!

The big project this week is moving home an office full of 27 years of memories for my hubby. Although he is not as sentimental as I am there are many things that he will want to keep and we will have to find room for them! Today is his last day to work and he is so ready to begin this new chapter!