A visit from the free stuff fairy...

Hi Everyone!  I just couldn't wait to show you....what the free stuff fairy (otherwise known as my aunt Barb) brought me today.  I ran home on my lunch half hour to meet my aunt and uncle and help them unload the van.  And I quickly took a couple of pictures so I could share them with you!

 Look at all those headboards and foot boards.  

Can't you just see all the benches I'm going to make?  I can.

 Look at this beauty.  It's old and it has the little casters on it.  Oh how I wish I had the matching foot board.

Look at that cream one in the background.  It's lovely too.

There were 16 pieces in this stack of headboards and foot boards.

Three headboard/foot board matching combos.

Two matching twin headboards.

Five headboards.

And one lone foot board.

And they will all be put to good use.

I also got a box of old books.  A box with wooden frames and an old Christmas tree.  A cooler with vintage jars and German bottles (my uncle is German).  And a box with a variety of nick-knacks.

My free stuff fairy is wonderful.  I wish you all had a free stuff fairy too.  

But don't even think about asking for mine.  

I can share lots of things with you but I just can't share my aunt too.  

Thanks Aunt Barb for all the wonderful goodies you delivered to the farm today!

I can't wait to get home tonight and photograph these wonderful headboards and foot boards.  And then get them stored away with the rest of my stash until I am able to work on them.  Thanks for stopping by!

What is it?....

Hi Everyone!  What is this wet stuff?  We haven't seen it here in so long I'm not sure I remember how it feels to be out in it. 

 We've only had about 35/100th of it but we could sure use a lot more of it.  At least a good inch or a bit more.  So no working in the shop tonight.  Instead I'm working on some art pieces...two different sets. 

Tomorrow, my aunt Barb is going to be here.  She has a van full of things for me.  It will be like Christmas in May!  And I can't wait to see what she's gotten for me or to share it with you.  Thanks for stopping by.

A bench and a table...

Hi Everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  My day started out early.  I was out in the shop working by 7:30 AM.  I put the dogs out on their tie ups and headed to the shop.  Since the land sale was happening this morning I decided I had better get started early so whenever the crowd showed up, I could take a break.  But then a surprising thing happened, they didn't set up at the driveway across the road from my home, they set up at the drive on the south side of the field so no crowd at my house.  And I got a lot done today!

I started working on a bench.

 I got this one back in March and have been waiting for the chance to use it.

 The foot board has a bad spot on one of the feet.

 I cleaned it up and used Kwik Wood to fix it.

 Here it is after it dried and I sanded it to smooth it out.

 Then I cut the foot board apart.  Here it is being dry fit together.

I haven't finished it  yet, but I think it's going to be a cute bench.

I also worked on the order for a coffee table that I got right before my craft fair at the end of April.

I took boards from this stack of really old lumber and after cutting it down and a lot of sanding, I ended up with this table top....

I was asked by a friend of my mother's to make her a small coffee table.  She didn't know how big she wanted it, she just held up her hands and said "I'd like it about this long and this wide."  As she said it she moved her hands to mimic the size.  So with those measurements, this is what I came up.  I told her I had a stack of reclaimed cedar boards that I would use to make her coffee table.  It's not a traditional style of table but I was looking through my Pottery Barn catalog the other day and saw a dining table that was made sort of in this style and decided it would be cute for this table.

Pottery Barn inspiration

I of course didn't make it to look like this, but I liked the idea of this table.  I'm not finished with it yet, but so far I like the direction this is headed.  So what do you think?  It is the smallest coffee table I've ever seen.  I just need to get the feet finished.  Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Memorial Day....

Hi Everyone!  Happy Memorial Day!  I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone that has served or are serving our country.  My great Uncle Willard served in WWII.  My sister-in-law was in the Army.  My nephew is currently a Marine. 

My nephew Ridge

Here's to all of you!  Thanks for your brave service.  Happy Memorial Day!

Have a safe and happy day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Family Tree....

Hi Everyone!  Happy Friday!  The long weekend is upon us...although I still have to work today and tomorrow like normal but then I have Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off.  So I still get to have a three day weekend, just not the same days as everyone else!

I want to show you the painting I started Wednesday night and then finished last night.  It's just a simple thing, but I really like it.

 I started out with this.  It's a three pack canvas panel that is 11x14".

 This is what I made.  First I prepared the canvas.  Then I painted the canvas a very light blue.  It was a color I mixed, mainly white with a little blue mixed in.  When it dried I put an antique medium over it.  Once that dried, I sketched on the tree.  Then painted it with black semi-gloss paint.  I did that so when you look at it from different directions is sort of shines.

 I added this saying to the bottom with the same black paint.  I really love this saying.  If you remember, I used it on the wooden base of the wire family tree I made.  You can check it out here.

 I thought I was finished so I looked in my stash of frames and found this one.  It was wooden so I painted it black and then distressed the edge.  I removed the glass and framed the canvas panel.

 But I didn't think it looked finished once I framed it.  I thought it needed something.

 So I added a couple of love birds to a branch and added a few more branches to the tree.  I first painted the birds in a brighter blue, but decided that the birds needed to be red.  Now I just can't decide if they need to be antiqued.  What do you think?

I'm really liking the way it turned out.  It's simple.  I love that quote.  I think I just might make one for my parents.  I still have two more canvas panels and I know I have another frame like this one.  I think I will be listing this one in my Etsy store.  Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to:
Catch-as-catch-can-76@My Repurposed Life 

Custom bench and trio of paintings...

Hi Everyone!  Happy Thursday!  I had a really good couple of days.  Tuesday I finished the bench for my co-worker Shane.  I finished the trio of paintings for my client and sent her the pics of them and she loved them.  I finished the two custom signs for my friend and client that runs a daycare, I'm just waiting for the sealer to cure so I can send them to her.  I sold a sign in my Etsy shop today so I had to make two trips to the post office, YEAH!  And I got to talk with a dear friend of mine  last night on the phone.  He called to check on my dad!  So it was a good couple of days.

 This is what Shane's bench ended up looking like.  He gave me specific instructions as to the size and style and then left the rest to me.

 I took this before I finished sanding, as you can see the light spots where I filled the nail holes.  I used wooden buttons to cover the screws which I think gives it a nice finished look.

 It will look better once it's been stained.  But Shane is going to have that pleasure.  If it were me, I would paint it and put a cushion on the seat, but that's just me.  He has two young kids so a cushion probably isn't practical.

Shane hasn't seen it yet.  I told him yesterday at work that it was finished, but it was just too windy to haul it to town, especially with the threat of storms.  So maybe he can get it tonight but definitely this weekend.  I need the room in the shop.  I have an order for another headboard bench to get started on.

And here are a few pictures of the trio of paintings I did for a client.  She saw the post of the craft fair wrap up (where they looked yellowish) and emailed me about those paintings.  My dad sold them at the fair and she asked me to make another set.  And here they are.

 I almost like them better than the original set.

 I think they would look good with a background of barn red.....

 ...maybe I'll make that set for myself.

And last night I started working on another painting....hopefully I'll be able to share that with you tomorrow...hopefully.  Thanks for stopping by.

Linking to:
Catch-as-catch-can-7 @ My Repurposed Life 

Mom's bench...

Hi Everyone!  I hope your week is going well.  I was able to work out in the shop yesterday and managed to get a lot of things done.  I wanted to show you what my mom did with the bench I made her for Mother's Day.  Here's the unfinished cedar bench I made for her.  You can check out the full story here.

 In case you missed it, it was made entirely out of reclaimed cedar that either my grandpa saved from the farm or that had been given to be by my aunt Barb (the wood for the pickets).

 And here it is after my mom painted it to match her front door.  The birdhouses are removable for easy painting.

 I also made her the tall birdhouse in the middle of the bench a few years back.  It was originally white with a black roof.  She updated the paint on the roof to match.  Mom has a few more things to go on the bench but she didn't have time to get them out.

 Here's the other bench at her front door.  I did not make this bench.  But I did make the really tall birdhouse with the picket roof and picket fence around the base.  The base was also made from cedar from the farm that my grandpa saved.  The base is really heavy and has a few bricks inside of it.  I did that so it would stay standing and not blow over when it's windy.

The view from the street.  I really like how she painted her benches to match the front door.  They really stand out from the street.  I think she called it Indian Summer Red.  It looks great and she did a really great job painting it.  Thanks for stopping by.

Around the farm....

Hi Everyone!  I hope you are having a great week.  Today is my day off so I will be busy working out in the shop.  I am going to finish that bench today (I mostly finished it last night but needed to make a stop at the lumber yard) and I have to get working on that coffee table.  I thought I'd share a few things that are happening around the farm.

 The corn was planted a few weeks ago and is growing nicely.

 And we've got grass.  It's just about ready to be cut, raked, and baled into hay.  When the wind is blowing (likes it's been doing a lot lately) the grass looks like ocean waves moving across the pasture.  It really is an interesting sight.

 And in that grass is a lot of little purple flowers...it's actually called red clover.  And the cattle and horses love it.

 The grass is early this year.  It's almost a month ahead of schedule.  After it's cut and baled, we need some more rain so we can get a second cutting off of it.

 And this is the view outside my front door.  This field, directly across the road was planted last week with beans so that's why it still looks bare.  It needs a little rain too.  And do you see that sign...

 They are selling this land.  Oh how I wish I could buy it.  But I don't have that kind of money laying around.  Land around here has been going for upwards of $5,000 an acre.  If I had that kind of money, I'd be opening my own shop...not buying land.

I just hope it's new owner buys it for farm land and not too build on.  I really don't want a neighbor directly across the road.  It would destroy my view! 

I wanted to show you an antler that I found in our pasture a couple of weeks ago.  I had taken the golf cart down in the pasture and came across this.  Too bad it has a broken tip. 

And here's a peek at the back of the bench I should be finishing up today!  YEAH!  I will share it when I'm finished building it.  Now I have to get ready and get out to the shop.  Have a great day!  And as always, thanks for stopping by.

Work in progress...

Hi Everyone!  Sorry I disappeared for a couple of days.  I've been working on a few projects but I don't have anything truly finished.  I did a little bit of yard work yesterday.  I have more to do.  I've been working on a few paintings...a few signs...and that bench for my co-worker.  I've been stuck on that bench.  I had limited instructions but then again too many instructions and I just hadn't figured it out.  But it finally came together today and I should finish it on Tuesday.

 This is where I started...the most unappealing part but probably more important than the outer part...the supports and structure of the bench.  I basically built two separate small benches and then put them together.  I did it this way because the drawing I was given had that look on the end (see the pic below) where the legs had that space between them.  And by making two smaller benches I could make it structurally sound and give it the look that my client wanted.

 Then I wrapped the base with a 1"x 6" that I shaved down a bit and gave it a "finished" look on the ends.  And then I put three 1"x 6" boards for the seat plus a board I cut down to 1 3/4" where the back will be attached.  I had to clamp the last 1" x 6" board down since it had a bit of a twist to it and didn't lay completely flat on one end.  Once the glue dries then the clamps will come off and the back can go on.

 It's very structurally sound.  As my mom would say, "It could hold and elephant."  I think it can stand up to a couple of kids climbing on it.

And here's what the back is going to look like.  It's just a solid back.  This doesn't have the end pieces on it.  I can't add the ends until I've attached this portion to the seat/base.  The piece of plywood isn't attached yet either.  I need to attach this frame to the last board that makes up the seat of the bench, then attached that to the base. 

Then I can attach the end pieces of the back to the frame and the base.  Clear as mud, right?  Well at least I know what I mean.  If I were making this for myself, I would add a cushion or upholster the seat and I'd upholster that piece of plywood inside the frame...but that's just me.  I would also be painting the wood instead of staining it, but the client wants what they want.  At least I don't have to stain it.  Staining is my least favorite thing to do.

I've also been working on a trio of paintings for another client.  Here's a peek at them.  I'm not yet finished with them.  This is not the best picture of them, you can't see the details and it looks more green than they really are.

 And here are a couple of signs I'm working on for another client.  I was hoping to have them finished earlier this week, but I ran out of my favorite outdoor sealer and had to order more.  Nobody carries it around here and I did not have time to get anywhere that does have it, so I order it. 

This is actually only one sign.  I made it two-sided instead of making my client two separate signs.  I still need to put the sealer on and the hooks or holes in it so it can hang and flip.

Don't they all look great together?  I think they do and I'm pretty sure my client will love them.  She's already seen pictures of the Daycare sign and she love it.  So I think she'll be happy with the Open and Closed sign. 

That's a little peek into what I've been working on.  I've never had three separate projects take me so long to complete.  My allergies have been going haywire lately.  Plus there's been more mowing these last two weeks than I normally do (at the farm and at my parents).  I feel a little off my game.  I can normally get more done than this...maybe I can turn it around on Tuesday.  I HAVE to start building up my inventory for the upcoming fairs and I have three more orders to work on.  A cedar coffee table for a deck...a headboard bench....and a padded coffee table/storage box. I hope you have a great week.  Thanks for stopping by.