Knick of Time

When Opportunity Knocks...

2013-05-23T19:00:00.001-05:00

Actually, opportunity didn't knock - it called my cell phone, but the call was about a door and the lesson is the same...spread the word about being a junk lover, because you never know when someone may remember and send some wonderful junk your way.

Last week, I got the phone call every junker loves to get. "Hey Angie, would you be interested in some old doors?" Now, old doors can mean cheap hollow core doors, or old doors can mean a work of art. I rarely refuse when someone offers me something free. Even if it ends up being something I can't use, I can always donate it. The point is, you WANT people to call you when they want to get rid of something, so say "yes", so they'll remember you the next time they want to get rid of something and they may tell others too!

Because in this case...and old door was a work of art...x 2!
Gorgeous wood appliques...wavy antique glass...beautiful doorknobs.
What more could a door-loving woman want?
Apparently the pastor at my church told some other folks in our church that I might be interested in them.

SWOOOOON..............

Mr. 18 year old was holding the door from behind for me, so I could take the photos, with his sidekick beside him. My husband is going to cut this door down to size to become our front door. I can't wait to see it replace the characterless metal door we currently have. I haven't decided what I'll do with the other door yet.

The people who gave me these doors are tearing down their old house, because they built a new house right behind it. Most everything has been stripped from the house, but I also got some wood to create things with. I made this coat rack from wood that was on their kitchen sink cabinet. There are also 4 gloriously chippy old porch posts they'll be removing for me before the house gets leveled. I can't wait to get my hands on them!

Another gal from my church also called an offered me an old cabinet that looks great. I still need to pick it up. So glad other people know how much I love salvage and junk, or I may have missed this opportunity!

Blessings,

Angie

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This is Why a Body Needs Sleep...Boot & Shoe Store Sign

2013-05-22T18:50:00.000-05:00

I had another one of those 1:30 in the morning moments last weekend, when I just had to make something before I could sleep. Actually, I had already gone to bed and been asleep for awhile, but my mind was still on "high alert" because I was waiting for my daughter to get home from the drive-in movie, so some little sound woke me up, thinking it was her. I decided to just stay up and work on something until she got home.

I had picked up this antique business card a few months ago, and meant to post it for Antique Graphics Wednesday, but realized I never did and decided to make a sign using the image. I love the typography and especially the curved "and".

I scanned the business card and removed all the background with Photoshop, so the Silhouette could "read" the letters (you can use this image with your Silhouette as well). For my sign, I decided to remove the name of the company and the extra words at the bottom, because it fit the board I had better than way. If you decide to leave the company name on top, you'll notice some extra cut spaces inside the letters, because the Silhouette reads any little bit of variance in shading as something to cut. If you are using it as a stencil, that part will be removed anyway, so it won't matter.

My board was an old one that was already painted black, so I just used the vinyl stencil to add the words. I used a stencil I already had to dress up the corners of the sign. Once it was dry, I distressed it, then wiped some wood stain over it to deepen the aged look of the distressed areas. Things were going swimmingly. It looked wonderful. At that point I went to bed, somewhere around 2:45 a.m.

I don't know what the heck woke me up at 5:30 in the morning, but up I was. I soaked in the tub for awhile and when I got out, the sun was up, so I decided to put a coat of spray sealer over the sign so it would be dry by the time I got home from church. I grabbed the spray can of sealer, shook it and started spraying. The next thing I knew, there was a fine mist of white on my sign! I freaked out, thinking I didn't shake the can well enough or something, but upon closer inspection realized I had grabbed a can of white spray paint...not clear sealer.

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Folks, this is why a body needs more than 2 hours of sleep at a time. No, I didn't take a photo of the disaster - I was too busy having a fit. It was such a fine mist of white that I quickly grabbed some sandpaper and started sanding like crazy, trying to salvage it. I had to sand it a lot to make the white blend in, then I put a new coat of wood stain over it again. I really thought it was going to end up in the burn pile, but by the time I was done, I was okay with how it looked.

It does seem appropriate that it was a boot and shoe sign that I messed up on, because I really need a swift kick in the butt for working on projects with my eyes half open.

Blessings,

Angie

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Farmer's Market Sign - Repurposed Headboard

2013-05-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm guest posting over at Must Love Junk where I'm sharing this Farmer's Market sign created from an antique headboard. I hope you'll swing by to see it, and wish Susan a happy 1st Blogiversary!

Blessings,

Antique Graphics Wednesday - 1900's Kodak Advertisement

2013-05-21T20:30:00.000-05:00

Here's neat old image of a Kodak camera, and the original advertisement it came from.

Let me know if you use this on one of your creative projects - I'd love to see it!

Blessings,

Angie

Knick of Time Tuesday #87

2013-05-20T18:51:00.001-05:00

Sorry for all the glitches - the linky tool is up and running now.

Welcome back to Knick of Time Tuesday!

No food, no food, no food!
:0)
I love food, I really do, but please remember that the theme of this party is vintage style, so unless you are sharing your grandmother's recipe, don't share food links - I hate deleting.

Here are some features from last week's party!

Glass Slipper Restorations share the amazing transformation of their front porch. Be sure to go check out the before and after.

I love these pretty little chippy benches shared by A Vintage Green.

My Vintage Life shared some beloved old books that belonged to her grandmother and mother. What treasured keepsakes.

Denise on a Whim created a charming shelf with a chalkboard out of a broken chair. You know me - I love a great repurposed chair project!

If you were featured, feel free to display this button!

Pamper Yourself a Little!

Cynthia from Sweet Harvest Farms sent me an amazing assortment of products from her shop.
My son brought in the mail and said, "Mom, you got something that smells really good". He wasn't kidding. These soaps aren't just for girls either. The guys in your life will love her more masculine scents. I've never thought of soap as being sexy, but you seriously need to smell the Amore scent. It's like the Matthew McConaughey of soap. I really like Midnight Dreams too.

Not only do her soaps smell wonderful, but they are beautiful as well and the substantially-sized bars last a long time. I started using one bar back in March and I've barely made a dent in the size it, so they are a good value also.

I love being able to get my favorite scent in a whole product line - soap, bath salt, lotion, shea butter bars and even candles. The only problem is deciding which scent is my favorite, because I'm having a hard time deciding.

I told my kids they could each pick a bar of soap of their own. It was so funny watching them sniff each bar and argue over who got which one. My kids aren't little either - they are 20, 18 and 13.

Treat yourself to some of these products and you'll feel like you've visited a spa, without the big price tag.

Now, let's see your vintage style!

Good Pickin's!

2013-05-19T18:30:00.000-05:00

My husband and I went to a neighborhood garage sale over the weekend and I managed to fill the back of my vehicle in a little over an hour. People were out in droves, but fortunately, most people weren't looking for the kind of things I had my eye out for.

I'm always looking for porcelain stuff, and rusty stuff,

industrial stuff,

and sitting stuff,

chippy, sweet stuff

old wood and wheels stuff,

Army green stuff,

salvage stuff,

zinc stuff,

keyhole stuff,

and crate stuff,

is great stuff.

Blessings,

Angie

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Sonday - The Old Rugged Cross

2013-05-18T20:30:00.000-05:00

Blessings,

Angie

My Boy

2013-05-17T18:30:00.000-05:00

I apologize in advance for this post. If you are sick of seeing photos of my kids, I'm going to subject with more of them today. My middle son is graduating from our homeschool, and being the thrifty mom that I am, I always take their senior photos. I am not a portrait photographer at all (or any real photographer at all), but we both were really happy with some of the shots we got, and with so many pretty nearby settings, we had some great locations to choose from.

His pooch, Pico, had to be part of his senior photos, because he's my son's best little buddy. I've often said that we should have named him Shadow, because he always stays close enough to my son to be his shadow. We're fortunate to live close to a beautiful state park, so the dock made a great place to get some pictures.

My youngest son came with us and brought his pooch, Chica, so I got a few shots of them as well.

There's also a wonderful old barn down the road from us, which made another great backdrop.

This shot looks like he's either pondering his future...or staring at cows.

Another shot with Pico...who really wanted to chase mice in the barn.

I was really happy with this photo, because I've been practicing with my camera, learning to get backgrounds blurred, with the subject kept in sharp focus.

I'm going to miss this kid so much when he goes away to college in the fall. He's made me laugh, cry and pull my hair out since the day he was born, and home just won't be the same without him here every day.

I promise, I won't make you look at any more photos of my kids...at least for a little while.
Blessings,

Angie

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Coat Racks, Greeting Cards & Playing with Picmonkey...one thing leads to another

2013-05-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

This week I've been busy cleaning and organizing my workshop, which had become a mammoth disaster during the winter. The funny thing about cleaning my workshop, is I kept getting sidetracked when I came across things I wanted to work on. I think I need a little fun in between the drudgery of cleaning to keep me motivated. Anyway, I came across a super old piece of pine baseboard that had wonderfully aged pale buttercream-colored paint on it. Three coat hooks and 2 D-ring hangers later and I'm in love with it. It has such a simple look, I think it's perfect for a farmhouse or cottage style home. It's really long - 48", so it's perfect for an entryway, but would make a wonderful towel hook in a bathroom as well.

It's available in my shop HERE, but you could make your own as well. Just buy a pine plank and stain the board, then paint over it with homemade chalk paint (instructions here). Use a wet rag to distress it, which is my preferred method, but you could also use a sander.

While watermarking the original photo, I decided I'd like to turn the image into some greeting cards. One design shows the full coat rack and the other shows part of it closer up.

After coming up with a few variations, I started tinkering around with the photo in Picmonkey. One thing just seemed to lead to another. Here it is in black and white.

Here it is again with everything softened. I love Picmonkey! It's so easy to tinker with your photos and give them special effects like these, especially for those of us who are Photoshop-challenged.

I also found an antique door lock and realized the paint color was a nearly perfect match for this antique tongue and groove plank, so I turned it into a coat rack too.

I love old door locks, and have a bunch of them, but I don't have a lot of ideas to use them, so this seemed like a good one.

Blessings,

Angie

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Homemade Chalk Paint Pie Safe

2013-05-15T18:30:00.000-05:00

Last year we bought an old RV. It needs some work to get it running well, but we hope to do a little traveling in it. I'm also hoping to make it look pretty - as if I need another remodeling project.

Inside the RV was this little pine cabinet. It was cute, but bland. It reminds me of a pie safe.

I whipped up a batch of homemade chalk paint. I used turquoise on the outside and bright white on the interior.

I love this chalk paint because it distresses so easily with just a damp rag - no need to make a mess sanding the paint.

I wiped a lot of the paint off, so some of the wood grain underneath would show through.

It makes such an adorable display cabinet.
The only problem with it is I have nowhere to use it in my home, so it's available in my shop.

Blessings,

Angie

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Antique Graphics Wednesday - 1900's Fashion Images

2013-05-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

Today I have a bunch of lovely fashion-related images, all from the early 1900's, to share with you today.

The first one is an ad for an Acme Dress Form. Boy, would I love to get my hands on one of those pretties!

Here's just the top half of the advertisement.

Fancy boot advertisement from the Utz & Dunn Co., in Rochester, NY

This very pretty, feminine image came from a 1911 The Modern Priscilla magazine, and was part of an advertisement for the National Style Book, by the National Cloak and Suit Company.

I wouldn't want to try to wear a hat like this, but it sure looks beautiful.

Another boot advertisement - this one from the Swope Shoe Co. in St. Louis, MO.

These next 2 images were both in a 1911 The Ladies World magazine.

This one was a title header.

Very pretty feminine image. I'm sure a woman could barely breath in the corset she must be wearing, but I guess they figured, "no pain, no gain".

This image was for children's fashions.

Here's a very cute advertisement for petticoats from a 1910 "The Housekeeper" magazine.

(click on image to enlarge)

These magazine pages were generously sent to me by Audrey @ Timeless Treasures.

Blessings,

Angie

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Knick of Time Tuesday

**Craft & Tell**Cowgirl Up**Nifty Thrifty Tuesday**Market Your Biz**Primp Your Stuff Wed**Wow Us Wednesday**Under $100 Link Party**Transformation Thursday**Pearls and Lace Thursday**Share Your Cup**Feathered Nest Friday**Inspiration Friday**Vintage Inspiration Friday**Stuff and Nonsense**Catch as Catch Can**Saturday Nite Special**Sunday's Best**Rustic Restorations

Antique Graphics Wednesday - Spring & Summer Sheet Music - Free Printable Graphics

2013-05-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

Blessings,

Angie

Knick of Time Tuesday #86

2013-05-13T17:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to Knick of Time Tuesday! I have a little favor to ask of you all. Would you take a moment to share this party on Facebook or your blog and encourage others to drop in and join the vintage fun? I'd love to get the word out to more vintage-lovers to come join us! Thank you!!

There are only a few rules to this party, and I hate deleting links, so please take note:

This week, I was loving all the wonderful vintage items that I saw that had been painted to renew their beauty. Here are some of those special pieces from last week's party!

I love this pretty accent table shared by Painted Style.

Liz @ Quirky Vistas used the Milk & Cream Co. graphic I shared with you here,
and used it on a Lazy Susan. I LOVE, love, LoVe how it turned out!!

Would you believe this gorgeous antique dresser was purchased for $13.50 at a thrift store? It is drop-dead beautiful with a fresh coat of paint - shared by Freddy and Petunia.

Audrey @ Timeless Treasures is thrilled to have a new Silhouette and her first project she created with it was these darling junk drawers - too cute!!

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Masculine Milk Paint Makeover

2013-05-12T19:07:00.004-05:00

For the last several months, I've been on the lookout for an old dresser, desk, or cabinet, or anything similar that is about hip high. Don't ask me why I didn't take a careful look around my own home, because I had the very thing I needed already - it was just buried under other junk in my outbuilding. Let that be a lesson to me, to shop my own shed first, before shopping elsewhere.

I bought this old desk several years ago at a thrift store for $15. I love the rope trim and the drawer pulls on it, and always intended to paint it, but I managed to bury it before that project ever happened. One of the drawers had a broken piece, and several of the drawers were a little wonky, but I was pretty sure it was going to be exactly what I needed once it was prettied up.

I sanded the top, with the intention of staining it, but once I started painting the sides, I kept getting black paint back on the top. I should have just sanded it again, but I decided not to and painted the top black as well. Once it was dry, I would heavily distressed the top with my sander.

I used Old-Fashioned Milk Paint and it did exactly what we often hope milk paint will do...it chipped LIKE CRAZY. I started to panic, because I wondered if there was going to be any paint left by the time it dried completely. I added a second coat in some spots, but decided to just go with the chippy flow on most of the desk.

I did leave four of the drawer fronts unpainted. I just sanded them down, intending to stain them.

I discovered the only wood stain I had on hand was super dark, and I wanted a lighter stain to contrast with the dark paint. I didn't want to make a trip into town for just a can of stain, but discovered we had a partial can of satin clear coat and decided to see risk it, and see what it would look like, instead of stain. OH MY WORD!!! It was like a wood miracle before my eyes. That stuff brought out the natural, rich tones in the wood in the most gorgeous way, and it did a great job of sealing the rest of the desk. I thought about painting the drawer pulls black, but decided to just use some steel wool to polish them up and create a little shine.

Since the bottom two drawers on both sides needed work to make them slide in and out properly, and one of them had a broken piece, I decided not to use them. I removed the drawer brackets and created a shelf in that empty space instead. The boards for the shelf were cut from some old wooden bed side rails I had in my workshop. I'll be looking for some baskets to fit inside the shelves this week.

The reason I specifically needed to find a dresser or desk that was hip high, is that this desk is going to become the sink in our "men's room", which is why I gave it such a masculine look. My husband will be cutting out the hole in the top for the cute little antique sink we bought last fall, and connecting the plumbing this week.

Finding the right base for the sink was the last of the bigger projects in this bathroom, and there are just a few finishing touches to complete to call it done. I'm looking forward to sharing this little bathroom with you - hopefully in the next week or so.

Blessings,

Angie

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Homeward Bound

2013-05-11T19:30:00.000-05:00

Blessings,

Angie

Proud Momma Moments

2013-05-10T18:30:00.001-05:00

In hindsight, it seems it was a little prophetic that my son joined the Army Reserves. When he was a freshman in high school, he and I were in a thrift store one day, when an Army recruiter approached him, thinking he was older than he was, and handed him a business card and encouraged him to consider the Army after high school. At the time, I didn't give it a second thought - it seemed so far away.

Fast forward six years, and he is officially a US Army soldier. He plans to return to college in the fall to finish his business degree, while serving in the Reserves.

We were able to spend 2 days with him to celebrate his graduation from basic training, before he goes on to finish his specific training for his job in the Army.

My parents were able to attend his graduation as well, and I absolutely love this photo I got of him walking with his grandma. It reminds me of when he was little, and held her hand when they walked together.

Mugshot of me with my handsome soldier son.

I feel very blessed to have 4 wonderful kids!

Angie

Going Gray

2013-05-09T18:30:00.000-05:00

Do you have any new favorite colors this season?

Ever since I brought home an old gray stepladder a few months ago, I've been loving gray (except the gray that's on my head.) and mint green is another color I'm wanting to bring into my home more. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning a few nights ago, and rather than toss and turn, I decided to do some painting instead. When I'm in the mood to paint, I just root through my workshop, looking for anything that would look prettier painted.

I've had this old wooden half-bucket for years and years, and normally it holds junk inside a closet. It was time to make it pretty and let it see the light of day. I'm planning to use some gray in our bedroom when it finally gets remodeled, so I'll be putting it aside to use in that room.

It only took a few minutes to paint and I still wasn't tired, so I headed back out into my workshop and brought in this chair that was missing the back. I actually got two of them at the auction last year, and painted and sold the other one, but never got around to painting this one.

I used milk paint on this one. I didn't seem to crackle very much at first, but when I ran the edge of my bank card on it, some flecks started coming off. I also took my sander to it in some spots to add more distressing. This gray has a light blueish tint to it, but it's called, "Slate". The brand is Old-Fashioned Milk Paint. These backless chairs actually make very comfortable seats, but I like them as small display tables for vignettes.

What are your new favorite colors?

Angie

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Road Trip Finds

2013-05-08T18:30:00.000-05:00

Every year, my daughter and I hit the road for a trip we both look forward to all year. She attends a Christian music festival and while she's at the festival, I hit all my favorite junkin' spots. This year she brought two friends along and they had the best time at the concert together.

I scored a few wonderful finds, like this beautiful ironstone pitcher and 2 lovely old plates. They are keepers!

I also found another antique receipt register system. This is the 2nd one I've found from this company, so I was really thrilled.

The last one I got had a huge, heavy metal box that held the clipboards, but this one has a really neat metal case that holds them all. I've got the perfect spot to use the outer case in my house!

It has 10 of these wonderful old receipt clipboards inside. Some have numbers on them and some have letters. These are terrific for displaying photos and other memorabilia. I have them listed in the shop here.

The front metal board doesn't have clips, but it has the company logo on it and will make a great magnet board.

I also found 2 old barn lights!

If we didn't already have a light I like over our kitchen table, I would definitely use one of these.
Both of them are listed in my shop here.

I never pass up a pretty wire basket.

I'm also always on the lookout for old enamel bowls to convert into tiered stands, so eventually that's what these will become.

I love lots of chips and wear on them.

We always make a stop at Cracker Barrel along the way, so she can beat me at checkers and I can have a homecooked meal that I didn't have to cook.

I'm already looking forward to next year.

Angie

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Antique Graphics Wednesday - 1910 Gelatin Advertisement

2013-05-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

I think image from a Knox Gelatine ad is just the cutest thing!

Both the cow and the typography are wonderful.

It came from a 1910 The Housekeeper magazine, sent to me

by Audrey @ Timeless Treasures.

Here's just the little cow image by itself.

If you think of something to use these images on, please let me know - I'd love to feature your work!

Blessings,

Angie

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Knick of Time Tuesday

Let's Home Talk

2013-05-07T20:00:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I finally joined the Hometalk network. Hometalk is the place for all things home and garden-related, and it isn't just for bloggers. Anyone can posts photos or ask questions on Hometalk!

Both members and professionals can answer questions you have about anything home or garden related, and you'll be inspired by the thousands and thousands of photos of completed room makeovers, gardening projects, design & decor, upcycling & recycling, and so much more. Here's just a glimpse of what is waiting for you there.

Hometalk is sponsoring a fabulous contest and the winner will win a trip to Lucketts for a Hometalk meetup, and I'd love to win! Would you take a moment and follow me on Hometalk, then leave me a comment that you did? I'd really appreciate it!
Click on this image to follow Knick of Time on Hometalk!

Thanks so much!

Angie

Knick of Time Tuesday #85

2013-05-06T19:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to Knick of Time Tuesday!

There are only a few rules to this party, and I hate deleting links, so please take note:

Here are some features from last week's party!

Glass Slipper Restorations shared the cozy coop her husband recreated from an old dog house and pig

pen. I love the addition of the old window for a door. Her chickens will be sitting pretty now!

Maison de Pax repainted some mismatched frames to create framed art with 2 pages of beautiful antique sheet music.

Crafty in Canada restored an extremely old and worn out desk into a real beauty.

I would love to do some shopping in Rose Petals and Rust's booth! I would snatch that old ladder right up!

Helen and Her Daughters scored some fabulous old school items at an estate sale. LOVE!!

I love these painted canning jars created by Ribbonwood Cottage for decor at her daughter's college graduation. Be sure to check out the pretty banner she made as well.

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Some Bliss to Brighten Your Day...Guest Blogger Bliss Ranch

2013-05-05T18:30:00.004-05:00

The last few weeks have been hectic, and this week is forecast to bring more craziness, so I've invited one of my favorite blogging gals to come share with you today. If someone took a poll, asking to name the first blogger who comes to mind that makes me smile, right away Bliss @ Bliss Ranch would get my vote. Not only is she ridiculously talented, but she's really witty, and just a wonderful person as well. As a semi-retired photographer, she's been such a blessing to me recently, helping me edit some photos and giving me photography tips I really needed for some projects I've been working on. I invited her to come share some of her brilliance with you today, so give her a big welcome, and don't forget to head over to her blog to visit her!

Hello Knick of Time readers, I'm Bliss, and if you stop in at Bliss Ranch you will find I redo some furniture, create a few crafts, and knock off stuff other people like Angie dream up. I think I need to have an 'Angie's Stuff' board on pinterest since I pin her projects all the time with the intention of making my own.

Here in Minnesota our never ending Winter has delayed the start of garage sale and thrifting season. But finally last week we had some beautiful weather and I picked up this little crate, because I can't seem to leave a crate of any kind behind.

The sides are metal straps, and I left them the color that they were, a brownish red, and cream color. I removed the sides, and popped off the little star.

I wanted the crate to stand up a bit taller so I added some wood shims to each end.

Like Angie, I'm a fairly new owner of a Silhouette Cameo. In the past I would hand print most of my lettering which was time consuming. The Cameo lets me crank out a project in a couple hours, very helpful when you have a guest post to do!

I used several brands of chalk paint to create the weathered look. Some La Craie, CeCe Caldwell, and Annie Sloan in white, then I sanded and waxed the crate with clear.

We have a little open pantry area in our kitchen that we tend to stack juice boxes, and other beverages, you know - important stuff like soda and beer - so I thought this little crate was the perfect size to give the illusion those cans are stacked there on purpose.

If I had a bunch of cute vintage bottles I might use this as a display, but then the cans would have to go back to lining up along the wall, which wasn't cute.

One end of the crate reads "soda", the other "beverages, in case I need to specify. Not bad for a buck purchase. Maybe I should put a little tin cup on the side and see if I can collect .5¢ each?

Angie, Angie, Angie.... crafting queen, recycler of old, repurpose-er extraordinaire. Thank you so much for inviting me to do a guest post while your fingers are in many pies at the moment (even if my spell-check tells me I'm making up those "re"-words).

Sonday - {Where Is My Boy Tonight?}

2013-05-04T18:30:00.000-05:00

This is a sad hymn and I'm sure it reflects the prayers many mothers have prayed down through the ages about their sons (and daughters). It's a prayer put to song, about a son who has wandered away from God, and may be headed down a dangerous path.

On a brighter note, as you may recall, my oldest son has been away at basic training since the end of February, but he graduates on Thursday! He still has more specific training to complete, so he won't be coming home, but we do get to spend Wednesday and Thursday with him, and my parents are driving over from New Mexico to watch him graduate as well. I couldn't be prouder, and am so excited to see him, so if my presence is a little scarce this week, you'll know why.

Blessings,

Angie

Plate to Pixel

2013-05-02T19:00:00.001-05:00

When I get behind the lens of my camera, I'm like a toddler getting behind the wheel of a car. The child pushes every button, switch and gear on the dashboard, with no idea of what those controls can do.
Calling myself an amateur photographer would be a compliment, because I haven't even achieved that level of photography skill yet.
I recently needed to take photos of my kitchen, and they had to be the best quality possible. I spent 4 of the longest days of my life trying to get those shots, because I had no idea how to control my camera to get results I wanted and needed.
Have you ever tried keeping your family from making ANY mess in a kitchen for 4 days?
Let me tell you, it's nearly impossible, and if I only knew what I was doing, it wouldn't have taken 4 days or been such an ordeal. If only....

In steps Serendipity...
Remember the Wooden Mantel Backdrops I made and showed you recently?

Well, it just so happens that the woman who bought 2 of those backdrops is Helene Dujardin, a well-known food photographer, blogger, and the published author of Plate to Pixel.

She'd purchased some wood from me several years ago (the same wood planks I used to create my mantel backdrops), but I had no idea what she was using it for. As it turns out, she used it as the backdrop for the beautiful photo of the apples above.

I was thrilled to see my pretty old wooden planks being used by a professional photographer, and decided to contact her. Helene graciously connected me with her publisher, Courtney Allen, who sent me Plate to Pixel, so I could read and review it myself.

While Helene specializes in food photography, I soon realized her book will help all photographers improve their skills, and it's written in a very easy to understand way, with tons of photos, illustrations, examples, and instructions. It's exactly the book I wish I had in my hands when I was trying to take the photos in my kitchen.

While reading through the book, I am taking notes - especially in the areas that have had me completely stumped (and there are many). I feel like there's hope that I may actually figure out how to correctly "ask" my camera to perform for me, instead of torturing it with my ignorance.

Aside from being an incredible instructional book, you will thoroughly enjoy all the many, many stunning photos throughout it. Those photos alone really inspire me to shoot at different angles, at various times of day, and with a variety of backdrops.

I received no compensation for writing this post, other than receiving the book. I just know I desperately need some education, yet don't have the time to attend a class at this point, and believe some of you have the same problem. If you've been struggling with photography or the use of your camera, regardless of what it is you are trying to photograph, get this book. It's worth every penny and is much less expensive than taking a class (less than $17 on Amazon). You can read it at your leisure, and practice your skills with the book right in front of you as a help.

Thank you Helene, for writing such an easy to understand and visually beautiful book, and thank you Courtney for sending it to me. Perhaps my camera and I can have a good relationship now!

Visit Helene's blog, Tartelette and prepare to start drooling.
Plate to Pixel can be purchased HERE.

Blessings,

Angie

Using the Positive Space of a Stencil - Colonial Pharmacy Sign

2013-05-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

I used a little different technique this week to create another sign, that I thought would be helpful to other people who are new to using a Silhouette machine.

You may recall this Colonial Pharmacy coat rack/sign I created a few months ago. It was made using Contact paper cut as a stencil with my Silhouette (the negative space).

What was left on the paper backing is the positive space, that you need to use transfer tape to be able to apply it to another surface.

I purchased a large roll of transfer paper online and tried to use it on one of my window projects, with NO success. I got the image onto the transfer tape, but couldn't get it to come off the transfer paper and stuck on the window.

For this project, I purchased some more expensive transfer paper at Hobby Lobby, that comes in sheets, instead of a roll. While it worked somewhat better, it was still a tedious process trying to gently work the transfer paper away from the Contact paper and getting it to stick on the board, but I finally got it. Next time I attempt this process, I will try clear Contact paper as my transfer tape and see if that works better.

I cut a section off a wooden bed side rail to create the sign. I left the natural wood unpainted, then transferred the image onto it. Once it was in place, I spray painted over the vinyl, then used the tip of a needle to gently remove all the tiny vinyl pieces. Once dry, I went over it with my sander to distress it a little, then waxed it.

I'm really thrilled with how it turned out, and I get double the mileage from my cut images by using both the positive and negative parts of the stencil.

The coat rack is available HERE, and the sign is available HERE.
The graphic of the original pharmacy label can be found HERE.

Blessings,

Angie

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