The Old Block House

Happy Holidays to One & All

2013-12-19T10:31:00.000-06:00

I'm amazed to see that my last blog post is dated May of 2012. So very long ago! I'll be reviving the blog in January of 2014. Many new things will be coming, but my focus will remain on taking someting unwanted, unloved, a bit dinged & beat up & making it new & fresh.

I have my biggest project yet to tackle - a house. Previously I was limited to sharing projects, a bit at a time, but now I have an entire house to redo & I'll be doing that on a bare, little skinny, shoestring budget. I'll be taking what I have & making the very best of it in the least expensive way possible. Please join us on this new journey.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

So many holidays, things to celebrate, such a variety of cultures & beliefs to be found in our world.

I wish you all the best.

May the New Year bring you much peace, joy, & love!

Still Singing the Blues

2012-05-03T17:37:00.001-05:00

I haven't blogged alot lately.

I've been busy painting,

sanding, waxing,

& hunting for new items to paint.

This frame was your typical brown

with a really bad water splotched print inside.

The print was removed and tossed in the dumpster.

The paint on this is Martha Stewart Hosta,

which I'm really, really loving,

topped with a coat of my walnut wax.

Chicken wire was stapled to the back,

so that photos could be attached and displayed.

Old black 'n white postcards from an estate auction

were attached with tiny clothespins.

I had three large frames
that were an old gold,
not a pretty old gold,
but a please paint me old gold.

Now they look like this.

This little table was brown and icky.

The wood on the top was peeking through the brown in spots

and drew my interest.

After a little sanding,

the top was looking very promising.

The top of this was waxed with a walnut wax

and the bottom painted with Martha Stewart Hosta.

The paint on this table was more of my oops paint,

like I used in my last post.

And more of the ooops paint on this dresser,

although it looks different from photo to photo.

These two little end tables

were part of a score from an estate auction last summer.

Finally they've been given some love and color.

Feeling a Little Blue

2012-04-15T17:41:00.000-05:00

This ladies writing desk showed up on one of the local FB swap shops.

I fell in love with her,

but didn't message,

as I didn't think it would fit in the car.

After a few days,

the desk was still listed online,

with only a few posts,

but nobody showed any real interest in her.

So I drove to pick her up,

hoping that she'd fit in the car.

Luckily, the legs didn't even have to be removed.

After a coat of paint,

a little distressing (aka destressing me),

and a coat of Minwax,

she was all blue and ready to go.

It was raining, so these photos are taken inside the antique mall.

Paula, the owner, asked if I'd like to put her in the front window,

so now here she is,

gracing the front window of the Summer Hill Antique Mall.

I also used the same paint on a little three drawer dresser.

The finished product looks very different,

but the only two differences in application were that

the desk received two coats

while the dresser only one

& the dresser was sanded much more than the desk.

The scrapbook paper is from Hobby Lobby.

(I love this paper!)

The knobs are salvaged from the dresser I painted here.

I really love this blue.

It's a "custom mix" aka oopsie special -

1 qt light tan

2 sample pots bright blue

1 sample pot white -

Shaken, not stirred,

in a huge cottage cheese container.

I love the ooops section at Home Depot!

New Spring Lids for Old Glass Jars

2012-03-13T12:44:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I bought a few charm packs from Craftsy,

with no specific plans,

I just loved the colors.

With 40 charms in each pack,

and four packs,

I'm going to be finding many projects to use these.

First, I'm making jar lids.

The bright spring colors will jazz up any plain old jars,

even the leftover pickle jars that are great for storage,

but rather bleeeehh

can have a big WOW of color.

Here are the first batch of lids.

All the pretty lids in a row.

Farm Estate Auction

2012-03-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

I love going to auctions,

but I really love going to a farm estate auction.

All the old things.

Antiques.

Farm tools.

Old jars.

Saturday was a lovely day for March

at about 50F with the sun shining.

To get to the auction,

we headed down the gravel,

across the blacktop,

down another gravel road lined on one side by a hill

and the other size by grazing black cattle on gently rolling hills,

across the highway,

then down another long gravel road with lots of turns and twists.

We found some wonderful things.

Rusty Metal Crates

Avondale Farms

Midwest D P '59

Galvanized Gas Can

tucked away in the barn

Tractor Seat Chair -

A tractor seat welded to a disc

How's this for handcrafted?

Old Casters

Huge and Heavy

Old Rusty Wheels

17 Rung Ladder

This ladder came from the last farm auction.

There's also a 15 rung ladder.

A little too tall to use as a quilt or magazine rack.

I have so many other things to still photograph,

lots of old rusty metal things, a few kitchens items,

and

the thing I love most to find

old blue jars!

The final tally was 70 jars for the day.

Combined with the 30 I picked last week,

gives us 100 new jars to put in the shop.

So if you love blue jars,

or you're getting married and are looking for jars for your wedding,

or you just want a lovely old blue jar to hold your spring flowers,

please drop by the shop.

If you don't see what you're looking, for,

just let me know,

we have many, many things waiting to be listed,

tucked in corners,

hiding in boxes.

What treasures have you been finding?

Rustic Shabby Cabinet

2012-03-08T10:15:00.000-06:00

Last week, I found this cabinet listed in our local swap shop on Facebook.

Not too pretty,

but it had potential.

This cabinet was originally made as a little washstand,

but the upright pieces had been broken.

The little ledge around the top was held on with sheet rock screws

drilled in at an angle

and left sticking out on all sides by about a quarter inch.

So it was a little sad cabinet,

but

it was made with love.

This is the kind of piece that I think

someone would have made for

their wife, mother, daughter, sister.

Someone put their time and heart into it.

One of the doors isn't quite as wide as the other,

and maybe it's not all perfect,

but we're all learning to imbrace the perfectly imperfect, right?

So after the wood around the top was removed,

I grabbed the sandpaper and gave it a thorough going over,

roughing it up,

taking off the poly,

removing the orangeness of it all.

Next it got kissed with a coat of Heirloom White on the outside

and a "custom" mix of a robin's egg blue.

(By custom, I do mean a mix of four colors that were not quite right for anything,

but blended very nicely with a little luck and lots of s h a k i n g.)

After the paint was dry,

it was time to beat up the cabinet with a little more sanding.

60 grit sandpaper is my friend.

It makes the work quick and easy.

After all the paint and wood dust was swept away,

(wind gusts at 45mph about blew me away that day)

I mixed up a little glaze and burnt umber acrylic.

With an old cotton cloth,

the glaze was wiped on,

allowed to sit for a minute,

then wiped away,

leaving behind a discoloration in the paint and the exposed wood.

After the paint was well dried,

two coats of wax were buffed into the wood,

into all the little nooks and crannies,

giving it a more finished look.

I think this would be really cute

filled with scrapbooking papers and bits,

fluffy towels and linens,

or loaded with homemade jams & jellies.

Homemade jam sounds wonderful.

Maybe with some cute little covered lids,

but that's for another day.

Here's the before and after photo,

definitely an improvement.

Aqua Distressed Coat Hooks

2012-02-23T00:25:00.000-06:00

I sell quite a variety of vintage items in my shop,

but it's not often that I've added handcrafted items.

However, recently the decision was made to begin adding handcrafted items

either created from vintage pieces or items that are vintage inspired.

Why add handmade?

Because I get this itch in my fingers,

that runs down through my hands,

and sprints up my arm,

then plunges into my brain,

telling me it's time to make something.

The coat hooks that I recently shared sold today.

Can I tell you I was just ecstatic that they sold?

Over the moon!

Doing the happy dance!

It was wonderful to know that someone else liked the pieces that I'd created

enough to add them to their home.

Four more pieces of the molding were left,

they were all brown.

I thought a touch of aqua would brighten them up a bit.

I'm heading out tomorrow in search of more molding.

I badly need one of these to corral my key ring.

Wine Barrel Coat Rack

2012-02-20T16:07:00.000-06:00

Please come join us on Facebook,
to see all the new things we've been creating!

A few weeks ago, I found two old barrels at an auction.

I had no idea what I was going to do with the barrels,

but knew that I couldn't pass them up.

The old oak and rusty rings

were irresistible.

The barrels were soooo heavy.

It was much easier to roll them to their destination,

rather than to carry.

My oldest got the job of dismantling the first barrel for me.

One barrel gave us 35 staves.

The staves are hard old oak.

One of the ends shows some damage,

but that was quickly removed with 60 grit sandpaper

and the palm sander.

The staves were sanded on both sides

to remove any loose bits.

The staves bare the markings of years of rubbing against the rusty metal barrel rings.

The 60 grit paper did not give a glass smooth surface,

but with this project,

keeping that rustic, ruggedness was important.

Two weeks ago, I also dropped in to visit Rene at Kozy Katz Antiques & Collectibles.

She had some wonderful pieces of molding and rusty coat hooks that we used to make these coat hooks,

which have been added to my shop.

I was so happy to find the coat hooks,

because I thought they'd make a wonderful combination

with the rustic old wood of the barrels.

What do you think?

Brass D rings were added to the back of the coat hook for hanging.

One more look,

'cause I'm so happy with the way this turned out!

After a few more of the coat racks are made,

we have another project to begin

involving the barrel rings .

I can't wait to begin the next project

as it's going to be so completely different from anything I've made before.

Soda Crate Flower Boxes

2012-02-13T17:33:00.000-06:00

A few days ago,

a photo of some lovely painted soda crates were shared on Facebook.

Unfortunately, the original source of the photo was not included,

so I haven't shared it here.

The crates were labeled with

FLOWERS

HERBS

SEEDS

and were quite lovely.

The photo got me to thinking about my old soda crates.

The lettering had long gone,

but the frames were still quite in tact.

So with a little bit of oops paint,

some stencils,

and sanding,

I made some flower boxes for spring.

As you can see from the photo,

Old Man Winter doesn't think it's quite time for spring,

but I'm hoping he clears out early this year.

I'm ready for

Distressed Wood Frames

2012-02-11T23:12:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, I like to do big projects,

like the dresser I shared last week.

Sometimes I like to do smaller projects,

like my sheet music fans

that I made at Christmas.

Then there are the mid sized projects,

like my frames.

Frames are always finding their way into my craft stash.

Often, they are from auctions,

sometimes from the thrift store,

and occassionally a good one shows up at a yardsale.

The frames have multiplied to about 100.

A few were used to make these aqua frames.

Another ten or so were given a coat of heirloom white,

then distressed with 60 grit sandpaper,

and waxed with a clear wax paste.

I've listed the frames in my shop

and used the shop addy to fill the frame

as it didn't have a picture.

I neglected to save the picture before adding my shop addy,

so I've just added a few of the photos to the blog post.

If you'd like to see more of the frames,

you can visit my shop.

My favorite

I'm hoping to do a few more frames this upcoming week

as memo boards with a fabric backing

and with chicken wire to clip things to.

My First Dresser

2012-02-08T20:54:00.001-06:00

I've been wanting to tackle a large project.

Something big that would give me a wow result.

I also love aqua.

In the past I've used it on a wicker chair, a breadbox, & frames.

This old, sad dresser was at the last auction I attended.

It was solid, but was missing some hardware,

and looked like it'd taken a knock or two through the years,

but I loved the shape, the legs, and that it was so well built.

My favorite spray paint is Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch,

which is what I used for this dresser.

The frame and drawer knobs were painted in Heirloom White Satin.

The drawer fronts were painted with Aqua.

Then 60 grit sandpaper was used to distress the paint.

After all the sanding and scratching and scrubbing was completed,

a coat of Minwax clear was applied to the dresser,

allowed to sit for half an hour,

then buffed to a shine.

I love the little drawers on top.

Hankie or glove drawers, perhaps?

There were three small holes on the top on each side,

so I believe at one time, there were tiny drawers sitting atop these.

(The holes were filled with Elmer's wood putty,

then sanded smoth before painting.)

The curves of this dresser are what really called to me.

I love the sexy curves.

My first dresser.

It's not perfect,

but all it's imperfections,

make it just perfect to me.

Distressed Aqua Frames

2012-01-28T21:50:00.000-06:00

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Last week, I scored some frames at the Salvation Army in Quincy, IL.

If you're ever in Quincy,

their downtown has great places to stop.

Their mainstreet area added 75-80 new businesses in 2011.

How amazing is that in this economy?

The Salvation Army was my first stop.

You just never really know what you'll find in there.

This trip brought me a brown leather Coach saddlebag

and a leather Anne Taylor Loft (or is it Anne Loft Taylor) bag

for a total of $7!!

I also picked up some frames.

They'd never been used

and all seven were stacked neatly together.

I don't care for blah brown frames.

I like a chippy white,

a distressed black,

but this time I went for an aqua

with a bit of a beat up edge.

The frames were painted with Rustoleum aqua,

then given a bit of a sanding,

then waxed and buffed.

The paper came from Hobby Lobby.

It was perfect to use with this paint color.

I love the roses, the checks, and the bit of text.

I'm so happy with the finished frames

and can't wait to make more.

If you'd like to visit my shop,
please click the button below.

Barn Doors, Wagon Wheels, and Quilts

2012-01-13T00:14:00.004-06:00

It's almost the middle of January

and I'm finally getting back into the swing of things

after the craziness of the holidays.

It's been six weeks since my last blog post

and I've been one busy girl.

I've been chatting it up on Facebook,

but have neglected the blog for a bit.

Now I'm back

and ready to start the new year.

Over Christmas break,

I was introduced to a new friend.

He's an Amish farmer and a rather nice guy.

As part of his work,

he deconstructs barns.

We've struck up a friendship

and I've taken photos of some of his items to list in our local Facebook swap group.

Along the way,

I've been fortunate to acquire some great new items from his finds.

More blue jars,

like the ones in the photo below,

these are the oldest of the blue jars,

handblown, slope shouldered, ground rim.

A few more of the old blue jars

Ball Perfect Mason

A small barn door,

probably from a loft.

It's been added to my Etsy shop.

An old wagon gate

I think this is going to have some hooks added

and made into a coat rack.

Steel wagon wheels

My ideal use for them?

Hanging from the ceiling and converting to a chandelier.

Unfortunately, that won't be happening,

but a girl can dream.

I found this incredible quilt.

Plans for it are still uncertain.

I have too many ideas for it

and need to narrow down the options.

EDITED:

This quilt is now for sale.

You can find it listed here.

Pretty quilt blocks,

which I found at the antique mall.

The blocks will also be added to my shop.

A vintage animal comforter

with the animal blocks hand painted.

The images were from iron on transfers,

then embellished with paint.

It was just too cute to pass up.

I've been itching to go to an auction so bad!

There are so few auctions here in wintertime.

A multiple estate auction is scheduled in two weeks,

so it's time to get busy,

organize what I have,

list the items in my shop,

and make way for more.

December Finds

2011-12-08T22:57:00.012-06:00

I haven't posted my finds lately.

It's been busy around here getting ready for Christmas.

We've been doing a bit of painting,

making garlands,

folding and glueing ornaments.

Last weekend, I found some wonderful things

tucked away in the back of a booth

at the antique mall.

There were also a few things that I'd "organised"

and hidden from myself

instead of putting them in my online shop.

I found these letter tiles zipped away in an old plastic bag

Tucked at the back of a booth.

Today, I took them outside

spread them out on my favorite tree trunk

and made words with them.

Merry Christmas

Star

Wish

Snow

Joy

Peace

Noel

Love

Faith

What an awesome find!

There were also
Bingo Cards

Bingo Numbers

and

Children's Alphabet Wood Blocks

Tucked away, I found some things

that were from my trip to Dubuque, Iowa

a few months ago.

Trio of Oil Cans

Mexican Flower Pots

so much like the one my granny used to have.

Drawers from an old watchmaker's desk

The desk was beyond repair,

so we salvaged the drawers from it.

I've been needing to refill my shop,but the oh-so-shiny-things of Christmas time have distracted me. So now the shelves have a few more items,maybe I can squeeze in another project, or two......or three?

Free Blocks for a Little Peace & Joy

2011-12-01T10:55:00.032-06:00

I'm always on the lookout for free or low cost projects.

I'm always happy to find bits of leftover wood

and low cost paint.

This project combines the two

for a total cost of under $2 for twelve blocks.

While digging for some old blue jars in storage,

I found bits of wood.

My bf's family had repaired the local bandstand

and these were the pieces that were left when they were finished.

I've been wondering just what to do with them

and had been hoping to make some angels,

but there's nothing in my stash that would make a good angel head

to sit atop the block of wood.

A couple of weeks ago,

while at Home Depot,

I'd purchased sample pots of Martha Stewart paint,

that were marked $1.

The colors are Barn, Cornbread, Sultana(green), and Francesca(black).

After the blocks were painted,

they were sanded with 60 grit to give them

the I've-been-knocked-about-a-bit-too-much look.

Gesso was then applied with letter stamps and a stencil.

(I like to use stencils.)

After the paint dried,

the letters were sanded with 150 grit paper for distressing.

The JOY blocks were washed with brown paint.

To finish things up,

two coats of Minwax Wax Paste was applied to seal in all the goodness.

Who doesn't need a little more Peace & Joy?

Below are a few more of my Christmas ideas

Just click the photo for more details

If you'd like to visit my shop,

please click the button below.

Sheet Music Ornaments for the Christmas Tree & Holiday Decor

2011-11-28T14:12:00.030-06:00

It's Monday after the long Thanksgiving weekend,

and I, along with many of you out there,

am recovering from the festivities today.

Fighting off the lethargy,

struggling to focus on tasks,

and all the time thinking of how comfy the couch would be,

how nice to snuggle up all day in a blankie,

and just watch some of the episodes of NCIS

that are stored on the DVR.

However, that's just not going to happen.

It's been a busy morning,

my Daisy, a big, old, fluffy 20plus pound Shih,

had an eye that was not looking so well.

Luckily, the vet said some drops would help relieve the pressure,

so the eye should be back to norm in a few days.

However, he also confirmed what we had feared,

Daisy has very little sight.

It doesn't slow her down alot,

but lately she's been bumping into more things.

But she is happy,

and bouncy,

and jumping about,

now that she's home from the vet.

Daisy does not like to leave the homestead for long.

She's a homebody and doesn't see the need to be out and about.

I'm like that somedays too.

I'd been hoping to make some fan paper ornaments

to decorate my booth at the antique mall.

Thankfully, the thrift store had more sheet music,

as I'd used what I had making these ornaments.

I can't remember when I first learned to make paper fans,

perhaps in first grade,

but maybe even before.

So this project takes something that many of us learned as children

and combines it with something that we use everyday - paper.

You can do this with any paper you have about -

brown paper bags, magazine pages, gift wrap,

or, as I've done here, sheet music.

I want to make a HUGE wreath like this

from some wrapping paper that I found recently.

Crossing my fingers that it works.

If so, I'll be sharing it tomorrow.

Below are a few more of my Christmas ideas

Just click the photo for more details

Click to visit my shop

Scrap Garland for Christmas - Part II

2011-11-26T22:17:00.024-06:00

This week I made my first scrap, rag garland

using muslin and toile fabric.

You can see it and learn how to make one here.

It was my first attempt,

so I wasn't disappointed that it didn't turn out perfect.

Last night I made two more fabric garlands.

One is a traditional Christmas red and green.

The second garland is a muslin with blue striped ticking.

The red and green check fabrics were thin,

so cutting them into 8.5"x2" strips worked wonderfully.

One yard of each fabric,

yielded a three foot garland.

The muslin and ticking fabrics were a little thicker than the check,

so the strips were cut into 1" widths.

The difference in volume can be seen in the photos.

So if you're looking for a full, well filled garland,

the 2" width should give you this.

If you like the garland a little less voluminous,

the 1" width may be just for you.

If you make a garland and would like to share a photo,
please feel free to post it on my Facebook wall.
Today 2ndEssence shared a photo of the garland
she added to her mantle.
after being inspired by my previous blog post.

The barn door has been used as a background in a number of my photos recently.

Although it's listed for sale in my shop,

I'm kind of hoping that it sticks around for a bit longer.

Maybe long enough to be made into a coffee table!

Were you inspired to make this garland?
If so, please leave a comment with a link to your post showing your garland,
and I'll share it here.

Below are a few more of my Christmas ideas

Just click the photo for more details

Click here to visit my shop

Summer Hill Antique Mall

2011-11-26T20:46:00.000-06:00

Today was a rainy, gloomy day.

The closer I got to the Summer Hill Antique Mall,
the darker the sky became,
the harder the rain fell,
and the creepier the gray fog became.

However, once I got there,
this was the cheery sight that welcomed me.

If you were driving along the highway today,

and noticed this warm welcoming window,

it would beckon you to stop for a visit,

to browse through the rooms,

and to savor a few memories sparked by the treasures within.

I love this!

It's so rustic with the fence, bucket, and geodes.

This green table is adorable.

It would make a wonderful coffee table.

My windows, covered with rain,

it's time to take them home,

and do something with them.

I'm thinking looking glass spray

and some twinkle lights

would make them prettier.

This child sized cabinet is beckoning to me,

calling to me,

but there are already too many projects

and too little space,

so if it's still there after a few projects are completed,

maybe it can come home with me.

I debated whether to keep this milk can or take it into the mall,

but decided to take it in

because I'd hate to one day be seen on an episode of Hoarders.

The can is from a cheese company that was once in the county,

the Pike County Cheese Company.

It has a wonderful patina and the lid doesn't even stick.

Isn't she a cutie?

As I was getting ready to leave, I saw her sitting in her chair,

so calm and serene.

Handmade Etsy Shop - Stephanie Makes All

2011-11-25T00:40:00.001-06:00

Stephanie Makes All is a wonderful Etsy shop filled with handcrafted items.

You can find

fingerless gloves

baby hats, headbands, & blankets

washclothes, dishclothes, potholders

journals & other paper

trivets & items for your home

Stephanie Makes All also offers scrubbies and soap savers.

Steph is on Facebook and Twitter.

Visit her Facebook page to learn all about her Black Friday Sale.

My First Scrap Garland for Christmas

2011-11-24T21:30:00.009-06:00

I don't work alot with fabric.

I can cut a square, fold it around a form, staple it down

to make a bulletin board, bench seat, or footstool.

Do I sew?

Very little.

When I do sew,
it is only by hand.

Hopefully, Santa will bring me a sewing machine for Christmas

and a huge scoop of patience to aid me in learning to use it.

When I find a project that is done with fabric

and requires no sewing,

I'm thrilled.

I love muslin,

the imperfectness of it's color

the little flecks of brown and black.

Muslin makes me think of something simple,

primitive, basic.

Recently, fabric scrap garlands have come to my attention.

There are a couple of ways to make these,

depending on the end result you desire.

For this garland,

strips of 2"x7" fabric were cut.

The fabric can be ripped in strips,

but I'm very fond of just grabbing my cutting mat,

rotary cutter, and having an hour of making fabric strips.
My rotary cutter is my friend.

Twine was used as the base to tie the strips on.

(That $2 spool of twine from the auction has been one of my best buys ever!)

A 6' piece of twine was cut.

A loop was made and knotted in each end of the twine,

so that the loops could be used for hanging.

Duct tape was used to secure the straggling piece of twine

to make the string more secure.

(I'd hate for one of the knots to come out and it all fall to pieces.)

Strips were knotted around the twine-

32 strips of muslin,

16 strips of toile,

which was repeated to give 5 patches of muslin

and 3 patches of toile.

It's not perfect, but for my first garland,

I don't think it's half bad.

And it's a craft that I can do plunked down on the couch,

while watching some tv at the end of a long day,

snuggled up with the kids.

Click to visit my shop

Linking Up At

Our New Home

2011-11-15T09:08:00.002-06:00

This is just a brief post,

a small post,

about a big step

I took last week.

Our blog can now be found at

http://www.theoldblockhouse.com .

It was time to take the jump,

make a committment,

and begin to build our nest.

Please join us as our blog continues to grow,

adding new features,

new tutorials,

and new pages.

During the holiday season,

I will also be working to grow my shop.

Handcrafted items are being added this week.Tutorials for many of those items will be found here at the blog. Tons of items from recent auctions are striking their pose,waiting for the camera to catch them in all their vintagey glory. (I'm working to find more hours in each day!) In January, you'll find a new look here at The Old Block House,making it easier to navigate,more pleasing to the eye,more fun,and, of course, educational. As next week officially kicks off the holiday season,life spins into a whirlwind,and the festivities begin,I want to wish you a Happy Holidays. May the season bring you many wonderous joys.

Wood Dough Bowls

2011-10-27T16:42:00.042-05:00

Months ago, I was inspired by a post from Angie at The Country Chic Cottage.

Angie had been wanting a dough bowl of her very own,

but they are incredibly expensive.

What does a DIY'er do when they want something?

They make it themselves!

Angie took a $1 bowl from the thrift store and created a dough bowl.

You can click on the photo above to see just how she did this.

So I've been looking at wooden bowls from time to time,
but never finding one I really liked.

Then last week, I came across some blah bowls.

They were sad with their brown and black colors.

They were crying out for somebody to give them color.

I couldn't wait to get them home and splash on some paint.

The base paint is a green oops paint from Home Depot.

Two bowls have a terra cotta over the green.

Two bowls have a yellow over the green.

After the second color was added to the bowl,

it was distressed with 150 sandpaper.

Then two layers of wax were applied to seal the paint

with a good buffing after each application.

The color is a robin's egg blue,

or maybe a turquoise,

or an aqua.

I'll be adding more upcycled and handcrafted items to my shop in the next week.

They'll be a little bit country, rustic, farmhouse.

Kinda like me.

Click to visit my shop

Piano Rolls

2011-10-26T00:07:00.014-05:00

At a recent estate auction,

I scored a box of piano rolls.

Five boxes were lined up on the table.

The auctioneer kept selling them off one at a time.

Finally, when it was down to the last box,

I won.

It was a partial box,

but held plenty of rolls for my use

and to add to my shop.

So now I'm looking for ideas on just what to do with the rolls I'm keeping.

Pinterest has lead me to some wonderful ideas.

Roses

Junk Market Style

A Wreath

Pinterest

Lanterns

Junk Sophisticate

An Organizer

Mamie Janes

Tablerunner

A Rather Lovely Wedding

Lantern

I-CDN. Apartmenttherapy

I have a few rolls listed in my shop for $5,

but there aren't many,

so if you'd like one,

hurry while they last.

Linked up at
Knick of Time Interiors

Grandmother's Flower Garden Quilt

2011-10-24T23:08:00.001-05:00

Occassionally, I find something that I really love

and hope to find someone else that will love it just as much.

A couple of weeks ago, I found a box filled with quilt blocks.

The box was bursting with over 200 pieces.

Sena, who I've not introduced you to yet, but hope to do so soon,

(She is wonderfully creative and uses her talents in helping others.)

identified the pattern as Grandmother's Flower Garden.

As my goal for the week is to FOCUS and get my Etsy shop refilled,

I took tons of photos this morning of the quilt pieces.

An Etsy shopper noticed my first listing for the pieces and was thrilled to see them.

With the second listing, she was even more excited.

With the third, she was hoping there would be enough for a quilt.

It looks as though the quilt blocks may have already found a new home

and will one day be made into a quilt.

I'm hoping that the buyer will share a photo with us.

I'd love to see the finished project.

Click to visit my shop

The Old Block House Etsy Shop

2011-10-23T23:13:00.001-05:00

My poor blog and Etsy shop have both been terribly neglected lately.

All focus has been on getting my booths at Summer Hill Antique Mall

ready for the Pike County Fall Color Drive.

Now that I have enjoyed that weekend,

and had a week to recoup from all the festivities and preparations,

and given the house a cleaning and a promise to get better organised,

and celebrated my son's 18th birthday,

NOW it's time to get my act back together

and devote some time

to my blog and my shop.

Last week I snuck in some time to give my blog and shop a bit of a makeover.

I love snowmen,

so it seemed fitting to go with a snowman theme for both my blog and shop.

Etsy has finally allowed shop owners to change their shop names.

My Etsy shop is no longer known as Cherished Hearts,

but now shares the same name as my blog - The Old Block House.

I was so happy to be able to make this change.

For me it makes the blog and shop more complete in uniting them.

The weather was lovely today,
so I spent some time photographing new items for my shop.

Granite Ware Coffee Pot
Wouldn't this be gorgeous filled with flowers?
Daisies would be my choice of flowers.
I love daisies.

Granite Ware Lids

I'd love to make one of these into a clock for the kitchen wall.

Granite Ware Pan

Grandma used to sit with one of these on her lap and peel apples into it.

Granite Ware Bowl
I love this color.

Granite Ware Pan

Another pan with turquoise.

Vintage Handcrafted Mexican Pottery Planter

Granny had a blue one like this.

I still have it.

Ice Tongs

Did you know ice was once harvested from the Mississippi River and stored for summer use?

Player Piano Roll

Star Spangled Banner

Patent 1891

Player Piano Roll

The Church in the Wildwood

Mom used to sing this song alot when I was little.

Tomorrow I'll be adding vintage quilt blocks to the shop.
My lovely friend Sena has identified the quilt pattern as
Grandmother's Flower Garden.

They are gorgeous and I can't imagine all the time that went into them.

Have you begun prepping for the upcoming Holiday season?