Good Will Bunting for Memorial Day

1 thrift store deck of cards

+ 1 thrift store star punch

+ crochet cotton

+  15 minutes

= Good Will Bunting.

I'm linking this lazy-day paper garland to  The Cottage Craft Room at the Etsy Cottage Style blog.  I think I will make more of these mini-banners ... using playing cards with Christmas designs ... florals ... a company name (office picnic?) ... nautical colors, or any card deck that fits a decorating theme.  

Memorial Day and Lefty Rabbit

Lefty Rabbit Gets a Whole New Attitude

Here's a peek at Lefty, a wood rabbit who has recently submitted to a complete makeover.    He's nearly finished but some of his cosmetic surgery is taking time to heal.  Or cure.  Or dry.  As you can see, he decided on a whole new ear-do.

I have been using PicMonkey since Picnik folded its blanket and disappeared.  And today I see PicMonkey now has their Collage feature active ... hurray!

And on a more serious note:

Decoration Day Card, postmarked 1908

A year ago I posted pics of 2 Decoration Day cards.  Here is one more example, from our Old Shoebox of family postcards. There is no caption on either side.  It was postmarked in 1908.  Happy Memorial Day, everyone, and let's remember why we observe it here in the U.S.A.

Lefty Rabbit will be back in a day or two, along with a few other items from my recent ... um ... let's call it a ... painting binge.



Meanwhile, I'm feelin' Sew Darn Crafty ... so guess where I'm linkin'?   Thanks, Karen ... here come ThreeOldKeys and Lefty Rabbit.

Mod Podge Smells Like 1977

There's a timeline to this anecdote:

1967:  Jan Wetstone created Mod Podge; it was a mixture she put together at home.

1975:   Paul Simon released his 4th album, Still Crazy After All These Years.

1977:   A young (so young!) crafty-wannabe ripped two goofy pictures out of magazines.  She Mod Podged them to the covers of a black 3-ring binder.  Yes, I was that young'un.  The notebook served as a photo album, full of snapshots and school pictures. 

2012:  A crafty grandma (still so young!) opened a bottle of Mod Podge and the scent instantly transported her back 35 years.  What did the seventies smell like?  (No, not that.)  The 1970s smelled like incense and Mod Podge.

So here's a May 2012 status report:

Still Crafty After All These Years:  Me

Still Fragrant After All These Years:  wet Mod Podge

Still a Genius After All These Years:  Paul Simon

Still a Photo Album After All These Years:  the 3-ring binder

And here's a peek inside that treasured volume.  The Brittainy Spaniel was my very best friend.

I am surprised that liquid Mod Podge still has the very same smell.   And I'm amazed this binder is in such good condition.  It has stuck to other books, but only in a few spots, and I live in high-humidity Virginia.  I know I did not use a separate sealer when I made it.

So today I would like to thank Paul Simon, Jan Wetstone and those long-ago dogs & cats.  Happy 45th anniversary to Mod Podge, and happy 35th to my project.  And to everyone, my apologies for the shiny/shoddy photography.  (No, I'm not still using the Kodak Instamatic.)

I don't remember what magazines the funny group photos were taken from, and it's hard to guess what they were advertising.  Does anyone recognize the two pictures?

There are only a few slivers of red in these pics (doncha love that wild jacket?!).  But I'm linking to Rednesday anyway, because I think Sue will probably let me slide.  I have some serious reds almost ready to post next week!

Spice Rack Makeover - Paint, Wallpaper, Mod Podge

Today I'm letting the pictures tell my tale ... and it's a Spicy one.

Yes, this story involves 3 rabbit couples who enjoyed a spicy week under a blue calypso sky.  They spent some time behind bars, but the story has a happy ending.  And I have a sweet new shelf for craft supplies.

Garden Chair Planters - My Version

All Set for Planting 5.12.2012

Are You Ready For Some Yard Art?

The warm brown winter of 2011-2012 left me feeling color-deprived.  By January I was itching for green and all its bright companions. So I decided it was time to make a couple of planter chairs in anticipation of a rainbow spring.

2.27.2012

In February I was grateful to haul home some old pressback chairs, seatless and seasoned.  (Thank you, J & A !!!)  These 4 handsome pieces had spent the past few years under a porch roof, partially exposed to the elements. 

2.28.2012

They all needed a scrub and some insect removal. No problem.  Although the after-bath picture doesn't look much different, they had improved a lot.

3.6.2012

Mr. ThreeOldKeys decided they also needed a bit of "squaring up", with clamps and wood glue. Thanks, Honey!

3.13.2012

Next came Prime Time, while I pondered paint colors.  The rules were simple:  No pastels allowed.   No falling back on my standard classy combo of red, white and black.  I was granting myself permission ...  no timid, tasteful tints ... it's Tacky Time!

3.20.2012

3.20.2012

I bought Behr interior flat samples of the orange, aqua and purple. The yellow is an exterior paint. And for glossy protection, I used Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane.   Hopefully these beauties will last several summers.

D&G Gardens and Crafts, www.gardensandcrafts.com,
shows 3 ways to make chair planters

Alison Auth, at www.BirdsandBlooms.com,
gives step by step instructions

Shelly, of Shizzle Design, made this chair planter
 as a memorial to a special young friend ...
 read the story and see how she constructed it
alittlebitoshizzle.blogspot.com

For once, I finished a project with plenty of time before spring planting. So I weighed my options and waited for May. Should I attach wire baskets in the openings? ... Should I set one big container in each? ... Should I construct mesh receptacles with coconut fiber linings? I like every example I see!

5.12.2012

Finally I simply raided our garage for bright pots, mesh baskets and fun stuff.  Our yard and deck are mostly shady, so I bought shade loving plants and started arranging.  It's a work in progress.  Three chairs will move to the edge of the woods.  Hopefully, the flowers and foliage will swell into a joyful, jubilant, junky display.

5.14.2012

This crazy pile-up makes me smile even at dusk, in the rain!  I should make a Crafty Bucket List, just so I can cross off something I've wanted to make for years.

And now I'm curious ... would you put a chair planter in your back yard?  The front yard?  What about my crazy colors?  If you have used a chair in your garden, how did you plant it?   Please comment with opinions, advice, and links to any chair planters I must see!

Two Cents Worth

     Rednesday already?  I don't have a post written, and nothing much to say ... should I let this week's linky party slide by?  

     No ... I just gotta put my two cents in.

     [ I'll pause here for hearty laughter ... take your time. ]
   
     Wikipedia has an entry about the expression, here:  My Two Cents

     After 3 postal posts, I'll be back soon to show a few crafty projects completed.   I'm especially excited about the garden chair planters I've painted.  None of them are red, but you can find reds galore at Sue Loves Cherries.  Happy Rednesday!
    

    

Springtime Reds, Easter Bonnets

        Here are a few antique reds for the Rednesday before Easter.    What's better than red roses and lovely lettering?  The card above was postmarked in 1910.  The handwritten message: 

Dear Cousin

Will drop you a card and let you know we are all well. 

Come and see me some time. 

 I am going to see Ma Easter.

Your Cousin Anna.

     These century-old flowers make me think of the ones I'm eager to plant in 2012.   We had a frost last night, but my suburban world looks greener every day.  I'll definitely plant geraniums soon!  This postcard was never mailed, but it was addressed.  The signature looks like a child's writing:

From Your Niece Ettie

     Of all the Easter postcards in my Old Shoebox, here is the only one with a rabbit.  This coppery bunny does not look eager to pull a cart.   Maybe he's chocolate?  The card was signed by Aunt Minnie and postmarked in 1917.  Aren't all the women's names sweet?

     Most of our cards were written in pencil and are hard to read now.  And the messages were very short (100-year old Tweets?).  But this 1913 correspondent had real news to share.  I can still read most of it:

How are you all. We are all pretty well.  The baby has two teeth. 

Is Uncle C there yet.  Is Grandma well.  Mamma baked bread to-day. 

Nancy made second in the contest.  She got $2  1/2.  The girl that won got $5.00. 

Papa has been working for [??] 
O. got bad burned but is better now than he was. 

From your niece Etta

     Now that was worth the penny postage!

     In 1909, a mother sent this beautiful card on behalf of her sons.   It actually mentions Easter.   Some of the cards were sent at any time of year.

Well Emma the boys are going to send you this Easter card it is early.

We are all well and hope you are the same.

     Now for some plumage ... this card was an advertisement mailed in 1913.  Here is the front side.  Nice bonnet!

     And here is the ad on the back. I wonder how many ladies called on The Misses Kohler during their Spring Millinery Opening.  Maybe they tried on hats like the red beauty in this final card.  Isn't she pretty?  I think I'll name her Mrs. Hatch.   The message written on this card cracks me up:

How are you.

I am still a live.

I wish you a happy Easter.

     I'm joining lots of other bloggers posting on Rednesday, at Sue Loves Cherries.   

     And a shout out to Shay "from the land down under", where Easter comes at the end of summer.  It's hard to imagine, for us northerners.  I'm adding my link to Favourite Things Friday.

     On behalf of Anna, Ettie, Minnie and Emma, have a wonderful spring holiday.

Lilies, Easter Chickens, Antique Postcards

     It's been awhile since I dug through The Old Shoebox.  It's my treasury of postcards from the 1910s.  I have selected a few Easter greetings to share.  Mr. ThreeOldKeys' relatives sent the cards back and forth, and ... lucky for us!!! ... they must have kept them all.

     Can you smell all these lilies?  The odor of an Easter lily evokes memories galore.

     Our box of 100-year old postcards probably isn't a deltiologist's dream. There are frayed edges and bent corners. Colors are faded. Some have embossed areas that didn't hold up well.  But of course, they are each priceless to us.

    .
     Well, hello, Lily Ladies!  You startled me ... and I admit that I prefer flowers to have less ... um ... hair.  And not to be watching me.

     Ah ... the wonderful lettering on vintage ephemera.  Maybe it's time to add some old-time flair to my signature.   Even with my poor handwriting, I could finish my name with a flourish.  I could practice with that letter g above.  Or r, below. 

    
     Moving on from the lovely lilies, here is another common theme:  the hen house.    In the 1910s, I gather that chicks started planning Easter celebrations as soon as they were hatched.  Some babies were assigned to pick violets before they were completely out of their shells.

     And there was no excuse for missing choir practice.  This pair could read music already.

      Some Easter morning festivities were rustic and simple.  What a lovely home this flock shared!

     Other families preferred fancy hats and unusual lodging.  Oh look, an early morning game.  It's probably Tug of Worm.  Or maybe they were doing the Limbo.

     Were these children coming to collect those colored eggs?  Were the hen and rooster going to defend them?  Who dyed them?  Were they cooked?  I'm glad I don't have to explain how it all works. 

       In the 1910s, rabbits had not yet started distributing eggs.  Back then, it was hard-working poultry who did all the work.  Thank you, Easter Chickens.

     This information is probably all factual.  After all, I've analyzed the clues on many historic postcards.  But I understand ... you might have an Old Shoebox that tells its own tales. 

     And yes, deltiology is serious postcard collecting.  I do not qualify.

     Happy Easter from ThreeOldKeys! 
May you catch the scent of a pure white lily,
           and may you celebrate in your own way.          

 

I Spy for My Little Guy, and Pigs Do Fly!

     This tale is about a UFO and its 15-year voyage.   The story also includes a flying pig and a knight in armor.

     A long time ago, in this very galaxy, I saw a quilt pattern in a book.  That 1996 book was P.S. I Love You Two!  And the design?  It was the I Spy Napping Quilt.  I instantly fell in love ... oh, those stars with happy hexagon centers.

      Novelty fabric scraps started gathering in the sewing room.  There was no hurry -- our two kids were still in high school.  I would make this nap quilt for an eventual grandbaby.

      Well, 15+ years later, I have finished it!  Almost in time for GrandBoy's first birthday.

      As this UFO was journeying toward Earth, attitudes about technique and perfection were evolving at my house.

• I am no longer tempted to cut hundreds of fabric pieces using templates, or fiddle with tiny pieces.
• When I finally assembled the rows of hexagons, most of the points failed to meet ... and that's okay.
• I did a down-and-dirty job of machine-quilting ... it will do.
• Our first GrandBunny arrived 4 1/2 years ago, and she received her own less-than-perfect "I Spy" quilt.  I made it fast and easy, with squares -- no stretchy bias edges.  She loves it.  I'll share a photo soon.

     Still, I could not give up all those partially-pieced hexagons.  Even though some people had the nerve to say I would finish that quilt "when pigs fly".

      Last week I was taking photos.  And I noticed something funny ... oh, that's what finally prodded the pig to flap its wings!

  
     GrandBoy received his birthday quilt on Saturday.  He had to have a matching play pillow too, with lots of recycled blue jean pockets.  The other side is soft and comfy.  I think he'll enjoy them.

      I wish this were my longest-traveling UFO, but I confess ... there are others that were launched well before 1996.  Some might hit Earth in 2012; a few might get lost in a Black Hole or land on Planet GoodWill.  Permission Granted.

      And P.S., the book still has a place on my shelf.  It's a classic!  I wonder how many other wonderful I Spy quilts it has launched.

 P.S. I Love You Two!

A Sequel

Nancy J. Smith & Lynda S. Milligan

Possibilities

copyright 1996
Great American Quilt Factory blog: Imagine The Possibilities

     Linked with pride to SewDarnCrafty ... because I'm So Darn Pleased to have another project finished.  See what else Karen's followers are posting for show & tell this week at Sew Many Ways.

     The little sock monkey is begging to be linked to Rednesday, and I can't say no to him.  Watch out Sue, here he comes!