Faux Driftwood Sign

I've been in a beach mood.  No, I don't want to squeeze into a bathing suit, bake in the sun, or swim in the cold water, I just want to go for a walk.  I want to explore.

I want to look for driftwood, shells, sea glass, and any other little treasures I might be
 able to use.

The nearest beach is at least a 1 1/2 hour drive from here...without traffic.  I'd love to replenish my driftwood supply, but just haven't had the time to get out and explore.  

The next best thing was this old wooden concrete trowel.  Kind of driftwoody looking
 don't you think?

I cut out the "beach" stencil with my Silhouette, taped off the arrow, then painted the shadows free hand.  They're a little wobbly because of the heavy grain in the wood and the two cups of coffee I had this morning.

The handle holds it up at just the right angle.

Just point me in the right direction!

Partying with:

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
A Cultivated Nest for Creative Home Acre Hop

Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday
Knick of Time for Knick of Time Tuesday

Blooming Ice Chest

This is the camera shy vintage ice chest I posted about last week.  I discovered it hiding under a table in one of those booths where everything looks like it came directly out of a storage locker.   No organization, no price tags, no pretty table cloths, but loads of great junk.

I'm sure a few of the dents and scratches are from the two times it fell off my flea market cart.  It adds to the character, right?

All dressed up with some geraniums and a stencil from Maison de Stencils.  I used white acrylic paint for the stencil, then sprayed the entire side with two coats of semi-gloss acrylic sealer.

Before:  A little blah and tired looking don't you think? 

I thought about waxing the faded red top to brighten it up, but when I started cleaning it with a Mr. Clean magic eraser, it was like......magic.  

It magically brightened up after giving it a good rub down.  I always test painted surfaces before going at them with a magic eraser just to make sure the paint doesn't come off.

All the fabulous rust was left behind along with the original King Kold Cooler label.  

Three in one!
A flower box, a cooler that doesn't leak, and maybe even an outdoor towel holder.

My Morning at the Flea

I hit the road early last Saturday morning because I wanted to get in and out of the DeAnza College flea market in Cupertino before it got too hot. I guess everyone had the same plan because it was packed full of shoppers when I arrived at 7:15.  Unfortunately, only about 20% of the vendors out there sell vintage stuff, but this flea has always been good to me and I can get through it in about three hours.

I made two trips back to my truck with an overflowing shopping cart, and I'm sure I could have filled it up again if I had the energy to take one last look around.  The biggest thing I bought was a funky old cooler that had to ride back to the truck perched on top of my cart....it fell off twice.  I forgot about it when I took these pictures, so hopefully I'll have time to give it a makeover soon and get a picture later.

The little bottles with rusty lids will be getting new labels and a little bling.

More silverware for stamping (I'll never have enough).
The oil can will make a great vase.

I might end up keeping the basket for myself if I can find a perfect spot for it.  How could I resist a pile of trading stamp books?  Now I need to get busy with more trading stamp jewelry; this stash will last me a long time.

No time to plant this yet, but isn't it cute?  It even came with the mossified pots.

I was on a roll with the wire baskets.  Love the chippy paint on these.

My favorite find of the day is this vintage child's ironing board.  It looks like someone sawed off part of the front, but it's still going to make a great display shelf in my booth.

Drab to Fab Bread Box

Don't you love it when you come across something with great bones and all it needs is a little TLC to bring it back to life?  I knew the ugly duckling bread box I recently discovered at an antique show had hidden potential.  It was as solid as a rock and in great condition, so it was easy to look past its dated exterior.

It was a diamond in the rough, a perfect candidate for a facelift.

 It was drab, homely, outdated, and just plain ugly.

Much better now don't you think?

The outside was painted with two coats of CeCe Caldwell's Vintage White, followed by clear wax and a very small amount of aging cream.  No need to remove the ugly bright brass hinges, I just painted right over them.  The 70s looking knob was replaced with an old bin pull.

 I used parts of two different stencils from Maison de Stencils to spruce up the front.

The top was taped off to create the grain sack stripes.  Measure twice, paint once.

Unfortunately, fresh baked croissants have always been a temptation I can't resist.  They're now on my forbidden list and have been banned from the house.

Grain sack remnants are a much safer alternative.

Little Bits of Treasures

When I'm out treasure hunting at antique shows, yards sales, and flea markets, I often times find myself thinking outside my own "focus list."  I've been keeping a list in my overloaded brain for special treasures friends and family are looking for, and it's so much fun when I find something someone else can enjoy.  I'm always amazed with the sharing and generosity between blogging friends and how we keep each other in mind when we come across something special.

I was thrilled when Sherry from Back 2 Vintage asked me if I was interested in some
 broken watches and bracelets to use in my jewelry creations.  Heck yeah!!

These are a few of the pieces I came up with so far when I incorporated Sherry's bits
 and pieces with parts from my own stash.  

One of the gears was combined with a filigree and pocket watch face to create this brooch .  There's a bail attached to the pin so it can also be worn as a necklace. 

Gears, faces, filigrees, birds, and crystals.

A magnet was added to the back of this one.

The gear from the watch with a band combined with an identical gear from my stash.  I attached them to decorative filigrees and added little Swarovski crystals for some extra sparkle. 

I removed the glass and watch gears, then glued a hand painted porcelain button and antiqued brass filigree directly to the watch case.  The large shank on the button fits inside the watch case.  This one reminds me of a wrist corsage. 

I was equally excited when Denise from Pink Postcard asked me if I was interested in
a broken watch she had.

 I FINALLY figured out what to do with this gorgeous watch face Denise sent me ages
ago.  I was on a roll with the other watch parts while in the middle of a silverware stamping marathon when inspiration hit.  A perfect combination and a keeper!

Thank you Denise and Sherry!!!

Partying with:

Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursday

Common Ground for Be Inspired Friday

My Repurposed Life for Catch as Catch Can

The Answer is Chocolate for BFF Open House