Harvest Thanks

Well another favorite time of year for decorating is here.  Summer's over, but the fall colors are breathtaking around the Nicola Valley.  Great time for photography, working out in the yard, and bringing some of that beauty indoors.  Whether it be garden or floural harvests.  We enjoyed our Multicolored Sunflowers this season.  Here are a couple photos of some of the decor in our home this past Thanksgiving.

FALL Mantle

Old Galvanized Buckets

Sideboard decor

 

Table Runner

Then we take you outdoors to our Front door Fall display.

Galvanized Fall display comes outside.

Door wreath

Summer flowers mixed with Fall

Burlap & Mums

Stay tuned later this month when we add Halloween decorations to this Fall display.

Silver Spoon Bracelet

I don't claim to be an expert in the making of a Silver Spoon Bracelet.  In fact this is the very first time that I  have ever attempted making one.  So my girlfriend Amanda offered to come & learn how to make one as well.  Trial and error, and a whole bucket of spoons to allow us to do that.   We lucked out on our very first try at one!!  Usually its quite the opposite when trying something new & learning.  The next 2 we were not so lucky.  So here is a full re-cap of our experience....

First of all we needed to heat the spoon up to change the molecular structure of the spoon so that its easier to flatten and pound out with the hammer.  This process takes a while depending on the softness of the Silver, and muscle power.  I would advise some earplugs for this procedure. Our ear were wringing a little with the sound of the hammer, and cutlery jingling all over the counter.  lol.

Heating it up

Amanda Heating the spoon

Diana Flattening the spoon

 We used a piece of scrap wood to hammer out our Spoon on, so not to wreck my workbench.

Using a metal hammer

The spoon tends to get fairly hot after using the Torch on it a few times to keep the temperature right for manipulation.  So a bucket of cold water nearby was handy to use when the spoon was too hot to touch.  When you get to the stage of bending & wrapping the bracelet to the size of your wrist, the water bath came in handy.

Water Bath

Cracked spoon

We were working away on a spoon & unsure why it cracked.  There could be many reasons why.  Too Hot, not hot enough, or that this particular spoon had more Electro Plate than Silver, and it was too hard to flatten.

In the Vice

The last bend

 We used the Vice to start bending the bracelet.  Covered it with material, as to not make any markings on the Spoon.  For the last part of the bending process, we had to take it out of the vice and do it by hand with 2 sets of pliers.

Almost finished project.

other side

Finished Product

 The great thing about this bracelet is it could be worn either way.   Spoon side up or decorative handle side up.

Another idea for jewelry is pendants.  After flattening the spoon, cut off the handle with a hacksaw.  With a Sanding stone on my Dremel tool, I rounded the edges & got rid of any sharp edges.  Then used a brush to soften the sanding stone marks.  While its in the Vice Bend it to get the loop for a necklace chain.  Buff it and its all ready to wear or engrave.

Getting rid of some rough edges

Pendant loop

 The next type of bracelet I'm going to try making involves this step shown below.  You will just have to wait and see what happens with that one.

Giving an Old Shed new Life with an Old Window

This old Gardening shed has been moved so many times, that you would need both hands to count them.
Everytime we move it we get smarter.  This last time we used my Dad's business truck, that has a crane on the back.  We let it do most of the lifting, and assembling it this time was quite fast as well.  We got it done before dark & all ordered Pizza to celebrate.

Assembling the shed.

 
When my girlfriends and I went on a roadtrip to Abbotsford last December for the Christmas Vintage Market, we also made a stop to a Salvage place in Cloverdale, BC.  We were on a mission for ladders, and windows.  As luck would have it they were having a sale, and it helps to bring cash to barter.  So I couldn't resist buying my Lead pane window right then and there.  I had a couple ideas of what I would use it for, but used it all this time as a decoration in our open concept dining area.

Easter Display using the window

 Which I quite liked, but I ultimately had to use it somewhere useful.  So I decided to use it on my Gardening shed, that needed some character and natural light inside.  So my husband nicely offered to put it in for me.  I was quite surprised how fast he did it.  On a Sunday afternoon, and it was ready for me to paint before dinner.  I was on the other side of the yard painting the girl's playhouse and already had the paint out.  I love projects that are fast and almost instantly gratifying.

Window fits

 He had to use Tinsnips to cut through the exterior.  Framed it inside for the window to fit and to be attached.

All framed in and painted

 We had some wood kicking around the garage from other projects.  So we used the scraps to achieve the look that we wanted.  Sometimes it pays to hang onto chunks of wood that are otherwise firewood.

 Now that we liked the window so much we are going to do some decorative pieces on the corners, and around the door.

Wine Bottle Waterers

Well now that summer has finally decided to grace us with its presence, the flowers are needing the extra waterings.  Especially the ones that are on our front South facing deck in Pots.

"Miller Time"

My girlfriend Amanda shared this wonderful idea with me to take empty wine bottles or beer bottles and fill them with water & stick them upside down into the dirt. You may have also seen them on Pinterest as well. They work great, even better than the glass globes that I also have.  When its hot the wine bottles last longer & you don't have to keep filling them up.  Wonderful plant babysitters when you are away for a couple days, & don't want to bug your neighbour to come and water for you.  Also when you would rather be outside sipping on a cold one enjoying your deck & not having to water while you are out there.

Chianti

Everyone I'm sure has many bottles hanging around their garages headed to the Bottle depot that could be re-purposed.  If you don't?  Well you better get busy on making some empty ones, this summer.  LOL

Clear Wine bottle

I soaked some of the bottles to remove the labels.  Some I left because the labels were nice, had the year on them, & if they get used for years to come it would be neat to have the year the Vintner made it.  Making Vintage for the years to come.

Cerveza

Amber Wine bottle in a Canner Pot

The more decorative and different the bottles are that you find, the better.  What a cheap way to look after your plants.  You've already used the contents and only costs you the deposit by keeping them.

Our Front entrance will be the next recipient of the bottles too.

Vintage Weekend

Fir Tea Lights

I'm back from spending a wonderful Vintage Weekend, being a Vendor in the Scout Handmade & Vintage Market.  The Ladies at Birch & Bird Home Interiors host this Market, and do such a splendid job at it.  My girlfriend Kelley and I enjoyed ourselves immensely!!  With 50 Vendors, there was so much to choose from.  The Market was full of Vintage Finds, Painted furniture, Beautifully sewn crafts, lots of creative jewelry, hair accessories for the young and old, tons of home decor, and yes...Food.  The cupcakes from Tracycakes were scrumptious, and the Macarons were sinful.  We had fun talking with customers, selling, and finding much in common with everyone you spoke to.  The sound of music in the background, and the smell of coffee and old suitcases in the air, felt so cultural.  So I thought I would share all my photos from the weekend.  Hope you enjoy.  Next weekend I get to do it all again.  I'm heading to Spokane to "FARM CHICKS" with a friend who had an extra early administration ticket & invited me along with her & her sister.  How could I say NO?

My Booth

Part of my booth

Kelley & myself on Friday night

Selling on Saturday

Me with my sign.

Creek Side

...and more Booths

Elisa from Home Sweet Nest & her friend Desja

Brown Bag Studio

Raggy Girl Vintage

Red Wicker

Twig Home & What wood you say?

Vintage Home

Whatever Lola wants Lola gets.

A nice little place to sit after shopping.