"Nature" crafts

I started a few projects this week, and when I finished them, I realized they all had something to do with nature.  Funny...hadn't even thought about it until I was taking photos.   

So here are my "nature" crafts I've been working on.  

A white bird house for the fence post in the back garden.  

 I cut and pressed a fern leaf for framing.  

And I painted a rock with butterflies.  This will make a great paperweight and I'll be listing this on etsy.  

Simple and fun nature crafts.  

Recycled tins

You know those decorative tins you get when you buy candies or nuts or cookies, and are just too pretty to throw away? 

Here is how I recycled some of mine.  

Some can be useful, and some purely decorative!  

Have a good week, everyone!  

Chalk painting an old dish cupboard

Good morning, my friends, how are you?  I hope you're having a good week.  Can you believe it's August already!    
   

I want to show you a project I've been working on using chalk paint.  I have never painted with chalk paint before but I have seen beautifully transformed pieces of furniture on some of your blogs and I have been wanting to give it a try.  

Let me tell you first how this all came about.  I had an idea in my mind for quite some time, of an old dish cupboard that I wanted in the kitchen.  I've seen a lot of these cupboards in my "English Home" magazines and I love the look.  Well, last week, while antiquing with hubby and my sister and her husband, I saw a cupboard just like the one I had in mind.  I showed my dear hubby and he said, "I can make one for you".  Well......, yes, that sounded good.  

So the next day, true to his word, out of an old wooden door that he had stored in the garage, he made my cupboard.  Custom made!  Can't beat that!  

Here are some photos, before and after.  

Two coats of "Old Violet".  Then I used a dark soft wax to finish it.  

Above is the kitchen before.  

And the kitchen after.  

Thank you again, dear hubby, for making this for me.  

And I might add, using chalk paint is so easy, it covers just about anything, and you can use the regular wax or dark wax to get just the right color you're looking for.  
  

'till next time, 

Cleaning copper the natural way

Once again it's time to give my copper pots a good cleaning.  Over time copper gets dull and tarnished and just doesn't look very pretty.  This morning I gathered all my pieces together and lined them up on the kitchen counter ready for cleaning.  Wow, I didn't realize I had so much.  

Instead of using harsh chemical products I decided to use all natural ingredients.  Lemon, salt, and baking soda.  Mix all three using equal amounts.  I used a soft cloth and then rinsed each piece with cold water.  

It works great.  

  It takes time and a lot of rubbing, but well worth it.  

What a beautiful shine!  

Fluffing the pillows and decorating the bedroom

While I was cleaning the bedroom this morning I decided to make a few decorating changes. New pictures, different pillows on the bed and a few other things.    

  

 I replaced cream colored pillows with these flowered pillows.  I made the pillows myself a few years ago ~ loved the fabric.  

I now use this pink beaded votive candle holder for some of my rings and other small pieces of jewelry.  

I hung the painting that I painted of the old garden table, on the one wall beside the bed.  

This small antique jewelry box sits on the window sill.    

I hung another painting (one that my daughter painted) in this corner above the old pine blanket chest.  

A soft throw on the bed and the room is finished.  It feels warm and summery now!    

Petunias in my window boxes

If you remember, a week or so ago, we bought some new metal window boxes.  Well, they have been installed and are now filled with flowers.  

I chose pink petunias, yellow calibrachoa, white petunias, white verbena and another tiny white flower that was not labeled, and I haven't identified it, but I like it as a filler.  

The flowers were a bit stressed at first and I waited to take photos, but they seem to have acclimated and are now happy in their new home.  

Not only do I like how they look on the outside, but I also love seeing the blooms from the inside looking out!  

Hanging antique plates in the dining room

I finally hung plates over the buffet mirror in the dining room.  For the past few months I have been traipsing around antique and thrift stores trying to find something to hang.  At first I wanted all white, but I think these will do nicely.  

All three are about the same size.  

I like how they look.  Gives the room an English Cottage feel.  Just what I was going for.  

Enjoy your day!