Chalkboard Decor

Today's post is about the refinishing of a chalkboard craft that I did almost 2 years ago.  When my husband and I got married, we had the song, "Everything" by Michael Buble' at our Reception.  It was one of our favorite songs.  In an effort to keep that romance alive, I took an old picture that I was planning to put in a yard sale and turned it into a chalkboard and wrote some of the lines of the song on the chalkboard.

I put about 3 coats of Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint on the glass (letting it dry in between each coat).

While the glass was out of the frame, I painted the actual frame and rubbed the paint on to give it an aged look.  I wiped paint off in areas so I could see the frame (to make it look like it was chipping off).

After the frame and the glass dried, I put it back together and used real chalk to write on the board.

The problem with using real chalk if you hang your chalkboard in the bathroom, is the steam from the shower.  I happened to hang my piece in the bathroom.  It continued to fade and I would have to retouch it over and over.

Finally, I decided that I would make the "chalk" permanent.  I went to my local craft store to find a chalk pen.  They didn't have one, but they did have a Terra Cotta pen that I thought I could use as a great substitute.

I thought this would work out, but it took forever!!!  I had to keep "pumping" the pen and wiping it off (probably because I had to write on top of the chalk and it was getting "gunked up").

You can see here how I couldn't do one full letter without stopping.

Here is a picture of it halfway completed so you can see the difference.

Here it is completed.  Now when I hang it back up in the bathroom, it shouldn't fade.

No more retouches (hopefully)!

Hope you are inspired to make a "romantic" 

piece of "art" to hang up!

Until next time, be blessed!

:-) Tonya

* P.S. - I linked this post to The Winthrop Chronicles.

Game Themed Entryway

Whew! It has been a busy day!  I started trying to work on some of the Salvation Army finds, but I cannot locate a very special element that I want to add to one of the projects.  I finally had to set that idea to the side and work on something else (other than supper and cleaning house... which I am doing in between projects)!  So, I decided that I would show you some of my favorites as far as my own home decor goes.

Welcome to my hallway!   My family loves to laugh and play.  We have game night at least twice per month.  It is a great family bonding activity, so if you have teenagers or pre-teens, I would like to encourage you to break out your games (make sure they are games that they like) and enjoy family time.

I created this because .... well, because it keeps the games handy ... and because I love the way it looks.
I hope you enjoy it and get some ideas for yourself.  Let me know what you think!

In each of these old Ball jars, I have placed game pieces.  In one jar I have marbles, in another Scrabble pieces and in another chess pieces.  You can see the checker board standing up behind the jars.  I couldn't resist using Scrabble letters to spell out "Game Time".  There is also a minute timer, which is used in most games we play.  

I have to admit, I have a love for numbers and letters, so the Scrabble card lent itself well to my theme and the letter "D" was perfect!  We have 3 kids, so I chose the "3" Uno card (and yellow matched the best).

You can see the dominos laying on the table in front of the cards.

Of course, no game is complete without the tally.  Not that it matters to me, I am really not competitive!

The wire basket holds old pool balls that I found at an antique store and old wooden block letters.  Each of the blocks has our initial on it.  I love the number 7, so I had to get that pool ball!   My son was with me when I purchased them and he loves the number 14, so we got that one.  And the yellow ball was to bring the letter "H" out (otherwise, it would have been the only yellow element in the basket). 

I adore this glass "Tic-Tac-Toe" frame.  I have pictures of my husband and myself in the frame with cute little sayings.  Then I used the glass pieces, (the "X" and "O" 's) on a few pictures and leave the rest on the table to make it look like there is a game in progress!  

I used cute scrapbook paper with chipboard arrows pointing at the photos.

That's the top of the table.  The underneath of the table has a collection of games we love to play (with a few decorative items, like the old football and coach's whistle and the large wooden dice that my sister gave me for Christmas. 

Oh, I forgot to tell you about my old Backgammon set.  

I think it adds a nice touch with the case.

And... I love wire baskets (actually I love almost any kind of basket),

but this wire basket does a nice job of keeping the games organized 

and neat... and the basket looks nice, too. 

This is how it looks down the hall.

I love the pictures on the wall.  I especially love the Bingo card.  I put it

in an oval frame and the Bingo card is sideways.  At first I was going to 

hang it right side up, but it just looked good hanging sideways... kind of quirky!

I also, put one of my all time favorite quotes on the wall that I typed

onto pretty paper and framed.  The quote is by Shel Silverstein.  It is perfect for teaching 

your children that they can accomplish anything that they put their mind to doing.  

 I needed a piece that had typography on it.  I painted this myself

to match what I wanted.  It took a long time because I had to let layers dry in between painting.

It's not perfect, but it's what I wanted.

Finally, I put an old postcard and a skeleton key in a frame and placed it beside another quote that I framed, "Bless this home with laughter and love".  I thought that was quite appropriate! 

So, there it is.  A sneak peek into my home....down my hallway.

I hope you enjoyed it and got some ideas to use for yourself!

Until next time, be blessed!

:-)  Tonya

* P.S. - I linked this post up to Vintage Wanna Bee and Creations by Kara.

Sunday

Psalm 122:1

I was glad when they said to me, Let us go unto the house of the Lord.


Have a blessed day!

:-) Tonya

Glass Jar Project

Okay, so today I took the glass jar that I purchased from the Salvation Army (from Thursday's post) and I "fixed it up".  First I washed the jar (that was a must!).  Then I gathered my supplies.  I used spanish moss, a small bird's nest and a couple of plastic eggs, some twigs from my yard, a tiny clothes pin, and some twine.

Here are my step-by-step pictures so you can see how I put it together.

Oh, I forgot to mention my old hymnal that I found at an antique store.  I use this hymnal often 

as it has come in handy for many projects.  I shred a page in the hymnal to add to the project.

I added some spanish moss to the empty jar and then I added the shredded music page.

Then, I placed the nest inside.  See the little feathers inside the nest?  I thought that was cool!

I added twigs to the jar and then I used a small piece of twine 

and tied 2 of the twigs together.  

I wanted to add a little something special, so I typed (Times Roman font)

a flashcard and printed it on cream colored card stock. 

I cut it out and rounded the corners to make it look "authentic".

I clipped it onto one of the twigs with my tiny clothespins.  

Then, I put the lid on and viola!  

I just have to choose the best place for it to rest....

?

Anyway, that's one of my Salvation Army finds that I have made over.

Now to get busy on the others!

Until next time, be blessed!

:-) Tonya 

* P.S. - I linked this post to Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up Party and to Shabby Nest  and Homestead Simple.

In the Meantime...

While I am preparing to work my magic on the Salvation Army finds, I wanted to post a few pictures of a project that I am particularly proud of.  First, I must admit that I love to decorate with bird elements.  So, I found a Krafty Block at my local craft store with a wide opening at the top (unlike the small hole that is usually found).  I decide to get creative!  Below are pictures of my "after" project...because when I created it, I wasn't doing my blog yet.

Okay, so you can see here that the size of the opening is well wide enough for me to "stuff" the inside of the block orderly.

I love to scrapbook and I have collected things I love (but don't quite have a purpose for right away)... so, I had the paper, the key, the ribbon with letters, the stamped fabric, etc.)  

I started out by finding a piece of scrapbook paper that I love and adhering it to the OUTSIDE back of the craft box.  I used Mod Podge.  Once the paper was positioned, I also used Mod Podge to seal it on.  

I also purchased some spanish moss from my local craft store and began adding it to the inside of the glass box.  I took a chipboard "D" (for my last name) and positioned it in the corner.  

I had to use a stick (really professional, I know) to help slide the stamped fabric into place.  Then I went to my back yard and gathered some thin twigs (we called them switches when I was growing up!) and twisted them together to form a makeshift nest.  I tied the alphabet ribbon around the twig and used wire to add a small button and a piece of bling (from when I make jewelry).  

I had scrapbooking letters and thought the Scrabble tile looking "T" would be perfect.  Oh, I love little clothespins, so I had to add that, too!  My key slid right into place and viola! 

Here is the finished product.  

A close up of the key and the Scrabble letter piece.  

....another close up.

I love the way it turned out.

Have a blessed day. 

:-)  Tonya

*P.S. - I linked this post to nifty thrifty things and to Flamingo Toes (Think Pink Sundays) and Vintage Wanna Bee .