Corbel Close-Up

I've been trying to decide what to do with several photos I took of architectural elements during our last trip to San Francisco.  I finally got to work today to try a new project.  Here is a picture of the first one in a series I have planned.  This is one of my favorite pictures of the elements I took; one of a corbel.  I love corbels and how they've been used in architecture over the ages.  Sometimes  referred to as brackets or cornices, the name's not important, but the beauty is.

I printed the photograph onto regular printer paper and adhered it to three sanded and painted pallet boards.  I used ModPodge and black acrylic paint.  You can see the steps in the picture below.

I had originally thought I would  frame the picture with smaller strips on the front, but  I decided to keep the front flat with the photo being the focal point.

The boards are held together by another pallet board that I split and nailed as braces from the back.  I then attached a saw tooth picture hanger on the back.

                     

It now hangs near our door leading out to our garage.  It will remind us of our visit to San Francisco to visit our son every time we leave the house.   You can read more about the pictures I took on our trip here.  It's my blog post about one of my favorite online photo editing programs....Picasa 3.

I hope this project gives you some ideas for ones of your own.  Please let me know if you have any questions...or suggestions for making this project even better.

Thank you!

~ Alison

This post was linked up at:

The Boogie Board Cottage
Thrifty Decor Chick
Home Stories A to Z

Memories Framed.....

My family says that I love all things vintage. This is true, but I especially love all things vintage if they have a family connection. I've been on a quest this year to try to display, while preserving, some of the old photographs I have of family members. There are so many of my parents, grandparents, and even my great-grandparents. I want to display more of them so my children will be able to feel a connection to the faces in those photographs.

I set out one day to try to find an old vintage frame that I could turn into a bulletin board.  I found the perfect frame at a thrift shop during and afternoon of thrifting with my husband. It cost $3.00! Here's a picture of the frame before I sanded and re-painted it.

It was really a very easy project.  The finish was in decent shape, it just needed to be cleaned up a bit.  Then,  of course, I  had to paint it.  I paint most all things I find I thrift stores and flea markets.  My rule of thumb is if it's a family heirloom, I never paint it.  I want to maintain the same patina that has been with the piece throughout the years.  However, if the piece is "new to me", but still vintage, I love to add a new and fresh finish if needed.  So, the frame got a coat of black paint, followed by a generous sanding, to make sure it looked old again. (My husband just shakes his head when I do this.)

Here's the bulletin board all finished.  I had the fabric, batting and ribbon on hand, and stopped by Michael's to pick up a piece of form core to use as the base.

The pictures displayed are of my grandparents cooking in the kitchen along with a handwritten recipe from my grandmother.  There is also a picture of my mother with my aunt and  uncle.  The two pictures at the bottom are of my grandfather in World War I in France and my uncle in World War II.  I've blogged about my uncle and aunt in "A Vintage Love"  here before.  Click the title if you'd like to read it again.

I love the end result.  We have it displayed in a small hallway off our foyer that leads to our son's bedroom/guestroom and bath.  There are no windows at all, so I can be assured our photographs aren't being exposed to sunlight.  

I have plans to make another bulletin board like this again soon.  Goodness knows I need several to display all the family photos and papers we have.  There just never seems to be enough hours in a day.........