Katie's Jewelry Holder

My daughter moved into her new apartment this month.  This will be her last college apartment as she is finishing her studies this year.  Whenever our grown children move into a new apartment or home, I try to make something for them.  Here's a picture of a stretched canvas I used to create a piece of wall art that can also be used as a necklace holder.  The "K" is for Katie!

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.........

Here's the Sneak Peek I Promised

We have this book in our library at school titled, Whose Skin Is This?  It is a great book for our primary students.  On one page, you see a skin of a particular animal and after trying to determine what animal the skin belongs to, you turn the page to see the animal revealed. My students love it.  I use it during group time and we have loads of fun.  Here is a look at the book.


I thought this would be a great way to introduce the sneak peek of the items that will be in the Etsy shop I have been telling you about.  The two pictures posted below are small segments from photographs I've taken around town.  The images are being used to make something special for your home.  I hope you enjoy trying to figure out where the image came from and how it is being transformed into that special piece just for you.

Please leave a comment if you think you may know either what I have in store for the images, or if you know where the pictures were taken.

Have a great day, everyone!