12 Days of Christmas--Day 2

On the second day of Christmas Beyond the Picket Fence gave to me, a Noel sign for hanging. A little linguistics for you--Noel is the French word for Christmas and is derived from the Latin word meaning Nativity.

I made this Noel much like the EAT signs I have done, using pallet wood.  I use small pieces of beadboard to connect the letters.  I did add hangers on the back, but I show it in these pictures propped on my (dusty) shelf.

I could have made a square O, or I suppose a hexagon, but I chose to use something circular for the O.  You could use a saw blade,

 I like the rust on the blade.

or a wreath like I did.

A silver platter, a wooden plate, an enamel lid, a jello mold would also work great.  I think I will stick with the wreath and maybe add a few berries to it.
Find more ideas at Funky Junk Interiors.
Now it is your turn to link up your Christmas ideas.  This linky party will remain open through Christmas.  I will be sharing it every day of my 12 Days of Christmas.  There will be no 12 days of Christmas posts on Sundays or Wednesdays, I will share my regular Sunday Verses and linky party on those days.  Please read the linky party rules, thanks!


12 Days of Christmas Linky Party Rules
1.  Please link up only Christmas or other winter holiday (i.e. Hanukkah, Kwanzaa) ideas.
2.  Please include my 12 Days of Christmas button on your blog or a link back to my blog.
3.  Please visit each other's posts and comment.
4.  No direct links to items you are selling.
Thank you--have fun!

12 Days of Christmas--Day One

On the first day of Christmas Beyond the Picket Fence gave to me...a swag with some rusticity.  

 Did I not warn you the rhymes would be bad?  Only so many words rhyme with me.  Now, I have a confession to make, I have had a tough time coming up with Christmas ideas to share.  I have some plans for some fun things, but they haven't happened yet.  I have been working on the smaller. crafty things and the conclusion I have come to is that I am not really a "crafter". I like to think bigger--furniture, home decor that serves a purpose, wood and power tools.  Coming up with smaller decor items is a challenge.  I look and I play and I think and I put it down and come back to it.  I am getting ready for a Christmas market and I need some of these smaller items to sell, and I use them in my holiday decor, I am just more comfortable with a sliding compound miter saw than I am with a glue gun.  So with that confession made, here is my first project--a  swag with some rustic elements.

I started with some little tart tins that were shiny.  I put them in vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and salt.

Within a day, the tins were rusty.  A few of them did not have enough rust on them so I sprinkled some more salt on them which gave them a nice, crusty rust.

And then they sat because I wasn't sure what to do with them. They are adorable as ornaments, but you all have seen that.  I finally decided to paint some letters in them and use them in a little swag.  I drilled holes in them to attach them to some jute twine.

I also made some paper stars for these.  I drew these on old book pages and sewed around them, erased the pencil and then cut them out and punched a hole in them.  These were fun to make, you might see more of these. 

I used some fake greenery--I am not a big fan of fakes, but this stuff looks good.  I laid it out and tied the top with jute.  I also added a jute loop to hang it and big burlap "ribbon" knot.

 Simple and perfect for a Montana cabin.

 

Now it is your turn to link up your Christmas ideas.  This linky party will remain open through Christmas.  I will be sharing it every day of my 12 Days of Christmas.  There will be no 12 days of Christmas posts on Sundays or Wednesdays, I will share my regular Sunday Verses and linky party on those days.  Please read the linky party rules, thanks!

12 Days of Christmas Linky Party Rules
1.  Please link up only Christmas or other winter holiday (i.e. Hanukkah, Kwanzaa) ideas.
2.  Please include my 12 Days of Christmas button on your blog or a link back to my blog.
3.  Please visit each other's posts and comment.
4.  No direct links to items you are selling.
Thank you--have fun!

Under $100 Linky Party

First, and most importantly, let me say my heart and prayers go out to all who have been devastated by Sandy.  Wow, the images are heartbreaking--it sure puts things in perspective in case you have been attending a pity party, at least I know it does for me.  I will continue to pray for healing to the area and people who have had their lives changed forever.

Secondly, and not nearly as important, Happy Halloween.  I have almost forgotten about it.  With a ten year old being the youngest child and the child who has always been the least interested in this day, I don't really get too terribly into Halloween.  I do have loads of candy for the little dears who will be stopping by.  It is suppose to be 65+ today, yeah--often Halloween in Montana means snow boots and snow pants.

Thirdly, my 12 Days of Christmas linky party will start tomorrow night and will remain open.  Make sure you are linking to the right party--this one opens tonight and closes Saturday and is for your under $100 ideas, the other is for Christmas ideas and will stay open through Christmas. 

And finally, it is my pleasure to share some great links from last week:

Chevron boards from Vintage Finds

Down to Earth Style shows you how to upgrade your builder's mantel

Fun chair from The Artful Life

One Creative Couple's furniture distressing techniques

Love Shabby Love's little bench

Recipes We Love seasoning mixes

Beautiful table from Daisy Mae Belle

Looking forward to your links!  {Please remember to read through the guidelines before linking up!

Thanks for linking up and for sharing you with us :) !!

Under $100 Linky Guidelines:

1. Please link to the specific post, not your blog!

2. Please only post ideas that cost $100 or less--it would be great if you share the cost of your project, but not necessary.

3. Please include a brief description in link up.

4. Grab my Under $100 button on the sidebar and include it in your post or a link to Beyond the Picket Fence so people can find you and more great ideas.

5. Please check and make sure your link works. If it doesn't you can delete it and try again.

6. Please no direct links to sales sites, i.e. ETSY or just a plain ol' commercial site, we are looking for inexpensive ideas we can recreate.

...And Breathe

Do you ever have to remind yourself to breathe?  I do sometimes, my mind starts to roll and roll, the schedule starts to fill up, the house needs attention,  and somehow in the middle of all the craziness the creative juices flow and all I want to do is create what I want...but I can't.  Breathe...inhale...slowly...deeply.  It will all happen--or won't.  I can write the ideas down and get to them later.  So today I will breathe, I will take the time to notice the little things, I will listen.  Here are a few things I have been doing:

Football--the season ended Saturday with a playoff loss--this is my boy!

 

Preparing for my 12 Days of Christmas--It starts Thursday night!

 

and special orders galore--I don't have any pictures of those right now...breathe!

Sunday Verses

Hooked

I am hooked on chalk paint.  It makes projects like this so quick and easy.  This was a great cupboard door, but I wasn't sure what to do with it.  Because of the two panels, it wasn't goiung to make a great chalkboard or table top.  I decided to use it as a coat hook with something "decorative" in the top panel. 

 I quickly painted the door with Provence chalk paint, no prep remember!  I then free handed one of my favorite sentiments--Live Simply.

I paintred some Hobby Lobby hooks--remember to paint the screws.  The paint on these hooks make them look more authentically vintage.
Quick and easy--like most of my projects.  Oh, did you see my great mustard yellow purse?  I picked it up at Goodwill, brand new, leather, and a Tangnello--they run around $150 or so--I got mine for $15.

 

Find more ideas at Funky Junk Interiors.

Under $100 Linky Party

Oh my, is it really linky party day already?  I almost forgot--on to some great links from last week!

Candy corn pizza from Brie Brie Blooms

Chair from Knot All That I Seam

Paris Grey from the French Hen's Nest

Chipping With Charm's retired garden tools

Subway art tute from Crystelle Boutique

From Generation to Generations chair makeover

Wine charms and apple cider muffins from Alderberry Hill

Looking forward to your links!  {Please remember to read through the guidelines before linking up!

Thanks for linking up and for sharing you with us :) !!

Under $100 Linky Guidelines:

1. Please link to the specific post, not your blog!

2. Please only post ideas that cost $100 or less--it would be great if you share the cost of your project, but not necessary.

3. Please include a brief description in link up.

4. Grab my Under $100 button on the sidebar and include it in your post or a link to Beyond the Picket Fence so people can find you and more great ideas.

5. Please check and make sure your link works. If it doesn't you can delete it and try again.

6. Please no direct links to sales sites, i.e. ETSY or just a plain ol' commercial site, we are looking for inexpensive ideas we can recreate.

Dumpster Diving Minus the Dumpster

Okay, I didn't dive into a dumpster for this item, but I have been known to do that.  I found this little work table sticking up from a burn pile at the fairgrounds.
It must have been used in one of the barns--it had some chicken poop on it.  I gave it a good scrubbing and removed the composite top to reveal a wood top.

I had hoped to leave the white base as it was, but I couldn't get it clean enough.  So I painted it with Annie Sloan Old Ochre and the top with Emperor's Silk.  I had to secure the diagonal crosspiece, but that was all the work that needed to be done to it.

A little wax and a pew clip

and spoon added for hooks

makes it a great island or workspace.

I love free, it makes me smile.

 

Find more ideas at Donna's Funky Junk Interiors.

Sunday Verses

Ski Sign

Using some of the salvaged wood hubby brought home for me, I made a SKI MT sign that looks like it was found in an old lodge. 

 I simply used chalk to "pencil in" the letters before painting them. 

Quick and easy and rustic--just like Montanas prefer.

 

What sign would you make with some old salvaged wood?