A new life for my flea market finds

Indian summer weather a couple weeks ago afforded me the time to get outside and complete a couple lingering projects I had to get done. 

 The "before" as found

This folding screen I picked up this summer at a garage sale for $5. I could not pass it up. Not my style for sure, but I have been looking for a screen to use in my booth at the upcoming local holiday craft show.

The 2 clover leaf tables were $10 for the pair and I love the Victorian design, and they were begging to be white! I also want to use them for the booth.

Last month I took a class on using Annie Sloan Chalk paint, so tried my hand using it on these pieces. For the screen, I mixed Provence blue with Old white and came up with this pretty robins egg blue. I waxed it with a medium distress brown.

The "after"

Since the center panels were a bamboo, using spray adhesive and laying over lace curtain sections That I picked up at Value Village, made it look as if the curtains were gathered.I am still going to add more cottage touches of lace and also my shop banner,

The tables were painted Old white, then even tho you may not be able to see it here, I waxed them with clear wax mixed with provence blue. the blue falls nicely into the scroll work.

Joining in today with the Etsy Cottage Style blog Cottage Craft party~it is open all week, so if you have something in the works in your craft room, please join us, we would love to see it!

Oatmeal Shortbread cookies!

Since we are still having summer weather here in Oregon, it has been hard for me to get motivated into fall decorating when my roses are still blooming so beautifully. So until the rains arrive, the fall decorating is on hold!

Today I am joining in on the Etsy Cottage Style blog party...... sharing one of my favorites....

Oatmeal Shortbread cookies

1 cup butter (no substitutes)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

3/4 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, oats and salt. Press into a greased 8" x 12" brownie pan. Prick with a fork if desired. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 min or until lightly browned. 

Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Free images!

It has been a great while since I shared some of the images from my graphic library, so thought that the Cottage Craft party over at Etsy Cottage Style blog would be a perfect time to share. Since next months party will be too close to Halloween to share these images, I am putting them up now to give you plenty of time to play in   your craft room with these!

for your treat bags--click to enlarge to full sixe

 a pair of vintage greeting cards

Happy creating!

Join us by sharing your current project!

Click on the pic above to get there!

Late summer on the patio

This summer we revamped our patio area. It was mostly flagstone and every year we would have to pick it all up and relay it. After 5 summers, we got tired of all the work and decided to put down aggregate.

It was also an opportunity to invest in a new patio set along with a big offset umbrella. Our table seats up to 8 people very comfortably. We are in the process of finishing up a stone fire pit (which you can't see in the pic) which will afford us some nice late summer and early fall fires.

 I snapped a couple pics this morning of what is still looking amazing in my patio and garden!

95 degrees today here in western Oregon...we are having an indian summer! This warm weather is expected all week. At least now all my tomatoes will ripen as they were very late this year.