LIFE AT THE COTTAGE

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Time Travel Thursday #64 & Talented Time Travelers #63


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 64th Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

First...
let's revisit a handful of the talented time travelers from


Have you noticed all the lovely fall decorations...as you've floated around
the blogosphere?  Well, of course you have!

One of our travelers from the party—Linda @ Studio Stuff—created this charming 
mantelscape that will work perfectly for fall...
right through Thanksgiving.


Do you remember your first DIY project?  I sure don't!  I've been at it so long,
I can't remember a time when I wasn't DIY-ing!  lol

But I can certainly understand the thrill a first-timer—like
Becky @ TREASURES IN THRIFTING LAND—might experience.


I thoroughly enjoy seeing all the pretty jewelry creations out in Blogland.
That's something I hope to spend more time on myself—
 in the future.

In the meantime, all I can do is admire the talent of people like
Gayle Page-Robak.  She created this lovely watch.

So whatcha wanna show off this week?   ;)


IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Found Object Art



This is a very common sight around the workshop of The Brambleberry Cottage—
both inside and out.

Though I attempt to keep some semblance of order—organizing our multitudes of
baskets and bins of rusty metal, chippy-paint boards, balusters and spindles, and other
assorted salvage—it does have a tendency to get out of hand
at times...especially when we are in the midst of several
projects, as is currently the case.


And the clutter begins to mount even higher when a project or two gets
stalled because some key component
seems to be missing. 

That's exactly what happened with the variety of junk you see in the first image...
that is, until we found the old, beat-up tin full of
 vintage porcelain insulators.


Once the insulators were in our possession, the creative mind of the Yankee
started whirling, and a certain prized piece of wood
 of mine became a key to one of his latest designs. 

I had found this wonderful old porch post at the flea market last year
and had stored it away in the barn for a future project.  Its layers of paint had
begun to crackle and chip away, revealing the most fantastic
weathered patina.

I was rather reluctant to relinquish my hold on this treasure...
until the Yankee convinced me that his
project was worthy of its use.
  

As soon as I consented to letting him have my pretty wood post, he went to work
welding together several salvaged parts from antique
 cast iron wood stoves.


A good scrub with a wire brush—to eliminate the loose flakes of rust—and a
few coats of our favorite spray sealant gave the rusty components
a nice rich patina.


While the Yankee was constructing his creations, I searched through a number of
bins in the barn to scout out the perfect pieces
of metal for the bases.

They had to be just the right dimensions and thickness to compliment
 the Yankee's pieces.


And this is what I came up with.  Aren't they "grate"?!   ; )


So my vintage porch post, coupled with a few rusty grater parts, some
old insulators, an old gear or two, and several antique stove parts
 became...


"found object" art.

As hard as it was to give up, I think the Yankee put my
wood post to good use!   ; )


Joining:
Kristin's Tuesday's Treasures, Tammy's Anything Goes,

Join Me for a Blog Hop


A few weeks ago, a blogging buddy asked me if I would be willing to co-host
 her blog hop.  As you've probably already figured out, I love introducing you to
bloggers you may not have already had the pleasure of meeting,
in this vast space known as the blogosphere.


The blogger, SJ @ HOMEMAKER ON A DIME, is one of those women who makes
you wonder if she ever eats or sleeps.  She's a full-time mom—with all the
responsibilities of young children—a DIY maven, a crafter, a blogger extraordinaire...
 AND she works on top of all that!

If you've never visited SJ, you'll want to hop on over...
and tonight would be the perfect time to do so! 
You can say hello, look around,
AND join her fun party—
there or here, at The Brambleberry Cottage!   ; )

Here are the simple rules for SJ's
Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop:

1) Link up whatever creative post you'd like to share—a DIY project, décor,
photography, crafts, recipes, link party, poem, thrift finds, or that informative
syndicated post that can make us laugh, or cry—in short, whatever you're proud of!  (No
links to businesses or giveaways.  SJ has another party for these exclusively on
Tuesdays called Market Your Biz & Giveaways at 5 pm, PST.)

2) Then follow as many blogs as your heart desires, preferably starting first with
the one before you and after you, before branching out.  (Following the
host and co-host, too, will be very much appreciated, and we'll
definitely follow back.)

Displaying the party button, while optional, is very much appreciated.

This is a combination of linky party (where we can show off our creations) and a
blog hop (where we can follow as many excellent bloggers as we like),
hence the name Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop.

Link opens up every Sunday at 5:00 pm, PST.

Because we like something different, we're using the reverse entry for inlinkz—
so the most recent participant will show up as number 1, hence giving everybody
 a chance to get the #1 spot."





So...
are you ready to get hoppin'?   ; )



Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Time Travel Thursday #63 & Talented Time Travelers #62


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 63rd Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

First...
 let's travel back to last week's party, and
see a bit of the creativity shared by our talented time travelers.


Kathy @ Petticoat junktion—one of our partying friends—was feeling rather
blue recently...aqua blue, that is.  She decided to "pretty up" a number
of her project pieces with a touch of that lovely color.


We all know that paint works magic, when it comes to makeovers.  Rebecca
@ You are {talking} too much gave her project a chic "shabby"
paint redo...and then added a pretty fall
vignette to show it off.


I love projects that incorporate old wood—such as the
rustic piece used by Angie @ Knick of Time..., to create this vintage looking sign.

Angie also has a terrific Etsy shop full of authentic vintage items.
Be sure to check it out.


I'm always eager to see what YOU ARE creating for YOUR grandchildren
that might spark MY creativity to further spoil my precious granddaughter.

This sweet little cupboard makeover, by Vickie @ Ranger 911,
 is fashioned after a vintage one seen on another blog.
Too cute!

Now...
show us what you've been up to this week.


IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Signs of the Season



This year, I'm anticipating the arrival of fall more anxiously than in
years past.

Perhaps the many months spent laboring in the 
sweltering heat—restoring the gardens and clearing the barns—has
 intensified my desire for cooler temperatures.


As a matter of fact, I've been so engrossed in these tasks
that I've almost let the first signs—ones that signal fall is on its way—slip
right past me.


The purple, white, pink, and blue wildflowers that graced our fields, just
a short while ago, have given way to a more autumnal array.

Their bright cheery faces are but one of the many
things that make fall my favorite season.


I'm actually quite nostalgic about this particular time of year.  Some of
 my most cherished childhood memories revolve around
autumns past.

And...
we celebrate my Yankee sweetheart's birthday each fall...
in addition to our anniversary.



But it's also the colors of the season that make it so appealing to me.  The warmth
 of the saturated hues wrap around you like a well-worn,
 cozy quilt on a crisp, cool evening.


And...
around The Brambleberry Cottage, fall also means
it's apple picking time.   ; )


Those juicy, wholesome orbs find their way into pies,
cobblers, and a wide assortment of taste-tempting treats...


and, hopefully, this year, even fresh apple cider.


I'm so looking forward to gathering the benches, chairs, and tables
from the barn, and...


rounding up the extra quilts and pillows for our fall festivities.


It's a time when our family and friends assemble to enjoy
blazing bonfires beneath star-studded skies.


Happily, the signs of the season are upon us...
a season for celebrating a few of life's
 simple country pleasures.




Joining
LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday,

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Time Travel Thursday #62 & Talented Time Travelers #61


"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.
Some take us forward, they're called dreams."
~Jeremy Irons~


Welcome to the 62nd Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects?  Great!

But first...
let's take a peek at some of the talented time travelers
who participated in last week's party.


It's always fun to see how fellow bloggers transform—and then decorate
 with—their thifty finds.  Kathryn @ The Dedicated House turned her thrift
 store scores into pretty display pieces.


Thinking outside the box can take a project piece from blah to beautiful. 
This masterful makeover, by Lisa @ Recaptured Charm,
is a prime example.

Mary @ Redo 101 shared the beauty around here yard, after a recent rain.  Those
of us who have had little of the wet stuff this summer can appreciate
a good earth cleansing shower even more.


Sunburst mirrors have been all the rage for awhile now.  But what do you
do if you can't find the right mirror for your creation?  Just use a
spot of your favorite paint color in the center.

That's exactly what Kelli @ The Turquoise Piano did!


We all love to decorate with "found" nature objects.  But Candace
@ Candace Creations took it a step further, when she created these adorable
 "branchlers" for her little one's nursery.


That's a wrap for last week's features.  What ya got to show for
yourself this week?   ; )

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Sweet "Tweet" Retreat



The Yankee and I have decided that one of the best ways to declutter
around the farm...is to get busy with the projects that the clutter
was originally intended for.


So, once again this week, we pulled various items from the barn...
and got to work!


Even though my blogging friend, Tammy @ Tattered & Timeless, took a great
 deal of stuff like this off my hands, there were still a
handful of pieces tucked away in the barn.

The Yankee selected an old oil can and a rusty funnel—from the stored 
stash—for our latest creative project.


I grabbed an assortment of vintage insulators...


and a basket of rusty, crusty bits and bobs—
salvaged from discarded antique trunks.


While the Yankee was welding various rusty, vintage
 tractor parts together and deciding where he wanted to use
the old chicken feeder top,


I was gathering the embellishments to add even more
character and charm to our newest creation.

The piece used at the top was, at one time, an edge bracket to an antique
trunk, while the piece in the middle—with the hole—was part
of the trunk's lock.

Can you guess what the black curved piece used to be?


Here's another view.  Now can you figure it out?

It was the handle of an antique coffee mill—one of several we
had stashed away in the barn.


And, of course, I'm always looking for ways to "pretty up" our projects,
so this vintage aluminum butterfly and old furniture
knob rosette were just the ticket.


Here is the result of our day's effort—
with a bit of decluttering to boot—


a whimsical, sweet retreat...
for some very special
little tweet!


Do you notice anything different in this image? 

After the Yankee had put all the tools away and had gone inside, I found
 this in one of our bins.


And I really want this piece added to the base of our
"found object" birdhouse.

But...
I figured I would let my honey get a good night's sleep first. 

Then tomorrow morning...
 after he has eaten a hearty breakfast, I'll spring the news that he'll
need to drag all the welding equipment back out...
 to finish the project he thought was complete.   ; )