Patina White

making it {PERSONAL}

helloTHERE! happy day to you! sure appreciate you popping by. i have to share a project i did this past weekend. as usual...i found myself perusing the aisles of the local thrift on saturday. not that i hadn't been there a few times already the days prior. i find that in the winter i scour a bit deeper as the weather isn't friendly for the outdoor hunts i long for. i'm like a displaced squirrel....looking for that nut!

anywho...i picked up a book. an embroidery "how to" titled MAKING IT PERSONAL. it had a slick paper cover that i normally would have passed over. but today i was leisurely reviewing various media when i flipped it open discovering pages filled with {APLHABET} examples in assorted fonts. hmph. who knew!? and once outta of the confines of the contemporary sleeve, it suddenly was even more attractive as seen {below}.

 

 

alright. got me the book. now what can i do to MAKE IT PERSONAL?? well...on i went. thinking away. different thoughts crossed my mind when i saw a {PLAINjane} black frame. with multiple openings. minus the glass. no bother. i prefer it wasn't there to be honest. sometimes the glare of glass is distracting from the art itself. so i was set! had the {2} treasures to bring a vision to life {seem 'em before below}

 

 

as i wandered i couldn't help but notice the frame was a little shelf weary. had a corner that was banged up and some paint flakes about. eyeballin' it...i decided the edges looked just the right size for a yardstick enhancement. and was pleasantly surprised that when i got home and grabbed the nearest ones from my trip back to nebraska {below}...that they fit right in the recess.

 

 

i started carefully removing my favorite pages {below} ...

 

 

...methodically planning where each one would go in balance + scale in the collage of the frame. and once i had things laid out...i began decoupaging the pages directly to the back insert of the frame. that needed to dry so i moved to the next phase. i took a trek to the woodSHOPPE cutting the yardsticks down to size plus doing a little refurb on the frame itself. you can see a close peek of the end result {below}

 

 

and finally the big "picture". of how it all came together {below}

 

 

so let this be a lesson. that the age old saying of don't judge a book by it's cover couldn't be more true in many respects. i have a number of scraps + bits left over so there's opportunity to yet again MAKE IT PERSONAL. infact the pages did already inspire yet another project. tinkering on some jewelry. so if you have a peek {below} you will notice one of these things is not like the other. 

 

 

so onward i go...tinkering & experimenting in some uncharted territory i've been wanting to "explore" for sometime now. we will see where it takes me! i'll do my twist to MAKE IT PERSONAL. 

thanks again for the visit to my corner of the world. i'd like to invite you to do so again!

 

friday's favorite!

hello hello! once upon a time i used to do a segment called "friday's favorite" where i'd feature an item that was either collected or created and struck my fancy. well...it's been awhile since i've done that. quite awhile actually so i thought no time like the present to rehash a former format. and since this week was full of favorites why no showcase more than one, right?  well...here goes...

 

{favorite newbie}

i welcomed this new kid on the block {below} with open arms. been waiting a long time for her to make her appearance! so i hope you will love this curly wire photo stand as much as i! and YES! i am happy to report that after much urging...i will be selling the FAMILY flashcards @ my cottage as well! just incase inquiring minds want to know!

{favorite moment/s}

how do you pick just one from seven packed days!? so i will narrow down to a couple that brought a smile to my face +  were good for my soul.

2 weeks ago today MJ, my "stray" duck {as my niece, jessi, says} came into my crazy world. he is growing fast & has provided much laughter + stories. (don't even ask about the night i dove into the woods...poison ivy & all....when he got spooked off by one jealous dalmatian). anywho...this was a tender moment {below} when he was nestled in by my big 'ol boots relaxing on the lawn. 

 

recently my last couple posts have gone on about "grey" days. well the rain has subsided and the sun was out in full force this morning while i was out on an early run. it seems the shades of grey have relented to the wonderful shades of blue {below}! 

 

 

{favorite W.I.P....that'd be WORK IN PROGRESS}

i don't think you can throw a stick @ pinterest these days and not see some sort of pallet or wood slatted inspired project. so i took me some of my stash of lath and got to experimenting. well...this is as far as i got {below} but maybe i should follow the quote in front of me...maybe all is need is love! i'll keep ya posted.

 

{favorite bauble}

some weeks i work more on wood related projects...others you'd catch me knee deep in metal working. well these last few days have been spent bringing some jewelry elements together. and tough as it is to pick a fav...i'd say these lovely butterfly wings {below} of another talented artisan's hand that i paired with my chains are right up there! you can "catch" them this sunday @ shady hollow where i'll be open for business.

 

so there you have some of my favorites from the past {7} days. which reminds me i best get about mine! and sure hope you enjoy your's!  

not to play "favorites"...but i do appreciate all of you taking the time to pop by & see what's going on in my little corner of the world!

love so many ways

happy day everyone! hope this finds you enjoying all things spring-like! easter bunnies, pansies, reese's peanut butter eggs...you know...all the good stuff! well...after my last post {lengthy}...i decided to stop rambling where i did. now today finds me picking up the pieces. wait. i picked up the pieces the day i refurbished my cabinet. wood scrap pieces that is...

 

often times i challenge myself when faced with scraps from a project. why toss them when they might become something cool? so this scrap was "married" with some other scrap. from the depths of my ceiling tin pile came out an assortment of complimentary pieces that i snipped to the size of the wood cutoff. 

couldn't quite commit on what to do to accent this match made in heaven. i liked the idea of my rustic wood letters. but didn't want to permanently anchor them so as to give options for the next lucky owner. so i glued magnets to the back of the letters and now i "LOVE" it! {below}

   

 

with just a flip of the axis and a swap of the letter configuration...you will have yourself another way to show the love. {below}

 

 

and though this is a short "love" story today. i was inspired by a much longer love story. that of my grandpa + grandma - very much in love for over 50 years. their photo was a simple way of highlighting the board...minus the letters...but still a grand way of showing some love! {below}

 

 

love isn't something to keep to one's self. so if you like this cutie...she'll be waiting @ my shady hollow cottage to move into her next "loving" home. 

now i am off to the races. hard to tell what pieces i will be picking up next. very likely a peanut butter egg. because since i mentioned them...they are calling out my name. hard to ignore the fact that i love them in so many ways! 

wishing you a wonderful start to your holiday celebrations!

 

 

{1} potato...{2} potato...

hey there everyone! are you ready to burst into child-like singsong with that title? it's all i could chant as i was working on a project for my spare bedroom. i wanted to replace the teeny tiny lamp on the bedside table. upon which i remembered a chunky wood spindle lamp i had. thing was i didn't want an ordinary shade to top it. visualizing a wire frame minus the fabric...a dig thru my "stashes" yielded nada. then i caught a glimpse of the pile of potato baskets hiding in the shadows. literally a light bulb "aha!" moment!  

and as the lyrics go...{1} potato...{2} potato...{3} potato...

and don't think i forgot the {4}! because here it sits {below}...

i took random pages of ephemera & wove them thru the wirework of the basket. then popped it on top of my weathered lamp base...left the handle dangling for a bit of whimsy and finished it off with a diminutive wood ball finial. now it's one hot potato if i do say so! exactly what i wanted. casual character galore! and just so you get the big picture...here's what it looks like {below} as a whole!

almost makes me want to burst into yet another song - you light up my life! but i know where my strengths lie and singing is not one of them. so i will stick to the kiddie singsongs! in which case the stack of little tablets in the crock may jog another tune...and i think you all know his NAME-O! 

i will send you off today with a medley of songs that will soon be stuck in your head like they are mine! maybe they will inspire a project or two of your own! or at least make you skip to your lou...

happy day!

a tree by me...{have a cup of joe}

happy monday everyone! thought i'd start the week with another feature of a tree by me! where i show a season appropriate creation i came up with. today's highlights were brought to life over a large pot of coffee and a plethora of paper cups exactly one year ago.

the photo {below} is from my table-scape last holiday season & shows my white on white forest mixed in w/ a medley of a collected objects...a lil bit of this and a lil bit of that. exactly what i love about my mixed up style!

though i "brewed" up these cuties last year...what was new + exciting to me was that my works caught the eye of the creative forces @ somerset studios! they contacted me to do a blurp about them in their winter issue of somerset studio GALLERY which showcases a fabulous mix of paper crafts. if you are not familiar with {s.s}...might i suggest you visit their website {HERE} for a host of magical publications surely to spark your imagination. their magazines are also available @ many of the mainstream bookstores as well!

here's a peek @ the cover {below}

 

 

 

 

 

simple display courtesy of stampington & co.

 

read on for a peek @ the article...with the inside scoop on how to recreate your very own set should you be so inclined! coffee anyone??

so there ya have it! not only a little gander @ the trees by me but also a tutorial on how to make your very own grove! now grab your cup of joe and get busy! and make sure you have enough extra onhand to keep you fired up! it's a tedious project but very much worth it in the end!

a merry day to you!

a tree by me...{funnel vision}

happy holidays! 

this time of the year evokes memories of me sitting @ my grandma's making felt ornaments + other crafty crafts. here i am some 30 years later still donning my elf cap and creating! grandma kroeger would be so proud! or perhaps perplexed @ today's project! 

enter my love of trees. the smell of fresh cut pine. twiggy towers lining my drive in lights. with that notion...i am going to start a lil' christmas category of some trees that came about by my own hand. fittingly dubbed...a tree by me.

i had to chuckle @ hubby's greeting when he saw me "playing" last night. exact words..."whatcha doing tin man?" and the pile of "rubbish" leading up to that remark?? {see below}

i have collected funnels for quite awhile. not really intending on a specific use. just fond of metal + rust. so while scouring for some items for my event...the stack of funnels caught my eye. "that looks just like a tree" i thought...and for those of you wondering...the ruffly "implement" {above} is part of a cast-off tree stand!

ok. so now i have a tree...well a tree needs a stump, no?? not a problem in my land. where boxes of salvage wood bits {below} sit quietly waiting to be enlisted into action. time to get a "leg up"...

and what christmas tree would be complete without a tree top? surely an opportunity to make a star will not get passed by me! off to another corner {this time hubby's shop} where a pile 'o tin is tucked between snowmobiles & harley parts. {share & share alike...no space on our property isn't touched by an influx of "treasure"}. 

back to the project...a few fell cuts with the tin snips and a length of wire glued to the back landed me a quirky + cute lil topper {below}.

saving the best for last...funnels and salvage and tin...OH MY! i hope i did the tin man proud with my creation {below}! 

now i am off...not to see the wizard but to continue on with projects*orders*decorating* that await. sure could use me a pair of those sparklin' ruby slippers. i guess my cowgirl boots will do...probably better for kicking up dust on the yellow brick road anyway!

thanks for stopping * make it a great day!

in a flash!

hey everyone! i thought today's title would be appropriate for two reasons...first off...patinaWHITE's annual holiday event is going to be here "in a flash"! remember the fun starts the EVE of november 4th! i promise it to be a grand time & most unique shopping experience!

secondly...for years i have used my coveted vintage alphabet flashcards in displays & much to the disappointment of many...not been able to part w/ them. well no more disappointments because i have...for sale...for the first time...a reproduction grouping of cards made off of my very set! you could never tell these are not the real thing! fooling even the most discerning teacher!

i will also be offering them "open-stock"...w/ the basket resting patiently on my iron bed display {below} just waiting for you to dig into!

here's just one example of how to use 'em! {below}

i strung a length of burlap ribbon & clipped them on it with my mini "pin ups"...another patinaWHITE original design + favorite {seen below!}

if you look real hard {below} you will see the tiny clothes-pin hangers that hold more samples of them there cards on a vintage window! spell out your name...your child's name...heck...even your pet! sky's the limit and there's plenty of them to go 'round!

i loved the graphics of the old box that contained my set so much that i let it influence me as i was designing the packaging for the sets i will be offering for sale {shown below}

pick yourself up one of these for a plethora of letters...w/ many duplicates in-case you need to spell out MERRY...or HAPPY...or MISSISSIPPI! well that last one might be a stretch! 

so the next time someone eyes my "inspiration displays" and longingly asks "are those are for sale"...my answer...in a flash...will be "why yes they are"! 

thanks for peeking...hope you have yourself a wonderful day!

 

PLEASE NOTE below for more info on flashcard sets...

well a big THANK YOU everyone for your interest in my flashcards! and though i would love to get 'em out in a flash...the show prep has my putting a few things on the back burner. i am happy to send out sets after the show...here's the details!

54 cards in a set. they are BIG. about 8x6 in size. and printed FRONT & BACK! one side is a capital...the respective lowercase is on the back. which makes it fun to mix it up like i did in GooD NiGhT! and there are duplicates of many popular letters! price for a set is $39 plus tax/shipping. i have a limited number of sets and will hold as many as i can for those of you interested!

if you like 'em in the photos...you will LOVE them in real life!

you can also email me... [email protected] to give me a thumbs up and i will add to my tickler to address when the dust settles a bit!

again...thanks for your notes and all the emails! i am so thrilled to get such a positive response!

too cool for "spool"...

hey everyone! a happy start to your week! and now...just to prove that i do indeed follow thru {sometimes} on my "big plans" for junk re-dos...i thought i would show you all what came about from a find this past summer.

if you recall a morning i spent @ the community clean up yard...i hauled home a fairly non-descript spool. likely one that housed many feet o' wire. and to jog your memory here it is...as it was...

well i stained the wood top and bottom. and then i dug out once again my bucket of yardsticks...

...then proceeded to cut a number of them into identical lengths...with which i glued and nailed to the cardboard middle. it created a "too cool for spool" that makes a whimsical little "riser" when on display!

here's a view of it with a mishmash of old bottles + some seasonal decor...

a little closer here {below}

and yes! this will be available @ my holiday event! would love to keep it...but space is limited and my mama taught me to share & share alike! 

i think it's now pretty darn cool! and hope you agree! so keep checking back to see what other re-dos come about. because unlike my home my mental "space" is not quite @ capacity...lots of ideas waiting to happen! just don't ask me what i ate for dinner last night! the short term bank doesn't hold deposits as long! 

thanks for peeking...be sure to make it a great day!

creation station

all aboard everyone! things are rolling full steam ahead here @ my studio in preparation for the "big event" that will be starting in exactly {1} week from today! woo-hoo! or should i say choo-choo?

for those of you who've been out to my studio...you know the drill! and i hope ya all are as excited as i am! and to those of you following my blog wondering what the heck this "event" is that i keep rambling about...well...it's my annual gathering of patinaWHITE goods brought together by form of collection, creation & collaboration. just a couple clicks short of the 5 C's! wait...now i'm thinking diamonds! well there will be sparkle o' plenty waiting for you! wanna learn more? then please click RIGHT HERE. 

today's post title was inspired by a cooler than cool find. a chance spotting of a sign that said WHITEHALL CREATIONS jumped out @ me earlier this fall. whip off the HALL...shimmy the WHITE down thus making room for some other vintage letters & this is what i got {below} told you it was cool!

to make for a most fabulous shopping experience i like to CREATE wares that are unique to patinaWHITE...dreamt & designed by yours truly! thought i'd give you a little taste of just such goodies you will spy @ this year's showing! 

you may recognize this trinket {below} from the home page of my website. new fabrications are always exciting. but sometimes there's something to be said for tried & true. and since i had a couple requests i needed to fill for some sweet "flies"...i made an extra to share with another lucky girl. really, these pieces are like my first born. i hang them in my kitchen to admire. and i hope you will do the same! or here's a thought. maybe actually wear it rather than dangle it from a cupboard knob! 

next up...a pile of drawers that lost their way. or at least the cabinet they were housed in. that "pile" met up with some of my salvage lumber and found objects to come together to form my funky JUNK*DRAWERS. i am pretty sure i am lovin' how my recent partnership turned out {below}. you gotta have FAITH!

i never tire of the quote {below}. i may wear you out on it but here goes anyway. just a fun combo of trinkets to make a cluster charm necklace exclusive to patinaWHITE. have i intrigued you yet?

another happy combination was that of some pickings of vintage yardsticks thoughtfully arranged on a rustic barnwood frame. enough said. just have a peek {below}. it really measures up!

i'd like to think there is something to suit everyone's fancy! not to mention budget! and if you are in the market for a gift. then i am your girl. because you are sure to find the truly unique for all you seek! plus don't forget your greeting card! i have a grand selection available ranging from silly, sassy to sentimental. including my own personal collection of collage cards! a little selection of those can be spied {below}.

so hop on the fast track to my studio event. starting next friday eve and continuing thru the weekend PLUS restocked & refreshed for the following friday, saturday and sunday!

now this train must keep chuggin' away. you didn't think i was done creating yet did you? this is just a very small sampling of what's in store!

until then...make it a great day!

a little clip here...a little clip there

hello everyone! i'm back on the creative wagon...stamp'n my little heart out these days. always a patinaWHITE favorite when i am able to make 'em are what i like to call "pin-ups". a different sort of pin-up...they may not be entirely sexy but they are darn cute! and since i am a big fan of little details i handstamp not only the teeny-tiny clothespins themselves but also their display card. {below}

 

many moons ago i was tickled to stumble on a gaggle of alphabet stamps. 

{1} set is micro-mini in size. @ just over an 1/8" high...they are smaller than the head of a pencil eraser! this find has made it possible to accent countless projects including the hundreds of clothespins ready to spring into action {below}.

now if you are a wanting some pin-ups of your own & don't see yourself in my neighborhood to nab yourself a set or 2 (or 3)! there is another option i'll toss out @ ya. round yourself up some regular size clothespins. {i love the "used" variety that have weathered outdoors} but fresh store bought versions work just the same. it's much easier to find rubber stamps to fit this size. you can customize with children's names or just about any inspiring saying! i stamped them up, grabbed some twine & clipped a few treasured items to the rope. 

 

***side note*** regular patinaWHITE customers know my right hand gal, aka- beth's mom. she's the cute little girl in the photo on the right. although she looks pretty ticked @ my uncle Darrel at that given moment!

& thank-you iva for the most wonderful card. it really made my day. plus...hat's off to the wildly talented duo of red silo for their incredible photography skills!

i wanted to show another use for the pin-up, beyond what you might expect. so i came up with the idea of using {1} to accent a pretty gift for a special someone. i may have to re-gift this one to myself!

 

so with a little clip here...a little clip there you can add a touch of whimsy to your surroundings. and since i am getting goodies ready for my holiday event {click HERE for more on that}...i thought appropriate to use some of santa's reindeer that recently arrived at my door for a HOLIDAY pin-up version!

 

thanks for stopping by today. now go forth & create! or come forth & let me do the work for you!

wishing you a wonderful day!