What is Patina?

Definition of Patina, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

1. a: a usually green film formed naturally on copper and bronze by long exposure or artificially (as by acids) and often valued aesthetically for its color. 

    b. a surface appearance of something grown beautifully especially with age or use.

I made this photo layout using the "My Memories" digital software! You can use my discount to save $10, just click the link below and enter this code at the checkout:  STMMMS51822 

If you've been following along my posts you will know by now how much I love anything vintage! And if they aren't vintage already and might look good that way, I will find a way to create an aged look to them by distressing them to create a faux "patina". 

I am no expert, but have found ways to do this by rubbing sandpaper along the edges where natural weathering would occur--I have even used butter knives to gently scrape the sides. 

And if you have kids that play as wildly as mine, they can help over time by dinging up the sides of things with their toys. The fact that I love weathered furniture and don't pay a lot for it creates a less stressful living environment for all! 

Funny how the older some things look the prettier they are. Hey, it has worked for the jean industry for decades. The above picture shows a chair that I fell in love with at a local antique shop with a true patina-you can see where the natural weathering occurred along where feet  and back would rest. 

In my next post, I will show you how I helped a friend in need--she was a little "distressed" about the whole distressing process and wanted to make a huge framed chalkboard have a "weathered barn" feel,  but in the end, she was confident in the process and happy with the results. 

Happy Halloween 2011

Happy Halloween everyone! Just thought I'd brag about how cute my kids are in their costumes this year!

My oldest really thinks he's Superman-even in the way he walks and how he shows his muscles, as you
can tell!

And my youngest is the cutest cowardly lion when he "rrroarrs".

The challenge from this point on: rationing out all the candy! Here's a fun little poem about today:

Little Monsters

Little monsters in costumes
Looking for candy treats
Terrorizing the neighbours
All along the street

They prey on young or old
To satisfy their appetites
Treats are handed over
To creatures of the night

With their goody bags
Full of every candy treat
They can’t wait to get home
Before they start to eat

Then when the bags are empty
They realise their mistake
They’ve eaten so much candy
They’ve all got stomach ache

Dangly Paper Window Leaves

Only two more days till November and some of the leaves around here are still green! It seems like a late fall to me--but there are other trees so bright and colorful right now, the whole world looks golden.

I love how these little paper leaves I cut out gently turn in my windows like a mobile, from their almost invisible string holding them together.

I used the same scrapbook paper from an earlier post about paper leaves, nice because it is sturdy and has a pattern on each side. I hole punched each end of the cut out leaf and used white thread to tie them all together. So easy, simple and pretty!

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Linked up with: Life In The Motherhood Harvest Party 

Recycled Dress Wreath

Hi, my name is Kristina and I am thrilled to be featured here today on Infarrantly Creative! I recently started this little blog called ReMadeSimple as a collection of all my crafting and home decorating ideas.

Many of my ideas have to do with recycled or repurposed items, using nature in decorating and bringing new life to old things. My goal is for my ideas to be low-cost and relatively simple to create-I have lots of tutorials and fun ideas I hope you check out!

Now, onto today's easy and quick wreath tutorial!

I have been having lots of fun lately repurposing fabric from worn out or outdated clothes--I feel good about reusing them rather than just donating them or throwing them away, especially if the fabric is still in good condition.

Here is a wreath I made from a dress I had loved but had become a little worn out and outdated over the years. The white woven cotton cloth was still in good shape and was so easy to work with. I love that the colors of this wreath are versatile enough for Christmas, winter or spring.

Here is another wreath I made with the same concept of using recycled fabric as another option in a different style using scraps of old lace I snagged at a garage sale.

So,  do you have any clothes, lace or ribbon stored away that deserve a second chance? And are you ready to make a really easy, fast wreath?

Here are the materials I used:
1. foam wreath circle
2. low temp glue gun
3. fabric or lace of your choice
4. reindeer moss-(soft, spongy moss I found at Michael's and Hobby Lobby)
5. buttons
6. ribbon

Here's how I made them:

1. I started with a foam wreath circle like the one above. 
2. Then, I cut strips of fabric a few inches wide and about two feet long. (They don't have to be perfect because they will overlap). 
3. I decided which side would be the back of my wreath. Then, I glued the edge of the first strip to the backside.
4. Then, I began wrapping the fabric tightly around the foam circle, hot gluing the edge again when I reached the end of the fabric strip. 

4. I continued the same process, overlapping fabric to cover all of the green foam, glueing the ends of the strips to the back of the wreath.

5. After the wreath was covered evenly in fabric, I decided to add a few rosettes. I made my rosettes by folding the strips in half lengthwise and rolled and twisted them into a tight circle, glue gunning them in place as needed.

6. To finish, I glue gunned the moss and a few buttons to make the rosette stand out more.

Here is the finished recycled dress wreath with the green and white striped hanging ribbon. I was able to give both of these wreaths away as gifts-I'm pretty sure they loved them!

linked up with these parties

Painted Number Pumpkins

Looking for a simple, stylish way to display some pumpkins? Yes, I did say "stylish pumpkins".
How about painting some numbers on them? Don't laugh!

Decorating with numbers is all over the design world and I'm loving it too. You could display these pumpkins outside with your address on them or use whatever number combo you want-like the number of family members you have, year your home was built or wedding date.

I like that this idea goes beyond the traditional Halloween time carving and would still look festive for Thanksgiving, too.

Here's how I made them: I used white acrylic craft paint and a small, pointed artists brush to paint the numbers on 3 small pumpkins in a row. Ta da!! Took me no time at all.

Linked up with: Life In The Motherhood Harvest Party

Osage Oranges: Pretty Pest Protectors

This is the time of year when the weather gets colder and little creepy crawlers are trying to find a nice warm place to stay all winter. I am fine with spiders, bugs, and mice being outside of my home, but I am not interested in them sneaking INTO my home-this means war around here!

It may not be proven that osage oranges actually are pest repellers but in my opinion, it can't hurt to try! Many people have been trying it for centuries and swear by it.

You might have seen these bright green fruit hanging on trees that resemble brains-I happen to think they are really pretty sitting on a plate as a simple decoration. It is believed that they give off an odor that repels bugs and mice. Fortunately for me, I think they actually smell nice, kind of like a pine tree.

Besides decorating with them, I also put them in my garage and basement as repellant-they have lasted for months in the past. They can be sticky and drip a little as they age, so make sure you put them on a plate or in a bag for easier clean up.

So, there's your simple, cheap and useful decorating tip for today-by the way, if you can't find osage oranges in the wild, there are grocery stores that will sell them for cheap.

P.S. ReMadeSimple is now on Facebook-if you like what you see here and want to stay connected, find me there and hit the "like" button! Thanks!

Fall Display With Repurposed Chalkboard and Antique Chair

Happy rainy Thursday! (I'm trying to cheer you up here if you're grumpy because of all the rain). Well, at least here in the Midwest it has been rainy for days--good time to share a post with you (since we can't go out and play).

Here is a picture of my fall display this year-a combination of old, new and repurposed objects.

I was excited to get a great deal on this cool antique chair with a NATURAL patina! (As much as I am addicted to taking sandpaper and distressing things, I promise you I didn't touch this one! )

And it was in a color very close to my new favorite paint color I've written about before called "Rainwater". (How appropriate for the weather we've been getting here this fall...)

But the perfect barstool height chair for propping up my chalkboard at eye-level. And it has turned out to be a great prop for my husband's photo shoots, too!

I have this collection of old cabinet doors that I've painted with chalkboard paint and added different kinds of borders-from corks to ribbon to bottle caps.

This one I kept plain because it has a nice center for drawing little designs-like the nice, fat pumpkin I drew here.

To finish my display, I added a Ball jar with a candle inside for a little old-fashioned charm, just enough light to add a warm glow to our porch to welcome guests and future trick-o-treaters.

Now, are your creative wheels turning? What are some things you have laying around begging for your attention that you could revive and give new purpose?

Repurposed Tiered Treat Stand

Got any old aluminum cake pans laying around? How about old candlesticks? That's about all you'll need to make this cool vintage-ey tiered stand you can use for sweets and snacks at a party, a fruit and veggie stand in your kitchen, a caddy for craft or school materials, even a "sweet treat" stand at a wedding!

I first saw this idea on Pinterest, posted by a blog called The Crafting Chicks. Here is their version:

Source: maryjanesandgaloshes.com via Kristina on Pinterest

I couldn't wait to run to the thrift store for some pans (I already had a nice big wooden candlestick I planned on sawing in half).

Their version had three tiers with a thin candlestick, but I wanted to change it up a bit to make it my own and use the materials I had to work with. The best part about this project is that it cost me around $2 to make!

Here is what I used to make the stand:

-First, I sawed the wooden candlestick in half. 

-Then, I nailed through the top of the smaller cake pan into 

the top of one piece of the candle stick to secure them together. 

-I repeated the same process for the bottom cake pan, nailing 

through the bottom into the base of the candlestick.

-Then, I added a touch of vintage handmade lace 

I snagged at a garage sale by painting it on with Mod Podge.

My boys were ready to devour the fall treats I was bringing to them 

on my newly made tiered treat stand! 

Oops! I'm sorry for making your mouth water for caramel apples...ha ha...

These might be healthier snacks to crave!

Linking up with these parties.

Mod Podged Vintage Songbird Table

Hi, my name is Kristina from ReMadeSimple and I am thrilled to be featured on Mod Podge Rocks! I have a really cool and fun table redo to show you that I like to call my "Vintage Songbird Table".

So, I have had this nice sturdy table for a long time, I'm pretty sure it was only $5 bought from an antique store that was closing down. Great deal!

Anyway, the nice thing about it is that the front has a large space for some pretty art to be added to it. It needed a fresh coat of paint so I decided it was time to brighten it up and change it up.

I had this spring green paint sitting around that I used to repaint the table. (I am a fan of bright colors!)

After the table was dry, I scuffed the sides with sandpaper  to achieve that distressed look I love. (Since it was already painted, I didn't have to prime or sand, but if you are working with unpainted wood, I would get spray paint primer or sand it down lightly).

I also had this 1940's hymnal I found at a used book store with nicely yellowed pages.

I had been wanting to do something creative with it so I decided to get out the Mod Podge and get to work!

-First, I measured how long and wide the pages needed to be to cover the whole front of the table, then cut out some of my favorite hymns out of the book.

-Next, I used gloss finish Mod Podge and a paint brush to coat the back of the pages.

- Then applied Mod Podge to the front of the pages, smoothing out the bubbles with my brush.

-After the table was dry I decided it needed something else...I have always loved this bird ornament my friend Teresa made for me cut from old wooden roof shingles -how cool is that?

 -I am a big fan of decorating with birds, so I decided to trace the bird onto this yellow-orange scrapbook paper I have and Mod Podge them on top of the hymns.

-After the birds were dry I added little legs and eyes with a permanent paint marker.

The birds were so cute-a cheerful addition to my living room!

Linked up with these parties.

Pretty Paper Leaf Display

Robert Frost's famous poem says "nothing gold can stay". Just like autumn-but that's what makes it so special. It is my favorite season for being outside, for decorating, for warm smelling candles and food. 

Here is a simple fall display I made on a key hook board to celebrate the golden colors of fall a little longer. Here is what I used: 

• scrapbook paper in pretty fall-like colors
• permanent markers
• low temp glue gun
• glue stick
• crinkle safety scissors
• packing tape
• buttons
• small hole punch
• small strip of lace

-My 3 year old got in on the leaf cutting fun with some safety crinkle scissors and a glue stick to paste the leaves together. We hole punched the tops and they were ready to hang on the hooks. 

-I made the "FALL" sign by writing letters with the permanent marker onto the paper.

-I placed packing tape around the front and back of the letters to "laminate" them. 

-Then I cut the letters into neat squares.

-I glued the squares to the strip of lace with a low temp glue gun.

-Attaching little buttons to the ends finished the project and I hung them onto each hook across the board. 

Here is a larger picture of my keyhook-picture board along with a glass hurricane lantern. 

My fall display

I added some real leaves around the base of the lantern that are still staying gold for me...at least for a little while. 

-Thanks for reading! 

Linking up with these parties.

Giveaway Contest!

I am excited to announce my very first giveaway! Liz from "My Memories" Digital Scrapbooking Software contacted me about hosting a contest where one of my readers will receive a free software package (an almost $40 value! ) and anyone else interested in the software will be able to use my $10 off code whenever they want.

This software has been rated #1 by Amazon and is very user-friendly, the best part is the $10 off code doesn't expire! So you can come back whenever you want and share the code with whoever you want!  

 Now, I admit, scrapbooking has been the one craft that I haven't really gotten into, but this program offers more than just scrapbooking-you can make invitations, birth announcements calendars, photo books, videos, even photography templates!

Here are some examples of designs I have made with My Memories:

a birth announcement

many template designs great for photographers! 

A Christmas card

Here is the code you can use to get $10 off: STMMMS51822 


please visit this link to check out the software: My Memories  

Now to the part you've been wating for: How do I win?

All you need to do is between today, Tues. Oct. 11th and Fri. Oct. 14th is:

1. Click on the My Memories site link above.

2. Pick out your favorite scrapbooking paper.

3. Tell me what your favorite is in the  "comments" section at the bottom of this post, and leave me an email address so I can reach you if you win.

4. The winner will be chosen by random number and will be announced on Saturday, Oct. 15th.

Ok, now ready, set, visit My Memories!