OLD TOY TRUCKS

I love old metal toy trucks and scooped this up at the flea market last weekend.  It is exactly what I have been looking for for ages!

I am really hoping to find a old green metal tractor pulling a farm wagon one of these days too!

I'm always amazed when I eventually find that exact little treasure I have been searching for!

Happy day...lets hope for some sunshine for the West Coast of BC this week!

xojanis

Service which is rendered without joy helps neither

the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into

nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.
Mahatma Gandhi

VINTAGE ALBUM PAGES

I loved these vintage images I found at the scrapbooking store.....they are perfect "framed" up in old photo album pages and embellished with some paper flowers.

I so LOVE this vintage hotel mail sorter I picked up on a trip to Minnesota.
To see more projects I have done with vintage photo album pages check this and this.

Hope all is well my blogging friends!
Happy day!
xojanis

RECYCLED LAMP

Found some pictures of a project I did last summer......oh how lovely it is to see that green garden in the background as we are covered in white snow today.

This project was done using a vintage crystal lamp, old silver plate and an old crystal doorknob.

Drilling a hole in the center of the silver plate allowed me to attach it to the metal rod inside the lamp.  An old glass door knob was the perfect finishing touch and hides the metal rod and washer that attaches the plate.

Love the detail on this old plate!

Happy day!

xojanis

A SIMPLE JUNK PROJECT

Hello my blogging friends......what beautiful fall weather we are having on the west coast!!!!.... I have been so bogged down with CHRISTMAS projects that I haven't had much time for blogging so am missing all my blogging friends.

This is a candle stand I made from part of an old brass lamp, a vintage glass doorknob and an old plate.  All the items were found at the thrift store.  I used a strong gorilla glue to glue all the pieces together.

Hope you are all well!

xojanis

A FUN AND EASY JUNK PROJECT!

Thought I would post a fun and easy junk project today.....this was created using an old glass decanter found at the thrift store.  I simply added some rub-ons that I had on hand and glued a vintage earring to the front.  I am in the process of making some lavender scented bath salts to fill these with for Christmas.

Have a happy day!

xojanis

PLANTING STUFF UP!!

Spring is my favorite time of the year!!! I have been busy planting annuals this weekend and thought I would show you a project from a couple of years ago.  This old wagon was a freebie at a yard sale and made the perfect planter.  I drilled holes in the bottom for drainage, lined it with screen and then filled it with one of my favorite anuuals--bacopa.

I spend the entire year scouring flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores for fun containers that can be repurposed as plant containers.

Happy day!

xojanis

KITCHEN RENOVATIONS

I did a little puttering around the kitchen the other day and changed out some of my displays....that's another great thing about being a thrift store shopper...there is ALWAYS so much stuff lying around to choose from!!!!!

This gorgeous tray is one thing that will never be re-sold--it was my grandmothers and my mom gave it to me the last time I was home (don't worry mom..I didn't paint it...just stuck some vinyl on it!).

 Happy day!
xojanis

APRIL PROJECTS!

Finally it is getting warm enough to get back to some painting and spray painting projects!

I've been working on some chalkboard projects and here are a couple of pictures for you.....

Well, I have about an hour before I have to pick the boys up at school so must hurry off to the Sally Ann down the street as I've heard from my friend Tracey at raggygirlvintage that there is some good junk to be found there today!

Happy junking and creating!!!

xojanis
PS I am linking this post to Transformation Thursday, hosted by Gina at theshabbychiccottage, one of my favorite blogs!

GLAM'IN UP!

I saw this idea on the sassytrash blog http://sassytrash.blogspot.com/2009/11/vintage-handbag-project.html and just had to try it. 

I picked this vintage purse up at a thrift store ages ago and simply glued a vintage

photo frame to the front of it.  The picture is a print off the computer.

I'll be back to looking for old purses at the thrift stores now!

Happy day!

xojanis

JOIN YOUR JUNK PIECES TOGETHER

Here's an easy little junk project....just find two favorite pieces of junk and join them together

using some strong glue.  Here I have glued a silver plate to a glass candle holder for a one-of-a-kind

piece. 

Adding the little crystals and a vintage earring makes it super sweet.

Happy day.

xojanis

VINTAGE PRINT

Found this sweet print while out thrifting one day and couldn't resist getting it.

It was already beautiful, but I felt I just had to embellish it a bit.

I added a vintage earring to mother's ear, a little rhinestone in place of a diamond ring, and sprinkled

baby's dress liberally with glitter.

Isn't it just adorable?!!!!

Hoping all is well with my blogging friends.

Happy day!

xojanis

THRIFT STORE FRAMES AND CHICKEN WIRE.

One of my favorite crafty projects is putting chicken wire behind old frames.

This is a project I did using an old THRIFT store frame.  The chicken wire is easily stapled to the back of the frame.  I decided to spray paint the frame and wire on this project.

I then printed a design on a piece of transfer paper and ironed it on it to a piece of burlap.

The burlap is then stapled (or glued) to the back of the frame.

Voila!.....an easy thrift store message board.

Happy day!

xojanis

SILVER SUNDAY PROJECT

Happy Silver Sunday....this is now our fourth SS, and I am so enjoying these days filled with silver posts.  For today's SS I thought I would show you a project that I did a little while ago...
Mercury glass has become one of my favorite things......and I wanted to try and create a mercury glass look using inexpensive thrift store glass vessels.

Using a silver leaf kit I randomly applied pieces to this glass following the instructions in the kit. 

I was pretty pleased with the results.

Be sure to check out Beth's blog for links to all the Silver Sunday participants!

Happy day!

xojanis

RAINY DAY FUN!

I am home today catching up on some laundry and cleaning, and snuck in a little creative time as well.

Finished off these two teapot lights and then took some pictures and thought you all would enjoy them on this rather dismal rain filled day (at least it is here).

The little teapot is so adorable and I lucked out the day I found it (at a thrift store) as I also found the large one that goes with it.

Happy day!

xojanis

THE ORIGINAL BRASS FRAME

I found these beautiful Italian made frames at the thrift store,  but the trouble was...... they were brass.....well, nothing a coat of spray paint couldn't fix.  With a little added embellishment they are the perfect junkstyle

 re-creation.

One in white and one in black.  I love anything to do with Paris so had to use some french themed images. The perfect frenchie paper was found at a local scrapbooking shop.

A vintage earring and crystal  finish off the look.

Happy day.

xojanis