Antique Graphics - ABC Song, Bird Border & a Funny

I may never buy scrapbook paper for projects again!

There's just so much to love about antique books

and the images in them!

Here are a few I though you might enjoy.

Do something lovely with them!

The first is from a 1904 school song book.

This lovely bird border is from a 1905 school reader.

I have additional graphics available on the Antique Graphics category on my sidebar.

I'll be adding to this collection each week - I've got so many more lovely ones to share.

A funny thing...
I brought an antique ironing board home from the auction this week,

and it was wrapped with layer upon layer of sheets for padding.
They were rotted and filthy and nailed to the board,
so I started cutting them off and removing the nails.
Underneath it all I discovered a 1940's Wonder Woman comic book!
I have no idea why that was there, since it was on the underside of the board
and wouldn't have provided extra padding.

You just never know what surprises you'll discover
when dealing with old stuff!

Blessings,

When Plan "A" Fails

I just finished this open cupboard.

It looked really old to start with.

I mean really old.

I showed it to you a few days ago,

looking like this.

Tons of chippy paint, tons of bugs and dirt and tons of scars.

I totally loved the pumpkin orange paint,

and wanted to just clean it up, and distress it a little more,

but two sides of it weren't painted

(which I didn't even notice until I got it home),

so Plan A wasn't going to work.

I just loved the orange doors with the glass knobs,

so I decided to remove them for other projects.

Plan B

I thought I'd try for a rustic, Sante Fe look

so I added some turquoise blue on parts of it.

Stay with me...

I know it looks bad right now,

and nothing resembling the Sante Fe look.

Next I put antique white over the whole thing.

My plan was to lightly sand the whole thing down,

so it would have a washed look,

with the blue and orange just barely showing,

then heavily distress the edges and scars.

Up to that point, I think it was a good plan,

BUT, the shelves hadn't been painted at all.

Logically, I could have painted them turquoise and white,

but Noooo...

I decided I'd paper the shelves in antique book pages,

because I've got scads of falling apart books in my stash.

I spent the next hour papering shelves

I was really pleased with how they turned out,

and then it occured to me...

Antique books that don't have a southwestern look,

really don't work too well with a southwestern-style cabinet.

Are you still with me?

Plan C

I slapped yet MORE white paint on the cabinet,

to totally cover the blue and orange.

I thought I'd just slightly distress the cabinet,

but at that point I didn't want the orange and blue to show,

so instead I got out my Valspar antique glaze.

I wanted every bump and bruise to be accented,

so I went pretty heavy in those areas with the glaze,

then rubbed the rest with a wet rag to tone it down.

I didn't have a board to add to the back,

so I added a vintage table runner instead and I absolutely love

the contrast in color and texture it adds.

I also added a scrap piece of vintage fabric edging to the center shelf.

There are 3 shelves, but I decided to only use 2 of them.

I like the taller shelf on top, instead of 2 shorter ones.

All dressed up with some vintage goods.

I still wish the whole thing had been orange,

because it would have looked wonderful decorated for autumn.

But, sometimes you just have to go with Plan B...

or Plan C.   And that's okay.

Blessings,

Parties I Visit...
The Crafty Blog Stalker - http://thecraftyblogstalker.blogspot.com/
Feathered Nest Friday - http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Open House Party Thursday - http://onsuttonplace.blogspot.com/
Show & Share - http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/
Transformation Thursday - http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/
Vintage Inspiration Friday - http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
Frugal Friday - http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
Strut Your Stuff Thursday - http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
Furniture Feature Friday - http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/
Motivate Me Monday - http://www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
Metamorphosis Monday - http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
Tell Me Tuesday - http://jaysonandashley.blogspot.com/
How To's Day - http://theletteredcottage.net/
Market Monday - http://mollysusanstrong.blogspot.com/

Chippy Little Red Wagon

I found lots of rusty, crusty, wonderful stuff

 at the auction last week,

but when my husband saw this wagon,

his response was,

"It's junk".

Heck yeah, it's junk!

Not just "any-old-every day-throw-it-away" junk...

It's GREAT junk!

Now, I'll admit that it looked like the trashy kind of junk at the auction.

They had it filled with nasty stuff that really was trash,

and the handle had come off, and was buried under the trash,

so it looked like it didn't have a handle.

AND...its paint is chipping like crazy.

But...you have to see beyond that.

Picture things once they've had a bath and a little love.

 Picture their potential....

and appreciate the journey they've taken to get them where they are today.

I hope your day is filled

with junk...of the beautiful kind!

Giveaway Reminder

If you haven't already done so,don't forget to enter to win a

Custom Banner on Antique Book Pages!

A random drawing will be held Sept. 1st, and you get 5 chances to enter!



Blessings,

Parties I Visit...
The Crafty Blog Stalker - http://thecraftyblogstalker.blogspot.com/
Feathered Nest Friday - http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Open House Party Thursday - http://onsuttonplace.blogspot.com/
Show & Share - http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/
Transformation Thursday - http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/
Vintage Inspiration Friday - http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
Frugal Friday - http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
Strut Your Stuff Thursday - http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
Furniture Feature Friday - http://missmustardseed.blogspot.com/
Motivate Me Monday - http://www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/
Metamorphosis Monday - http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

$5 Buck Bargains

When I go to auctions, I usually admire all the beautiful antiques

that everyone else admires and wants,

but those are rarely the pieces I bid on. 

They are just always *way* out of my price range.

These are the kind of "treasures" I usually go for.

But they are usually attached to pieces that look like this.

Actually, that's the pretty side.  It gets scarier. 

If you have a limited antique budget,

you may as well accept 

 insects & filth as part of your job description.

But hey, but even if I can't salvage the cabinets (and I will DID try)

I only paid $5 to get 4 of the gorgeous glass knobs +

4 of these beautiful glass doors attached to 2 sets of cabinets.

The glass knobs alone would cost me twice that at Hobby Lobby - with a coupon.

Just look close at the details.

THAT'S what I was bidding on.

Not the bugs, filth and broken boards.

I just end up with a lot of scrap for the bonfire pit when I'm done.

I tried to salvage the orange one and it is pretty structurally sound,

but 2 sides of aren't painted (I guess because they were against a wall).

I really don't want to strip any paint, and I also didn't want to paint over

that beautiful, chippy pumpkin orange color (I've got Autumn on the brain)...

so I removed the doors.  I'll sell some and will probably

turn what's left into a sign or hall hooks.

I may paint the rest of the cabinet now and use it as open shelves.

Here's all the doors from both cabinets after I removed them

and cleaned them up.  Aren't they gorgeous?  Well worth 5 bucks!

Giveaway Reminder

If you haven't already done so,don't forget to enter to win a

Custom Banner on Antique Book Pages!

A random drawing will be held Sept. 1st, and you get 5 chances to enter!

Blessings,

Harvest Banner & A GIVEAWAY

What do you do with old books that are falling apart?

You make banners, of course!

I used a super old dictionary. 

I love it when the pages turn that pretty carmel color.

I also had some very old woven seam binding.

Whenever I come across old seam binding or rick rack,

I snatch it up!

I used a stencil and spray paint for this project,

but you could also print the letters out on your computer,

then put them behind the pages and trace them.

(put them up against a well-lit window to help you see the lines).

Then paint by hand inside the lines. 

That method is much less expensive and has more font options,

but does take a lot longer.

These pages are very old and brittle,

so I added adhesive reinforcements to the back

so the seam binding wouldn't tear the page.

I used a hole punch to make the hole.

I tied a knot behind each page to keep the pages spaced correctly.

Perfect for a fall party or above a mantle!

Aren't the black-eyed Susans lovely?

I do not recall them ever coming up by that antique wagon before,

so I have no idea where they came from!

I guess the flower fairy visited my house

and picked the perfect place to plant them!

BANNER GIVEAWAY
I'll make a custom banner for the winner, on antique book pages
with the word of your choice, up to 7 letters.
To enter: (5 chances to win!)
(Leave a separate comment for each item - one
entry per item)
1)  Become a follower, or comment that you already are one (required) -
(and comment that you did it).
If you don't have a blog - leave your name and email address so I have a way to contact you.
2)  Tell me what word you would choose on your banner
& whether you prefer dictionary pages or Bible pages.
3) "Like" the Knick of Time Facebook page for an additional entry -
(and comment that you did it).
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Knick-of-Time-Interiors-Classics-from-Yesterday/173323379356457
4)  For an additional entry, grab my button on the sidebar,
put it on your blog -
(and comment that you did it).
5)  Get another entry for posting about this giveaway on your blog -
(and comment that you did it).

A winner will be randomly chosen on Sept. 1st.

GOOD LUCK!

 

Hope you are having a beautiful day!

Linking to these parties:
The Crafty Blog Stalker - http://thecraftyblogstalker.blogspot.com/
Feathered Nest Friday - http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
Open House Party Thursday - http://onsuttonplace.blogspot.com/
Show & Share - http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/
Transformation Thursday - http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/
Vintage Inspiration Friday - http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/
Frugal Friday - http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
Strut Your Stuff Thursday - http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
Metamorphosis Monday - http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2011/08/pottery-barn-office-meets-ikea-welcome.html

Were You Raised in a Barn?

I've mentioned a few times recently

that we put in an offer on another farmhouse (no, we aren't farmers)

and are (not so) patiently waiting to see

if it's in God's plan that we move (it's looking good so far).

It's a humble little home - with everything we need & most of what we want...

land for the animals

(a quarter horse, a miniature horse, 4 dogs & a cat)...

an outbuilding as a shop for my business...

and the right price.

But like very house we've ever lived in,

we have more kids (4) than bedrooms and have had to get

creative figuring out where each kid will go.

Occasionally they've shared bedrooms,

but with 1 girl and 3 boys,

my daughter automatically gets her own room,

two kids are adults now and my youngest son is...well...

a total slob....and that's stating the matter nicely.

NO ONE wants to bunk with him.

They'd rather live in a barn.

Which leads me to my next point in this rambling story.

The new house has an old barn with a loft.

I suggested to my husband today, the idea today of doing some serious

renovation to convert the loft into 2 bedrooms for my oldest 2 sons (21 & 17).

He said, "Yep, we could".

So...I've asked my kids all these years

if they think they live in a barn or something.

Hopefully, soon...they can answer yes.

I DID mention it would take a lot of work, right?

The lower part has a dirt floor.

I'm hoping we can lay cement flooring and install

a basketball hoop where the huge open door is.  They'd love that.

The loft will need a ceiling to cover the rafters,

insulation, walls, doors, flooring, heat/air, etc.

But, I think my boys would love living in a barn...

Far enough from the house that they can pretend

they can't hear me yelling for them.

Now here's the part I want you to notice.

Look at the bottom left side of the photo.

See those stacks of white drawers?

Someone made those out of explosive crates.

Can't wait to get my hands on them!

My kids are pretty rustic, country kids.

My oldest son opted to live in a shed when he was about 14...

rather than share a room with both his brothers.

I'm talking about one of those small, metal sheds...like you put your lawnmower in.

We fancied it up - put paneling on the walls, hung shelves, etc.

But, it was a shed.

Oldest son and daughter (18) now live in an outbuilding on our property.

It's not nearly as primitive as the shed was. 

They each have large rooms with their own entrances.

Kind of like a studio apartment....without a bathroom.

It's big step up from the metal shed, but last spring

a snake decided to make her family home

under my daughter's side of the building.

One of them got in her room, but as I said...

they are pretty hardy, country kids.

Forgive the half nekkid boy, but here they are posing with the snake family.

Notice the kids are all wearing leather gloves?

That's because these snakes were mean and MAD!

My daughter loves snakes, so she thought this was great fun.

She kept one of the snakes in an aquarium in her room for a few days.

So...my whole point is, (yes, there is one) -

my boys should be perfectly at home...

living in a barn.