Textures and Trees

It can become quite addicting to play with Photoshop Elements and begin learning all the ways a simple photograph can be altered.  This is a picture taken in my backyard.  The moods evoked by adding textures from Kim Klassen  and cropping and editing make me wish I could write stories or poems that match the pictures.  

While our yard is not large enough that one can get lost, there are places and spaces that create that feeling.   There are spaces that invite you to enter and wander.   There are spaces that stimulate the imagination. 

Sharing more of my world inside and out.

Decorating Outside by Suzi at Design Shuffle

Hi, everyone, I’m Susi and I write as a guest blogger for Design Shuffle, a fabulous social media site that promotes interior designers and their work from around the world. My writing focuses on things I'm passionate about: interior design, decorating ideas, home furnishings, gardening, travel and art. I get to look at gorgeous things all day and write about them. I'm a very lucky girl!

I am so happy to be visiting Dragonflys and Stars today and writing about decorating outside with junky finds. For one, it makes me almost forget that summer is nearly over. And secondly, I am an avid gardener and lover of reusing and repurposing what I like to call “forgotten objects” or what some people might call junk. So here are some clever ways people have decorated their outside space with interesting finds. Enjoy!

Dreamhouse Cammy (via)

Love the rusty patina on this old bike that has found new life as a plant holder in the garden. I think it looks very happy to be there.

Enjoy Co. (via)

I’m not sure what this planter was in its previous life but it makes a very cool home for plants. I think it would also make a great cooler for drinks.

Funky Junk Interiors (via)

Wood pallets are great sources of raw wood for the DIYer. Pallets can be used to make planters, window boxes and even furniture for the garden. Think outdoor living room ideas.

Fiskars (via)

Container gardens can be made from almost anything, even a flour sifter. Look at kitchen objects that have run their course or find them at thrift stores and garage sales.

Pinterest (via)

What a clever use for old wooden spools or industrial sized bobbins… a garden hose holder! Look for these wooden spools at flea markets and on ebay.

Buckets of Burlap (via)

Some may call all these things junk but to people who love vintage and junk, these are treasures. Love the old wood barrel turned into a herb garden. The wood ladder would be great with a trailing vine growing on it.

Pinterest (via)

These old floor grates decorate a garden path. Aren’t they pretty? I think they would look cool with moss growing inside them.

Etsy (via)

Another great find on Etsy… found object birdhouses. This could be a project for a clever DIYer. Birdhouses are a wonderful way to reuse and repurpose forgotten objects…aka junk. Who knew birds could use an interior design makeover?

This content is provided by Design Shuffle, where you can find and share talented interior designs from from New York interior designers, Los Angeles interior designers, and more, check out the latest at Design Shuffle.

Last roses of summer

Summer has past and we recently had a couple of nights with frost to mark the beginning of autumn.   I cut some of my roses and brought them into the house to enjoy.  Hopefully tempuratures will rise again so fall can be enjoyed without shivering.

I really like the little wire basket with four bottles/vases that I found at the flea marked.  And am still pleased with the tray I redid.  The yellow rose is from a bouquet my husband bought me at some point.  This blossom dried so well.

And it is nearly impossible not to play around with textures from Kim Klassen when editing photographs.  This winter I plan to spend some time learning how to better make use of  Photoshop.

Hope you are enjoying the little things in your life and finding time to play!

Still enjoying summer...

 Really, I am not ready for all the posts excited about fall.  We finally got summer rolling about the first of July here.  And fall in North Dakota means cold weather, freezing rain or snow, and everything quickly turns grey.  We get about 4 pretty fall days before the trees are all bare branches.  So I am officially diggingin my heels and holding onto summer for awhile yet.  LOL!  I will read the blogs all excited about fall and file ideas away but not gonna go there yet.  I'll catch up to y'all somewhere in the middle of September or maybe even after the first of October.  Okay, now carry on if you must.  ;)

I am going to continue enjoying summer flowers...

 

And I am okay if there are a few more sunrises that come with thunderstorms.

Shabby Chic Tray

Here is more on the teaser from my last post.  Gotta love that a cheap tray can be turned into a chic tray thanks to trying out techniques collected across blogland.

My spiffed up tray now has a new home on my dining room table showing off an assortment of favorite things.  The print is from Graphics Fairy and I used the Modge Podge transfer method.

The tray was an inexpensive pine tray from Michaels.  I used Annie Sloan's Chalk paints in Cream as an undercoat and Ducks Egg Blue as the topcoat.  Then messed around with walnut stain and paste wax to finish it after some sanding and rubbing.

Roses should always be dried and saved.  You never know when you will need a pretty dried rose to finish off a vignette.

I like the very strong contrasts on this tray but suspect that some might say it is a bit much.  

This is a sweet moment in my house.  I love those spots that just make me smile when I see them.

I will definitely keep playing around with typography transfers, paints and waxes. 



Wall art inspired by ?

I know that at some point I saw a Livery Stable sign that I liked,  I have been saving the idea for some time and finally got it done.

My husband removed some old cabinets that were in the garage.  The cabinet doors were perfect for painting a faux vintage sign.  It gave me a chance to play around with chalk paint a bit more also.

Right now it is sitting in our sun room on top of a bookcase.  This room is where most of my horse things are displayed.

I wish that Cuts a Lot still worked for Cricut Machines. I should have bought the program when I looked at it a year or so ago.   It would make sign making and other word graphics so much easier.  I might have to put a Silhoutte on my wish list. 

Definitely need practice  with this type of graphics but it did turn out much like I wanted it to do.  (Do you know how much it costs to keep a horse?  They are an expensive hobby when you can't keep them at home.  But they aren't really a hobby, they are a central part of my life.  I really can't imagine not having them.  Teacher, therapist, pet, partner, entertainment, and more.)

and just for fun, a sneak peek at another project I am finishing....

A beautiful sunrise thunderstorm