Time Travel Thursday #64 & Talented Time Travelers #63

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~

Welcome to the 64th Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,

and most creative projects? Great!

First...

let's revisit a handful of the talented time travelers from

last week's party.

Have you noticed all the lovely fall decorations...as you've floated around

the blogosphere?  Well, of course you have!

One of our travelers from the party—Linda @ Studio Stuff—created this charming 

mantelscape that will work perfectly for fall...

right through Thanksgiving.

Do you remember your first DIY project?  I sure don't!  I've been at it so long,

I can't remember a time when I wasn't DIY-ing!  lol

But I can certainly understand the thrill a first-timer—like

Becky @ TREASURES IN THRIFTING LAND—might experience.

I thoroughly enjoy seeing all the pretty jewelry creations out in Blogland.

That's something I hope to spend more time on myself—
 in the future.

In the meantime, all I can do is admire the talent of people like
Gayle Page-Robak.  She created this lovely watch.

So whatcha wanna show off this week?   ;)

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Found Object Art

This is a very common sight around the workshop of The Brambleberry Cottage—

both inside and out.

Though I attempt to keep some semblance of order—organizing our multitudes of

baskets and bins of rusty metal, chippy-paint boards, balusters and spindles, and other

assorted salvage—it does have a tendency to get out of hand

at times...especially when we are in the midst of several

projects, as is currently the case.

And the clutter begins to mount even higher when a project or two gets

stalled because some key component

seems to be missing. 

That's exactly what happened with the variety of junk you see in the first image...

that is, until we found the old, beat-up tin full of

 vintage porcelain insulators.

Once the insulators were in our possession, the creative mind of the Yankee

started whirling, and a certain prized piece of wood

 of mine became a key to one of his latest designs. 

I had found this wonderful old porch post at the flea market last year

and had stored it away in the barn for a future project.  Its layers of paint had

begun to crackle and chip away, revealing the most fantastic

weathered patina.

I was rather reluctant to relinquish my hold on this treasure...

until the Yankee convinced me that his

project was worthy of its use.

  

As soon as I consented to letting him have my pretty wood post, he went to work

welding together several salvaged parts from antique

 cast iron wood stoves.

A good scrub with a wire brush—to eliminate the loose flakes of rust—and a

few coats of our favorite spray sealant gave the rusty components

a nice rich patina.

While the Yankee was constructing his creations, I searched through a number of

bins in the barn to scout out the perfect pieces

of metal for the bases.

They had to be just the right dimensions and thickness to compliment

 the Yankee's pieces.

And this is what I came up with.  Aren't they "grate"?!   ; )

So my vintage porch post, coupled with a few rusty grater parts, some

old insulators, an old gear or two, and several antique stove parts

 became...

"found object" art.

As hard as it was to give up, I think the Yankee put my

wood post to good use!   ; )

Joining:

 SJ's Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop, Susan's Metamorphosis Monday,

Carrie's Amaze Me Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up,

Nita's Mod Mix Monday, Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday,

Kristin's Tuesday's Treasures, Tammy's Anything Goes,

Mary's Share the Love Wednesday, Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday,

Leigh's Thrifty Thursday, Gina's Transformation Thursday,

Becky's Under $100.00 Party, Allison's Hookin Up With HOH,

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday,

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday, Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday,

Donna's Saturday Nite Special, Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Angie's Knick of Time Tuesday

Join Me for a Blog Hop

A few weeks ago, a blogging buddy asked me if I would be willing to co-host

 her blog hop.  As you've probably already figured out, I love introducing you to

bloggers you may not have already had the pleasure of meeting,

in this vast space known as the blogosphere.

The blogger, SJ @ HOMEMAKER ON A DIME, is one of those women who makes
you wonder if she ever eats or sleeps.  She's a full-time mom—with all the
responsibilities of young children—a DIY maven, a crafter, a blogger extraordinaire...

 AND she works on top of all that!

If you've never visited SJ, you'll want to hop on over...

and tonight would be the perfect time to do so! 
You can say hello, look around,
AND join her fun party—

there or here, at The Brambleberry Cottage!   ; )

Here are the simple rules for SJ's

Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop:

1) Link up whatever creative post you'd like to share—a DIY project, décor,

photography, crafts, recipes, link party, poem, thrift finds, or that informative
syndicated post that can make us laugh, or cry—in short, whatever you're proud of!  (No
links to businesses or giveaways.  SJ has another party for these exclusively on
Tuesdays called Market Your Biz & Giveaways at 5 pm, PST.)

2) Then follow as many blogs as your heart desires, preferably starting first with
the one before you and after you, before branching out.  (Following the
host and co-host, too, will be very much appreciated, and we'll
definitely follow back.)

Displaying the party button, while optional, is very much appreciated.

This is a combination of linky party (where we can show off our creations) and a
blog hop (where we can follow as many excellent bloggers as we like),
hence the name Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop.

Link opens up every Sunday at 5:00 pm, PST.

Because we like something different, we're using the reverse entry for inlinkz—
so the most recent participant will show up as number 1, hence giving everybody
 a chance to get the #1 spot."

<center><a href="http://www.homemakeronadime.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/ae194/homemakeronadime/creativeblogbuttonjpg.jpg" /></a></center>

So...

are you ready to get hoppin'?   ; )


Time Travel Thursday #63 & Talented Time Travelers #62

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~

Welcome to the 63rd Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,

and most creative projects? Great!

First...

 let's travel back to last week's party, and

see a bit of the creativity shared by our talented time travelers.

Kathy @ Petticoat junktion—one of our partying friends—was feeling rather

blue recently...aqua blue, that is.  She decided to "pretty up" a number

of her project pieces with a touch of that lovely color.

We all know that paint works magic, when it comes to makeovers.  Rebecca

@ You are {talking} too much gave her project a chic "shabby"

paint redo...and then added a pretty fall

vignette to show it off.

I love projects that incorporate old wood—such as the

rustic piece used by Angie @ Knick of Time..., to create this vintage looking sign.

Angie also has a terrific Etsy shop full of authentic vintage items.

Be sure to check it out.

I'm always eager to see what YOU ARE creating for YOUR grandchildren

that might spark MY creativity to further spoil my precious granddaughter.

This sweet little cupboard makeover, by Vickie @ Ranger 911,

 is fashioned after a vintage one seen on another blog.

Too cute!

Now...

show us what you've been up to this week.

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO
THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Signs of the Season

This year, I'm anticipating the arrival of fall more anxiously than in

years past.

Perhaps the many months spent laboring in the 

sweltering heat—restoring the gardens and clearing the barns—has

 intensified my desire for cooler temperatures.

As a matter of fact, I've been so engrossed in these tasks

that I've almost let the first signs—ones that signal fall is on its way—slip

right past me.

The purple, white, pink, and blue wildflowers that graced our fields, just

a short while ago, have given way to a more autumnal array.

Their bright cheery faces are but one of the many

things that make fall my favorite season.

I'm actually quite nostalgic about this particular time of year.  Some of

 my most cherished childhood memories revolve around

autumns past.

And...

we celebrate my Yankee sweetheart's birthday each fall...

in addition to our anniversary.

But it's also the colors of the season that make it so appealing to me.  The warmth

 of the saturated hues wrap around you like a well-worn,

 cozy quilt on a crisp, cool evening.

And...

around The Brambleberry Cottage, fall also means

it's apple picking time.   ; )

Those juicy, wholesome orbs find their way into pies,

cobblers, and a wide assortment of taste-tempting treats...

and, hopefully, this year, even fresh apple cider.

I'm so looking forward to gathering the benches, chairs, and tables

from the barn, and...

rounding up the extra quilts and pillows for our fall festivities.

It's a time when our family and friends assemble to enjoy

blazing bonfires beneath star-studded skies.

Happily, the signs of the season are upon us...

a season for celebrating a few of life's

 simple country pleasures.

Joining

It's Fall Ya'll: Outdoor Spaces Party with Thrifty Decor Chick

Mary's Share the Love Wednesday,

Tracie's Cottage Flora Thursdays, Susan's Tablescape Thursday,

LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday,

Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday, Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday,

Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Time Travel Thursday #62 & Talented Time Travelers #61

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories.

Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

~Jeremy Irons~

Welcome to the 62nd Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!

Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,

and most creative projects?  Great!

But first...

let's take a peek at some of the talented time travelers

who participated in last week's party.

It's always fun to see how fellow bloggers transform—and then decorate

 with—their thifty finds.  Kathryn @ The Dedicated House turned her thrift

 store scores into pretty display pieces.

Thinking outside the box can take a project piece from blah to beautiful. 

This masterful makeover, by Lisa @ Recaptured Charm,

is a prime example.

Mary @ Redo 101 shared the beauty around here yard, after a recent rain.  Those

of us who have had little of the wet stuff this summer can appreciate
a good earth cleansing shower even more.

Sunburst mirrors have been all the rage for awhile now.  But what do you

do if you can't find the right mirror for your creation?  Just use a

spot of your favorite paint color in the center.

That's exactly what Kelli @ The Turquoise Piano did!

We all love to decorate with "found" nature objects.  But Candace
@ Candace Creations took it a step further, when she created these adorable
 "branchlers" for her little one's nursery.

That's a wrap for last week's features.  What ya got to show for

yourself this week?   ; )

IF YOU LINK TO THE PARTY, PLEASE BE SURE TO LINK BACK TO

THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Sweet "Tweet" Retreat

The Yankee and I have decided that one of the best ways to declutter

around the farm...is to get busy with the projects that the clutter

was originally intended for.

So, once again this week, we pulled various items from the barn...

and got to work!

Even though my blogging friend, Tammy @ Tattered & Timeless, took a great

 deal of stuff like this off my hands, there were still a

handful of pieces tucked away in the barn.

The Yankee selected an old oil can and a rusty funnel—from the stored 

stash—for our latest creative project.

I grabbed an assortment of vintage insulators...

and a basket of rusty, crusty bits and bobs—

salvaged from discarded antique trunks.

While the Yankee was welding various rusty, vintage

 tractor parts together and deciding where he wanted to use

the old chicken feeder top,

I was gathering the embellishments to add even more

character and charm to our newest creation.

The piece used at the top was, at one time, an edge bracket to an antique

trunk, while the piece in the middle—with the hole—was part

of the trunk's lock.

Can you guess what the black curved piece used to be?

Here's another view.  Now can you figure it out?

It was the handle of an antique coffee mill—one of several we

had stashed away in the barn.

And, of course, I'm always looking for ways to "pretty up" our projects,

so this vintage aluminum butterfly and old furniture

knob rosette were just the ticket.

Here is the result of our day's effort—

with a bit of decluttering to boot—

a whimsical, sweet retreat...

for some very special

little tweet!

Do you notice anything different in this image? 

After the Yankee had put all the tools away and had gone inside, I found

 this in one of our bins.

And I really want this piece added to the base of our

"found object" birdhouse.

But...

I figured I would let my honey get a good night's sleep first. 

Then tomorrow morning...

 after he has eaten a hearty breakfast, I'll spring the news that he'll

need to drag all the welding equipment back out...

 to finish the project he thought was complete.   ; )

Joining Susan's Outdoor Wednesday, Mary's Share the Love Wednesday,
Leigh's Thrifty Thursday, Gina's Transformation Thursday,
Becky's Under $100.00 Party, Allison's Hookin Up With HOH,

 LaurieAnna's Farmhouse Friday, Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday,

Cindy's Show and Tell Friday, Courtney's Feathered Nest Friday,

Donna's Saturday Nite Special, Cindy's Oh-la-la Link Party,

Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink