Mirror, Mirror

It has been quite a while since I shared one of our transformation

projects—months, as a matter of fact!

So...

since I'm a bit overdue, I'll show you one of the last things we transformed...

before the garden and our "destash" efforts

consumed our lives.   ; )

Have you ever wondered why we use vintage windows in our projects

so often?  Well, it could have something to do with the fact that we

 have a barn full of them.

That's the same reason we use vintage beadboard so frequently—

well, that and the fact that we love making things from

salvaged materials.

And old window frames, coupled with vintage beadboard, make such wonderful

mirrors, we never grow weary of creating them.

The pair of vintage windows that you see above were two of a group of six

that we discovered in a barn

near our farm.

When the old farmer who had been storing the windows

decided it was time to get rid of them, he knew right

where to unload them.

Since two of them had broken panes of glass and missing muntins, they became

 prime candidates for a makeover.

By eliminating what glass remained in the windows, we opened up space at the

top for beadboard embellishment.

Cutting the windows down and removing the broken muntins

created the perfect openings for mirrors

to be installed.

The Yankee and I both love cottage style, so the theme for this

 particular transformation project was a given.

Several thick coats of cottage-white paint were rolled onto

 the frames—to keep all the old chippy paint

 where it belonged.

We really like how our mirror duo turned out.  And I think

even our farmer friend would approve.

I guess being known by the neighbors as "the folks who

like junk" has its advantages.   ; )

FOOTNOTE:  The mirrors were displayed on the barn just long enough to take pictures.  No birds or other wildlife were injured during this project.  Although...I think I DID chip a nail or two in the process.

Joining Kathleen's White Wednesday, Mary's Share the Love Wednesday,

Leigh's Thrifty Thursday, Becky's 100 Ideas Under $100.00,

Stephanie's Strut Your Stuff, Debra's Vintage Inspiration Friday,

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

Wendy's Frugal Friday, Donna's Saturday Nite Special,

Sommer's VIP Party, SJ's Creative Bloggers' Party, 

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday.

Time Travel Thursday #23 - Diamond in the Rough

"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 23rd Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

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

and most creative projects?

OK, here we go!

During one of our many junkin' jaunts—back in the 90s—the Yankee
and I stumbled upon a wonderful stash of antique stained-glass church
windows and empty sashes.

They were just too fabulous to pass up...
so we promptly bought
the entire lot!   ; )

One of the empty sashes was a large diamond-shaped piece—

probably a connector piece for two of the large windows—similar to the one 

surrounding the purple glass, in the image above.

We were never quite sure what to do with that particular architectural detail.

So it sat aimlessly in storage for years, with no particular destiny

 or purpose in sight, until...

we pulled all those wonderful beaded boards out of the old Victorian a few years ago.

I know I've told you many times before, but it's true, that bounty of vintage

beadboard has been the key that has unlocked the door

to numerous stalled projects.

For our little diamond in the rough, it was just a matter of

selecting the perfect board color from the pieces

 stored in the barn.

We were delighted with the results of our first project using those

salvaged boards—three fantastic wooden boxes—and decided

one of those colors would be just right for this piece.

After a bit of deliberation, we agreed that pink would be the perfect pairing

 for this pretty project.   ; )

Of course, no project is complete without the embellishments that make it unique—

like a stunning spindle part...

and a shimmering vintage glass doorknob.

And with the addition of a little ornate appliqué for the top...

and the bottom...

our once pleasant-but-plain window frame became a gorgeous...

one-of-a-kind...

sweet, sleek, shabby chic mirror.

It might have taken a few years for this diamond to shine,

but it sure sparkles now!   ; )

Linking to Leigh's Thrifty Thursday, Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday,

Gina's Transformation Thursday, Cindy's Show and Tell Friday,

Betty Bee's Buzz, Brag, and Bee Happy Friday,

Jane's Frugalicious Friday, Meg's Everything But the Kitchen Sink, 

Laura's Saturday is Crafty Day, Bev's Pink Saturday, 

and Susan's Metamorphosis Monday.

Time Travel Thursday #8 - Light Duty

"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 eighth Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!

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

and most creative projects? Great!

Then, let's get this party started!

The Yankee and I found this plain glass block—with nine indentations—at a

local thrift store for 99 cents.  It was in perfect condition

with no chips or cracks.

Completely unsure of its original purpose, we bought it and took it home.

 

That thrift store visit was on the heels of the project where we used this

wonderful vintage beadboard to transform this...

to this.

Never being ones to throw away perfectly good, vintage salvage scraps,

we went to work measuring our little glass block.  We decided to make a

decorative box for it, out of the beadboard leftovers

from the project mentioned above.

In no time, there was a beachy beaded-board box

to house our little glass block. 

Say that three times fast.   ; )

When the mirror was cut for the project above, there were two smaller pieces

left over, which, of course, we kept.

 

During a trip to Lowes—where the mirror had been purchased—

we had a piece cut out of one of our mirror leftovers

 to fit inside this newly constructed box.

I knew the mirror would provide the perfect reflective

qualities for the project.

With the addition of nine votives, we created a coastal

candleholder for seaside décor.

It was a simple way to turn plain to pretty.   ; )

Linking to Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday and Leigh's Thrifty Thursday.

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

THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.

Time Travel Thursday #7 - Vintage Window Transformation

"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 seventh Time Travel Thursday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage!
Are you ready to share your fondest memories, grandest dreams,
and most creative projects? Great!

Then let's do it!
 
Last night...

I took you through the steps I used to prepare an old window

for the latest cottage project.

Now tell the truth!

Have you grown weary of seeing this familiar scene? 

I sure hope not...because it will probably be quite some time before I

tire of using all that wonderful old beadboard we salvaged.

Of course, prior to the transformation, all the boards and the

window frame required a thorough cleaning, a few days of sun drying, 

and a good coat of Deft—to seal in

all that wonderful chippiness.

As I was laying out the configuration of the boards for the frame,

the Yankee asked if I had considered using metal anywhere in my design. 

I had not...but thought it was a great idea.

So...

out came some of our rusty, crusty vintage ceiling tins. 

We agreed that the larger rusted tin would add the best contrast

to the other materials being used.

We had found this antique leather pulley belt at our favorite junkin' spot

and had put it aside, not knowing when,

or how, we would use it. 

My brilliant Yankee came up with the perfect way

to incorporate it into my project.

The boards were cut and glued to the frame.  The corners of the ceiling tin

were cut and nailed in with decorative copper nails.  And the mirror

 was set in the special place created for it when

the muntins were rearranged. 

After the leather belt was scrubbed, rinsed, and thoroughly dried by the sun,

it was given a good coat of paste wax.  Strips of it were cut to frame in the

mirror.  Once again, the decorative copper nails came into play

 to attach the belt to the frame.

Then, more decorative nails were used to secure the part of the

pulley belt that encased the entire outside of the frame.

I love how this eighty-year-old window was

transformed into a one-of-a-kind mirror. 

How's that for a custom update?

I'll be linking this terrific transformation to Gina's Transformation Thursday,

Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday, Leigh's Thrifty Thursday, 

Becky's 100 Ideas Under $100.00, Allison's Hooking Up with HOH,

Carolyn's Make it Yours Day, Jane's Frugalicious Friday,

Susan's Metamorphosis Monday, and Rory's Tools Are For Women Too!

Time Travel Thursday #5 - Funky Fun

"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 fifth Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage.

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

and most creative projects? Great!

Show us what you've got!

While visiting my favorite salvage haunt, I found this fantastic vintage

chair.  I loved everything about it—the shape, the remnants of the cool

blue-green paint it wore, and the price...

only four bucks!

I couldn't resist.  It just had to come home with me.   ; )

Though the totally dilapidated seat was a bit of a drawback, the

incredibly sturdy solid oak frame was a selling point.

I knew I wanted to maintain the terrific color—as found—but I wasn't exactly sure

what I wanted to do with the seat.  I debated between a pre-woven

 replacement, and a solid panel that I could upholster.  But, neither of

those choices seem to fit the character of the chair.

Then the Yankee and I began working on a few projects incorporating the wonderful

vintage beadboard we have stashed in one of the barns... 

and inspiration hit!

With a circular saw and a chisel, the old seat was removed,

 and a recessed area was created.

I selected a handful of beaded-board pieces—leftover from

prior projects—and the Yankee went to work cutting them down to size.

We played around with a few patterns, until we found one

we both liked.

This vintage beauty now sports a fun, funky new seat from

old beadboard.

It's just what this past-to-present project needed

to bring her into the 21st-century!   ; )

Linking to:

Linda's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Maryann's Power of Paint Party,

Gina's Transformation Thursday, Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday,

Leigh's Thrifty Thursday, Jane's Frugalicious Friday 

Donna's Saturday Nite Special, Cheri's Spotlight Yourself,

Carolyn's Make it Yours Day, Allison's Hooking Up with HOH 

Time Travel Thursday #4 - Coastal Cottage Charm

"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 fourth Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage.

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

and most creative projects? Great!

Then, let's go for it!

I've shared with you before that the Yankee and I are big time

 junk connoisseurs.  He and I take in others' unwanted castoffs,

the way some people take in strays!  We just can't seem to turn something down,

if we see potential in it.

Can you spot a hidden pearl waiting to be

discovered here?

The curvaceous legs and charming cutouts on the skirt of

this table were enough to entice me to rescue her.

But it was pretty apparent that the four panel inserts of this unwanted treasure 

were damaged beyond repair.  So it was time to take out the handy-dandy

circular saw and make way for something much better.

Lots of sanding brought out some of the beauty that had been hidden beneath

all that time-applied grime and aging.

The results to this point were not too bad.  But this was only the beginning of the

transformation we had planned.

Strips of wood were cut, sanded, and glued in as supports for the new top. 

And while the Yankee was attending to all that...

 

I was back in the barn looking through our stash of beaded boards.  Once I

found what I was looking for, the boards were cleaned,

brushed, and cut to size.

As I was busying myself with those details, the Yankee was mixing paint to

brighten up our little beauty.  He mixed a cottage white with a hint of

 nutmeg brown, and I threw in a few tablespoons of pale yellow,

for good measure.

The final color was the perfect complement to the beadboard

that had been prepared early. 

Like pieces to a puzzle the vintage boards were put into place...

and an ocean of coastal charm emerged.

So what do you think of our little castoff now?

Goes to show...

you just never know when a beautiful pearl 

might be hidden among the trash!   ; )

Linking to:

Gina's Transformation Thursday, Maryann's Power of Paint Party,

Leigh's Thrifty Thursday, Suzanne's Vintage Thingie Thursday,

Becky's 100 Ideas Under $100.00, Jane's Frugalicious Friday

Cherie's Spotlight Yourself

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

THE BRAMBLEBERRY COTTAGE ON YOUR BLOG.