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.

Tips and Tricks Tuesday #8 - How to Make a Yard Conservatory

Welcome to the eighth Tips & Tricks Tuesday linky party at the Brambleberry Cottage.

Diane @ Pittypat Paperie knew the party was still happenin' here, so she shared her tip for a festive recycle to celebrate.  Great job, Diane!

And now it's my turn to share a few tips and tricks.

I received so many wonderful e-mails and kind comments about my yard conservatory that I decided to give you a quick tutorial for its construction.

The windows you choose for your conservatory will dictate the shape it takes.

I knew before I started the shape I wanted.  Of course, having the advantage of a stash of vintage windows in my barn afforded me multiple options.

With the group of windows I selected, I could have built up, instead of out.  But, I knew before I began that I wanted my yard conservatory to resemble a cottage.

Here are a couple of tips:

  Cleaning everything prior to assembly is much easier than after construction is complete.

And, if you intend to leave your conservatory outside, it's best to brush on a weather-resistant sealant like Thompson's WaterSeal.

Because I wanted my piece to have a very stable construction, a few more steps were taken than were absolutely necessary.  You'll have to decide if the extra effort is worth it to you.

After all components were cleaned, dried, and sealed, a four-pane window was sandwiched between two six-pane windows. 

 

Rather than just nailing the three windows together, a 1/2" Forstner bit—on a cordless drill—was used to create holes for insetting screws. 

Two holes were made—top and bottom—on each side.  And 2 1/2" wood screws were used to join them all together.

If you take a close look at the image below, you'll observe that one of the four-pane windows was slightly taller than the other.  I could have left it that way, but decided to make them the same size. 

Again, it was purely a matter of preference.  You might have chosen to leave them different heights—and that would have worked, as well.

It was a breeze to cut the taller sash down with a circular saw.  To do so, just measure, use a carpenter's square to draw a straight line, and cut.

I also wanted the two windows for the top to rest flush on the sides.  So the circular saw was set at a 45 degree angle, and the part of each window that would be placed atop the sides was cut down.

Notice how cutting that angle into the top windows helped to close the gaps between the top and sides.

Before the two top windows were fastened on, they were aligned. 

This was accomplished by finding the exact midpoint on the front of the yard conservatory and clamping the carpenter's level so that the outer edge of it lined up perfectly with the midpoint.

Then the top windows were adjusted so that they touched exactly above the midpoint.  Now it was time to screw them in place.

Here's another tip:

  To prevent wood that you will be screwing into from splitting, always start a pilot hole with a drill and bit, first.  The bit should create a hole slightly smaller than the one that will be made by the screw.

Because I wanted a more finished look, and would be attaching a sheet of antique metal and a decorative piece of iron to the peak of the roof, a piece of wood was cut and screwed in at the center seam.

Not only did it help to stablize the top, it gave much needed support to the embellishments.

Finally, the four-pane window—the one trimmed down—was hinged to the front of the piece.

Several pieces of vintage beaded-board were ripped on the table saw, then cut to trim out all the exposed edges of the yard conservatory.

You can choose to leave yours open at the bottom, so that it will rest directly on the ground, or enclose it, and put it on legs—as I did. 

Want to see how I embellished mine?  Then jump over here.

As far as decorative elements are concerned, the sky's the limit.  The important thing is to have fun and make it uniquely yours!

I'm linking to Rory's Tools are for Women Too!

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 #6 - A Yard Conservatory

"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 6th 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 to it!

I've wanted to build a yard conservatory

out of vintage windows for some time now. And I was finally able to talk my Yankee

project partner into it this week.

We pulled the basic bones—the windows above and

the old chippy-paint board below—out of the barn a few days ago and began construction.

Don't you just love vintage chippy?!   ; )

It didn't take long to construct the basic conservatory.

Honestly, I was glad to get this part done though, so we could move on

to the really fun part—embellishment!

I pulled these old legs and spindles out of our stash

in the barn because, in my mind, I saw this lovely lady-to-be standing on pretty legs.

And...we needed something with character to

 camouflage the rough areas where the windows

were joined and to cover the plywood that was used for the base. 

So...

out of the barn came more vintage beaded boards.

Once all that was taken care of, it was time for the

really, really fun part—decoration!

These old door escutcheons were perfect for the gabled ends.

This rusty ornamental iron piece

and vintage tin panels came from our favorite salvage yard.

I think the scrolly designs of each

 are just fabulous.  Don't you?

Giving her a tin skirt was another

 decorative feature that seemed to evolve as we went along.

Little details make such a difference!

See where we used the chippy-paint board and the escutcheons? 

And the vintage knobs and curly cutouts—from the tin panels—added

 just the right touch to the gable peaks, as well.

I was delighted to find this old filigree door handle

at the bottom of a bin of vintage hardware in our workshop.

Just one more pretty little detail.   ; )

These old decorative wood pieces

were scored at a local junk shop. 

I had two that were perfect for dressing up the front and back.

I added some plants and a vintage statue to "pretty up" the inside.

Yep!  I think they look great in there. 

What do you think?

I've been waiting a very long time for this conservatory to come into being. 

But, I have to admit, good things do come to those who wait! 

**To get all the how-to details for making your own conservatory visit here.**

Linking up to 

Kathleen's for White Wednesday, Gina's for Transformation Thursday,

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

Jessica's for Favorite Things Friday, Becky's for 100 Ideas Under $100.00,

Cindy's for Show and Tell Friday, Allison's for Hooking Up With HOH, 

Carolyn's for Make It Yours Day.