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

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

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 #10 - Fun Funky Vintage Junk Décor

"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 10th Time Travel Thursday linky party at The Brambleberry Cottage!

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

and most creative projects?
Great, let's do it!

You know how much the Yankee and I love our junkin' jaunts.

After all, one can never have enough junk!  Am I right?  'Cause you just never know

 when you might need it.   ; )

For instance, a few weeks ago, the Yankee needed some for yet another one of his

totally unique creations.

So...

out to the barn he went.

And when he returned to the workshop, he was loaded down with an old

railroad lantern, some cool vintage insulators, a couple of rusty, crusty gears,

some tractor parts, and an old pulley. 

Then he plunder through one our boxes of lamp parts and came up with several

vintage brass pieces that had the most perfect patina.

Like a mad scientist, he feverishly worked to assemble his

assortment of gadgets.

The resulting contraption was undeniably futuristic!

Once he added the necessary components to make his creation functional—

an electrical cord, a harp, and a lampshade that was nowhere near as cool

as the last one—the creation came to rest

on the old table near our front door.

I suppose it can rest there awhile—until we can find it a new home.

For though I appreciate the artistic talent that went into this piece, somehow, 

it really doesn't quite fit the look I'm going for

in my tiny cottage farmhouse.   ; )

I'll be linking this funky junk creation to:

Dianes' 2nd Time Around party, Gina's Transformation Thursday,

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

Becky's 100 Ideas Under $100.00, and Cheri's Spotlight Yourself.