Adding Color .... Painting a Vintage, Western Style, Swinging Door

Hello...

It's a bright, sunny but cold Saturday

here in the mountains.

This photo was actually from a coupe of weeks ago.
The wispy clouds with the dark bank of threatening weather along
with that gorgeous sun caught 
my eye out the window.

I know many of you are experiencing

bitter cold temperatures and some are

starting to see signs of spring.

What a wonderful and diverse

land that we live in!

Today, I just wanted to quickly share with you

a little project that I did to add some color

I'm going to try to keep my posts a little more simple at times and perhaps I can post more!

Also, my computer won't recognize my new 

phone to transfer pictures. So that's a bit of 

a process! 

When we moved into our current home

nearly 20 years ago, I found a set 

of old western style swinging doors in the

garage. I have used them in their

natural state around the house but as

I shared before, I'm trying to add color

to my decor. So I found this wonderful

color to try and painted one of them.

What do you think? 

I am liking it. 

I have a hard time with

decorating large spaces and I love to use

items that I find here and there to fill

in around everyday things.

My rustic mantel. 

There's a story behind this that I'll tell one day :)

Limon roses in a pink hob knob vase.

I have always enjoyed pink and green!

I hope you're enjoying your day.

Isn't it interesting how 

life is always changing? 

I am on the verge of a big change.

Seasons of life can be scary yet

exciting at the same time.

There's gain and loss.

Joy and pain

Beautiful and hard times

It all makes up our story.

Embracing it all with hope and an

open heart seems to be 

the best way for me. 

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead

and joy in your journey!

Oh... I'm considering changing my

blog name to 

The Shabbi Gypsy.

It matches my IG account

and my business name.

Any thoughts?

Hugs and Blessings...

Tamara x

A Gathered Table Scape

Hello~

Today we are celebrating clouds and 

possible rain this week....

As well as our sweet

daughter's 31st birthday.

She and her older sister and I

went on a little outing

for dinner, shopping and a movie.

We went to see Oceans 8.

Oh my... 

What a fun chic flick.

We try to celebrate the entire week.

Life passes by so quickly and I believe

in being very purposeful.

And a cloudy day?

 It's like a holiday for us around here especially considering this drought.

To clarify...

Ours and surrounding counties have been declared

a disaster area and we are on severe

restrictions. We're not even permitted 

to mow our lawns because of sparks.

No smoking outside.

Anyway...

On to happier things :) and there

are always happy things!

Like birthdays and flowers blooming

and little butterflies flitting about.

And a table that is full of color, glittery sparkles

and fun surprises for little eyes to find.

This may have the appearance of Easter but it's

actually just for spring with some things that I just 

grabbed because kids light up

when they see it all!

You can see what I used...

The vintage bottles and salt and pepper shakers

were some of my favorites.

I so enjoy using ordinary things

for something other than it's

intended use.

What about you? 

What kind of treasures do you enjoy using

when you're creating? And it doesn't 

have to be decorating your table.

I hope you're doing well and

taking some time to keep yourself grounded

and in touch with you.

I read something this morning that

got me to thinking about what

we give ourselves permission for.

Do you give yourself a lot of grace?

We all need it.

I know all too well how to put 

myself in a box and to criticize 

what I do and how I do it. 

and even what I fail to do.

 Are you allowing yourself to be you and

even embracing who you are?

I am hopelessly devoted to

getting this right. Making room for my

real self. The one who makes mistakes

and is always learning. She's creative and

messy and sometimes loses her way.

There's growing and accepting and then

when I think I have it figured out,

I change! Can you relate to any of that?

One thing that I'm learning to do is to be more
open and honest with myself and others.

I am back after taking a very long break.

The clouds were so inviting and the temperatures

so forgiving that I wandered outside to

(more like raced before the sun came back out ;)

get some more of my plants in the ground.

And to do some more rock work

on the little wall that I'm building

in the the Gypsy Camp gardens.

I will share some pictures.

I have my eye on a couple of climbing roses

 in town and the Virginia 

Creeper wintered so well through

the drought and the cold that we are going to

plant a couple more to add some greenery.

We must whenever we can as we are

surrounded by white grasses (dead) and dirt!

We do have some
Juniper and Pinon 
trees that are very gracious
 to give us shade.

 I have planted several herbs in the past couple

of days. Annual and perennial.

And I found the most adorable

Dwarf English Boxwood. So far it's doing well.

Fingers crossed!

I also had to take some time to dust and clean

and get things in order. I do so enjoy a tidy home. With the season of playing outside, it takes a little more effort to keep up.

It's time to go rest up for this evening.

As we are playing music tonight at one of our favorite places. I get to play my new pink guitar that Jeff bought me for our Anniversary in April.

Eeep!! Doesn't a 

Shabbi Gypsy girl need a pink guitar?

I will share some pictures soon.

I do hope that

you have a lovely, lovely weekend creating and

enjoying just being you right where you are

and of course

celebrating the wonderful

fathers in your life.

Here's a fun quote for summer...

"LIFE IS SHORT.

TAKE THE TRIP,

BUY THE SHOES,

EAT THE CAKE!"

Blessings and hugs to you~

Tamara 

xoxo

Pink Roses, Rusty Things and a Valentine's Wish For You...

Hello Dear Friends~

I can't begin to tell you how much I've missed you!

I'm sorry that I haven't 

been by to visit you as much as I would like. 

I've been enjoying so much time

with the little Fairy Princesses! 

I have actually thought about giving up my blog altogether,

 but I don't want to!

So I will keep trying to figure this out.

I hope that you're doing well.

I wish you the sweetest Valentine's Day ever.

XOXOX

Wishes that you feel loved and treasured and celebrated.

My husband gave me these lovely roses 

for my birthday month. 

And here they are with a few of my collected treasures.

I love old and rusty things! 

And the old, oil lamp base was

so charming that I had to have it.

What would you do with it?

Oh, I'm just so happy to be back and to say hello!

Thank you for coming by and I do look forward to

 getting back in touch.

THERE IS NOTHING ON 

EARTH MORE TO BE PRIZED
THAN TRUE FRIENDSHIP

Thomas Aquinas~

Love and blessings to you all and 

thank you for your sweet visit.

Tamara

Vintage Suitcases, Books and the Mysteries of the Past ~

It was a cloudy morning that has turned into a sunny 

Monday here at our mountain home. 

And there are little surprises popping up in my flower gardens.

Hyacinths... Poppies and Lilies 

are peeking out to see if it's safe to 

come out and say a proper hello! 

It's all very exciting.

And there is talk about

additions to the gypsy camp.

It's one of my places to dream. 

It's there that I play

so much music and even make believe. 

Even though.....

 I love the winter months and

 the magic and beauty of snow is one 

of my favorite things!

 The handsome and lively elk and deer visitors 

come to call, too and it's so fun

 to watch the young ones 

run down the pond hill and 

play chase around the field!

And then to watch that herd of fifty 

run all together as one is a beautiful sight, indeed!

Even though ... 

all of that will have to wait until

another time,

I do hear the gypsy camp beckoning...

Such excitement in the air!

_________

Today, I have a couple of photos of a decor change that 

I made with some thrifted, vintage suitcases and some of my favorite books. It was a much needed change as I hadn't changed it

for several years. 

(I won't tell you how long.. I'm too embarrassed!)

Suitcases!

They sort of embody that adventurous, wanderlust spirit that

stirs up the gypsy in me. 

Do you ever look at them and wonder?

Who packed them?

Where they travelled and why?

Was it their honeymoon...

a business trip?

Were they traveling with the circus?

Oh my.. Don't you just love the mystery?

My husband and I really like the change. 

I like using what I already have and I'm learning to

just switch things around. 

I like the neutrals here with just a splash of color.

I'm starting to hang some of my art around the house.

I also really like plants blended in with neutral colors.

Wooden boxes and crates are another favorite to use in

my home. I love the history that they represent.

I am not very good at decorating but 

I'm learning. I use to think that I had to be loyal to one

color palette but my gypsy soul loves 

it all! So I'm learning to create

small places with groupings of colors that I love.

It usually has some sort of quirky twist.

That's just me. 

Books are not just for reading.

They can be such lovely things to decorate with. 

I have stacks of them all around my house. 

Do you like books?

What are some of your favorites?

I hope the beginning of your week is off to a 

good start. Thank you for coming by.

I hope your week is lovely with an 

element of enchantment and beauty.

Blessings,

Tamara 

Vintage Patterns Make a Pretty Package

Hello and a beautiful Monday to you! 

It was a gorgeous weekend here

although at one point it would snow..

then the sun would shine!

It was cool and breezy and perfect for

working long hours outside

raking, hauling rocks, planting and planning..

and trimming back a very large poplar tree.

I hope you had a good weekend.

Do you have spring fever?

And all of the hopes of dreams that

come with pouring over the seed catalogues...

and taking walk-abouts around the yards and gardens to

see what's coming up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today I wanted to share a little something that

I do with vintage patterns that I find 

at the thrift shops. 

I really like the warm color of the paper and 

it just has that vintage look to it.

The pictures are so charming. If you like to

draw vintage clothing, these are perfect for

 reference pictures to practice from. 

You could even cut the pictures out 

and make sweet vintage tags for gifts!

 I  think I might want to try that.

The patterns can also be used for mixed media 

art for texture and filling for mailing packages.

I have used them in gift baskets and in place of

 tissue paper in gift bags.

Do you like using them for something?

Here I used one for a simple, victorian-style gift wrap.

I tied it with some seam binding, thin ribbon and lace. And then I added a little angel charm with a tag that I had made.

You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving.

Amy Carmichael

Are you a gift-giver? I am.

There are many kinds of gifts.

Kindness

Understanding

A listening ear

Compassion

Time

And then there are the ones that come in a package.

It's something that I can do to make someone 

feel really special. They're a wonderful way

to express appreciation or to say I love you or

I'm thinking of you.

 And I really enjoy dressing up the packages.

It seems to make them a little more personal.

Sometimes it can be simple.

Sometimes very fancy.

It depends on how much time I have.

Thank you so much for coming by.

Wishing you many good things for your week!

 Blessings,

Tamara 

Vintage Bottle Cap Creations

Happy Tuesday everyone! 

 I hope that your spring is off to a great start

and if you celebrate Easter, that it was 

filled with joy.

Ours was a full day with singing, playing outdoors

a lovely picnic and ending with the family

gathered around in prayer. 

A blessed and beautiful day.

(I had some fun preparing for the picnic that we had 

down at our gypsy camp in progress.

I was able to get some photos that I will share later.)

*************

Today, I'd like to share a little project

that I made from some vintage bottle caps.

I found this box at a flea market for $1.

I just loved the look of the box. Sometimes I just buy things

for the vintage look and they are used to add color or charm

to my creative space. Do you like to do that, too?

 I also thought that I might be able to use bottle caps 

in mixed-media art or something.

Many of you probably have your own ideas 

about how you would use them.

Isn't creating so much fun?!

 My first project, was to re-purpose

them into keychains with hand-stamped sayings

and flat-backed cabachons and strings for bows.

I used the Pittsburgh 36 piece set.

It's an upper case set, reasonably priced that has been a 

good beginner set for me.

You can find the stamping set that I used here.

And I purchased the bronze keyring pieces here.

The process required me to flatten the lip of the cap.

Each cap was set on a metal plate and then 

I used a small hammer to gently tap on the sides

and this curled the outside edge up. 

It almost looks like a little flower.

After I decided on the sayings that I wanted to

stamp, I began the stamping. I have a tack hammer that 

I used. it took a little practice, but if you have a bit

of an eye for centering, it doesn't take too long!

Some of them turned out a little rough but I guess

that can add to the charming imperfection.

After doing the stamping, I used a q-tip

wet with black ink to smear over the words. Then I just 

wiped off the excess.

The little design above the word here was actually

 a leather punch that I decided to try.

I don't have a photo of the back. But they are cork.

In the stamping process, some of the cork broke away.

I just covered the backs with circles cut from pretty papers.

Do you like the lovely coloring of vintage packaging?

It's what so many artists try to re-create with

the distressing and tea-staining techniques.

And they do an amazing job of making it look authentic!

I love the look of the authentic AND re-created.

This was a fun project. My first attempt at metal stamping.

To attach the chain to the cap, I used a nail to hammer a hole

and then added a bronze jump ring to attach them together.

I hope you enjoyed this little project!

Are you working on something today?

If so.. may it bring you joy and clarity about who you are. 

Where you've been and where you're going.

Bringing you a few steps closer to dreams realized

and peace in your heart.

I was hoping to start transplanting some herbs today but

our spring winds have arrived and they are a fierce

60 mph! shiver...

It's enough to rattle the house!

So... I've been staying cozy inside and

 working on memorizing the chords

 to John Denver's Rocky Mountain High.

(I love to sing and play!

Along with God, 

it's one of the things that helps keep me 

centered and grounded. 

It delights my heart and sometimes the words from songs

help me to express what I'm about.

Is there something like that for you?)

His music has always been some of my favorite.

He was such a poet and so often wrote about nature. 

"The shadows from the starlight are softer than a lullaby."

If you'd like to listen to the song, you can find it here.

Wishing you a beautiful day and thank you for coming by.

Tamara XO

I'm joining the party at

Talk of the Town!

Vintage Charm

Craft Frenzy Friday

My First Time Pickin' For Old Doors and Windows

I hope you all have had a good week.

Productive and peaceful. 

Mine has been good. 

I'm looking forward to

the weekend and hoping to gather

several times with our kids and grandkids.

It's been raining so much and we

have been enjoying it.

I've had these pictures for awhile now.

Waiting to share this little story about my

first "Pickin" experience.

It takes a lot of courage for me

to think of approaching

people to ask them about stuff

that's laying in their yard!

But at least I was in friendly territory!

It was in the little town of Antrim, Ohio 

where I grew up. I recently shared some photos about the area, when I was

visiting family and friends.

Now that we have a little get-away there and 

we always drive our 15 passenger van across

country, it provides opportunities

to pick up things for projects to make and sell

and for decor around the house.

While driving through this quaint little,

country town, I spotted a charming, 

old door laying out in a yard.

And, gathering my courage,

I knocked on the door and

asked some questions.

I found that I went to school

with the family that owned

the little house. When his sister

arrived, we talked schooldays for a 

few minutes and she offered to let me

see some other doors in her shed that 

she had tried to give away but

folks never came and picked them up..

At this point, I was very excited!

 Here are some of the doors.. 

They were old cupboard doors

from an original house in Antrim. 

She even knew the family's name. 

And by now, I am super-excited 

because, as many of you know,

 I love connecting with my past! 

Above are the pantry doors.

This door came with a bonus window!

I love those old glass door knobs.

 The other white, paneled door came

  from the same stop. 

Those lovely spindles and pedestal 

were bought at a Nursery down the road for

a very good price.

 And this old door came from 

the old country store called "Rusty's".

 I use to walk the two miles from my home

to this store to buy candy and chips.

It's about 8 feet tall and very heavy!

It now sits on the porch behind a 

little wicker love-seat. 

I just love all that chipping paint!

I asked her how much she would be 

willing to sell them for and she said that

I could have them!

I couldn't believe it. 

And so she and her brother

helped me load them in my van. 

I gave them a little something for their 

help and was on my way.

I was excited to have found some treasures and visited with old school mates!

The next stop was at a childhood

 neighbor of mine.

I had driven past where I knew 

she had lived with her father but 

didn't know if she was still there.

But I had seen some old windows 

leaned against the side of a shed when

I drove by just 

"takin' the backroads."

Well, since you see the windows,

you can guess what happened.

The story was that she now lived there

with her husband and children and

they were doing some re-modeling. 

They had tried to salvage the windows 

because the house had been 

built in the mid-1800s!

Wow

But they couldn't keep the cold,

Ohio, winter winds from creeping into that

two-story farm house and so they had

to be replaced.

They just wanted to get rid of them..

and it was the same story as with the doors.

People had stopped and asked but

no one ever came back to pick them up.

We had a nice long visit and they helped 

me load them up and my daughter and 

I took them back to Sugartree and

unloaded. I felt blessed.

 Here they are after being hosed down.

 Aren't the arched ones just gorgeous?!

Some of the frames are falling apart and I wondered about taking them but am glad I did.

And I'm currently working 

on a little fall project that is made from 

two of the small salvaged pieces.

I'm almost finished with it and 

will be sharing it this next week. 

I did share some of them with my younger

sister and I gave her the glass-paneled door.

It seems the love of old junk 

runs in the family!

It's so rewarding to find these old things and 

love them into something new.

It always makes me sad when old houses

and buildings are torn down and bull-

dozed into large piles and burned!

Wait.. 

the history and memories..

the craftmanship...

Isn't it satisfying to re-claim 

re-use.. re-make.. re-love?

or whatever one wants to call it..
And the treasure-hunting part is fun, too.
I'm looking forward to
doing some more of that!

I'd love to hear any stories that

you have about special pieces 

that you've found

or experiences that you've had.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting. 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Tamara xo