Basket Case

Okay, I'm sorry for that title.  I tried not to write it., I really did.  I blame a momentary out of body experience!  My mind said "No, don't do it...it's too cheesy!"  Did my fingers listen?  Nope.

Anywho, let's move on shall we? 

As mentioned before, I'm obsessed with LOTS of things:  French anything, vintage goods, nests and birds and now...BASKETS.  Not just any baskets but rustic, vintage, and shabby French baskets.

Big, little, I love them all and THIS is the time to snag some.  With Easter around the corner they are all over the thrift stores.

I've already re-finished, painted and "shabbyfied" {I think I just made up a new word} some of them to sell.

I adore this vintage picnic basket.  I was in great shape but the wood color was on the orange side and dated it {and not in the good, yummy vintage way}.  I whitewashed it with a mix or water and white craft paint.  I altered a shipping tag with tea stained lace and a broken piece of vintage jewelry.  On top I decoupaged on "Bon Appetit" and glued on a linen rosette.  I want to keep it, but I wont.  I guess I need to keep an eye out for another one at a good price.

I refinished this large vintage picking basket and added in some fake market flowers.

This one got the shabby white-wash treatment.

Here is a large Bushel basket painted white and lined with burlap that I filled with my mini pillows that I gave the tutorial on here.

Here are few I picked up this week that are waiting to be redone:

Ugly pink wooden frame basket crying to be vintage white!

Gotta' love that price!

wicker bicycle basket...wish I had a cute vintage bicycle to put in on!

I'm itching for yard sale season.  I love the "hunt" but until warm weather blows my way, I'll take the thrift store scavenger hunt to vintage baskets.

Happy hunting!



http://frenchcupboard.blogspot.com/2011/02/goodbye-black-friday-hello-french.html




 

This is for the birds

I have a thing for nests...and birds...and lots of other things.  But lately my mind and crafting keeps going back to birds and nest.

Yesterday I knew I needed to get some crafting done for my first craft show, that's only a month away now.   
                                  {beads of sweat forming at the brow with anxiety}
My daughter was under the weather for a couple of days, she then passed it onto me so I was out of commission for a while.  I was definitely starting to feel the urgency to make a dent in all those "some day" projects.  Well, yesterday was the day.  My daughter was in a very agreeable and happy mood so I took advantage and worked while she played. 

I pulled out some vintage baking tins I had snagged this summer.  I altered some early  in the year into Christmas ornaments but wanted to make something out of the rest that I could use or sell for Spring.  Well, birds and bird's nest got stuck in my head. 

The crazy thing is the following actually went through my head:  "If I were a bird, what would I want in my nest."  Yep, now I am imagining myself as a bird.  That makes me officially crazy doesn't it?  Oh well, my husband's been telling me I'm crazy for years.  Anywho, I decided that if I were I bird I would love a nest make of vintage tea-stained lace, strings of pearls and bits of ribbon.

I then got out my trusty (but dwindling sheet music) and cut out some "Song Birds".  I used my Tim Holtz tea stain distress ink and inked the edges of the bird.  I hot glued her onto a twig and perched her in her nest.

I really have nests on the brain.  Next up on the list of "one day" crafts is burlap nests.  I also altered some mason jars and made some postcard pillows yesterday.  I'll share those soon.

Have a great day!