Ironing Ferns

I did a quick little update the other day.

Yeah, I don't iron my clothes but give me some fern and I whip that iron right out.

Remember when I showed you this back in November?

Well it was looking like this recently.

It had faded. But it lasted quite awhile.

I do like the color it faded to.

It just didn’t seem summery so I just peeled it right off and saved it.

It came off in one piece too.

I thought I’d try a different fern this time.

I grabbed a couple of supplies after finding some fern in the yard.

I just ironed the fern between the wax paper. It’s best to use a dry iron.

It doesn’t take much heat.

Peel it off the paper carefully.

Spray it with a bit of glue and just press it on a plate or wherever you’d like.

They stay flexible so you can bend them into different shapes. 

I’m still not sure how I feel about these fern leaves.

It will stay for now. It just seemed to darken a bit. 

I think the iron had some water in it or it was too hot.

But I have a ton of fern in the yard so I can try again and again.

I guess I could try some flowers too.

It’s a quick and easy way to make some white dishes stand out a little more.

see ya,

Auction Finds Revealed

The sun came out today. For about 30 minutes.  As soon as it did I ran for my camera to get some pictures of the things I got at the auction. I had a few shots but wasn’t happy with them so I’ve been waiting for the sun to appear again.
          


Everyone guessed the first two pretty easily. The pitcher and the platter were actually together in one lot that hubby started bidding on. I was a bit nervous because it wasn’t something we had previewed.



While they will both be up for sale soon, they are not something I mind hanging around for awhile.



Luckily there were no chips or cracks anywhere on them. They are both really gorgeous pieces with a lot of detail. I just love old ironstone pieces.



I know the last one was not something anyone would guess. I spotted it in the preview the day before the auction. I love the colors in it. The needlework is really well done.




I loved the frame and the cute little feet it has on it. Sorry about the glare that I was catching off the glass. Can you tell now what it is?

 
It’s an old fire screen. Oh I love it. The little feet can be turned flat with the frame so really you could hang it on the wall if you wanted to.



Here’s a little word of warning about auctions. If you are with someone else make sure both of you have your eyes up on the auctioneer. Hubby was doing the bidding on this piece, I was not having luck. We had a price set that we wouldn’t go over. I was looking to my left answering hubby and nodding to him. Only the auctioneer was taking my nods to mean bids. So we were surprised to realize we had won. A bit higher then we wanted to but that’s just part of the learning process. Keep your eye on the man with the gavel!

Hope everyone is staying warm and dry.

I'll be linking up here:

see ya,

Crazy About Crazing

What is crazing? According to Wikipedia it is a network of fine cracks on the surface of a material. You either love it or you don’t. I happen to love it. What’s not to love? It gives an ordinary piece some character.



I just love the fine web like texture it has. I won’t be serving mashed potatoes in it at Thanksgiving. So the more cracks to me the better.



We went to a few estate sales over the weekend. I wish I had gone earlier as so much was already gone. That’s the thing about estate sales. You either go early for a better selection or you go late for the markdowns. On Saturday everything was half off. How could I leave it behind?






It will be great to keep loaded with fresh fruit. A pot of some lacy fern would look good too. It will fit in just great around here.



Are you a fan of crazing or is it something you’d be dropping off at GW?

Come on be honest, I won’t be hurt.

Linking up with Kat @ Kat Eye View where she is discussing the rule of thirds. I think I'm partially following the rule for these shots.

see ya,

Dressing Up A Plate

I finally got around to rehanging an ironstone plate in my window frame. The first one fell and broke. The new dish was a little plain so I added a fern to it today.

 

If I had glorious fall leaves I would have used one of them. But I love ferns and it sort of looks like a little Christmas tree. Don't get excited. I am not ready to decorate for Christmas yet. I know a lot of you are but I have to get through one holiday at a time.

 

So here's what I did. I took a fern frond. Frond? Not sure, anyway, part of a fern from outside. I ironed it between two pieces of wax paper. No steam. I learned later that I should have dried it in the microwave first so we'll see how long it lasts. I cleaned the plate with rubbing alcohol so there would be no residue.

 

Then I used some spray glue. I gave it a coat and let it sit for a minute while I ate a fudge mint oreo and a glass of milk. I didn't want it super sticky and it said to let it sit if you wanted it removable. What better way to pass the time then with chocolate and mint? They're only out for a limited time people.

 

Linking up with: 

French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday
Funky Junk Interiors SNS: White Edition

see you later,

Industrial Bits

I am joining Margo over at Margo's Junkin Journal. She's having an industrial chic party. I would really love to have more. I would love to have a old metal medical cabinet. I am constantly on the look out for one. I just don't come across much of it around here.

My shoe forms (or are they stretchers) that my son got me as a Christmas gift last year. I love that he took the time to go out and find something different for me. The old wooden level is from my father's garage. I recently grabbed when I went to visit my mom.

I have 3 metal trays which I love to use to layer things. The green round one is my favorite but I love the two white ones too. I think they look good mixed in with the silver.

I found this metal cage light at a thrift store. I don't have anything to wire it up with yet so I used it on top of a candle stick for now.

Do you love the look of industrial junk in your home? It blends in quite well with a lot of decor. You should stop by and get some great ideas.



see you later,

Bringing Nature Inside and a Thank You

I've always loved having live plants in my house. Thing of nature, whether it is plants, shells, rocks or driftwood, really help to warm up a home. They can add color, softness and texture. I have been successful in some of my homes with growing plants and others not so much. It really depends on the amount of light you have available for them and also not forgetting to water them is pretty important. (ahem) I've been a little on lax side when it comes to watering lately.

I had these two small ferns that I plopped in this ironstone dish. My pee pot if you will. The two plastic pots fit in there well but they were suffering. Brown tips, new growth dying. Not pretty. So, I wanted to repot them but not directly in the dish since there was no drainage. If I'm not under watering I'm over watering. So, this is what I came up with.

A gallon milk jug cut off fit right in there. I cut some holes in the bottom for drainage and I was good to go for planting them together in hopes that they will be happier. They seem to be doing better.

I could not get to my bag of moss which is in the garage buried amongst all the aftermath from the bathroom build. We are still chugging along. I know you are wondering what the heck is taking so long. You and me both. Anyway, I found this bag of excelsior in the closet and just used that to hide the edges of the milk jug. I think I like it for Fall. It gives it a woodsy feel. Like the fern is going under the pines.

I also picked up two ivy plants to fill these pots that have been empty all summer. Well, longer then that. I killed the last ones in there. I'm going to try harder with these two. I swear. But even if I don't succeed I really feel that live plants are an inexpensive way to bring a little life into your room. Soften up some hard edges. They will definitely last longer then fresh flowers. That's not to say I won't buy myself flowers anymore. Oh I will.

These two are flanking the fireplace right now. But they can easily be moved around. I have a larger peace lily that is great for low light and does a good job at hiding cords. I also have a small african violet by my sink. I'm hoping I can get it to rebloom. I think I need to feed it. If anyone has any tips on these I'd love to hear them.

Are you a fan of real plants in your home? Or do you prefer the faux variety? 

Also, a big thank you to Debbie from Love of the Sea for all of the wonderful shells she sent me. So sweet of her. Stop by and take a look around her coastal inspired blog. She recently went to Sanibel Island and picked up all of these beautiful shells herself. Sanibel is a great place to go if you love shelling. Thanks so much Debbie. They fit so well in this ironstone piece.

Silver and White Treasures

Is everyone having a crazy week or is it just me? I can't believe it's September already. I am feeling quite behind on so many things so I'm trying to play catch up. I would like to thank my new followers for joining along. I really appreciate the time you all take to leave your comments. It means a lot to me.

I did take some time to hit an estate sale yesterday and came home with these two little gems.

I love these tall silver candy dishes. Of course you can put whatever you like in them. They look pretty with a floating flower in them. I really liked all the engraving on this one. I thought it was so pretty.

The bowl part was already pretty shiny. I just had to clean a few big black spots underneath. I didn't clean it a whole lot. I like it a bit tarnished looking.

This little tureen was so cute that I had to get it. I thought it would be good for gravies or cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. There was a big one too but it was priced a little high. I wish I had the time to go back today to get it at a discount.

I may try the recipe to brighten up ironstone on the ladle as it has some stains on the backside. Otherwise it was in good shape.


I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm hoping for some cooler weather soon. I can't seem to get in the mood to drag out my Fall stuff just yet. I don't want to let go of summer.

Linking up with:

Debbiedoos Garage Salen Party
Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Southern Hospitality's Today's Thrifty Treasures