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An artist, an engineer, and a home in the Blue Ridge
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Images from our Days
my Blog
Sponged & Spattered, Chalk Painted Steps
We've dressed up our old steps with two shades of brown chalk paint together, with fresh white risers.
You won't believe how poor these steps looked before this makeover!
Sponge painting can be tricky, but with our tips you can reproduce this elegant, understated — and practical — paint effect.
Preserving Cattails for Autumn Decor
Join us on a walk in the country hunting the perfect cattail.
VIDEO LINK
No-Dig, No-Mess,
LampPosts for a Bridge Garden
VIDEO LINK
Easy DIY Leaded Glass Mirror with Metal Tape
We've added a mirror over the window on the stone porch. We used the same Pebeo Vitrail lead tape used on the window below, and it was easy!
The final look was beyond everything we hoped. Super pretty!
Check out our photos and a step-by-step of how we made this mirror project, here.
We truly love this product and are giving away a free roll, a $30 value on our YouTube Channel. Jump to the post about that here.
Make an Indoor-Outdoor Window Hutch
As we worked on this window, adding lead strips, shelves, and styling inside and out, we realized how well it would work as an outside hutch … and how hutches could be made back-to-back … inside AND out! Read the post here —
Now we are searching for the perfect base that will allow us to see the stone wall, if possible. Something like this:
For lots of tips on making an indoor/outdoor window hutch, see our video here:
VIDEO LINK
Easy Leaded Glass with Metal Tape!
VIDEO LINK
Birdbath and Garden Ornaments with Real Lace
As sweet as icing sugar, this birdbath is tough enough to stay out in the garden!
We used real crochet cotton lace and our own tinted wax formula to make it.
We hope you'll click the thumb icon on our YouTube channel. You don't want to miss the gnome's upcoming makeover!
VIDEO LINK
Shortcut to a Fairy Tale Bridge
We've started a bridge garden and here's how it look so far …
Eight feet long and raised on a sturdy bed of cement pavers, it's hard to believe the bridge project began as a cast-off futon!
VIDEO LINK
Labels of Vintage Textiles for a Sweet, Unique Pantry!
Here are a few new original ideas for using vintage textiles, hankies, artist chalks, chalk paint products … and more.
DIY Indoor Green Salad Garden with LED Lights
VIDEO LINK
We'd started this garden just a few months before the 2020 Pandemic, thank goodness!
We grow 3-4 fabulous cups of salad each day in a dark corner of our basement!
We share our favorite equipment sources and how to's —here—.
Easy Waterproof Rustic Basket DIY
Make this basket for your garden or porch and leave it outside in any weather …
… we made ours while watching Outlander …
Looking like a basket from Lallybroch …
… but with lots of secrets that will keep it looking good in all sorts of weather, AND help keep mice away too!
Check out the video here …
VIDEO LINK
Special Savings Today Only! Click for the deal of the day!
Make Gingerbread Trim from Kid's Blocks!
This project was child's play with toy blocks, brackets, and a finial that looks like a juice extractor. See how we made this entry into a beautiful part of our stone porch, here.
VIDEO LINK
Our Amazing Bark Textured Flower Boxes made with Caulk
VIDEO LINK
Look how we upcycled our bland flower boxes with caulk and a plastic fork. This craft, also called Faux Bois in France, looks like realistic bark but is durable and easy to do.
We made a total of three of these wonderful rustic boxes. We used chalk paint and wood ash to finish the surface. Here's how …
Foxglove and Strawberry Season were Sublime!
How to make Victorian-Style Gingerbread Fretwork, from New Materials
VIDEO LINK
The photo essay step-by-step is here.
Our New Seed Box Project is Here!
We made our antique-reproduction seed case with a cast-off cigar box and a collage made from copies of vintage seed catalogs. You can make a similar box using our free graphics, an unfinished box, or a similar size cigar box.
Get your graphics here. Read how to make this project here.
DIY Wall Decor with Playing Cards
This is an easy project! You will be amazed at the variety of playing cards in the world. There's something for everyone, and every room.
Glue cards to paper and frame them for quick wall decor.
Cards are collectible and very affordable. They also are beautiful!
Rescuing Chippy Wicker with an Easy Wax Paint Formula
What is wax paint? It's a 50/50 blend of chalk or acrylic paint with Waverly Liquid Clear Wax. It will lock down chipping paint and make a durable, colorful finish on the most forlorn wicker. We should know … look how this chair started:
We used a toothbrush to get into all those crevices and it made the process fast!
Buy our Waverly Chalk Paint Colors here:
Bringing New Life to a Stove,
Mantel, and Hearth
You'll be so surprised when you see how this fireplace
wall looked when we first bought this old house.
Paint made all the difference. See how we painted this
fireplace wall, mantel, hearth, and even the stove!
Read more.
Faux Marble on a Concrete Floor
This was a dismal corner of our basement,
once upon a time!
But with our faux marble tiles, we're dreaming of a wine
cellar, a plant nursery, a media room … the possibilities
are many! Click here for the story.
Faux bricks: a makeover on
concrete walls
This corner was a dull gray stamped concrete, but now is a
warm workspace we will love to use this year.
… and the concrete floor! Both were a dull moon gray.
We're loving the industrial chic effect.
Here's how we did this
faux finish with a roller and some paint brushes.
We'll be posting about the faux marble floor soon!
Faux brick and mural at the old house studio.
VIDEO LINK
DIY Rust Patina with Wood Ash Paint
We made this amazing rust finish with
wood ashes and paint! This is an original formula we
developed after years of trying to create rust with paint alone.
Visit Our Archives for More Project Ideas
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