Final Class Gorgeousness

Our innaugural class could not have been more fun and fulfilling.  What an amazing group of creative women!  Thank you, guinea pigs!  Below are some of their fabulous creations, and stay tuned for the posting of the fall schedule.  It will feature some of the same projects, some brand new, and a multi-session class as well as several single-project classes.  We can't wait!

funky coasters made from a totally cool, really old book

Tom was not losing hope!

Action shot!  Wendy was so committed, she crafted with just one arm.

Gorgeous photo window

cool coasters using photos and stamps

beautiful coasters using decoupage paper

window minus glass plus fabric = gorgeous!

i am so pleased with the results of this fabric window.  the fact that the glass is missing is only because i wasn't as careful as i could have been when first trying to attach the fabric mats to the window.  in typical laurie fashion, i figured i could drink a glass of wine, watch house hunters and attach finishing nails to a window - all while surfing the internet. no shocker, i cracked a glass pane!  figuring that the whole thing shouldn't go to waste and because i loved the paint finish i worked hard on, i decided to soldier on.  with the help of Accomplice, i learned how to remove the glazing and all of the window's glass. then, because my first fabric panes were not as carefully measured as they could have been, i re-did each of them, this time being as exacting as possible and measuring each pane of glass. i attached the fabrics to mats i cut from a fed-ex shipping box (from Accomplice's home office) with some spray adhesive (my new best friend). then I used glazier's points to secure the mats to the window.  I strung a hanger on the back and ta-da! i lovely piece of art for above the bed. i love it!

get the lead out!

we are busy prepping for reclaimed crafts' debut next week and also scrubbing up some windows! because the windows are original to a house built in 1966, we have to assume there is lead paint on them.   this afternoon, out in the fresh air, we scrubbed these windows and scraped-off any loose paint or grout.  they are now drip drying and awaiting their new owner's inspired mind and artful eye.
now i just have to clean the lead paint chips off the driveway. hmm....

salvage window = photo frame

I finally completed my four over four pane salvage window project!  I'm really pleased with how it came out, and in the process, I learned what a glazier's point is, which seems like an important crafting milestone. 

This was a really fun project, made easier by other crafties who were kind enough to post their own projects and provide tutorials.  Check them out at Counter Space and The Pleated Poppy.

I especially love that the hardware is still attached:

chalkboard calendar from salvage window

I am on crafting fire.  I just finished the chalkboard calendar made from one of the salvaged four over four pane windows. 

It's a demo for class, so I did the stenciling in a variety of different ways.  I was concerned that stenciling directly on the pane wouldn't leave enough room to write on the pane, so first I abbreviated the day on the pane (see above), and then I stenciled on the frame below the pane:

If you look closely, you can see where the paint peeled away in the corners, a result of not removing the painter's tape in between coatings.  In order to make the window opaque, it took 5 layers of chalkboard paint, more than I expected. 

I was going to leave the frame unfinished wood, but then decided to lightly brush periwinkle blue paint over it, sanding after it dried to create an aged look. 

Finally, I affixed the Scrabble tile board to the lower left hand corner which provides a fun and convenient place to hold the chalk.  We also are thinking about using cute handmade burlap bags as well as short Ball jars to hold the chalk. 

Yay!

best score to date?

today my husband, who has declared that he is happy to be known as my accomplice (and therefore will be hereinafter so named), helped me with my best score to date: 44 paned windows! here's how it went down:


we were running up chesterfield road in leeds on the first truly gorgeous day of this spring. at the same time we spotted one terrific looking 4 over 4 wood paned window. (it helps to have a spouse who has the same trash-pickin' eye as you). we finished our run, jumped in the car, and went back to grab it. i decided to leave a note indicating that i would love more windows if more existed. later that day i got a call! i had a lovely conversation with a friendly gentleman asking me how many windows i needed. (that was an interesting question. to me the right question is: how many do i want? the answer is always the same: whatever you have.) he went on to tell me that he and his wife just replaced all the windows in their home and that i could come out to grab whatever he had on sunday, so long as i arrived before easter dinner. no problem. Accomplice and i made our way to leeds and here is what greeted us:

There are so many great ways to repurpose these windows, but one of my favorites is to use them as large photo frames.  I also love the idea of using chalkboard paint to turn a four over four pane window into a weekly calendar (with a bonus panel!) that would look great in a kitchen.