Quick Fix ~ Quick Post ~ Twig 'N Vine Window Treatment "How To"!

Here on Cape Cod, we are bracing for an uninvited guest...His name is Earl (Wayne calls him "The Duke of Earl"). This means potential victims of this force of nature, will have to go around to all their properties, picking up and storing anything that could become a potential projectile....Tediously annoying!!!!

However in doing just that, I found some great twigs graciously dropped from my favorite tree, just perfect for creating my shop's, back bedroom window treatment. Now that I have sold the pink and green dresser (slotted for pick-up after the storm), my vision for this bedroom will have to be adjusted slightly. But, there is good news! This window dressing will go with all my ideas!

Here's a quick "How To"!

Gather and wire twigs together that measure slightly beyond the window on either side.

This is a close-up of the wiring. Notice that I wired an additional branch on the right side for balance.

Next, I added this floral garland that I had from the other shop.



Before I added the lights, I hung these curtains. Actually, if I had been that good a planner, I would have hung the curtains before putting everything else up. When I stood back, I thought the window needed something to mask the fact that I didn't want to paint the window at this time. So, I opted to hang four panels so that I would have the option of changing how I tied them back. Then, I wove the lights in and out of the twigs and vines. I am very careful to intertwine the lights so that the wires are nicely hidden. Why don't I put the lights on first, you ask? Well, trust me when I say that you will regret not doing it this way, if and when your lights burn out!

As you can see here, I have made tie backs from sections of garland.

And here you have it! All tied back and lit up. Notice from the picture that all the lights are within the vines and not straggling down the side.

Here's the trick. Get a short extension cord and using cup hooks, lead the cord up to the top. This way your lights are where they are supposed to be.

So, we have softened a harsh look and since there isn't any overhead lighting in this room, we have solved a lighting problem (especially since, all too soon, it will be dark at 4:00 pm) and added ambiance to the room!

It's just started to rain (sigh)! Time to go to the shop, work on some furniture, and hope for some customers. If people aren't fleeing the Cape, I am sure they will be buying up supplies at Stop and Shop. I'm probably the last stop on the list, but one can hope!

To answer some of my commenting bloggers...Yes, I will be posting some furniture painting tips in the near future. So! I'm off to work, with camera in hand, sending out wishes for safety and happiness to all!

Pieces of Dreams

...And, I Leave You With the Romance of Pink and Green

Well, for some reason I had to do my text this way. I still don't always get everything about uploading my pictures. I also don't do the thinking backwards thing very well. Maybe that's why I didn't have much success with water color. Anyway, thanks for spending all this time with me. Wayne was opened today, so I have been back here with you, sharing the memories of my Brewster shop and planning a new look for spring.

Above is a picture of the back room. It's done in Benjamin Moore's "Dried Parsley", which I am very pleased to say, compliments every color...It makes decorating and displaying a breeze.


Let me introduce you to this lovely young lady...I present to you, Miss Marshmallow! This was one of my most favorite finds. We went to an estate sale and found her in the basement art studio. She belonged to a lady that specialized in hand painted china. Miss Marshmallow was an actual classmate of the artist. The photo was blown up to poster size, mounted on a custom cut board, and enhanced with a hand painted dress and marshmallows. She's just so much fun! I hope the new owner treasures her magic for making people smile!


This is a close-up of our contest winner!



As we continue on, we go down a short hallway into the bedroom.


My store display used to end with a decorated door at the end of the hallway. The bedroom was used for storage and as an additional area for me to fix things up. When I needed a quick bedroom for an impromptu guest, we quickly fixed up the room, complete with a brand new mattress and bedding. After our guests left, we opened it up as an additional room for display. It's funny. People always say they want to take a nap in there. One time I went in there and I saw an imprint on the bed! (I knew they were in there a long time!)

As time went by, things continued to change in the bedroom, just like the rest of the store. And, as time went by, others stayed in the room as a guest, when we needed to handle an over flow of visitors. My brother stayed in here once and said he didn't need a TV because he enjoyed reading my tags..."Lovely black painted table....Wonderful walnut bed...Charming reverse painted mirror", etc. He told me I should rename the shop, "The Lovely Shop", because most of my tags say, "Lovely"!


Close up of something "Lovely".




Ahh! Pink and Green...Makes my heart sing!

When I got back to being able to hand paint, I added this chair to the pink and green bedroom.

Close up of the back of the chair with the roses and plaid ribbon.

And we finish with a close up of the back of the chair.

So we end our tour with shades of pink, green and the romantic feeling these ribbons, roses and colors leave you with.

Thank you for joining me...We'll see you next time!

Pieces of Dreams

Oh, Hello! Would You Like to Come In?

Welcome! Welcome! For those of you who have followed along, you have seen the beginning transformation of "Karen's Garden Cottage Antiques", from the outside. You also might know that I am recovering from surgery and am taking this time to play "catch up", so that when I am on the go again, the updates will be timely. (Let's hope for an "all clear" on March 30th)...Then we can really get down to business!

I really miss my shop, but should be thankful that the timing is right for being "hold up" in the house. I've been able to snuggle in, catch up on things, finish crocheting intricate doilies and fillet crochet (which were projects I started and put down, due to becoming busy with work), avoid the damp cold, and enjoy the pretty snow without experiencing some of the hastles it undoubtedly brings. Wayne has treated me like a queen, as Boo Boo Kitty lays at or on my feet to make sure I don't go any where. (He's been cuddled and kissed so much, I feel like we are having an affair!)

So, here's a little blog by blog tour, starting with the front room and some of our beginning inventory. For me, the challenge is not only making creative use out of what we find, but displaying it in an effective and creative manner. It's a never ending process. In the beginning, when I would get a vignette just so and someone would buy something from it, I would get sad and happy at the same time....Oh, alright! I would get annoyed and even tried to talk someone out of something once, because I had just gotten it set up about 10 minutes before. Wayne would always say, "These aren't your things! Enjoy the hunt!"

Hope you enjoy our beginning! (Remember to click on the pictures to get a better view!)

All this came from one house call and two yard sales. We had just gotten the front room done, moved these things in, placed them around (you should have seen me doing that! "Should we put it here? Or, should we put it there?) I was so excited! I gathered twigs from a tree we have to start the window treatment, found this wonderful table (which I later sold for $600.00) and fell in love with the flow blue platter and vintage rose water color. Come to think of it, everything in this picture is gone...I miss the clock...Its chime reminded me of my home in TN.

Since I spent all my days working on the rooms and treasure hunting, I didn't have any time to hand paint my furniture. I was able to do this piece and it ended up in my Dad and Amy's bathroom! They let me keep it displayed in the shop for a while as an example of my work. I refer to the design as "Amy's Berries and Vines".

Close up of top. The body is "ragged on" (not off) to give it a nice textured background.

I wish I had the before picture of this piece because it was quite the challenge.

Since I painted the scrolls on these doors off the cabinet, I got such a pleasant surprise when I attached the doors, stood back, and saw what they looked like put together.

Well, we hunted, gathered and created. With the window treatment complete, created from several floral vines I had to take apart and put together so the colors would come out in the right order (pink, blue, and yellow), twigs from the outside curly tree, mini lights and three single crepe sheer panels ($6.99 per panel), we were ready for opening day.

The vintage wicker in this picture came from the porch of the famous Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham, MA. The painting above the fireplace was part of a trade Wayne made with one of his customers. He had it on the outside of his shop, leaning against the Antique truck he has in his parking lot. It's painted on board and silk. You never know what I am going to find out there when I come home!

In celebration of our opening, someone was nice enough to donate this vintage wedding dress to my shop. So, as we turn the corner, my next blog will continue with your tour!

I hope you all enjoyed coming in...I enjoy having you! So please, stay and visit for a while!

Pieces of Dreams