Monday, May 9, 2016

Primrose Birdie Framed Pretty

Howdy!  I got to spend some time crafting yesterday, and well, it was very good for my soul! {smile}  Crafting, sewing, baking, and pretty packaging - all make my soul happy!  I'm not quite sure why, but the whole process of 'creating' is what makes me shine.  {smile}   I hope that you know what truly makes you 'happy' and what fuels your inner peace.  And I know I am blessed to have the time, opportunity, and 'vision' to do these things.  
I picked up two white plastic frames from Ikea, about three years ago.  Both frames are 5" x 7".  One frame is rectangular and the other one is oval.  I knew that I loved the design, but wanted to 'do' something with them.  So they sat in my stash for a  l o n g  time.  At first, I thought that they needed some paint.  Ok, spray, chalk, what?  And do I do a distress technique, or faux metal, or dry brushing, or ????  The thoughts in my head swirled at all the possibilities.  Too many ideas, it made me nauseous.  So, I focused my attention on what to put in them.  And the possibilities were endless.  I tucked the frames away in a cabinet, and moved on.  
While in Phoenix, last month, I picked up some beautiful, and I do mean beautiful fabric.  Ridiculously priced.  But drop dead gorgeous!  I picked up three different materials from the Rachel Ashwell collection.  Three different textures, and weights, and three different prints.  
here is what I did with the rectangle photo frame:

Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Primrose Poplin Fabric
Recipe:  I added two pieces of blanket batting, and then one 6" x 8" piece of this beautiful shabby chic fabric!  (I washed and dried the fabric as soon as I got it home, from Phoenix.)  I didn't iron, or adhere the layers of fabric.  I wanted them to have that wrinkled, worn look to them.  
I added the only pale mint crochet doily I had in my stash.  [thank goodness, it is one of the larger ones I had.]  I tried rhinestone pendants, vintage brooches, and antique ribbon sliced.  Nothing looked 'right'.  So, I dung around in my Melissa Frances resin stash.  [I have too many pieces in this stash, as well.]  


At first I tried the bird cage, the nest, a door knocker, and then, I reached for the bird.  But it felt as though it was missing something under the branch.  I tried buttons, vintage brooches, rhinestone buttons, and then it occurred to me!  Add a door knob!  I tied 4 different ones, until I found this one! [and yes, I have a stash of door knobs - don't judge me {smile}]  *To keep the door knob from falling forward, I added two pieces of chip board to the back of this framed insert.  The screw goes through the chip board, batting, fabric and doily.  I did add some diamond glaze to the threads of the screw to help secure the door knob to the piece.  But the door knob was 'missing' something.   


I got it!  ribbon.  More specifically seam binding!  and I purchased a whole roll [yes, 125 yards, of this beautifully soft, pale, pink seam binding] while in Phoenix.  So, I made a triple bow.  I purposefully left the tails of the bow long.   I wanted them to hang over the photo space.  I wanted some bling.  I cut a 2" length from my rhinestone chain stash [I have a lot of stashes] and hot glued the rhinestones to the center of the bow.  And viola!
I am super happy with how this little project turned out.  Now, I need to start the oval frame.  {smile}
Thank you for stopping by.  I hope that I have inspired you to look at some ordinary items around your home with a 'new' eye.  Jazz-up some of those ordinary items, and make them work in your space.  This frame [along with it's other part of the pair] are to be hung in the hall bathroom.  I have decorated that space shabby chic, and very feminine.  As, I am the one who mostly uses it.  I wanted a pretty space.  {smile}


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