Tag Archive | recycled

Friday’s Favorites: Numbers and Measures

Dec30
Measuring Up
Measuring Up Montage

The montage has a collection of a few of my favorite things. The jewelry pieces are just fun, with both new and old typewriter keys, and charms. The dog tags belonged to my mom’s dog when she was growing up, my dad won the medal in a model airplane contest for one of his own designs. Other images are my dad’s actual dog tags from WWII, coins (from my grandpa), a wooden nickel I got a Knot’s Berry Farm as a kid and more buttons.

Shown here is the bracelet close-up. I started with a very well loved, tape measure that belonged to my Grandmother. I paired it with grosgrain ribbon and a few buttons that I found at the thrift store. The small button at the right has my mom’s initials on it. When I found it I thought must save this for just the right project, I think that I did!

The first bracelet was found on eBay, it was made with vintage typewriter keys. The necklace is made from new two-hole beads, with typewriter symbols, that have been strung on a rayon cord. The last bracelet, is made from new charms, that are attached to a vintage chain bracelet.

Favorite collection of measuring devices

Numbers can be viewed differently by the way you present them, such as “I HAVE 5 weeds!”, or “I only have five weeds…”; vice versa: “I only have five roses…” or “I HAVE 5 roses!”… you get the point. Numbers can also relate to how much money you have, or how wide you are by the inches on the tape measure, or the accumulation of years that equal your life.

Measuring up can mean quite a few things as well. With New Year’s Eve looming, and resolution lists waiting to be written, for me it means gauging my accomplishments, successes and triumphs. Did I spend my time wisely, did I make a difference, did I contribute?

Whatever your answers are to these questions, I hope that you enjoy the days, hours, and minutes to come! Be happy creating or be happy creatively! Enjoy- Christen

Junky Funky Flowers

Jul20

Junky Funky Flowers

Junky Funky Flowers by Kevin and Christen Brown

I have been collecting pieces of this and that on “our walks” for years, and my husband dutifully will put these treasures in the pockets of his shorts until we get home, no matter how dirty or messy they may be. What a good guy!

He even carried the wood and metal umbrella that we now use in the garden, adorned with ribbons, to ward off the birds. He did draw the line with the crumpled rumpled bumper that I found, we had to come back with the truck for that.

It will take a trip around the neighborhood to collect enough bottle caps for one flower. My husband crimped the edges of each bottle cap, then poked a hole in the center with a nail and a hammer. I attached them with artistic wire and size 6 seed beads. Each one is backed with cardboard.

bottle cap flowers

bottle cap flowers

I stuck three vines of vintage glass leaves into the pot, that had belonged to Kevin’s grandmother. A few fuzzy bees also were included to fly around the flowers because they were kinda cute.

The tall vine is made from vintage stamen painted yellow and red. These are attached to a florist wire with millinery leaves along with vintage mercury beads left over from a Christmas garland. The shorter curved vines also have gold mercury glass beads, vintage nubby flowers and millinery leaves.

paper covered pot

paper covered pot

The flower pot was an old tin can that held stewed tomato’s. I bent it at the edges to form the sides, and for the first few days I left it this way. I had originally glued the hanger, which is a top from a soda pop can (also found on a walk), to the back of the tin can.

Kevin the Holder of Precious Junk

Kevin the Holder of Precious Junk

But alas, disaster struck when the glue didn’t stick and the whole thing fell off the nail on the wall!

So…. I decided to finish the pot with an old paper wrapper leftover from a raw sugar package. This I folded, trimmed and glued to form the correct shape. The hanger is now securely glued to the back of the pot with additional bits of paper and cardboard for stability.

Whew, all is right with the world, it is now much more secure and it looks better with the brown paper!

Happy treasure hunting, enjoy what you do and the time that you have to do it! Enjoy! ~Christen

Shabby’n Stitched- recycled cotton vest

May17

Shabby 'n Stitched Vest

Shabby ‘n Stitched Vest

This was a wonderful project to work on, just me, 12 colors of pearl cotton, a needle, a thimble, a pair of scissors, and about 75 hours of stitching.

I wish that I had had the for site to photograph this vest when it came in the mail. I bought it on ebay and the listing said that it was a shabby chic vest.

So I imagined that it was a little rough around the edges. The pictures were not clear, so I took a chance. When I opened the package I thought to myself, “Must ask for better pictures next time!”, as it was more than just a little rough.

The red cotton of the vest had either ripped or had been torn by more than a few rough washings, most of the satin stitch embroidery had unraveled, and many of the mirrors were broken. I had my work cut out for me, to save my $4.99 investment.

I picked through my embroidery thread stash, and found some colors that I thought would liven up the vest. I started to embroider, and really just had a great time enhancing someone else’s creative stitching.

I stitched right through the lining, not worrying about burying the stitches or knots. I plan to add additional lining to the front pieces (to hide my stitches on the wrong side), and add seam binding around the collar and center edges (as the raw edges are showing).

With a little bit of imagination, you can recycle creatively, and have fun while you are doing it.

Enjoy, and see you at the thrift store! ~Christen

Winter Symphony- French wire ribbon corsage and headdress

Apr21

Corsage and Headdress for Winter Symphony

Corsage and Headdress for Winter Symphony

Collaged Memories is a new category that I have added both to my blog and my web stite. It is dedicated to re-cycled, up-cycled and re-purposed creations. Winter Symphony is listed there.

This French wire ribbon worked ensemble was made to accessorise an embroidered silk shawl and purse, images below.

Both the headdress and corsage are made from 1″ and 1-1/2″ French wire ribbon with gold stamens for details. The headdress is stitched to a vintage millinery leaf, and wrapped floral wire. The corsage is backed with three leaves. I wore my hair in a bun at the back of my head, and the headdress fits on top and around it. The corsage I used to keep the shawl closed and around my shoulders.

The shawl and purse accessories were purchased separately, one on ebay the other at a thrift store. The embroidery and coloring were great but the colors needed some help to match the rest of my ensemble. I added in ribbon worked flowers and embroidered silk ribbon leaves on the shawl, using 3/8′ and 1/2″ ribbons with silk ribbon added in for the leaves. I added in ribbon work flowers on the purse, leaving the embroidered leaves and vines and beaded centers to show.

Happy Stitching! Christen

Winter Symphony Shawl

Winter Symphony Shawl

Winter Symphony Purse

Winter Symphony Purse