upcycle | My Gnome Little World

Posts Tagged ‘upcycle’

I Have a Super Power.

Posted: July 31, 2019 in Art, Cheapie Cheaps, Design, Found Items, Interior Design/Decorating, Picking, Upcycle
Tags: antique sales, estate sales, fleamarkets, Home Decor, midcentury modern, Picking, picking thrift stores, Refinish, upcycle, Upcycle art, update, vintage

Picking. Picking as in finding things for a way low price.

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My super power is Second Hand Picking.

Got this on a cross country trip where everything I could fit in a good size box was $1.00. Not one dollar for each piece, but $1.00 for the entire box of stuff!

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My #1 Back Up Super Power is Making Things/Art/Decor out of old stuff.

Like my belt art above.

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My #2 Back up Super Power is the ability to fix things up.

I buy low, fix it up, and then eventually sell it for a handful more.

This the Vintage Homecrest set was all just my Super Picking Power. The price was so low, I got it even though at the time I did not have room for it. I made room for it!

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Until I had to sell that too.

We move a lot. I use my Picking Powers to furnish yet another new place. Shine it Up, Fix It, Use it and then Sell it. I could make a living off of it, but we move too much.

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Ok, Some things I just pick because I think they are cool. I usually sell sooner or later before a move like at a yard sale, or the sometime Antique Fairs, or I have even been known to rent a booth in Antique Malls.

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We do have a home, so some stuff does get to live there, but this nice leather suitcase did not because we have enough vintage suitcases there.

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This would be one of my projects that I did not get to do. I also do projects to sell. Take a look see at a previous blog post about my Upcylced Bars: https://ourownbigworld.com/2018/11/28/a-bit-bar-cart-crazy/

All this one needed was paint. I even already paid my nieces to sand them!

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This was part of my set up at an Antique Market. I love stuff and glad I am not attached it all. All above sold, even those funky Clown Shoes!

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These two I saved from selling and they now have a FURever home in our Gnomad Pad.

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In our last place, this was my work room, a game room and where most of the stuff for sale lived. It has all moved on now, living a 3rd, 4th or 5th life.

The only Picking I do now is from the beach.

20190301_191149 Where we live, doesn’t have much for my Super 2nd Hand Picking Powers…so I am Relying on My Other Back Up Super Powers to Turn things like these into other stuff.

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If I figure it out, I will share with you.

Until then, thanks for visiting.

And just so you know, I get to pick a lot back where my Gnomade Pad is when we visit. So if you are looking for that something special, ask me and I will keep an eye out for it for you!

____________________________________________________________________________________________ Gnome

MAKE THE LITTLE ONES MAKE

Posted: October 8, 2017 in Crafts, How To, Picking
Tags: Chair Re-Upolstery, diy, Kid DIY, Kid Projects, Kids Crafts, KidsDIY, Re-Upholstery, Refinish, Refinish Chairs, Rehab, Rehab Chairs, upcycle, Upcycle Furniture, Upcycle projects, Upholstery

I’m a Hard Core Auntie because…

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I Encourage My Nieces and Nephews to Make! Okay, sometimes I Make them Make!

But not with cooking or Drawing!

This is my Mirror Identical Twin Nieces Drawing a Picture, Together, at the Same Exact Time.

Isn’t that cool? (PS…I did not teach them to cook or drawer, but I encourage it.)

I have taught them other Creative Things….

By way of Helping this Aunt Upcycle, Rehab and/or Fix!

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I got these old, Ratty, painted gold Chairs for Free. I thought this would make a Good Learning project for my Brother’s Kids!

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I was surprised, because ALL three, even the 15-year-old brother, got into it!

The took Apart the ratty seats with disintegrated Foam and weakened zig-zag Wire coils.

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And with the h=Help of Uncle, they Built the Seats back up Again!

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They Added Batting to the new foam, again, with the help of Uncle, and of course, Under my Direction. I was solely Only the Project Manager on This Remake!

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Then the new Upholstery was added to the fixed seats!

But we Were Not Done Yet!

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After a Full, but light Sanding, they spray painted the Chairs!

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When Dried, they Put the chairs all back Together again.

They were so Proud of Their own work!!

So Proud, I just Gave the Chairs to them to use at Home!

And their Creativity has not Stopped There!

My Brother was Gifted a box of old scratched up 45 Records.

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My 15-year-old Nephew was inspired by Them!

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He added Record Decor Along to his growing broken Skateboard Collection.

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He Came up with this on his Own and I am one Proud Aunt!

And his 12 years Sisters make this Upcycling Aunt Just as Proud!

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It started with a Curb Alert Free Stuff Pile where I got to Teach my Nieces Picking 101. Stop the Car. Get Out of the Car. Take a Real Close Look. My nieces Loved a couple of Wood Boxes in the Pile. And Of course I eyed a Mid Century-ish Metal Stand or Table Base.

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They put the wire table together with one of the wood boxes and made a table.

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Then they added a Lower Shelf! Now they have a Bedroom Side Table that Holds their Pet Rat’s, Ink Spot and Einstein, Cage.

And Speaking of Ink Spot and Einstein…

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The Twins looked up Online How to Make a Rat Cage Hammock and They Made one All on Their Own.

Look Close at the Stitching…Isn’t that so Cute.

Then there was this…

We Took her Camping and she Whittled a little Man and then added the Moss Hair.

Her Idea and Her Work.

I Love seeing the Creativity Grow in Young People and am Fortunate to be Able to see it First Hand in Some of my Nieces and Nephews. I can’t wait until my next project with them!

Also, I Feel my Very Own Creating Mode Coming Up. So, Stay Tuned for my Next Creative Blog!

Thanks for Visiting and Do Please Come Again!

Gnome

MY HANG UPS

Posted: September 28, 2017 in Art, Crafts, Design, Interior Design/Decorating, Upcycle
Tags: art, ARTS AND CRAFTS, coat racks, craft, Design, diy, fence boards, hang ups, hanging racks, hat racks, homemade, jewelry rack, old fence board projects, primitive, upcycle, Upcycle art, Upcycle Decor, Upcycle projects

We moved closer to the In-laws and I developed a hang up for a pile of old fence boards that have sat on their side yard for ever.

I finally got brave and asked if I could have some and then My Big Hang Up Started.

Okay it started with this…

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I picked up this cool piece of wood and then made this necklace holder from it over a year ago

I make art from old leather belts, so I have a lot of belt buckles hanging around.

And then I made this out of the other half of the wood. Rack4 (2).jpg

I realized I like making hanging racks out of interesting and unusual bits and pieces. Although hard to tell between my cool old kitchen gadgets, the rack is made from old metal water facet knobs and big butterfly screws.

So once I had the fence boards…The Hand Ups Began! I started to dig around in my widgets, gadgets, screws, hooks and thingies.

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I went first to my mass amount of belt buckles and made a couple of my mini necklace holders.

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I have been noticing mermaids a lot lately because my older sister who was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer last year loves them. So, I have mermaids around and made this beachy themed key and coat rack.

I dug deep and found these huge screw things with a nuclear-ish symbol on the ends. I loved them and finally found a project for them! They would make great “hooks” for a coat/jewelry rack!

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I had more wood but was running out of ideas, so one day I really dug through my stuff and I did not even know I had these little red hooks. I love the bright color against the awesome worn wood grain.

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This one makes a Great Industrial Chic Necklace holder!

I ventured out from just making racks, I made some signs too.

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Vintage and Ready for Sale. Original Handmade Art Things made from Vintage Stuff!

Easy to Make your Own and Easier to Buy from Me!

My Favorite sign is the one I made for my brother for sales we do together.

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I Introduced my brother to the old fence board and now he has his own line of cool things. Come to one of our sales!

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I hope to open up an online store again soon too. So you can shop directly from the comfort of you home!

Thanks for visiting and Come Again!

Gnome

TUBES/TINS/TUBS of LOVE

Posted: January 10, 2016 in Upcycle
Tags: artist, arts, ARTS AND CRAFTS, chicago homeless, chicago loop, crafts, creative, diy, DIY Art, doing good, giving, helping, helping others, homeless, homelessness, recycle, sharing, the loop chicago, upcycle, volunteering

From TubesLove

It all Started with the above tins that my Friend sent me.

You see, many years ago I turned tiny tins into nicely decorated pills boxes for all my girlfriends. I used to make small Christmas gifts for most of my friends every year. I guess she thought I could do something with her collection.

I had recently moved right into the inner city of Chicago. Along with the Skyscrapers, great views, museums and awesome restaurants there are also people down on their luck. I had not been in a living situation in a long time were I saw people who were homeless, out of work and/or sick asking for money in my neighborhood, every day, every where I walk. My heart was breaking for them.

I came up with the idea to use the tins to decorate and insert some money and small things for these people, my TINS of LOVE! Then I realized they were way too small for what I wanted to do.

From TubesLove

I was saving Toilet Paper Rolls for Art projects. When I realized the tins were too small, I looked at a roll one day and thought this size would be better, my TUBES of LOVE!

From TubesLove

The plan was to start handing them out right before Christmas and throughout the winter for as long as I had supplies.

I had already been collecting 1 dollar bills and quarters to put in my TUBES of LOVE. I told a few friends and family about my plan. My Mother Inlaw, who collects a lot of stuff, sent me a box of stuff to stuff in my TUBES of LOVE! I also bought big multi-packs of gum.

From TubesLove

After Halloween, I collected leftover single wrapped candy from my neighbors and bought bags on sale for the TUBES of LOVE, for a bit of fun.

From TubesLove

I made a list of all Shelters, Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens and Warming Centers in Chicago for each one of my TUBES of LOVE.

From TubesLove

On the Sheet of Paper, I wrote a Note.

From TubesLove

I thought of items besides the money and candy, and thought soap and aspirin could be helpful. I had some hotel soaps and shampoos. The little bars of soap were too big, so I started to cut them down to a size that would fit, wrapped them in clear cellophane and labeled them.

From TubesLove

I also divided a large bottle of acetaminophen into packs of 6-8 pills each too.

From TubesLove

I had to cut the sheets of info down to fit better inside the tubes.

From TubesLove

The plan was to roll it all up and then stuff it in the TP Roll/Tube! Yes, All of the below would fit into One TUBE!

From TubesLove

I started with rolling the items up in a dollar bill.

From TubesLove

Then I would roll that up with candy on each end in the folded in inforamtion Sheet.

From TubesLove

Easy Peasy!

From TubesLove

It all Fit Perfectly!

From TubesLove

But just so stuff would not fall out when it was opened, I put a small piece of tape at both ends.

From TubesLove

After I stuffed around 30 Tubes, I then decorated each TUBE of LOVE.

From TubesLove

Just Basic Decorating, as I was going to Wrap them as well.

From TubesLove

First Round of TUBES of LOVE Ready to be Wrapped!

From TubesLove

Fun and Light-Hearted. Literally, there are little hearts on them!

From TubesLove

Stuffed with Love!

From TubesLove

Part of the Idea for TUBES of LOVE is Recycle / Upcycle. So along with all the other items I saved, I also saved paper bags. I cut the bags up to lay out flat. I painted it all

From TubesLove

I had 2 sessions of fun using paint and markers.

From TubesLove

I wrapped them “candy” style using string at each end. The First Batch was Done!

From TubesLove

They were all handed out before we left town to have Christmas with out family. During the time away I got my nephew and nieces involved with making more TUBES of LOVE! We also handed some out in Sacramento, CA, where they live. The rest I brought back to Chicago with me. Below is two of the TUBES of LOVE my twin nieces Stuffed, Wrapped and Decorated.

From TubesLove

I received 3 boxes of supplies from friends and family! I was overwhelmed and very happy. After exploration of these boxes, I realized many of the items were over-sized for the TUBES of LOVE.

From TubesLove

So I went bigger, Bigger TINS, that is! It all started with tiny tins and now I was back to tins, but bigger and better! I went to the Salvation Army Outlet Store here in Chicago. I bought Tins, and Socks as I learned they were highly needed. The women checking me out, actually gave me a better deal on the items after she heard about my TINS of LOVE project.

From TubesLove

So Much More Love Stuffing! The tins I used would vary in size, but I do not want to go too big as I need carry them as I give them out.

From TubesLove

I still decorated the TINS of LOVE like I did for the TUBES of LOVE, but since many of the TINS were already nicely decorated, I now do less decorating and more stuffing!

From TubesLove

At Top of the Above Photo, on the right and left, you will see TUBS of LOVE. Yes, I have expanded to using Plastic Tubs/Containers/Jars as well. Happy to recycle/upcycle as much as I can!

The TINS of LOVE above are my current batch. I am down to just a few more as I handed some out the other day.

I have supplies to make more, but I need more containers! I will do another batch of TUBES of LOVE before I get more TINS/TUBS. I am going to Cleveland soon and will see if I can give away some of the TUBES of LOVE there.

From TubesLove

I will hand them out for the rest of Winter or until my supplies run out.

If you have any questions on how you can do this as well, please comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Or if you want to donate any stuffing items to my TUBES/TINS/TUBS of LOVE Project, please comment as well and leave your email address for private communications.

By Education, I am a Recreational Therapist. I have worked with Youth a lot in this position and my favorite activities were art related, if I could include a lesson that made the project even better. I would love to do this project with more Children. I can volunteer with programs within Chicago if you would like me to lead this project at your program!

Thank you and I hope you Enjoyed this project of mine!

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BELTS AREN’T JUST FOR PANTS ANYMORE!

Posted: August 14, 2015 in Art
Tags: Buckle Art, DIY Arts, DIY Crafts, DIY Decor, DIY Toilet Paper Rolls, DIY TP, DIY TP Rolls, Leather, leather belts, Old Leather Belts, TP Art, Upcyc, upcycle, Upcycle art, Upcycle Buckles, Upcycle Container, upcycle crafts, upcycle home decor, Upcycle Old Leather Belts, Upcycle projects, Upcycle Storage, Upcycle Wall Art, Upcycle Wall Decor

If You Have Seen Any of my Other Posts, You May Know I Like using Od Leather Belts in some of my Projects.

DON’T MAKE ME TAKE MY BELT OFF!

And

BELT CHAIR

Well, I have Not Stopped. Actually, I have bumped it up some.

We moved from a house in rural Georgia to a tiny apartment in the Loop in Downtown Chicago. I could not bring many craft or art supplies. I grabbed what I could, and that was belts.

From NecklaceHolder

You can Take me Away from All my Supplies, but You can’t Take Crafting Away from Me!

We Moved into said Tiny Apartment with No Art or Decor on the Walls.

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What is a Craftsy Artsy Girl to Do? Make her own Decor and Wall Art Pieces!

And All I Had Was Belts! So Belts I Used!

From NecklaceHolder

There are the Buckets for my Jewelry!

From NecklaceHolder

And the Bathroom Cotton Ball Bucket!

From NecklaceHolder

But all These Buckets Did not Help Decorate My Walls.

So, I had to Up My Belting Game!

From NecklaceHolder

Bam! Belt Art!

The Above One for the Living Room.

From NecklaceHolder

And This One for the Grey, White and Black Bathroom!

Oh yea…I Was on an Old Leather Belt Art Hot Streak.

So Don’t Stop Me Now Lord!

From 104D5100

I Needed something More Flowing and Organic-like to hide the spread out holes in the Wall.

I Put my Mind to the Test and This is what My Mind Did…
With the Help of some Recyclables!

From NecklaceHolder

Two Belts and Cut Up Toilet Paper Rolls!

From 103D5100

My husband LOVES this one. I Love the Other Two Wall Pieces.

And I am Not Done There.

Yes, More Belt Decor!

From NecklaceHolder

This One Has a Purpose!

From NecklaceHolder

One Day I Got Sick and Tired of My Knotted Tangled Up Necklaces.

I Had the Wood Board already, but Could not Find the Right Hooks, that Weren’t Hooks.

From NecklaceHolder

And Then It Came to Me! BUCKLES!

I Have Lots and Lots of Buckles!

From NecklaceHolder

My Necklace Problem is Solved.

And I No Longer have a Blank Bedroom Wall!

From NecklaceHolder

Although It Seems like we are Crowded with Belt Decor…it is Spread Out enough Not to be Overwhelming.

This is Now how the Couch area Looks, Minus the End Tables and Lamps that have been Added!

From 104D5100

Not a Belt to Be Seen!

Mind You Guests do Not Miss the Old Leather Belt Theme We Got Going On Up in Here!

Wait!
I am not Done with My Leather Belt Upcylcing Art Extravaganza! No, I Am Not.

There were Bits and Pieces of leather Belt that I Did not Want to Waste…
So Here Is What I Did with Them!

From NecklaceHolder

Yes, Greeting Cards. The Above is My Dot Dot Dot Collection.

From NecklaceHolder

And That is My Dash Collection of Greeting Cards.

And with that, I will Now Sign off…
But Before I Go, I Must Inform You that All of This is For Sale.
And If Anything Above is Not on my Etsy Shop Yet, Just Let Me Know!

OUR OWN BIG WORLD!

Good Day to You.
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HOW WE MAKE A HOUSE A HOME…OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

Posted: April 30, 2014 in Design, Interior Design/Decorating
Tags: antiques, art, crafts, Decor, Decorating, Farmhouse chic, front porch, Home Decor, Home Decorating, interior design, junk, mid century, mid century modern, recycle, Shabby Chic, southern porch, upcycle, vintage, Vintage Decor

The GNOME SHACK!

It is a pick storage unit, a craft in action, a never-ending evolving gallery…

BUT MOST OF ALL IT IS OUR HOME FOR NOW!

From GnomeShackPorch

WELCOME!

Something that many do not know…

Is when we move, we move with just a limited amount of stuff.

So I pick, thrift, yard sale, flea market, estate sale & auction to make a new place our home.

Photo Details:
1) Picked the pallet the The Hub never took apart…so went through scattered pickings and ended up with the idea of the tar sap cups flower pockets!
2) Picked the galvanized gas can which holds the locally made wood Sweet Vidalia Onion!

Since we have not gone in yet…
Let’s check out my now Beloved Southern Front Porch…
Gnome Shack Style!

From GnomeShackPorch

Inviting, eh?
And we are not even inside!

Photo Details:
1) Retro Orange Pretzel Tin Can…it travels with us…for now!
2) Got the awesome never been used 1970 hammock at an Estate Sale in Savannah!

From GnomeShackPorch

The Porch Conversation Area!

Photo Details:
1) Got the Porch Swing at the Peaches to Beaches 700 Mile Yard Sale and then painted it!
2) I bought 4 ladder back chairs with very damaged seats and came up with this design for what I love to call my “Porch Lounger”.
3) A 75 Cent Table that I decoupaged and painted!

Now, Let’s Go Inside!

From GnomeShack

The Front Siting Room, Which Doubles as a Guest Room!

Our place is small!

Photo Details:
1) Couch was bought at a Savannah Estate Sale.
2) Retro Folding Chairs Travel with us as well as vintage wood/metal boxes
3) My painted framed photography also travels with us…for now.
4) Most on mantel is for sale, except Gnomes!

We do not have an official entry way/foyer, so I had to make one!

From GnomeShack

And here it is!

Photo Details:
1) Coat Rack I made from pallet board and thrift knobs.
2) Thrift store Mid Century Shelf turned Shoe Rack.
3) A Men’s valet for keys and extra coats recently bought at a flea market.
4) Sandal bin is vintage enamel pan recently bought at a yard sale.

Two More Views of the Front Sitting Room!

From GnomeShack

Vignette Areas…
Or More like Picking Storage Spots!

Photo Details:
1) Vintage suitcase Valet turned side table with painted glass frame turned tray!
2) Picked Very Rustic Wood stool, Thrifted Mid Century Clock & Junk Store found Antique Chimney Screen!

To the Left of this Sitting Room is our Bedroom.

From GnomeShack

And there it is!

Okay, it is also a bike, craft, arts and tool supply storage area!

Photo Details:
1) Suitcase night stands and stairs for old cat to get into bed are also used for storage.
2) I recently bought the missing drawer dresser on the cheap, repainted and such, and there you have it.
3) Mid Century Shadow Box / Bar Mirror for my pretty up area.
4) Lights over dresser are yard sale found trouble/mechanic lights.
5) Circle Art are Yard sale found Needlepoint hoops with some material scrapes and some material I personally designed!
6) Tool, Arts & Crafts Supply Shelf bought at a Yard Sale.
7) I made the Hat Rack out of Pallet Board and Thrift store Knobs

Now Back into the Front Sitting Room! You can go straight through it to get to the Dining area of the very large Kitchen.

From GnomeShack

I’m realizing it is very mid-century in there!

Photo Details:

1) Table we brought, but will probably sell before we leave.
2) Tension Pole Light in corner is very much for sale.
3) Shelves on both sides are filled with picked decor pieces, photos, kitchen supplies and a bar supplies.
4) Beloved Step Stool was picked in a junk shop.
5) Art on wall was picked recently and for sale!

Through the dinning area is the kitchen!

From GnomeShack

The Kitchen Side of the Huge Room.

Photo Details:
1) Yes I have vintage hand strainers as wall decor and canvas carpenter bags as recycle bins!

From GnomeShack

The Main Kitchen Corner!

Photo Details:

1) I made a light out of a dog chain, a vintage soda shop glass crate, a colander and an Ikea light fixture.
2) The decor on top of the fridge is part of my picked galvanized metal collection.
3) And counter storage is in vintage tin colanders!

From GnomeShack

The Other Side of the Huge Kitchen is the Laundry Room!

Photo Details:
1) Old gas stove burner grates for wall decor!

Through the middle of the Large Eat In Kitchen is the Family Room!

From GnomeShack

View from the Door…this is where we spend most of our time at home!

From GnomeShack

View from the side with Wall of Windows.

From GnomeShack

Big Overstuffed Chair The Hub has had for, maybe, 15 or more years!

Still Comfy!

From GnomeShack

The Rest of the Family Room!

Photo Details:
1) Wall Decor Over Couch is a piece of old factory life. It states the days that has gone by without any accidents. The numbers can be changed on the back. Picked this as a gift for The Hub…who is a safety freak.
2) Other Wall Art is My Photography.
3) Cat Throne is vintage blue suitcases, an old moving blanket stuffed into the top one and a vintage piece of chenille bedspread covering to make it pretty! And yes, that is our 18-year-old cat asleep, wheezing, snoring away on it!
4) The desk is an old chrome and Formica table yard sale pick!
5) Round Table picked at a Junk shop.
6) Side table are part of my old wood food box collection!
7) Wood piece in corner is the bottom of a mid-century coffee table!

Almost Done Touring The Gnome Shack!

From GnomeShack

The Tiny White Bath!

From GnomeShack

And the very stained sink!

But this little room holds some of my favorite pieces!

Photo Details:
1) To left of toilet is a vintage galvanized metal miners milk can recently picked
2) To the Right is vintage adult and child’s enamel chamber pots.
3) Under the sink is an antique maple sapping bucket with a recently picked stool and metal box that I have had for maybe 20 years.
4) There are curtains on the wall close to the sink, not because there is a window, but a door. In renovating, I guess they forgot to take the door out!

That is the Gnome Shack!

It is home for now.

I used to say, “Home is where my Backpack is”
But now Home is where The Hub and His 18 Year Old Cat is.

All the things…
Are just ships passing us in the night.

We help it all find it’s forever home…
If we did not adopt it ourselves!

If you are interested in buying anything you have seen in this post or are interested to see what I do have for sale,
Please Visit My Online Shop…

OUR OWN BIG WORLD!

If you can not find an item in the photos that you are interested in buying, please comment below and I will get back to as fast as I can.

Thank you for visiting OUR OWN BIG WORLD…

We Hope You Like it Here!

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OLD SHACK STALKING

Posted: January 30, 2014 in Art
Tags: antique wood, country side photos, farm antiques, farm photos, farmhouse chic photos, french country photos, old barn photos, OLD BARNS, old wood, photography, primitive, primitive antiques, reclaimed wood, reclaimed wood upcycle, shabby chic photos, upcycle

I recently move to South East Georgia…

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