Twigs & other peoples trash

I bought these posts for $1 at a yard sale...

 And these dishes for $2 at an auction...

Repurposed, re-Loved!

I am inspired by many things.
But I have a special fondness for books. Old books, new books. . ALL kinds of books. I love turning a page and not knowing whether I will laugh, cry, be encouraged or convicted.
This was a gift I made for someone dear to me. I have made altered book projects before, but never one like this. I wanted it to be a more than just words in a book.
I wanted it to be a visual feast!
 I started with some of my favorite inspirations and my favorite quote and took the cover off an old book.
Next I fashioned 4 pages from cardboard

 

 The first page is Do Brave Things. As with most of my paper projects, I have a basic idea or feeling for the layout. But as I start playing with the paper and bits of ephemera, it takes on a life of its own

Dare to Dream

And something I need to be reminded of often. . . You are Loved

And the last page, Follow your Heart.

I hope you are inspired to find something old and make it new again!

Book pages - repurposed

 

Remember the old book pages I cut out of the last project . . . .I told you I had a plan for them. 

This was a super fun project as well as super easy. I made most of it while watching a movie.

Now, the hardest part is just trying to decide where it should go. . . .

{Retro redo}

 Having to start over without many means has had its fair share of challenges. 

One of which has been the lighting in a house without overhead lighting! So I have scoured garage sales and Goodwill looking for anything I could transform into something usable. 

When I brought home this $10 floor lamp/side table,

 GT looked at me like I had lost my mind! 

(bear in mind it was not black, it was an awful brown and bronze color. But I forgot to take a picture before Sabrina started painting it)

 I assured him I would make it something wonderful, and he would not recognize it as the piece of garbage he was currently staring at!

So Sabrina (aka. . my sidekick) cleaned it well and then painted the base the black you now see. 

GT had a great idea for the shade. He suggested we decoupage newspaper all over it. 

PERFECT! 

I just used regular modge podge and the sunday paper torn up. 

(can you see my lack of patience? I could not wait for the glue to dry before taking pics)

Easy ~ peasy. 

Then I glued ribbon and ric-rac around the base of the shade and the lamp base was finished off with some green ribbon around the bottom. And voila!

The black chair was also a yard sale score ~  $10