My Creative Blog [Search results for on my workbench] 

I'm typically a traditional Fall colors girl, as you might remember from my fancy mantle (seen here), but this year my autumn color-loving self has been tempted by the hues of a different kind of pumpkin: heirlooms! These gorgeous, antique-looking pumpkins have seeds that have been around for hundreds of years, but are making a big comeback in Fall decor! They come in a variety of colors, but are mainly in muted grays, blues, greens and white. These babies are not cheap, but apparently, are absolutely delicious to use in cooking/baking, so you can decorate with them and then eat them. Big bang for your buck.: ) (That's what I tell my hubs, anyway)

Heirloom Pumpkins

Source: theinspiredroom.net via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: thenester.com via Jessica on Pinterest
The Nester used them on her mantle and, of course, they look amazing. Can I just say that I love the Nester and her design motto: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful? Just sayin'.

Source: hollymathisinteriors.com via Jessica on Pinterest
Gorgeous eye candy for the heirloom pumpkin-lover that I am.

Source: poetichome.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: twentysomethingtransue.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Source: susieharrisblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest
If you're too cheap frugal to buy heirloom pumpkins, you can make your own that will last forever using this tutorial. Pretty convincing and super cute.
I was so inspired by these photos, that I went out and bought my own to use in my entryway. Would you believe it if I told you that I bought mine at Home Depot? Well, I did. They were $8.00 a pop, but honestly, my life wouldn't have been complete without them (ok, I'll admit that that's a bit of an overstatement, but my hubs will tell you that once I get something in my head, I'm pretty darn annoying about it until I have it/do something about it.)

I only sprung for two heirloom pumpkins, but I love the character and colors they add to the little workbench I found this past summer.

And if you're really, really perceptive, you might have noticed two things that are different here: 1) I added a number 4 to my white pitcher (four is a favorite number around here because it's how many people are in our family and '04 was the year we were married). I created a stencil and then dry-brushed it on the pitcher. So easy! It's not perfect, as you can see, but I'll be cleaning up the lines as soon as I get the chance. (I just couldn't wait that long to post pictures!)

And 2) I finally convinced my hubs to paint the hallway that was covered in paint that I loathed. It went from swine-colored to a cool gray/tan neutral that I am in love with (you can see the new paint color here in my newly redesigned bathroom). So.much.better.

As you can see, it's still a work in progress, but the difference is truly amazing. {Love} So, what are your thoughts about heirloom pumpkins? Do you think they're cool like me, or just plain wierd? Have you used them in your home yet? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The projects for the final round of Crafting with the Stars are now up and ready to be voted on. We would be ever so grateful if you'd head on over to Sew Dang Cute and vote (for us)! We're crossing our fingers that this project wins us the whole contest!: ) Thanks for your help. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Happy Monday!

The keys I found at Blue Mountain Flea Market....waiting to be made into something beautiful
MY DESIGN PROCESS FOR WORKING WITH UNIQUE ELEMENTS: VINTAGE KEYS (Part 1: Designing with Unique Elements)
It's been a while since I've updated my blog so I thought I'd share with you what I did with the vintage keys that I found this past summer at the Blue Mountain flea market (Saylorsburg, PA). I knew these keys were going to upcycled into something special, and it was going to be some type of neck or wrist jewelry.
Designing
When I'm creating a new design I usually start out by first choosing the main elements/materials. For instance, I might come across some outstanding gemstone beads that really appeal to me and usually the wheels will start turning right away about what other kinds of stones or materials they might work well with in a design.
Other times I'll be working with some unique object, as in this case, the keys, and then my design process is a little bit different. When designing around one special, unique element, that element is known as your focal element, or focus of your design'the first thing that attracts your eyes'and you build your design around that.
My Design Process for Working With Unique Elements
Here is how I go about my design process: I usually will keep the item close to me on my workbench, and although I'm not yet using them or designing with them, I'm looking at them a lot and at that point, I just let them sort of sit in my mind and usually within a day or two I have a pretty good idea of what other materials I want to use with them and what type of design I am going to make with them. At this point, I'm looking at the keys and studying things such as their color, shape, size and texture.
When choosing my secondary materials in a design, I think about whether the materials will complement each other, and I also think about whether they will work together to make a whole'meaning, that when you look at the design, you experience a soothing aesthetic whole, as opposed to seeing something that is discordant, choppy, or awkward. Just like when you listen to a piece of music and you notice a wrong note ' well the same goes with design too ' you want your design to flow, and create a feeling of unity'sorta like music for your eyes.
After my secondary materials are chosen I lay everything out, and often moving pieces around like a jigsaw puzzle, will work on the design until I feel it is organized the way I like, and only then will I begin to fabricate it- put it all together!
Part 2: Fabrication of Necklaces Made with Antique Keys ('to follow soon)

Anybody see my keys?

Monica and I both went to the Dublin Fire Co. annual flea market last week (went the same day, but not together. Boo!) This was the first flea market I had been to where I was actually looking for items to repurpose. I had a couple of things in mind that I wanted, but also found a few other things that just begged to come home with me. I went with my mom, and she is a great person to go with because she, like me, can see potential in anything! (It's one of the perks of being an eternal optimist).

I got this awesome Pier 1 vase/urn for $5 (regularly $30) and it now graces my mantel.

One of the other things I purchased was an old workbench/sawhorse thingy. This was a little bit of a risk for me- I had an idea of where I would put it, but wasn't sure it would work out. But for $20, I knew I could use it somewhere!

That little beauty fit perfectly in my entryway! I had been wanting something to make that space a little more welcoming (and I little less"go away"-like, as Monica says), and this fit the bill. I can't get enough of the color, either.

Good, sturdy legs, huh?

This large pitcher caught my eye on the first table I went to. It was very country-looking with it's red and white checker pattern (sorry, no before pictures, but trust me, it's much better this way), but a little Rustoleum Painter's Touch spray paint in glossy white took care of that. I filled it with pussy willows from a local garden center and now it looks like it was meant to sit on that bench all along, and I just led it home.

Over on the other side I stacked a few books and an old lantern of my grandmothers. I love having a few of her things in my home as a way to remember her. That cute little plant is from Ikea and the mug was from a friend. (Thanks, Lindsey S. It's getting good use!)

(The view from the hallway upstairs.) On a side note, the pictures have made me hate the color of paint on our walls in the entry even more than I already did. When we moved into this house, the walls were peach. Like literally peach. We said goodbye to those as soon as we could, but lo and behold, the color I picked to replace it has a pink undertone, as well. Definitely the color of swine. (Melissa, at the Inspired Room, dealt with an entire house of swine, and I realized that this is the PERFECT description of my color). Blech! It will be a nice, non-swine, beige soon. Add that to the never-ending to-do list for my hubs. Poor guy.

Some of you may be wondering about the frame hanging above the new bench vignette. My hubs and I made this out of reclaimed barn wood (my father-in-law has a treasure trove of barn wood in his barn. Go figure.: ) Kevin cut the picture holes (is that the right word?) and then mounted another board to the back that I painted black, so that I could attach the pictures to it. I then painted the entire frame black, then painted it again in a brick red color with a thick bristle brush and minimal paint so that it looked a bit distressed. Finally, I added the phrase that I bought from Uppercase Living to it. I am so in love with this frame, it's not even funny.

Speaking of reclaimed barn wood, I have two big pieces ready to be made into frames (one holds four pictures, and the other holds one picture). If you're interested in purchasing one, send me an email to let me know. You can totally customize the color and phrase. This piece never fails to get lots of"wows", so if you want one in your home, give a holla!

What are some of your favorite flea market treasures?
Happy Monday,