My Etsy Shop--the Scrounge Lounge

Welcome back! I think I'm a little project burned out. This will last about 2 days, there's always something to make or redo when you have a home. I have worked on my garden a little. I had to have 3 giant ficus trees removed. If you know anything about those trees, you know how invasive they are. The roots looked like tree trunks and were ruining my backyard. I really miss the shade and their greenery and I probably made some birds mad. I'll share my garden in the near future--it's had quite a few changes this year.

Have you noticed the little pictures from my Etsy shop? Over there ------->?
Those are things for sale in my Etsy shop! I named it 'Scrounge Lounge'.. it's a shop of vintage and handmade items. Etsy.com is a great place to shop for everything vintage or made by hand. If you've never checked it out, beware! It's addicting to browse through millions of beautiful items. Jewelry, artwork, crafts, knitting, baby gifts, wedding decor, antiques and vintage goodies are found in over abundance. There are thousands of shops to look at within the Etsy website.
I started the 'Scrounge Lounge' to sell some vintage items from my home. My sales have been steady, but I'd say it's more of a hobby than anything else. I admit, I need to do some more scrounging and add to my shop inventory.

Here are some of the things for sale in my Scrounge Lounge Etsy shop right now.

 Vintage plates with 23 kt gold decoration. I love the vintage fashion styles. These are in like new condition!

Hand Painted vintage jewelry box. You might remember the tutorial I did on how to paint this little beauty with the faux marble top and details.

Cast iron match holder from 1868! Love the basket design and leaves...

C

Pedestal cake plate decorated with chrysanthemums in vibrant colors...

Sweet little glass dish.. perfect for a cupcake!

 

Large Fostoria vase with signature 'honeycomb' design.

 Hand painted Jewelry box with butterflies and birds.

Royal Winton gold teacup and saucer.

I hope you'll drop by the Scrounge Lounge Etsy shop sometime! I've got about 60 items right now and keep adding frequently. Like I said, Etsy.com is a wonderful place for all types of fabulous. I should mention, they also sell supplies for crafts and jewelry and art, besides the hand made and vintage items.  I found it easy to set up the shop. If you have a camera and a computer you can open your own shop! Well, you need STUFF too...

See you next time! Have a Super Day!

Cindy

DIY Baby Room Nursery Shelf

It's Sunday already!  I want to share this precious baby shelf I made as a gift to a friend that is expecting! Actually, I made 2 of them. 

2 women in my Tuesday sewing class are expecting babies. Mimi is having twins and Jasmine is having a surprise. Most of us in sewing are past child bearing years, (geeze that sounds OLD!!!) so we're all excited for them to have their babies.

I wanted to make them something special and had most of the materials already on hand. Moms can always use a little shelf with hanging hooks for a new baby as part of their nursery decor.
So with some imagination and a few tools, I came up with this sweet baby gift. Here's the basic how to's!

I had some more of the wide baseboard molding, used previously in this hall hook project. A little more of this fence board used in my beachy bathroom towel hanger  was put to use.

A little note about tools. I have some basic power tools that I have used for many things around the house. I love the drill for obviously drilling holes, but I also use the attachments for screwing things in like knobs and curtain rods. The jigsaw is easy to use and fine for small things. It's not perfectly accurate but fine for this little shelf. My electric sander gets the most use, because I use it to sand furniture for painting. These 3 power tools have been great to have and I don't feel like I'm going to cut off any limbs with the jigsaw.

 First I cut the molding in half with the jigsaw, making 2- 19 inch long pieces, 1 for each shelf. I cut the fence board 19 inches also for the actual shelf part. I gave the shelf a little detail by cutting off  1 inch across each front corner. (see photo).

Then I attached the shelf top to the molding with some glue and finishing nails. I smoothed out the rough edges with my electric sander too.

I had bought a scrap of 2inch by 2inch lumber and cut it into cubes, 4 for each shelf. I attached those under the front of the shelf with glue and screwed them in from the back of the wide molding. I wanted them to act as support for the shelf top.

All that was pretty easy! 

On to the painting.... First a coat of good old primer. After priming, I decided that I needed to caulk around the blocks and a few other cracks. Then I painted everything with a coat of white latex paint.

While the paint was drying, I painted the 3 wood knobs for each shelf, to act as hooks . I just used pink, green and blue acrylic paints.

I like to put the screws in the knobs to hold them while I paint, then I stick them into some foam I had, to dry. You can also stick them into the top of a box to hold them while drying.

Almost done! I painted the little blocks with acrylic paints. 

I used my sander to distress everything  a bit. Nothing like a little distressing to hide the not-so-perfect carpentry. And it looks so quaint and shabby chic!

Attached the knobs, gave it a coat of polyurethane, (I used satin) and the darling little baby shelves were done and ready for gifting.

   I have to say this was a fun and easy project. I sure had fun creating these baby shelves and I hope the moms and babies enjoy them for years to come!

Thanks for dropping by the Sunset Coast workshop ...

Have a Crafty Day!

Cindy


Check out these Parties where I'm sharing!
Nifty Thrifty Things 
Twigg Studios 
Silver Pennies 
DIY Showoff 
Suburbs Mama 
I heart Naptime 
I Should be Mopping the  Floor

Under the Table and Dreaming
Boogie Board Cottage 
Alderberry Hill 
Twelve O Eight 
Dwellings 
Better With Age 
Making the World Cuter 
Cozy Little House 
Cedar Hill Ranch 
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 
Between Naps On the Porch 
Cupcakes and Crinoline 
Naptime Creations 
Jaqs Studio 
DIY Dreamer 
A Diamond in the Stuff 
Hickory Trail 
A Bowl Full of Lemons
It it's not Baroque  
Adventures of a DIY Mom 
The Winthrop Chronicles 
Coastal Charm 
Lavender Garden Cottage 
Savvy Southern Style 
Someday Crafts 
Southern Lovely 
The Shady Porch 
Trendy Treehouse 
I Gotta Create 
Mom on Time Out
Lamberts Lately
Life with the Crust cut off
Shabby Creek Cottage 
52 Mantels 
The 36th Avenue 
House Of Hepworths 
Made in a Day 
Saving 4 Six 
Artsy Fartsy Mama 
Reasons to Skip the Housework 
Organized 31 
Common Ground 
French Country Cottage 
Shabby Art Boutique 
The Thrifty Groove 
Redoux Interiors 
Thirty Handmade Days 
Finding Fabulous 
1840 Blog 
Happy Hour Projects 
Charm of Home 
Peek Into My Paradise
Tatertots and Jello  
Funky Junk Interiors 
Be Different Act Normal 
Serenity You 
Too Much Time 
Its Overflowing

Sewing Class Show and Tell Tuesday

Hello sewing fans! Yesterday was another class with all the gals sewing their quilts and garments. We started a new session and welcomed 6 new class members. It's always great to get new people and see the creative things they're making. As things get completed, I take pictures and post them. I hope I don't miss when someone finishes a project. It's fun to see what you've made and post it here at the Sunset Coast!

First, I'm sharing this colorful quilt made by Ginny. I like her fabric choices and how the rows are delineated by dark fabric. I think it really  makes the scrappy squares stand out. She also did the wave-like long arm quilting. She has been a busy gal with her long arm machine this year!

Bobbie showed off this sweet little baby quilt. The spring-like fabrics remind me of Easter. It's a simple, but clever patchwork quilt pattern. I love the little bug material especially, with it's butterflies, caterpillars, and worms !

Amanda modeled the costume she designed and sewed. The burgundy fabric top is worn over a multilayer skirt. It's almost finished and ready to wear to an upcoming anime convention. I think it's a true work of art!

See you next time with more completed quilts, projects and garments.

Thanks for visiting!

Have a Constructive Day!

Cindy

To Paint or Not to Paint?!?! The $25 Buffet Steal

     Happy Father's Day everyone! I hope you're giving thanks and appreciation for all the Dads today. My dad passed away many years ago, but he's in my thoughts often. I loved him for so many reasons and I always felt loved by him. I'm grateful for having had a wonderful Father. 

  So onto my question.. About the paint.

 A few weeks ago I was walking the dogs one morning and around the corner a neighbor was having a garage sale. Most of it was clothing and little household items. BUT.. In the back of all the stuff, was this piece of furniture. This buffet was really nice! I loved the style, the turned legs and design.

The finish was a little rough but not bad, a few spots of dripped paint. I could easily make this into something gorgeous. Did I need it? No... But, I'll ask  how much. 

"How much is the buffet?"

"Twenty five dollars."

(I thought hard for about 3 seconds.)

"I'll buy it!!!"

The neighbor let me return later to pay for it and haul it home. 

She later told me how many people wanted to buy it and they couldn't believe she sold it for that low price. I scored!

So after wrestling it out of the van, I got some help getting it into the living room. I made the perfect spot for it. Right under my beloved Dorothy Spangler  oil painting depicting a french flower cart.

Now I need to decide. Should I paint it? What color? 

It could easily be spiffed up with a little 'Restore-a-Finish'. Have you tried that stuff? It's great for adding a little stain and shining up furniture. It covers scratches and a whole world of mishaps. 

OR.. I could paint it!  In my mind it's been gold, red, green, coral and even lavender. Lavender? Well, maybe not.

Turquoise would look great, but that doesn't fit in my house and besides, I may decide to use it as a tv stand eventually. Too many ideas! And tmi...

But under that painting it could be so many colors! I could even paint it with big flowers all over.

Paint the top only? Leave the top wood? What to do?!

I'm in no hurry to decide on a final finish, but it doesn't look that great.. but then it's not that bad either. 

If I give it the 'Restore a Finish' and then decide to paint it later, I have to deal with the oily finish first.

So there it is. To paint or not to paint, that is the question. 

Do you have the answer?

Thanks for dropping by the Sunset Coast today!

Have a great Father's Day! 

Cindy


Sharing at these link parties:
Bright green Door 
Shabby Art Boutique 
Thrifty Groove 
Miss Mustard Seed

Antique Hall Bench and the Painted Pot

Hello people! Would you like to see my lovely antique hall bench? As soon as you enter my house, you'll see this great vintage piece. I'm lucky to have owned this for over 25 years! I believe it's English, but I'm not sure. I got it at an auction and it's been treasured ever since. The bench seat is hinged and there is storage inside. It's held many things over the years---pillows, blankets, toys and games etc.

 Here are some of the nice carved details...

On top of the bench are some pillows and a metal pot I painted. I got that  vintage crewel work pillow at a garage sale. Lots of hard work sold for pennies.. isn't that how it goes?

I had to take the pot outside to get more light. We're in full 'June Gloom' mode in southern California. We probably will get a peek at the sun around 4 pm today.

I've painted this pot before, in fact, I found 3 of these in thrift stores. I think it's made of aluminum. I painted one for my mother and I have another one painted red. I'm not very good at drawing, but I get inspiration on the internet and even trace shapes right off of my computer monitor. That butterfly is one such shape. I find something I like on google images, resize it on my monitor and trace. The flowers and leaves are my own whimsical, doodling style. I prefer my paint and paint brush to get details, not drawing.

Another side of the pot shows flowers, leaves and the distinctive handle painted in greens.

More of my funky painting! Flowers, leaves and stems in multi-colors...

Here's another view of the hall bench and contents. Each side of the hall bench has the original zinc holders. I'm not sure of their purpose. Perhaps for canes and umbrellas? We've used them to throw shoes into and dog toys. Reality is so unromantic. I prefer to imagine that they held Victorian gentleman's canes and  frilly lady's parasols!

Now what do you think I use that beautiful painted pot for? 

 It comes in handy, right by the front door, for dog leashes and bags.

 That's right, a fancy poop bag holder! 

Thanks for stopping by the Sunset Coast. Love all the feedback and share your blog so I can come take a peek!

Hope everyone enjoys their day! 

Have a fancy day!

Cindy 

See where I share:
Knick of time Interiors 
Not Just a Housewife 
A Stroll Thru Life 
Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 
The Style Sisters 
Ivy and Elephants 
Domestically Speaking 
Miss Mustard Seed

French country Cottage
Redoux Interiors 
Funky Junk Interiors 
Mod Vintage Life

Summer Fruit Crisps and Cobblers

Are you feeling like it's summer yet? All the summer fruits are filling the markets and I feel like it's time to make some fruit crisps and cobbler! Some people are even lucky enough to have fruit trees that show promise of lots of ripe fruits. Peaches, berries, apricots, nectarines, cherries, apples all make wonderful fruit desserts.

  First of all, I'm sharing my favorite recipe for a baked fruit crisp. You can use what ever fruit you want: fresh, frozen,and even canned fruit pie filling all work great. This crisp recipe is easy to make and easy to remember. It has a great combination of oats, brown sugar and coconut. What could be bad about that?

Summer Fruit Crisp
Layer about 4-6 cups cut up fruit or 2 bags frozen fruit, your choice, in a baking dish. (Toss with sugar if you prefer. I think the topping makes it sweet enough.) I used about 10 fresh peaches and 1/2 pint of blueberries.

Mix together and pat on top of the fruit:
   1/2 cup melted butter
   1 cup flour
   1 cup oatmeal
   1 cup brown sugar
   1 cup coconut
Bake at 350 degrees. It's done when the top is golden brown. Fresh fruits take about 30 minutes, frozen may take up to an hour. 
This is tasty by itself or topped with ice cream, yogurt or whipped creammmmmmmmm.

 Now onto a basketful of delicious recipes for fruit crisps and cobblers I found . The first one is the easiest. It's only 3 ingredients! Fast and delicious thanks to Deandra's Crafts.

                                        Recipe for  3 Ingredient Berry Cobbler


Cobbler recipes using cake mixes make them very simple. Lori Ann's Food and Farm shares this recipe for blueberry and peach cobbler, using frozen fruits and cake mix.  The beauty of this recipe, it's made in a slow cooker!

                Recipe for Slow Cooker Blueberry and Peach Cobbler

 Wendolinia made these darling fruit crisps in a jar. You can make them ahead, freeze them and bake when you need them. She gives all the details for using whatever fruit you want. Great idea!

                                      Recipe for  Easier than pie Crisp in a Jar


Peach seems to be one of the favorite cobbler flavors. Brought to us by Six Sisters Stuff, this one is called a dump cake! Again, it uses a cake mix for the topping, but canned peaches make it another easy- peasy recipe. Looks fabulous too! A bit of cinnamon enhances the flavors.

                                    Recipe for Peach Cobbler Dump Cake


How about a delicious strawberry and cream cheese cobbler? I found this at Just a Pinch, and it sounds so good! You make the cake like cobbler on the bottom of the baking pan, then layer strawberries and cream cheese on top. While it bakes, it all bubbles together. Yum!

                       Recipe for Strawberry and Cream Cheese Cobbler


Next, A Cook's Quest give us this divine recipe for Sugar Cookie Crust cobbler. I've got to try this one! Look at that perfect crust!

                                                  Recipe for Sugar Cookie Crust Cobbler

Finally, a recipe using fresh apricots. Mz.Tasty's Kitchen gives us this cobbler with a traditional, almost biscuit like topping. The addition of cinnamon and nutmeg to the fruit, make it sound delicious! I'm sure it can be adapted to your favorite fruit.

                                          Recipe for Fresh Apricot Cobbler

I could share recipes all day! I hope you've got some good ideas for using all those delectable summer fruits that are about to ripen any day now! 

Thanks for dropping by my kitchen at the Sunset Coast! 

Have a Relaxing Day!

Cindy

Party here! Thistlewood Farms
Diy Showoff 
Uss Crafty
I Should Be Mopping the Floor
Life On Lakeshore Drive 
Twigg Studios
Suburbs Mama
Sunny Simple Life 
Silver Pennies 
Flamingo Toes 
Under the Table 
Craft o maniac 
Between Naps on the Porch 
Alderberry Hill 
Boogie Board Cottage 
Hollys Stamping Addiction
Twelve O Eight
Dwellings
Making the World Cuter 
Rain on a Tin Roof 
Cupcakes and Crinoline 
Crafty Texas Girls 
Cozy Little House 
The Dedicated House 
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Not Just a Housewife 
Our Home Away from Home 
A Stroll Thru Life 
Nap Time Creations 
A Diamond in the Stuff 
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 
Adventures of a DIY mom 
Hickory Trail Blog 
Jaqs Studio 
The Style Sisters 
Made to be a Momma 
If It's Not Baroque 
The Diy Dreamer 
Adorned from Above 
Lavender Garden Cottage 
Free Pretty Things for You
The Shady Porch
Savvy Southern Style 
Gingersnap Crafts
I Gotta Create
The Brambleberry Cottage 
Green Willow Pond 
Organized31 
Lamberts Lately 
A Delightsome Life 
Made in a Day 
No Minimalist Here 
Saving 4 Six 
Artsy Fartsy Mama 
Reasons to Skip the Housework 
Chic on a Shoestring 
Happy Hour Projects 
Charm of Home 
A Peek Into My Paradise 
Finding Fabulous 
Tatertots and Jello 
The Adventure Bite 
Classy Clutter

Another Quiltastic Share!

How's everyone doing? I finally have another quilt post. I missed the sewing class last week, so I don't know if I missed any finished quilts. Here are a couple quilts to share from this week's class.

First, is this amazing hugemongous king size quilt by Susan. I love the floral fabrics. Rose prints and coordinates pair nicely. She did a really good job on this super pretty quilt. Ginny did the overall quilting in a feather like pattern on her long arm machine.

 This pattern could have so many looks. It's basically a center panel surrounded by borders. The corner details tie everything together so nicely! Thanks Linda for taking pictures for the blog, too!

             

 Linda also sent me photos of this scrappy quilt I made last year for my daughter's birthday. I got the pattern from Quilter's Home Magazine. Unfortunately, they no longer publish the  magazine, but you can get free quilt patterns here! http://www.quiltershomemag.com/patterns/index.html

 This quilt was a fun way to use up scraps. It's made up of 12 of these squares, shown below.

 Each square is 4 of these.(below). Sorry about the blurry photo, it didn't translate well in enlargement.  It was pretty easy. You start with a square of fabric, the black print in this case. After marking off the triangle shape, you just just start sewing on strips of fabric in a flip and sew manner. They go together fast, put 4 together and you have the X design.

That's all I have to share from sewing class. The gals are working on some beautiful things, I'm just waiting until they're finished to share here. See you with more next time! 

Have an Amazing Day!

Cindy