greyhound dreams

Carmen, over at Bad Dog Frida, had asked me to put together some magnet sets for a Greyhound rescue event they are attending this weekend in Milwaukee. As well as the magnets, I wanted to create something else for her to offer.

Remember these bad boys. A set of 6 kitchen cabinet doors that a neighbor left on the curb.

The bevel is a perfect frame. So after a base coat of primer...it became a nice blank canvas

Three dimensional, surreal, and 100 % recycled. I did not buy one little thing for this piece. The clouds are batting from a jewelry box that I starched to make a little firmer. The floating bones are from a scrap piece of decorative paper.

....and the dog image is constructed using pages of an old dictionary. Loyal, greyhound and dog are just a few of the definitions.

A bit reminiscent on a Simpson's opener or maybe I was channeling Magritte. Either way I love this little hound and hope he goes to a good home. So many of these dogs have just been discarded or are thought to have no other use. Fitting that this piece proves most things are a little better when they are given a second life.

take 2

Just got 8 new rolls of film to make earrings out of. Mostly educational films from the 70's... the fashion and hairstyles are hysterical. I also snagged a few rolls of black and white at this weekends Junk bonanza. Feet and feet of really cool images that I will be transforming for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Find them in my shop or at these retailers.... Twin Cities Green in Minneapolis and Absolutely art here in Madison.

yee-haw

The Junk Bonanza was definitely the trip. Fantastic stuff, great vendors and really really reasonable prices. 3 rooms filled with unique collectibles, refurbished furniture and clever clever ways to use JUNK.

I bought the early bird pass for $20 a few months ago. I figured if I was driving 4 hours to go to a flea market, I should get there early. Such I good idea! Not only did I do 90 % of my shopping in those two hours, I got to chat with the vendors, take more time with my decisions and stay much cooler. Besides the fact it got a little warm after the doors opened to the public, about 500 more people also entered the shopping mix. Well worth it...and I got an awesome gift bag for coming early too.

I came home not only with some great finds (this jungle gym horsie being my fav) I also met some really inspiring industry folks at the blog party. Thank you Serena ,Margo ,Matthew, Nancy, Linda and of course Ki. The event was fabulous and I will see you all again next year!

If you are in the Twin Cities area...you still can cash in. The event goes thru Saturday.

gone junkin'

Off again to round up some more treasures.

I am heading back to Minnesota to attend the Junk Bonanza. For three days, over a hundred vendors will be offering their vintage, salvaged and handmade wares. I am not quite sure what to expect, but I will no doubt come home with some interesting finds and even more great ideas.

As well as the 'goods', speakers like the Farm Chicks, Nancy Soriano, and founder Ki Nassauer will be offering their words of wisdom, sharing tips, trends and signing copies of their books. I am thinking it will be well worth the 4 hour drive.

As always...my full report to follow.

end of season harvest

Between our CSA and my overall love of the farmers market, we have had bounties of veggies in our house this summer. If you haven't indulged as much as you were hoping, there is still a few weeks and if you have a little time, you can enjoy them all winter long.

The other day my mom brought me 40, yes 40 ears of sweet corn that my dad had picked that morning from one of his fields. Now, sweet corn is better if eaten within 12-24 hours of picking and I wanted to enjoy all of it at its peak, so I did the next best thing. Freeze it.

Start by boiling salted water in a huge pot and add in some ears.

Keep an eye on it, you are just blanching for 2-3 minutes, enough where the yellow gets more intense, like the ear on the right.

Dump the ears in a ice bath so they do not continue cooking .

When cooled, cut off the kernels with a sharp knife. I use the bundt pan method. Just stick an ear in the hole and when you cut, all the kernels fall into the pan and not all over your counter. Be careful not to keep hitting your knife on the way down though...it will trash your blade. If you like cream corn, when you have taken all the kernels off, use the back of the knife to scrape all the juices and add it to your mix. When all your ears are scraped, zip up in a freezer bag for later.

Now, how about those tomatoes. On my last trip to the farmers marker, a vendor saw me eyeing his fruit when he handed me a red juicy one and said, go ahead, take a bite. After giving him a 'are you serious look' I did and it was out of sight. Juicy, meaty....I bought 2 lbs.

These are even easier to freeze. Take a big zip bag and just squish them, seeds, juice, skin and all in the bag (removing the stem of course) You can also, just throw in the entire whole tomato. I have been told that when you are ready to use them, the frozen skin peels right off. Perfect for chili, soup or sauce.

So grab these summer gems while you can. You'll be grateful you did come January.

Wolfman triathlon 2009

Except for a few bruises and scratches, we survived the Wolfman. I have to say, it was as fun as I had hoped. We took off mid morning and made it to the rental cabin by 3. We unpacked, checked out the cute pad, grounds and huge whirlpool tub, and headed into town to register.

After getting our packets and start times, we decided to check out the course as we we responsible for setting all our own gear in its appropriate places in the morning.

While pulling back onto the main road, we see this huge tree with kayaks dangling like ornaments and about 10 cars likes ours with both boats and bikes on top....this must be where everyone is doing their pre-race dining.

The place was called Bear Paw and was not only a fun bar/grill, it was also a campground, outfitter and host of the after party the next night. Sometimes when you start traveling off the beat and path it is hard to find a good meal, beer, atmosphere, but this place had it all. I would highly recommend it if you are ever in that neck of the woods.

Cold Capital Amber on tap

and crispy, cheesy cracker thin pizza

On the way back to the cabin we got another glance at the river. A bit low from last year, but still rumored to have some class 2 rapids...something our 14 foot boats had never seen....can you sense the foreshadowing?

The race itself went great. Although I do not have our split times or any good pictures yet. We both did well.

Nate and I both dumped our boats in those rapids. Filled them to the top with water, but luckily we were both able to relax, use a few big rocks to help drain the water, and get back in to finish the 3 mile river course. Those 14 footers are fast down the straightaways, but just don't have the turning power of those short little river kayaks.

The 13 mile bike started on the road, but quickly moved to a mix of logging roads and single track. Normally I enjoy the speed of the single track, but this course was laden with rocks. Lots and lots of big rocks. Nate, being a rocky mountain boy, breezed thru the rock gardens. I however, have my fair share of scrapes and bruises from trying to stay clipped in while navigating the obstacles. There were also 3 river crossings. Too deep to ride thru, you needed to portage you bike while walking thru about 3 feet of rushing river water.
Regardless, I am pretty sure that was my best leg.

And finally the run. At times this rugged 3.5 mile trail run proved more to be a hike. Navigating over roots and large rocks. It was slow, but gave me a chance to keep my heart rate in a reasonable zone. Crossing that finish line felt so great.

The only bummer, was we had to go pick up all our gear after. Searching thru the sea of abandoned boats and then dragging it back up the car and onto the racks was a workout in itself.

But, a hot shower, tasty food and a cold beer at the awards banquet back at Bear Paw was a welcome reward. Oh, and knowing we had that huge tub to soak our muscles back at the cabin, didn't hurt either.

I wonder what I will rope us into next year ?

Wolfman 2009

Nate and I are off to White Lake, Wisconsin for our big race this weekend. We feel pretty good about our training, but with busy social summer...we could have been a little stricter. Anyway, it is mostly for fun and a good personal challenge too. I'll make sure to share all the details next week.

We are staying at Jesse's Historic Wolf River lodge. I had clipped it out of Midwest Living years ago, and when I found out where the race was, I booked 2 nights right away. It was rated one of the top 15 best wilderness getaways. We are in the honeymoon cabin...wood burning stove and all.


Have a great weekend all. Back on Sunday just in time for kick off. GO BEARS !

2 of a kind

While on my way to drop off an order at Bad Dog Frida yesterday, I spotted this pair of metal patio chairs. They reminded me a bit of ice cream parlor chairs, and before you could say mocha fudge ripple...they were in my truck.

After getting them home, I discovered a pretty large hole in one of the lattice seats. If I am paying for an item, I really give it a good once over before I buy. Keeping in mind my skill set and what I eventually see it as, but when the shopping is done curbside, I go strictly on instinct. Then, after further inspection and often a month or two hibernating in my garage, I plan my design attack. Yes, I have been known to put things back on my curb. Maybe the structure wasn't as sturdy as I thought or the upholstery was a little more than I was ready for. Either way, a new project for a fellow salvager to enjoy.

The more projects I approach, the more refined my skills are getting. So although I do not have a lot of experience with metal work right now, I might by the spring, and these chairs were worth taking that risk. The other option is contracting out. When painting the Giddy-up chair, I realized a seam had split in the metal. I brought it to Patco, a local iron and welding company, and in 20 minutes and for $10 it was good as new.

It takes some time to see through all the chips and dust, but with practice, like in anything, you too will be spotting diamonds in the rough all over town.

4 perfect days in....

You've seen those articles in the 'in flight' magazines that detail the sights and scenes of one town. Well this weekend I had one of my very own.

Thursday-It started with Nate and I driving down to Galena to celebrate our 4th. We visited the deck where we said our vows, and my hubby was sweet enough to let me do a self photo of us re creating the first kiss. After that, a long lunch downtown with some wine to toast.

Friday, Green Cricket Salvage was featured on our local NBC affiliates Friday business feature. It was short notice, but I was on LIVE describing how I re purpose stuff and how I got started doing what I am doing. I am trying to get a link to share the footage with you all...not bad for my first time. A bit out of body, but great for my momentum.


Saturday, a date with a couple friend at a 'dining club' called MILKWEED in the farmlands of Wisconsin. Seriously, the best meal I have had in years. Local ingredients, impeccable service and a magical setting with a symphony of chirping crickets.

Sunday- the Cedarburg Flea. 1000 vendors at this flea market about 45 minutes from Milwaukee. I came home with a small car load of fun treasures....I passed on this guy.

I knew I had a lot planned this weekend, but I had NO idea that they would have been so memorable. Although I never can seem to get in the habit of regular journaling, I do always try to capture the "little things" when they are fresh in my mind. This weekend will most certainly be documented as one of the best when it comes to that.

What fun, memorable things did you do this weekend ?

do not pass go...do not collect $200

I just couldn't pass up this vintage stack of Monopoly cards when I eyed them at an antique store. Such a simple image, but so nostalgic. Game nights gathered around the board, fighting over who gets to be the race car. Although separated from their board, I knew these guys could serve another purpose.

After coating them with plastic and attaching a small magnet, these little bits of ephemera have now become kitschy magnets.

Used solo or in a grouping, these magnets make your fridge or office cabinets a real "hot property".

The small, but sturdy, magnet is great for holding snapshots as the sides can do the holding and not make that 'magnet mark' on your photos.

Sold in sets of 3, the magnets are now available in the shop

number 4

Today is our 4 year anniversary. We are being nostalgic, and taking the 2 hour drive down to Galena, IL where we got hitched. It is a darling old river town that has neat little shops and outdoor cafes. A perfect end of summer day trip.

This shot is from the first night of our honeymoon cruise on the Mediterranean. It was perfect. We hope to plan a trip back to Italy to celebrate our 5th, but until then, an al fresco lunch with a bottle of wine will make a lovely alternative.

Van Gogh footstool- Hippie Christmas #1

Month one of the ''hippie Christmas" project, and we have our first graduate.

This was the first treasure I saw, but I had just gotten off work, was overwhelmed by the selection and there were a zillion people loading and unloading on Wilson street, so I drove on by. Luckily, later that afternoon when I was in full salvage mode, he was waiting patiently for me.

Sure I could give it a pedestrian paint job, but when I was eyeing over the loot, I couldn't help but notice a potential marriage of two cast-offs.

This Van Gogh "Vase of Roses" was picked up over on Jennifer street with my mom the next day. A favorite of dorm room decorating, I thought that if I manipulate it, it could take on a fresh new look.

The slatted planks on this footstool were equal in size, so I decided to dissect the poster. Using a sharp Exacto knife, I cut the poster in 5 equal strips and placed them on the slats.

JACK-POT. The image was still recognizable, but just tweaked a bit.

Now that I had the top figured out, I had to tackle the base. Although it appeared to be bare wood, a thin layer of varnish was still coating the stool. Using a medium grit sandpaper, I went WITH the grain of the wood, till it felt nice and smooth. To even out any divots, I finished with a fine grit sandpaper.

Now for the color. Trying something new, I picked out a water based stain for the base. Did you know you can tint stain? Yep, just like paint, Minwax carries a rainbow of colors that you can tint to any of their quart stains. I choose Island water.

You might need to be a little open to your results on the first try. Different woods can really absorb differently, so my advice is to apply a coat, sit for 30-60 seconds, then with a rag dampened with a little stain, wipe off. Always applying and wiping WITH the grain of the wood. You can always add another coat if it is not as dark as you like.

I cannot stress enough how prepping the surface before you stain is important. Here is a patch that I must have missed in the sanding. See how the stain does not adhere. If this happens, just re-sand and re-apply the stain.

The stain alone looked just a little flat, so after the stain had dried, I took two different shades of green and gave the wood some highlights and low lights. Applying with a dry brush, I used light, feathering strokes to give the piece some depth. The result....a marine-like hue with a texture that mimics the brush strokes in the print.

Now, to marry the two. Using a wide foam brush, I applied Mod Podge, or any other easy spreading craft glue, to each plank and carefully applied a strip. Start at one end and use either a bone folder or a credit card and guide the strip of paper onto the glued surface. Poster print is quite thick, so I didn't have too many issues with bubbles.

Giving it plenty of time to dry, preferably overnight, I then used the same process of brushing on the Mod Podge to seal in the image and to add to the footstools durability.

See what is possible with things that others throw away. Van Gogh... more like a Van dough! You would pay big bucks for a stool like this in a boutique. Instead, with a little imagination, time and supplies you have created a designer look of your own, all while saving the planet from more trash.