New freebie goodies - hit the jackpot

We are in the middle of relocating to Central Florida. It's been a 6 month crazy process but I think we are finally moving. (At least the movers say they are coming Monday). That's positive right??  So, as you can imagine, we have been sorting, organizing and throwing away (GASP!) many items. We had local friends come over today to look through the discard piles for their garden. After she took home all the goodies she wanted she called and said she had some goodies for me to look through. LOL  So much for downsizing!!  She has a gorgeous "Secret Garden" brimming with pretties (statues, stepping stones, mosaics, totems, sculptures....you get the idea). She has decided she is finished making these and was offering me some of the glass ware and plates she didn't want. Okay, never turn down free ART materials, right? So I now have 3-4 boxes of plates and glasses and doodads. I am totally psyched!  While I am loading these in the truck, here come Hubs carrying what appears to be a VERY HEAVY tote. It is FILLED with stained glass pieces for mosaics!!  Woo Hoo!!  I am dancing around like I have ants in my pants. What??  You don't want these anymore?  Okay dokey.....come to me my little gems!!  Now how could this get better you ask?  There are 4 more totes of glass, about a dozen shoe boxes of sorted by color glass, a flat filled with vintage church window glass, stacks of gorgeously patterned tiles, 2 adorable small shutter sets and the cutest handmade glass doors. People I am so blessed. This is the repurposing freebie Motherlode!!  I am humbled by the gift, truly. Can you imagine what I can do with all of this??  Anywho.....here are pics of "some" of the haul!! Oh, and FYI, those are filled to the rim 5 gallon buckets.....very heavy!  :::smiles:::

This and that.....

Just popping in to share some goodies with you. Seems life has got us constantly on the move these days......more than you can imagine!!  :)  I've not had near enough studio (aka me) time lately. Here's whats just been completed and what's currently on the work table.

I shared this little unfinished stool last time in all it's naked glory. Well, here she is all glammed out with some new paint and shiny glass. I am happy with the results. I still may distress the stool a bit.....maybe......

I found these lovely cement insect stepping stones awhile back at my fave concrete place. I have completed the Bee and am working on the Dragonfly. I LOVE how the bee turned out. What do you think? I am trying to find good ways to use up all my glass scrap and he was a perfect example. I'm thinking the body of the dragonfly may be stones not mosaic pieces of glass.....still chewing on that.

In addition to the Dragonfly....this little guy is waiting for some bling to his shell. I simply adored him. He was a one-of-a-kind, sitting in the damaged pile. I fell in love with him and knew I could give him some new life. He has shiny blue iridized glass so far and is getting 2 styles of textured clear glass for his shell and bead for his eyes and antennae. I'll share when he is "dressed".

Guess that's enough for now....stay tuned for more stained glass windows......

Good Heavens....WHERE does the time go.....

Seems like I was just here and yet obviously it has been F-O-R-E-V-E-R!!  Yikes!!  So sorry!! We have been busy little bees acquiring more goodies to repurpose, doing a few shows and of course, actually doing the repurposing. We are bursting at the seams right now with projects (both finished, processing and waiting to begin). It's a good thing we don't entertain here. LOL The garage (aka the shop) already has all of John's woodworking tools and supplies, PLUS it has 2 tables of my glass totem building supplies, PLUS all the normal garage gunk, PLUS the extra frig, freezer and all the Boxes (still unpacked but not really stuff we want out, but yet can't bear to part with) from the move 2 1/2 years ago. Can you say, barely a path?? You know it's bad when I am out there working and cars stop and ask if I am having a sale!!  :::Sigh::: Maybe they're just scouting us for that show "Hoarders"......

I decided the only thing to do with the stained glass side of the business was to make room in my ART studio (paper, beading, yarn, paints.....you get the idea - my other ARTsy life). So, I commandeered the linen closet in the hall and cleared one half of my 6' x 6' shelving unit of beads and paper and replaced it with stained glass and the like. I now use my desk for the glass grinder and have added a new table we repurposed for a new workspace. I cannot find a before pic to share (argh!) but it was just a long, narrow homemade table (looked like an old door but it was nott) that we found for $5. It had a thick glass top and black wrought iron legs. The problem: the varnish had melted and the glass was stuck to it. Amazingly, with a little patience, a little luck, some wire, wood blocks and some weird chemical mixing that I probably don't want to think about, DH was finally able to separate the glass from the table (in one piece I might add.....what a guy!!). We then stripped the top, stained with Minwax Gunstock (my fave stain EVER) and then I began the tedious coating with the Poly. 5 coats later and some new black spray paint for the legs, she is gorgeous and living in the studio. The large piece of glass will eventually become a stained glass mosaic panel.....but that my friends is a project for another day.

Here are a few sneak pics at works in progress or new acquisitions for ARTful Salvage. We will be busy working hard this week and next as we have 2 back to back shows coming up......more later taters!! 

Bought this little guy yesterday at Michael's.

I'm thinking something mosaic on top,

probably painted distressed white, maybe??

LOVE the lines of this table. It will get a fresh coat of black paint 

and a stained glass mosaic top with lotus flowers and a dragonfly.

Old child's school desk - Wow what a hideous color!!  LOL

Set of large wooden blocks, probably 5" diameter each. No plans yet.

Now, go repurpose something.....it'll make your day!! :)

Flowers are springing up all over the place....

.....glass plate flowers that is. We have been working hard to get a dozen flowers ready for our next booth tomorrow. We are heading down to the Flint River for our local town festival, "River Town Days." We will be selling our Glass Garden Beauties from 7-3, keeping our fingers crossed for no rain.

The flowers are placed on stems of copper pipe, embellished with hand-cut and veined copper leaves and tendrils. Here are a few of the posies we have created:

I also finished up this mosaiced stained glass window for the show. It is all done is blues and greens with a gentle wave pattern. I think it is very soothing in design. I sure hope it finds a new loving home tomorrow!!  :)

Close up of two of the panes:

So, until next time.....off to the River we go.......

The Farmer's Market

Here are some pics from Saturday's Farmer's Market. It is part of the Georgia Made, Georgia Grown program. We lucked out with the weather. The rain finally stopped around 6 am. We began setting up at 7 am. We had a decent show. We were able to sell 8 pieces, including 2 of the 3 flowers that DH has been making. Now he has to keep making them. :::smiles::: (Not to fear, we bought 100 new plates today). LOL We need to find a good source for sheet copper to use for the leaves though.

We were just getting ready to start packing up when one of the other vendors walked up. He said he was going to be the "King of Mother's Day." His wife has been wanting a stained glass window for their bedroom and he graciously bought my first mosaiced window. I was beyond elated!  Makes me laugh wondering how he will top next year!!  :)  Now I have to make another window before Saturday. Fortunately I have one half done. (The black lines on the window are just from the stand).

Guess that is all for now. We have acquiring many new goodies to repurpose that will be appearing in the future. Right now, we are working on some new pieces for Saturday's Booth at our local town festival. Stay tuned......

A few more pieces before the show....

.....we are all packed up for tomorrow's Farmer's Market....some 60+ pieces. We have been having thunderstorms all day and they are still ongoing. The weather guys says they will stop by 6 am and we will be setting up at 7 am. Now, I don't know how you do math, but for me that is cutting it pretty close!!  LOL  But, watcha going to do??  Anywho, I thought I would share a few of my more favorite creations.  As always, please click the pics to see the details better!!

I LOVE this piece. It is very vintage and very Victorian. Those crystal candle drops are to die for....especially coupled with the silver plate dish. I may have trouble parting with this one.

This is hands down, one of the most unique pieces of ART I have created. The flat white dish is made so elegant with the addition of the white cherub and the 3 vintage cut glass pieces. I especially enjoy the double candle holder.

I have had this double, deep white dish for awhile now. I couldn't 'see' what to do with it. And then, wham.....right out of nowhere I had this amazing idea. (it was sparked by the double candle holder - see above). From the side it looks like a bathtub. :::Smiles:::  It would be equally at home inside with snacks or outside with bird seed and water all in one dish.

Another etched glass mirror....rescued with $2 from a yard sale. We decided on these lines from the hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow". I think it turned out excellent!!  I have another B-I-G mirror to etch yet.....but I am still evolving a plan for that one. :::Smiles:::

Hubs has started making these quite large and dimensional flowers for ARTful Salvage. They are about 42 inches tall, on copper pipe with hand cut copper leaves and tendrils. We have one more for tomorrow's show, but the glue was still drying on that one. We hope to have more made for next weekend.

Hope you enjoyed your peek into our latest creations. I'll share more pics form the Farmer's Market tomorrow afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed for no rain!!