2014 Holiday Craft Boutique - Part 2

We have wrapped up the Holiday shows for 2014 and what a finale it was!

We setup for the CEC Holiday Bazaar on Friday night, and did so in record time I might add. I think we have finally gotten our system down!

Here's a glimpse at our setup...

 

From the minute we walked into the show Saturday morning until we left we were busy-busy-busy! We met a ton of new people, customers and vendors alike. We even had several family members that were in town for the holiday weekend come by to see us and checkout our goods. It was a crazy fun time!

 

 I can't express in words how thankful we are for all of you that have shopped UP this past year! I'm sure I speak for many crafters and artisans out there when I say, we pour our hearts and souls into making our products and it's the ultimate reward and compliment when we see our creations make their way into your homes.

Thanks for the ongoing support of our small, local and handcrafted business.
~Crystal

Although I'm still recuperating from all the action on Saturday, rest assured, my brain is already dreaming up spring ideas!

2014 Holiday Craft Boutique - Part 1

Oh what a wild and fun day at SOLLC in Prior Lake yesterday! There were so many people and everyone was in such great spirits...I'm certain it was one of the best places a person could have been on a chilly November day.

It was nice to see all the familiar faces and meet so many great new people. My only regret is that I didn't have enough time to chat with you all, it was crazy busy at times:)

Thanks to everyone that came out to shop, your support is what makes it possible for all us small business owners to do what we love!

In case you missed this show, here are a few shots of my space.

I was so happy that I got a really large spot to setup in this year, it made it way easier for people to move about the area!

Trees, snowmen and stars flew off the shelves!

 This hand painted Santa will be a unique jolly greeting for guests in it's new home.

 The reindeer were a hit with young and old! 

{who doesn't love Rudolph?!}

Next stop for UP is the SACS Holiday Boutique on Small Business Saturday, more details to follow.

Have a great Sunday!

And the winner is....

Earlier this summer I entered the Fresh Style Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Challenge and here is the dresser that I submitted as my entry.

{You can see the original Urban Patina blog post for this spoon carved dresser here.}

A couple months passed after my submission and no word. And then, about a month ago, I received notice that I had won the contest! Are you kidding me?! I was genuinely shocked and ecstatic and shocked and giddy and shocked! And I'm still kind of in shock as I type this entry.

What an honor to have my little dresser selected as the winner! And as if that wasn't satisfying enough...I won a prize pack of awesome paint/supplies from Annie Sloan Unfolded and my dresser is shown in the November/December issue of Fresh Style Magazine. You can read more about the contest on the Fresh Style website or pick up a copy of the magazine on newstands now!

I really really love what I do and it's moments like this that motivate me to continue working hard on my passion.

Enjoy the day everyone!

 

Vintage Wood Spool Tree Art

It's confession time...

Unless it involves stitch witchery and a hot iron...I CAN'T SEW! I've tried, really I have. But I just don't have the knack or the patience. Every now and again I think I should give it a try, but it only ends up as an epic fail. So I've decided to stick with what I can do well...

What I can do well is gather cool stuff {junk} all year long in hopes that a fresh or clever idea might strike and I can put all that cool stuff to good use!

Take these vintage wood thread spools. I picked these up months ago and looked at them everyday hoping to come up with a good use for them. Then out of the blue the idea hits...line these buggers up on some old boards and make some funky tree spool art. 

Yes!

Here's how I did it:

I cut up some old chippy boards I had laying around, sanded the edges and clear coated the finish. Then I laid out the spools on the boards {to get the spacing right} and hot glued them into place. I split one of the larger green spools in half to make the trunk and glued that on to the board too. Then as luck would have it, in my pile of cool stuff,  I had the perfect rusty stars to adorn the tops of the trees!

Confession time again...I'm smitten by these funky trees!

Have a groovy day:)

Linking up
Knick of Time
My Salvaged Treasures
Beyond the Picket Fence

A Well Crafted Tree Farm

We have been making so many crafts these past few weeks that I haven't stopped long enough to realize that I'm sitting amidst a tree farm! I have all sorts of trees in my lineup this year, here is one of my favorites!

This project was a labor of family love...by that I mean that my mom, dad and husband all helped bring this idea to reality. From peeling the pine cones to patiently gluing them on the crafting cones and then creatively adhering them to antique light fixture bases...we all had something to do with the process and I'm so thrilled with how they turned out.

We used various spindles for the tree trunks as well as many different antique light fixtures for the bases. Everyone of these is a bit different!

Thanks for taking a peek. I'll have another tree project to share with you all tomorrow!

Linking up:

Savvy Southern Style
Beyond the Picket Fence
Knick of Time
My Salvaged Treasures
Pieced Pastimes

Upcycled Reindeer

Halloween just ended and we are only a few days into November but UP is way into Christmas already!

I've been working on Christmas decorations a couple months now and trust me, it's been hard to refrain from bombarding you all with Christmas ideas along the way. But the time has come and I'm so excited to share our projects with you all!

Today's post is this handmade, upcycled reindeer. My husband is the mastermind behind this creation. He was determined to find all the appropriate junk to bring these deer to life. This little fella is made from old table legs, reclaimed barn boards, plasma cut ears/antlers/tail and some other repurposed metal for the eyes. Oh, how could I forget the red bottle cap for a nose.

{My role: I have no idea how to use a plasma cutter but I am skilled at picking out the perfect ribbon for the scarves! And of course, I get to do the photography and blog post.}

These deer stand at about 36" tall and no two are alike.

I bet he would love to greet your holiday guests, indoors or outdoors, all season long!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out our latest craft.

 

Big City Trunk Revival

'The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page'
-Saint Augustine

This trunk takes on a whole new feel with the black licorice glaze and fabric featuring a collage of global cities.

What started as a simple pine trunk makeover, now stands for a beautiful reminder to travel more and travel often! Time to read another page in the book don't you think!

 

Short post this week, I'm busy getting my craft on and the clocks ticking as we count down to holiday craft show season!

 Enjoy the week everyone!

Oversized Pair of Captain Chairs

 

 A gorgeous autumn day in Minnesota today, so nice that the mister worked outside all day making some display walls for some upcoming holiday shows. Totally digging how they turned out, I used them for a backdrop for my captain chairs.

 

Before I got started on the project I draped the fabric on the chair and stood back and contemplated what color the chairs needed. I figured I could have gone duck egg, cream or even burgandy but I just couldn't decide. So I did what anyone else would do...I called my mom for a second opinion and she said without a doubt they should be Old Ochre...I agreed!

 

Just to be safe, I put the new fabric on the cushions and took one last look before I broke out the paint brush. I can't tell you how much I adore this fabric. I think I need to go back to the store and buy more!

 

Painted in Annie Sloan Old Ochre and updated and really versatile striped fabric, these twins are ready for some extra seating at your holiday gatherings!

 

The chairs are really large captain chairs, seriously, they're BIG and comfortable!

 Here's a pic of my 'model' and fabricator hubby with our new craft boutique back walls!

Thanks for stopping by UP today!

Enjoy your Sunday.

Linking up
http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2014/10/wow-us-wednesdays-192.html

Vanity + Dresser Set

I rarely get a sweet set like this dresser and vanity to makeover...so it made perfect sense to push some other projects to the back burner and work these two over pronto!

 

I opted for a more mature and classic color pallet for this set. French Linen. It's a warm, cozy, creamy grey. I'm smitten by how well the detailing pops with the light distressing and dark wax.

After sanding the tops, I stained them with Provincial stain and sealed them with wipe on satin poly. {I love the old world look you get from the wipe on poly, it's not too heavy just enough to offer protection} Finally, I lined the drawers with a coordinating patterned fabric. {I love the little surprise that you get when you open the drawers and see the love birds}

 

 

 

  

  

 

Linking up
Wow us Wednesdays