~~~~ Updated July 2, 2009 for the Writer’s Workshop at Mama’s Losin’ It. The prompt is to show something I made. Here ya go.~~~~~
I am a compulsive picture frame buyer. I cannot help myself. I also buy matting, photo paper, and have so many digital photos stored that we needed to get a back-up hard drive because the sheer memory they take up was slowing down the computer.
There is a blog called Reinvented and it is Trash To Treasure Tuesday over there. I love re-do, re-use, re-purpose projects. You can click over there and see what others have done. And heading into yard sale season, there are some great ideas.
I opted for an art project.
When it came time to decorate our cabin, I went for a rustic, California ranch vibe, rather than the bears/moose/lodge look. (That means lots of rough woods, wrought iron and cowhide. Think ranch-hand, not lumber-jack.) Fortunately, I have an extremely difficult time throwing anything away, that includes ugly mats and scraps of cowhide.
These 8 x 10 photos were taken on our property, and I used the “sepia tone” option when I printed them.
I took unfinished wooden frames that I had picked up (8 years ago!) for $1 each in a Michael’s clearance rack. They did not have glass or backing. I stained them a very dark brown.
I then cut 4 strips of cowhide from scraps left over from my dresser project. I glued them on top of an existing 11 x 14 mat. (I didn’t take before pix, but trust me, the mats were a hideous baby blue and looked like they had been covered in taffeta.)
After the cowhide strips were glued to the mat, I cut some thin balsa wood strips to length and stained them the same color as the frames. Balsa wood is so light that you can cut it with an exacto knife. When the stain was dry, I glued the strips directly over the seams in the cowhide, so I could cover them up.
Wow those are so beautiful!!! You did an amazing job, and I love em’! Thanks for sharing! Gotta find me some frames now!
Have a great night!
Tanielle
Great job, I’m sure those are perfect for your room! Very cool.
Thanks for linking up to the party!
WOW, I’m very impressed!
Love your decision to go lumberjack not grizly, it’s so overdone!
I can now add talented next to your name!
Wowza- funny AND crafty?? No fair!!!
These are great! Thanks for sharing!
Becca
I love how these turned out! Thanks for sharing!
Very cool! Good job!
Hi Vivienne!
What a great project! And I can’t believe you got those frames for a buck! You are very talented!
Thanks for coming over to view my horrifying pictures!
XOXO
Jen
those are really, really beautiful.
Wow. I am impressed. Love your pictures.
I am so bleepin’ impressed with you! Fantastic!
They really do look fantastic.