Garden Candy

Mary, Mary, quite contrary...how does your garden grow? After a night at the Women's Ag Banquet I hope it grows JUNKY!!!

Recently the JunkFest girls were honored to have the opportunity to present to a group of Ag women about Curbless Appeal. We threw out a personal challenge to each and every one of these winter-weary-spring-craving women (and to ourselves too!) to think

"outside the box"

this year when decorating the yard and garden.

With what you ask? Well, DUH. Junk of course! Dat's what it's all about!!

(teeny disclaimer about the below pic, I'm on the left and purposely cropped 4" off my a$$ sweater, and just in case you think I've "got it all together"...I'm wearing two different socks!)

I do hope my presentation and ideas weren't too corny.

I DO have a tendency to REPEAT myself!

We put out a bit of a display and had a slide show of many junky garden idea pictures to "feed the brains" of the gals in attendance.

Our goal: INSPIRE

Cassie was unable to attend because she was in TX at the gosh dern best flea market ever! But she worked like a trooper getting things gathered and ready for the displays, and put together some SaWeet doorprizes!

Lynette did a great job getting the display up and running for the event! And answered some Q & A afterwards!

And here I am! showing a slide show and throwing out a few ideas along the way. (Like telling the farm wives to RAID their husband's shops as soon as he get out to the field! No, really! I totally mean it...there's awesome stuff out there! Be sneaky-wink, wink.) Of course I came prepared with notes, but as I expected, forgot to use them! Hey, it's just how I roll!!

I hope my presentation and ideas weren't too corny!

I DO have a tendency to REPEAT myself!

Now, before we give you just a "taste" of the ideas we threw out there...I want to give a SHOUT OUT to some fabulous gals. They let us use their pictures and one thing I can tell you...

You MUST go to their blogs, and while you're there...dig back through the posts. You won't be dissappointed, I gaurantee it!! These gals are crazy talented!

Donna of Funky Junk Interiors

and again linking to SNS at Funky Junk Interiors

Laurel of Chipping with Charm

Lani of Cottage Elements

Anna of WitBehind

Hanging planters design: Sue Whitney, Junk Market Style.

Photo compliments of Chipping with Charm.

And lastly...and MOST importantly...enjoy the natural beauty in your yard and garden,

because it's all around you!

A Queen in coffee sack burlap

Have you ever wanted one of those AWESOME vintage dress forms...on the cool wheeled base...with the fabulous metal cage at the bottom??

One of these:

Well, me too!

So I was so excited when a relative said she had one for me

...I mean REALLY? FOR MOI?? Gosh....THANKS!!

HUH??

"OH, one of these dress forms...sure, I guess I'll still take her.

Yea, she's a little wobbly...I'm sure I can do something with her

.... I hope you don't mind if I change her up a bit."

sniff...sniff

And that is where this Cinderella story begins.

First, the purple fabric HAD. TO. GO.

...and a wheeled base had to be found. This green one had been the base of a very old, very space-aged looking hairdryer.

For the "cage"...what else, but a birdcage! This one was tall and cylindrical, I cut the top and bottom off with wire cutters...just a little muscle to bend it into an oval and it fit right onto her hips!

 

I removed each piece of the thick cardboard...

covered them individually in coffee sack burlap with hot glue... (Yes, I was reminded SEVERAL times why they call it HOT glue!! )

Then I re-attached each piece. It was very time consuming

but I felt there was a true beauty in there, just waiting to be discovered.

I painted that green wheeled base in oil rubbed bronze, slid on the birdcage and cinched it all together with a black ribbon.

Here is a view of her finished back.

To give her a little va-va-voom...I added a few quirky details like mini water faucet handles to accentuate the...um... positive :) ...and an old drawer pull hung at her hips.

This gal was going to be beautiful and useful!

Scarves can be displayed around her neck...

necklaces dangling from her...um...water faucets

...belts at her waist

and sunglasses from the drawer pulls on her hips!

I topped her off with an old door knob.

and, just for fun, I gave her a crown.

 

This gal was becoming pretty saucy...so I added a canvas patch that said "Queen of Tarte".

If only because it made me laugh.

I think she transformed herself quite regally, how about you??

 

** To the couple who purchased the Queen at last years JUNKFEST, I found the crown in my car after the show...she must have lost it in transit...if you want the crown, please email me and I can send it to you or I can hold it for you at the show in September.

I hope you are making good use out of her!!

Now you can see where she started from.

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