How to Make a Bird Feeder with a Repurposed Plate Tutorial

I love yard sales, sort of. I love to look for treasures under piles of junk and sometimes I do pretty good....then there are other times that I think "you should have stayed home...you have more money than sense." Sound familiar? The other day I stopped at a friend's yard sale and she had a deal for me. A bunch of stuff....Some of it looked good, a lot looked like the first stop was the dump but I bought it anyway. No, she didn't twist my arm....In fact, her yard sales are pretty good with incredible antiques, this stuff was being sold for a friend....Anyway, I bought it. All 4 boxes.

I found this incredible vintage plate among the items. Lovely. Very pretty with Asian styling. See the chip? I didn't at first. I would have kicked myself in the butt but I haven't done yoga in a while and am not as flexible as I once was. 

Made in Japan....Woo Hoo. Then I examined it....a chip on one side. Ugh....What to do with it? Too pretty to throw out. Hmmm......A bird feeder for the front porch! 

I've had plenty of bird feeders over the years but most get chewed up be squirrels or just fall apart from age and the weather. The plate has 2 holes on each side of it....perfect! Into the studio it went (I feel like the professor on Gilligan's Island in there....lots of stuff to make anything with).  I found my fishing line and strung some beads for a little bit of flash. 

Voila! A bird feeder! Hopefully the cardinals and wren we have in this area won't mind the chip.....And one less thing going to the dump.  Now to keep Mr.Ted away from it while the birds are noshing a bit of seed.

Post by Eileen Patterson.....always GoofingOff. 

Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks 7.15.11 Summer Entertaining

Summer’s here in the northern hemisphere and according to the weather people, it’s been a hot one. Down here in FLA we are finally into our rainy season, which we have sorely needed. The daily (yes, just about every day we have thunderstorms) showers are keeping our volunteer garden alive. We have tomatoes, melons, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydews, on the vine. Talk about a bonus. Very exciting, especially when you realize it is a freebie benefit.

So, how do you stay cool in the heat? Do you stay inside and take a luscious afternoon nap in the AC or go for a dip in the pool? Movies in the AC? Is it too hot to garden when the temp reaches over 100? Do you have parties and cookouts in the evening when it cools off? Maybe a picnic or poolside luncheon? Decorate in style!

           Waverly Sun N Shade Jewel of the Sea Indoor Outdoor 18"x18"  Pillow Cover by SewSusie1 Pretty enough for inside the house and ready to use poolside or in the hammock.

 

                            Mossy Green Pottery Rhubarb Leaf Plate by NancyBloklandPottery  What a lovely serving plate! Imagine this on the table. Even hot dogs will look elegant!

       Personalized Custom Wine Stave Tray by Rock Creek Furniture Co Fabulous way to carry the goodies out to the barbecue! It would make a wonderful wedding or hostess gift, too.

       Glass Pitcher and Glasses with Painted Poppy by Crafts n Nat Elegant (and gorgeous) way to serve lemonade or even ice water. Beautiful.

     Large Red Oak Platter with Carved Sections by Amie Jean Original Love the use of reclaimed wood. Imagine this on your summer table, indoors or outdoors.

     Fabric bowls - set of 2, teal, yellow, orange, purple by Textile Gifts. Fill these babies with snacks or bread. Pretty and summery!

           Turquoise Triangle Cocktail Veil by Cocktail Veils Fantastic idea to keep those pesky insects from dive bombing into your drink. Looks much better than a napkin and the turquoise holds it in place.

          Palm Trees Screen print cotton flour sack towel by Ms Veronicas Love the color (and the look).  These are gorgeous! I use  fabric napkins all the time. Wash, dry, fold, and put away and use again. Better than work, shop, buy, use, throw away.

OK, that’s the eight for the week. What do you think? Good ways to make the summer barbecue the “place to be?” Vote for your favorite. Poll will be in the upper left corner. Winner gets a feature blog interview.

Post by Miss Eileen aka Goofing Off.

Check out our shops: MissEileen Vintage fun, fashion, decor

GoofingOff Etsy GoofingOff Artfire Sewing supplies, patterns, fabrics, Judaic fabric

MetalWoodsnWater Etsy MetalWoodsnWater Artfire Unique, weird, supplies, bones, metal work.

4/29/11 Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks of the Week

 

It’s Friday, time to announce my Etsy picks of the week. With so many awesome things on Etsy it can be a challenge. I hope you like this week’s. I tried to mix it up a bit.

Before I forget, congratulations to last week’s winner, Jean Abbott, with her yellow and green chick.

Industrial Pipe Bookshelf with Antique Knob by DirtyBits

Cool Recycled License Plate Belt Buckle New York Handmade by HalfMoonRoad

One Piece Playsuit Romper by Persine

Risk Large Size Sketch Journal by 2CheekyMonkeys

Cody mixed metal pet i.d tag by DoggoneTags

 

Lime Green striped Capelet with removable Sunflower brooch by BenaBasilsDesigns

Edible Cake Toppers - Safari Animals by SugarDoughDesigns

New York Beauty Quilt Top in Rusts and Tans by Patchmaker

Did you pick your favorites? Don’t forget to vote. The winner gets an interview on this blog. I think all of the items are fantastic.

When you get a chance stop by my Etsy shops, MissEileen, GoofingOff.Etsy, GoofingOff.Artfire, and MetalWoodsnWater (the hubby’s). Have a cup of coffee, chat a while. Coffee’s always on, just bring your cup. :)

Do you have a shop or a favorite item that you would like to see featured in the blog. Drop me a line in comments. I love hearing from y’all.