How to Remove Ugly Marks From Your Dishes

About 8 months ago I splurged 
and ordered some new dishes.  

Sadly, they now look like this

 I remembered reading a tip long ago about using 

Bar Keepers Friend to remove the marks.  

It was certainly worth a try.

You can get it at WalMart.

At first it didn't work so well for me.  

I was using a cloth and it seemed like the progress was slow.  

I discovered that if I used my fingertips with just a 

small amount of water I got much better results.  

Can you see the difference?

I'm a happy girl!

Maybe everyone already knew this but me, 

but just in case - I thought I'd share since 

nothing else I tried worked this well.

The Ever Changing Picture, Picture

I bought an ugly picture, and I'm not even sure why.

You see, I went to a junk sale at a super fun place called 

The Chicken Farm in Jones, OK.  To learn more about it and the dates of their sales - check them out here.  They are so cool!

Anyway.....

.....it was the end of the day and these two ladies were selling this picture.  For some reason - they seemed to really want me to have it.  (Do I look like a jungle cat woman - or do they just know I'm a sucker for a good deal?)  They started reverse wheeling-n-dealing with me until the price was so low - who could pass it up?  What the heck - I could paint the frame or something.

I stuck it on my Dining Room wall just to fill the space for a bit, and you know - it actually kind of grew on me.  It started to look rather nice - imagining it without the brown mat and the cats.

I thought it would be fun to paint a mat with chalk board paint and write something like Eat, Pray, Love on it.  However, the mat ended up such a gorgeous black - I chose not to mess it up with chalk.

I also chose not to tear apart the mat and mess up the little gold frame embedded in it.  Instead, I poked holes in each of the corners and glued a small power magnet in the hole.  This allowed me to add a picture and hold in it place with metal of some sort.

Isn't it pretty?

The best part - it is like Picture, Picture from Mr. Rogers.  I can change the picture whenever I like.

Here is one I made for Fall.  It is so elegant in my Dining Room - so much nicer than the jungle cats.

Thanks for talking me into it ladies - it really is my style.  Hope to see you at the Chicken Farm again soon!

TKO Orange Oil: The Most Awesome Annie Sloan Dark Wax Tip - Ever!

Disclaimer:  So many people have pinned this tip that I want to say - please test an area.  I am not an expert - this is just what is working for me and I'm super pleased with it.  The TKO oil is pricey, but it is safe to use and if you don't like the results you can use it for other things.

OK, that is just my opinion, 

but it has been so wonderful for me

I have to share this!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is by far one of the best things to ever hit the furniture painting world.  You don't have to sand or do much prep - you just paint with ASCP and finish it with wax.  The results are so, so pretty.  Here is an example of a china cabinet I recently finished  with it.  You can see the full post here.

The paint does take some adjusting to because its covers a little differently and it can dry out on your brush.  You will adjust to that fairly quickly, though.  The wax, however, is another story.  For me, the learning curve on waxing has been a big one - especially the dark wax.  Let me explain - when you paint a piece it will look something like this (paint color:  Old White):

For some pieces, this is great.  You just wax with 2 coats of clear, and you are finished.  However, sometimes you want to bring out the ornamentation and details of a piece, so you use a dark wax for your 2nd coat.  Supposedly you can thin the dark down with clear wax if it is too dark, or you can use clear wax on a rag to wipe off whatever dark wax you don't want.  On some furniture this seems to work fine.  Others, not so much.  Unfortunately, regardless of how many tutorials I read or watched, my china hutch was waaaay too dark and streaky for what I was after.  Even after wiping and wiping and wiping with clear wax on my rag - I still got this (This is Old White with dark wax):

Uuuugh!  After so much work - this really discouraged me.  I tried every technique  I found, but felt like my only option was to repaint over the wax (which is something you can do with chalk paint) - but then what?  Plus, I've had this issue on other pieces.  In desperation, I decided to start trying things to see if I could come up with something that worked for me and gave me more control.  

You know what?

I found something 

and it works amazing!!!

I get this oil at my local health food store.  It has many, many great uses.

I found that by using a tiny amount of TKO, an orange cleaning oil, I could greatly control my dark wax.   

I simply tipped the bottle onto my rag covered finger tip and immediately began lightly, lightly rubbing over the dark wax in long streaks.

Here you can see how easily it rubs off on the rag.

This oil is not cheap at $24.95, but you will not use very much.  In fact, it is a fraction of the cost when you compare this technique with using the clear wax (which didn't work for me anyway and it is $30 a can), plus this is a natural, nice-smelling product.

Can you see where I gently rubbed off some of the dark wax?

Bonus:  it doesn't matter if you wait weeks before you apply the oil - it still works.  Another bonus:  your piece will also have an amazing smooth feel without the tackiness you can get with waxing.  And fyi - there is still plenty of wax on the piece to protect it, but you could add another clear coat, if you like.

I removed some of the dark wax on the upper right corner in this picture.

If you have been frustrated with dark waxing, perhaps this will be the answer for you, too.  I can't even begin to tell you how pleased I am with this TKO oil.  

Lavender Tub Tip:  Pour some of the orange oil into a smaller bottle to work with.  You'll be very unhappy with yourself if you knock over a full bottle.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Update:  Since I posted this tip, I have since tried mixing the dark wax with the TKO oil 1:1.  I love how it smooths on and wipes off of a piece.

PicMonkey - How to Combine Graphics for a Custom Design - Ballerina Picture

Today I'd like to show you how to take some free graphics that are available to you on the web, and combine them to make something unique and special.  I'm using 2 graphics that I downloaded from the Graphics Fairy to make a pretty picture to hang in a little girl's room.

 

 

When I open PicMonkey (see below), I am going to select Edit, and then choose the decorative frame graphic pictured above that is now saved to my computer.

Next, I'm going to click on the butterfly icon on the left, which allows me to add stickers to my picture

and I'm going to select Your Own at the very top.  While many of PicMonkey's features are free, this is one you will need to pay for, but it is awfully fun for the price.  I think it is only $5 to have all the upgrades for an entire month.

At this point I can now select any other picture I have saved on my computer to add to the picture I am editing.  I will now choose the ballerina.  (I did a little cropping and editing on this picture, and saved it back to my computer beforehand.)

Notice it is not blending very well, so I will now look to the pop-up editing box which automatically appears when you add a sticker (see it on the far right in the above pic).  Just click down through the Blend options to Darken, and that should blend your pictures together perfectly.

I finished this picture by adding an initial to the top.  All that is left is to save this back to my computer, giving it a new name.  It is ready to insert into Word or some other software to size and print it.

This is a great tool for making personalized invitations, cards, jewelry, gifts.....really the options are limitless!  Think you'll give this a try?  Let me know how it goes.

Thanks for stopping by the Tub!

Ellie

Faux New Upholstery on Chair

There is a blogger who writes a blog called Nesting Place whose mantra is, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful".  Don't you love that?  I do so much, because I don't want to try to live in a perfect world.  I like to decorate with another person's junk, because I like to limit my carbon footprint, I like to use my money for things more important than stuff, and if something gets broken - who cares?  But that doesn't mean the space around me has to look blah and boring.

 A perfect example is this chair I picked up at a yard sale for $5.  It is really sturdy, and just down-right cute!  The only problem is the pretty fabric is actually vinyl, and it has some chunks completely missing.  Can you see all the places that need a little TLC?

Since the last thing I need is another project, I decided to repair the holes and enjoy the chair in her shabby state until I have time to reupholster her the proper way.  Using Acrylic Caulk in Antique White - I simply smeared a coating over each of the holes with my finger.  That's it.  It blends so perfectly, I don't think anyone even realizes it has holes.

Can you see the holes?  I did not alter the pics in any way, except to up the contrast in hopes you could see the repairs a little better.......and I still don't think you can tell.  

It really doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

Thanks for stopping by the Tub,

Ellie

Duplicate Stitching on Sweaters

I love handiwork.....perhaps you can kind of tell.  I love making things with my hands, but I adore the work made by others even more.  When I pick up a piece at a yard sale or antique show, it connects me to someone in another time or place, and I want to know her/his story.  How did they find ALL the many, many hours to make this piece?  Was it a labor for someone they loved?  Did they need to support their family?  Did they leave their special mark on the piece somewhere?  How could their family have ever parted with the piece?  As you can imagine, to see the piece considered out of style and valued at only a quarter or a dollar really rips at my heart - but then again.....Oh so lucky for me!

One craft that has lost its fashion savvy is Duplicate Stitch.  Like Cross Stitch, it is just following a pattern to put a decorative design on a piece of fabric, only you are stitching V's instead of X's - and on knitted sweaters instead of Aida cloth.  Here is a great video on how to do Duplicate Stitch:

http://verypink.com/2011/02/15/duplicate-stitch

The reason it has gone out of style is because we don't wear colorful sweaters like this, along with our ginormous Pilgrim collars, and bangs hairsprayed 6 inches high anymore.......and we never want to again!

And yet, as dreadful as this sweater would be to wear now, I invested months of my life stitching all of this design.....and it still makes me happy.  A little dated....but happy!

Here is the thing:  Duplicate stitch doesn't have to be an all or nothing craft.  If you are not someone who knits, but would like to personalize a little sweater for your child or a baby gift - what about taking a small part of one of these designs and stitching on a knitted item?

Like the barn, tractor, or a few of the chicks?

Perhaps the little bunny heart for an Easter sweater?

Or, you can even design your own!  Just color in an anchor, a little whale, the Eiffel Tower, or a Monogram on this chart, and stitch it on a sweater. 

Another method, make a photo copy of your sweater, and color in a design for a chart.

Smaller designs are quite in style and can be stitched in a very short amount of time.  Imagine how accomplished you will feel seeing a little person running around in a sweater, or with a favorite blankie customized by YOU!  So you didn't knit the sweater.....the gift will be just as special.

I hope you will give Duplicate Stitch a try - even if it is only to cover a stain on a sweater to give it new life.  Someone, someday may see your work and ponder about the wonderful person who stitched it.

Thanks for stopping by the Tub!

Ellie

You don't have to use yarn to stitch on a sweater.  Some of these designs were stitched using embroidery thread, and some with pearl cotton thread.

Think Outside the Box - Candelabra Sleeves & Post-It Note Trick

One of the problems I ran into on my chandelier restore that I wrote about earlier this week, see here, was the candelabra sleeves.  Some of them were missing, and the ones that remained were so brittle they basically fell apart in your fingers.  No problem - just buy new ones, right?

  Not!  I searched and searched, but couldn't find this size anywhere - not even the internet.  I finally decided to just make sleeves out of something else......and another search began.  I'm not kidding when I say it took me weeks to find a solution.  After trying one thing after another, I finally found a less than perfect fit with the cardboard tube that comes in foil purchased at the $ Tree.  It was less than perfect because I still had to cut it down the side to fit it over the socket.  Once cut, however, it fit snug and held the crystal bobeche' in place perfectly.  

Since segments of cardboard tube are not terribly attractive on a chandelier, I decided to cover them with vintag-y,  light blue, letter scrapbook paper.  

Lavender Tub Tip:  Rather than measure and cut all of those rectangles, I just measured what size they needed to be and cut several at one time using my Silhouette Cameo machine.

Lavender Tub Tip #2:  When I was gluing the rectangles onto the sleeves, the edges didn't want to stay together.  By covering the glued seam with the sticky edge of a Post-it note and pressing it down well, the edges were held tightly shut until the glue dried.  Because of how Post-it notes are made, they came off the scrapbook paper quite easily and left no residue behind.

It wasn't my plan to have custom candelabra sleeves, but now that they are finished - I think they add a nice touch.

What have you created out of necessity?

Isn't it amazing what you can come up with 

when you're in a bind?

Ellie

Sushi - The Lavender Tub Way, The Roll

If you're a sushi lover, I suspect you are going to love this post, because wouldn't it be great to have sushi at home?  If you're not, you're probably wondering why I'm even bothering with this at all. 

Well, my family loooooves sushi.  The problem is we are blessed with two, strapping, teen boys who can't seem to get filled up, and it costs us a fortune to go out for sushi.  We hate to live without it, so I became determined to figure out how to make it!

Lavender Tub Tip:  I've taught all of my children how to make their own sushi rolls.  On sushi night, we prepare the ingredients and then have a sushi making party.  It is really great fun, and you should see how impressive my kids' sushi is.  Won't they be the life of a party some day?

While I did some research, the internet didn't answer all of my questions, therefore the method I'm describing is pretty much my own trial and error.  What I'm demonstrating probably doesn't follow any of the appropriate ways of making sushi, but it is what works for me, and I hope it will for you, too.  I can tell you that the end result tastes about 99% like one of our favorite sushi rolls in our favorite local restaurant, which makes us sooo happy!

All crab sticks are not alike.  I prefer crab sticks that can be pulled
apart in strings, like the brand shown above.  Some crab sticks are
all one pressed tube, and I don't like the taste as well. 
If you have a favorite brand, I hope you will share.

To keep this post from getting too long, I'm going to show you how to make the rice and eel sauce in tomorrow's post.  For now, we are going to assume that you have already prepared those a few hours in advance.

To learn how to make eel sauce, go here:
 For instructions on sushi rice, go here:

For this roll, we will be filling with avocado, cucumber, crab sticks, and cream cheese.  Prepare each of these ingredients by cutting into thin narrow strips (see the pic at the top of the post).  By the way, every ingredient needed to make this roll can be purchased simply at Wal-Mart.

To make the roll, place a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface such as a cutting board.  Lay a sheet of sushi wrapper on the plastic, and spoon sushi rice onto the wrapper.  The rice will be very sticky, but you can still press it somewhat into place with the back of a spoon.  Completely cover the sushi wrapper with rice about 1/3 "  thick.

Place a second sheet of plastic over the rice and press the rice through the plastic with your hand.  You are not trying to smash the rice, just trying to get it to stay together.  Next, flip the sheet over and remove the piece of plastic that is covering the green sushi wrapper.

Line up the sushi fillings along the side of the sushi wrapper closest to you.

Now, grasp the plastic on the closest edge and begin rolling the fillings into the rice covered sushi wrapper.  You will roll the plastic right into the roll.  Press and shape as you roll.

With the roll only about 1/3 complete, stop rolling and gently pull the plastic that has been rolled into the roll, out.  You may need to roll and untuck the plastic a couple of times until you have a roll completely formed.  Again, squeeze and shape the roll until it feels like it is holding together.

Remove the plastic and place the sushi roll, seam down, on a cutting board.  For me, the next part is the hardest to master.  Using a serrated knife that has been slightly dampened, carefully cut the roll using gentle sawing motions.  I find it is best to clean my blade and dampen it between each cut.  It may take some practice to get this down, so just be prepared.

To finish the sushi, I like to garnish the top of each slice with some additional crab meat and a drizzle of eel sauce.

So, what do you think?  No special equipment to buy, no cooking classes - just tools you already have in your kitchen and a little practice.  Do you think you will give it a try? 

I'm surprised how many of my friends think sushi is just raw fish, and are turned off by that.  Sushi comes in raw fish versions, but it is often made with cooked fish/shrimp, and there are vegetarian rolls, as well.  Unless you absolutely hate fish - the wrappers have a bit of a fishy taste - you should give sushi a try.  It really is very, very delicious.

And to my sushi-loving friends, I hope this is exciting for you because you can now have fun making sushi at home, and save enough $ to send your kids to college!  Please write and let me know if you had success with this method, and what flavor of sushi rolls you put together.

Thanks for stopping by the tub,

Ellie