~*Was It a Selfish Saturday?*~

Well, it could have been... guess it depends on how you look at it.

Hello Dear Friends! Yesterday I took the day for MYSELF & crafted to my hearts content! While I didn't stitch on anything, I did hook & finish up two trash~to~treasure pieces. Tony was working in the garage building a packer for the go kart track and Trinity spent the day playing with the dog & later on with two of his cousins... so I did my own thing! It felt GREAT too!

Here is what I did...

First, let me remind you of what I started with. This is the group of stuff I found when my good buddy, Sher, and I hit the thrift shops in town a few weeks ago...



Look closer at this...



It now looks like this...



The cross stitch on the top was one I had done several years ago for another idea I had that didn't pan out as envisioned. 'Willard School' was the name of the one~room school house my Dad went to (well, both my Aunts too). The building has now become someones home. I don't get to Willard, Kansas often now... but each time I do, I make a drive by & imagine what it would have been like as a school.

Here is a close~up view of the stitching... I've aged it with some sandpaper & a few snips here and there...



The slate sitting at the bottom was also from the thrift store. The large part of this piece was only 25 cents... and the slate was only 99 cents. Hard to believe it only cost $1.24 total!

My next project of the day was the stool. Here is a view of how it looked before (it was only $5)...



Here is how it looks now...



Using cheap spray paint, I first gave it a coat of black & then a quick coat of red. I didn't even bother with sanding before painting... I figure I do enough sanding after painting to make up for it.

After the red was applied...



After the sanding... notice the school board 'thingy' there too... I didn't even bother repainting it...



Then a coat of shoe polish to stain & wax... (remember I told you that lil' secret before)



I grabbed a scrap of linen & one basket of woolly worms... drew up a geometric design... then headed for my spot under the Oaks in the backyard... (the linen was actually one I had scribbled on the other side for another rug that never became a rug)



While hooking... I decided to make a change in the design...



Tony had to ask me if I was hooking a pizza. I wasn't amused by the comment... but we did have homemade pizza for supper last night. LOL



Another view of the finished stool...



So, was it a selfish day? Maybe it was to some extent... but it sure feels good to have a few of the things on my list finished. It always feels good to me to have worked with my imagination, heart, and hands. Plus, I feel the creative juices are regurgitated for more.

Wishing you a day of warm smiles, sunshine, and crafting joys...

Betty