Imagine...Visualize....be Creative!

Hello my lovely followers, (yes all 15 of you, including my dog!) someone asked me recently, "do you buy stuff, or collect things, knowing what you'll do with them, or do you figure it out afterwards?"

I usually picture the item where it will end up, before I buy it. Although sometimes, if it's a really special item and a great deal...I may buy it and figure it out later. When it comes to parts, wood or otherwise, I tend to put them away and contemplate until an idea comes to mind.

I am a very visual person and can visualize something, draw it, and build it. All the furniture I've built, big and small, has been built without "plans" other than the ones I come up with in my head. My husband and I starting building things out of necessity (the Mother of invention!) years ago, and still build, but more now because we want something customized for our home or as a gift for someone else. There is a real sense of satisfaction out of creating something out of some wood you've been hoarding, old doors, hardware or shutters, for example, can become a beautiful piece of furniture that will be treasured for years to come.

 This piece of fretwork salvaged from a entertainment unit is a perfect example of parts of other pieces I've kept to re-use later on.

 This plain full length (cheap 10$) mirror became a beautiful window like mirror with the addition of some old moldings I'd been saving, a little paint, some distressing and it is now beautiful!

 The built ins in our living room (incomplete in this picture) we built based on an idea that I drew out, that  my husband and I built to include the faux fireplace (electric) we already had. The entire unit cost us under $200 to build, since we re-used some wood we already had!

 A perfectly good little table I found by the garbage bin, painted and distressed is now a pretty little table that is one of my favorite things!

This cabinet is the ultimate in recycling! The body and doors were found by the garbage bin (at different times), the tiled part was found at a garage sale and re-tiled with tile found in Alberta at a Restore, the knobs were found at another garage sale & the top was part of another cabinet! It's really a Frankenstein turned into a Princess, if you will! LOL When I started to put all the parts together, I didn't know if the image I had in my mind would actually come to fruition, but it did! And I love the outcome. There are many more examples in our home...


So, I guess what I'm saying is be adventurous, don't be AFRAID to try a new look, idea or whatever, go with it, the worst that can happen is you end up with the same pile of wood you started with, to be used on another project......JUST IMAGINE!

On a different note...Remember these little things?

Although they look like they are made of wood, they are a heavy plastic. A little paint, a little sanding, and now....

 I glued some white felt on the inside of the smaller one, for a nice soft surface for our rings.

 I LOVE the detail on these little trays....so pretty!

 (That's mouthwash in the pretty bottle, instead of the ugly bottle it comes in!)

Pretty cute for $2...Don't you think?

IMAGINE!

Thanks for following!

xx

Sandra