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Painting Grain Sack Stripes on Fabric
I may have bragged a time or two about the area we live in. Postcard perfect really. There is just one problem. Our nearest three towns are seriously lacking in the shopping department. I blame the internet. It’s both a curse and a blessing. I think as a result of a lot of people doing their shopping online, there has been a decline in retail stores. Some things you really need to see in person before you buy. Case in point…fabric.
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A Few More Map Orders… Everyone Different!
A few weeks ago we had an order come in for a white washed map of Prince Edward Island (PEI). While any province or country can be scrolled out of wood, the islands are most easily recognizable. Again we knew we could get 2 map projects out of one cutting session.
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Adding Color to the Walls Finally!
With everything primed it was time for paint. Before we started on the walls the ceiling needed a coat of ceiling paint. Funny but it was easier to get the primer on than the paint. I’m guessing the actual paint was thicker. Either way we had to be mindful of streaks. We were hoping with the primer we could get away with just one coat of paint. Turns out if you are very careful it is possible.
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Painting the ceiling…17 feet up!
This is a job we have been putting off for too long. Anyone who owns a wood stove will understand the need to paint the ceiling. We have had the stove for 9 years I think, so it was time. It probably would have been done last year or the year before but we kept putting it off. With the paint bought there was no turning back. First we had to clear the room.
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Making an Eagle Whirligig
We see a LOT of eagles in our neck of the woods. There is a fish hatchery just down the road. That could have something to do with it. They patrol the edge of the lake looking for fish. Every once in a while we actually see them dive into the lake for fish. They often park themselves on the highest tree on the edge of the water. So beautiful. We decided to build a whirligig, and what better than an eagle for our first kick at the can.
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Making a Wooden Kitchen Sign
Upfront I will say, in general, I am not a big fan of word signs but when I saw this phrase, it fit us too a tee. I couldn’t resist. So we went on the hunt for a board thinking we needed it to be about 8 inches wide. The first place we looked was in the shipping container. Jim has boards stashed all over the place. Like a squirrel with a nut.
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Making a Monogramed Sign
This weekend we decided to make a monogramed sign to hang from the steel pole we placed in the flower bed a few years ago. We usually just hang a garden flag but each year it either rips or frays. These flags are around $30, you’d think they would last a few seasons. Nope. The one from last year had a small tear in it so I sewed it up and in only a few weeks time it had another much larger tear in another spot. They don’t make things like they used to. Time to do a little DIY.
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Repairs to a House Built in the 1850’s
My Aunt lives across the lake from us in a house built in the 1850’s. Its a beautiful old, well taken care of, farmhouse. These days you hear the term ‘farmhouse’ used at random to describe furniture or wall and ceiling treatments, even kitchen sinks. What they are trying to replicate is my Aunt’s house. The real thing. We get to watch the sun set over her house every evening.
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Finishing Touches
We finished painting and installing new flooring at a neighbours house yesterday. The flooring was tricky in spots with a lot of undercutting of the baseboard and sometimes removing it all together. All her door casings had plinth blocks.
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More Nova Scotia maps in the Workshop
We’ve been working on a few Nova Scotia maps this week. One is on order and since we were doing one we decided now would be a good time to do the second one for a Christmas present. That will make one name crossed off the old Christmas list.