Ballsy

      I like rusty yard decor.  I recently saw some rusty metal balls for sale on Etsy.  I loved the balls, but hated the price.  One seller was charging $80.00 for one six inch diameter ball.  Some other sellers had more reasonably priced 1.5 inch balls, but that was too small.  I envisioned a grouping of bigger metal balls - rusty lumps of metal that wouldn't get lost under a leaf.

     Purveyors of oxidized balls obtain their stock from somewhere.  I had to find a metal ball supplier.  I found exactly what I wanted at a price I could afford at https://customironworks.com/ .   

     I spent $74.99 for five balls - 

                                      1 - 8" at $31.34

                                      1 - 6" at $16.14

                                      1 - 5" at $12.33

                                      2 - 3.75" at $7.59 each

      It took about an hour to turn the shiny, new spheres into rusty spheres.  All it takes to turn bare metal into rusty metal is to spray it down with white vinegar, let it dry in the sun, then spray it again with a mixture of eight ounces of hydrogen peroxide, one ounce of white vinegar, and one teaspoon of salt. 

I gave each ball a quick rub with 180 grit sandpaper.

The spritz of plain vinegar begins the corrosion process.

The peroxide/vinegar/salt spray bubbles and rusts on contact.

I turned the balls over and sprayed again so the rust would be even all over.

Bevy likes!

   

     

     

       

Wooden Wine Box

      At my price point, I don't often get my wine in wooden boxes.  I found a tasty, inexpensive Bordeaux a couple of weeks ago, so I went back and asked for a case of the stuff.  Turns out that the twelve bottles came in two wooden boxes - six bottles per box.  

     I loved the boxes all the way home.  The feelings changed once I tried to pry the tops off.  I wanted to upcycle the boxes, but the lids were stapled so tightly that I couldn't help but damage the wood as I tried to work a thin screw driver under a staple or between the lid and the bottom of the box.  I finally extracted the inch long staples and stashed my wine in cabinets and on the kitchen wine rack.

     The lids were good for nothing but kindling, and the boxes were missing a couple of chunks of wood, but I thought I could use them to jazz up a buffet table.  I decided to offer one box to my crafty neighbor who said she could add handles to make a tray. 

     I had to be a copycat.  I sanded the remaining box and patched the gouges with wood filler.  I added some cheap handles and finished by wiping the wood with some mineral oil. 

     

     

     

 

Crocheted High Top Sneakers

      These slippers are just too much fun.  They are not difficult to make, but there are a lot of steps, and you have to pay attention.  Keep track of your rows and pay attention to your stitch counts.

  

     Stephanie Zed demonstrates how to make these slippers in a series of YouTube videos.  There are individual videos for sole sizes S, M, L, and XL.  There's one long video for making the rest of the slipper which contains charts with stitch counts for the four sizes.  Here are the links:

Small Sole:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUsGXkaKQb0&t=0s

Medium Sole:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1bvA1fQr5E&t=0s

Large Sole:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WJqAY-Tns8&t=0s

Extra Large Sole:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrXMc4n7qeM&t=0s

Slipper (4 Sizes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ityoEPu09I&t=0s