Canning Blue, How I Love Thee.

 

Donna over at Funky Junk 

is hosting another themed party this week

and it is a favorite of mine:

'Vintage Mason Jars.'

Oh, how I love blue canning jars!

I use them for a multitude of things.

Kelly's Korner is also hosting a party of ideas for Mother's Day

or Father's Day.

Who wouldn't love a blue canning jar

with something special and personal in it

for

Mother's Day?

Here are some things I use them for:

 I found this great liquid soap dispenser that uses a blue canning jar.

When spring comes around

my daughter cannot pass a flower without picking it,

so my large blue canning jar holds lots of spring time colors.

 A blue canning jar holds our cotton balls and face wipes

up in the bathroom.

 

 It matches the blue glass Japanese fishing weights

that my husband found on the beaches of Midway Island when he was

stationed there during the Gulf War.

 

 Buttons look especially pretty on display in a large blue canning jar.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I purchased a light fixture to go on top of a canning jar

at a yard sale a couple of summers ago.

I'd never liked the lampshades I'd tried with it,

but I thought I'd give it one more try for this theme...

so I tore off the broken shade material from a lampshade I had.

 and tossed it in the trash,

just using the top part of the lampshade wire.

 I then loosely formed a lower piece of shade form...

 using some heavy wire I'd gotten at an auction.

I adjusted the width to the size I wanted it to be,

and then doubled it to make it strong.

I held the lower rim to where I wanted it to come down on the lamp,

judging by the light switch.

I decided I was going to paint the gold parts gray.

 I then cut a dozen wire pieces,

a few inches longer than I'd measured

the lampshade's height to be.

  I began wrapping the individual pieces that I'd cut

on the top piece of the lampshade

wrapping a few twists along the top

and then letting the rest dangle down,

spacing them evenly between the

lamp shade tines.

 After all the pieces were attached to the top,

I then placed the doubled bottom piece I made

to the height I wanted it on the lamp

and began wrapping the ends of the pieces

to this height.

As I went along,

I kept checking to make sure I was wrapping evenly

so that the lampshade would be even on all sides.

 When it was completed,

I added an extra piece where it was needed,

and filled in with an extra piece on the top to make the twisting wire

look even.

I then twisted and made the circle shape even.

It then looked like this:

 (TOP)

 (BOTTOM)

Grabbing some gray spray paint...

 

 (I used the white for something else)

I spray painted the parts that were gold,

and the cord of the lamp

(I didn't like the color it was).

I also gave the shade a light coat of it as well,

just to make it look even with the lamp.

I let this dry for a day or more

to be sure it was cured.

 I then grabbed the saurkraut my mother-in-law taught me how to make

this past fall

(Now, THAT is a work out!)

and ate some.

Just kidding.

I used the cap...

 to guide me in coloring the gray with a few streaks 

of

darker gray

(I just double loaded my brush with white on one side

and black on the other, 

and brushed it around on my pallet before painting)...

and some specks of white,

lightly dabbed on and rubbed with my finger.

(Between gardening and painting,

you'll have to forgive my horrid state of my hands and nails).

A clear sealer was later sprayed on the dried paint.

I debated what to put in the jar for a few days

not really liking anything I came up with.

Then my daughter called me outside.

 I was so thankful,

I think she was surprised by my

happy dance.

(I told her she'd found the solution to my problem,
an answer to a silent, small prayer of mine;

and then she seemed pleased as well).

I had some clay sitting around

so I made some tiny eggs to fit.

 

 A few spiked twigs from the evergreen tree

worked as fillers.

 I like the way this shade adds to the jar

without taking away from it the way the regular shades had seemed to.

 Even when it is turned off,

I like it's rustic charm.

 Can you tell yet what the theme is on our new porch?

 Unfortunately,

this bird picture I painted will not be staying here.

I will be having a give-away on Monday celebrating 200 followers..

Maybe you could win this picture as a fun Mother's Day gift.

Have a cheerful weekend!

 

also linked to: Designer Garden: vip-party
Not just a housewife: Show-me-what-ya-got

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