Friday, April 8, 2011

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!

 





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30 comments:

  1. That lamp is so cute! What a sweet little find to stick inside it too. I love you fishing floats that your husband found for you. I've been looking for some. My hubby was in the Gulf War also but in Abu Dhabi.

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  2. Tonya, the bulb looks good in the lamp, too. Did you make the eggs? When's the give away? I like bird themes too.

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  3. Oh my these are all such wonderful ideas! We have a shabby shop here locally but they charge a lot for their blue jars. Well I found a person the other day on CL selling a bunch of old items and when I went to their property she had blue jars. I asked and she gave them to me for $.75 a jar! I just made my first soap dispenser, and I'm thrilled with them. Love your lamp! I would be delighted if you would link this to my VIP party this weekend =) http://designergarden.blogspot.com/2011/04/vip-party-10.html

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  4. Your lamp is soooo adorable it's making me crazy! I had to show it of on FJI Facebook for SNS 76. :)

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Funky-Junk-Interiors/175378011140#!/photo.php?fbid=10150213288531141&set=a.192514281140.164586.175378011140&theater

    Donna

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  5. You have to be one of the most creative bloggers out there. This is great!

    =)

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  6. You seriously have to be one of the most talented and amazing ladies ever! That is beautiful! And the painting too. Boy do I hope I win that one. Anyway.. you just blow me away. Love how you take something that no one would notice one way or the other and make it something of such simple beauty!

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  7. Love the lamp. It's wonderful. All of your ideas are so inspiring!
    ~Heidi

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  8. Looks soooo Good!!!! Love the nest!!! Is it for you or is it a gift?

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  9. I love that lamp idea! What a beautiful creation. It looks so pretty next to the adorable picture of the bird going to her nest, too. Thank you for sharing it with us.

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  10. This is great!! I love the little bird nest in the jar, too cute. I posted about my treat jars recently, I hope you will stop by and check it out!

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  11. Sorry Tammy your b'day has passed. I think the pic should go to someone with a broken foot. Tonya I love your blog. It makes me so jealous that I don't have your talent!

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  12. Thanks for following me on Blog Frog. I came for a visit and became your newest follower! Beautiful site!! Deb

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  13. Love,love,love the lamp! The shade is awesome and the birds nest just makes it.

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  14. Stopping by from TypeA. Cute idea! I use a blue jar to store spare change!

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  15. oh wow, love the mason jars lamp! i've been trying to find those mason jars but so far no lucky yet! gorgeous photos and you're so creative!!

    i'm your newest follower from the Bloggers Party and Hop at TypeA

    Susan at http://tea-diary.blogspot.com

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  16. Great ideas for blue jars, and the lamp is beautiful.
    I am following your lovely blog from the Homemaker on a Dime party.
    Ana Paula.

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  17. Oh my gosh, you have such style!! I ADORE the shade you made for your canning jar. You totally inspired me!! :-)

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  18. So MANY great ideas in ONE post! I love the shade you made for your jar...so creative. My favorite "take away" from your post was how to make a regular jar lid look like an old zinc one. Thanks for posting.

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  19. What a cute little set up. Love it!

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  20. This is so creative and so neat Love all of the jars and the lamp is fabulous. Beautiful vignette. Thanks so much for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty

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  21. Great job! Such a unique idea and it turned out beautiful. Really appreciate you linking this up at the Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop.

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  22. OH,what a beautiful display, I love coloured glass, and this sky blue is just beautiful, very creative with that tiny birds nest. What a find! With a touch of romanticism! Lovely.
    yvette@twistedvines

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  23. That is one gorgeous lamp idea! I love the little nest tucked so neatly in there!

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  24. I wanted to let you know that I will be featuring this post on my sidebar for a week!! Thanks so much for linking this up to my Marvelous Mess party. Feel free to pick up a featured button!! Here is the link:http://marvelouslymessy.blogspot.com/2011/04/marvelous-mess-8-features.html

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  25. this is positively the most beautiful lamp I have ever seen. I mean, a real nest? An overall winner!

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  26. beautiful! I LOVE old blue glass bottles.

    kisses
    heather

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  27. I love that lamp, and all your other ideas! Those blue jars are my fav! Thanks so much for linking up to Try it Tuesday! I am featuring this today!!
    Have a happy Monday!
    Tasha
    PS. I am your newest follower!

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  28. interesting lamp shade idea.i like the whole vignette you did.

    did you see the shabby scrappy lampshade we featured last week? http://www.finecraftguild.com/make-own-lampshades/

    this might be a 'next version' of your lamp, when it's time for a change or when you want a bit more protection for your eyes from the lamp bulb...

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  29. Hello- just found your blog from Funky Junk- LOVE this lamp! Actually I lo e each and every mason jar creation on your site!!I Love, love, love and I'm so glad to have found your site! I'll be checking back often!!

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