All together now
(to the tune of The Farmer in the Dale)

Some rusty old springs,
Some rusty old springs,
We're gonna make some crafty
stuff with rusty old springs.

Okay, that was dumb.  But it got you to
thinking about rusty old springs, didn't it?


Winterberry Primitives


JL Quilts

My Salvaged Treasures

Beyond the Picket Fence
Click here or the step-by-step tutorial on
how to make this adorable nest wreath.

Awesome Steampunk penguin

Home Talk

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Source
Are you still humming Farmer in the Dale?  Sorry.
Hope you have a spring in your step today!

Today's Repurposeful Monday is a little, well, different.  And after
reading it you might never look the same way at trash on the street.  

Contemporary artist Kim Alsbrook produces tongue-in-cheek
creations that pair society's waste and her skill as a classic portraitist.

Her art?  She paints beautiful historic portraits on flattened
aluminum cans she picks up off the street:

"The trash is found flat on the street.  One cannot flatten the trash.  It just doesn't work.  It must be found so that there are no wrinkles in the middle and the graphic should be well centered.  Then the portraits are found that are complimentary to the particular trash.  Generally, I depict miniature portraits from the Watercolor or Ivory Era (17th - 18th century, more or less.)  The trash is gessoed in the oval shape, image drawn in graphite, painted in oils and varnished." -- Kim Alsbrook

I like that the orange soda can background

compliments the auburn hair of Kim's model.

Kim Alsbrook

When I first viewed Kim's creations I thought of my grandmother's quip - "From a sow's ear into a silk purse" - but, honestly, I still see a lot of the sow's ear.  Maybe that's part of Kim's message.

Welcome to another Before and After Friday.  I think you're

going to enjoy today's featured projects: painted paneling.

Whether or not it's 'real' wood, paneling can make

a room appear dark and small:
Before


After

Northern Cottage

Not only did the homeowners paint the paneling,

they also painted the brick and beams.  Great job.

Before

After

Young (House) Love

Painted paneling and new flooring make such a difference:

 Before

After

Link

Paneling in a dining room is particularly unappetizing:

Here's a view of the other side of the room:

Killer B Designs

You're probably going to gasp at the transformation of this bedroom:

Before

After

 Live, Love, DIY

This family room looks so much larger now that the paneling is painted:

Before

After

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This renovation involved painting paneling as well as removing part of a barrier wall between the kitchen and great room:
Before

After

Living In Color

The Before and After photos of this project are startling:

Before

After

Here's a view from the other side of the room:

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The 'after' of this den is amazing, isn't it?

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Even authentic knotty pine can use an update:
Before

After

Star Dust Decor


Basements have a tendency to be gloomy:
Before 


After

 The Coy Pond

This basement is a cool hangout now.

 It'd be hard to be creative in such an uninteresting room:

SO much better:

Hooked On Houses

 The homeowners who undertook this project sanded

the paneling, filled the grooves and then painted it:

Fab Twigs

Such a sophisticated difference.

If you have a room in your home that is paneled and you're thinking of painting it, search online for tips and instruction videos.  There are a bazillion sites with helpful tutorials.

I hope you enjoyed today's projects and are inspired to take on a Before & After of your own.  Have a relaxing weekend.