One Thing Leads to Another: Up-Cycled Alphabet Magnets and Fence Board

A few weeks ago Maggie, over at decorating.answers.com contacted Desert Girls Vintage about a possible DIY guest post opportunity featuring a unique DIY project.  Maggie couldn't be sweeter or more professional.  We look forward to working with her again soon.

Today I am giving you a more extended view of the DIY project I shared with decorating.answers.com. You can see that post here.  Please do hop on over and take a peek when you get a chance.

I saw an idea, awhile back, on Pinterest that I wanted to mimic:  Spray paint alphabet magnets gold.  It looked like a fun little project to make my fridge far more chic--in a playful way.  Isn't it funny, though, how one idea from someone else can evolve into something entirely unique and original?

The piece of old fence board I used to set the letters on while I sprayed them ended up the main art project and I can't wait to show you the result!

Who doesn't have a set or two of these hanging around?  Are you tired of looking at them yet?  Let's make them pretty!

Rust-oleum gold metallic spray- paint has a wonderful finish.

I didn't just get pretty gold alphabet magnets (that I am using to spell sweet words on my silver platters hung in my kitchen) but...

 a unique piece of rustic/contemporary art to hang in a child's room or nursery.

I really love how the gold is transparent over the wood grain and the character and age of the wood shows through with every letter.

I am thinking it would be perfect over a crib in an understated, rustic nursery space.  It is just the right size to span the length of a traditional crib or toddler bed, over a window or closet for impact at very little cost and effort.

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Wouldn't it look right at home in a room like this?

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Or how about in here?

What do you think?  Kind of funky and fun right?

Let me just say another big thank you to Maggie at decorating.answers.com.decorating.answers.com  Please do drop on by and say 'hi'!

Beatrix Potter

 

Helen Beatrix Potter at 15 years old with her spaniel, Spot.

A collection of all the little Beatrix Potter books.

Did you know that Beatrix Potter was initially interested in science, particularly mycology (the study of fungus and spores)?  I didn't either.  It stands to reason that Potter's accurate portrayal of the natural world stems from such a passion, many Victorians loved nature and were fascinated with the observations of botany and zoology.  She not only was interested in mycology, she actually studied fungi under the microscope and proposed a theory on re-generation.  She submitted a paper, "On the Germination of the Spores of the Agaricineae," to the Linnean Society in 1897.  Because she was a woman she was not allowed to personally present her paper and she eventually withdrew it because she found that one of her samples was contaminated.  Even so, her paper was not handled correctly and was probably destroyed.  A few of her spore and fungi paintings have been donated to the Perth Museum and Art Gallery (Scotland) by Charles McIntosh, the scholar who initially helped Potter in her study of naturalism.  The Linnean Society apologized to Potter (posthumously) for their mis handling of her research.  

An art journal page of Potters

As a child, Beatrix Potter was well read in the classics such as "Aesop's Fables," The Pilgrim's Progress as well as Han's Christian Anderson's, Luis Carroll's, and Charles Kingsley's, stories.  She began to illustrate her own version of stories including: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding hood (among others) but instead of using the traditional characters, she used her own pets and creatures she studied as models for the stories, thus setting in motion her unique style that is obvious in her original tales.  

Beatrix Potter planned to buy Hill Top farm, in Lancashire (Cumbria) in the English Lake district, to be used as a holiday home with her future husband Norman Warne (her publisher), who sadly died before they could be married.  Potter went ahead and bought Hill Top and eventually married William Heelis (a country lawyer) and bought up and managed 16 farms with property extending over 4,000 acres which she left to The National Trust after her death in 1943.

At Hill Top

I wish I could thank Ms. Potter for her contributions to art, science and preservation.  She is so apart of our culture, and for good reason.  

Beatrix Potter: Inspiration For All:

How amazing and precious is this Peter Rabbit inspired nursery?

sweet little tins

Amazing Beatrix Potter mobile.

I think I need these little hair pins for Gwenna.

Lovely little pendant. 

These would make the perfect baby shower gift. Set of burp clothes on etsy.com

Easter:

For pretty Easter treats.

Statement making wreath

Pastry images

via pinterest