Hi Clare~

I'm dying to see what you described in your post, but I couldn't get your link to work! Can you try again?

I am going to try to link this so you don't have to cut and paste. Does anyone have easy instructions for posting this link?

Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket

Clare,
Your decorations are lovely. I really like that you used the back of the bench as a ladder and plan to reuse it come spring. And using the dried hydrangea's is very clever!
You know what has caught my fancy most though? Your wall behind the tree!!!! Is it copper colored? with a sponge technique over top? I really like your sun plaque on the wall, but I am LOVING the paint!

Hi clairjoe, I tried to paste and copy but it wouldn't work.

Welcome Clarejoe to the addiction of garden junk. Your vinette with Santa Claus and the bench/ladder is fantastic. I also like Candy Cane Lane. I wouldn't mind snuggling up to that snowman! Keep up the good junking!
Vickie

Welcome, Clarejoe...your GJ winter decor is wonderful! I love how you used the hydrangeas in your tree (also love the copper sun/hands piece) & your wall.

Great entry to your house & am glad you salvaged that bench for that "ladder looking thingy"...it's wonderful! Your swag on the door is just beautiful! Thanks for sharing everything...these GJers have the greatest ideas & you're one of them! Jeanne S. GOOD RECYCLING!

Welcome, Clare!

I LOVE everything! You've made so many fantastic Christmas vignettes and they're all wonderful. Great eye candy for me. Northern Hemisphere residents really know how to have Christmas displays. I especially like the candycane path, snowman and wheelbarrow. Says WELCOME to me!

Keep up the great work!

Welcome to the forum Clare! I was able to see all of your great decorations! I love your outdoor Santa on the bushel baskets and everything that goes with him! Your inside bird and hydrangea tree looks great! I love birds! And your wall treatment is wonderful! Wow! So many wonderful things! The white "trees" behind your white Santa---love them! Thanks so much for sharing your home with us at Christmas!

Welcome Clare. Your decorations are all very cheering and lovely. I especially like what you did with the window. Bet it is pretty lit up at nite. Your wreath is perfect. I like the way you have draped the pine. It's feathery but still very holiday. Great job. Bookmarking this one.

Kathy

Everything looks so festive. I just love your birds...Welcome....

I love the front porch decor & am crazy about the wall by bird tree. It is so beautiful. Is it paint or wallpaper??? Your bench thing is a great find!!Makes an attractive ladder!! Thanks for showing your goodies! Like the snowman & wheelbarrow too!! Jan

Sunnyca,
The wall by the tree is done in venetian plaster. The technique is done by applying the plaster with a spackle knife in kind of a criss cross fashion (there is no wrong way) It is time consuming though because you need to do two coats. This particular wall is done also with a third top coat. Since this is the foyer and going up the stairs to the second floor, I needed to protect it with a clear top coat. But what I added to the clear was a copper glaze to give it that coppery color. I really like it too! It was worth my months of work! Thank you. BTW, you can get all the materials at your local Home Depot. Behr paints puts out the product and they also have a brochure of techniques that they explain how to do it.

Great decorating .... puts me in the mood for the holidays! Don't be shy Clare, you fit right in here :-) Glad you posted the pics! ~tenderlee

Clare!!! Welcome, Welcome, Welcome,

Thank you for such a geat Christmas tour at your home!!! Your efforts have made a wonderful Holiday experience for us all. You are the 'Christmas' bomb girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

I especially love all kinds of trash to treasure endeavors! Your wheelbarrow is so charming!!!!!

We had an old metal wheelbarrow that needed a front wheel. I got a discarded child's small bike wheel (a tricycle wheel would have been even better, but what'a ya gonna do? Free is Free. I couldn't just knock on the door and ask if they had it in a different size.). Then I tore the rubber tire off of the spoked rim. You'll need one of those darned men with his 'Man tools' to help remove the center of the wheel if you do it this way. I spray painted it white, then ran a rod through the middle and attached it to the wheelbarrow cart. I'll post a pic soon because it really made a huge difference to my old metal cart. It would make your wooden cart even nicer.

I bet you did work for months on the Venician plaster it looks so rich!!! Great idea to toughen up the heavy traffic areas. Loved the glow when the lights were turned down low. The fresh greenery is wonderful on the door. The ice skates brought back memories of my childhood immediately. It was all so lovely.

Susie

Clare, I love, love, love your home and decorations! I love the old skates and sled. It reminded me that I have old skates that I need to put out somewhere, thanks. :o) I just love your window, great idea there. I have windows that I painted on that regularly hang on my porch ends but they have to come in for these windy cold winters here in PA. The whole porch scene is great. Your bird tree is wonderful and your wall is beautiful. Thank you for sharing your lovely decorations and home with everyone. Keep on junking! Darlene

Welcome to yet another creative person!

I am totally in love with your bird Christmas tree!! Now I wish I had dried more of my hydrangeas! I used to put dried statice on mine...until it self-destructed and got so messy, I had to throw it out.

~Sandy~

{{gwi:145094}}

I really enjoyed your Christmas tour. Thanks for posting and sharing with us, hope you will continue to do so.
hugs, Karen