A peek into the Garden Shed

The iris are blooming!!!  Not as pretty as last year, a bit skimpy actually. I think it was the horrid freezing weather in April after the March heat wave.  I wonder if all my yard will be affected this badly? 

But, a few iris are better than no iris at all and I am glad to see them.

These are in front of my garden shed.

I feel that a garden shed should always have vines growing over it, but I mistakenly planted vines that disappear over the winter. So I painted some around the doorway, with a nest tucked into the vines.

When we tore down the old garage, I saved a door from it to use as an awning over the garden shed's doorway.  I've attached it with L brackets,then continued the painted vines up onto the awning too.

A peek inside the shed, with a hand painted vintage door that I hung on the back of the building, where the original door was missing.  A little worse for wear over the years (its not water tight) but doesn't natural aging add charm?

You can tell in this close up of the door, it wasn't quite the right size, I had to cut the bottom off of it with POWER TOOLS (YAY-fun) after I painted it.  The curtains are stapled into place. With chicken wire instead of glass in some of the windows, there was too much wind blowing through and the curtains were always falling down when I tried hanging them on rods. Staples solved that.  These curtains were in a big boxful at an auction for $2.  I found the door in my brother-in-law's barn during a visit to Nebraska. My husband wasn't too happy about hauling it all the way back, but it was worth the effort and the argument.

A little birdie lives in the shed up on a beam.

When I reclaimed this old building, I emptied it out, power washed it, then rented a spray gun and painted EVERYTHING with a coat of paint.  To keep it cheap, I went to a surplus store, bought 8 gallons of pastel and white paint for $5 a gallon, dumped them all together and used the color as it turned out.  I let the paint shoot everywhere, no taping off or worrying about the floor.  Then, I added the little hand painted touches and hung up old bits of broken trim for interest.  The curved piece over the door is some gingerbread from  a dumpster at a construction site. Not the first time I found myself upside down, hanging over the side of a dumpster to dig something out.  Thats better than actually climbing inside, though.....

Back to the iris- yellow ones are blooming in front of my propane tank.

About 16 years ago, I painted the tank with iris on it, then planted bulbs in front of it.  Well, the paint is chipping and fading at this point, but I still enjoy it.

This weather has been so wet lately (devastating floods in Topeka, and too much rain here) so I haven't gotten my new bed finished. I did work in it a bit yesterday, but I think the ground is too wet to do much.

So I worked inside, decorating some jars for my bathroom cabinets.

Don't forget, you still have time to enter the MAY BUCKET GIVE AWAY-but time is running out!!!! And don't forget the Charm I am giving away for the Cottage Charm Giveaway.  Here is the link:

http://owcl.blogspot.com/2007/04/sign-up-for-cottage-charm-give-away-day.html

You can enter all my giveaways simply by leaving me a comment, any comment at all,  Unless of course it is a mean one.  But I doubt if you'll do that.

I already miss my rose a day and it just ended yesterday. Doesn't every day need a rose??

Here is a bouquet of them, on top of a powder box I have listed on Ebay.

These roses are made of tiny sea shells.  You can bid on it by clicking on the Ebay link to the right.

Also, thanks BIG TIME to Carlene- http://carlenefederer.blogspot.com/ ; Karin- http://www.creativechaos.typepad.com/ ; Natasha- http://natashaburns.blogspot.com/ ; Jody- http://gumbo-lily.blogspot.com/2007/05/prairie-rose-for-you.html for all buying pendants and charms from me.

All of the jewelry is for sale, if there are any pieces you'd like  a close up of, just email me and I'll send photos.  Thanks!!

Comments

[Lori]

You are so lucky, everywhere you turn there is beauty to admire!! This was a beautiful post.

[Mari-Nanci]

Oh what a garden shed!!!! Charming. Unique. Precious.

This is not fair! Our garden shed doesn't look like this! -pout- -pout- -pout- ,-)

Mari-Nanci

[Karla]

Karla - you constantly amaze me! I never would think to use an old piece of the garage for an awning! Or to staple the curtains! Or to haul back an old door and then trim it! Or to paint flowers on my propane tank! You are so very talented.
Karla

[Felicia]

What a wonderful garden shed tour. Beautiful!

[Becca]

You never cease to amaze me! Loved LOVED all the pictures! Love your garden shed, the lace curtains, the little birdie living up in the beam.....
and oh, your propane tank! Can you please come paint our ugly monstrosity?!
Love the old chippy chair too; I have some of those out on our mbr deck (which I currently can't use because of the sweet little robin's nest out there ~ a small sacrifice to enjoy their beauty! :)
Thanks for sharing all the pretty pics! Please keep them coming!

[Tongue in Cheek]

Wow! What an amzing creative soul you are!
Your shed studio room ...is like a dream come true! Thankyou for sharing.

[Eva Agnes]

I enjoy so much looking at your pictures and reading your stories about it all.
The shed is beautiful in it's own way. How fun it must have been to mix the colours and then just splash it on everywhere.
I am showing some of my own painted things today. But forgot to write in English about it. Please, forgive me.
Hugs Eva Agnes

[clarice]

Just beautiful, can I move in !!! I love what you did with your glass jars !!!!!!
Clarice

[Stephanie]

Karla, yes, I'm the same Stephanie from the Pretty Romantic Homes group (PRH) on eBay. I love your shed! Novel idea using the old door as an awning over the new doorway. Your creativity never ceases to amaze & delight me! Love all your pictures & how well you explain things! Always look forward to your new blogs!

Stephanie

[Karen]

I so enjoy seeing and hearing about your happy home! I love the how spontaneous you are with your decorating--the almost reckless abandon, lol, which I admire and wish I could pull off! It's all so lovely.
Smiles, Karen

[karla nathan]

Thanks, Stephanie- I think it is cute how all of us with the same taste in decor seem to find each other online out of all the masses out there!

[carlene]

your shed is amazing, charming and beautiful! I can picture myself in a pretty dress and cowboy hat with a big 'ole hat (think Kentucky Derby) having a picnic in there...(hint, hint, lol!) Gorgeous job Karla, it's really cool!

[carlene]

dur, I meant BOOTS, cowboy BOOTS! Even I wouldn't wear 2 hats at once, lol!

[Gumbo Lily]

Karla, I love the painted iris on the propane tank and the birds and vines around the garden shed. It must be "always spring" where you are.
~Jody

[Kathy]

I miss spring in the midwest!!!
It's always green in Florida with out that suprise of bloom and new growth early in the year.

[fromthepines]

Some MORE ideas! You are a non stop fountain of ideas lol! The ideas for the shed are great and I plan to use some in mine. Thanks!
Have a good day tomorrow - your last post was great.
Cheryl

[Debbie]

love your garden shed and the jars that you decorated for your bathroom!!! very pretty =) debbie

[Lilli]

You are my Hero! I can't believe everything you've done, adding Beauty and Charm to the world :)