GIRL CAMPERS ARE THE HAPPIEST GIRLS

Pattycakes, my vintage camper
is on the cover!

If you are in the northwest Georgia area and would be interested in learning more about girl camping, contact me through my Tin Can Happy Girl Facebook page or leave a comment on this post.


Now scroll on down and check out my Tin Can Happy blog!

TRAILER TRASH......CAN

On a recent thrifting excursion to the local Goodwill store, I picked up this "fishy" plastic trash can for 99¢.  Once home with my treasure, I began to tape off the top and bottom edges of the can with FrogTape.  This green tape is more expensive than the blue painter's tape but it is amazing and will leave perfect painted edges!  No paint seepage like the blue stuff.

BEFORE

FrogTape/newspaper to leave white strip on 
outer top edge and to protect interior of can

FrogTape/newspaper to leave white outer bottom 
edge and to protect bottom

The next step was to prime the trash can with Krylon Maxx Ultimate Coverage primer.  I bought mine at Walmart.

Two coats of primer: Krylon Maxx Ultimate Coverage

Then I painted the can with two coats in the "Calypso Sky" color, which was original in a small bottle of FolkArt acrylic paint.  Since it is a color I plan to use throughout  my vintage camper, I had a quart color-matched at Home Depot.

FolkArt acrylic paint color-matched at Home Depot

Waa-laa!  My completed "Trailer Trash" project!

Finished on one side

Opposite side

The words/atomic symbols were designed using my vinyl cutter. It totally matches my recent "Life is Good in the Camper" luggage makeover project.  See the luggage project blog here.

Vintage Luggage Makeover

Thanks for stopping in to visit my blog!  Feel free to ask questions or comment below.

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Camper girls are the happiest girls!

Painted Glamping Luggage

I just finished the luggage makeover for "Pattycakes", my 1976 Serro Scotty Hilander.  Read further to see how I did it.  Be sure to scroll far enough to see what's on the back side!

This upcycled piece of luggage is a Goodwill buy.  It is approximately 21"x14" and started out in a rather dull shade of blue.

Plain Jane suitcase found at Goodwill

The inside still looked great, so I decided against ripping out the lining on this one.  I let it air out for several days and when closed it is stuffed with "Bounce" dryer sheets to get rid of the slight stale odor.

Use Bounce dryer sheets when closed for the stale odor

I first taped all metal on the suitcase with FrogTape. Forget that blue painter's tape because if you are looking for a clean line with no paint seepage, then you want the GREEN tape and I'm not "croaking"!  Groan, right?  

FROGTAPE

Yes, it was time consuming to tape all the metal, but I enjoy that type of thing.  Some prefer to paint everything, including the metal.  That is a quicker way and there are some very cute upcycled luggage pieces out there using that technique.  

Kyrlon Maxx Primer

Since the suitcase was much darker than the color I wanted to use, I knew it needed to be primed.  I found a can of Krylon Maxx Ultimate Coverage Primer at Walmart.  It did a great job and I used the entire can on this project.  

Top & three sides primed; bottom still dull blue.

I sprayed light, thin coats on the suitcase, waiting one minute in between each spray session.  When it was primed enough to suit me, I set the kitchen timer for 1 hour and prepared supper for the hubba-hubba hubby.

Time to prime the bottom of the suitcase.

An hour later - tummy full and dishes done - I flipped the suitcase over and primed the bottom using the same spray method as the top and sides.  Then I let it all dry overnight.

The next morning I used a 1-inch paint brush (the cheapest one at Home Depot) and painted 2 coats, letting each coat dry for at least an hour or more.  I first painted the top, then all four sides and let it dry for a few hours.  Then I flipped it over and painted the bottom.  

It looked fabulous with just a paint makeover, but I decided to give it a bit of glam using my handy-dandy Silhouette Cameo vinyl cutter.

Life is Good in the Camper!

This is what the bottom looks like, words cut on white vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo.

Bottom of Suitcase:  Oh the Places I'll Go!

About the paint color:  I had a bottle of Folkart acrylic paint in "Calypso Blue", which was bought on clearance and a discontinued color. I had painted a postcard holder in this color and loved the shade.  So I took the holder to Home Depot and had them color match a quart of Calypso Blue.  I still have plenty for more glamping projects for Pattycakes!  

"Calypso Blue" FolkArt acrylic color-matched in Behr Premium Plus

Overall this was a very easy paint project, one that anyone could easily master!

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Camper girls are the happiest girls!

GLAMPER FINDSLife is Good Crusher Tees

My Favorite Glamping Goodies!
"Life is Good" Crusher Tees

The "Life is Good" crusher tees are soft when they are new, but only get softer with every wash.  They are among my favorites and if there's a camper on the front, then that just makes it perfect!  

NOTE:  To buy one of these tees, click on the images or links.

Happy Camper Brown Crusher Tee 
on sale at Amazon.com

Happy Camper Crusher Tee
Amazon.com

Happy Camper Ivory Crusher Tee
Sale at Amazon.com

Life is Good Ivory Crusher Tee
Airstream Store

Not All Who Wander Are Lost Crusher Tee
Airstream Store

Happy Camper Crusher Tee
Airstream Store on sale

Happy Camper Orange Crusher Tee
Airstream Store on sale

Happy Camper Green Crusher Tee
Airstream Store


This "Hit the Open Road / Enjoy the Ride" tee is one 
that I own, but was not able to find it for sale online.  
It may already be a retired design.

The crusher tees below are retired designs, but 
I'm always hopeful that one day I can find 
a used one on eBay!

Life is indeed good!  

If  you are blessed to do what you love, 
then you are richly blessed!  

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This is How Tin Can Happy Girls Roll!

VINTAGE CANISTER MAKEOVER

If you are into vintage retro items like I am, then you know that simple things like a canister set from the 1950s can be quite pricey! The aqua set below just recently listed on eBay. 

$115.00 on eBay!

Not in my budget!  I want an aqua canister set, preferably one with the "atomic" designs that were so popular in the 50's and 60's for my wee vintage canned ham camper.  Since I couldn't find (or afford) exactly what I wanted, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

This 3-piece avocado green canister set was priced at a little less than $3 (with my little old lady discount) at Goodwill. 

It was the right price, but not the right color or design.  But I had an idea because my thinking cap was on.  I had been thinking... This is where my hubba-hubba-hubby usually says, "Uh-oh".  Yes, I had been thinking about how this green set could be re-born in aqua!

DRUM ROLL....

One spray can of primer

plus

One spray can of aqua paint

plus

My handy-dandy Silhouette Cameo vinyl cutter 

EQUALS

An Extreme Canister Set Makeover.

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This is How Tin Can Happy Girls Roll!

IKEA LAMP MAKEOVER

A few weeks ago I found a plain Ikea lamp at the Goodwill and thanks to my little-old-lady discount I picked up this treasure for just a little over $3.00.  It was still in the box and looked like it had never been used.  But what to do with it?

I finally got my craft on today and this how it turned out.  It is going to look great in my little camper, Pattycakes!

Using my dandy Silhouette Cameo vinyl cutter, I combined three silhouette images into one to transform my plain Ikea lamp into a cool glamping lamp.

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This is How Tin Can Happy Girls Roll!

SALETin Can Happy Girl ProductsCan Cozie, Bottle Opener, Party Shades

Tin Can Happy Can Cozie by Tin Can Happy Girl

This is the latest addition to my Tin Can Happy products in my Zazzle store.  The soda/beer can cozie is 10% off through Saturday, June 27th with this code SUMMERDEAL4U

Here are a couple more cool products that are available.

Bottle Opener Retro Camper Wallet Bottle Opener by Tin Can Happy Girl

Party Shades Retro Camper in 3 Styles and 9 Colors by Tin Can Happy Girl

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Camper girls are the happiest girls!

HOW I SURVIVED LIVINGNEAR UNHAPPY GNOMES

ONCE UPON A TIME there was
a land of wee gnomes 
that lived in Fairyland.  

Fairyland is very near my home somewhere among the flowers.  These gnomes are mostly good neighbors but they can be, shall we say, a wee bit mischievous!  I have a healthy respect for these sometimes crabby little neighbors of ours and try to keep them happy by leaving tiny swings and bicycles and tables with chairs out for their enjoyment.

So when I recently parked my newest vintage camper near the house, I immediately could tell that the little guys were not happy but I could not figure out why!  Things were being moved around inside the camper and even lying on the floor.  Outside more things were awry with gloves gone missing, pots turned over, flower petals on the ground.  It seemed to get worse with every new day.

Then while recently shopping online I saw something that gave me an idea.  So I ordered a couple of things and when they arrived I started on a new project.  When my project was done, life was happy again in Fairyland!  Those cantankerous little gnomes now have their very own campground and I am pleased to say that things are calmer up here on Bucks Mountain.

The Fairyland Gnomes were just jealous of my new camper!!  Who knew gnomes were into glamping, too???

LINKS TO MY PURCHASES:

Miniature Fairy Garden Welcome Mat
Miniature Fairy Garden Vintage Camper Trailer

As for the rest of the things in the Fairyland Campground, I am guilty as charged.  I waited until after dark one night and stole things here and there from Fairyland to put in the new campground.  Those little guys are so happy to camp/glamp along with me that I don't think they noticed!

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This is How Tin Can Happy Girls Roll!