What I have been doing...

Otherwise titled, "why I am a blogger slacker"

I promise I've been busy.  I have a tutorial coming on how to make a fancy schmancy ruffled lampshade without ever sewing a stitch.  I also have a tutorial on my faux mercury glass - it took me about, oh, 3 weeks to find the looking glass spray paint that I needed.

First, let me tell you where I've been.  Back in the middle of September I was involved with decorating for a ministry that saves people, mostly girls, from human trafficking here in the Houston area.  It's real, and it's scary.  If you want to learn more, go here:  Redeemed Ministries.  They call the girls that are saved, 'sparrows' so that was the theme.  There were initially 30 tables to be decorated, and when I got there I found out there were 40 to decorate.  That was, um, challenging.  Senator Dan Patrick attended the dinner, and he bought the centerpiece off his table for $1000!!!  What a donation to the ministry!  Next year all the centerpieces will be up for auction!

Here are a couple pictures from the dinner:

Senator Patrick's centerpiece:

After that I started working on partially redoing my living room.  Here's a quick peek of a chair I recovered and a pillow I made:

And for the last two weeks I've been working on stocking up for a craft show that's this Saturday, the 15th.  I will be selling some small furniture, but also some necklaces, earrings, rings, and small home decor items.  I have been up to my eyeballs in mess craftiness!

Here's a quick preview of some of the jewelry I've made:

I'm thinking of selling my much loved 50s dresser with the burlap stripe (above) any takers?  :)  I'll probably move it up to the shop...eventually...

Vintage French Postmarks and Furniture

So, I was moseying through blog world the other day when I came across this tutorial.  I usually hand draw all my own lettering but was fascinated by the idea of using stuff I already have on hand to reproduce vintage postmarks (or ANYTHING else) on my furniture.  I had already painted this small table (annie sloan chalk paint - ASCP - chateau gray):

and I was pleased with the results (here's where it started):

but I knew it wasn't finished, YET.  When I read the tut I immediately whipped out a postmark I had saved from the Graphics Fairy a while back.  I opened it in photoshop and got it ready to print as a mirror image.  Meanwhile, I went and got my freezer paper ready to go.  When that was all done and printed (I had to set my printer to iron-on transfer - it wouldn't print otherwise) I got to work burnishing the image to the top of the table.

{LOVE}  I think it's fantastic!  (if I do say so myself!)  I do have to say, it took a LONG time to dry.  I was worried then about waxing over the ink (even if it was dry) for fear that it would smear.  It didn't!  YAY!

So, with that all figured out I went to work on this little chest:

It's fairly small.  About a foot and a half wide and 14 inches deep and only 10 inches tall.  I painted it with a mix of ASCP louis blue, chateau gray, and paris gray.  It's a warm gray with just a hint of blue now:

For the image on the top I found the graphic I wanted to use then enlarged it in photoshop and made it so it would print in multiple pages.  Then I put the graphic on the top (don't mind the REALLY blue tint to the image):

It printed on two pages (using the same freezer paper method) and carefully lining up the image so that it would be seamless.  I printed this one in color, because the postmark on the top right is a teal blue.  It's beautiful!  After it dried I waxed it (and the stain came through the ASCP to make it look distressed without having to use any dark wax) so I just went with it.

I'm working on that Mercury Glass tutorial still!  Be patient - it's just me here with two small boys (and all you moms out there know how that can be!)  I'm doing my best - and want my tutorial to be awesome for everyone!

Have a great Sunday!

Foiled sofa table

On the heels of my last post I'd like to share a new table with you.  I picked up this run of the mill pine sofa table last weekend because I really liked the clean simple lines.

It had some water spots on the top and it was, well, boring.  It didn't have any 'life'.  Hopefully, I've fixed that problem.

I used basically the same technique as this post but instead of modpodge I used this spray adhesive which I picked up at Michael's.  It's like Elmer's spray adhesive but WAY stickier.  I coated the table outside and then brought it in to work.  I also sprayed each individual piece of foil before applying them.  I had a small box that I used to spray in so I didn't get sticky all over my house.  {one tip - if you get adhesive on your hands use oil to remove it.  I used body oil, but cooking oil would work fine - soap and water are hopeless}

After the table was dry I did a three step wax process - clear, clear mixed with Graphite ASCP for an aged look, and then clear again.  It gives the foil this 'soft' look, not super shiny like foil normally is and the Graphite mixed with the wax gave it a well worn look.  Without further ado, here she is:

I stripped the top and stained it with Minwax walnut stain.  This is two coats and still not quite dark enough.  I will probably add another coat and then wax it with Hannants medium wax.  

I just finished it about an hour ago and was too excited to wait to share it!  I just love the way the foil and dark top play off each other.  What do you think?

Empire dreser emergency rehab

I found this dresser a while back on Craigslist. Yes, I actually paid money for her :) She is a small three drawer Empire dresser which I believe (research has shown) was built in the late 1800s.

I was told she came from a 4 generation farm and had been stored in an outbuilding for years. Now this, I believe, is very true. Let me show you.




(like the nice finger in that one? ;)

With a little lot of elbow grease, some paint, wax and new handles, this little Empire dresser has been brought back to life:





Here she is in her temporary home in my shop waiting to go to her forever home :) The awesome thing about this beauty is that she has a stamp on the back that says she was made in Galveston. She either has never been far in life or she's been around the world and back again. I'm sure if she could talk there would be some amazing stories to be heard.



Go forth and live in color!

50s dresser redo

Well, I promised last time that I'd take pictures of the round wall art with my good camera. Apparently, I lied. I haven't. I have been so busy! But, I will tell you that it's the top to a coffee table (minus the glass) that I picked up by the trash. All the pieces were there to put the coffee table back together, but all I saw was something to hang on the wall. So, there you go!

I am going to share with you a dresser that I did a while back. I bought a set of three beautiful ugly dressers to redo.

Here you go:


Yellow. Gold trim on the drawers. And really shiny. It had great clean modern lines but needed an update. Enter new paint and some stripes inspired by the many grain sacks seen around blogland lately. Now, I have this:



I mixed the white from a couple I had on hand. I didn't want bright white so I toned it down with a little tan. Then I meticulously taped off the stripes and painted them on with a piece of burlap. Removed the tape, let it dry and then waxed and buffed it. This one is not for sale. It likes it at my house :)


Have a great day and add some color to your life!



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Two before and afters and a new piece of junk!

I've been a very bad blogger - and it was totally unintentional! I kept thinking of posts to write, I have TONS of stuff to show you, I just never managed to actually sit down and do it. That doesn't mean I haven't been on the computer, just not using my time wisely (as I've been known to do on more than one occasion). So, I apologize, and I'll try to be better :)

The first thing I am going to show you is the before and after of my mantle. I have a large mantle - and two story ceilings. My mantle spent the better part of two years being a holding ground for toys that were taken away. I actually had to try to find a place to put said toys every year at Christmas. Sad, I know. My house is on the lease market now and potential leasees (leasors, leasers, what is the word?!?) don't find toy decorating particularly attractive. So, new mantle decor, here I come.

I wish I had a picture of the mantle with the toys all over it. It was a sight! Anyways, here it was the first go round:


As time went on (time = a couple months) I added different things in to it (no, don't ask, I don't have a picture - I WILL be better, promise!) but the major pieces stayed the same. White mirror, oval mirror (craigslist find), vintage red vase (handblown - gift from sister about, oh, 14 years ago), the green recycled glass tumblers turned tea light holders, and the orchids. I added in my grandmothers music box (can be seen in the next photo), some handmade dollar store candlesticks, and a clear ball jar with a bail I found in an 'antique' ie. junk store.

So, where is this going, you wonder? Last week my housekeeper accidentally dumped basically the entire mantle arrangement on the floor. The oval mirror (not the wood part), tea light holders, and handmade dollar candlesticks didn't make it. Everything else did! The music box (most important) and red vase (second most important) didn't even move! I was very thankful for those two things - both of those items are pretty special to me.

After all that was cleaned up I went on a mission to redecorate the mantle - WITHOUT spending a penny! Not such a big deal for me I have tons of crap neat stuff laying around. Here's the NEW mantle! While most people decorate for the seasons I really don't. Christmas - that's about it for me. I will change things up when I get tired of looking at them, but for the most part it stays the same for a long time. I'm cool like that ;)


There you go, before and after! I've hidden put the red vase in a safe place. From now on I'll be doing all the cleaning on the mantle. After all, nothing up there is attached to the wall other than the big square mirror.

Quick furniture before and after. Tacky white faux wicker craigslist find. This one was a beaut (ie. a LITTLE bit scary inside). And, it had fancy brass pulls and square corner thingeys too!

Now, it's good as new (and yes, that's fabric on top and braided fabric pulls):



Painted with chalk paint, waxed and topped with fabric (for the life of me I can't remember the name of the designer) and furniture modge podge. It's ready for a new home!


Last but not least, my newest trash pile find. Can anyone guess what it is? Tomorrow (ok, by Friday) I'll post new pictures of it and what exactly it is! Here's a hint: it's BIG. About 3-3.5 feet across and wooden.


Have a great day!



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