One Girl In Pink

Garden Glamor Shots for a Chandelier Makeover

2013-05-16T11:28:00.002-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I set out to do a painting demonstration at a local antique flea market. I wanted to take something out of the ordinary to paint...something that most people might not consider transforming with paint. Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan works so well on such a variety of surfaces and I knew it was going to give this Craigslist chandelier the wow factor it deserved. Most of the folks who came by to chat with me and watch me paint didn't seem to be as excited about the makeover as I was, because they preferred the original finish on the chandelier...

Really? Well, to each is own, right? I have to remind myself sometimes that to the untrained eye, a piece simply painted in Chalk Paint® before it's been waxed isn't always very impressive. I feel like I've done so many makeovers that all I see is the finished product now as I am painting away. Still, everyone I talk to continues to be fascinated with this amazing paint that has no odor, great coverage and adheres to just about any surface with no sanding, prepping or priming required! I still get excited when I say that! I hope that some of the folks I chatted with at the sale get a chance to see the made over chandelier, either here or in my space at Camas Antiques. Maybe then, they'll understand!

This is a pretty big chandelier. I knew I'd need to take it somewhere to get good photos of it hanging. Lucky for me, my mom has a beautiful garden with lots of arbors and trees for hanging things...perfect for the Glamor Shots! My mom was waiting for me this morning with a ladder and a hanging hook! Thanks mom!

Annie Sloan says not to think too much when you set out to paint. I try to follow this rule. I rarely map out a plan or paint sample finishes before I begin. This finish is a combination of techniques and a whole lot of blended colors. That being said, it wasn't challenging or overly time consuming! Honestly!

Mostly I dabbed on the paint thickly to create texture. I also did quite a bit of dry brushing.

I started with Duck Egg Blue and Paris Grey, a little here, a little there, back and forth with each color.

I then dry brushed a mixture of Old White and Paris Grey. Next, I used a mixture of Paloma and French Linen on some of the edges. I completed the look with clear and dark wax.

Never underestimate what you can accomplish with Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint!

I am looking forward to hanging this pretty fixture up in my space at the shop today!

Thank you for your sweet visit! Have a wonderful day! Happy Painting!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

You can see more photos of my mom's beautiful garden here and here.

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies

Little Flourish Desk... Plus Pastel Painted Toolboxes

2013-05-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I have been working on this little desk in spurts for the past several days. An hour here and an hour there seemed to be all the time I could find to paint, but it's finally completed and ready for the shop!

At first I figured this would be a quick and easy one to paint, after all it's just a little desk, right? Easy, maybe...I mean, it wasn't difficult. But quick? No. Besides having 9 drawers, this desk is finished on all sides...a nice feature if you want to stick a desk out in the middle of a room!

So, as I was waxing this piece today I realized that it was almost as if I had just painted and waxed two desks!

Incidentally, I am still on the same can of Old Ochre Chalk Pain® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan that I used to paint my French Liqueur Cabinet... and there is enough paint left in the can for one more small project! I've said it before and I'll say it again...Chalk Pain® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan is well worth the high price tag!

If two-sided feature of this piece wasn't enough to stretch out the makeover, I could not make up my mind about what to do with the desk top.

At first I thought I would paint it, but when the old, unattractive chippy varnish sanded off to a smooth nice wood grain, I decided to stain it instead. I kept telling myself to keep it simple, even though I was just dying to do some kind of decorative painting on the wood.

Because I can't seem to leave well enough alone, I pulled out a stencil and added some feminine flourishes to the desk top, also in Old Ochre and sealed it with both clear and dark wax.

I have been saving my Harney & Sons tea tins for quite some time now and have finally found a use for them! My mom and I put together a couple of flower arrangements for the shop this morning. Isn't the pretty tin a sweet vessel for flowers? I plan to have several of these for sale on Saturday for our Mother's Day weekend sidewalk sale at Camas Antiques!

I am bringing several old toolboxes that have been made over in Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan to the sidewalk sale as well!

With all of the neat little divided trays inside of these boxes, the possibilities for what might be kept inside are endless. Here is how I'll be using mine!

Thank you for your sweet visit today! Have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies

Paint Me Paloma

2013-05-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

"Paint me Paloma!" was the quiet command of this confident and elegant vanity the first time I looked her over and decided to bring her home.

I had been anxious to paint another vanity and this one with her lovely lines, intriguing details and superb condition was just the project piece I had been hoping for! A special thank you to a dear friend, Kenalyn who thought of me when her in-laws were down-sizing and looking to sell some of their antique furniture! What a sweet friend to think of me! And so, this pretty piece sat patiently in our garage for a few weeks before I had a chance to get started on her. A quick cleaning was the only necessary prep work before I opened my can of Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan in the lovely color called Paloma. The lighter accent color you see on the drawers and here and there on the trim is a 50/50 mix of Paloma and Old White. I can't tell you how much I love this color! The grey tones make this lilac hue so sophisticated and grown up.

In the midst of this makeover, I dropped my brush and took a little trip across the river to visit my dear friend Phyllis at The Purple Pear. Picking up this gorgeous fabric from her store was the perfect excuse for a quick visit with one of my favorite ladies! Normandie Toile from Annie Sloan's fabric line was the one and only fabric I could envision on this bench painted in shades of Paloma. It is just as lovely as I had imagined. Thank you, Phyllis!

I have a confession to make. I stole the hardware off of my Scalloped Bedside Tables for this vanity makeover! It was a last minute decision, but one I do not regret. The original pulls were well tarnished, which is what I love but when I went to clean them up a bit, they turned out to be brass rather than silver. I really wanted to see a tarnished silver paired with this pretty lilac grey color. The brass pulls will be painted and used on the Bedside Tables.

After distressing the edges with my fine grit sanding sponge, I completed the paint finish with both clear and dark wax.

I was thrilled to find this sweet old Hair Pin box at a garage sale last week. I knew immediately that it would be a great accessory for my vanity photo shoot!

I picked the last of my lilacs this morning and am savoring the delightful fragrance. Now I am eagerly anticipating the roses! All of my rosebushes are just full of buds!

We are enjoying some much needed warmth and sunshine here in the Pacific Northwest this week. And it couldn't have come at a better time. I will be taking my vanity, a few other furniture pieces and a great array of romantic treasures to the First Sunday Flea Market at Cottage Vintage Home this weekend. My mom has potted up lots of lovely rare and unusual plants to offer as well! If you are in the area, please come enjoy this fun event and be sure to stop by and say hello to me!

Here are the details:

First Sunday Flea Market at

Cottage Vintage Home

Sunday, May 5th 10am - 3pm

2819 East Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver, WA.

I would love to see you there!

Thank you for your sweet visit!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies

Paint a Scalloped Design...So Lovely and So Easy to Do!

2013-04-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

There is something very charming and whimsical about a scalloped design on a piece of furniture. From Cottage Chic to Rustic Farmhouse, it lends itself to so many of my favorite decorating styles

The wood trim at the bottom of these bedside tables had a lovely scalloped design that I decided needed to be featured when I painted them.

So as not to detract from the beautiful hardware, I chose to keep the design somewhat subtle and
simple....just a mirrored image of the original scallop painted on the two bottom drawers brought out the charming detail of these pieces.

The lovely green is Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan in Versailles and the scallops were done in a 50/50 mixture of Paloma and Old White.

I finished it off with Annie's clear wax and a fair amount of her dark rustic wax to give these pieces a charming time-worn look.

Just before waxing, I distressed some of the edges where natural wear might occur with my fine-grit sanding sponge.

Can't you just smell the heavenly fragrance of these pretty lilacs? They came a little earlier this year...a pleasant and unexpected surprise!

The technique I used to recreate the scallop design with paint is so simple that I hesitate to even call it a technique! You may remember that I used this idea once before...

Weathered Folk Art Style Dresser

In this post I briefly described my method for painting the scallop but this time around I took step by step photos for you so that you can see for yourself just how simple it is to do!

1. Lay your furniture furniture face down on a piece of craft paper, or if it's too large to do this, tape the paper up behind the decorative edge you wish to recreate.

2. Trace the design with a pencil.

3. Cut out the design...don't worry about perfection, especially if you plan to distress later and are going for a hand-painted look!

4. Tape the cut-out design onto your painted furniture piece with painter's tape. I used a ruler to make sure my design was going to go on straight.

5. Using a small paint brush, brush your contrasting paint color on, starting on top of your craft paper cut out and brushing up towards the top of the drawer. Do this across the whole design.

6. Remove the craft paper stencil and admire your handiwork!

Side note: Of course a scalloped design would be lovely on a simple piece of furniture as well! Look around your home for a scalloped edge to trace. I have also traced the edge of a plate to create a scallop stencil! Be creative and have fun!

Speaking of handiwork, these pretty little made over bedside tables never would have come to be if it hadn't been for the help of a very talented and handy friend of mine. You see, when I bought these tables off of Craigslist some time ago, they looked as though some He Man had pryed them away from the vanity mirror that once held them together with his bare hands! I wish I could have seen the vanity intact. I probably would not have chosen to take it apart unless it was just damaged beyond repair (I do love these as side tables however, and so am not complaining)! Anyhow, I knew this was a project that I couldn't tackle alone. I am pretty good with wood putty and filler but these little tables were beyond all of that. So, my sweet and talented friend and I did a little swap of services. I painted a cute little wall shelf for her, and she worked her magic attaching trim, and filling in holes as needed on these tables for me. She did an impeccable job! They turned out better than I could have imagined! Thank you SO much for your help, Angela!!!

And thank you for your sweet visit today! I hope you are having a wonderful week!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

New Found Treasures and Ever Changing Decor...

2013-04-17T21:27:00.002-07:00

This weekend my mom and I enjoyed a lovely Sunday afternoon shopping our favorite antique stores! I had no problem at all finding a few treasures to spend my newly acquired birthday money on! I've had my eye on these gorgeous paper Paris Souvenir pendants. I shared this photo on my Facebook page earlier in the week. These will be made into buntings...one for myself and a couple more to share!

I fell in love with this framed sheet music cover page from 1919. Such a sweet image with beautiful colors...it has a new home in my little creative space.

Last but not least, this pretty little painting of yellow roses and a wonderfully weathered old door. I was drawn to the painting and knew I had to have it for our front room where we have a chaise lounge slip-covered in a soft yellow rose fabric. I knew the painting was much too small for the bare wall I wanted it for and I had been thinking that I wanted a door there. My mom spotted this one and convinced me that the color and patina was just right. Here is a look back at changes this cozy little corner has been through.

Last spring I shared the beginnings of the front room makeover. I brought home this cushy chaise lounge, purchased from a friend and I painted the pretty ornate frame that hangs above in Versailles Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan.

When I started putting together my creative space on the opposite side of the room, I stole the frame for another project, my inspiration board. Other priorities superseded decorating this little corner of the room, and for months the wall was bare.

Earlier this year, I painted a shabby pink door. Although I did love the idea of a door on this wall, this one was just too small, and not quite the look I wanted for this space. It went to the shop and then home with a happy customer.

Which brings us to today... A new-to-me, old, weathered lovely door. What a fabulous birthday gift! On this day it showcases a pretty oil painting of yellow roses. I imagine that I will have fun changing up the look from time to time. An old English porcelain house number would be charming, and perhaps a dried lavender wreath!

Oh the possibilities!

Today I pray that you are happy, full of peace and feeling blessed.

Thank you so much for visiting me.

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing with these fun parties:

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies

Back Home, Incredibly Inspired and Ready to Paint!

2013-04-11T13:18:00.001-07:00

Hello, hello! Well, I am home... although still unpacking and recovering from a whirlwind of an adventure to New Orleans for a week of inspiration and fun with Annie Sloan and a great group of talented ladies! If you follow me on Instagram, you saw glimpses here and there of my trip. I wish I would have had a chance to take more photos to share but our days were completely filled to the brim with busyness and I think my brain was too overloaded with ideas and information to remember to snap those pics!

Of course I was so inspired on this trip that when I got home I couldn't wait to grab my paint brush and get to work! Yes, my suitcase is still on the bedroom floor (though nearly empty now) but you can see where my priorities lie.. I have a sweet little table to share with you today!

What started out as a fairly simple, petite 1940's end table with a bit of an Art Deco look now has real Parisian flair!

I started with a 50/50 mix of Old White and Paris Grey in Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan. The drawer front was painted in straight up Paris grey. The stenciled flourishes are done in Antoinette as is the carved detail on the bottom of the drawer. The entire piece was completed with both clear and dark wax.

A peek inside the drawer shows a pop of pink to coordinate with the stenciled details.

This whimsical candelabra seemed the perfect accessory for the table, it's curves reflective of stencil design. It is headed to the shop this week along with a delightful array of other treasures! I will be posting a few peeks periodically on Facebook!

Thank you so very much for your sweet visit today! I hope you are having a lovely week!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies

Easter Decor Au Naturale

2013-03-14T14:30:00.001-07:00

Although I still love most of my sweet little ceramic bunnies and chicks, I found myself putting out fewer of them for Easter this year. I have been drawn to a more natural look for Easter and Spring decor.

This old tiered server is tarnished and rusted...beyond being suitable for holding food. So, I had fun transforming it into a mossy spring display. The eggs could be swapped out for air ferns, succulents, mini pumpkins, pine cones, etc. as the seasons change.

I took apart a few store bought nests, replaced the brightly colored plastic eggs for real ones (insides removed of course) and swapped the raffia stuff for soft green moss. I added a few dried hydrangea flowers to this one, but most I kept very simple.

I had a couple of these pedestal dishes tucked away and I think I found their final purpose. I am loving the combination of the rustic nest with the fancy vintage gold metal base.

I think this tiny basket once held salt and pepper shakers.

I went looking for some fun vintage images to make tags for my Easter crafts and of course found exactly what I was looking for and more from the Graphics Fairy!

And I thought you might like to see where I've been getting all of my pretty eggs... This is my mom's charming little chicken house! I have been collecting the eggs from her brood of pampered hens this week while my parents have been away. It has been fun but I am so looking forward to mom and dad's homecoming today!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Petite Makeovers...Sweet, Springy and Pink!

2013-03-07T11:48:00.003-08:00

Spring is definitely in the air! I just love this time of year! We have sunshine today after several dark, rainy days, my lilacs are budding and one beautiful bloom has opened on my pink Camellia bush! Time to start decorating for Easter!

This vintage telephone table and chair set ended up being much more petite in person than it looked in the Craigslist ad when I first spotted it. Pictures can be deceiving! I should know that by now! Still, it was old and fairly sturdy and had such a sweet look to it that I decided to take it home with me, in spite of it being much smaller than I had imagined.

A little glue here and a few nails there and this sweet set was ready for paint

At first I tried to talk myself out of pink and started with a coat of Old White, but it just didn't cut it. This little darling was just begging for pink!

I went with a mix of Old White and Antoinette for a soft, subtle shade of pink and distressed it with a sanding sponge on the edges to show a bit of the first coat of Old White and the wood grain as well.

The size of this table and chair seems just right for an 8 or 9 year old girl and I pictured it beside her bed, with an arrangement of favorite books and pretty things.

I like to display some of my own favorite books during this time of year, alongside my Easter decor.

These very old, well-loved Beatrix Potter books are such little treasures to me.

I love that the bindings are worn and frayed and the covers are a bit tattered. I have a newer set that the kiddos and I enjoy reading, but sometimes we very carefully look through the old ones as well.

I look forward to taking my sweet little pink table and chair to the shop this week along with some other pretty pastel things, a couple of baskets and even a few bunnies!

This rather simple vintage stool needed a little something extra to make it special. Since I've been in the mood for bunnies this week, I decided that a primitive looking rabbit silhouette in Duck Egg blue was just the ticket! Before I painted it in Antoinette, I brushed on a bit of Duck Egg here and there that now shows through where it was distressed. Waxed with both clear and dark wax, this piece has a new "old" look and will be a fun accessory for spring decor or a super sweet seat for a little girl's room.

Thank you for your kind visit today! I hope that wherever you are today, you are enjoying some cheerful spring sunshine!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

Liqueur Cabinet Fit for the Abbey

2013-02-27T14:07:00.000-08:00

When I saw this Frenchy cabinet with all of it's frilly flourish, over the top detail I knew it just had to come home with me! I could hardly wait to paint it and get into all of those amazing intricate carvings with some ASCP Dark Wax!

Though very well made, this is not an old piece of furniture. I am guessing it is probably from the 80's or 90's based on it's construction. No one at the store where I purchased it had any idea what it's original purpose was and I had to do some serious Googling to find similar pieces to compare it with. Originally I figured it was some type of a media cabinet as there is a hole in the back panel that appears to be for cords and wiring, and I still believe that is probably what it was used for at one time. However, the pieces I came across online were old and authentic and they were actually Liqueur Cabinets. So there you have it, I am still not entirely certain what this lovely cabinet was originally intended for but I can think of a dozen ways it could be used now!

The doors both lock with this beautiful key, another reason why this was probably a Liqueur Cabinet of sorts!

The body of the cabinet was made over with Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan in Old Ochre while the details were highlighted with Old White. Both clear and dark wax were applied to finish the look.

Although there is nothing wrong with painting furniture to make it look fresh and new, I have a tendency to want to create something that looks time-worn, with history and depth and a story to tell.

In it's original oak finish, it was a dated, cast-off media cabinet. Now it's a stately French Liqueur cabinet that once graced the parlor of a fantastic castle and held expensive bottles of sherry and brandy served by a serious butler to elegant Lords and Ladies.

I like to dream up stories about furniture pieces as I paint them, don't you? I also find myself influenced by the movies or TV shows I am watching when I paint. My mom commented that this cabinet had a real Downton Abbey flair to it. I liked the sound of that!

Thank you so much for you for your sweet visit!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Trunk Love

2013-02-14T11:05:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Nothing says love like an old beat up trunk, right?

I have painted many metal trunks and in all shapes and sizes, but never one quite this large! This one intimidated me and I can't tell you how many times I tried to donate it or pass it off on someone else! My husband, the one who complains about all of my "junk" in the garage was the one who kept encouraging me not to give up on it!

It was in rough shape, and honestly it still is! But rather than worry about restoring it (I wouldn't know where to start!), I decided to embrace it's rustic charm and focus on bringing out all of the lovely details.

I painted the entire piece with two coats of Chalk Paint Decorative Paint® by Annie Sloan in Paris Grey and accented the wood slats with Old Ochre and metal hardware in Old White.

I also did a little random dry brushing with Old Ochre here and there to add to the rough patina.

Perhaps the most hindering part of the makeover was the trunk's interior. I should have gotten a before photo. At some point someone had lined the inside with a 1950's looking golf themed contact paper! It wasn't attractive, it wasn't removable and it had a bad odor! I applied a heavy coat of Kilz primer to remove the smell. After allowing it to dry completely and air out a bit, I grabbed a stack of book pages and a bottle of Modge Podge and went to work!

If you look closely, you will see that these pages all came from various Jane Austen novels! Perfectly romantic for a Valentine's Day post, right?

Well, technically it was a Text book, and I aged the pages with coffee...so there's no need to call the Jane Austen Novel Preservation Society on me!

I borrowed my scrapbook paper heart garland from the fireplace mantel for photos this morning. I have been enjoying it so much that i think it might have to stay out a while longer.

It's still an old, beat up trunk but with a new look and without the bad smell! I hope someone falls in love and gives it a good home. It's headed to my shop space this week.

I am looking forward to a fun Valentine's Day party at school with my 1st grader this afternoon and then a nice quiet evening at home with my honey!

I hope your day is filled with love! Thank you so much for your sweet visit! Happy Valentine's Day!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Romantic Notions and Scandinavian Pink

2013-02-07T13:25:00.001-08:00

Don't you love it when odds and ends that have sat in your garage for literally years finally find their purpose? Let's face it, when you frequent garage sales and thrift stores as often as I do, you are bound to come home with things now and then that sit around until you can't remember what drew you to them in the first place. I try to periodically sift through my "stash" in the garage and donate the things that have been sitting untouched the longest. And by donate, I mean sending them back to the thrift store that they originally came from! It doesn't make sense, I know...but if you're a treasure hunter/repurposer/creative type, I am sure you understand. Here are a couple of things that have been sitting in our garage for a very very long time that I am glad I didn't send back to the thrift store.

A metal candle holder and the base of an old broken lamp recently received a couple coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® and then were waxed. I added the pretty white plates with epoxy and topped them off with glass domes. In search for something pretty to display in them, I recently found a couple of special teacup sets that were just perfect. The paint color I used was a combination of Old White and Scandinavian Pink.

I used the same paint color combo here on this desktop organizer turned notions display.

I added scrapbook paper to the little drawers just for fun.

I rarely pass up these wooden desktop organizers. They can be a little tedious to paint and wax by hand but there are so many uses for them that I think the effort is worth it. I had fun finding things to display in this one.

As much as I love Annie Sloan's Antoinette, I think I am equally smitten with this Scandinavian Pink/Old White mix. To give you an idea of how little Scandinavian Pink you need to add to Old White to create this soft, pretty ballet slipper tone, here is a look back at a couple of other pieces I have painted with just one small sample pot of Scandinavian Pink. And I still have a good amount of paint left in that sample pot!

Emmy's Vanity

Vintage Breadbox

Before I sign off today, I want to show you my new lamp! I am always on the hunt for cute lamps, but for some reason or another I rarely ever find ones that float my boat and fit into my budget. So, I was thrilled when I came across this one last week!

It's just perfect on my desk in my little studio space! Can you guess what sold me? The bow, of course! It's just the kind of romantic detail that I can't resist!

Speaking of romance, are you ready for Valentine's Day? I am looking forward to some craft time with my little boys this weekend. We have big plans for some special Valentine projects for the fun school parties next week!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Pink Door No. 3

2013-01-31T14:44:00.000-08:00

I've had a little bit of fun today painting and waxing a shabby pink Paris chic door! As much as I have been longing for a pretty door to lean against the wall behind my chaise lounge, this one is on it's way to the shop. The thing is, I have three more of these doors in the garage awaiting a paint transformation...and I've decided that this week my shop space needs inventory. I can wait for my door. Also, I have been envisioning a slightly larger door for this wall. Now I'm not so sure. What do you think?

Formerly part of a closet door removed from an older home, this shabby pink paneled door is now a statement piece, ready to add charm to any room.

I started by painting one coat of antique white in a latex paint. I am so used to the quick drying of my ASCP that I could hardly stand how long it was taking for this paint to dry! I got impatient and starting slapping on a coat of Antoinette. The latex paint still seemed to be tacky, which made the chalk paint go on rather unevenly, but being that I was going for a distressed look anyways, I just went with it! The result was a lot of wonderful texture that really became prominent with the dark wax. To create the worn away look in spots and reveal the layers of white latex, and then dark wood stain, I took a damp cloth and rubbed gently before the second coat of paint was dry.

Before waxing the top panel, I decided to add a little more interest to the piece by painting No. 3 in Graphite chalk paint. I lightly distressed it with a piece of sand paper before completing it with the wax.

It's a bit shabbier than my usual style but I love it and I am loving how it plays off of the more formal furniture in my front room. I can't wait to work it into my display at the shop! Now, I have a few more pink pieces to wax this afternoon that should pull the whole look together. Time to head back to the garage! I will be praying as I work...I have friends and family on my heart who need help and healing today.

Thank you for your sweet visit. Take care!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Au Revoir Rustic Trestle Table!

2013-01-23T14:22:00.000-08:00

I am so glad I got this photo of my booth space last week after spending a few hours moving things around and fluffing my display. I say this because it doesn't look quite as nice today after having sold my trestle table which I had just brought in. As thankful as I am for quick sales, sometimes I wish my pretty displays would just stay put until I had time to gather more treasures to replace them with. Silly, I know. At least I have the photo as evidence that it really was this full and nicely arranged! I also snapped a few shots of the table at home before taking it to the store and have been looking forward to sharing a bit about it with you here! I hope it is all settled in and looking beautiful in it's new home now!

In spite of the layers of thick old sea foam green paint and a few spots of warped wood and water stains, I knew this little table was a treasure when I spotted it on Craigslist. Still, had I thought it needed to be sanded and stripped, I might have passed it up. Thank goodness for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint! I simply wiped it down and cleaned the spider webs out of the nooks and crannies before slapping on two coats of Old White! Our garage is so cold right now that the paint was taking a little longer to dry than normal and I was not enjoying my painting time as much as I usually do. My mom suggested that I buy a space heater. A quick trip to our little local hardware store and $20 later, I was feeling so much more comfortable and the paint was drying much quicker! My mom is so clever, isn't she?

I slapped the Old White on thick and in an uneven, criss cross motion to produce lots of texture on the surface that would become even more pronounced with the dark wax, giving the table a very rustic, weathered look.

I love the look of sanded, distressed edges on painted furniture, but in this case I didn't want to sand back to reveal the sea foam green paint, so I relied on the dark wax settling into my brush strokes to give me a worn, aged look.

The dark wax was also used to accentuate the neat detail on the sides of the table.

A basket of freshly laundered and pressed vintage linens looked so pretty on the rustic table. I love the contrast of the crisp white against the creamy paint finish.

Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!

I am working on more pretty things to share with you! I am enjoying all of the Valentine's Day inspiration out there in Blogland and on Pinterest, aren't you? It puts me in the mood for flowers, hearts and lots of pink!

Have a wonderful day!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

A Christening Gown and Frame Made Over in White

2013-01-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

I had just a few moments this afternoon to put together a simple vignette to share. A soft dusting of snow was coming down outside, and I was inspired to keep my palette white!

Let me first tell you about the frame. As you might notice in the before photo above, it was one of two vintage ornate gold frames that I recently brought home from an estate sale. It was painted in Annie Sloan's Old White and waxed first with the clear wax, and then with dark, to take it from Victorian to French Chic!

This antique christening gown received a makeover as well! I really do try to be an intentional estate sale shopper, looking over each possible purchase with care. However, I often get wrapped up in the moment and have come away with many a chipped dish or soiled linen. This gown was one of those purchases that I regretted once I got home with it. I hadn't realized just how badly stained it was...all over! I must have had my treasure hunting blinders on! I have never had any luck getting old stains out of vintage linens, and therefore in spite of my love for pretty antique fabrics, I do my best to steer clear of any that need major laundering! Not willing to throw in the towel on this challenge, I decided to try a serious, hard-core stain removal method! First I sprayed each of the stains with Resolve. Then I boiled a large pot of water, added 1.5 scoops of Oxyclean, turned off the burner, and submerged the soiled gown. I left it to soak overnight. In the morning I washed the gown on the gentle "hand wash" cycle in my washing machine. My fingers were crossed but I wasn't holding my breath. After all, those stains had probably been there for several decades! I was so pleasantly surprised by the results. Though not absolutely perfect, 90% of the stains are gone and the gown is now crisp and white! I will think twice before passing up another stained linen at an estate sale!

Just for fun I thought I would see if I had a photo of a baby in a christening gown to share in this post. Turns out I did, and a special one at that!

I bought this darling photo at an estate sale a little over a month ago. A very sweet friend of mine called me up to tell me about this sale she had attended where she saw lots of things she thought I would like. That afternoon my mom and I hopped in the car and drove over to the sale. It turned out to be in the home of an older couple that we had known years ago. We were glad to hear that the woman had just moved into a retirement home. When we came across this photo, we were quite sure it was of the woman's husband, though no name is written on it. The people running the sale assured me that the family had taken everything they wanted, and that this photo was meant to be sold. I was so glad to take it with me, having known the kind man years ago.

Isn't he sweet in his christening gown?

Not until after I had photographed my little vignette and written this post did I notice that my very dear friend, Phyllis had also just written up a lovely blog post about how the snow had inspired her to dress her fabulous boutique in white this month.

Please go visit her! You are sure to enjoy her post!

Enchanting Play of Light

Thank you for your visit today! I hope your week is off to a great start!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

sharing at:

Savvy Southern Style for Wow us Wednesday

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

When is a Piano Bench More than Just a Piano Bench?

2013-01-09T16:11:00.002-08:00

I absolutely love the whole idea of using a piece of furniture in an unusual or unexpected way. I know that the repurposing concept isn't new. In fact, my grandma was turning floor lamp bases into vanity stools long before the word "repurposing" was chic! I like to think that I inherited some of her furniture rehab intuition.

Anyhow, I saw this simple but well-made, sturdy vintage piano bench at a thrift store last week and considered the possibilities.

If it was jazzed up with some paint and a Frenchy chic stenciled design, it could leave it's one simple state of a place to sit in front of a piano, to a focal point below a window, or at the foot of a bed. Maybe it could even sit beside a pretty slipper tub as a place for candles and a good book.

So, I painted her up in Annie Sloan's Paris Grey and Old White and layered a lovely stencil design on top. I then distressed the edges and finished her off with Annie's clear and dark waxes.

She's in my space at the shop now and I am hoping that someone comes along and shares my vision for how a piano bench can be so much more than just a piano bench.

Thank you so much for your sweet visit! I hope you are having a wonderful week!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Favorite Posts of 2012...Yours and Mine!

2013-01-02T14:08:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! I've decided to cut myself some slack for posting just once in the entire month of December. Instead of apologizing and listing out my excuses, I am going to just jump right back into it with a quick review of some favorite posts from 2012! I hope you all had a cozy, peaceful Christmas! I am not quite ready to say goodbye to our lovely tree! I am still enjoying it so much! It will surely come down soon, but we are in no rush.

By far my most viewed post of 2012 was "10 Projects...One Can of Chalk Paint."

Followed by, "My First (of Many!) Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Makeovers!

The project I am probably most proud of would be my "Jane Austen Inspired Window Display."

Another personal favorite project that I am continuing to enjoy is "My Creative Space"

A painted piece that I reluctantly parted with was "The Inspired Chifforette"

What started out as a simple post about a Frenchy table makeover, turned into a sentimental share about "A Special Bowl"

I could keep going to but for the sake of time I will stop there! Time to get back to some projects in -progress in hopes of having some new pieces to share soon! If you want to see photos of most all of my painted furniture projects from last year, see the "Made Pretty With Paint" link on my sidebar!

A heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to all of my dear friends who have taken the time to stop by throughout the year, follow along, look at my photos, read through my thoughts, offer kind words, and pin favorite projects. I so appreciate your interest, your feedback and most of all your friendship. I wish you all a very happy, blessed, peaceful and prosperous 2013!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing with:

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Snowman Chic

2012-12-04T13:26:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon! Just a quick post today to share these little wooden snow people I recently painted with ASCP and dressed up in some vintage baubles and lace trim! I found this set, unfinished at an estate sale and had a lot of fun creating their chic and shabby look. If I don't find the perfect spot to display them with our Christmas decor, they will make their way to the shop this week. I am having a hard time parting with them! The beautiful frame was actually added to my shop space last week. I just couldn't find an empty wall to hang it! The snow people were painted in Old White and Paris Grey with a bit of clear and dark wax. The frame was painted in Paris Grey with Antoinette, Old White and Versailles accents and finished with clear and dark wax.

Thank you so much for your sweet visit!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

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Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
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Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

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Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Quite Simply Beautiful Things at Shades of Amber

Quick and Easy Chalk Paint Washed Pine Cones

2012-11-28T13:35:00.004-08:00

Duck Egg Blue and Antoinette Washed Pine cones

Search Pinterest for "Painted Pine cones" and you will encounter dozens of beautiful colorful, metallic and sparkly displays. They are lovely in their natural state of course, but it's fun to put a festive twist on them now and then. I have been experimenting with a chalk paint "wash" on my pine cone collection this year. I have my mom and mother in law to thank for the abundance of pine cones I have to work with as they have been gathering them for me in the wooded areas around their homes.

A twiggy basket of freshly gathered pine cones to give you a "before" shot!

I add about a cup of warm water to at least 2 tablespoons of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and give it a good mix to create the "wash." Add more paint for richer color, less for a more subtle look. Here, my littlest guy is helping me create some Paris Grey pine cones! We used an egg separator to dip the pine cones. This was a fun project for him. Most of the pine cones I "washed," I actually threw in a gallon sized Ziploc bag with the paint/water mixture. The dipping method was just more fun for the little guy...somewhat like dying Easter Eggs!

Once the pine cones soak up the wash, they actually close up until they have completely dried out again. I found that if I simply layed them out on a drop cloth, it could take a few days for them to fully dry, but placing them on a cookie cooling rack over the heater vent made them dry out and open up much faster.

Don't they look lovely under glass? A beautifully simple sign of winter.

I especially love the Paris Grey washed cones with a bit of Spanish Moss!

I created this Topiary with a mixture of Duck Egg and Paris Grey washed pine cones along with Spanish Moss by hot gluing them to a Styrofoam cone. I am so glad I got a photo of it when I did because someone picked it up just this week. I am using some of my Chalk Paint washed cones in my own Christmas decor this year. I hope to share more with you soon!

Thank you for your sweet visit today! Happy Christmas crafting and decorating!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

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Wow us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Quite Simply Beautiful Things at Shades of Amber

Christmassy Crafting, Painting and Such

2012-11-15T15:44:00.004-08:00

Last weekend was the annual Camas Antiques Holiday Open House. With a million other things going on, I had to hunker down and work hard to get some Christmassy inventory into my space! Unfortunately there was just no time to blog amongst all of the crafting, painting, pricing, etc. (not to mention caring for this busy family of 5)! I did manage to take a few photos to share with you and although I feel like things are not slowing down (tis the season, right?) I am determined to get a post up today!

This fun and fancy tree is made up of Spanish moss (love that stuff!) and Paris Grey and Duck Egg Blue pine cones! I am working on a chalk painted pine cone tutorial for you! I have made many things with these pine cones and I am really loving the look, especially the Paris Grey with the Spanish Moss! Isn't it Frenchy? I will try to have that tut up for you this week! It is so easy, and a fun activity to do with kiddos!

I adore this card I found on Etsy! I purchased the file so that I could print multiples to use for my Christmas items at the shop...I think I'll use them for gift tags at home too!

Here is another altered book, painted in Old White and dark waxed before vintage trim and baubles were added to make it special!

A cute little vintage wooden stand holding more pretties, painted in Old White!

I made up a couple of these French Christmas signs. We will be making them at my next Annie Sloan Chalk Paint workshop! Notice that the background is the old world finish that I used to makeover my Chifforette!

I painted this arm chair in an Antoinette/Old White mix and then waxed it with a custom French Linen wax! I was so pleased with the end result.

I ended up using the very same finish on this little vintage chandelier as I did on the chair!

My Chifforette made it's debut for at the Holiday Open House! I wanted it to be the focal point for my display. I secretly hope it doesn't sell. It looked so fabulous in my dining room and could just as well hold table linens as it could garments!

Thank you for your sweet visit today! I hope you're having a lovely week! Do come back next week for that chalk painted pine cone tutorial!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Chalk Paint Link Party at Shades of Amber

Inspired Chifforette

2012-10-25T14:44:00.001-07:00

Something that has stuck with me from Annie Sloan's American Tour Workshop was her stating that her paint was "an artists' paint." I never really felt like an artist before I painted a piece of furniture with ASCP. I used to buy a gallon of white paint from our local hardware store and slap coat after coat onto every piece of furniture I could find, and then I would distress it a little here and there. The end result was good and my furniture usually sold well at the antique store, but I felt so limited in what I could accomplish with that gallon of latex paint.

(source)

I keep going back to this image of an old weathered clock on Pinterest! I love the colors and the texture, and the way it looks as though the paint was rubbed on rather than brushed. I knew that if this finish could be reproduced, it could be done with chalk paint.

I will admit that it's not an exact replica of the clock finish, but I think you can see where my inspiration came from. I used a more muted pallete but aimed for a similar look.

I found this dresser on Craigslist a couple of months ago. According to the label, it is called a "Chifforett." I had heard of a Chifferobe, bot not a Chifforett. I am guessing that it is just a smaller version of a Chifferobe which would have had an armoire portion in it for hainging clothes.

I felt like this piece was so unique, and in such good condition that it was worthy of a little something extra, so I splurged and ordered the pretty wreath appliques for the cupboard doors. They are exact replicas from original antique furniture appliques.

The hardware on this piece is so beautiful and I loved the aged patina so well that all I did was clean it up a bit.

Inside the cupboard doors are two narrow drawers. I wanted to do something fun with them and I imagined that a Victorian era lady might keep her undergarments in them, so I painted the words "Corsets" and "Pantaloons" on them. If it was a Chifferobe, the armoire portion might have had lacey crinolines and petticoats hanging in it!

I used a combination of Duck Egg Blue with Paris Grey, Paris Grey with Old White and straight Paris Grey followed by clear and dark wax. In some lights it has a greenish hue and in others it looks more blue/grey. I was a little frustrated trying to photograph this one as clouds kept moving through the sky, covering the sun and then revealing it again casting such variations of light into the room. The color of the piece looked so different in each picture. As it turns out, it looks quite different in person depending on the lighting as well. I am anxious to hear what you think! Do you like the variation of colors and the "rubbed on" or is it a "rubbed off" effect? I am considering teaching this technique in my next workshop.

Thank you for your sweet visit today! Have a wonderful weekend!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp
Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home
Link Party at Redoux
Pearls and Lace Thursday at Faith, Grace and Crafts

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Chalk Paint Link Party at Shades of Amber

Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life

Romantic Details

2012-10-18T13:45:00.001-07:00

I managed to steel away for a few hours this week and visit a few of my favorite thrifts! Unfortunately I didn't find any fabulous furniture pieces to paint like I had hoped...saw some walking out the door as I was walking in - Bummer! However, I did pick up a few fun things and finally felt inspired to paint this little old magazine table that had been sitting in the garage for close to a year!

I think part of my lack of enthusiasm for this table was the fact that I had painted one just like it once before. It also has a bit more of an art deco flair than I am usually drawn to. Nevertheless, small tables sell really well at our store, so I try not to pass them up when the price is right and the condition is decent!

I created this light dusty blue (it is really more of a grey blue than the photos show...it is so hard to get a perfect color representation) by mixing Annie Sloan's Paris Grey and Duck Egg Blue. I used roughly a 50/50 ratio. I can't tell you how much I love this color! I wish I could get a really accurate depiction of it for you!

I attempted to give this art deco piece a little bit of a French flair with some stenciling in Paris Grey and Old White. Add in some romantic accessories and I think it works.

One of my thrift store finds this week was this neat wood desk top organizer. I painted it in a custom mix of Paris Grey and Old White (approx. 50/50). I like it so well, and I know I will find a place and use for it! I am trying to justify keeping it...we shall see!

Believe it or not, I actually painted a handful of hardback classics in Annie Sloan's Old White and waxed them with both the clear and dark waxes! I found that it works best to use books with a canvas or matt finish cover and if there is a recessed design in the cover, it makes for a really beautiful effect. I then added a piece of wide vintage lace, satin rosettes and a vintage earring. Just for the record, these are not antique books, first editions or anything like that! This one is a mass produced version of War and Peace...still a classic and now it can not only be read and enjoyed, but set out as a romantic accessory on a coffee table or desk as well.

I ordered some beautiful wood appliques last week for a very special furniture piece that is sitting in the garage awaiting transformation! As soon as they arrive I will get going on the makeover and hopefully have some photos to share with you soon!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit today! Have a wonderful weekend!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp
Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home
Link Party at Redoux
Pearls and Lace Thursday at Faith, Grace and Crafts

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Chalk Paint Link Party at Shades of Amber

My Creative Space

2012-10-11T13:45:00.001-07:00

I've shared a bit here and there about our formal living room and my plans to transform it into a more usable space. I still have a wish list for this room, and will continue to share updates as things progress, but I am just thrilled to now have a space of my own to collect inspiration and be creative!

It all started with this amazing 8 foot table, built and painted by the husband of the owner of Camas Antiques. It was in the window display for a couple of weeks and everytime I visited the store, I stared at it, measured it, remeasured and then went home and measured my space, and thought and thought about how perfect it would be. Finally my mom told me I had better buy it because I would surely never find another like it! I always listen to my mom's advice. I ran right back to the store and purchased the giant, beautiful table with ample workspace! I am so happy I did!

I then started collecting and painting pieces to store supplies. Most of these boxes, painted in Antoinette and Old White hold bits of old lace, ribbon and doilies that I use in various projects.

This little desk organizer is filled with pens, scissors, tape and all of those things that are necessary, but not always pretty.

My tiered wire basket, a thrift store find, holds items I've collected and am in the process of packaging and pricing for my shop space.

Today I am working on packaging yards of vintage lace for the shop... more on that later!

I never pass up a metal plate rack. They are so fun for displaying things other than plates! This one is quite petite...perfect for miniature mirrors, a pretty coaster and old photos!

Last week I shared my chicken wire inspiration board. I am enjoying adding pieces to inspire creativity!

Thank you for joining me in my creative space! When I find a spare moment (usually late at night when the kids are in bed!) I just love sitting here, getting lost in my ideas, sorting through buttons, lace and pretty papers. It's where I blog, email, Facebook and peruse Pinterest as well! Speaking of Pinterest, if you want to see more creative spaces, stop by and visit my Pinterest board,

A Room for Creating.

I found so much inspiration there as I worked on organizing my own creative studio space!

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp
Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound
Make it Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House

Chicken Wire Inspiration Board

2012-10-04T13:30:00.001-07:00

Some time ago I painted this beautiful frame in Annie Sloan's Versailles and shared the before and after photos here. It hung empty on the wall for weeks and I stared at it daily waiting for inspiration to strike. I am not at all opposed to empty frames on the wall, but this one was so large that the vast vacant space was haunting me.

I decided I needed an idea board for my studio space, one where I could collect and display pretty things that would inspire me to create! The frame was perfect. I considered a magnet board and then a fabric ribbon board but had a feeling that either one would compete too much with the detail of the frame. In the garage I found remnants of chicken wire from the French Country Cottage Cupboard. I cut a piece to fit the frame, stapled it to the backside and brushed on some Versailles to hide the shiny silver wire that didn't quite blend with the muted green frame.

I hung my pretty framed inspiration board above my computer and started gathering a few favorite things to display. Vintage clothespins work perfectly for attaching things to the wire, but old clip on earrings work well too and add some fun glamor!

A sweet old photo of three girlfriends.

A lovely postcard from a dear friend!

My mother in law just brought me some amazing dahlias from her garden! I am enjoying a bouquet on the mantle!

My photo tea cards have been selling well at the shop, so I decided to take a few more photos to add to the collection. Here is a new favorite waiting to be printed and made into a card!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit! Please come back next week for a tour of my formal living room turned craft studio space! It is almost ready to share!!!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Potpourri Friday at 2805

A Change of Heart... About Tiered End Tables

2012-09-27T11:57:00.001-07:00

I used to avoid these old tiered end tables when I would spot them while out thrifting or estate sailing. Something about them felt a little too "trapped in the 60's" for me. I could just see a pair of them perfectly placed on either side of a crushed velvet orange sofa, with a matching brass lamp on each one. At some point though, I had a change of heart. What a great piece of furniture for displaying treasures! Here are a couple of other tiered end tables that I made over with ASCP this year. I don't pass by these tables anymore, especially if they have those pretty curvy legs!

Old White dark waxed.

Aubusson Blue mixed with Old White and Paris Grey, with clear and dark wax.

These tables don't necessarily have to be wedged between a couch and a chair, they work well in just about any room of the home, and could even be stacked on a larger table top for another tier for display! I think this one would be lovely placed next to an elegant claw foot tub!

To achieve this finish, I started with one coat of Antoinette over the entire table, followed by one coat of French Linen. I came back and added more Antoinette to the carved details and then distressed here and there to further accentuate the details and to allow a bit more pink to show through. I completed the table with clear and dark wax...more dark on the legs and carved detail, and mostly clear on the table tops.

Are you wondering when I am going to get to the pink painted metal lunchbox? I probably could have done a second post on it...but my time is so limited these days that I am doing good to get one post written each week! Today's post is two projects in one!

Some of you will probably reach for a Kleenex when you see the before picture of this lunchbox. Yes, it had great patina, perfectly worn and rusted in just the right spots. I am sure the man that carried his lunch to work everyday in this classic, masculine box would cringe at the sight of it painted pink and dolled up with rhinestones and pearls! Well, I intend to keep this one. I made it over for my studio space, to hold craft supplies. I did like the before, and appreciated the patina but it was all wrong for the decor in my home. Now it's perfect!

I painted the entire box in Antoinette and then added a stripe and painted the clasps with Old White.

I then distressed the whole box to accentuate the lines and show a bit of that nice grey patina and applied dark wax all over.

Once the paint finish was complete, I decided the box needed a little bling! I adhered the vintage pendant with 5 minute epoxy, and attached an organza bow to the top. Where there was once a plastic handle (and then a dirty old piece of twine), there is now an old charm bracelet that I discovered in a grab bag of old broken jewelry. I don't know exactly what I will store in my pretty new box yet, but it looks lovely on my studio shelf!

This sweet little mirrored dresser tray is headed to the shop this evening, along with the tiered table and a few other fun little treasures!

I came across this religious medallion at the same estate sale where I found the hymnals, dresser tray and lunchbox! I thought it would be fun to add to the hymnal bundle!

We have a really fun event happening in downtown Camas this Saturday evening! If you live in the area, grab your girlfriends and join us for "Girl's Night Out." Go here for more details! I will be there, in the window of the antique store doing painting demonstrations! Stop by and say hello!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit today! Have a wonderful weekend!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

Restored it Wednesday at Restore Interiors
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Party at Shades of Amber
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp
Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Inspiration Friday at The Pickett Fence

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

Faux French Wallpaper Cupboard

2012-09-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

This stenciling technique is one that I have been teaching in my ASCP workshops. It is so much fun to see how different and unique each individual's sample board turns out! Even those who are unsure about it at first, love the end result! It really imitates the look of time-worn French wallpaper!

I promised to shy away from Antoinette this week, so I've done some painting in Graphite, French Linen and Old White!

In the mood for Fall, I picked up these pretty golden pumpkins to jazz up my display!

I think the sheet music shreds are a perfect accent, don't you?

Almost like hay...but with a touch of vintage class!

This table was painted in Paris Grey and finished with dark wax, followed by some clear.

The basket was made over with watered down French Linen. I attempted the spray bottle technique but it wasn't working too well for me, so I mostly brushed it on.

Sorry to cut this short but I have so much to do before the little one wakes up from her nap!

I hope you are having a lovely day!

Thank you for your sweet visit!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing this post with these fun link parties:

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Paint Projects at Primitive and Proper
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