Remastered Relics

Fabulous effects with Silver leaf and Glaze

2013-06-06T19:44:00.003-07:00

This is another post where there is no before photo, which is a true shame. This armoire was brown with flowers painted all over the front of the doors and the drawers. It was very dark and out dated, a complete throw back to the 90's.

This little beauty sat in my garage over the winter and at some point a meandering neighbor spied it and saw its true potential. Now this is a neighbor that I have done a couple of other remakes for and he was more than willing to let me have free creative control. I was truly delighted in this and set out to try my hand at silver leafing.

I painted the entire piece anchor grey and then silver leafed some of the raised areas. I then touched up all of my silver leaf boo-boos and then hit it with some antiquing glaze and clear wax to seal it.

Here is the only snapshot I have of the just the grey.

This shot was taken after I applied the gilding for the silver leaf. I used a fine brush and painted it on the raised area, waited 1-3 hours- until it was tacky, and then applied the silver leaf.

Here is a photo after the silver leaf was applied.

I let that dry over night and then used a dark glaze to age the piece.

The glaze makes all the difference in the world!!!

The detailing on this piece was begging to be highlighted and it was so much fun doing. Be warned! Silver leaf is messy! It made my garage look like a glitter factory.

Here is a photo of it together, in its final resting place.

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Embracing Change

Buffet Beauty

2013-06-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last fall I was on a mission for a friend to find a desk for her son. I found an awesome midcentury desk on craigslist and made arrangements to see it. As it turns out, the person that was selling the desk was selling a house full of stuff. Naturally I had to see what other treasures I could find and that is when I scored this.....

This Piece is full of character and hast TONS of storage, which I love!

I had to have it. I told the lady to consider it sold while I ran to the ATM to grab some more cash. 10 Minutes later it was mine!!! I later found out that a friend of mine had seen it on craigslist and had called about it, whoops!

So this little beauty has sat in my garage all winter and my goal was to have everything out of my garage before school was out. Unfortunately I did not make my self imposed deadline, but at least it motivated me.

And here it is now!!!!

The Process.....

First I removed the old finish. I was so delighted to find all wood underneath that I almost just left it alone, almost.

I stained the entire piece and then dry brushed white on top of the stain.

Next I dry brushed a coat of fun Turquoise.

Then I added glaze to age it a bit.

As you can see in the photo below, the original hardware was painted. I threw it in a crock pot and covered it with water and it "cooked" right off. I was giddy about finding brass underneath the paint. Incidentally, I tried the same crock pot method with some hardware that I had painted a few years ago with primer and then with paint. It worked, but required a little more elbow grease.

The glaze made all the difference. Here it is again before.

After....

I love how it interacts with the print above.

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Roadside Rescue

2013-05-30T08:31:00.002-07:00

One day on my way to take the oldest to the orthodontist, I ran across this chair. It was sitting all alone on the side of the road, just calling for me. I was behind a school bus, that had just let out some students from my son's school. I watched as one of the students proceeded to kick "my chair" and try to break it. Mortified I started to roll down the window to stop the boy but my son wouldn't have it. He exclaimed, "Mom he goes to my school!" I immediately pulled over and threw this gem into the van. Connor was waiting in the passenger seat with his head down so that no one could see him.

I had some sky blue milk paint on hand and I thought that this chair would be a good candidate

for a little milk paint magic. Here is the end result.

I orange fabric for a nice punch of color.

Milk paint distresses really nicely.

This was such a fun color combo. I will be using more of these two colors in the future.

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The Right One

2013-05-28T11:35:00.003-07:00

I found this little dresser at a garage sale last weekend and I just couldn't pass him up. It was in such great condition and lets face it, they just don't make them like they used to. This little Gem has dovetail joints and wood rails that glide smooth as butta! It was a great find at $30, and well worth the discontented look from my husband.

I gave it a good sanding, stripped the drawers, hit them with some poly and added some new hardware. It has now found a home in my oldest son's room. It's a little larger than his old dresser and works so much better. It is so important to have good sliding drawers! Wood rails are generally the best, and dovetail joints are a great find.

I love the hardware at Hobby Lobby and it's usually 50% off. It made such a difference in this piece. Hardware is like jewelry for furniture. It just doesn't come together unless everything is right.

I had to find a way to accentuate the detailing at the bottom, so I chose not to paint it. I like the natural wood strip, it adds character.

I think it is pretty darn cute and my son is happier with more drawers that slide properly. Sometimes you work with what you have, like his old dresser, until you find the right one. You never know when that right one will come along.

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One Man's Trash.....

2013-05-10T19:02:00.002-07:00

Happy yard sale season!!! This winter has lingered on long enough and I am ready to be outside. It has been so good to be able to get back out in the trenches of full on garage sale season!

I was talked into buying approximately 15 cabinet doors by a fellow yard sale buddy. While I hate to pass up a good deal, I have been really focused on limiting my incoming projects. So I was very reluctant to buy these gems, but I am glad I did.

I was able to create this cute little chalkboard from one of these cabinet doors!

I also created this cute little tray that is perfect for a Mother's Day Breakfast in bed, better make that Mother's day cake in bed!

I would eat chocolate cake for breakfast with a nice tall glass of milk to wash it down, after all it is Mother's Day and we deserve it! I hope your Mother's day is extraordinary!

Have ya missed me?

2013-04-05T13:49:00.001-07:00

Have you missed me? I have finally finished up on an entire bedrooms suite for a client. It was a long process and the journey has made me realize that even though I love making transformations, sometimes the best reward is just being done! They are labors of love, but not always do we love them. Some start out fine and then they linger, and linger and linger all the while imprisoning you. It is as this point that I know I just need to push through to get to the finish line. Basically this is just my poor excuse for being absent.

I did manage to work on a lovely little china hutch and I am totally stoked with the end result. I picked up this little gem on Craigslist and made my husband go pick it up with me. He was not entirely pleased with this particular outing. As we pulled away, I remember him saying, “Is there no where that you won’t go to pick up a piece of furniture?”

This is the only before photo that I have. The piece was a little rough. It was missing glass shelves and one of the glass panels in the door was out, not to mention that the entire thing reeked of smoke. I gave it a good scrubbing with bleach and then another good scrubbing with Lysol and it still smelled. So I took an entire box of baking soda and dumped it in a container and just set it inside the piece and put it in my storage area. I let it set there about six months before I even started to touch it. I first started priming it with Kilz and then hit it with a nice white coat of Valspar paint, the kind that has the primer mixed in.

I found some lovely new hardware at Hobby Lobby along with some great fabric to line the back of the piece. Ikat fabric has been all the rage lately and I found some that went great with the colors in my basement.

I really love the age and patina on this hardware.

It really works great for storing nick-nacks and the 12 million games that we have somehow acquired.

Before .....

After....

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FREE PAINT!!!!

2013-03-06T18:46:00.001-08:00

Free paint! Yes, that is what I said. You heard me, free paint. Head to your local Westlakes to redeem a quart. Check it out: Here and get one for your next project! Free paint makes me so HAPPY!!!!! I LOVE FREE PAINT. Heck, I love free anything! Well almost.

Fabric Scrap Fun

2013-02-21T16:18:00.001-08:00

I love using material efficiently! A month or two ago I bought some frames used for canvas off of a Facebook crafting sight that I started. It's a lovely little sight where you can sell products that you produce from local participants and where you can buy and sell crafting supplies. I picked these up hoping to create a little decor magic. Off to the scrap bin for a little mayhem! I found some lovely fabric that I had used in other projects that I knew would fit the bill.

This was a very easy project of cutting, pressing, and stapling. Easy enough!

Here is the end product.

They can be used by themselves as wall art or

as letter art, or

used to mount your favorite photos! Here is where mine ended up, but I will probably end up moving them.

I have a few large photos of my kids that I need to display and have 3 frames that are perfect. I just need to get some mattes that are the correct size. I will post a follow up of those when I get them done.

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Hey Girl

2013-02-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, I wish it were this easy......

It's the Hey Girl Valentine link party, so link up @theviewalongtheway.com!

For the love of Pinterest

2013-02-07T13:16:00.001-08:00

I know that most of you are familiar with the brilliance of Candace Olsen.

Via Hookedonhouses.net

She is by far one of the most talented designers on this planet. I love the way she layers textures, patterns and not to mention the combination of colors that are always calm, yet sophisticated. She has a way of collaborating all kinds of elements and finds a way to scatter them throughout the room all the while creating harmony. It. is. RIDICULOUS!

The other day I was pinning on Pinterest and decided to put good ole Candace in the search engine. Low and behold what my eyes witnessed was a plethora of design divinity So I made my own "Candace" board. It seems to me, that if you want to create a space as lovely as these, that you must emulate what you see. I can't afford a Candace Olsen Room, but I can try to utilize some of her ideas and translate them into my living space.

Via google/pinterest

I love the placement of the daybed in this room. It allows for additional open seating and creates multiple conversational areas.

Via google/pinterest

The color scheme in this room is similar to the last, but here the wall color is a more vivid saturated color. It is balanced by a very large neutral mantal and over mantel.

Via google/pinterest

Here the usage of space is critical. There is a lot going on in this small attic space and using open shelves and glass or clear pieces help make the space seem larger.

Via google/pinterest

Here is a perfect example of a monochromatic room that is anything but boring. I love the layering of the textures here that help create a soft warmth. I could definitely spend some time here.

Via google/pinterest

I love the soft grey and white pallet in combination with the more masculine tones of the room. I love the "SLEEP" above the bed.

I hope this has inspired you to seek out that which is lovely and apply it to your home. If nothing else, at least you had some great eye candy to look at!

It's A New Year....Well, Almost

2012-12-30T17:58:00.001-08:00

I have now been blogging for a whole year! Happy Birthday blog! I will be the first to admit that it is much harder than I anticipated and there is so much more that I have to learn!

The best part is going back to look at all the great projects that I have conquered for myself and for my friends. Here are my top five for last year. If you want to see more, check out the project gallery.

5. The Blue and White chair Make over with Chevron pillow

4. International Man of Mystery -finally the finale!

3. Chevron Ottoman

2. Waterfall Buffet

And the number 1. Disco Baby

Thank you so much for all of the encouragement and wonderful feedback. I hope that you will stick with me through the next year to see what else I can conjure up. Have a safe and wonderful New Year!

A cute little number

2012-12-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

Once again I have no before photo for you, which is truly a shame because this piece was a mess. The top was in pieces and the feet were all rotted on the bottom. I picked this piece up from a Facebook post for a client. She was well on board with my plans.

I replaced the top and gave it a good coat of walnut stain followed with a topcoat of poly. This is Annie Sloan's graphite color and I love the wood grain peaking through on the doors. I could have painted on the numbers, but I really love the 3-D affect of these house numbers I put on. It is perfect for a little boys room.

I love these drawers hidden behind the doors, such good form and function, not to mention character.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest project. I hope that everyone has a blessed and joyful Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

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Christmas Crafting

2012-12-15T21:38:00.000-08:00

The other day I was asked by a friend if I had done much crafting for the Holiday and of course my mind drew a blank. It wasn't until I had actually made it home and saw the craft vomit all over my dining room table, that I actually remembered what I was in the process of conjuring up. Here is a little something I whipped up.

I started with some plan wood plaques that I picked up at Hobby Lobby. Nothing special and pretty cheap. At Hobby Lobby you can be sure of one thing, if it is full price this week then next week it will be on sale. If it doesn't go on sale use the 40% off coupon!

Next I slapped on a coat of Annie Sloan Old White.

Add a little scrap book paper to the dried and cured plaques.

I used Mod Podge to glue the papers down and then spread a coat on top and let dry.

I topped it off with the cardboard letters I found at hobby lobby.

I painted them red and added some glitter and then glued them to the plaques.

Here is the finished product.

I then used the left over paper with twine and burlap, to make a Noel Pennant. Check it out.

I have a few other things that I am hoping to wrap up tomorrow, so be sure to check back!

Decking the Halls

2012-12-11T13:33:00.002-08:00

I am almost finished with the holiday decorating and I am really thinking that the Christmas season should last a little longer. Here is what I have been working on.

This is my Grandmothers old china cabinet. It has seen better days, but it is one of those pieces that I can't bear to touch.

I am trying to hone in on my photography skill, or lack thereof. So, this will either be eye candy or eye torture!

Because you can't have too many ornaments!

oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree

A little mantle madness.....

Another

There you have it. I hope I didn't scar your eyes with my lack of photography skills.

A picture is worth a thousand words

2012-12-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

This is a rehab that I did a few months ago. I did take a few before shots, but can't find them now. One of these days I will be ORGANIZED! She was in two pieces and had a few small breaks on the decorative post, but nothing a little wood glue couldn't cure. The outer shell of the piece was pretty rough, so I decided to slap a little Provence on her. He she is in all her glory.

I am in love with every square inch of her, right down to her toes.....

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Santa Claus is coming to town!

2012-11-30T05:20:00.003-08:00

Thanksgiving is over and it is time for decking the halls! There is so much to do and so little time. Usually I am a rebel and try to have everything decorated before thanksgiving, but that was not the case this year.

In order to get the ball rolling, I try to grab something small to that will take no time at all, thus giving me a feeling of accomplishment. One of the first holiday decorations I put out is a collection of Santa's that belongs to my step dad. I get to store and display them and my parents come over and enjoy them. Here they are.

I love how cute their little faces are!

Do you have a holiday collection? I was just at a friends house over the weekend and her collection was a yearly picture of her kids with Santa! It was her favorite Christmas decoration of all time and I have to agree it was pretty darn sweet.

The never ending project

2012-11-24T07:18:00.001-08:00

Did you ever have a project that you agreed to do for someone, but then it just took forever to complete! I just finished one of those. I am not sure why it really took so long. I think I just kept letting myself get distracted by LIFE!

About a month and half ago my neighbor down the road hired me to redo his chairs for his wife. I jumped on the opportunity. Then I did something ridiculously crazy, I decided to have a garage sale! Nothing says time vacuum quite like a garage sale! I was so glad when it was done. Then our swim club hosted a swim meet and there was much time spent volunteering and coordinating a hospitality room for 120 coaches and officials.

These chairs have great curvy lines and details and it was so much fun bringing them to life. Here is what the looked like when I started.

I hit them with a little sweet cream paint and some fabric that the client had picked out. I think the two came together quite well.

Now that I have recovered from the garage sale, turkey madness and chair chaos, maybe I will be better with blogging!.

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2012-11-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for my boys. We traveled to a swim meet for the weekend and here they are just after their warm ups, swimmers hair and all.

They don't always see eye to eye, but for the most part they get along as brothers should, nagging and pestering included. I love watching the bond between them grow. Every once in a while I am privileged to witness an act of grace or kindness between them and it always gets to me.

The best highlight of my life.

Fall Flavors

2012-11-02T05:43:00.001-07:00

I love fall. I love all the colors it brings, the changing of the trees and the cooler weather. I love wearing long sweaters, boots, and fleece pajama pants-the best invention ever! I also love the flavors of fall, pecan pie, apple cider, and a new favorite Snicker-doodle cupcakes with cinnamon butter cream frosting! A friend of mine introduced me to these over Facebook and they are fabulous. I have to admit that for me it's not really about the cake, but it's all about the frosting. These delectable little treats are full of cinnamon and are perfection with a cup of warm cider. But, don't take my word for it.

The proof is in the pudding, I mean icing. I am so thankful for all the flavors of life, but this one has to be one of the best! Try them out and let me know what you think.

Today, I am very thankful for these flavors and the chance to enjoy them with some very special people.

Giving Thanks!

2012-11-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

This year is flying by so fast! The days just keep moving on and with the recent storm on the east I can't help but think about all the many blessings in my life. Our days here on this earth are numbered and I am going to make the most of my time here.

I have seen so many " Days of Thanks" posts on Facebook and loved the idea. I have promised to count mine on numerous occasions, always with the best of intentions. Truth be known, that lasts about 2 days and then I get caught up in the messiness of life and drop the ball. Today that changes.

This is my first day of thanks, my Family.

We all look so polished and clean there I almost don't recognize us. I saw this post on pinterest and find it so true:

Keep in mind that this is one of my family's highlights. This is one hour of one day that is in no way representative of my life!

Please share your blessings with me. I think that state of mind is everything and in a world that constantly tears us down, we should spend more time building each other up!

Desk

2012-09-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here is another example of my ineptness for blogging. There are no "before" photos of this desk, but let me tell you it was pretty rough. I painted it for a friend's daughter who is 13. We wanted to keep it fun, but not to where she would grow out of it. This is what the end result is:

This piece had some really great hardware! It just needed a new look on life.

I used a bright turquoise (Sherwin williams Cote D'Azure) for the drawers and C.C. Caldwell's vintage white for the body of the desk. I love the way that the turquoise pops against the vintage white. It really makes a statement.

I distressed the edges of the drawers and the desk with sand paper. I used some walnut stain to age the drawers and sealed everything with a satin topcoat. The desktop itself was stripped, sanded and re-stained and sealed with the same topcoat to keep everything uniform.

2012-09-20T05:44:00.002-07:00

I am guilty. I have neglected my blog this month. I have been very busy trying to complete some pieces for several customers and I don't have a lot to show for it.

I do have one remake to post. It is a remake for two caned chairs. I acquired these chairs this summer when my garage was finally cleaned out. There was absolutely nothing cluttering it up. That last for about a week, then the inner hoarder in me took over. Somehow I was able to fill the 3rd bay in the garage in one weekend. My husband was not pleased, but he loves me and understands my need to create.

Here are the chairs in their untouched state.

I painted this little chair graphite and added the fun chevron fabric to the cushion and here it is all grown up.

I think this will be the last cushion job I do. Those things are much harder than they look!

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Chevy

2012-08-22T16:05:00.001-07:00

Here's a story of a lovely ottoman that I purchased at yet another garage sale. The fabric was a basic floral fabric reminiscent of the 90's.

The thing that drew me to this find was the LEGS!!!! What a great set of stems! Immidiately after seeing this piece I knew what I wanted to do to it.

.

I enlisted Annie Sloans Graphite to give the legs a hot new look.

Nothing like taking photos to highlight all the areas you miss. Don't worry, I've got that all worked out now.

Here it is now......a little CHEVY!

So much better, don't ya think!

Before...

After...

This chevy looks pretty zippy!

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International Man of Mystery-The finale, finally

2012-08-09T20:27:00.002-07:00

As many of you know, I have been working on a room transformation for my oldest who just moved into our basement. He wanted the room to be more "his style" so we sat down and came up with a game plan of what he wanted to include in his "new room". We shipped him off to camp this week and I decided to surprise him with a complete makeover!

Here is a look at what we started with.

Here is the finished product.

This wall features a color blocked wall completely done in chalkboard paint. Connor said that he wanted some kind of chalkboard in his room--I bet he never expected a whole wall of it! I found a recipe on line here. Every single block is chalkboard, even the white. I know this will probably be a mess later, oh well.

Check out the cool dresser. This is an old dresser that my Grandmother had at her house. I inherited it when she passed and I think she would have liked the transformation. I love the idea of passing this piece on to Connor and I know she would have loved it too.

This is a picture of the opposite end of the room before the makeover. Gotta love the dresser with the missing drawer!

Here is what it looks like now.

I was lucky enough to find the triptych art work at a garage sale.

The worldly art I made.

Connor helped me with the transformation of the desk and I managed to find some cute clocks to go above the art. I need to print some labels for underneath the clocks, but alas another day.

I hope he likes it! Little bro Weston wants me to do his room next-No rest for the wicked;).

Worldly Art

2012-08-07T19:40:00.002-07:00

Tonight's creation is worldly art. Connor needed a little art to go above his desk and I would like that to be intellectually stimulating as well as pretty. Here is what I came up with.

I started with some 1 x 6's. They were not perfect but I wanted a rustic look, so that's ok.

I pulled all the staples out and added a few beauty marks to the new wood.

I took my square and marked all the boards where I needed to cut them.

I then sawed my boards to the proper length.

I stained them with a dark walnut stain.

Aren't they pretty!

I took 3 1x2's and attached them all together.

I loved the dark wood, but I just don't think that the black graphic will show very well against it. I opted to lighten it by dry brushing on some white paint and then attacking it with my sander.

Here is the final product. Now I added my vinyl graphic.

Here is the final product. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out. I am going to put a sealer on it to make sure the graphic stays attached. I know I could have easily just applied the graphic to the wall, but I like the idea of being able to move art.

Project two complete! Now I just need to paint the room a new color and I have an idea for a feature wall. I have to have this room remake finished by Thursday----YIKES! I have a room to paint and a feature wall. I am contemplating painting through the night and may need lots of coffee tomorrow.
Check back and see if I get it all done!

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