EllaBoo & Co.

Summer Time is Building Time!

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 04:22:00 +0000

As of yesterday, it is officially summer and not a moment too soon. I really miss blogging all winter and chatting with my cyber pals. With three busy kids keeping me on the go, I don't do have time for much else but dreaming of the projects I want to work on and trying to keep warm. Not having a basement or garage, I am forced to wait for the snow to clear and the weather to warm up before I can drag out the tools and paint brushes and get to it!

A little super exciting news... this month we finally had our house painted! We bought it five years ago and the paint was past its prime at that point so it was really ready for a redo this spring. It's a heritage home so we have to stick to the historical palette, but we used Monterey White and Georgian Green (both Benjamin Moore) and I am so pleased with the results. Once I finish the porch, I will post photos!

So onto my summer dream projects. We made an outdoor table last year so this year I need 10 chairs to go with it. We're going to use Ana White's Simple Stackable Chairs plan - haven't decided on the finish yet, but 10 chairs will take a while so I have some time yet...

I have a big, empty wall in my dining room and a whole lot of stuff with no place to go, so project number 2 is Ana White's Planked Wood Sideboard. I LOVE this piece of furniture and can't wait to get going on it. Again, no decision on colour or finish but I rely on furniture to reveal itself to me once it's built. Oh, and we're going to put a hutch on top for extra display and storage.

I need a place for my decor items and odds and ends in the family room and I fell in love with this Rustic Console table. And I already know I will do the exact same finish as Hillary used in her version - I have always wanted to try the vinegar and steel wool trick so this is the perfect opportunity and Hillary's is beautiful!

I would say "last but not least" but who are we kidding... there will never be a "last" project! My 6-year old wants bunk beds. I have always resisted bunk beds because I have never been fond of how they look but I saw this photo in Coastal Living and I am officially a bunk bed convert. I love the combination of chunky wood and weightless look and the ladder at the end is such a great idea. We are going to use Ana White's Classic Bunk Beds plan and make a few modifications.

There's a lot more but I think I better try to keep things realistic, I'd like to spend some time on my hanging daybed and enjoying the season with my kids too!

I can't wait to see what everyone's up to these days - I hope to talk to you all soon!

See You This Summer!

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:31:00 +0000

I have really missed my blog this winter and so many times, I wanted to stop everything and just get back to building and blogging. Without a place to build or work on projects I really can't get much done over the winter months and my three kids have far more interesting lives than I do so there really isn't much time for anything other than homework, dance, play practice, hockey, football, and gymnastics!

I have a lot of new projects planned for the summer, I can't wait to get back to it, and I hope to be able to keep my blog updated at the same time - I really should have thought all this through before deciding to get a full time job to support myself, it really does take up a lot of my time!

Lucky for me we won't be taking a summer vacation this year so there will be lots of time for building bunk beds and a dining room console and rearranging my kitchen cabinets which will likely involve putting the sink and dishwasher back where they were when we moved in ( I guess I should have left well enough alone!)

Thanks everyone for your kind emails and comments over the last few months - I have really missed being an active part of the blog world and can't wait to get back.

Lookout Moon Pie!

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 02:16:00 +0000

One of the many reasons I hadn't blogged for a while is because I have a new best friend who was taking up a whole lot of my time. That's right, just like your teacher used to have before every classroom got a smartboard.... I am now the proud owner of an old-school, super awesome overhead projector.

Of all my project passions, signs are one of my favourites with a seemingly endless supply of inspiration and possibilities. So an overhead projector allows me to skip the print on paper, transfer with carbon paper approach that I used on my last lot of signs.

With this new beauty you can plan out your sign on the computer and print it straight onto an overhead transparency (I had to order them online because they are so old-school they don't sell them in the stores anymore!) and project it onto your surface. Trace the lines and you are ready to paint! Not only does it mean I don't have to trace everything I do, but there is no way I could do anything large scale so my very first sign was HUGE, because it could be!

I found this gorgeous Moon Pie sign on the internet and had to make it. It's a direct copy, nothing "inspirational" about it. Sometimes, it's not so much that I want to "own" something I see, I just need to make it. Partly because I want to see if I can but mostly because I love the process, often more than the product. So, I will most likely put this one in my "sell" pile but I really enjoyed making it!

Layer of bright blue then a layer of yellow onto a piece of well-seasoned plywood

Traced the entire pattern onto the wood

Paint each section with craft paint

Fill in the main colour and distress with a power sander!

Detail beauty shot!

So, I have a self-diagnosed case of craft OCD and when the sign was finished, I didn't love the colour, too royal blue and not navy enough.

So I gave it another coat in a darker blue and distressed it again. This is the final product (I promise...)

It's about 3 x 4 feet - my biggest sign ever. With my overhead projector in tow, I may just start painting signs on the side of my house!

Linking Up Here – come join the parties!

Skip To My Lou * Polly Want a Crafter * Under the Table & Dreaming * Cherished Treasures * C.R.A.F.T * Craftomaniac * Keeping It Simple * Handy Man Crafty Woman * Boogieboard Cottage * Somewhat Simple * Flamingo Toes * I Heart Nap Time * Polish the Stars * Dittle Dattle * Sugar Bee Crafts * DIY by Design * Sassy Sites * Ladybug Blessings * Running With Glitter * Domestically Speaking * Blue Cricket Design * Savvy Southern Style * Primitive & Proper * Debbie Doo’s * Elements Interiors * The Trendy Treehouse * A Creative Princess * Lil Luna * Somewhat Simple * The Shabby Chic Cottage * Catch a Glimpse * The Frugal Girls * 36th Avenue * Romantic Home * Chic On A Shoestring * Simply Designing * The Shabby Nest * Remodelaholic * My Simple Homelife * A Little KnickKnack * Whipperberry * The Girl Creative * Funky Junk Interiors * It’s a Crafty Life * Sisters of the Wild West * A Bowl Full of Lemons * French Country Cottage * Whisperwood Cottage

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 02:17:00 +0000

Summer is my favourite season by far, but because I don't have a basement, workshop or garage, summer is the season when I work the hardest, desperately trying to complete every DIY project I have been dreaming about all winter before the snow flies again! Coupled with the fact that summer means my kids are busier than in the winter, up later and there's nothing good on T.V. so we end up watching Netflix every night, it seemed like I was never near my computer for more than a few minutes at time.

I have spent limited time swinging on my wonderful Hanging Daybed and hours and hours swinging a hammer... and holding a sander! But the good news is that I have accomplished quite a bit, I have a lot to share and best of all, I finally managed to get over my fear of power tools and I made one project all by myself!

So, I am hoping to get back into my regular routine and start posting again but for now, here's a little sneak peek of how I spent my summer vacation...

Numbered Wall Cubbies Plan by Ana White. As soon as it popped into my email, I had to have it! I made mine a bit bigger so the cubbies are more roomy and because that's the size of scrap wood I had on hand!

I measured, cut and assembled every bit of it myself. I used a nail gun to put it together but added some black nails to give it some more character

Painted with the technique Ana describes in her post - black spray paint, covered in white paint and distressed with a power sander.

I really love the finish and have used the technique twice since.

The numbers font is Century Schoolbook (Uh, ya, the same font and colour as my Numbered Staircase - geez, what is my thing with navy blue numbers???) printed on to paper and traced with a pen so I could follow the indent to fill in with paint.Waited for it to dry and distressed the front again with the power sander.

Finished the whole thing with furniture wax and I absolutely love it.

We hung it in my son's room and he quickly populated the cubbies with his treasured possessions!

Who can blame him?

Linking Up Here – come join the parties!

Summer Dreams... of a Hanging Daybed

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:15:00 +0000

If you have read even one of my posts, you know that I love soaking up the genius that runs rampant in the blogosphere. The beauty doesn't have to be complicated, sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that capture my imagination and won't let go. I still marvel at the concept of notebook paper canvas bags and how such a simple idea can be so captivating.

Last summer, I fell in love with Ana White's hanging daybed and put it on my "list". Then a few months ago, I came across this beauty at Life at Firelake Camp. Wheels turning, ideas formulating.... building fingers itching... I have been dreaming about my very own hanging daybed for a year.

This Spring we took on the challenge of getting rid of our scrap wood pile, not at the dump, but by incorporating as much of it as possible into homemade projects. So, we looked over the plans, measured the available space and hauled the spare single mattress down from the attic.

I wanted minimal space around the mattress - so it wouldn't take up too much space on the porch so based on the measurement of the mattress (75 x 37) and the width of the scrap fence boards (standard size from the deck section of the box store) the platform is 82 x 42.

We laid out 6 fence boards across and one on each end to add the length we needed. We built the frame out of scrap 2 x 4s to measure 79 x 40 and laid it down over the fence boards. We screwed in another piece of board across the part where the end piece meets the length pieces and pushed up against the frame to stabilize the ends and we used a jig tool to attach the frame to the platform boards.

We also added a cross piece of 2 x 4 to keep the frame nice and sturdy (my carpenter works quickly and I didn't catch a photo of that, but it's just another piece of 2 x 4 across the middle underneath and screwed into the sides.

We used a 3/4 inch spade bit to drill the holes just inside the corners of the frame, realizing after the fact that it would have been better to drill a small pilot hole from the bottom and then drill the large hole from the top. When the bit came through the "right side" of the platform, it split the wood and pulled off random chips. I used wood filler to smooth out the chips and let it dry.

I have the whole thing a good sanding with 150 grit and my palm sander to make the wood nice and smooth and soft to the touch. I paid special attention to the corners to round out the sharp bits. That way, getting bumped with the corner of the swing will hurt a bit but won't scrape delicate shins. What good is a daybed that bites you when you walk by?

Ah, the rope... if pressed I would have to admit that this manila rope is the main reason I wanted the daybed. It's so rustic and harbour-y. We bought 44 feet so that we could accomodate the 9 foot porch ceiling and the knots at both ends. I had the store cut it in one piece so that whatever was left at the end would be in one piece instead of a bunch of little pieces.

We also bought eye hooks for the ceiling (looks like a circle with a straight screw piece sticking off of it). We located the joists for a good, secure connection - you'll need to use whatever fasteners are right for your situation. A couple of apple crates worked perfectly to prop up the platform at the height we wanted while we secured the ropes. Be sure to put your mattress on the base when you are deciding on height, it makes a difference visually and you want to make sure it's at a comfortable level to get on and off once it's up and running.

I made a nice tight double knot in the end of the rope and threaded all 44 feet of it through the first hole from the bottom, then on a ladder, threaded the rope through the eye hook, pulled the rope taught but not too tight and checked it with a level to make sure it was straight from the platform to the ceiling. Once all the ropes are attached, remove the props from underneath and your daybed is officially hanging! In this photo, it looks like the platform is on a slant - it's actually level, the porch has a bit of a slant for water run off!

You will see that I decided against painting it right away. When it was sanded, the wood was so nice and soft I couldn't bear to cover it up. I am not sure if it looks great in its natural state, but the whole porch and the whole house need painting so it fits right it. I can still paint it at some point.

Now for the fun part, gathering up the pillows, bedspreads and quilts and making it into a bed!

After all the work I could really use a nap!

Many, many hours of swinging at all hours of the day and night, including a mother/sons Crazy Eights tournament, it's holding up beautifully and surprisingly, being treated by everyone with love and respect (I was a little concerned about daybed surfing but so far, so good!)

Linking Up Here – come join the parties!

And Voila.... Art!

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 01:42:00 +0000

I have essentially nothing on the walls of my house and I really need to fix that. Reason # 876 why I love the blog world, it's all about ideas and inspiration and inexpensive ways to create beauty in your home. So, I have big, empty walls, no money and very few original ideas, where to begin?

Well, what do I love? Colour. Texture. Fabric. Big pieces that make a statement. (and cover up big, empty walls)

And what do I have? Wood. Scrap wood. Lots and lots of scrap wood. And paint. Lots of small bottles of craft paint in all my favourite colours!

Hey, maybe I can put the paint on the wood! And then somehow ~~attach it all together~~ charm someone into attaching it all together for me. That could be art, right?

Well, I think so. And you might too. I've been inspired by many, many beautiful wooden art projects so it's definitely not an original idea, but that's ok - I've only had one original idea in the last year and I used it up on my chalkboard dresser, which is totally worth checking out, if only because it's my only original idea... I do like to think that anyone can make this concept their own just by using a palette of your favourite colours and assembling the pieces in a way that makes you happy.

So here's how you too can create your own wall art in just a few easy steps.

1. Sweet talk someone (in my case, it was my husband) into making you a whole bunch of fabulous pieces of wood furniture (may I suggest a bookshelf, a mudroom locker/cubby system, picnic table, bench, and outdoor lounge chairs? Man, I really am charming!)

2. Insist on saving scraps because you have a really great art project in mind. Leave them in a plastic bin for 5 months.

4. Take out the pieces and slather a different colour paint on each one, sometimes squirting two or even three different colours on one piece and letting them mix together as you spread the paint around. Sand off some of the paint you just put spent all that time applying.

5. Lay out all the pieces trying to figure out how to put it all together. Completely lose interest in the project and put all the pieces back into the bin.

7. Let stand for 1 year (at least). If some of the pieces are strewn about the yard by small children and left there through the winter, so much the better. If you did it right, the pieces will be dirty and stained and maybe even a bit warped!

8. When one evening, your husband takes out all the pieces and his saw, spring into action and lay the pieces out again, sawing off small bits here and there, and form them into a sort of wooden quilt.

9. Use a pocket jig tool thingy (which makes "pocket" holes so you can attached wood pieces side-to-side).

10. Attach two long pieces of scrap wood to the back from top to bottom to stabilize it and give you something to attach the hanging wire to.

And there you have it! Art. Made out of wood, covered in paint, looking like fabric, with lots of texture and impressive large-wall covering capabilities.

Don't over think it. It's going to look beautiful no matter how it goes together so don't worry if there are two of the same colour beside each other, etc. This blue board somehow escaped the natural distressing process of being left under the picnic table all winter and looked too clean so I took a pinch of soil out of my garden and rubbed it into the paint - the best thing to make things look dirty is dirt!

The imperfections are what makes it so appealing to me, I don't know what that circle mark is, but I like it! Ditto that split in the grey piece. I think it was a mistake cut made early in our furniture making days - love it!

So there you have it. I made art. And I do believe that makes me (and the guy who put it all together) an artist! It's hanging over my fireplace...

and every time I look at it, it makes me happy and really, that's all that matters!

Linking Up Here – come join the parties!

Skip To My Lou * Polly Want a Crafter * Under the Table & Dreaming * Cherished Treasures * C.R.A.F.T * Craftomaniac * Keeping It Simple * Handy Man Crafty Woman * Boogieboard Cottage * Somewhat Simple * Flamingo Toes * I Heart Nap Time * Polish the Stars * Dittle Dattle * Sugar Bee Crafts * DIY by Design * Vintage WannaBee * Sassy Sites * Ladybug Blessings * Running With Glitter * Domestically Speaking * Blue Cricket Design * Savvy Southern Style * Primitive & Proper * Debbie Doo’s * Elements Interiors * The Trendy Treehouse * A Creative Princess * Lil Luna * Somewhat Simple * The Shabby Chic Cottage * Catch a Glimpse * The Frugal Girls * 36th Avenue * Romantic Home * Chic On A Shoestring * Simply Designing * The Shabby Nest * Remodelaholic * My Simple Homelife * A Little KnickKnack * Whipperberry * The Girl Creative * Funky Junk Interiors * It’s a Crafty Life * Sisters of the Wild West * A Bowl Full of Lemons * French Country Cottage

Ready for Summer - is it every coming?

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 00:13:00 +0000

So, no luck at the garage sales today. My partner in crime wasn't feeling well yesterday so she slept in this morning and I was on my own. I think that's why I didn't find anything good; she's my good luck charm! At any rate, I saved myself some money and put my energy into other things, like taking a nap in the hammock. I did get some good cleaning up done around the yard and pool area. Though it isn't completely finished, my pool deck is looking a whole lot better. We've had lovely weather for the past few days but still not warm enough for what I would call summer.

You may have seen my post about a month ago talking about how the good weather gives me project fever and my plans for a patio makeover and lounge chair finishing. When my pool was installed way back whenever, it was plopped it into the middle of a full blown garden so by the time I got a hold of it, it was overgrown with mostly weeds taking over the pool area. I am lucky to have a separately fenced area with a nice, secure gate that houses my pool but I have been longing to get it tidied up and more usable and that was this Spring's project. Well, mostly my husband's project - he's the one who made the loungers, ripped out the garden, hauled most of the dirt (I managed 10 wheel barrows full!) and put in the patio stones (left over from major patio overhaul we did two years ago.) So, here's what it looked like a month ago.

Shudder... you never realize how bad it was until it's fixed up! We sold the table and chairs and started digging. Remember, we were using leftover stones so naturally we had juuuuust enough to almost finish it. Eeeeesh, what project ever goes smoothly? We are still working on finding the few extras that we need but this is what it looks like with the table and chairs in place...

See? better already! Now for the lounge chairs. "We" built these last summer based mostly on the plan Ana White's wonderful plan for a chaise with a bit of a size modification to match the cushions we found on sale for $25 each! I was supposed to paint the loungers last year and never got around to it. Can't remember what I was doing but it must have been important because without paint, they are so unattractive (lovely craftsmanship, though!).

So, this Spring, I dragged out the ol' can of exterior white and got down to it AND, complained the whole time to anyone who would listen. the slat bottoms were really annoying and I had to paint one side and then the other, and then it rained so I had to wait before I could resume painting, etc. But, they're done now and they look fabulous and I am so glad I put all that effort into them.

So, with the table, chairs, loungers and matching umbrellas (also scored on sale end of season last year), here's how it looks!

Now, if it would only warm up, I might be tempted to jump in!

Gone Sale-ing

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:00:00 +0000

We had a fantastic Canada Day! There was a parade downtown, a day long party in the park, activities all evening and fireworks at the beach at dusk.... and my kids were having none of it. They were up late last night for a movie in the park and didn`t seem to feel like anymore excitement.

They were quite clear this morning that all they wanted to do was to have a lazy day today. Fine with me. I have always said they are incredibly low maintenance when it comes to entertainment. Last summer we took them down the beach for a dinner picnic and they raved about it for 2 weeks! Trip to Disneyworld last summer notwithstanding, we really try to keep our lives as simple as possible and take in the small pleasures in life so it is great to see them embracing that.

So we celebrated our love for our wonderful country together, at home. We ran out to buy some chain for the hammock we inherited last summer from my dad and spent the rest of the day swinging in the hammock, blowing bubbles, and swimming. We ate all our meals outside and made frozen lemonade in the blender. It was pure heaven! We are all well rested and ready to take on the weekend, and good thing too - tomorrow is garage sale day. I have been really lucky the last few times I`ve been out and I am looking forward to a few hours of treasure hunting with my 12-year old partner in crime who has a terrific eye for well-loved, time-beautified treasures.

She chose this gorgeous toboggan last week.

The paint colour, worn in wood, leather straps and original rope were too good to pass up! She`s thrilled that we can fit 5 people on it and is `super excited`` about winter already.

At the same house, we found these gorgeous bobbins. My daughter noticed them right away and said how nice they would look on a bookshelf. I love the fact that they still have yarn on them. I am going to leave them as is - they are already on my bookshelf!

Ten starfish for $2 - yes, please! They even threw the basket in for free.

This summer we moved my white aluminum table and chairs to the pool area and my husband made me a new table (reveal on that coming soon!). I really wanted `real`plates to use on the gorgeous new table but didn`t want to use my grown up plates. So, this was a real score - 12 dinner plates from the local church sale for $2. I was holding the plates and asked my daughter to get the money out of my wallet - she was going to count out $24, not quite believing it was $2 for all 12, not $2 each! I love them and we have already used them many times.

I have been looking for a chair like this for three years, I love the wood and the fact that it rolls and swivels, but usually they come with arms and I wanted one without so this was a real score - only $5 and spied by my very clever accomplice.

So we are up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to head out to a brand new flea market being held at the local drive-in theatre. Of course, why didn`t I think of that... what a great idea!. I have all my fingers crossed that it will be wonderful and become a regular thing.

I will be sure to let you know how it goes!

Handmade Canvas Teacher Bags

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:45:00 +0000

What I love about blog surfing is that it indulges my penchant for love at first sight. I see something and I know I have to make it that second. Not "when I get around to it", not next week. Now, now, NOW! You could say I am a bit impatient, but I prefer to say that I am passionate about my art. I become consumed with the excitement of trying out my latest idea or inspiration. This is a good thing because it means things get done. This is a bad thing because I have a family that I am devoted to, a full time job, and an unpaid as chauffeur to the stars (the 'stars' being my kids!) so sometimes I have to wait and wait and wait for a chance to try my new obsession.

When the stars are truly aligned, I get an idea or find inspiration and I have a justifiable reason or opportunity to do it right away. When I saw these adorable bags on a guest post that appeared on Come Together Kids, I think I actually gasped out loud! GORGEOUS! I had three teachers that needed gifts this year so there's the justification. AND, school doesn't finish until June 29 here so I still had time to do it.

I searched everywhere for pre-made canvas bags but no luck. Lucky for me, I have a nasty slipcover habit which means I have a lot of dropcloth bits lying around. I love the feeling of dropcloth canvas, it's so soft. Nothing in this project was complicated, just time consuming. It would have been a fun afternoon project to make one but three bags took up a good chunk of my weekend.

First I laid out two squarish pieces of dropcloth canvas (I had prewashed it when I bought it). My pieces were 24 x 30. I took one piece and using a blue marker and red marker, I marked the lines just as Rachel did in her excellent tutorial. I wrote the teacher's names on at that point, but I would recommend doing that once it is in bag form, it makes it easier when you are attaching the straps and you don't have to work around the words.

When you do the printing, put some cardboard or plastic sheeting behind the canvas so you can write on it with permanent marker without it bleeding through to the other side. Rachel embroidered hers which is absolutely gorgeous, but I knew I would never have time for that. My 5-year old is not fond of printing and I didn't want him to feel stressed so I had him print each teacher's name on a piece of paper.

I used transfer paper under his paper and traced over his printing, then went over the lines with a permanent marker on to the canvas. I used the marker cap to mark the outside of the circles on the left and filled them in with the marker, but I decided not to do it with the other two bags. I noticed that Rachel had the same experience with hers - I just found that it felt "softer" without the black circles.

Now, to make it into a bag - put the right sides together and sew along the the sides and bottom. Finish the seams with a zigzag stitch or whatever way you like. (dropcloth is a very loose weave and if you don't finish all the edges really well, it will disintegrate when you wash it, if not before).

To make the straps, I cut 34-inch strips that were 2 inches wide (4 per bag). Sew the long edges together with the edge of the fabric against the side of the foot rather than the usual 5/8" edge - you don't need to finish the edges. Turn the strap inside out, iron the straps flat and then overstitch along each side, just about a 1/4 inch in from the edge. This will keep the straps nice and flat.

Trim the ends of each strap very slightly and then finish those edges really well. I use a zigzag stitch and went over each end twice. Pin the end of the strap inside the front edge of the bag, two inches down from the top edge on each side and sew just inside the edges of the strap. the straps should be 30 inches long for a shoulder bag, but of course you can make them whatever length you want. Same thing on the other side - now it's a a bag!

I have my little artist create some quick art for each bag and transferred that the same way I did the lettering. Once the design was transferred, I went over it with the marker and we filled in the drawings here and there for a pop of colour! Give the whole thing a good ironing on the high setting to set the ink.

What I love about this idea is the simplicity and the warm fuzzy feeling you get from the nostalgic look of a child's printing on paper. It's such a brilliant, personalized gift for a teacher that captures the beauty of those oh-so-important early years.

I am already looking forward to next year because I get to make three more bags. Well, maybe I will buy the bags next year and stick to drawing the lines.

Linking Up Here – Come join the parties!

Skip To My Lou Polly Want a Crafter It’s So Very Cheri Under the Table & Dreaming Cherished Treasures C.R.A.F.T Craftomaniac Keeping It Simple Handy Man Crafty Woman's Boogieboard Cottage Somewhat Simple Flamingo Toes I Heart Nap Time Polish the Stars Dittle Dattle Sugar Bee Crafts DIY by Design Vintage WannaBee Sassy Sites Ladybug Blessings Running With Glitter Domestically Speaking Blue Cricket Design Savvy Southern Style Primitive and Proper Debbie Doo’s Elements Interiors The Trendy Treehouse A Creative Princess Lil Luna Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage Catch a Glimpse The Frugal Girls 36th Avenue Romantic Home Chic On A Shoestring Simply Designing The Shabby Nest Remodelaholic My Simple Homelife A Little KnickKnack Whipperberry The Girl Creative Funky Junk Interiors It’s a Crafty Life Bubbly Nature Creations Touch of Yellow Sisters of the Wild West A Bowl Full of Lemons Designer Garden Goodbye City, Hello Suburbs Redoux Restore Interiors

Everything New is Old Again

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 03:11:00 +0000

I discovered my love for refinishing furniture when I was 11. I found an old steamer trunk and a few cans of paint in the basement - I painted the body light blue and all the trim in white. I even redid the hardware with metallic gold paint (come to think of it, why did we have metallic gold paint in the basement?) Anyway, I dragged it up two flights of stairs to my room and put it under my window to make a window seat and I thought I was quite glamorous. Sometimes, I would prop the top open with my stuffed animals artfully arranged. If there had been such a thing as a preteen home decor magazine, I would have been a regular subscriber!

Over the years I redid a few pieces here and there but once I moved to Toronto and lived in a tiny house with tiny people, I didn't have the time, space or energy. I bought whatever was least expensive at IKEA including this corner cabinet for our 10 x 10 living room. It was made of wood, not melamine, the base fit in the corner, the TV fit nicely on top and best of all, I could lock the doors and prevent the tiny people from sliding a peanut butter sandwich into the VCR. I always thought the top part of the unit was hideous and it stayed in the box until we staged the house to sell it and I needed to make the living area into a dining room.

When we moved from Toronto, the thing somehow ended up in my house and try as I might, I couldn't get rid of it - I would glare at it every time I walked by and had every intention of selling it on Craig's list when I took these pictures

Blog surfing one day, I spied a dresser repainted in Behr Pyramid Gold and was instantly smitten with the most gorgeous warm yellow. Once I become obsessed with a paint colour all unpainted furniture better run for cover... I bought a can the next day and the first thing to catch my eye was the corner hutch - makeover time!

I gave the whole thing a really quick sanding with a course sanding sponge being careful to sand every which way with varying degrees of pressure and no particular pattern. Then I slopped on the paint with an old brush paying special attention to the sides of the hutch to ensure there were some really nice brush marks and texture in there. Broad flat spaces need character and I like things to look hand painted. My house has light issues so I can't always get good photos of my furniture where it lives. I actually had to move it to the opposite side of the hall just to get enough light!

After one generous coat, I gave it 24 hours to dry and went at it with the sanding sponge. I don't usually use Behr paint, I find it peels when you remove masking tape, etc., but in this case, it worked in my favour. I also discovered that the parts I sanded changed colour and looked deeper. I have never seen that happen before but it really added to the old, worn look and I love it.

I wiped it all down with a microfiber cloth and then a generous coat of walnut stain, left it for a few minutes, wiped it down again and finished with clear water based varnish. This was in the days before I discovered wax, which is my new favourite thing.

And now? I love it! I love the colour and I love how the refinish brings the character to the piece that it never had. It actually has quite a bit of personality, it just needed to be coaxed out and now it brightens up the space and gives it warmth and light. Yay!

I moved it out of the dining room and up to the top of my stairs where the three kids' rooms are so we styled accordingly and here it is in all its yellow glory! I love that I could take something new and make it look worn in and comfortable. The best thing is that this hutch has a sister desk that is getting painted this summer and I will be sure to share.

My favourite part was styling the shelves. My 5-year old was on board right away and helped me find all the pieces including the sweet little wooden car we found in a thrift store and his beloved wheeled puppy and of course the baby photo of... guess who?

I love the colour so much that when I did my Numbered Staircase, I used it again. So, if you need a gorgeous warm yellow, grab yourself a swatch of Pyramid Gold and cast your eye around the house. Surely, you own something that would look better in yellow?

Linking Up Here – come join the parties!

Miss Mustard Seed Skip To My Lou Polly Want a Crafter It’s So Very Cheri Under the Table & Dreaming Cherished Treasures C.R.A.F.T Craftomaniac Keeping It Simple Handy Man Crafty Woman's Boogieboard Cottage Somewhat Simple Flamingo Toes I Heart Nap Time Polish the Stars Dittle Dattle Sugar Bee Crafts DIY by Design Vintage WannaBee Sassy Sites Ladybug Blessings Running With Glitter Domestically Speaking Blue Cricket Design Savvy Southern Style Primitive and Proper Debbie Doo’s Elements Interiors The Trendy Treehouse A Creative Princess Lil Luna Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage Catch a Glimpse The Frugal Girls 36th Avenue Romantic Home Chic On A Shoestring Simply Designing The Shabby Nest Remodelaholic My Simple Homelife A Little KnickKnack Whipperberry The Girl Creative Funky Junk Interiors It’s a Crafty Life Bubbly Nature Creations Touch of Yellow Sisters of the Wild West A Bowl Full of Lemons French Country Cottage Whisperwood Cottage

Shoot for the Moon, Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:41:00 +0000

If you have read my Give Me a Sign post, you already know I love signs. I actually love all typography in any form. I am obsessed with fonts and I spend way too much time surfing for new ones. In fact, one of my favourite online games to play with my 9 year old son is Cheese or Font? Sad, I know... but admitting it is the first step.

The Lettered Cottage is one of my regular blog haunts. Kevin and Layla never fail to astound me with their gorgeous projects and designs and I was thrilled with their latest DIY Art How To Day. The PB inspired sign was gorgeous, manageable and just in time for a baby shower for a friend who is expecting a boy.

My husband helped me out with the building - we had 1 x 2s on hand for the frame but we tried three stores and couldn't find the fill-it strips that are shown in the Lettered Cottage post. I was stumped but my husband came up with the great idea of cutting our own! A 2 x 4 board for $2.50 was cut into strips somewhere between a 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch thick, 22 inches wide and about 30 inches long just because I liked the way it looked. Nail gunned it together, sanded it down a bit and raided my craft paint bin. Craft paint is a favourite of mine - I like the fact that you can buy a very small amount of paint in a wide variety of colours. I used it for the stripes and numbers in my Numbered Staircase and for my Forgotten to Fabulous dresser. Really, I love all kinds of paint, I think if I worked in a paint store I would bring home stray cans like lost puppies but I have a LOT of craft paint and this year, I am determined to start using up my project supplies

I had planned on a light blue suitable for a baby boy but I settled on navy for a more timeless look as he grows older and doesn't want a "baby" vibe. One light, uneven coat of navy blue and let that dry, then gave it a good sanding all over with whatever sanding sponge was closest. I haven't tried my secret technique with any other kind of paint, but if you wipe the craft painted surface with a damp cloth or spray with a spray bottle, it sands off beautifully (you might need to rinse your sanding sponge a few times).

Alphabet stamps with clear plastic backing from Michael's (photo courtesy of google) The clear backing lets you position the letters perfectly each time - if the letter didn't stamp properly, I could just put it back down right on top of the first try. I am hatching a secret plan to make my own; if I can figure it out, I will be sure to share!

Now for the words, this is where I always get stuck. I have a slight, well actually massive indecision problem. Especially when I am making something for someone else. I got some ideas from the Lettered Cottage creation and an internet search and I even came up with a few on my own! Typed them out in capital letters on the computer so I could decide on the order and vary the lengths of the phrases. With my white paint, paint brush and letter stamps at the ready I dove in - brush on paint, position stamp, gently press down, lift stamp, repeat.

Now, with the words in place

My kids were unanimous in choosing "DANCE IN THE RAIN" as their favourite and gave me thumbs up on the font. Brushing the paint onto the stamp makes it splotchy so I didn't distress the finished words - here are a few details

I was really pleased with the final paint look - it has a real denim feel to it! I applied a coat of furniture wax and buffed it up, making it feel even more worn in and soft but it didn't feel finished. It felt like it was missing something. I poked around and found some old painted wood bits that had once been on my flower boxes.

All it was missing was a bit of sparkle! Not too much but just enough to be a point of interest without overwhelming the point of the piece which is the beautiful words of wisdom. I chose to highlight my favourite phrase, "SHOOT FOR THE MOON" so the moon and stars were perfect. They were already white, I distressed them a bit and waxed them up - trusty glue gun in hand, they were positioned and attached within minutes.

Done! I am so obsessive over tiny details and I think that's why I like the shabby, distressed, worn in look. The more scrappy it is, the better it looks. No worrying that the paint is even, etc.

Too big for any gift bag, I wrapped it in brown paper and a full length of bright pink organza ribbon which the mom-to-be promptly tied around her belly and declared the gift to be "gorgeous". I got two orders for new signs right there at the shower - I think it was a hit!

And now, of course, each of my kids wants one!

Linking Up Here – come join the parties!

Project Fever in Full Force

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 02:23:00 +0000

I am very happy to be a Canadian girl. Most of my family actually lives in the U.S. (Atlanta, San Diego and Seattle). They were all born here but they've been in the States for years and years - I have made many, many wonderful trips to Texas and I even got to go to California and Georgia. Both my brothers are married to American girls and all their kids are American so I like to think that right beside the maple leaf stamped on my heart, there's a few stars and stripes too!

But, I live in Canada and that means winter. Lots of winter. It's only been the last couple of weeks that I can get outside and get on to some of my big projects. This summer's plans include pulling out the weed garden in the pool area and putting in the patio stones leftover from my patio installation two years ago. That way, we will be able to fit a table and chairs big enough so that all three of my kids can sit down at the same time, doesn't that sound nice?

I put the old patio set up for sale on Kijiji (like Craigslist) so that will make some room. I have to finish painting the gorgeous lounge chairs that my husband made for me last summer - we have a deal: he makes it into furniture and I make it pretty. Last year, I didn't quite get around to making these pretty - but I'm getting there - after I took this photo, I got about half way through (those slats are a real killer!)

And because we are moving our aluminum patio set into the enclosed pool area, I will need a new table on the patio, right? After careful consideration, I picked out the table I wanted, chose the paint colour and bought the paint - how does it look?

Ok, so I still have a bit of work ahead of me, but I am really looking forward to it. It rained today which set me back a bit, oh and that full time job thing gets in they way... but we're moving forward and that's all that matters!

And today, we settled on new colours for the house - we are getting the entire exterior repainted in Benjamin Moore's Monterey White and Georgian Green. We have been saving up for a long time to get it done; it's too big a project to do ourselves and the house really needs it - it's quite dreadful right now - I'm sure I will be getting Thank You notes from the neighbours!

I will be sure to share the finished projects...

From Forgotten to Fabulous

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:19:00 +0000

What a great weekend! Of course, by great, I mean it rained all day Saturday so we finally got the spindles in on my staircase. If you have seen my Numbered Staircase post you will notice that while we have a lovely banister, there's just a big 'ol open space underneath it. It was like that when we bought the house and we didn't know how to fix it. But, since we have become super DIYers we have tackled all kinds of projects and this one has been on my list for a very long time. I have to prime and paint them, but I will be sure to share.

The really big news is that I finished what has to be one of my favourite projects of all time. Last Monday I shared that day's curb find. It was badly broken on one side, painted in a hideous combination of baked beans brown and silly putty beige and it weighed a ton. May I present once again for your viewing pleasure... The Ugly Brown Dresser... brace yourselves, it's pretty bad.

Ugh. What's the complete opposite of "swoon"? I knew I could get the paint off, and fix the side but what really stumped me were those strange panels on the front. I really had no idea what to do with this baby. The very next day when I was blog surfing I found Sarah's Treasure Chest - it could be my dresser's long lost sister! Sarah's is stunning and I loved what she had done with it but I was still stumped. I just kept staring at those panels and it finally hit me - I would make them the highlight of the whole piece.

I started by stripping off the paint. I try to avoid sanding wood whenever possible (other than distressing of course!) Sanding takes off the patina that builds up over time and makes wood look and feel old and authentic. So I got out my large can of Circa 1850 Paint & Stain Remover - I apply it with an old paint brush, let it do its thing (you will see the paint start to bubble up and peel) and then scrape it off. I collect the scraped off paint in a pie plate and toss it into a plastic bag. I only ever strip furniture outside so I wait all winter to get back into refinishing mode. I have tried the eco versions of paint stripper but with a real hit and miss result and if it's a miss, the paint doesn't come off and the stripper is almost impossible to remove. So I generally stick with the 1850.

The paint was old and crispy so most of it came off pretty easily - I discovered that the dresser had one been painted white and the front panels were green. The white was very cooperative and came off nicely, the green? Not so much. I didn't worry about it too much since I was planning on completely covering the piece in a creamy white paint.

Though I was planning on painting the dresser, I wanted all that brown and beige paint off - it was oil based and glossy and would have been hard to cover nicely, Also, all the nice detail on the piece was almost completely filled in with three coats of paint. The 1850 took everything out nicely and I used an old sandpaper sponge to brush the remnants out of the grooves.

I love the curve detail on the top drawer! All three drawers have a working lock mechanism intact and the top two drawers have the brass inset in the keyhole. No keys though - lucky I don't own anything valuable...

So Saturday afternoon, spindles are done and I am dying to get back to that dresser. I knew I wanted a creamy white all over but I didn't have any on hand. I mixed up a bunch of my old craft paint to a creamy white and headed outside. Funny thing was, when I sat down to start painting, I couldn't do it.

The beautiful warm wood was calling to me. I knew I didn't want to leave it natural but I couldn't imagine it all covered up. I started to picture something found in the basement of an old French bakery and I wanted it to look really worked in.

I settled on a light coat all over with a dry brush technique, finished the piece, let it dry and then came back to give it a gentle sanding in all directions until I was happy with the look.

The handles it arrived with were cute, but too small and I didn't want anything to distract from the final look. I had a set of knobs that I picked up at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore

and I painted those with the same creamy white colour, with a bit of bright green brushed on and antiqued with a bit of brown paint - I put a coat of wax on top to give it a lustre.

Now, for the best part - remember when I said I was picturing an old, working piece of furniture with the front panels as the focal point? What is more attention grabbing than chalkboard paint? I brushed on one coat with an old brush and as soon as it was dry, used a fine sandpaper sponge to distress it - hello old green paint! Every time I send one of my kids to get something out of a drawer they ask, "which drawer?" so I thought my idea was very inspired indeed! I had originally planned to paint on the words and distress a bit, but then I realized that was silly - this way I can use it anywhere I want for years to come...

I used Minwax clear furniture wax - this was my first time using wax and I am totally smitten. I love the finish and it gives it the perfect amount of lustre without an all-over sameness - very authentic.

My house is light-challenged so I wasn't able to get a shot of it where it lives now - right in front of my bay window in the dining room - but here it is! Abandoned on a curb, she turned her life around in four days and is now very well loved and living a better life in my dining room.

And I love her so! I am absolutely thrilled with the way it turned out. It's really almost like a thick stained look rather than a painted look, but I love the way the old paint patches show through ...

... and that green paint peeking through the black is divine.

Free dresser, old craft paint, $2 worth of paint remover, $1 worth of furniture wax, and $1 for the knobs. I would say the total project cost is about $4.

I don't know the history of this piece but I know her future will involve me staring at her adoringly!

Linking Up Here – Come join the parties!

Free dresser! But... now what?

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Tue, 31 May 2011 02:04:00 +0000

We finally had a beautiful, sunny day today but I spent 5 hours of it in the emergency room, getting my dancer daughter's foot re-xrayed and examined (she broke it during her recital last weekend). I am so grateful that she is healing well and will be back dancing by July, but neither of us enjoyed the long wait. I saw a lot of worried mommies with a lot of very unwell little ones today and I just kept counting my blessings that my children are healthy and happy.

On the way home, our moods improved when we spotted this on the side of the road. Feast your eyes on this, uh.... beauty? I have seen some ugly furniture in my days but this one is something special. It's a sort of reddish brown with an accent colour that reminds me of silly putty.

A broken handle, and the whole side is coming off. It's a very solid piece but I'm not sure what kind of wood it is. I've never seen that kind of rectangle panel thingy on the front of the drawers.

It weighs a ton but between the two of us, we lifted it a couple of inches and tipped it into the trunk. Drove it home and had Tarzan get it out of the back of the van - he even fixed the side for me!

The key holes and sweet little knobs really seal the deal - I think knobs are a bit small for the scale of the dresser, but I will save them for a future project. I think it's begging for special treatment I'm just not sure what that is.

So, now what? I have to strip off all that goopy oil paint for starters and then maybe I will be able to think about what to do with it. I want to do something that will really unify the piece and make it stunning.

I am hoping the inspiration will come to me - if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them!

Give Me a Sign...

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBoo and Co.) — Mon, 30 May 2011 23:53:00 +0000

We are finally getting better weather which means I can get to some heavy lifting. Not literally, of course, I leave that to my husband. We affectionately refer to him as Tarzan - the guy can lift and move pretty much anything which is super handy for a girl who collects a lot of furniture and can never visualize how the couch will look 'over there' until someone moves it 'over there' (and often back again!).

So today I got to some sanding and finishing touches on a few projects. I love old signs and a while back I opened a certain catalogue from a certain store, saw a wall hanging and thought, "I could totally make that". So I did! I used stencils for the top letters and hand drew the bottom letters, then painted everything with a small brush, a whole bunch of sanding, and a lot of patience. We'll talk about the wood source later...

Surf Riders found an immediate home in my middle son's bedroom, but then my daughter wanted one. I flew solo on this one, and with inspiration from a few places, hand written letters, and a hibiscus stencil, I created a girly looking sign that celebrated her love for ice cream.

I made a third attempt at a sign for my youngest son but I wasn't happy with the results - I realized that as much as I enjoyed hand drawing the lettering, whenever I looked at it, I recognized my own writing and it felt less authentic.

That was last summer so with better weather I was back at it. I wasn't even planning my next sign, but I came across this Star Biscuit Sign at That's My Letter. I am obsessed with stars (more on that another day) and who doesn't love biscuits? I had to make my own and I came up with this.

Very loud turquoise base, coat of clear varnish, coat of red, bit of sanding to get that turquoise out in the open and then traced my computer-generated letters with carbon paper. I painted the letters in white and finished with a wash of brown paint and glaze then a random slathering of clear varnish so it would look worn off in some places - I stuck it up on my mantel to dry but I love it so much I haven't taken it down.

Now for the wood - I do love all those gorgeous signs being made out there on old doors, etc. but I haven't been lucky enough to find anything like that so I had to resort to what I had on hand. Plywood. Plain old plywood, lying around behind the shed with the perfect level of weathered-ness. Brush off (most of the dirt) and start painting! I love the chips and chunks missing. Makes it look so much more like it was hanging on the front of an abandoned store for years before being rescued.

This was my most recent success - it's a re-creation of last year's attempt but this time with computer-generated letters and a particularly fabulous, knot-holed crumbly piece of wood.

Taped off the halves and part of the pattern - dry brush the paint on

Lay out the letters and tape them in place

Trace over the letters with carbon paper under the white paper

Paint the letters, using as little paint as possible - the less you put on, the less you have to sand off, but try to keep the outside edges crisp. Sand, sand, and sand some more. I have learned that you can almost completely remove the paint and it still looks fantastic. Give it a really good wipe with a damp cloth - microfibre is my favourite. I didn't varnish this one - I liked it the way it looked without.

Here are a few of the lovely, crumbly details

And the finished product! I was really pleased with the way this one came out. I will be sticking with computer letters from now on.

A few weeks ago, I found a piece of plywood under the leaves in my driveway. I have already started brainstorming - stay tuned!

Linking up Here...

The Lettered Cottage Miss Mustard Seed Skip To My Lou Polly Want a Crafter It’s So Very Cheri Under the Table & Dreaming Cherished Treasures C.R.A.F.T Craftomaniac Keeping It Simple Handy Man Crafty Woman's Boogieboard Cottage Somewhat Simple Flamingo Toes I Heart Nap Time Polish the Stars Dittle Dattle Sugar Bee Crafts DIY by Design Vintage WannaBee Sassy Sites Ladybug Blessings Running With Glitter Domestically Speaking Blue Cricket Design Savvy Southern Style Primitive and Proper Debbie Doo’s Elements Interiors The Trendy Treehouse A Creative Princess Lil Luna Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage Catch a Glimpse The Frugal Girls 36th Avenue Romantic Home Chic On A Shoestring Simply Designing The Shabby Nest Remodelaholic My Simple Homelife A Little KnickKnack Whipperberry The Girl Creative Funky Junk Interiors I Am Along for the Ride It’s a Crafty Life Bubbly Nature Creations Touch of Yellow Sisters of the Wild West A Bowl Full of Lemons

It's So Easy Being Green

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBooandCo.) — Wed, 25 May 2011 00:28:00 +0000

This is my second "real" post and I was completely overwhelmed by the warm welcome I received to the blog world! Thank you to everyone who sent me lovely messages and comments. I still can't believe how much beauty is being created out there!

I had all these great things planned to blog about these past few days but I was derailed when my lovely 12 year old competitive dancer daughter had a collision on stage and ended up with a broken foot! She is recovering nicely and will be back on her toes in no time, thank goodness.

So I thought I would do a quick post about how, in my house lately, green is the new black. I have always loved the fresh apple green colour palette but in the last year or so, my kids have become equally obsessed. Maybe it's because we spend 6 months every year in the cold, dark months of Ontario winter!

My kids are still a little baffled by the strange activities going on around the house whenever I am building, painting or creating something. They wander in and out, ask what I am doing and then after a few minutes of vague interest, they gravitate back to Sponge Bob.

The surefire way to get their attention is to paint something green. The louder the better. We had this older dresser bumping around the house for years, it's been everything from a t.v. stand to a diaper station but I never liked it and could never figure out how to make it fit into my house.

I had already removed the other handles before I remembered to take the 'before' photo. I know they are antique and probably worth some money but they always reminded me of owls, staring at me...

My husband had long ago stripped the drawers but left the old, bumpy, sticky varnish everywhere else. I decided to use it to my advantage to give the piece some texture. I painted right over the whole thing with Home Hardware Beauti-Tone D045 (only sold in Canada). I used a sort of dry brush technique - I have spent so many hours sanding and scraping, trying to distress things, I eventually learned that if I don't put so much on, I don't have to sand so much off!

So this is what we ended up with

Here's a shot of the detail on the side - I love the way the dark finish underneath shows through! Ooh, and check out that nail - nice!

The whole thing took about an hour and a half and I bought these adorable handles at Home Hardware as well - they are solid and help to get the drawers in and out because they are a bit warped with age (uh, I mean, beauty!)

Next thing to be greenified is my daughter's room - we have a total makeover planned once she's back on her own two feet, and I will be sure to share!

Linking up Here...

Skip To My Lou Polly Want a Crafter It’s So Very Cheri Under the Table & Dreaming Cherished Treasures Handy Man Crafty Woman's Somewhat Simple Flamingo Toes I Heart Nap Time Polish the Stars Dittle Dattle Sugar Bee Crafts DIY by Design Vintage WannaBee Sassy Sites Ladybug Blessings Running With Glitter Domestically Speaking Blue Cricket Design Savvy Southern Style Primitive and Proper Debbie Doo’s Faded Charm Cottage Elements Interiors The Trendy Treehouse A Creative Princess Lil Luna Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage Catch a Glimpse The Frugal Girls 36^th Avenue Romantic Home Chic On A Shoestring Miss Mustard Seed Simply Designing The Shabby Nest Remodelaholic My Simple Homelife A Little KnickKnack Whipperberry The Girl Creative Funky Junk Interiors I Am Along for the Ride It’s a Crafty Life Bubbly Nature Creations Touch of Yellow Whisperwood Cottage

New Life for a Tired Staircase

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBooandCo.) — Sat, 14 May 2011 02:49:00 +0000

My house was built in 1875 and the years have not treated it kindly. It has been subjected to multiple renovations, including being carved up into apartments in the 60s and then turned back into a family home a decade later.

The front stairs were built in 1975. Each step is a different size, it has Victorian railings, improvised wainscotting and rustic pine stair treads. Much like the rest of the house, it doesn't match itself and it needed help. I knew I could never afford a custom stair runner so I started researching painted stairs and fell in love with this photo from a Pottery Barn book on Kids Rooms.

With only three feet between the stairs and a wall, and no windows in the front of the house, it's hard to get a nice shot but this shows the steps taped off.

I wanted my "runner" 25 inches wide, so based on the first step, I had 7 inches on each side. I measured 7 inches from the right edge of every step and placed the second band of tape so that the outside edges were 25 inches apart. To tape the risers, I measured straight down from the outside edge of the tape on the top tread to the outside of the tape on the next tread. I marked it with a pencil and applied the tape along the line. Three coats of yellow floor paint from my local hardware store, colour matched to Behr Pyramid Gold and it was looking better already.

When the yellow was dry, I ran a strip of very narrow tape up against it, basically as a place holder for the stripe. Two coats of primer and two coats of white floor paint - can't remember the exact colour, just a warm white that I thought went well with my yellow. When the white was dry and cured (three days), I put a band of tape on either side of the narrow piece and removed the narrow piece to paint the navy blue stripe.

Now for the numbers...the font for the numbers is Century and I made the numbers 5 inches tall using the "ruler" feature in Word and and increasing the font size until the number was the size I wanted.

I used contact paper to make stencils for the numbers. Print the numbers on paper, trace the numbers onto squares of contact paper (I used carbon paper from Staples). With a sharp blade, cut the number out of the contact paper. For 4, 6 8, 9, etc., I cut the middles out and then used a piece of masking tape to middles in place until I stuck them on the stairs.

Center each square on the riser, peel the backing off and stick it in place, if it's not perfect you can reposition it. Once all the squares are in place paint the first coat with whatever colour you are painting over. In this case I gave every number a quick coat of white paint - it seals the stencil so the colour coat won't bleed through. Three coats of navy blue craft paint - I needed so little, I didn't want to buy a big can - one coat of clear gloss on top. I taped off the stripes (one piece of wide tape on either side of the narrow, then remove the narrow tape) and used the same approach. Resist the urge to peel off the tape until everything is really dry.

When all the paint is nice and dry, you can start peeling! Isn't this everyone's favourite part? And now it's time for the big reveal!

I still can't believe these are in my house! I am so pleased with how they turned out and my kids love them. I had to do a little bit of touching up when the new paint peeled off the old, but overall it came out really well.

We are lucky because I have two staircases in my house so having this one out of commission for two weeks was no big deal. Even if you are painting the only staircase in your house, a project like this goes in phases so there's very little time when you can't use the stairs at all and each step doesn't take too long.

Now for that back staircase....

It's my very first "link up" post!!!

The Lettered Cottage Skip To My Lou Polly Want a Crafter It’s So Very Cheri Under the Table & Dreaming Cherished Treasures C.R.A.F.T Craftomaniac Keeping It Simple Handy Man Crafty Woman's Boogieboard Cottage Somewhat Simple Flamingo Toes I Heart Nap Time Polish the Stars Dittle Dattle Sugar Bee Crafts DIY by Design Vintage WannaBee Sassy Sites Ladybug Blessings Running With Glitter Domestically Speaking Blue Cricket Design Savvy Southern Style Primitive and Proper Debbie Doo’s Faded Charm Cottage Elements Interiors The Trendy Treehouse A Creative Princess Lil Luna Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage Catch a Glimpse The Frugal Girls 36^th Avenue Romantic Home Chic On A Shoestring Miss Mustard Seed Simply Designing The Shabby Nest Remodelaholic My Simple Homelife A Little KnickKnack Whipperberry The Girl Creative Funky Junk Interiors I Am Along for the Ride It’s a Crafty Life Bubbly Nature Creations Touch of Yellow

Thanks to all who led me here

noreply@blogger.com (EllaBooandCo.) — Fri, 13 May 2011 23:33:00 +0000

This blog has been in the works for months. I can't even remember know how I accidentally discovered the amazing world of incredible woman creating the most beautiful things and blogging about it, but when I did, I knew I had found my people! For a few months, I just enjoyed the view.

I was instantly addicted to one of my blog heroes, Ana White and spent all last summer building furniture. But of course, as any good blog lurker knows, once you visit one gorgeous blog, you soon discover another, and another, and another. So in rapid succession, I became obsessed with The Lettered Cottage, Young House Love and, what has now become my first stop every morning and last stop every night, Miss Mustard Seed.

I wait every day for their new posts to appear and still gasp when their latest creations pop onto my screen. I spend hours scouring the unbelievable makeovers, redos, and creations and every single day, I am incredibly inspired by what these amazing women (always with the most loyal of husbands right there behind them...) are able to accomplish.

So today, after all this time, I have scraped together a few moments of my very minimal free time and I am plunging into the blog world! If I accomplish nothing else, I just wanted the chance to link at least once to each of the fabulous places that have made me so happy over the last year, just to say thank you.

So, thank you ladies, for taking the time our your crazy schedules to make the world a more beautiful place, one post at a time!