Merry Christmas 2012

Mr Humphrey decided to sit still long enough to have his photo taken by the tree.  So regal looking wouldn't you say?

Have the merriest Christmas ever.  Enjoy family & friends.

Have a doozie of a day =)

Dumpster Diving

Dumpster Dive Chair

About a month ago I "dumpster dived" out of someones trash.  I brought it home and disassembled, painted and recovered.  I had the paint and fabric.  My only cost was the trim which was on sale at Hobby Lobby half off.  So I guess you could say I spent only $2 on this chair.  Everything else was left over from other projects.  The disassembling took the longest as there were plenty of staples to be removed.  This was a great re-do.  I think I will "dumpster dive" more often.

Have a doozie of a day :)

I'm on a Roll!!!

Finished another small project. We recently took the ceiling fan out of our study/living room to put in our bedroom because the bedroom fan just up and quit.  I wanted to replace it with something different so I opted to find a used chandelier that was basic that could be transformed.  I found it on a Facebook- Buy, Sell, Trade, etc website for my area.  Paid $30 for it with 12 maroon shades & bulbs included.  I knew the maroon shades would definitely have to go so I spray painted the shades and trimmed out the top and bottom with some "fru-fru".  Love it!!!  Makes the room look very Paris Frenchy.....  So there you have it.  I probably paid too much for the light, but in the end I couldn't have bought a light fixture with shades (plain shades are $3.99) for what I spent on this.  Total cost: $52 - $30 light, $22 "fru-fru".  Love.....

Have a doozie of a day 8-)

Another Pinterest Project complete!!!

I have been pinning all kinds of subway art and finally attempted to complete my own via Photoshop.  I took a mini Photoshop Subway Art class from Jessica Sprague- which I pinned from Pinterest- {because I'm not that proficient with Photoshop}.  Even though I probably could've done it on my own, going thru the tutorial was a help.  You can always learn more.  Anyway, it took me about 2 1/2 hours.  I wrote down all the adresses my husband & I have lived at in our marriage and included names and dates here and there.  I went ahead and had a 20 x 30 canvas made.  I'm anxious to see the final result!!! 

Thanks for looking.

Have a doozie of a day 8)

Chair & Curio refinished with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint & Wax

Another 2 little projects completed....This week I purchased a small curio that I thought would be great to put on the wall above the sewing machine. I couldn't wait to get it home to paint with Annie Sloan {Duck Egg}. I covered with one coat, distressed and then put clear wax & dark wax. Love how it turned out. I also painted a chair using Annie Sloan {Emperors Silk}, distressed and put clear & dark wax on. Recovered seat and done!!! Love this too. I had purchased trial sizes of the paint so I thought this would be a great way to find out just how much is used on small pieces. Both projects used the majority of the trial size which cost about $11 each. I will probably go buy more of the {Duck Egg} to paint a bench I've had for years that needs revitalizing. All in all a productive Friday!!!

PS: Sorry...no picture of the curio before paint.

Have a doozie of a day 8)

Refinished Buffet using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Another piece finished!!! Major accomplishment for me. I bought this buffet and it was in need of some minor repair. I knew when I saw it that I would take the 2 big doors off and put baskets in their place. One of the doors was beyond repair so the decision was quite easy to make. Even so, this buffet needed to be more open to break bulkiness. I left the top "as-is" and decided that if later I wanted to refinish I would. But I really love the worn aged look of it. I used Annie Sloan {Old White} - 3 coats due to the stain bleeding thru...After 3 coats it still bled thru but after sanding and it only added to the aged look. It seems that all the pieces I've done with the {Old White} have not covered in 2 coats as some have claimed. The stain has bled thru on all of them. Maybe it's just my luck, but if you don't want the bleed thru - use primer. In my case it hasn't been a major issue but if I were selling them or doing for other people, I would prime for sure. I have one more piece that is a lighter stain. If that bleeds thru, then I would say the lighter colors definitely need primer first. Okay...with all that said, here are the before and after pictures. I love this paint!!! PS: I did not wax this piece. Only sanded and buffed. It is not used on a daily basis so I don't see that it would need it. Spray painted handles black and bought new knobs from Hobby Lobby for the little doors.

Have a doozie of a day 8-)

Victorian Secretary

I loved this Victorian Secretary when I first saw it on Craigslist. It needed alot of work but I was excited about making it something it was not. Thank goodness the previous owners had most of the missing parts so putting it back together was simple. The only things missing were the odd shaped opening mirror, the lock plate on the drop down desk and the glass door to the shelf unit as well as the keys for the locks. But all in all...not too bad for being about 100 yrs old. I fixed what I could and started the transformation. The old finish was cracked and could have been sanded but it only added to the distressing look that I wanted to achieve. I painted it with 2 coats of Annie Sloan {Old White} and then waxed with Annie Sloan Clear & Dark Wax. The dark wax really brought out all the details and cracks. Today I buffed out as much as I could. After moving it in the house I glued back on the fronts of the legs that had broken off over the years of being moved {hence the blue tape}. I love the finished product....I just don't know where it will end up and what will be put in the mirror spaces. Here's the after & before...(no matter how I tried the picture order always ended the same)....

Have a doozie of a day 8)

Refinished Table for Craft Room

New obsession: Refinishing/repurposing furniture. I tend to go overboard when I find a new interest and with the addition of Pinterest that only enables my obsessions. Lately I have been scouring anitque marts, Craigslist and other community online classifieds for old furniture in need of restoration or repurposing. So far I have acquired a chair, buffet, small armoire, secretary desk and draw leaf table. Finished: chair and table. The table pictured was in need of restoration and with a little of Annie Sloan chalk paint, stain and sealer it is now finished. The chair was repainted and recovered using my own version of chalk paint {plaster of paris & latex paint}. Trust me...the Annie Sloan chalk paint is soooooo much nicer...a little pricier but in the end turns out a nice product. So here it is.....my new craft table & chair.

Have a doozie of a day :)