Graphics Galore

I so love vintage graphics and ephemera.  The Graphics Fairy is one of my favorite places to visit.  If you sign up for their emails you get new graphics every day. The one I used for the metal box below however is not from them this one is from Pinterest if you visit me there you can snag if for yourself.  The other projects do use clip art from The Graphics Fairy so you can get those as well. 

 I found this metal box with a glass lid in my stash of wonderful treasures.  I had it for a long time and was waiting for just the right picture to place under that special glass.  I love the look on the little girl's face. She is precious.  The picture isn't very good I am still learning to use my camera, the glass is beveled and it really doesn't have any imperfections as the photos may present. 

This box is a copper colored metal with green velvet lining.  Once again I rummaged through my favorite saved graphics and made a collage of these to make up the top design all from The Graphics Fairy.

 This is a free vase I got at a tag sale last year.  It has sat under my work bench for over a year now.  It was free okay I didn't need it but it was free for heaven's sake I couldn't walk away..........no just couldn't.

 After much thought about "waste not want" not I came up with this design. I spray painted it first with a gray primer and then painted it with the blue.  The gray paint does show through in places so it does look worn.

 I found this wonderful bird picture on The Graphics Fairy and printed it out 2 weeks ago to use on a dresser I was working on. Well the bird didn't seem to work out for the dresser so it was just sitting there next to the painted vase...hmmmmm.....I wondered could it be, would it work?  Aha it did work I plastered that little birdie on with some home made Modge Podge (recipe also found on Pinterest on one of my boards) and there you have it, my free vase has finally become an object of my affections.

This week just seemed to be the week to work on small projects. I had this reproduction fishing creel for some time and decided this was the week to get it painted too. As you can see I choose a white paint and filled it with silk red roses.  I thought it needed just a little something to make it extra special so I found a tag shaped wood piece and decoupaged an old post card graphic (once again from TGF) on it.  I don't really want to sell this but duty calls or should I say my bills....anyways I love it . Old post cards art is so cool, maybe next week I do something more with them. 

Sign of the Times

I must hear this saying 10 times a day! I had so many requests to make this sign over and over again. So if you are going to sell at any fairs this year be sure and make a few-any style will do.  This particular one is painted on a door panel.  Door panels make great signs! Garage sales are super places to pick them up. People update their kitchens all the time by simply changing the doors on their cabinets and sell the old ones for as little as .50 a piece.  I have quite a collection of doors,  I buy them and stand them in a corner where I can see them (you never know when inspiration will hit! and they work for some many things.  Well it is what it is and I guess that means I must get back to work if I am ever to get done. Have a wonderful day and hug someone you love!

Gift Box Remake

Every year at Christmas time people give gifts that come in wooden boxes.  Sometimes they are filled with fancy teas or coffees.  I found a discarded wooden gift box for 2.99 at GW one day with a drawer and everything! I painted it off white and grunged it up with some dark brown glaze. 

I added some graphics that I found on The Graphics Fairy.  I used Citra Solv to transfer them onto the drawer.  I think the blue knob sets off the whole piece nicely.   Christmas is 9 months away and I can't wait that long for more boxes so I guess in the mean while I will watch at garage sales for some more cast aways that held holiday treasure!

Painted Goods

Here is a sign I made from some scraps in my work room.  I love the subway art look.  I nailed some wooden strips on the back to hold them together and put some d-ring hangers on the back too.

 I bought this shabby little make-do stool from a tag sale several years ago that needed the legs reattached. Whoever made it drove 4 nails into each hole to hold it instead of using one large screw. You use what you have -my motto too,  so I was not surprised.  The legs had gotten a little shaky over the years so it needed to be secured and repainted.  I set my surround sound speaker on this and now I don't have to worry that it is going to topple over.  I sacrifice for style personally -but my family well I must make some concessions now and then so they don't think I am totally crazy, a little crazy is good, too crazy and well they might not let me out of the house and I do love to treasure hunt!

This cute little handmade milking stool was painted brown and needed some TLC. I love the color now, it is one that I mixed up in my shop and use frequently as you know if you read my posts.  Vintage handmade things are so cool because whatever was laying around in the work shop became something useful. Going green wasn't an option years ago it was a way of life.

I saw a tote on Pinterest painted with a drawer pull like this one. I pinned it and vowed to make one like it and here it is. I paid 3.99 for this piece unfinished. Someone handmade it probably in shop class. I love shop class projects they are made with such care and so solid after all they are being graded on the outcome. I sure am glad people don't grade my work, hopefully I would pass the test!

 I already posted my blue lazy Susan that is by the way upside down in the this picture (told you I am just a wee bit crazy-harmless though).  The tote you have seen too but I liked the grouping with the two new signs I made.  I already sold one of the "Imagine" signs, the gal snapped it up as soon as I set in down. Love that reaction!

Here is one last shot of the tote. I love the back round it reminds me of something out of Country Living. It was my first week to work outside and I guess I got  carried away in the moment, thank you for stopping by for a visit. Come back again I have some new things to post and stories to share!

A Good Day

Today was a good day! Here are some of the projects I got finished and will make their way to the Peddler's Market on Friday.

I found these antlers at a thrift store and just knew they would be a great wall hanging!

Add a door and some paint and they remind me of some I have seen on the web.

                           A little paint and a stencil and this lazy Susan is all set to handle all your organizing.

I don't have a before picture of this one. It was painted a dark red with moss stuck on the front.  Now painted Antique White with Black it has a new versatility to fit any decor.

These old enamel pans were so gross. They were rusty and dirty so I gave them a bath and scrubbed out the nasty.  I primed and painted them too.

I found some graphics from The Graphics Fairy and printed them out on paper.  I applied them with a little Citra Solve and then varnished them. 

I drilled a hole on each side and added a twisted rusty wire handle.  Now they are sweet little totes ready to hold treasures and good.

These two corbels I painted and crackled were sold as soon as I put them in my booth.  They will make wonderful shelves for their new owner.  Over all it was a good day!

Dream

Another project from the $5.00 room and I almost had to say it got the best of me.  The front of this table was missing the two drawers and the top was heavy marble that was very worn and dirty.  The marble top made this little table so heavy it almost toppled over every time I moved it.  The thing that made me know I couldn't give on this table was the sticker on the side. Even though I would eventually peel off yet it prodded me on and told me that this table still could be rescued. I rarely give up on a cast away project and it seem unthinkable that this table would be the first.

The Million Dollar Man sticker for some reason gave me the courage to keep going and before you know it I had a plan.  I removed the back panel and took off the heavy marble top and put the back piece back on.  Propped against my work table was an old door I tried to use on another project that didn't work. it was a perfect fit for my table dilemma. I attached it to the top and then started to think about the missing drawers.  Ispied a metal tray sitting in a box on the floor that was just the right size to take the place of one of the drawers.   I searched through my collection of miscellaneous boxes and found one that was close enough to work for the second drawer.  All I had to do was nail a drawer stop in the back it would work.  Next I primed and painted the whole thing and stenciled a message on the top. 

I know that if you keep on dreaming and believing you can get even the hardest job done.  Dream and Believe are such beautiful words!

Painting Pleasures

I must say it has been a few weeks since I have posted anything. I have been so busy at my day job that I couldn't get my projects finished and that makes for a anxious Cat.  Thank goodness I had a great day painting and enjoying the sun.  Here in Michigan it was 80 degrees today and I got to take my painting outside which is my favorite!  I love how the fresh air dries the paint and how good the breeze feels on my back as I am working. 

I started this project a week ago but just couldn't get it completed.  It was a cabinet from the $5.00 room at the Peddler's Market. 

This is just a nice old kitchen cabinet that the finish was totally gone, just perfect for painting.  I undercoated the cabinet with bonding primer and then decided to paint it multi-colored.

I had seen a design similar to the one I painted on Pinterest.  I love birds and sheet music just seemed to be right.  I found a drawer knob in my stash and it was actually painted black and had a metal Fleur-de-lis on it too, how happy that made me!

I sure felt good to finish this cabinet today.  I had several other pieces that I got done today as well and will be posting them asap! Blessings, its good to visit with you all again!

Time to Sit

I was given four chairs and a table several years ago that were originally intended for a patio.  You can see the table has a hole in the center for an umbrella.  I thought the set was cute and could be really nice  for a three seasons porch.  Even though I don't have one I am sure one of my customers will have the perfect place for this set.   I glued  the legs to the table and put several screws in them so it didn't fold up any more.  I wanted as much stability as I could get for this table because it is light weight and this made it a nice sturdy piece.  After I primed the table I had to think of a way to cover the hole in the middle so it would be more credible as an inside table.  I remembered a clock table I did several months ago and thought it would be perfect I wouldn't have to cover the hole it would now be a part of the design! 

I spray painted the chairs four different colors because I didn't have enough of any one color (invention is the Mother of neccessity!).  I love variety and thought that the colors not only complimented each other but where a wonderful match to the table. 

The 3 blue chairs are all different shade of blue, the lighting doesn't do them justice.  The fourth chair is Brilliant Silver that played into the Paris theme perfectly!