Liberty Bench

 

I went to garage sale one beautiful Friday afternoon and found this bench. 

 

 

 

 

I decided to paint it with a patriotic theme and set out to trace out the Pledge of Allegiance to transfer to the top of the seat.

 

 

 

 

The finished product came out nicely.  It took me a while to paint on the Pledge but I am glad that I did. 

 

 

Ladder Mania

I was coming home from town one day and lo and behold in the ditch I saw an old wooden ladder laying all alone and unloved.  I stopped the car (safely) and turned around to check it out. It was an extension ladder that had seen better days and probably fell of the trash truck that goes down my road.  No worries I will save you old unwanted ladder!

 

I just had bought my weekly groceries and had to shuffle them around in my car so I would have room for my find.  I am a treasure hunter so this was no problem-I got this.  I had to hold my head a bit to the left but oh well it was  a free ladder!!!!

The look on my face says it all give a woman a free ladder and she will get it in her car even if the back hatch is open a little and her groceries might fall all over the road....luckily it was only a 1/2 mile from my house.

 

I decided to use the ladder in a project rather than just paint it and hang quilts on it, I already have one of those so this called for some planning.  I really love to paint benches and they are so hard to find in my 2.99 price range so I set out to make one for myself.  I cut the ladder up and used part of it for the top and part for the two sides.  I ran a board down the center of one of the rungs and then mounted an old table top part for the seat of the bench.

This is the first of two projects from project ladder rehab!

The next week because this bench sold right away I decided to get my power tools and thinking cap back out and make another bench from my precious free ladder.  This time I decided to use up three bed parts I have been tripping on for a couple of years now and work some magic.

 

This is how it turned out and looked after I painted it with primer.

 

I really don't know how I did this I just kept adding parts until this wonderful up cycled bench came into being. 

Here is the under side so you can see the ladder hidden underneath all the other pieces parts.

Painting it with a primitive design was next on my agenda so I sat down and thought it out, I knew I wanted to do a simple prim landscape and a flag so I let my bushes fly and here is how it turned out.

 

When she was finished I loaded it up to take to the shop to sell, the last one did so well I was so excited to see how this bench would do.  I got out of the car and went into the store and the

owner of the store told me I had until the end of the month to vacate the premises. He decide that he only wanted to do antique actions in his building and all vendors had to leave immediately not considering the amount of work to move inventory and booths.  I have been in this shop for over six years and the owners are my friends, I was devastated.  I know all things work out for good but it doesn't mean that everyone else will do good towards you. Being that the shop is only open on Friday and Saturday and one of those days is on Mother's Day weekend I have some scrambling to do.  I put the bench on Craigslist because it is so big, it is 62" long and I really don't want to store it! I think it will sell but I am so going to miss the shop I have been a part of for so long.  I know they have to close I just wish they had given me more of a notice in a nicer way and not been so uncaring.  Oh well this is a chance for my faith to kick in and keep me centered.  God has an adventure all lined up for me and after I get over this brief sad spell I am going to sit back and watch the doors that He swings open for me.  So my free ladder has made me realize that nothing ever stays the same.  The ladder was once an old unwanted cast off that got turned into 2 pretty new benches for someone to love.  I feel like a cast off today but just think how God is going to turn my sadness into some pretty amazing experience down the road that I would have missed out on if my life didn't  changed! Ready- set- go- here I come new adventure!

 

Trust Bench

This has been a super busy week. I had training for all new computer programs at the Township where I work. Yesterday my head was swimming and I was ever so grateful to be able to treasure hunt today.  I hit one really great sale and got some really cool things that I will post later on.  Today I am posting the other half of the bench from last week

This is what I started out with a very long bench that was all tattered and torn.  I decided to remove the end cap from the half that I worked on this week so the I could keep the piece uniform.  I then had to cut the bench down just a bit more to make it the size I wanted.  I had purchased 2 tables so I could use one with each half so I was pretty well set on how I was going to assemble my bench.

This is the bench from last week just so you can see how different they turned out.

 This bench began from some very humble beginnings, my favorite kind of project.  I attached the bench top to the table with some carriage bolts and then painted the whole piece in a gray blue.  After that dried I added the flag to the upper portion of the bench.

Next I added the word phrase using a stencil that I had.

I really like this saying and really do believe that hard work and trust in God is the key to a happy life.

I took the bench into the shop today and put it in my booth. I won't be at all disappointed if it doesn't sell, I will just bring it back and put it on my porch!!!!!!!!!! Fingers crossed, I give it 2 weeks and it is mine! LOL

Church Bench Make-over

I went the shop to deliver some things to my booth one fine Saturday and the owner of the shop told me that he wanted to get rid of this old church bench he had sitting out in front of his shop.  It hadn't sold in 2 years and the finish was shot and he was just sick of it.  He said Catherine, you might as well take it home and give it a make-over. I know I heard my husband groan but I told him that it was just fate that he was with me and that he had the truck.  He still wasn't convinced so I laid on the how I do all the laundry, cooking, cleaning,and work 2 jobs and I had him. I don't like to resort to those tactics but it was necessary, this was a free church bench for goodness sake!

The bench was in pretty rough shape and the veneer was peeling, one of the end pieces was missing, and the legs where broken too.  So I begged my dear sweet loving husband to cut the bench in half and then I would take over from there. He offered to make some end pieces for it but I didn't want to press my luck I might need him in the future and his truck and I felt I could take if from here.

I went to the thrift store one day and found 2 well built tables that I thought would be great to bolt my half bench to.  They were 4.99 less 10% (Senior discount...oh yeah, if I am old at least I can save some money so I can become an old lady hoarder).  Once again I was with my husband who still thought I was out of my mind I am sure, he hasn't committed me yet so I guess he figures there is still hope for me!

After some paint, glue, screws and a few miscellaneous parts I now have a little bench that is so solid I can hardly lift it.  I have the other half a bench to finish and I probably will give that one a different look.

Graceful Garden Tables

 What do you get when you take two old cupboard doors, two shutter door, two sets of table legs, and two sewing drawers?  Two prim garden tables of course!!!!   I just love to take stuff that is sitting around my store room and create decorative pieces.   I also took rusty barn stars and attached them to the front for just a little more pizzaz.  Check out the table on the left, the vine cage I bought on clearance for 2.00 and put it on a metal stand I found for cheap, too cool. I am working on a real cool chair for next week and I can't wait to post it to see what you think!

Prim Little Saltbox Bench

I decided it was time to do something with a primitive design.  I used to paint all my stuff primitive and really like the way they fit into a patriotic theme.  This little bench was primed and painted with a black base coat.  Next I painted the legs and edge in barn red.  The design I painted free hand because prim doesn't have to be perfect.   If you would like to see more of my primitive work I have a gallery on Pinterest.  I will be adding to it as time goes on.