French Country

I have been working very hard lately, and loving every minute of it.  I found a wonderful dresser with wooden handles that probably was out of the sixties.  I decided to paint it blue and white and paint a French Country design on the top. I love the shabby way it looks and it is such a solid piece that it will make someone a great dresser or catch all.

 

 

I went to one of my favorite thrift stores and found this fifties night stand.  It didn't have a price on it so I had to ask..."Is it for sale?"  The clerk laughed and said everyone asks, we just use it to store Cd's in it.  She related how tired she was of saying NOT FOR SALE and that I was the lucky one that she would sell it to.  Persistence pays off sometimes I happily packed it in my car and took it home to my workshop. I decided to paint it grey and paint the drawer with a lace design.

 

 

This is the first time I did a really distressed top. It really was an accident the first attempt I rushed the painting and smeared the added design so I started to sand it off to start again and then it hit me.  The design was basically in tact so I went with the white primer coat peaking through the grey and just re-painted the design over again. I was very pleased and probably could never do it again if I tried! All in all it was worth the wait to buy the stand and then to stick with it until I got the results I was satisfied with. 

Chalk it up!

I went to pick up a trunk one day and the former owner gave me a stash of boards.  They were the kind that are used for shelving in many of the Sauder type TV stands.  They weren't good for much.....or were they?  I thought aha! I could make them into chalkboards.  So I cut them into shapes and painted them with black chalk paint. Not bad, free boards that probably would have been trashed if I hadn't taken them and re-purposed them!

 

 

This is an old sled that I made into a chalkboard advent sled.  I used a picture frame to make the chalkboards.  Rusty old bells adorn the wire handle.

 

Nostalgia Chair

Just a simple child's chair.

 

Painted with a sweet design.

French Country Assessory Accents

This is a magazine tote that I found in the dumpster.  It was covered in magazine pictures that were falling off.  It was in desperate need of some love.  I stripped off the paper and painted the tote blue then hand painted the bird.  I like the new look it has much more appeal than before.

 

This is an old birdhouse that I rescued from the trash. It had a rubber roof which I replaced with a wooden one. I repainted it white and stained it to look old.

This is a very simple corner shelf that I bought. It was a light wood color before I decided to make it a two toned French Country piece.

This is an old window my husband brought home to me. I bought some printed burlap from Hobby Lobby for 5.99 a yard and made it into a memo board.  I took some regular push pins and glues some black crystals to the top of them to bling them up.

This is a sweet little stool that I bought and painted.  I love the French Country look!

 

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!

 

Numbered Book Shelf

This is just a little book shelf I found and decided to paint.  I painted it first with bonding primer and stood back to observe my work.  I decided to keep it simple with this piece.

 Here's what I came up with for design just a simple display of numbers on the top that's it, plain and simple!

 I sanded the numbers just a little to make it look worn, other than that I think it will look adorable filled with books, magazines, or what ever!

High Chair Remake

I got this high chair a long time ago, I don't think it was very old and but I liked it. It was missing the tray but I thought I could resell it "as is" and someone would be interested in it for display. A nice doll or teddy bear I was thinking but I guess I was the only one that thought that.  The chair sat there for 2 years no nibbles so I decided that I would take it home and give it a make-over.

I decided to go all out and went through my stash of goods to see what I could partner up with this great little chair and give it a chance to be a part of modern decor but keep a trace of the vintage charm.

I attached a found mirror and some shutters to the top and an old door top to the chair handles.  Next I attached some boards so I could give it drawers.  It is a very one of a kind piece and it sold right away.  It makes a nice display piece and doesn't take up much room. 

 I added a tin tile I had to the back as a drawer stop and accent.  I painted the whole thing white and sanded it up so it looked worn.  Who can figure, I put a pile of stuff out in the middle of the room and just start hooking it all together and then sell it. What fun. I am thankful that there are people that see things as I do and expand there minds to decorate with the unusual.

Vintage Catch All

I went to an estate sale and found these rounded sewing drawers. I immediately knew what I would do with them if I could buy them.  The sellers had some things that weren't for sale and of course those where the things I wanted so I took a deep breath and asked the seller if they were up for grabs.  Gladly she told me I could have all three for 5.00.  Joy!  I had an old door panel that I want to mount them to and then I had this wood cut out Etc. that I was to attach to the top.  I got to the point where the word etc. was to be attached and it broke in two pieces ......rats!  So I left the project over night and figured I would come up with something.  Light bulb!  I got it !  I had some coasters that were wood and cork and thought ....paint them so they sort of look like type writer keys and paint the letters on them!!!!!!!Yeah thank you God for my imagination!

I painted the piece white and glazed it with brown to get the worn and antiqued look. I can just picture it full of mail and miscellaneous stuff.

                                     

Night Stand Re-do

This is a cute three drawer night stand I picked up for around 4.00.  It was painted black and ready to have a new identity.  I took it home and let the wheels turn.  I decided to paint it a vintage white and stain over that to make it appear shabby.

I hand painted the designs on using some graphics I found on "The Graphics Fairy".  This picture you can see the price tag hanging from the second drawer, sorry about that. I am always so anxious to get things in the store I am afraid I foget to take some and then have to do it in the shop.  Oh well atleast you get the idea of the whole make over and I hope it gives you a little inspiration!

More Painted Goods

I found this table for 4.00 and couldn't resist.  I normally stay away from things with so many spindles that take so much time to make sure you have covered every little nook and cranny with paint and that it doesn't drip......ah but this little table looked so forlorn and I ended up bringing it home to love.

 I found this saying on Pinterest and thought it was the perfect match for a table that was unwanted and in terrible condition.  Just proves if you look hard enough you can find JOY in everything!

 This little piece was probably made in a High School shop class.  It was stained and uninteresting when I bought it but it had so much potential and was made so very well I just had to have it.

  
This piece it my weirdest yet. I bought the little corner cupboard for 2.00 and the heart table for 2.00 and coupled them for a sort of strange yet maybe interesting piece.   I love the angels on the front if nothing else. Even I do things I can't explain!