Times Table

This piece started out as 1. a cheap round table top with no legs and 2. a old rusty kerosene heater that was really in bad shape.  I attached to top to the heater and made a side table.  I painted the top and hand painted the design as well.  I love the rusty industrial chic mixed with the shabby Paris theme. It took me over a year to get the inspiration for this little table, I tried and tried and then one day there it was in my head plain as day. That's how things work for me.  I get to an impasse and have to walk away for a bit most of the time it isn't a whole year!

Little Cupboard Rescue

It has been a while since my last post. My Mother had knee replacement surgery and I was her go-to girl! I stayed with her during her recovery and we had some fun chatting and knitting, some real quality girl time. She has recovered so very well due to the wonderful people that held her up in prayer, a real miracle!

Today I am posting a piece I actually got done before I left to care for my mother.  I just didn't have the time to post it and Mom doesn't have Internet at her house. I realized how much of a princess I really am, I had to do with out the Net, Dish, and air conditioning, but I made it! yeah!

Back to the project, I found this medium sized shelf at the thrift store and brought it home to my hoarder's studio. It had some challenges:

1. Dark stain
2. Top came unglued (I can relate to that one!)
3. No front door to shut!
4. Sides on the front curved making it hard to attach a door.

I found an old picture frame that fit perfectly for the door and then cut a door paned out of some thin plywood for the door center.  I cut down some boards for side pieces so I had something to attach my door to and attached that to the cupboard with some old rusty hinges from my stash. When I re purpose I never throw away old hardware that I take off form my finds, it always comes in handy on another project later on

Next I got busy priming the piece with my reliable friend-Bonding Primer that I have grown to love so well.  Then I painted on a coat of white and trimmed the door and base with my own special mixed Paris gray.  I next painted the designs and stained the entire piece. 

It took me some time to find all the right stuff to make this piece happen but overall it was well worth it.  When I got the painting all finished I realized I needed a magnetic door closure and didn't have one. So naturally I snagged one from one of my own cupboards to make due until I made a trip to town!  It never fails that I lack some small item that I need to finish and with gas so high I have to become even more inventive at times.  Some people play vid games to help keep their minds sharp.  At age 55 I prefer hunting treasure and creating something new and interesting while saving one more thing from become a cast away!

Pretty Little Sewing Box

I got this sewing box for free at the Market.  I painted it blue and then attached some pretty papers to it.  I found a vintage gold frame and printed out a picture of an old pattern to put in it.  I attached it to the box with some nails. 

Paris Projects

I started out with just a plain old black night stand.I

                                        I gave it a coat of white paint and glazed it with a dark brown. 

I found these designs on The Graphics Fairy and traced them onto the top. I hand painted them in about twenty minutes, it really doesn't take long to do at all.

This is just a little hand made box I had and painted.

Angel Mirror

I found this old mirror at a sale several years ago and decided it was time to get it out and doll it up.  I painted it off white and let it set that way for several months.  I was at an impasse and just really ignored it.  I was short a project this week because it wasn't coming together fast enough so that I could get it to the shop by Friday so I decided to fill in my inventory with the mirror.   I stenciled the vine on the sides with the word "Blessings" on the bottom.   Next I sanded the edges and top coated it.  I glued the angel on to the top and declared the piece finished! Took it to the shop today and hope someone likes it enough to make it their own.

My Projects from Last Week

This week I painted up a storm as usual.  I painted this little rocker off white and stenciled the saying on to its back.

Next I painted this handmade little book rack and mounted a rusty vintage wire basket on the top to hold flowers or magazines, a catch-all for just about anything.  I loved the rack, I bought it at a flea market last month because it had so much character.  I love it on top of the book rack.

DIY Signs

 I made some signs out of some things I had sitting around my work area.  I was almost at the point of getting rid of both items, then I had a vision.

I sure wish I did a "before" picture of these two signs.  They started out so totally opposite of signs. I found this picture on the Net to show you what I started out with.

                                                 As you can see below this is the finished sign.


      Keep calm and carry on, my favorite advise, I always think of this saying when I get into a pickle.

This is a little bird I found at Jo Ann Fabrics for 1.99 and painted it blue to fit the color scheme.

 This sign was actually a TV tray set.  The sign board is the top of the TV tray and the bottom was the display stand that held the 4 trays.  It was not usable as it was so it became a sign too.

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They both look awesome in my booth at the Peddler's Market.  I don't know if someone will actually buy them but they add a touch of eye candy to my display.

D-R-E-A-M

I had this wonderful old window frame with raggedy screen and decided this would be the week to doll it up.  I made the dream banner out of a grocery bag, some stencils, and paint.  Then I hot glued them to a piece of twine.  Lucky me the 2 knob were already there, probably used for taking the screen out of the window at the end of the season.  For you young ones there was a day when the window screens were taken out at the end of summer and re-installed in the spring. Can you imagine?  They had to be painted every so often and then stored.  This little cutie has seen a lot of use and I am furthering her life by making her into art. I attached the vintage wire basket with some metal strap and screws and put screw eyes in each side to hold wire so I could hang the old pictures from it.  I love this piece and don't want to sell it but I do this for income so good bye little wonderful window you will be in my dreams for ever! LOL too much? naw

ABC Table

It is so good to be back to work. I took some time off because my youngest son graduated this year from High School and of course then comes the open house. It went well and we had a lot of fun seeing family and friends.  Jeffrey as I said is my youngest at the trail end of a total of seven children (6 boys and 1 girl-miracles happen).  It was a major event to see him cross the finish line and graduate, not only for him but for me too. Happy Day all around.

It has been so hot I have had a really hard time working. Temperatures have hit 100 several times and today it is well over 90. Thank the Good Lord Monday I was able to get back to business. I started with a wonderful little children's table and chair set that I had squirreled away in my store room.  I don't have a "before" picture on my work for this week I was so excited to actually handle a paint brush I didn't even give it a thought until I was almost done painting, sorry but at least I am sharing the idea for the design! Yeah!

I knew that I wanted them to be painted blue but that was all I had in mind. It wasn't until the next day that I thought they would look nice with birds, letters, and numbers.  I am pleased with the outcome and think they look so much better this way than the plain old stain that they use to have.

Reclaimed Mannequin

I went to the flea market on Memorial Day and found this great mannequin form for 2.00.  It was cracked in several places but I love mannequins and just had to have it. I knew immediately what I was going to do with it. My mind never stops when I am at a flea market the problem is the rest of me can't keep up ( that is why it took a month to get to this project).  I patched up the cracks with some plaster wrap and went on to the next step.

I took an old door panel I had and primed it and then painted it dove grey.

Next I covered the entire mannequin in plaster wrap.

This is the stuff that every kid in school makes a mask out of in art class. It is the best stuff ever. I know I could have made my own plaster wrap but with this piece I wanted the wrapping to give it more stability and stick to the plastic mannequin.  Sometime you have to go the distance and pay the man.  I just ordered some more on line from Jo Ann fabrics. They sent me an email for 50% off one item and free shipping...cha-ching! I got the 5 pound box! Can't wait to make the wings I have planned!

I put a board up the back so I would have something I could screw to the door panel

Here is the finished piece. I really like it. After the plaster wrap dried I covered the mannequin in vintage magazine pages. I used some brown paper for the sash and the gold wings are some I just had on hand from another find. I made the roses out of an old quilt and other fabrics.  The star is an old ornament reflector and I used black tulle to make a skirt.  I put some trim around the waist with pre-made roses. (Can you see the purse to the right of the mannequin? I am working on that and will post it later on).

Paris Stool

This is a cool little trunk that I mounted on a study little stool.  I decoupaged some graphics to the top and one the inside where there used to be a mirror. I don't have good luck with glass stuff so I opted to go with graphics instead of replacing the mirror.

End of the Month Projects

Saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it would be fun to make. I found a spoon holder painted it white. Then I sanded the edges to make it look worn and pasted a post card on the top.  The post card came from my clip are file. I happen to have some old hankies to finish it off.

This is just a little crock I picked up and then modge podged a pretty label to.

On the left you can se this great looking wooden owl I bought for a buck. It was very dated looking with the pinecones and funny looking base. I painted the owl a metalic silver and then with a wash of black.  I mounted him onto an old bunson burner I picked up at a flea maket. I figured he would be really cool at Halloween he is so ready to keep watch over a fall brew!

This sign is a door panel and a carved fish that I had. I added some netting to set it off. I think it would be super in a man cave!

Subway Art Table Restore

This is a table I got free from a really nice guy. He gave me several things to remake. It was missing the glass top so I pieced the top together using some boards I had in my stock pile.



Subway Art Table Finished.


I painted the main part a dove gray and then just started using the colors I had that I mixed to fill in the top.  I used mainly stencils that I already had and just had a real good time filling in the blanks on this piece.