What I do to pass the time!

 

 This is a wood piece I salvaged from a piece of furniture trim.  I mounted a clip that was used to hold band music.  I love vintage photographs so it was a no-brainer what I would use this for.  I painted it shabby grey and stained it as usual. 

 I had this chair back for several years and one day thought hmmmmmm......I need to do something with this cool old piece.  I went to the stash pile and found an old drawer from a sewing machine cabinet and mounted it onto the chair back.  It needed some gluing and nailing but in the end proved to be the perfect match for the chair back.

I liked this piece so much I kept it and hung it in my bathroom.  I found the old red and white runner that I hung from one of the back slats.  

Bought this metal dress form at TJ Max for .75  Painted it grey and transferred the Paris design using the Modge Podge method.  Then I glued a round wood piece to a wood candle stick and teamed them to make this vignette. Add a candle and floral candle ring and this piece is complete. 

 

I always buy potato bins when I see them.  I have several in my house that I use for storing dog food and potatoes.  This one I painted grey and stenciled the design on it. It sold pretty quickly so I guess other people like the bins as much as I do.

 

 

 

 

I got one of these clothing racks that you see at garage sales all the time. I think I paid about 2.00 for mine.  I took the top hanger off and the middle piece that was for holding cuff links and tie tacks.  Then I mounted an old cupboard door on it and made this free standing chalkboard out of it. It was a very simple project and sold right away.  They were going to use it for their business writing messages to promote sales.

 

 

Reconstructed Furniture and Accent Pieces

This piece started out with the top portion that I bought at an estate sale.  It was made by a man I know when he was a lad in shop class. I just liked the design and knew it was meant for greatness.  I used some spindles for the legs and added a bottom shelf. It still needed more so I added the vintage wire basket to serve as a catch all for all the things that need stashing.

 

This piece started out with a shutter and then I found the bottom table and attached the two.  I added the door I found in my door collection that fit perfect without any adjustment.  I also added the design piece on the top that was from a broken vintage picture frame. 

 Here are some stools I found at a storage unit sale.  They are originally from Ikea and the fifty dollar price tag was still on them. They were really beat up and needed some love. I thought I would just clean them up and re-stain them but it just didn't work out so I painted them up instead.

 

 

 

I wanted to post some of the smaller accent pieces I have made.  I usually try to make several things to go with each piece of furniture that I make. I just makes a nice display and who doesn't like a little eye candy now and then?

 

Here is a wooden box I simply painted blue and stenciled on a design. It went from ugly stain to shabby loveliness in just minutes.

 This angel was gold and even though she was cute she needed a shabby make over so I spray painted her white and painted her with a brown glaze to make her look old.

I bought several of these plinth blocks at the flea market last summer...oh how I can't wait to go to a flea market again...don't get me started!  But anyway I got them and decided they would make nice picture holders.  I have three more I am still working on, this one is already sold! yeah!

 

 I found this pretty lady head and just had to have her. I wasn't in love with the way she was painted but I loved her expression. I gave her a coat of white spray paint and use a brown glaze on her to soften her appearance and there you have it! She is a beautiful shabby lady.

 

 This wonderful bowl was painted an awful blue and had some chips I had to repair.  I dare say you can't find the repair job it came out so good I was very happy with the outcome. I painted this bowl with primer by hand and then a coat of white with brown glaze. I wanted a more uneven finish so it would look worn with love.

 I bought this bird because I liked the shape, it was a very terrible brown color but I saw the potential for it to be wonderful. I primed it and then painted it black. When that dried I painted it sparingly with white. So when you see something you love don't let it get away because you don't like the color you can paint almost anything you set your mind to and give it new life.  I saw a magazine the other day at the grocery store that claimed that same thing, "How to Paint Anything!" Believe it it's true!

Garden Door Table

Two Tables Are Better Than One!

 

 

 

Some things that I acquire sit in my basement for years.  This is a picture of a table that looks just like the one I had for 7 years and did nothing with.  I forgot to snap a picture of the one I had, it didn't look quite this good but I got it for free.  The people we sold our house to on land contract left it behind when they moved out. They were a rough bunch and had let the kids walk and jump on the table and it needless to say fell all apart.  I always try to make something good to come out of bad circumstances, we got the house back and a broken table. Woo Hoo.

 

Because I had only so much room in my booth at the shop I decided two tables would be better than one.  Since I had to repair and paint it I knew I could

 

 

 

I like half tables they make nice focal points in a hallway or breezeway.

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!

Old Barn Box

I quite often have the opportunity to pick up primitives very cheap at the market where I have my booth.  They have auctions every Friday night and I go Saturday morning and have the exclusive privilege of buying the left-overs.  I found this old barn box out in their yard one bright Saturday morning and knew that it needed a lot of work but I just couldn't resist it.  I paid my 5.00 and loaded in the car. (Only after I swept the chicken nest out of the bottom). 

 This is the bottom.....see the holes I had my work cut out for me!

 I ended up replacing the board on top because it was so bad but I used re-claimed lumber to do it.

 I mended the major holes with sheet metal and screws.  I worked on that for at least an hour. Most people would have given up and built a new box, not me I just kept going........

 I had this table that I used to make the legs.  I turned it over and unscrewed the top portion and then bolted the box on to the table for the legs.

 Here is the finished product.  I forgot to take a picture of it at home so sorry about the tag hanging from the front of it, it sold already, yeah old barn box you will be loved for years to come!

 I screwed the license plates to the top because I always wanted to make something using them.

I painted the sides, front, and back in this design.  I don't know what the new owner is going to do with this old box but I hope they give it as much love as I have!

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.