Worth The Wait

The Graphic Fairy is the best resource for vintage images, if you are on their mailing list you get daily emails with new graphics. I have used several and they always look fabulous. I painted this wooden watering can and it sat around the house just waiting for the perfect design to grace its front. Then it came one day in an email and I couldn't wait to print it out and Modge it on. I had this little Geranium plant just sitting in my stash and thought what a perfect match!

Shabby Chic Prims

I finished some projects this week and thought I'd post them so you can see them, I hope you enjoy seeing them. I love to share and hope you love to look. I know I love to see the things other people make I am always amazed and inspired.  The first project I worked on was a candle holder I found at a sale.  It had a stained finish so I thought I would paint it and use a design I found on The Graphic Fairy to give it a new look. 

http://www.graphicsfairy-diy.com/search/label/French%20Chic

In the backround you can also see a tray I painted shabby white too, it already had the cool Paris them going on all I had to do was update the paint job.
I found this cloche-her is some infor on the word "cloche" I never know how to say it! The definition really doesn't cover the idea of cloche like mine but it is what they call them.

[KLOHSH] French for a bell-shaped woman's hat, cloche refers culinarily to an unglazed stoneware, bell-shaped cover used in baking bread. This baking cloche is soaked in water, then placed over the bread dough prior to baking. When heated, the water-soaked clay produces steam, which coats the dough and gives the finished bread a crackling good crust. Cloches, which are about 10 inches tall, are available in gourmet shops. An unglazed earthenware casserole dish can be substituted.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/cloche#ixzz1VVR1SbQ4 at the G.W. Boutique for 3.00 and grabbed it up.  It was originally for cheese but I had other plans for it.  I found a nice chunky spindle piece and base and glued them all together with my favorite Gorilla Glue.  Then I did the shabby thing-black undercoat, white, and then a dark glaze.  I think it will be great with a vignette setting inside. 

Two Dollar Shelf-Million Dollar Make over

Well maybe I exaggerate, yeah I do but I take artistic license...I keep telling my husband that I don't think I have yet to convince him. Back to the shelf it really was only 2.00 I love the 2.00 range first the stool now the shelf.  It was in need of a make-over, the brown finish was worn and I knew that with a coat or two of paint it would be good as new!  I undercoated it with primer then flat black my favorite thing to do, then painted it with a white flat paint.  After all that dried I gave the shelf a coat of black-brown glaze and then a top coat of poly coat. I took it to the shop today I wonder if it will sell I hope so I have plans to make more stuff and will need the room! LOL!

Mon peu défraîchi français tabouret

I went to the shop to deliver some goods and there sitting out in the sun all by itself was this stool and the selling price was only 2.00, even I can afford that! Wow what a deal.  So I took it home and glued it back together and set to work on a design.  I decided to undercoat it in a flat black so I could take more time to deliberate and come up with a plan.  After the paint dried I knew that I wanted to paint it a shabby white and use a post mark design, I really like the Parisian influence on art world!  I had seen a project online (wish I could remember another thing I need to work on along with the before and after pictures!) and came up with a design that fit perfectly on the top of the stool.  I used a brush to sponge on the 2 circles and then stenciled the words and date.  After everything was dried I painted on a black-brown glaze and then sealed the stool with a poly-coat.  I love how it came out and sure hope to do more with the post mark design so keep watch I promise not to disappoint!

Vintage Shutters

I love shutters especially the old and worn ones that graced the front of old farm houses.  I had great fortune to receive some last summer from a friend.  She said the were going on the burn pile and thought that she would give me a chance to salvage them.  When I used to sell at our local flea market everyone knew me as the "salvage artist" or the "queen of junque" so they would bring me all their unwanteds and I would take them home and wait for inspiration and make whatever into something new and interesting. So here are they are all painted and grunged.  I thought one white and one aqua would be fun.  The look great just leaning up against a wall, they have such character.  I always prefer to decorate with vintage, how about you? I would love to hear what your favorite look is!

Lucky Dice

I bought a set of country painted blocks at a garage sale this summer and decided they would be very cool painted up to look like dice. I wish I had taken a before picture and certainly will on my next projects so you can see the transformation it really gave the blocks a new life. The country motif was very out dated and I just thought the dice theme was a hit out of the park.  I have another set I bought last year so if these sell I can make another set. Business has slowed down becaue of garage sale season and I am taking advantage of it and getting my booth stocked to the max.  I just have to be working on something I can't seem to stop! Keep watch for more of my handmade pieces I know I will have tons more to show you and even though I didn't do "before and after" pictures this week I promise I will next week.

A Good Week

I had a wonderful week and got so many projects finished and ready to take to the shop.  I even made a doll and I haven't done that in quite a while.  I had this vintage baby dress  and knew it would be so sweet on a doll. I make my own patterns so I made the body to fit the dress.  I had some wings I bought a long time ago and decided that she would look nice with them especially after I grunged them up.  I gave her some antennas too because she is part doll part butterfly....well now you know how my mind works I see things and I admit sometimes they are bizarre but I still like them.  I buy stuff because I see what they can become.