Oh, sometimes I just can't help myself ... or ....

How to Lift Your Spirits in One Step.....

Just put sunglasses on something.

I was setting up to take some photos and there on a shelf eyeballing me was my buzzard jar. I love my buzzard jar. But at that moment I wondered if I'd love it more if it had hip sunglasses like Bad Rabbit does.

I can't tell you how badly this cracks me up.

 I also can't tell you what it reminds me of. heehee

A new mascot in training? Hmmmm. Maybe that would be 

tempting fate.

But still! It makes me laugh. And we know laughter is the best medicine, right? Right?

Okay, back to work.

Linking to:
my uncommon slice of suburbia

Great Outdoors Desk

This is the second of two desks I delivered to the cutest antique store up in Shady Cove, Oregon.
You can read about the other desk and some big news in my earlier post here.

Introducing the outdoor-themed desk available at Shady Kate's

Remember the 'before'?

I hand-painted the graphic. It was fun getting out the old artist paints again!

On this handsome lad I used Annie Sloan's Old White, Country Grey, French Linen and Primer Red. Plus the clear and dark waxes.

This and other pieces of Annie Sloan painted furniture are available at 

Shady Kate's

21584 Hwy 62, Shady Cove, Oregon

www.shadykates.com

BIG NEWS!

Shady Kate's is soon to be a stockist for Annie Sloan paints and products! I'll keep you posted. She should have her stock in a couple weeks!

Linking to: my 1929 charmer, diy show off
funky junk interiors
under the table and dreaming
whats-in-gunny-sack-link-party-39
my uncommon slice of suburbia
home stories a to z
the shabby creek cottage
miss mustard seed
my repurposed life
french country cottage

The Ladies Desk

I just delivered two desks to a client up in Shady Cove. She has the cutest antique store, Shady Kate's, and it's full of everything I want. Really, I could take the whole place home. Especially the silver coffee pot in the kitchen. To be safe, let's just consider that piece mine. Hands off, people! 

Well, okay, if you must. But give it a good home!

The lovely Kate asked me to paint two desks, a feminine ladies desk and a more masculine secretary desk.

 The ladies desk we decided would be, well, lady-like, with antique postal graphics on the front. 

The secretary desk would reflect the local area. Shady Cove offers a wide variety of outdoor activities and we chose to go with fishing.

Ladies first: There was veneer to repair - you can see it bulging in the before photo. And there was a sticky substance covering the entire desk that had to be removed. I later learned it was nicotine! As usual, the mahogany gave me a run for my money.

It took 3 coats of primer and 2 coats of shellac sealer to beat back the pink bleed-through. I considered painting all future mahogany pieces pink to just end the madness, but that was just a weak moment.

Repaired and un-pinked, here is our little lady!

 

French postmarks and parts of letters on parchment.

I used Annie Sloan Old White and French Linen paint, along with both clear and dark wax.

This and other pieces of Annie Sloan painted furniture are available at:

Shady Kate's

21584 Hwy 62, Shady Cove, Oregon

www.shadykates.com

BIG NEWS!

Shady Kate's is soon to be a stockist for Annie Sloan paints and products! I'll keep you posted. She should have her stock in a couple weeks!

Linking to: nifty thrifty things,  my 1929 charmer, 
 diy show off,
funky junk interiors
under the table and dreaming
the gunny sack
home stories a to z
the shabby creek cottage
miss mustard seed
my repurposed life
french country cottage

The Ugly Duckling Cabinet

There was a furniture sale at one of the local thrift shops last fall and I bought this trashed little vanity side cabinet. Even with the 25% off it was, to my mind, overpriced for its condition. But I'd just sold a vanity side cabinet and kinda missed it.

This poor little thing, with its missing veneer and miss-matched pulls, got loaded into my car and I had buyers' remorse immediately. In my rush, I hadn't noticed it was missing some pieces in the back before I bought it. When it had been removed from the rest of the vanity, long, long ago, no finesse was used. The connecting pieces were ripped off completely, leaving gaping holes to the interior. yikes. 

It sat in the garage all these months until I finally felt up to the challenge. I was working on a large piece for a customer and needed a small item to work on while waiting for paint to dry. So into my workroom it came.

I didn't try to fill the gouges, I just replaced the missing pieces in the back. This little guy was going to show its age.

 I liked the idea of miss-matched pulls but replaced the middle one.

It reminds me of a carnival prop left behind and forgotten, now rough from age and neglect . Now it needs a new home!

Linking to:
mod vintage life
between naps on the porch
the gunny sack
project queen
primp
domestically-speaking
primitive and proper
funky junk interiors
shabby nest
be different act normal
my 1929 charmer
diy show off
miss mustard seed

The Fairy Chair

Ahhhh, my fairy chair is finally finished for the second and a half time. I originally painted this chair in '09, and I didn't like it. I wasn't fond of the lavender trellis. Or much of anything, really. I was trying to paint something for someone other that ME. 

To make it into something I liked, I decided to paint a fairy sitting in flowers on it. Well, my projects, if they start bad, just get worse. It's like the bad ideas snowball. I chose for my fairy model a woman out of a J. Jill catalog. I ended up with a dark, dangerous looking fairy on a child's chair. 

The Bros. Grimm was NOT what I was going for.

No, I'm not going to show a better view.

The chair sat around for-e-ver. I finally removed the fairy and drew a new, softer fairy on the chair. Then the desire to actually paint it again never came. So it sat. And sat. Until ......

OH! I like this better!

I've been doing so many (failed) experimental transfers of late that it opened my mind to decoupage.

And so, what better time than the present?

 Come here little fairy chair ......

I finally have a finished fairy chair and it's going to etsy later today. And maybe to my booth. It will be so cute in someone's nursery!

This is the cutest little fairy!

And the lesson I learned is to paint for ME. If I love it, it will show in the work.

Linking to:
crafty scrappy happy
my repurposed life
mod vintage life
between naps on the porch
the gunny sack
project queen

If I Only Had A .......

Brain.

Yesterday I wasted what the lawyers call "unbillable time" looking for the shelf to the desk I was painting. I have yet to find the bolt that holds my sewing machine to the cabinet. I know it's someplace safe and logical. There's a Blue Tooth somewhere. Don't know where, but it's there.

The other day I took some trim to my neighbor to cut for me. I ran back into the house because I forgot the measurements. I ran back into the house because I forgot my phone. Which had been in my hand when I went back for the measurements. Another amount of unbillable time later I gave up on the phone and went to get my trim pieces cut.

Later my neighbor gave me 5 minutes to get home then called me so I could follow the ringing to my phone. Oh, THERE it is. sheesh. One of the drawbacks of not having a land-line is not being able to summon your cell phone.

Have you seen these maps?

I was inspired to create my own version for all of us who are dealing with the side effects of chemo.

As if having cancer wasn't pain-in-the-neck enough.

Just sayin'.

Thinking about a White Room

The sun came out while I was organizing stuff to take to the antique mall today and I was inspired to take some pictures. I took advantage of the non-rain to stage a white display to see if I had enough stuff. HAhahahahaha. Enough stuff. What a riot.

This is about a third of the white stuff.

Acid mirror! 

I love making these and I've learned some tricks along the way to get different looks. The acid mirrors are super fast sellers for me. I have a HUGE mirror, about 3 1/2' x 5', and I have big, intimidating plans for it. Stay tuned!

Last week I heard about a decor store called Real Deals. Am I the last person to know of this chain? It was impressive but really, really trendy. However, I found this bird cage to go in the cast iron hanger I've had a while. Not a perfect fit but I made it work.

Can someone tell me why these stores are only open Thursday and Saturday? Does that seem strange to anyone else?

Yummy tarnished teapot. 

I read the poem recently and had to make a sign.

Could it be? Is it really? The Bad Rabbit?

Pictures all taken, I loaded my car and headed for town. I left Bad Rabbit at home. He's not for sale.

Linking to:

my uncommon slice of suburbia
primitive and proper
diy by design
somewhat simple
my repurposed life
my 1929 charmer
miss mustard seed

The Union Jack and RABBITS ..... NOW we're talkin'!

This morning I was rubbing a transfer that was going horribly wrong and my eyes wandered over to some ribbon..... Well, I thought, this transfer is making me cross, so how 'bout ditching it and having some fun?

I've been meaning to make Union Jack pillows for over a year. I have 3 fronts sewn but I haven't gotten around to attaching the backs. I have pillow forms waiting in the wings .... I'll get to it. Eventually. As soon as I put my sewing machine back into its freshly painted cabinet.

But today I grabbed my ribbon and a blank tote that's been hanging around and tried out a No-Sew approach.

FUN! I made a girly tote. Next, a typography tote and the third will be .... hmmm. Guess we'll wait and see.

 

 

Bunnies and French script ribbon! Awesome.

And, on to etsy it will go!

Linking to:
my uncommon slice of suburbia
primitive and proper
diy by design
somewhat simple