Vintage with Flair flea Market 2014

If you live locally (as in Southern Alberta), the annual Vintage with Flair market held in June out at Priddis is a must see event. It's really so well organized (we love you Pam), it's fun and it's well attended.   It's a ton of work for vendors, but it's always so much fun and I'm happy to say I'll be involved again this year.

Here are some photos from my booth last year.

Want more details and photos of other vendors?  

Check out www.vintagewithflair.blogspot.ca or www.facebook.com/VintageWithFlair

Hope to see you there.

Hugs!

A year of makeovers (OR - My life summed up in a photo collage?)

OH! MY! GOSH!  I was just noticing that it has been well over a year since I last posted something for ya'll. WOW.........I've really failed you; my loyal followers of 'thirty something' strong.  You know! I know that you do!  That  life  can just get way too hectic and when it does some things just have to fall away.  But, with 2015 comes a new purpose and a new dedication to keeping my blog current and providing tutorials, or at least better ones.  So, if you did follow at one time, I hope you're still there.  If you're new, well, welcome to my blog.  Either way........I thank you, thank you, thank you for stopping in and actually giving me a reason to write.

I'm going start this new dedication off with a bevy of makeovers that is part of what kept me so busy.  No tutorials for now, just pics and few comments to get caught up.  If you love something you see and just HAVE to know more, please feel absolutely free to send me your questions via the comments.

So, all that being said........enjoy the visuals dearies:

First up is a war era china cabinet and buffet.  This piece and the companion buffet were both farm rescues.  They'd been relegated to the barn, well even worse actually, to the quonset.  They were in really sad shape, but they both restored so beautifully.











During one of my picking trips, I found this 1960's toolbox (shown open). I thought it was kind of cool because it was actually a carpenters apprenticeship test (he passed).  I put it in my booth as found, but after months it still hadn't sold.  I finally pulled it and gave it my signature restyling.  It sold within a few days of being returned to the market.  The before picture is terrible, but it was basically unfinished plywood.   Incidentally, I do a lot of transfers, but for the graphic surprise on the inside, I just used a stamp and then handpainted 'joie' (joy) in the centre.










I found two of these great vintage trays; wood bases with wicker sides while on a trip a few hours from home last fall.  I can't resist vintage trays, well among other things. But they're such quick and easy makeovers and are always useful.  I mean can you really have too many trays?   I restyled this one with a medium grey paint that once dry, was vigorously brushed with the humble scrub brush.  Is it just me or does this look like a pottery barn hack? What do you think

Vintage lamps are another one of my obsessions.  Admittedly,  I have waaay to many obsessions; well when it comes to the home anyway. Unfortunately, cooking is not one of them.  I have a sign on my stove that says 'many people have eaten my cooking & gone on to lead perfectly normal lives'. That says it all, don't you think? Okay, back to the lamp; they were a pair, but I've only gotten the one done.  I used spray paint, super easy & my favourite fair weather shortcut. I love how it turned out & the skeleton shade is just so fun and funky. Of course skeleton shades make a pretty light bulb a must.  Now if only I could find another skeleton shade for it's mate.





You've probably seen these signs all over pinterest.  I know I have and I love them so much I had to make a bunch.  I neglected to keep any for myself tho. DOH!  So now I'll just have to make another batch so I can keep one, or several!  But I think I'll do the next bunch dual sided. Maybe BLOOM, GROW or WELCOME could be opposite the Christmas side. I used old fence boards I had in my shop to make these.  To do the lettering I printed out a letter per page in an appropriate size for the finished sign.  Taped them all together and transferred them onto the already painted boards by using transfer paper. Then I just filled in the traced outline with acrylic paints and clear coated them (3 coats) for outdoor use.   Easy peasy!

For the life of me I can't remember where I found this pie safe style cupboard.  But I do remember that it was one of those unfinished pine pieces you can buy and then refinish at home.  So it had been stained with the usual boring stain colour.  I know there are lot of people that really love wood furniture and think it's absolute sacrilege to paint it.  But I'm afraid I am NOT one of them.  Unless it's a really special piece,  very old, and with beautiful wood tones, I just see brown.  I don't like brown!  Sooo...I paint over brown!

I wasn't really happy with how this cupboard turned out at ALL!  You might think I'm a little crazy, but sometimes a project has a mind of it's own and it makes me do things!  Bad things!!!  I would never distress anything that extensively, NEVER!  Really officer, I swear, the pie safe made me do it!!   ;-)

I'm happy to say that someone appreciated it more than I did and it actually sold rather quickly.

And finally, I leave you with a drawer repurposing. One of about a dozen or so that I completed this past year.  This one was rescued from the same farm as the buffet and china cabinet.  Long separated from it's dresser, I saved it from a life of slave labour as storage for mouse poops.   Ugggh!  Saving junk is really not for the faint of heart!   But all clean and gussied up, it's now a pretty organizer. 

Well, I bid you adieu till next time.  Coming up soon, a vintage headboard that's been given a gorgeous french inspired restyling.  Stay tuned!

Hugs!

The upcycling of a sap bucket

I was out exploring a trendy older business community with my 'aspiring photographer' hubby a while ago.  While he was happily snapping urban landscapes, I wandered into a great shop that up-cycles and re-purposes old broken down furniture and what-nots.  Since I do that also, but on a smaller scale, it's fun to see what other recyclers are doing.  Most everything in the store was well above my price range, especially being, shall we say, a value conscious DIY Diva;  but I did find this great old sap bucket from Quebec for under seven dollars.  The Hubby wandered in just in time to hear the sales person tell me it was from Quebec, and I saw his eyes light up!  Montreal, Quebec is where he grew up and he's pretty sentimental about that.

I can just picture it full of soft pink peony buds.  Of course, I couldn't just leave the bucket as it was, that would not be in my nature.  So I started by adding some burlap and lace.

That wasn't quite enough, so I added more lace, some gold french ribbon and a few jewellery findings.

Hmmm....not sure I like this! How about with some flowers?

I don't have enough pink roses kicking around so I tried it with blue hydrangeas.  That is SOOOOO not working for me!!!!  So....back I go to the old drawing board.  I pulled of the gold french ribbon and findings and added a cream fabric rose.

Gaaahhh......it just makes me crazy when what's in my head doesn't play out in reality!!  You know what I mean, I know you do!!  This still isn't doing it for me.....so off comes the burlap and all.  In my frustration I tried out a vintage graphic from the Graphics Fairy and that just wasn't it either.

So.....the once again naked bucket was put aside for about 3 months until I finally took it up again tonight!!

A little burlap, two vintage crocheted doilies, a pinch of floral ribbon, a dash of bling and one pink cameo later and voila!!!

Now THIS I can live with!!  Well.....except it's actually not for me so I won't be living with it. Now that I'm finally happy with the end result,  this 'pretty' will be heading to my antique market booth opening in May!

So pretty with a bunch of lavender in it! 

This was going to head to my booth, but my darling Mama who wanted to be my very first customer fell in love with this bucket. 
SOLD - I love you Mama!!

Caio!!!

I'm partying at:

Third times the Charm - End table Makeover

I've had this end table kicking around my house for about six years now.  Unfortunately I don't have an original picture of it; but do you remember back in the late 90's when this sort of stuff was in style?

 

Yes, it was a pretty style, but it has had it's day!!   My end table was finished with something that looked like a crinkled brown leather and then had a rose painted in the centre of each door in the same style as the boxes above.  I bought it because it was a good price, on clearance as I recall, but never really liked it's finish, only it's lines

So it became the victim of this first badly failed makeover.  I lived with this for at least four years, until last week when I decided I could NOT stand it for another moment!!  Ugghhhh!!!

I had to scuff up the clear coat a little (I clear coat everything to protect it).   I first painted the bottom apron and legs white and then did my usual layering of blues and blue greens on the body.  I never really have a recipe, I just keep on layering until I'm happy.  You can't tell in the photo but because of that crinkled leather look, the paint actually layered in an interesting way.  After I gave it a light distressing, I transferred a vintage graphic from L'Hotel Victoire onto the centre of the two doors.  Since there is a raised edge that borders the doors, I new it wouldn't come out really well, but I love that it looks old and distressed.   

And here it is....third time's the charm! Very pretty, I took it to my booth at the local antique market where it SOLD.

If you'd like to get the graphic, follow me on pinterest and check out my 'crafting - free downloads' board where you'll find this one and many more.

You can find the story of the chair shown above, along with it's graphic image here.

Thanks for stopping by.  Caio!

I'm partying at: