Dining Room Suite Makeover (Otherwise known as the Bane of my Existence)!

A lovely client asked me last fall if I would be able to do a makeover on a dining room suite she'd acquired.  She has two booths in the Sentimental Journey Antique Market out in Nanton and it would be heading there when completed.  Not having ever taken on such a big project before,  I was intrigued at the challenge.   Well, that was last fall; these several months later, I'm still plugging away at it.  Thank goodness for patient clients!!!  I new it would be a big job, but I had no idea the enormity; and let me just add.......NEVER AGAIN!!!  Well of course, unless it's for me!

It feels at times like I will never have it finished, but I'm at least getting close.  I finally got the china cabinet back together last night.   This was no easy project let me tell you.  Since only the two centre doors open, I had to very carefully remove the back of the hutch in order to paint the interior.  I have learned that nothing ever goes back together as easily as it comes apart.  So I had several sleepless nights worrying about getting it back together.  The back went on just fine, but the doors were another story.  I absolutely love how this turned out.  I teasingly told my client that she may not get it back. 

I love how the new blue crystal knobs look with the white and grey. 

Just for fun, I painted the interior of buffet in blue as well.   It's actually a brighter colour than the picture lets on.

 

 

And here is the before, I remembered photos part way into starting; so I'd already removed the back and the doors, my hubby was priming the buffet top and the immoveable windows had been taped.  That dark patch behind the hutch is not the hutch....but the ugly wood paneling in my workroom.  Anyway, I think you'll get the idea.

Isn't this an amazing difference? 

Story still to come, the table and chairs!!

I linked up with


'be inspired Tuesdays'

Caio for now.

Frenchified Plaster Plaque

This is a great plaque!  It's heavy plaster and has beautiful relief detailing on it.  As I often do, I forgot to take a before shot in my zest to work on it.  But honestly, it wasn't awful when I found it,  it was just that the waterslide transfer in the centre panel was peeling and much of it had already flaked off.  So it just needed my love.

Here is what I did:

First I cleaned off what was left of the waterslide.  Then I painted the centre panel in assorted layers of blue shades to give it an aged look.  Sooooo easy when you're working on plaster.  I found the vintage perfume graphic on pinterest, sized it to fit using my graphics software and since I was going to use the wax paper method to transfer it, I printed it onto a prepped wax paper sheet on my crappy little ink jet printer.  If you're not familiar with the wax paper method for transferring, you can click here for links to several transfer method tutorials including the wax paper method.   It is becoming one of my favorite methods.  I will say though, that while I do get great results, great care is needed not to smudge the image, both before and after it's transferred.  My patience has been tested many a time using this method!  In fact, I smeared my first attempt with this one and had to clean it off and start over.  The steam was coming out of my ears and at that very moment my Mama called and distracted me so I could cool down.  Thank you Mama!! Once the image was on the plaque I sprayed it quickly with several clear coats and let it dry before I smudged it again.  I have a hard time waiting sometimes and that's when I screw things up.  Can you relate?  Anyway, I had to tone down the gold as it was a little strong so I used a bright gold and then went over it with a metallic espresso to soften it even more.  I also touched a little espresso onto the centre panel to age it a little more.

Pretty eh?

AND if you'd like to grab the graphic, here it is.  I found it on pinterest and it was an 'uploaded by user' graphic so I really don't know it's origins.  But thank you user, hope you don't mind me sharing. 

Ciao!!

Demi-lune Table Frenchy Update

I love these type of tables,  so even tho this one was an ugly beast when I found it,  I knew it could be so much prettier.

If you haven't guessed (and I hope you have), this is of course, the after picture.  

The base was painted Behr's Porpoise grey, then dry brushed with a pretty french blue, and given some  touches of gold leaf paint.  The top is Behr's Polar Bear white.  A vintage french perfume label, compliments of a pinterest user, was decoupaged on to the top.  Isn't she a beaut?
Incidentally the door behind her is mid process in a makeover of it's own.  Watch for that story to come!

here is the before picture

 I had already started priming the bottom and pulled the drawer out when I realized I'd forgotten to take the picture.  The base was black with gold leaf paint.  Very dated and oh so ugly!!!

As is often the case, I will have a hard time parting with this when the time comes.  But she is destined for a summer sales event I think.

Of course as I like to do, here is the vintage perfume graphic if you are interested.  Thank you pinterest user for uploading it.

Linky parties I've posted to:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at

Feathered Nest Friday at

Shabbilicious Friday at

What we Accomplished Wednesday at

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed





Caio!

A recycled Angel for Lora-lea

I have a lovely and kind hearted friend that lives with her husband on a nearby farm.  Over the few years I've known them, I have periodically gleaned pieces of old wood from the burn pile or metal scrap from the metal scrap heap,  even a few busted up old spindle chairs have found their way from the farm to my house.  I wonder sometimes if they might think me just a little crazy.  So this year, to prove my perfect sanity to them both, I determined to use some scraps from the farm to make my friend a Christmas gift.  And so,  her Angel was born.  This is not by any means an original idea, these folk art style of Angels have been around for a while.  But I'm proud to say that except for her base, which is a fence cap from the hardware store and her head from Michaels, all of her remaining Angel bits were recycled.  Even more importantly I used whatever I could from the farm.   That lovely weathered spindle that makes her body came from one of those broken down chairs and her halo is of course a rusty old piece of barbed wire that her husband (rather confused at the time) kindly cut and brought to me at work

I think she's pretty sweet and hopefully so does Lora-lea. 

   

Thanks for stopping by.  Caio.

Where on Earth did you get that???

Preparations are off to a running start for the May 1st opening of my new booth in the Airdrie Antique Market, otherwise known as Where on Earth.....did you get that?  The pictures posted here are just a TINY sampling of the pretties you'll find in my booth.  Most items are OAC (one of a kind) and as always, I try to restore, up-cycle and/or recycle whatever I can get my little hands on.  Keep an eye on new posts as I'll be showing off many of the pieces I'm working on as they are completed and ready for the opening.

You can find more information on the Airdrie Antique Market here.

Hope to see you there!

Caio!!

The Girls

Earlier this year, I acquired a vintage mannequin or dress form and then a short time afterwards, was given 3 bodices from modern mannequins.  The vintage dress form is quite old had a wooden stand and the body was a  hollow paper mache form and covered in something that was meant to look military-ish, but was just rather ugly instead. The modern ones were just plain white like those in most retail stores these days. 

Like I often do, I hung on to them for a while until I got 'the vision'.  Then I went to to work. The vintage dress form had been a bit weak and was in two pieces, bosom and abdomen   So  I gave her 3 new coats of paper mache to not only strengthen her rib cage but also to make it one piece again.  The paper mache was a lot of work, but I found it therapeutic some how.  She was then given a shabby chic makeover with bits of lace, a large floral decal and a burlap flower at the neck.   I also transferred the word vintage on her decolletage.  Now that she is rebuilt, she'll last for many more years and she is really beautiful, must more so in person.  A great way to display for vintage jewellery or lingerie.

The 3 modern mannequins were going to be a little bit more of a challenge.  But after giving it some thought, I figured that if I could paper mache the old one, I could paper mache the new ones as well.  Each one was given 2 to 3 coats and then embellished.  I named them and then transferred their names onto their decolletage as well.  They have such a beautiful vintage inspired style about them.  I love the way they turned out.

So.....Meet the girls.....they are from the closest, Rose, Spice and Girly Girl.  Rose (my personal favorite) was sold at the 2012 Vintage Chicks event to a lovely young lady that is opening her second jewellery boutique. 

Any my vintage girl....isn't she lovely?

One thing I learned in this process is that fabric decoupages onto curved items  much much better than paper.  It also stands up better in a damp or humid environment.

Thanks for stopping by.

Vintage suitcase

So once again I've forgotten to take a before picture.  This vintage suitcase was really in need of some love.  It was black vinyl but much of the vinyl was coming loose and it had been used to haul around books, so it's sides were coming unglued in several places.  After doing quite a bit of repair work, I taped off all the buckles and the handle and then painted it with Annie Sloans pure white chalk paint.  Afterwards I distressed it a little to give it an aged appearance.

Now the fun part; I went to the graphics fairy. website and selected several images of lovely ladies.  I printed them onto waterside transfers and using the manufacturers instructions, randomly applied them to the case, sort of travel sticker style.  I also used the word Beauties taken from a music sheet and a few other small graphics all also found at the graphics fairy.  Several clear coats and voila'!

So pretty......what do you think?

This will be heading to my booth at the 2012 Vintage Chicks Sale held June 8th and 9th.  If you're local to Calgary make sure to come by.