OLD HOUSES

On a recent buying trip.......when I should have been searching for goodies to fill the shop..........guess what I was doing instead. Do you love old houses like I do?? One of my favorite things to do is drive through the historic district of any town and drool over the old homes. They have sooo much more character than any of today's houses.

What fun it'd be to decorate one of these great old homes with antiques.  Sighhhhh..........

and yet ANOTHER CHALK PAINT PROJECT

 Hey Ya'll.  This is the 'other' project I told you about....the one that I worked on at the same time I was doin' this one.  I did strip the top on this piece, since I could tell from one tiny edge that peeked through that it was OAK.  I still love the look of the gorgeous wood grain in oak.  So, after a couple coats of stripper and the scraping and wiping that comes after, that wonderful wood grain was revealed.  

Then, I gave the body of the piece two coats of my homemade chalk paint, and after it had thoroughly dried, sanded the entire body......especially sanding the edges and other places where there'd be natural wear.

See that GRAIN !!!  I just couldn't bring myself to paint over it.

The little brass circle in the corner has an '18' on it.  I have no idea what it is or was, but left it since I didn't want a hole left there.  We'll call it a conversation piece.  Maybe it's a bullet head???

I seldom paint the hardware the same color as the piece, butttt, these looked like it would take dynamite to get them OFF.  Annnnd, since I'm usually the one takin things off and putting them on.....I decided they'd look GREAT painted.  Yeah, that's my story.  But, they really do.  Don't cha think??

Click below for the AFTER..........

CHALK PAINT PROJECT - AFTER

Finally.  Here's the AFTER.  If you didn't catch the BEFORE, click HERE to see how this neat old primitive piece looked before I took the paint brush to it.

 

 I just painted with my favorite turquoise homemade CHALK paint mixture.  Directions for making your own chalk paint are found HERE.  After a couple coats of the mixture had thoroughly dried, I gave it a really good distressing.

Then, antiqued with Minwax Dark Walnut.  Just brush it on, then wipe it back off, leaving the stain in the cracks and crevices.  I'm starting to love it.  

On the top, I just gave it a really good sanding.  It is scratched, gouged, sanded cross grain..........well, you get the point.  It looks it's age.  But, I like that.  We'll just call it PRIMITIVE.  After sanding it, I used the same Minwax Dark Walnut stain to bring back the richness of the wood.

I found this handle..........which I'm really not totally pleased with, but it'll do until I can find another that might better suit the piece.

But, that's 'all she wrote', as the saying goes here in the South.  I love the way it turned out. 

What cha think???

And, as you know, I always have to multi task, so I'll post pics of the washstand that I also did while working on this piece.  I like it eeeeven more.  I am starting to want a room filled with TURQUOISE furniture !!!!

I'm joining these parties:
http://prettyshabbyuk.blogspot.co.uk/
http://blackberryvine.blogspot.com/
http://classyclutter.blogspot.com/
http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/2012/06/transformation-thursday-no-157.html
http://www.michellestastycreations.blogspot.com/
http://lovingthiscrazylife-melissa.blogspot.com/2012/06/its-piece-o-cake-linky-party-12.html
http://debbie-debbiedoos.com/2012/06/been-awhile-since-i-have-mod-podged.html
http://classyclutter.blogspot.com/2012/06/spotlight-saturday-19.html
http://madeinaday.com/2012/07/12/made-u-look-linky-32/
http://onecreativemommy.com/one-creative-weekend-linky-party-2/#comment-208

CHALK PAINT PROJECT - BEFORE

Here's what I'll be working on this weekend.  IF it turns out good, I'll post pics the first of the week.  Sophie managed to get in the picture.  I'm amazed that that tail isn't pink and turquoise.

Yes, that's my homemade chalk paint mixture.  Add, you guessed it.......TURQUOISE will be my color of choice.  For some reason, I just can't stop painting things turquoise.

A screw driver to remove the hardware, one of my favorite brushes, and I'm ready to paint.  (Notice Sophie again checkin out the price tag.  Too bad she can't paint.)

That's because using chalk paint, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY PREP WORK!!!

Is ANYONE else out there as messy as I am with paint???  Look, I've already gotten paint on the top, and I don't think I wanna paint the TOP!!!

Okay folks, I'll see ya back here next week with pics of the finished piece.

8-)

For several good homemade chalk paint recipes, CLICK my post, CHALK PAINT RECIPES AND TUTORIAL.

SWEET PICKINS

I just had to share these sweet, sweet pieces that came into the shop recently.  Sometimes it's just sooo, so hard to sell things........but that's only because I WANNA KEEP THEM.  

 First, meet Bunny Lou and Mary Lou.  Aren't they GREAT.  I have no idea how old they are, but I'm guessing maybe the late 50's or early 60's. 

They still have several outfits that come with them and the box is still there too.....a little worn, well, alot, but still there.

Aren't those faces precious???

And, here's a darlin' doll suitcase..........

stuffed to overflowing with doll clothes.........

and accessories.

LOOK at these precious gloves with a tiny felt girl attached!!!

 And, last, but definitely not least......A DOLL TRUNK!!!

 This has GOT to be at least a hundred years old.  Notice the swan pic in the top of the lid.

 And, the little lift top compartment............LOVE IT!!!

I sometimes wonder how anyone can let family treasures like these escape the family.  Don't you wish we could hear their stories??  I'll bet there was a very fine china doll whose clothes were lovingly place in this tiny trunk by some special little lady.

I know I've used the word 'precious' too many times, but I don't know any other way to describe these pieces.  

So, tell me.  What cha think?

Aren't they just PRECIOUS???

I'm partying with these girls:

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

BROKEN CHINA MOSAIC TABLE

I'm the world's worst to drop and break, especially here in the shop where things are tight and have to be moved around often.  Soooo, I had to learn how to save those broken pieces and make them into something pretty.  Like most of you, I'd seen the broken china mosaic decorated pieces.  Well, here's my attempt at that art.  I really love how this little side table turned out.

SEEE, there's a broken platter AND a broken dish..........always lots to work with here in the shop.  8-(

Add some old buttons, a few shells, there's a handmade rose or two, and some flat side marbles.........all thrown together to make one sweet arrangement.

After working out the arrangement that you wanna use, each piece is individually glued down, using Weld Bond glue.  I even used the stamp from the BOTTOM of a dish.  Cute, huh?

This little section on the front of the drawer just yelled to be decorated too.  So, it gets a ring of broken china, one hand made rose and a couple tiny china roses.

After every piece has found it's new home and the glue has dried, use any good tile grout, mix according to directions and grout the piece.  

Below are links with more detailed directions:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5898576_make-mosaic-tile-broken-china.html

http://www.mosaic-tile-guide.com/tesserae/broken-china.html

http://suite101.com/article/how-to-do-broken-china-mosaic-a157465

http://www.creativity-portal.com/howto/a/joy-stgermain/broken-china-mosaic-table.html

AND MY FAVORITE this one by Enchanted Rose Studios.......

http://mosaictipsandtricks.blogspot.com/2009/08/broken-china-mosaic-pique-assiette.html

I even used those tiniest pieces on this little teapot.  

For directions to make the chalkboard, please click HERE

.

For painting directions, you can check out most any of my posts.  My style is usually the same.  Please take a few minutes to look around.  THANKS for visiting and please, please come back soon.  Let me know what cha think about my lil side table.


I'm linkin up at these parties:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2BImjerdcBiQmoWBH8FF1vp4X0TmDVzRWXKsX2PtaKqSkgTNVZvuGSX9mSl2-z4xROhm4ut-9aqRDclGXK0guuJBRKDQrrj2EknrSeM1uNvqw59tUZYLKCGb9offwLMhkM86GpyKGbG6/s1600-h/shabbilicious%252520friday%25255B5%25255D.jpg

    

http://blackberryvine.blogspot.com/

http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/2012/06/transformation-thursday-no-156.html

http://prettyshabbyuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/waste-not-want-not-wednesday-2.html

http://madeinaday.com/2012/06/14/made-u-look-linky-29/

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/

http://www.igottatrythat.com/p/blog-hop-linky-colde.html

MAKE YOUR OWN CHALKBOARDS

I'm sure most all of you know how to make a chalkboard.  But, maybe there'll be at least one person to read this that hasn't already made one of these.  I thought these two, using ANTIQUE frames turned out really well, SO, HERE GOES.

This old frame looks nice just as it is, but I thought I'd bring it into the present with a little paint.

I started with a gray base coat just to give it some depth.  Mixed my own using white plus black.  You learned that in kindergarten, didn't cha???

 Then, brushed just one coat over the entire frame.

After that dried, I brushed on a coat of Gesso.  See how you can see the gray through?  

Annnnnd, after that coat dried, I decided I wanted it to be eeeeven a little more white.  So, I brushed on another coat of Gesso, but this time, I thinned it some with water.  I didn't want a SOLID look.

Not yet?  No, I think just one more coat of thinned Gesso. Then, she gets just a light sanding, here and there.........just hitting the high spots.

I had my favorite handyman cut some 16" x 20" Masonite boards to fit the frames and then I just rolled on some Chalkboard paint.  This one is made by Folkart.  It's acrylic and cleans up with water.  A couple coats will do. 

Here's a couple more frames that I painted while that dried...........one is a pretty pink, the other, white.

After everything is dry, just pop them into the back using tiny nails or a diamond point gun (if you happen to have one).

Now, go to the next page to see how they turned out.

SOOO SHABBY SWEET

I introduced you folks to my Mr. Fixit HERE.  Even if ya think it CAN'T be fixed (southern for repaired), take it to this man.

This poor little drop front secretary was in the fire that burned my house down a few years back.  I dragged it outta the house and into an old dirt floor garage where it sat stored for the next four years.  Then a few months ago, I decided to pull it outta the garage and take it to Mr. Fixit.  There was a hole burned into the front drop-down door already.  But, when I opened the door to the old garage, this thing fell forward and hit the ground.  Soooo, now the drop front door is torn from the secretary and has the bottom right corner broken OFF. 

So, off to Mr. Fixit's we go, the secretary's broken door and I.   He tells me, 'no problem'.   He has a decorative piece that he'll put over the burned hole, and he'll repair the break.  A few days later, he calls and off I go to pick up the door.

All excited to work on this poor creature, I start to sand her and find........yes, the foot had rotted away where it had sat in the damp dirt floor garage for toooo long.  So, back she goes to Mr. Fixit, this time the ENTIRE secretary.....door and all.  Again he makes a miracle and creates for her a prosthetic foot.

Finally............back home, I scrub her up a little and decide white chalk paint is what she needs.  Read this post for several recipes to make your own chalk paint.  My favorite is the Plaster of Paris recipe.

Here are BEFORE pictures.........AFTER MR. Fixit made his magic, but BEFORE I made mine.