French script end table

Nice, solid wood end table.

End tables with lower shelves are my FAVORITE!  This one’s in pretty good shape too.

Except for that big ole watermark . . . . um, make that a CRACKED watermark.  Can’t really see it in the pictures, but the wood is cracked clear through in the middle of the watermark.

I filled the crack with a bit of wood putty, sanded the top a LOT; tow coats of aqua paint; more sanding; pretty French Script words stenciled on the top and a little MORE sanding to fade and distress the wording.  Two good coats of matte varnish and DONE!

The legs and lower shelf were still in great shape. so I left them ‘as is’.  I think that ‘two tone’ type of furniture painting is still in style?!?  I still seem to see a lot of it at least.

These photos are more ‘true to actual color’ than the previous ones.  The other pics were taken outside in the shade and came out a bit dark.

Available for purchase in my booth at Stars; along with LOTS more furniture pieces.

One more time!

I painted this BIG vintage suitcase quite a while ago.

I was just learning to stencil, and, as you can see, I did NOT  do a very good stenciling job on this suitcase.

Between the bad stenciling job and the black paint so easily getting scratched up; I’m not surprised that it didn’t sell.

But it’s a really NICE old suitcase; big and with pristine ‘innards’.  ( It still has the original key to lock the suitcase!) I decided to hang onto it until I figured out something else to do with it.

After ‘over thinking’ about what to do with it for FAR too long; I decided to go with my ‘go to’ color.  Combined a couple of different stencils to decorate it with, and added a big decorative key, tied on with a tulle bow.

It’s available for purchase for $65.00, in my booth at Stars.

The foot stools and the jars

The smaller of the two footstools (the one that had the needlepoint top).  This was my first attempt at stenciling on fabric, and I am pleased to say it worked PERFECTLY!  This fabric is kind of a cross between a muslin and burlap.  Large, but tight weave with a good amount of ‘body’.  (This fabric is actually a scrap piece leftover from a maternity top I made over 33 years ago!)  I ironed the fabric and starched it a bit with some spray starch.  Stenciled the design on the fabric BEFORE attaching the fabric to the stool, just in case I made a ‘boo-boo’.  Once dry, I used a staple gun to attach the fabric.

The wood frames on both stools was exactly the same (just different sizes) so I decided to make them in coordinated fabrics.

Black velvet with little gold crosses seemed ‘Parisian’ enough to me!

I spray painted the legs on both of them with flat black and opted to NOT distress them.

The undersides of upholstered items like this are typically a bit ‘unsightly’.  Being one who seems compelled to always looks ‘under and inside’ everything, I try to make those parts ‘pleasing to the eye’ as well.  On this one I cut the fabric long enough to completely cover the underside.

Much better than seeing THIS, don’t you think?

The finished pair; priced separately.

I’m quite content with how they both turned out.

On to the two little jars.  First I spray painted the lids with flat black, then a quick clear satin spray to protect the paint since the lids will be handled a lot.

These are the smallest of this type of jar that I’ve ever found.  Not really much room to add a label of any kind, so I went ‘quick and simple’.  A piece of tea stained ribbon and a repro skeleton key.

I always keep a stash of tea stained muslin strips on hand.  Which reminds me that I need to make a new batch SOON, as they dry so much better in the hot sun.

You can see some of the other larger jars with the same kind of ‘lids with handles’ that are currently stocked in my booth at Stars.

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I’ll just tuck the newest smaller ones in amongst these.

I actually did this giant carved wood fork and spoon a while ago, and set them aside.   Now that I have some other black items to take in, I’ll take them also.  Items typically sell better when displayed with similarly themed items.

Pedestal table with cracked top

I actually found this piece at Stars!  It was cheap because the top was nearly split in half.  That’s easy enough to replace and I really liked the turning on the pedestal base.

Michael found the perfect size round piece in his scrap stash and attached it for me.

I painted the whole thing my ‘new favorite’ putty color white paint and distressed the base to bring out the pretty turnings.

Added a painted on stencil design to the top.  Quick and easy!

Now available for purchase in my booth at Stars.

Odd little thrifted shelf thingy

What IS this thing????  I seriously do not know.  But I love things with little drawers, and the price was right, so into my shopping cart it went.

If I HAD to guess what it was, and considering the size of the drawer; I’d guess that it was for storing cookbooks on the shelf part and recipe cards in the drawer.  Do people even use recipe cards anymore?  Or does everyone had a tablet or notebook in the kitchen to look it up on-line?!?

I liked the way the sides and back were detailed too.

I’ve been on a bit of a ‘white binge’ lately, so I painted it white.

I didn’t really care for the wood paneling used for the drawer bottom, so I covered it up with an old dictionary page.  (it’s still wet with the glue in the photo.  When it dried, it smoothed out.)

I t just needed a ‘little something’ decorative added, so I stenciled a French saying on the back. (Translation:  You are the love of my life.)

And off to my booth at Stars it went!

Sprucing up for Spring at Stars . . . AND a Big sale!

Out with the red and pink and hearts in my booth at Stars, and time to spruce the space up for Spring!

Front focal point display with whites, creams and metallics.  Just working with what I have on hand in my booth for now BECAUSE I really need ROOM for lots of new stuff!

And to MAKE that room I am having a 50% off sale!  EVERYTHING except already reduced ‘red tag’ sale items will be HALF OFF.  Discount will be given at check-out.  No specific ‘end date’ for this sale as of yet.  I’ll keep it going until I’ve sold enough stuff to make the room I need for the new inventory.  (and hopefully enough room to bring the BED back in!)

In the meantime, I’ll continue to ‘mix things up’ and style new vignettes to inspire you for Spring decorating, using what I have on hand.  Vintage Madonna statues and vases, pedestals and urns.

Adding a few more metallic items with those silver and gold boxes.

This is actually the BACK side of the front display.

But it SHOWS as you round the corner, so I may as well ‘market the space’!

I always really enjoy going with the lighter colors for Spring.

Vintage inspired felt hearts with lace and buttons.

Will be building on the Paris themed items when I bring in new product.

Not many of these reproduction shoe form wall hooks left.  Normally $9.00.  They’ll go fast at half price!

Small Paris carrying case and burlap pillows.

Glass apothecary jars and cloches.

Vintage ceramic frames; one an art deco style and the others a floral motif, are perfect for hanging ‘blank’ where you just need a ‘little something’.

A new display in the giant white lantern.

An urn works perfectly as a paper crown stand!

Lots of birds on pedestals and with crowns, of course!

Lots of the vintage grubby book bundles still available.

Not very many frames left at the moment.  (I need to find a new stash of them to paint!)

Fabulous shabby black plant stand!

Vintage cherub urns look pretty in this back-lit photo!

Some have plates added to turn them into dessert stands.

Lots of signs available, as always!

Had your eye on some new white Ironstone pieces??  NOW is the time to grab them!

I’ll keep this sale going until enough stuff has sold down for a MAJOR re-do of my booth.

STARS IS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK; 11AM – 6PM.

Companion piece to the Paris chic cupboard

WHILE I was working on the cupboard in yesterday’s post (which sold before I even got it into my booth today!) I used the same stencil to make a ‘companion’ table.

This is what it looked like before it’s most recent make over.  AND I have two more matching tables!  Hopefully the third time IS the charm on these tables because I am really close to being “over them”!  (ie SICk of repainting them!) 

Here’s the original make-over story.

Those went unsold for too long so I took them home and did the postmark stencil on all three.  Which I REALLY liked and was just SURE the shoppers would too!  Notsomuch!  So, here’s my ‘last ditch effort’ to make these little tables into something ‘sale-able’!

I absolutely LOVE this French hand writing!!!!  The place I bought the stencil from showed a dresser with the drawer fronts stenciled.  Gorgeous.  (Now I gotta find a dresser!!)

Michael thinks the ‘sticking point’ on why none of the previous versions of these tables has sold is the legs.  The rusty old crusty legs.  I LOVE the old legs.  The old legs are WHY I bought the stools in the first place.  I’d just hate to paint over all that natural rust and wear!

SO, we shall see if this make-over generates a sale?!?!?  I brought home the other two tables to also re-do.  Should I do them the same???  I wonder how the wording would look done with a bit of a diagonal slant on the table top??? 

For now, this one that is already done is at Curiosities; $32.00.

Upcycled black tray

Inexpensive and scratched up black tray from thrift store.  FLAT black paint is a nice bonus!!  Easier to paint over.

I added some little wood ‘feet’ to raise it up a bit.  (glued on with e6000)

Let the e6000 cure overnight before painting.

Two coats of paint, then some quality time with the orbital sander.

Selected a stencil that fit the inside area of the tray.

Done!

Available for purchase in my booth at Stars Antique Mall in Portland.

Outdated vintage magazine table – UPDATED!

Forgot the before picture, sorry.  But really not much to see.  It was that really dark stained knotty pine, and the top was pretty badly scratched up.

I gave it a good sanding, then spray painted the whole thing black.  On items like this, where there are lots of slats and hard to reach interior parts, SPRAY paint is a real time saver.

After my spray paint dried, I hand sanded (using a sanding SPONGE) around the edges and the grooves on the top so some of the original brown showed through to distress it.

Then the HARD part!  Deciding what to paint on it!  At first I thought about using the three lines as part of the design, but it just didn’t feel right.  So I did a laurel wreath stencil with the bird with crown stencil in the center.

Then with a foam stamp, added a fleur de lis on each side.

Sanded over the stenciled on design just a tad before applying a matte varnish to the table top.

And DONE!  This will be going to my booth at Curiosities in Beaverton.

Little foot stool do-over

Little oval stool I found at the thrift store a while age.  BE SURE to sand off the old design on stuff  like this before you repaint.  Otherwise the raised parts of it will show through.  I used an orbital sander to sand the top of this stool.

 

I painted the whole thing black.  Then a coat of white on just the top.  Sanded to distress.

Stenciled on the word PARIS.  Another light sanding, then a coat of matte varnish.  Quick and easy, AND little stools always sell well!