The right place at the right time

For all those times you are disappointed because ‘just missed’ that perfect piece or missed out on a great deal . . . .

 . . . . something like THIS happens and you do your happy dance!

I don’t usually buy chairs with upholstered parts due to the high cost of new padding and fabric.  But at that great price, I could afford to make over this vintage chair.

This is pretty typical of what I’ve found on covered seats; someone has just re-covered the original tattered ugly fabric and and the worn out foam with new fabric and called it good.  ICK!!  The wood is usually fine to re-use; but if it’s in bad shape, it’s easy to use the old one as a template to cut a new one.  The hardest part of making over a padded seat is removing all the staples that are holding on the old fabric!

I had this pretty brown and blue fabric in my stash and decided to use it so I could leave the chair brown, as found.  I just gave the chair frame a good sanding to distress it though.

The new foam seat cushions usually run around $20.00; and I like to add a couple of layers of batting over the foam to protect the fabric and to add some extra ‘cush’.  I wrap the fabric over the batting and foam cushion, use a staple gun to attach the new fabric to the wood base.

By the time I’ve added up the cost of the foam cushion, batting and fabric; I’ve got about $30.00 just in materials invested in the chair.  Which is difficult to factor into the selling price if you’ve paid a lot for the chair.

I also had this little foot stool and decided to paint and cover it to match the chair.

I did NOT distress the wood base on the footstool though; because the undercoat was too dark to really show.  I used a small pillow instead of a foam pad on the footstool for a really ‘OVER-stuffed’ look.  I love over stuffed stools and chairs!

Both have gone to my booth at Stars.

BIG SALE AT ALL THREE STARS MALLS THIS THURSDAY – MONDAY, July 14 – 18.

As always during the sales, EVERYTHING in my booth is 50% off!!

The big 8 drawer blue dresser has already sold.

But my booth is still jam-packed with goodies!!

UPcycled 3 drawer chest

DRAT!!!  I could have SWORN that I took a picture of this ‘nasty’ three drawer chest before I started working on it!?!  Alas, apparently I did not; but from the looks of these drawers, I think you can imagine what it looked like.

Layers of old paint colors, mismatched drawer pulls . . .

Contact paper on the top?!?!?  (I REALLY should have looked at this more closely and with my glasses ON; before I decided to buy it!)  Fortunately, said contact paper was SO old that it was really BRITTLE, and scraped off with a paint scraper fairly easily.

And MORE contact paper was covering this mess on one side!!  That ‘indent’ is far too big to just fill with wood putty.  Time to get creative.  (Just in case you are wondering WHERE that indent came from; this piece must have been the side drawers from a desk.  And this is the side the desk top and drawer was attached to.)

The repair in progress.  I found a ‘strip’ of wood that was almost the right size; then filled the rest of the gaps with bits and pieces of bamboo skewers.  Sanded all that smooth, then filled any remaining gaps with wood putty.

Sanding down the top revealed more layers of colors.

Lots of pink under the brown on the drawers.  Filled the holes from the previous drawer pulls.

A couple of layers of paint and lots of sanding with the orbital sander; purposely revealing some of the old pink and yellow paint on the top.

The side with the damage on the right; the good side on the left.

Good (right) and bad (left) sides again; but in better light.  My ‘repair’ job IS noticeable, but not very!  Most of the time, you don’t even SEE the sides of a chest when it’s in use in a home anyhow.

Found the perfect vintage drawer pulls for this piece.

Available for purchase in my booth at Stars.

By JOVE! I think I’ve got it!!

I think I finally figured out my new digital camera and how to make the files smaller!  woo-hoo!!  

I ended up having to go to the doctor last week for my latest two bee stings.  The red welt from the one on my hand was traveling UP my arm; and the welt from the sting near my elbow was traveling DOWN my arm and I had a ONE INCH strip on my arm where you could see them almost ready to overlap!  I looked like I had a ‘Popeye’ arm!  Remember when he ate his spinach and he got ginormous forearms?  Yep, I was looking pretty freakish!

I took this pic the day after my doctor’s appt and steroid shot, so the swelling had started going down quite a bit.  It looks like a bad BURN, doesn’t it?  Felt like it too!  And I have NO IDEA what the white ‘worm looking thing’ in the middle of the red spot is?!?!  But it’s STILL there and while the redness is mostly gone, that whole area feels like alligator skin!  YUK!

SO, anyhow . . . . I HAD to get to the doctor and take whatever appointment I could get at the last minute; and it was my errand and stock at Stars day.  I ended up being about 20 minutes early for my appt, so I got out my camera and ‘fiddled with it’ to get the flash turned off and adjust the file size of the pictures.  don’t ask me HOW I did.  I just did and that’s all that matters, right?  So NOW I can finally post new pictures from Stars!

The ‘wall booth’ hasn’t changed too much.  And THAT needs to change!  Just not sure WHAT I want to do with it next.  Maybe I’ll make it my ‘holiday space’ for the rest of the year???

I am not fond of the color orange, at ALL.  But I LOVE this orange and aqua fabric on the aqua chair.  I wish I’d bought MORE of it to make some throw pillows and maybe a foot stool.

It’s sitting on top of an upcycled round table.

Starfish painted around the rim of the table.

 

 

Two of these lamps with clear SEQUINS on them!

 

 

 

 

MIGHT have to bring this little step ladder home this week, if it hasn’t sold.  Saw a flea market mag today that had one used as a table base; and I have the perfect oval piece of wood I could use!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve also been listing a LOT of new stuff in my  etsy shop.

 

 

Wrapping it up at Camas Antiques ~ NOW 50% OFF EVERYTHING!

  Just a quick post to let you know that we’re getting down to the wire on our moving out sale at Camas Antiques; and EVERYTHING is now 50% off.  Last day it Friday, July 8th.  Our bigger display shelves are NOT for sale at this time.  But check back closer to the final day, and if enough of the small stuff has sold that I can sell the shelves (without having to pile stuff on the floor!) I will.

 

 

 

 

Pretty little beach table

Michael cut a bigger top out of cedar fence boards to place on this old bar stool to make it into a nice little side table.

I left the wood ‘rough cut’ and dry brushed assorted ‘beachy’ colors.  I just did this ‘free-hand’ so the stripes aren’t ‘perfect’.  Once dry, I sanded it to distress and applied a coat of our weathered wood wash to make it look gray and weathered.

What a perfect little table for a cottage bedroom or even an end table or patio table!

Now I’m on the hunt for other stuff I can paint using this technique.  I’ve got an old cheese box, some unfinished wood frames . . . . What else?!?!

OUR WEBSITE : www.cscrafts.com/aj.html

PURCHASE OUR E-BOOKS FROM OUR ETSY STORE :

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5876981

~ primitives ~ trash to treasure ~ shabby chic ~ cottage ~ Paris apartment ~ repurposed home goods ~ repaired ~ restyled home decor ~ reused ~ recycled art ~ handcrafted gifts ~ one of a kind ~ artist originals ~ second hand style ~ junk market style ~ flea market style ~ beautiful junk ~ beach cottage décor ~ unique home décor ~ vintage home décor ~ unique gifts ~ custom made gifts ~ custom made home décor ~ personalized signs ~ Sophie’s Cottage ~ grubby candles ~ how to craft books ~ Shabby Paris apartment ~ baby gifts ~ personalized gifts ~ AJ Finsand ~ upcycled ~ rebuilt ~ flea market chic ~ gift baskets ~ custom orders ~ vintage ~ collectibles ~ trash 2 treasure blog ~ gift store Hillsboro, Oregon ~ handmade gifts from Oregon ~ carved wood embellishments ~ shabby style chic ~ flea market finds ~ second hand style ~ cottage retreat ~ craft tutorials

Outdated / updated little side table

Found this cute little side table at the thrift store.  Still in pretty good shape, just didn’t have much ‘personality’!

Decided to leave this one ‘very simple’.  Sanded the top, gave it a base coat with Kilz spray primer; then painted it wih a very soft pink egshell latex.

I should have taken a closu-up of the knob.  It is upcycled from another project.  It’s precelain with a pretty pink rose on it.

A perfect little bedside table!

OUR WEBSITE: www.cscrafts.com/aj.html

OUR BLUJAY:  http://www.blujay.com/folk_art_originals

VISIT OUR ETSY STORE: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5876981

~ primitives ~ trash to treasure ~ shabby chic ~ cottage ~ Paris apartment ~ repurposed home goods ~ repaired ~ restyled home decor ~ reused ~ recycled art ~ handcrafted gifts ~ one of a kind ~ artist originals ~ second hand style ~ junk market style ~ flea market style ~ beautiful junk ~ beach cottage décor ~ unique home décor ~ vintage home décor ~ unique gifts ~ custom made gifts ~ custom made home décor ~ personalized signs ~ Sophie’s Cottage ~ grubby candles ~ how to craft books ~ Shabby Paris apartment ~ baby gifts ~ personalized gifts ~ AJ Finsand ~

FINAL DAY: Spring break project marathon, and yes, it’s snowing again this morning!

Has that been EVERY day for the last six days now?!?!?  I’ve lost count!  We had a few nice sun breaks yesterday and got a fair amount accomplished.  Here are a few more pictures:

This was an old porch post.  Michael cut it in half so I could make two big candle pedestals from it. 

I decided the base needed more WEIGHT, so I added another beveled square plaque (from the craft store)  So the base is now two craft store plaques and a square hunk of 2×6.

Here they are all painted up, but not ‘finished’.  I’ll add candles of course.  Always have to have a candle in a candle holder before I put it out for sale.  But they need some kind of adornment also.  Not sure just what yet.

Old slat seat child’s chairs:

Now in pretty cottage colors!

Michael is back to work today.  I have one more day off, and lots of little things to finish up.  Seems like I’ve been gone from the store FOREVER!

OUR WEBSITE:  www.cscrafts.com/aj.html

New candle holders and plate stand

I can’t help but starting to sneak in some spring colors already!  I made these pretty candle holders with a glass candle cup adhered to a lead crystal candlestick holder.  (retail display tip: ALWAYS put candles in your candle holders!)

hmmmmmm. . . . not sure why this picture came out so dark???  Same concept as the first one, but this one uses a SQUARE votive holder.  I just happened to find these taller, but votive diameter, green pearly candles to use.

This one is just a ‘toss it together’ project.  Clear red candle plate with a white candle and opaque white rocks scattered about.  If you’re going to burn the candle and don’t want to get melted wax all over the rocks, you can use a glass votive holder and votive instead of the bigger pillar candle.

I just love these old black and white dotted rim plates!  Wanted to make them into ‘nice and sturdy’ plate stands, so I used COFFEE MUGS for the base! 

And tied a pretty red bow around the handle!

OUR WEBSITE:  www.cscrafts.com/aj.html

Glass pedestal bowls

Make beautiful display bowls for filling with sparkly Christmas pretties by simply gluing together an inverted goblet and a glass bowl!  I’ve used CLEAR, but any colors will work.  Just be sure you use an epoxy glue that specifies it will work on glass.

This last one is a small plate topped with a glass ‘cheese plate dome’. . .