New Projects

I have been very inspired lately

by ideas for my booth.

Not sure if the customers will be as

excited as I am...

but I can hope.

This was a very ugly canvas of a flower

that I got at a sale.

Loved painting over it and starting fresh with

this look and color.

 The horse is an American Girls size

but I painted it and glittered and glammed it up!

Emptying that Garage!

Every project I do now is a race

to empty out my garage stash

from my treasure hunts and get 

things into the shop or ready to move.

Here is a desk I've had buried under

piles for over a year.

It was a large sturdy wood teachers desk.

Very sadly covered with pen marks and 

scratches.

But with some graphite chalk paint for the top

and white and pale blue for the rest it looks lovely again!

I also have been wanting a 3 tiered galvanized metal

holder for my coffee items but those I found were

just too much money.

So I found these at GW ( the pans are springform) 

and painted them a

faux galvanized metal look, 

glued them together and Voila!

What Paint can Do

This dresser was painted white with a yellow, blue 

and 2 teal drawers when I bought it at a sale.

This is how it looks now after a coat of 

Annie Sloan Old White with clear and dark wax 

over the drawers and top.

People ask about sanding...

I never sand anything before painting 

with Annie Sloan paint. 

I only sand very lightly after the final coat

and by lightly, I mean barely at all. The 

finish is a buttery soft feel.

I am truly sold on this product!

A Vintage Gathering 2013

Our little town was a hopping place 

this past weekend

as the vendors set up and the shopping began.

Gorgeous Junk and great prices!

If you didn't make it this time 

another one is scheduled for September.

To Market, To Market

Our Downtown is hosting

Vintage Gathering 

(See Post)

this weekend, so I got busy and 

did the linings on some market carts

I've picked up. Hopefully

some "picker" will want a cute

market cart for shopping.

These would be awesome 

for a farmers market cart also.

And here are a few other projects for sale.

More Items to Sell

These were some real diamonds in the rough!

I always forget to take before pics,

but believe me they were trash ready

when I bought them so it was a real

pleasure to make something cute out of them.

Glamping 2013

After all the projects were done

and the tent was put up I settled in for 

a relaxing and beautiful time at camp.

My tent bed was bliss to sleep in and 

my little dressing table and mirror area

created a really usable tent to actually

"live" in instead of just sleep:)

 I used a light at night to read with- not a

lantern- which was so much nicer for 

eyes that don't work so great anymore.

 I actually extended my stay one night since

I was enjoying it all so thoroughly and

my kids and grands joined me for supper

and the evening too.

Can't wait to go again and explore another campground

after the new grand is born and before the summer

vanishes. If anyone is interested in glamping

I highly recommend garage sales and reusing

non camping items to make usable at camp.

Other Camp Projects

Another project for camp was to take

an old lounge chair and recover it in denim

after painting the arms cream.

I also took an old canvas camp stool

and made a cover.

The roasting sticks and pie irons each got

their own canvas bag with velcro so

no more rattling and falling around with those, 

Yippee! 

 I also made banners from fabric to hang in the 

tent and pillows for the very comfy camp

bed I bought at a garage sale:)

The camp kitchen was an old metal box for 

keeping tools in with a lid that opens

in front and shelves.

I just added rope through the front hole so

I could have a paper towel roll

handy. It worked out really great and 

also only cost $3 plus paint.

It's that time of year again!

This is my garage after a very 

successful day of garage sales!

Won't be parking in there anytime soon!

Painting and sanding,

washing and scrubbing...

I love it!

Summertime Look

I had refinished a coffee table

to sell at Rusty Glamour 

and it just did not sell.

Finally I decided I would take it home and 

use it in my house for awhile.

I think people need to have more

vision as to how a piece might be

added to their home as I think it

looks pretty darn good!

All I had to do was add in some teal

hydrangeas and it made everything go together.

The pillow covers were in the closet

and the little "soda" wagon was 

purchased at a garage sale.

It is waiting for the new baby to be

a photo prop, but in the meantime

can be my decor:)

Garage Sale-For Sale

I sure have been enjoying this years

season of Garage sales.

I know a lot more about what sells

at Rusty Glamour so I'm trying to be

more careful and think through my purchases

before I buy and also how much $

 it will cost to upcycle, so I'm sure to 

make a profit on all my items.

Here are some new ones that just

went in the shop.

 The piece of fabric above only required

one side to be cut and the bottom 

pockets sewed on, it fit perfectly on the

bulletin board!

 The technique on the bottles and holders is the

faux zinc with Annie Sloan wax and paint.

This is a lined bicycle basket:)

How Many Ways can I use Canning Jars?

I've been using canning jars in so many

ways for the items I sell.

I guess it's because it's that time of year

when a person thinks about preserving 

all the fresh fruits and veggies.

However I don't do that!

I use them in every other way though...

 Storage, candles, twine holder

The red candles are in jars inside a canning holder

I painted white.

All these are for sale at Rusty G

Coffee Table w/ Chalk board

I found the perfect coffee table to redo. 

I was looking for something with squares 

and this was amazingly exact to what I wanted.

The main part of the table is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
in Cream

with the wax finish, and the squares

are chalkboard paint.

Wouldn't this be great for grand kids
to write on or for

keeping score while playing a game?!
It will be for sale at Rusty G as soon as I can
fit it in my booth.

Just Lookin' Like Summer

We've had such a marvelous May with

sunny, warm days and balmy nights

that I got inspired to add a few new pillows

on my bed to give it that summer feel.

Also the patchwork pillow was all

made from a little bundle of fabric I got 

at a G-sale for $1...

Gotta say whoever bought those fabrics is

my sewing sister!

The other new cases are all thrift finds too:)

Hope you are all looking forward to some

summer joy also!

From Nothing to a Cottage Garden

Since moving to small house

in town I have been trying to make

the best of it...the lack of privacy 

has been different and the idea of

a long summer spent in a sad side yard

made ME sad, so...

I began with this

And after lots of hard work on many sunny

glorious days with sweat pouring down my face, 

I have something I have always wanted-

A Cottage Garden

 The ladder above was my Dad's and I treasure

it knowing that his feet climbed up and down

it many times through the years.

The potting bench was a free item that 

a thrift store owner begged me to take when I 

bought a few other things.

I finished it with a faux galvanized metal top 

and used a upside down shelf for the top.

Treasures in the Rough

When we were going through 

my Mom's things one of the nieces

found an old spice rack. 

It got put in the throw-away pile

but then same niece said

"Auntie Karen, you should do something wtih

this!" I hesitated because I really didn't know

if it was worth salvaging but 

decided to give it a try...

It ended up turning into a real treasure!

 Also the bed tray below was ugly and dirty

when I bought it for a few bucks and

now it too looks great:)

Side Porch

I've had a week since my Mom's

funeral and its been a learning experience.

I keep thinking that she's just a phone call

away...and then realizing 

never again here on earth can I see or

hear my Mom...

So I try to stay busy doing the things

that give me joy.

I had gathered up a few things over 

the previous weeks for my side

porch and one day that was less

cold and rainy (but not much!)

I put it together.

 All thrifted and some of it free!

It's a very narrow porch so the bench

works better than the chairs I had there before.

I used an aging technique on the ladder

as it was just fresh lumber.

I just love when something that is free ends

up looking like it was purchased for 

the exact space.