Shabby Chic Furniture for Shop!

I have got all the pieces done, with the exception of waxing the 5 tier shelf, for my opening of my shop next month.  Now I will be working on one valance, some pillows, and chair covers.  Here are a few pictures of what I will be opening with next month.

I used a chalk paint recipe using tile grout and I am impressed with how well it worked!  I first used 2 coats of white chalk paint, then followed up with a latex paint in turquoise.  I pick up paint that has been mixed wrong, or paint from our local Rehab Store, so I don’t know the color, but I do like it.  I then lightly distressed it to get some of the white showing and then I had the fleur de lis gold paint left over and thought what the heck, I’ll put some of this on the spindles and see how that looks.  Then I decided to go ahead and put the fleur de lis stencil on the shelves as well and this is how it turned out.

The next picture is a little coffee table that I picked up and used the ASCP in grey and white on it.  I love the idea of script on a piece of furniture, so I went to The Graphics Fairy and grabbed a graphic and proceeded to use her tutorial on how to transfer onto wood.  Works like a charm!  I am not a patient person, or have a steady hand, so my painting isn’t as nice as most of these I have seen, but hopefully as time goes by, I will get steadier and in the process acquire more patience!  Lol!

The last piece is something that sort of scared me when I saw the picture I took.  I physically had to get up and look at the graphics to make sure that I had centered them because by looking at the picture, it doesn’t look like I did.  But I did!  Lol.  Anyway, this piece again is a paint sample I picked up.  I used a recipe of chalk paint which is 2/3 paint to 1/3 tile grout and first painted the table an ochre color, then came back and painted it this really gorgeous melon color. Distressed to gain a little bit of the ochre showing.  Again, I went to The Graphics Fairy and got a graphic and proceeded to paint this on the top of the table.  I am loving the idea of print on furniture!

See what I mean about the graphics not looking centered?  It is though!  Has to be the angle that I took the picture.

I will be putting up some of the pictures of the shades and pillows and “stuff” as they are ready to go in my shop.  I appreciate you taking the time to look at my blog!

~Enjoy!

Jen

Update to the Quarter Desk!

Here is a picture of what the .25 cent desk looked like before the transformation:

To refresh your memory, my office had a fire back in March and everything was lost, including my desk!  So I have been waiting to see where we are going to end up before purchasing another desk and ran across this desk for .25 cents.

But first I need to tell you about my Annie Sloan Chalk experience.  I had never used this paint before.  I chose the white and grey for the desk.  Unfortunately, I kept forgetting the steps!!  You are suppose to wax BEFORE you stain.  Whoops!  So I ended up with the top not being exactly what I wanted because I had to go back over it with the white AGAIN.  Then sand, sand, sand! Lol!

Then I wanted a french script for the top of my desk.  Nope!  To expensive for this project.  So I decided I would just stencil some fleur de lis on it.  Not thinking, I got the gold.  I “should” have got the silver, it would have looked better with the grey.  After it was all stenciled, I kept thinking that it needed something else.  One of my members came in and looked at the desk and suggested that I paint the front two panels on the desk the gold to tie it all together.  So that is what I did.  And here are the pictures. One of the draw pulls was missing, so I used the butterfly pulls on the middle drawer.

So there is the transformation of the .25 cent desk!  It was a lot of fun and a good learning experience!  Now on to a coffee table with a graphic on the top!  I probably should stain the desk, but am a little afraid to touch it since I had the “experience” with the top of the desk.  It is a little “bright”!  Lol

And if you ever need anything to raise a heavy piece up off the floor, the pvc pipe works perfect!  And when the desk was taken off of the pipe, it was still round!  I thought it might be dented or crushed…nope!  Worked perfectly!

Getting ready to make an inverted pleat balloon valance that will hang on a curtain rod instead of mounted on a board.  This isn’t anything new, lots of people are doing this.  It is just easier to install if you like the inverted pleat balloon look.  The fabric is a moire and is iridescent!  I love it.  Very different color and I will post when finished.

It is after 11:00 pm and I am still up!  What is up with that?  Well, enjoy your weekend, what is left of it!

As Always

~Enjoy!

Jen

I Need Help…To Paint or Not To Paint?

I need advice from all of you furniture guru’s!  I am new to refinishing furniture and couldn’t resist purchasing this piece when I saw it yesterday.

I have always wanted a nice table in my dining room that we could all sit at and eat…kind of like Leave It To Beaver’s family did.  Anyone old enough to remember that show?  Lol!  Anyway, I am married to a guy that would rather sit in the living room and eat his dinner and watch TV.  So, my family grew up not eating at the table together.  Sad right?

So now I am in the thrift store looking for chenille bedspreads and there sits this gorgeous table and chairs.  I toyed with the idea of getting it and thought where am I going to put it until I get it painted?  Then I thought, do I even want to paint it?  It does need the chairs redone, and as far as I can tell, it “looks” like maybe the shellac or varnish on the table top has peeled a little in one area.  Sorry, I am not familiar with all the terms of furniture refinishing yet.  A couple of the chairs are wobbly and from what I can tell probably need to be re-glued.  But who the heck is gonna do that?  I don’t know one thing about that.

I did just recently rent a booth in a local antique mall and thought if nothing else, I can resell it there and leave it just like it is. It would take up the whole space pretty much though!   But I really LOVE this table and chairs!  So I need your help if you would be so kind as to give me some ideas?

One thought was to refinish the top and paint the rest of the table a white color.  What is holding me back there is the gorgeous backs of the chairs.  Do I want to cover that up? I don’t really like wood.  I would rather paint it.  But this is gorgeous and I don’t know if it would ruin it to be painted?  Would I be one of those people who others would say “Can you believe she ruined that piece by painting it?”  LOL!

I am picking up the table and chairs today so I can get a closeup of the part of the table that needs a little work and can post later today.  For now, here is what the table looks like.  Any help would be soooo appreciated!

PS:  The table is super heavy and it does have a leaf in it but I didn’t pull it apart because I couldn’t!  I tried, but it wouldn’t budge.    I don’t even know what kind of wood this is!  Also know that I am very new to refinishing furniture.  Is this something that I even want to tackle?  Is this to big a job for me?

Vintage Ruffled Balloon Valance/Panel 4 In 1 Look!

Just a quick post to show you what I have been working on today.  It actually happened by accident!  Lol!  But I love the results!  Sometimes, accidents turn into something that is fantastic!

Basically, this is a balloon valance that can be strung 3 different ways, as well as become a drapery panel as well!  It measures 53″ in length, is unlined and made from 100% cotton unbleached white muslin.  It has a vintage ruffle that is sewn to the outside of the panel with about a 1″ header.  The ruffle, as well as the sides are not hemmed.

I am striving to bring you an affordable balloon valance that won’t break your budget.  This sells for $85.00 if I had one available!  Lol!  Right now, these will be custom orders.

Here are the different ways this balloon valance can be strung to create 3 different looks

I for sure am going to start on my chair covers now!  I have been saying that for 3 weeks and still haven’t done it!  LOL!

We are expecting snow here in Missouri tonight and tomorrow….yuck!  If you have snow in your area, please drive safe if you have to go out!

As Always

Enjoy!

~Jen

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Anthropologie Double Ruffle Drape

I absolutely love looking at what  Anthropologie has on their website!  Unfortunately, I can’t afford most of it!  The good thing for me is, I am a copier!

Yes, I am a copier!   I read somewhere that when you start out doing something that you love, you copy.  I have also read that copying is the highest form of flattery!  At any rate, I copied these drapes.  Now I didn’t extend the ruffle all the way over the top of the rod pocket because quite honestly, I was afraid I would get in trouble if it looked exactly like theirs!  Lol!

Sewing is not something new for me.  I have been doing it for years!  I have sewed everything from wedding stuff , baby items, big girl, little girl & boys stuff, square dance clothes &  mink bears.  I loved all of it, especially the bears!  I was known for my panda’s.  Here is a picture of one of them.

 

They were cotter pin jointed, and filled with BB’s for weight.  I hand painted their eyes, and their noses were made of leather.  Great fun creating something new each time!  I did lots of bear shows, was on TV, in articles, etc.  But, with all things that are creative, I find that you can get burned out!  And that is what happened to me.  I got burned out with my drapery workroom after 10 years, my mink bears after 10 years….10 is a number I need to be aware of!

Anyway, getting back to copying.  Since I can sew, I can create something that is affordable for my home or others.  After you have “copied” for a while, you eventually fall into your own style.  My love in drapery’s is balloon shades and anything with ruffles.  Unfortunately, since I have opened my workroom back up to the public, it appears that the style has gotten away from the balloon shades and valances, and gone more with these vintage, unconstructed type of drapes, pillows, bed skirts, draperies, etc.  It really is not a look that I like, but it is what is “in” right now.  So, I will make them.

It certainly doesn’t take near as much time to make a vintage (unhemmed if that is a word), or” finished” item.  I do like that part.  I don’t like all the strings hanging!  Lol.  So I thought I would offer this style of drape to see what the results would be.

I can’t tell you how many emails I get asking how much yardage does it take to make a balloon valance or ruffled drape.  When I tell them, I never hear anything else from them.  Why?  It takes many yards of fabric to make a balloon valance.  Which I will be doing a post on yardage soon, so I will save that information for then.  I am trying to keep the cost down as low as I can so that balloon valances and ruffled drapes are more affordable and can be enjoyed without breaking your budget.

Here is a picture of the  muslin panel I have for sale on Etsy now.  It is white muslin, and white anything never takes a good picture, especially up against a white wall!  The weather here in Missouri is wet and cold, so I can’t take the picture and my white drape outside.  My husband has forbidden me from putting anymore holes in my walls for rods!  Lol.

Does it look just like Anthropologie’s drape?  No, but very close.  Again, I would prefer they be lined, with weights at the bottom so they hang nice and finished ruffle edges!  That is just what I like.  But like I used to tell my customers, I don’t live in your home.  You have to buy something that you like and can live with.

So, back to my workroom to come up with something new!  Next on the agenda is chair covers, pillows, and a coffee table that I am working on!  Pictures soon!

As Always,

~Enjoy!

Jen

A Desk for a Quarter!

I work for a Chamber of Commerce and we had a fire last March.  Wow!  It has almost been a year.  How time flies!

Anyway, I was killing some time one day and went into a store and found this desk.  It is a very big desk.  I would call it executive size.  It really is about the size of the one in my office before the fire.  It was marked $49.00.  I looked it over pretty good.  What caught my attention was the drawers….how easy they slid.  Obviously this desk wasn’t a top of the line desk, but it wasn’t a real cheap one either.

 I called one of the employees over to the desk and ask him if this desk was still $49 and he said “How much do you like me?”  I said well, if the desk is $49 I like you!  He then responded that he would let me have it for .25 cents!  I thought he was kidding!  Several people overheard him and stopped to listen to our conversation.  I knew that if I didn’t get that desk, somebody was going to jump on it!

 My problem is I don’t have a truck.  I made a rule for myself when I started repurposing furniture that if it didn’t fit in my car, I couldn’t get it.  But .25 cents??  We had not replaced the desks yet since the fire and I am thinking how could I go wrong?  So……I called my son and he came right down and picked it up for me!

Now she is sitting in one of the offices ready to paint!

I couldn’t decide how I wanted to paint her.  I have looked at tons of pictures and wish that I would have bookmarked them now!  I decided that she would be Pure White and Paris Grey.  I actually wanted the Coco, but they were out of that, so Paris Grey it is!  Then, I couldn’t decide whether to leave the top in the wood or paint it.  In the end I painted it.

I saw another picture a few weeks ago of a desk or chest with handwriting in French on it.  I loved that look!  Unfortunately, my handwriting is not that good.  So I have come up with the next best thing…..which I will show you when I have her done!

I am also going to search for the inspiration pictures that I used as far as the paint goes.  And now, when I see something I like……I bookmark it!

Stay tuned…..

As Always

~Enjoy!

Jen

 

 

Finally my Papaya Tote!

I finally have my Papaya tote!  I am so excited!  It took me about 45 minutes to choose which one I was going to get.  It was between 3 of them.  Ask everyone that walked into the store for their opinion….which helped!

It was between the pictured one and the one with the Eiffel Tower on it.  But I am a gaudy girl, and the Eiffel Tower was laid back and calm!  In the end, the Peace girl was chosen!

And…..drum roll…..I also got some Annie Sloan paint & wax!  So excited about this too.  Here in a few days I will put a picture up of what I bought the paint for.

Stay tuned…..

As Always

~Enjoy!  Jen