Hand Painted Deer Antlers

I've been meaning to show off my last quickie paint project. I'm loving the recent antler trend...and love the painted look even more! A few weeks ago, I taped off sections of these antlers and brought out my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Paris Grey and Country Grey). A light coat of spray acrylic gave it a glossy finish. I think it would make a great rack for jewelry or as a centerpiece. What do you think?

Linking to:

Antique Dentist Box Update

I'm pretty excited about this latest project. I loved it the minute I saw it -- it's the perfect desktop or jewelry organizer. Even on sale, it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. But, I knew once I spruced it up that it would be a great piece.

The tag said it was an antique dentist box. You can see on the top where there might have been a handle. A quick Google search brings up some that are similar...but don't quite look the same.

Antique Dentist Box

Antique Dentist Box

The door on the bottom is not original and the inside was covered in a nasty green "carpet" -- which I ripped out. Then I got out my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. The first layer is French Linen. The second is Pure White mixed with some of the dark soft wax. Clear wax and distressing ensued.

Then I broke out the Mod Podge and added some pages from an old book for the bottom of the drawers.

And, here it is today:

Since the bottom drawer isn't original, I decided to leave it out. It's a great space to put larger pieces. We'll be bringing it with us to Strange Folk -- I hope others love it as much as I do! If not, I have just the spot for it ;-)

Linking to: Monday Muse, Make it Pretty Monday

Red Cross Vintage Suitcase Tutorial

I'm currently obsessed with the Pacific Northwest and during one of my recent internet searches, I came across Seabold Vintage Market. It's located on Bainbridge Island in Washington -- and is exactly the type of shop I would love to have some day.

I absolutely love this Red Cross necklace they have:

Red Cross Necklace from Seabold Vintage

And this Red Cross pillow made from vintage linen...

Red Cross Pillow from Seabold Vintage

All the red cross symbols inspired me to do a make-over on an old suitcase I picked up for $15 at the antique store. It's the third suitcase and/or trunk I've picked up in several weeks. Jeff is questioning whether they are really a trend right now, or if I am just getting ready to move out. I like to keep him on his toes.

I've also been wanting to try out Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on a suitcase. They say you can paint anything with it...so, here's my victim:

It's really sturdy and the leather is rugged and worn. I hadn't even payed close attention to the plate on the front until Jeff pointed it out to me. Amelia Earhart Luggage. Very cool!

The interior was stained, so I ripped it all out.

I taped up everything I didn't want painted. 

Then, I took out my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White and gave the suitcase a nice thick coat.

I printed off the Red Cross symbol on cardstock, taped around the cardstock, removed the template and painted the exposed symbol with ASCP in Emperor's Silk.

Once it was dry, I pulled all of the tape off....and fell in LOVE!

Even Jeff said, "Wow!"

I still have to fix the inside (my Mod Podge plan was a BIG fail), but I loooove how the outside turned out. The paint took to the suitcase very well and totally transformed it! I would love to hear other non-furniture ASCP projects people have done...let me know!

Linking to

Favorite Places to Thrift and a Mirror Rehab

I've been hitting my usual thrift and antique store circuit quite a bit lately. The turnover in alot of these places is pretty fast, so when I have the time, I'll hit my faves a couple times a week (don't tell my husband that). My top five favorite places to find deals are:

1. Local Antique Malls/Stores
2. Goodwill
3. St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store
4. Architectural Salvage Stores (we have a couple of great ones here in STL)
5. Friends and Family

Up until this point, I haven't been much of a garage sale or estate sale gal. I think it's all the driving around. Not knowing what will be there. And, getting frustrated when it's all junk. However, I recently learned of estatesales.net. You can put in your zip code and how far you are willing to drive and each week you'll get an email of everything that's near you, including pics! I'm hoping to check some out soon.

My find of this past weekend was this guy here. He weighs no less than 89 pounds. Has great detailing on the top (I knew the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint would take very well to this). And, was $20. I literally snatched it up the minute I walked in the door.

I used two coats of Paris Grey (bottom) and a light coat of Pure White (top). After a coat of clear wax, I distressed all the edges. I took the dark wax only to the detail at the top. In certain lights, it looks like gold is coming through. I love it! I can't get over how smooth it is...it feels like butter.

I've considered antiquing the mirror itself. Muriatic acid is involved. I'm willing to bet that acid+me=disaster...so, we'll see!

Have a great and creative week!

Linking to Shades of Amber, Brassy Apple, Singing Three Little Birds, DIY Showoff 

Red Door Signage

Honestly, sometimes it's hard to function when you are inspired. If you're anything like me, it takes over your life. You can't sleep. You can't focus. All you can think about is how you are going to channel this inspiration into something incredibly awesome. Then you make lists of all the awesome things you will accomplish. It's really quite distracting.

My recent inspiration is really a journey...

Inspiration Timeline

Last Week

I attended a conference and trade show for my "real" job. While I was excited to represent my org. and meet some new people, I was really looking forward to one exhibitor in particular: Annie Sloan Unfolded. I am completely blaming them for my recent restless nights and endless lists.

I eased into things slowly...taking a walk over to the display and checking out the samples.

Annie Sloan Unfolded Display

Before I knew it, I was signed up for a hands-on (hour long!) demo. I have the Paris Grey Chalk Paint...and I quickly learned that I've been misusing the paint and waxes incorrectly. I fell in love with the newest color, Provence.

Hands-on Painting Class

As you can see, I took it very seriously.

LOOOVE the new color: Provence.
This was achieved by letting the Chalk Paint dry and then wiping off with a damp cloth.

Monday

I walked away from the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint demos with a looong list of painting projects and a bag full of Chalk Paint samples. I immediately ran to the St. Louis stockist for a new brush and AS soft wax.
 

August 2011

It's hard to believe that we've been meaning to start Red Door Furniture Co. for nearly a year before we officially made the leap this spring. Here's a shot of Jeff with a door we found last year. He sanded off the old finish and stained it a dark brown. While the color looks beautiful, we bought this door not paying attention to how thin the main panel was.  Originally, we wanted to put glass only on the panel, but we were afraid it wasn't sturdy enough to support it. So, we dragged it down to the basement...

Today

One of the items on our to-do list is festival/fair signage. And, of course, we wanted a door! Since this guy won't make a great table and has been sitting in our basement for nearly a year, we knew it would be perfect.

I painted it with a couple layers of chalkboard paint (I also used the spray paint chalkboard paint, which I didn't really like). Then I put on a couple layers of Emperor's Silk by Annie Sloan.

Once it was dry, I used a couple of distressing techniques. From the on-hand demos, I learned that it is best to apply the clear wax before sanding. However, the STL stockist was out of the clear and I was impatient...so, I distressed with some 220 grit sandpaper. I also used a damp paper towel (which I liked best for this piece). Then, I applied a coat of the dark soft wax. The door feels like butter!

I absolutely love how it turned out. We are hoping to be vending at different festivals and fairs in the area, so having a chalkboard sign is going to let us personalize what we say for each venue.

Linking to Serenity Now, The Dedicated House, Domestically Speaking, Sweet Little Gals, 36th Avenue, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Shades of Amber

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