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

Vintage Hanky Wine Bags

Sometimes when you don't succeed, you just have to try again. And, again. And then you end up with something super cute.

Vintage Hanky Wine Bag

Last week, I picked up several vintage hankies at an antique shop. My first thought was to sew pillows with them. I didn't have a pattern...and was just winging it. Let's just say, it didn't turn out (Fail #1). In an effort to salvage the hanky, I ripped the project apart and realized I had enough to create a mini wallet. While it is super cute and holds my business cards perfectly, as you can see, it is a bit crooked (Fail #2).

At the same time, I've been wanting to make wine bags. And, hankies just happen to be the perfect size to wrap around a bottle! I sewed a 1/4" seam at the bottom and up one side and flipped it inside out (so the seams are on the inside). And, ended up with these adorable wine bags. No pattern or cutting required. They'll be a cute way to dress up gifts...or just dress up a bottle of wine we're enjoying for dinner!

Vintage Hanky Wine Bags

I'm linking to these fabulous parties: Beyond the Picket Fence, Shabby Nest, Whipper Berry, The 36th Avenue, DIY Showoff

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 

Flea Market Trends

I've been busy searching for vintage and antique pieces for our Etsy store and the Strange Folk festival. So, when I saw Etsy's recent shopping guide featuring flea market trends, I was happy to see that my recent purchases are right on track.

I've found some great vintage trunks lately. 

The bottom one is pretty big. We're thinking of adding castors and making it into a rolling storage trunk or even a coffee table. It has this great sticker on the top, from a transatlantic cruise it took in 1965. How great is this?

Then there's this heavy little guy. The tag said it was an antique dentist box.

It has cute little knobs and drawers. With a little cleaning up, I thought it would make a unique jewelry box. Or, maybe a great place to stash desk supplies? I have a feeling I'll have a hard time parting with this!

The article also featured antique telegraph insulators...which we're already offering in our store. We're keeping one of these for our kitchen and I'm hoping Jeff will be installing it soon. I just love the color!

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect letterpress drawer to turn into a jewelry display. And, there's a set of antlers that I've also had my eye on, too.

How about you? What are some of your favorite vintage trends that are out there?

Craft Fairs, Business Planning and Pretzels - Oh, My!

What a week! Not only were we selected to show at the Strange Folk Festival, but we also made the cut for Handmade Happy Hour, as well as approached for several other potential business opportunities. By Friday, our heads were swimming and it was clear we needed one thing: a business planning lunch.

We chose Perennial Artisan Ales for its inspiring atmosphere, tasty food. Oh...and they have good beer.

We have alot to do before the Sept. 29th Strange Folk Fest -- we started mapping out our space and figuring out how much merch we'll need. Since we are limited to a 10 ft x 10 ft space, we can only feature so many of our tables.  For the most part, Jeff will be focusing on those (although, I'll be apprenticing these next couple of months). I'm in charge of filling the rest of the space with delicious home goods. And, I'm not talking the baked variety.

We'll be holding off on offering any of these in our Etsy store, as we will be stockpiling them for the festival. Don't worry...what doesn't sell there will be offered in our store! Here's a peek of what I've been working on:

Vintage Grain Sack Pillow (small)

 Vintage Grain Sack Pillow (large)

Sewn Notecards

Burlap Pillow

Stay tuned...we plan on offering a wide variety of vintage and handmade items for your home. We're loving every finished piece and we hope you do, too!