Something painted just for us

(You've all heard the shoemaker's story about his kids having the worst shoes? It's like that for everything in life: we get so busy with our work that when it comes to doing the same type of work for ourselves, we don't have the time, the energy or the desire.

I bought a bench at a charity auction last year. We needed something to sit on to put our shoes or boots on in the entrance way. This one was just right for the space. I couldn't wait to paint it, and I knew just how I wanted it to look.

But there it sat for months. Every time I saw it, I would cringe, because it was a reminder of one more thing that needed to be done, when there just isn't enough time in a day, when I was putting all my energy in painting pieces to sell.

I finally said enough was enough and tackled it a few weeks ago.

The White Pear Tree

(Sorry, I don't have a before. I thought I did, but I have so much furniture I lose track, lol!)

I wanted the French cottage look, so I did two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, followed by a wash of watered down Old White, which gives the piece a more greige feel overall. Love it! 

The White Pear Tree

The White Pear Tree

 The bench was just a little too plain for me, so I added these lovely wood appliques:

The White Pear Tree

 I painted them Old White for contrast, with clear and dark waxes.

The White Pear Tree

The White Pear Tree

The pillow is from RuPiper Designs on Etsy. I absolutely love their stuff!

The White Pear Tree

The White Pear Tree

The White Pear Tree

The White Pear Tree

The White Pear Tree

I'm so happy with the outcome! And proud that I finally painted something just for us.

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!



Nicole
xx

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Linking up to:

Something to Write About

I found this little writing desk at the curb. 

 There was nothing wrong with it. Absolutely nothing.

Yeah, again, I forgot to take the before picture, so you're in fact getting a "during" picture. And a crappy picture at that. It will just have to do. 

 And here she is finished. Paris Grey, with Old White accents. 

Such pretty long legs!

Followed by clear wax.

It's so cute. It has a groove on top for your pens and pencils and storage underneath for your writing paper or, more likely, your lap top, since sadly, hardly anybody hand writes notes anymore.

I made embellishments using another stencil from my girl Martha. These stencils are so beautifully detailed, it looks like real lace!

So tempted to keep it for myself, because it's so cute and romantic, but let's be honest, I have no room for it. Sigh!

Perhaps whoever ends up owning it will be inspired to start hand writing letters to everyone!

I accessorized it with roses in a julep cup. I bought the beautiful silk roses on my Hobby Lobby shopping spree a few weeks ago. They were a little pricy but so worth it because they're so realistic looking. And the beautiful silver plated julep cup I put them in? I thrifted it at Value Village for $6. It's from Pottery Barn and would probably have costed around $30 originally. Yeah. 

Mine has tarnish on it. Bonus!

Little fun fact for ya about julep cups: According to Wikipedia, traditionally, mint juleps were often served in silver or pewter cups, and held only by the bottom and top edges of the cup. This allows frost to form on the outside of the cup. Traditional hand placement may have arisen as a way to reduce the heat transferred from the hand to the silver or pewter cup.

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Linking up to:

http://www.greenwillowpond.com/

Peppler Night Tables

Happy Tuesday! Halloween is a distant memory, November is well on its way and here the stores have all changed over to their Christmas decors. Crazy. I even saw a few snowflakes yesterday. Gasp!!

Today I'm posting about a pair of night tables I found at the curb. Solid wood. Gorgeous. The only thing wrong with them was that a couple of the legs had come off. In our throwaway society, that's excuse enough to discard something... At least they had the good sense of including the legs...! All that required was a good wood glue. A simple repair that cost pennies.

They might be somewhat old, because the name "Peppler" was branded inside the drawer. A little bit of research revealed that this is a now defunct Canadian high end furniture making company that was established in Hanover, Ontario. I'm not sure, but I believe they may have been bought out by what is now the Sklar-Peppler company. I couldn't find any information to that effect. So, I don't now for sure how old the tables are, but they're really solid and great workmanship.

Dodo head here forgot to take a before pic. Here's one of the drawers anyhoo:

And a view from the bottom, lol! (It's the piece with green tape at the top left of the picture.

 I remembered to take a photo of the handles mid-painting:

Quite gorgeous!

I painted the tables in Annie Sloan French Linen. I painted the handles with ASCP Old White, and also used Old White to dry brush the wood trim on the drawer fronts to accent them and tie in with the handles. After a coat of ASCP Clear Wax all over, I then applied some ASCP dark wax to the wood trim to give them an aged look. No distressing, just solid paint.

 French Linen is such a great, versatile neutral. Love it.

I brought them to Rustic and Refined Interiors and they sold almost right away! It gives me joy to think that somebody likes my work. They like it, they really like it!!

Linking up to:

The Square Round End Table

First off, I'd like to remind you about my giveaway for a free My Memories' digital scrapbooking software package. Click HERE to read all about its amazing features and how to enter. I'm extending it till Monday, so you still have time!

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I'm working hard to try and paint all the big pieces in the garage so as to make room, but they appear to be multiplying instead of diminishing, lol! Anybody else has that problem? This is what it looks like:

It ain't pretty behind the scene, folks!

Sooooo, it doesn't seem like my goal of getting the garage empty of all the furniture to be painted before the winter will materialize, so I'm facing another winter of parking outside, lol! First world problems, am I right?

In any case, I did manage to finish a few items that I delivered to Rustic and Refined Interiors this week, one of which was this little table. I found it at a garage sale and I paid a little more than I normally would, but I thought it had really appealing details.

It is both square and round, proving you can be versatile in life!

It has some rough spots.

 (Here is my dog Coco photobombing. Both she and the cat love to do this! 
They're like children, ooooh, Mom's got the camera out! Let's get in the shot!)

I chose French Linen for the top and the rim and Old White for the legs and the stencilling on top. I decided to keep the square on top, so I used Frog Tape to mark it off. Seeing as it is a little bit on the pricey side, I save my Frog Tape for when I need to create neat lines and detailing.

A little stencil detail in the centre for added interest.

I chose not to do any distressing, keeping it neat and clean lined instead.

This table is now at the store, awaiting its new home.

I'm working on a beautiful antique server that was left at the curb. Yes. Left at the curb. Free. Nothing wrong with it, it has beautiful hardware and everything. Wait till you see it!

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Linking up to these wonderful parties:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

What should you do with cupboard door samples?

Well, turn them into art of course!

I found these 5 cupboard door samples by the curb. And right away I knew what I had in mind for them.

 

I painted them with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White, then I distressed them and applied clear wax.

Next I printed images from The Graphics Fairy on off-white card stock paper.

The plan was to modge podge them in the centre part of the doors. Well, it was a lot of work locating the middle of the door, then the middle of the images. And with my mediocre limited measuring skills, it meant having to reprint a few of the pictures because they were off centre. 

Okay, finally they were all centered nicely. Next I modge podged the back of the images and glued them on the doors. So far so good. Next, in order to protect them, I modge podged the front of the images with the matte finish modge podge. Well, apparently, you can't do that with ink-jet printed images; it washes off the ink.  ;^(  I had to scrape them off the doors.

So, I went back, reprinted the images and this time I sprayed them with a canvas protector, also in a matte finish. Reglued them on the doors. Let everything dry thoroughly and then went over them with a thin layer of modge podge. Success!

Hubby and I then installed some hooks on the back and here they are, ready to grace someone's kitchen or dining room:

Yes I know, there are two doors with identical teapots. It's a mistake, folks. One of them was supposed to be 3 adorable teacups. But with all the measuring and gluing mistakes, I lost track of what I reprinted and that's how I ended up with two teapots. I'm kind of a klutz that way. Oh. Well. I'm okay with it. :^)

My husband really likes the way they turned out and thinks I'm on to something. Unfortunately, they're one of a kind, because I don't know where I can find an infinite supply of cupboard door samples. For free. The curb is a fickle mistress, my friends. She doesn't offer the same thing twice.

Too bad, because I really learned from all those mistakes and now I'm a real pro at this!

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Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a free My Memories digital scrapbooking software package, only 3 more days to go!

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Linking up to:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage