The Used Palette

I think I'm hard on palettes. I let paint dry on them. The modeling compound I use to give my knife work depth builds up over time. Every so often, I scrap off some of the gunk, but eventually it gets too hard to work with so I start over with a fresh palette.

I remember seeing a used artist's palette at an antique market. It was beautiful. The wood was worn and lovely, and there were dabs of paint neatly smeared about it. Someone was clearly neater, cleaner painter than I am.

Used Wooden Palette

Acrylic on Wood, approximately 12 inches by 15 inches

Available for purchase here SOLD

Speaking of neater and cleaner, I spruced up the old blog layout to more accurate reflect the new direction I'm heading with this blog. I really loved the old banner, but it was time for a change. Support my palette abuse with the actual palette used for my updated header. It would look great tucked in a bookcase!

Antique Chest of Drawers

Did you ever find something fantatic and you bought it even though you didn't know where you will put it?

That's what happened when I found this antique chest of drawers at ReStore.

While it was a great price, I wasn't sure what my husband would think of it, so I took a picture with my phone, and practically danced around it while I waited for a response from him.  There was no way I was going to walk away from this beauty.

He approved.  Smart fellow.

I love the grape cluster pulls, the spindle details, and that amazing patina of worn wood.

The top has a large crack down the middle, which has been poorly repaired so it was priced accordingly.  Some day I'll either pull the top off and repair it properly or replace it with a piece of marble.  For now, I set a large tray on it for seasonal vignettes.

Red Chippy Box

During this summer's drought, I only watered when absolutely necessary, so the garden is looking pretty shabby.  This winter I'm going to plan for an overhaul of half of the backyard next spring.

In the meantime, I've been slowing cleaning out the garden, and I decided this planter box has seen its better days.

I built it about 11 years ago out of scraps from a deck and fence project.  I really didn't have any sort of plan when I built it, so I'm pretty amazed it held together for so long.

I unscrewed the side panels, trimmed the weathered ends and built a little box.  On a whim, I added the little feet.  Aren't they cute?

 

I used a palm sander and a Dremel to wear down all the edges.  Originally, I was going to leave it natural, but the wood was so bowed from being outside, I had to use a lot of wood putty to fill the joints.  Now, I'm so glad I painted it.

 

 

It took the better part of an afternoon to get the effect I wanted.  It was worth the time spent!

 

So how did I get the look?  Chalk paint?  Milk paint?

Nope.  It's all just typical craft store stuff!

Start with a brown acrylic craft paint for the base coat.  Follow with black acrylic craft paint for the second coat.  I think starting with brown keeps the black from seeming too stark when the layers are sanded away.

Next, apply one coat of Weathered Wood Crackle Medium (follow the directions on the package).  Top coat of Cadmium Red acrylic craft paint.

Sand, sand, sand.  Complete with Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.

I can't describe how amazingly soft the wood feels.  The wax really makes the box feel old.

Then again, I used 11+ year old wood to build it.  Let's see those feet one more time.

 

 

I'm linking up...

Funky Junk Interiors

Mini-Bar Knock-off

In my part of the country, finished basements are pretty typical.  Some are really tricked out with elaborate wet bars, and I really question how much use they get.

When I've toured Mary Carol Garrity's home, one of the things I've admired is her mini-bar which moves from room to room, depending on the season.  I've seen it set up in her foyer ready to serve guests at a holiday party or tucked aside in the living room.

While I try to keep the liquor put away, it always seems like the old stand-bys don't stay in the cabinet.  I had a spare corner in the dining room that would be perfect for a small cart or table, if I could find one.

I searched my favorite thrift stores and second-hand shops until I found this table at a local antique store.

Being a reproduction, not an actual antique, the price was right.  I didn't like the backing or the spindles, but they were easy to remove.  The shelves were wood veneer, but I figured it could strip it and restain it.

And that's where my troubles started.

First problem: The original stain was stubborn, especially on the legs.  The stripper was pretty ineffective, so I had to sand the majority of the legs.

Second problem:  I couldn't get the new stain to "take."  I wanted it to be a dark cherry color.  I applied one coat of Minwax Red Mahogany.  Then a second coat. Still too pale.  So I switched to Ebony.  (Thank goodness I had all this stain on hand already).  Closer, but not quite.  The grain was disappearing and it looked muddy.  At this point, I'm ready to ditch the stain and head for the spray paint.

Good thing I didn't give up.

How did I achieve that rich finish?  I wiped down the excess stain with mineral spirits and tried one more thing: a wash with burnt sienna acrylic craft paint with just a dab of black paint. Brushed it on a small section with a chip brush, then promptly wiped the excess.  Let it dry, then sealed with Minwax's Wipe-on Poly.

Perfect!

I know that distressed chalk paint is all the rage...to the point of being passé in my opinion.  Give me that subtle shading of stained wood any day.

Shhhh...the lamp came from our neighbor's trash.  Formerly shiny brass, I spray painted it ORB.  I think their daughter recognized it when I was painting it in our driveway.  Yes, that was a little embarrassing.  The lampshade was a ReStore find last week.

Cocktail, anyone?

And my most recent Nell Hill's purchases: This little fern plant and decanter.

For all the hours I spent trying to get the finish right, I'm so glad I didn't give up on it.

I'm linking up...

Coastal Charm

Savvy Southern Style

Handy Man, Crafty Woman

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Miss Mustard Seed

At the Picket Fence

Southern Hospitality

 

Rustic Cedar Boxes

I reached a milestone recently...100 followers!  Of course, we all know blogging isn't a popularity contest, but the feedback for all the work is rewarding.

I mentioned in my last post that I had some new cedar boxes I was crazy about this summer.  I started scheming this project as soon as the weather began to warm this spring.

I had been meaning to stop at the big box home improvement stores for some wood to build some wooden boxes to contain some of my garden supplies and pull together some of the small flower pots on the deck.  Then I came home from work one night and found my new next door neighbors replacing part of their fence.

Usually I'm pretty bashful about asking for things, but this time I spoke up.  Oh, let me take some of that old wood off your hands!

My new neighbor looked at me like I was nuts.

No worries...she'll get to know me soon enough!  I pulled enough wood to build two boxes, one for the potting bench and one for the deck.

I found the iron cherub at a local antique store, although I doubt he's an antique.  I've had this terra cotta pot for years, and it's my favorite.

Too bad trash day came so quickly, but they have three more sides of their fence that I'm sure they'll replace eventually.  I'll have my crowbar ready.

I'm linking up...

The Great Outdoors Linky Party at Thistlewood Farm

Savvy Southern Style

Handy Man, Crafty Woman

Common Ground

At the Picket Fence

Funky Junk Interiors

Potting Bench Update

Last summer, I turned an old workbench in the garage into a potting bench for the garden.  Since the homeowners association does not allow sheds or similar outbuildings, the potting bench has been very handy.

It's held up pretty well under the elements, considering it was not originally built to be outside.  It will probably need another coat of paint soon, and since the top is made of plywood, eventually it will have to be replaced.

If I had been designing my potting bench from scratch, I would have added an upper shelf, like a hutch.  But since I was using what I had with minimal modifications, adding a hutch wasn't going to work. 

Then I found a rustic shelf I loved for its brackets last year at Restore, but I couldn't make the brackets fit against the fence, until I realized I just needed to turn them upside down.

The statuary is an antique store find a couple of weeks ago.  There was a sundail in the same booth, and I agonized over the decision.  But I fell in love this little guy's patina.

I usually don't have much luck with petunias.  I'm crossing my fingers I can keep these beauties alive this summer.

I freshened the lime-wash finish on the terra cotta pots this morning.  I like doing this when it's hot outside so they dry quickly.

To age terra cotta, I use a couple of heaping tablespoons of garden lime in about a cup of water.  Stir to dissolve the lime the best you can.  It probably won't completely dissolve, which is fine.  Brush on with an old paint brush, taking care not to let it drip and run.  If you do it on a hot, windy day, it will dry quickly.  Brush the excess lime off.  It's a more natural-looking aging method than using paint, the results are instant, and it's not icky like the old yogurt technique.

Sedum...it's so easy to make new little plants. Just clip a piece off the parent plant and stick it in potting soil.  This one has roots coming out of the drainage hole, so it's time to go into the ground.

Another new addition is this sweet rustic box. I love it so much, it's going to get it's own post. The tool box is a thrift store makeover from last year, and I'm happy to say it's holding up well too.

One yard ornament that was decommissioned last year was a plastic birdbath.  Plastic yard ornaments are so inexpensive, but they become brittle over time.

The bowl cracked but the base was still fine and I liked the scrolls, so I kept it until I could find a use for it.

Can you believe a three inch convex truck mirror fit perfectly in the center?  My husband thinks it looks like a wheel, so I wouldn't use it in the house, but it looks fine in the garden.

I'm trying to use more color, so I like the pop of red it adds to this corner.

The lantern is another Restore find.  I think I paid $2 for it.  I pulled the wiring out of it and hung it on a shepherd's hook.  I don't have much luck with hanging baskets (too hot and windy in Kansas).  This cute lantern doesn't need water!

I'm linking up...

Handy Man, Crafty Woman

At the Picket Fence

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

The Shabby Nest

Funky Junk Interiors

Under the Table and Dreaming

Les Chateau des Fleurs

Between Naps on the Porch

Tray Table

Did anyone else suffer from Downtown Abbey withdrawal last weekend?  We don't have cable and unless the tornado sirens are blowing or presidental election results are being announced, we don't watch TV.  If something is any good, we'll just wait and get it on Netflix.

I made an exception for season two of Downtown Abbey.  I had to rely on digital rabbit ears and thirty feet of cable to get it out of the basement so I could tune in every week.  It will be a long wait for season three.

So I think I was channeling a bit of Downtown Abbey when I thought of dressing up this plain old table.

It fills the narrow wall nicely, but the top is too small.  In my stash of unfinished/unstarted projects, I have several of these old cabinet doors.

I also found this old light fixture at ReStore. 

They had two of these.  I go to ReStore every Friday after work (my idea of TGIF happy hour), and every week for the past month it's mate is still there. 

What a pity.

I removed the chain, wiring and light socket and used a combination of gold craft paint and Rub 'n Buff to bring back its luster.  Let's see how our misfits cleaned up.

I removed the old door handle and filled the holes with wood putty, then repainted the entire door with my favorite bronze craft paint.  I pulled a second door pull from another cabinet door on hand and painted them with bronze craft paint too.  The stuff sticks to just about anything.

I love the details of the light-fixture-turned-into-lantern, especially the seeded glass.  I can't bring myself to buy the cheap stuff made in China you find in most chain stores.

 
I love battery operated LED candles for my lanterns, especially the ones that run on four-hour timers.  They'll run for months on a couple of AA batteries.

Originally, I had this bowl filled with decorative balls on this table top.  I moved it to the lower shelf and added my DIY moss balls.

Someday, I'll have to show you how I made the textured bronze balls.  I'll save that for another post.

I added a tiny bell for when I want to call the maid, and my vignette is complete.

Update: I've been in denial until tonight, but Google Friend Connect is going way tomorrow.  Google didn't pay one bit of attention to all my pouting.  I'm still undecided what I am going to do to replace it.  (I'm going through an anti-Facebook phase).  For now, I've added one of those nifty RSS subscriber buttons to the right.  If that's your thing, I hope you click  it to continue following me.

I think I'm going to make a pan of brownies now.

Unfinished Business

I've been thinking about my craft life lately. 

Specifically, all the unfinished projects hanging about the house.

I'll admit, sometimes my follow-through on my plans is...

Hey, look at this tray I scored at a garage sale for only a quarter!  I could paint it!

So, I am devoting the entire month of February to FINISH some of these projects.  "Window shopping" at thrift stores and craft supply will be strictly limited.

Notice I picked the shortest month of the year for this experiment?

First project:

Let's roll back to the summer of 2010.

Husband has just left for work, and I'm finishing breakfast before I leave for work myself.

It's Friday, trash day in our neighborhood. The phone rings.

"There is a window setting by the curb around the corner. It looks like something you might be interested in."

Oh yes, I am interested in this old window, but not the cutesy flowers painted on it.  So I paint it black.

And then it collects dust.

Move forward to last weekend.  After the chaos in my craft studio that was called Christmas, I begin to re-organize.  I could really use more shelving for the things I reach for often.  And what am I going to do with that old window?

Ah-ha!  A 1x6 board and some basic shelf brackets and now I have this:

I really needed another pin cushion, so I made one from scrap canvas, Poly-fil and a terra cotta flower pot from a miniature floral arrangement a co-worker gave me for Christmas a couple of decades ago (I knew there was a reason why I saved it).  It took me all of five minutes.  I'm on a roll!

Today, I have co-worker who can knit, and she taught me the basics.  Whoo-hoo!  I'm so excited to have an new craft skill!

I inherited a grandmother's knitting needles, so I wanted something fun to put them in, like a vase.  I could run to Savers tomorrow after work to look around...

No, none of that! 

What else do I have?

Plenty of scrap wood!  Cut four sides and a bottom.  Give it some distressing and some paint.  Add hardware from an old armoire I tore apart a few years ago for embellishment.

This is working out better than I thought!

A couple of years ago I pulled this from a fortune cookie on a really lousy day at work.

Let's see how much I can undertake and complete this month!

Deck the Shelves

Earlier this week, I showed you how I took some basic white floating shelves and dressed them up with trim and bronze craft paint.

That was the easy part.  Now, what am I going to put on them?

I have this cute mirror that I pulled out of a heap of garage sale leftovers someone set at the curb and posted for free on Craigslist.  I wrote about it last January, but I never could decide what to do with it.

What else can I use?  I want something organic, but small and compact without seeming too cute.  Hmmm...I'll have to give that some thought.

I love architectural salvage, so I wanted something that looks old with interesting lines to complement the petite ornate mirror.  But in my town it is hard to come by without paying a hefty price.

So I'm going to fake it.

I have a spare finial and a wood disk from previous projects.  I picked up the candlestick at a thrift store.

I stained the unfinished pieces so they would look more like the candlestick when distressed.  Then I painted everything a buttery yellow, let it dry and took sandpaper to it.

My greatest concern was I would sand through the finish on the finial and the disk and not through it on the candlestick.

I was right.

So I watered down the yellow paint a little and went over all the exposed wood.

Next, I used a brown glaze on it, let it dry, and then finished with paste wax.  I love how it turned out.

So that just leaves the organic bit left.  I had the idea of a moss ball to tuck on the shelf.  I had the moss already, so I was going to pick up a styrofoam ball at the craft store.

The size I needed came in a multi-pack for almost $5.  Geez. 

I mulled it around for a minute and came up with a better idea.  And I have a lot of them!

Just take small sections of moss and hot glue them on the tennis ball.  NOTE: Since the moss has to be pressed in place before the glue sets, use a low temperature glue gun and plenty of caution since hot glue can cause burns.

Isn't it fun to using what you already have to make something pretty?