Show & Tell~

Here is a little dresser that I picked up at a yard sale for one dollar. This photo shows exactly how it looked when I bought it...... slightly sanded, knobs missing, and two colors of paint. I must admit, I've kept it this way for about a year! I just stuck it in my studio, filled it with items and have been happy with it ever since..... until now. This little dresser is getting a makeover~ Here is the BEFORE photo:
Here is the AFTER photo: *My very first tutorial* Woot-woot~

Here is an EASY-PEASY tutorial on how I did it:

I wiped the whole thing down with a wet towel to remove all the flaking paint and dust and in keeping with my shabby chic style-- painted the whole thing white. I didn't sand anything on the dresser, figuring on using those bits of globby paint to my advantage when antiquing it later. Once painted, I wanted to add some of those wooden appliques that everyone is just wild about....but heck, it is just a flimsy one dollar dresser, so that seemed absurd. Soooooooooo I got out one of my many stencils and I set out to stencil on some joint compound to give it the "appearance" of a wooden applique.

Firstly, your needing some joint compound, a putty knife (I use a stir stick instead), a stencil of your choice, some tape, a ruler & pencil. Thats it~ Next, if your centering your design like I did-- find the center and mark the spot with a pencil to help you align your stencil... next, just tape your stencil down. (yes, that is paint on my stencil, I do not wash the paint off of my stencils)Now, comes the fun part. You just take some of your joint compound and spread a nice coat of it on top of your stencil. No worries, don't stress-- it does end up looking fabulous-- promise! While this is setting up a little, I draw the center on the next drawer...so I would say about 2 minutes max. That seemed to work fine for me~ Next, you just pull up your stencil. Keep a good grip on it as its going to be heavy with the excess joint compound on it. (Place the stencil onto newspaper or scrap paper so you don't get anything on your work surface) If for any reason your not happy with the results, simply wipe off the joint compound while it is still wet, with a wet paper towel, and start over! (I had to wipe off a finished drawer as I noticed I had applied the stencil upside down lol) At this point you want to tap down any large peaks or wipe away any mistakes or globs. Again, no biggy-- enjoy the process~ When your ready for the next drawer, simply pick up your joint compound ladden stencil and reapply to a new drawer front. You do not have to clean your stencil between each drawer...unless your extremely messy and it is necessary! Repeat this process until all the drawers are completed. Let the newly appliqued pieces dry for 5 hours or more....until everything is dry to the touch. At this point you can either use your nail or an razor blade to cut off any bumpy bits --if you want to. Don't sand it or it will crumble completly off. To clean your stencil, simply scrape off remaining joint compound and put back into the container. Try to wipe off as much of the compound as possible (I use toilet paper, it is softer and less harsh on the stencil than paper towels) and toss the tissue into the trash. Just rinse the stencil under hot water while rubbing the stencil gently and the joint compound washes away. Next, I painted over the raised area with the same latex house paint that the drawers had been painted with. I put two coats on each drawer, once the paint has dried comes the super fun part! Antiquing! I used a nutmeg brown paint watered down and applied randomly with a large brush. I then used my fingers to rub the watered down paint all over the piece. I had to rewet my fingers a lot to keep the paint moving in an even coat. If it sets up and looks awful-- just rewet the area and run your fingers/hand across it until you like the looks of it.Looks good huh? If at a later date I feel I want it to be lighter, I'll just wet it and rub more off. Lastly, just take a brown ink pad.... I used a color called "chocolate chip" and rub it along the edges and raised areas of your piece. This is when the piece really comes to life. Here is my one dollar dresser all finished with its new knobs and freshly appliqued painted surfaces ready to be used once again! (I bought a bag of 24 of these knobs for $2 bucks) Here is a close up. Doesn't it look neat and super old? Not to bad for a dollar dresser~

You can view more Show & Tells on Kelli's blog. If you've arrived here from "There's no place like Home" and wish to view more of my blog, you can click here.

Goofing around~

I'm still trying to streamline my studio. I think my things mutiply when I'm not looking~ Between the yarn I've accumulated...and the yarn my BFF recently gave me... I've got a ton of yarn! All of this was in various locations around my studio, hall closet and some even under the bed.I sorted the yarn, putting the same colors together and then packed it into bins which I labeled Yarn Box 1 & 2 & 3....

I cut a piece off of each skein and tied it around a ring and labeled each ring to match each bin.

I also wrote how many of each color skein was in each bin. The bins are going in the garage! and these little rings along with the paper telling me how much of each skein there are.... are going in my studio :-)

Furniture Makeover Award~

Oh my gooooooooodness, I am so flattered to receive this "Furniture makeover award" from Jen from Sanctuary Arts at Home
Jen had seen my handy work on the toddler bed I had made over for my grandson. Needless to say, I am flattered beyond comprehension as I hold Jen and her artistic abilities way up high on a majestic handpainted pedestal :-) Thank you very much Jen, I appreciate your award :-)

Cauute!

I've made a little banner with my grandaughter's name on it... caute! (she'll be born in February) I love how the flowers turned out on this piece. Very time consuming to make them...but well worth it~

Playroom~

I finally got around to hanging up my shabby chic curtains in my computer/play room :-) I think they look darling~If you look on the wall to the right, I created that wall treatment :-) I saw a photo in a magazine once, tore out the picture as a reminder... and I just whipped it out. It truely was easy-peasy. (this has been up for quite sometime) I first found the center of the wall and nailed the first board up with paneling nails. Here is a view to the left.....I just measured, cut, and nailed it all together. I did add those square doo-dads as well. I got a bag full of them for $3 bucks. (I think at the hardware store they are $3 bucks each) I then added the shelf to the top of it to house all my extra "stuff" that I buy from from various places. I then just painted it all white, everything looks better with a fresh coat of white paint! Here is a view to the right..... I need to take down the wreath...it is centered over one part of my sectional couch, but it looks kinda out of place now lol-- it is the glittered balls on it that speak to me..."keep me up" they say lol

Valentine swap~

Here are two things I've made for the Valentine swap I joined. My partner and I have extended our mail out date for this upcoming Wednesday :-)

Here is a two sided swag. One side says "I love you"and the other side has the last name of my swapping partner "Roberts"I used the Martha Stewart antique silver glitter. The glitter is super fine like powder-- I'm not so sure I like it. The upside, the glitter doesn't stick to your skin. The downside... it floats around and covers everything! I will probably add more to this swag tomorrow as it looks like it could use some more doo-dads :-)

I am also sending along a captured cupid in a jar. This is my last cupid, I've got to make more!I've got bunches of other things as well to work on and box up, but this is just what I've completed this evening :-)

Granny cart~

I finally finished the fabric insert for my "granny cart" I like to use this when I go to some of the mile long yard sales we have here in town. Some months it is every weekend that they are held :-) I used an old worn quilt instead of new fabric... the backside of the quilt (which is now the inside lining of my cart) is a lovely rose print. I love the old look of this quilt. It was a very worn-old quilt, but I don't think it was an "antique" I picked it up from one of my local haunts for 5 bucks. I had previously taken the back fabric off of this quilt, which worked out well since the two pieces now have hidden seams. It has a very "shabby" look to it, which I adore!I also covered two bungee cords to match~ I would like to make a cover of some kind as I notice people like to peer inside my cart when its full of treasures lol-- which keeps me from delving deep into unopened boxes of treasures that have things for sale because I'm trying to keep an eye out for looters lolI often buy loads of magazines while hitting yard sales...but, what the heck do you do with them all? They start breeding when your not looking and before you know it, they are everywhere!

Over the years I've come to realize that most magazines only have a few things that I'm interested in ever seeing/reading/or trying (recipe wise) so, I've come up with a solution that works well for me. I rip out pages of things I want to view again-- and place all pretaining pages together into a single plastic binder page. Then I place all like things together in different binders. I have one solely for recipes, crochet patterns, art ideas etc. The remainder of the magazine I either pass on to friends or I donate to a thrift store-- I always mark the corners with a slash mark so I don't rebuy magazines lol

I'll post this recipe for snowball cupcakes when I make them, don't they look delicious?

Lemon Meringue pie & cupcakes~

I pulled off all the lemons off of my lemon tree and squeezed & froze all the juice so I could have "lemons" all year long. I placed 1/2 cup of lemon juice in each ziploc snack bag, folded the bags to get out as much air as possible then sealed them shut. I freeze them flat so I can stack them easily in the freezer. Here is my first pie of the year, okokok first TWO pies of the year, one for me and one for my daughter and her family..... YuMmY!Deluxe Lemon Meringue Pie
1 1/2 c Sugar
1/3 c cornstarch
1 1/2c water, cold
1/2 c lemon juice
5 large eggs -- separated (you'll use the yokes for the pie)
2 tb butter / or margarine
Optional: 1 tsp Lemon rind -- grated- up to 3 tsp
9" pastry shell -- baked
Meringue:
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 c sugar -- plus 2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 egg whites (left over from the pie)

Combine the sugar & cornstarch in a large heavy saucepan; mix well. Gradually add the water and lemon juice into the mixture and have the pot on a medium heat stirring until mixture is smooth. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored; gradually stir into lemon mixture. Add butter, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook 1 minute, stirring continuously. Remove from heat; stir in lemon rind. I let the lemon filling cool in the fridge for a few house then I pour it into the pastry shell. This way the lemon filling doesn't "sweat" and make a watery mess.... Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed of an electric mixer just until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves (2 to 4 minutes). Beat in vanilla, and spread meringue over filling, touching the edge of the pastry to get a nice seal. Bake at 325~ for 25 to 30 mins. or until meringue is golden brown. Cool to room temp.

Lastly, some low calorie cupcakes that I made for my daughter to pass out to a few people who will come to visit her in the hospital when my grandaughter Chloe is born~

Here is a close up of one of the cupcakes~

One World One Heart~

This year as a participant in the One World One Heart I will be giving away this mixed media altered tin....

The drawing will be held on February the 12th. Please leave a comment to be included in the drawing! If you have come from the OWOH site and wish to view more of my blog you can see more posts by clicking on this link :-)

Toddler Bed~

I puchased this vintage toddler bed off of craigslist for $40.00-- (this is the actual photo of the item I saw)I liked the lines of it and thought it would work perfectly for a toddler bed for my grandson. So, I got to work fixing it up to better suit his tastes. Cars baby-- its all about cars! Sooooooo, I sanded & painted it black and added some vinyl diamond plate wallpaper to the headboard and footboard. It is super shiny very thick and sticky backed like contact paper. It only came in a 5' roll....so I had to be very careful not to mess it up. I prayed not to mess it up-- it worked :-)
I puchased the wallpaper off of the internet from a very nice man named Charles who owns "The Wallpaper Company" Send him an email to tell him what your looking for-- he is very reasonable and super nice :-) Anywho...with the bed itself completed, I then made a bedskirt using black and white check fabric which I secured to the underside of the toddler bed by stitching loops in the ends of the elastic then just hooked onto small cup hooks for easy removal for washing.Here it is all finished and in his room. It looks like I need to smooth out an air bubble in the diamond plate headboard-- easy fix, I'll just rub it and it will come out :-) For some reason the foot board photographed dark, but it is that shiny diamond plate as well. In person it looks like its real metal, its cool! :-) I made a comforter using Disney Pixar Car fabric which I got at Walmart for only $4.44 a yard. I used a black fleece throw blanket for the backside of the comforter. The fleece throw was only $3.97 (at Walmart) you cannot even buy a yard of fleece that cheaply-- so really thats the way to go!! I made a matching pillowcase as well. (he doesn't sleep with a pillow yet) Here is a photo of my grandson driving one of his cars on his new bed...he is so funny~ I think it turned out really cute!

Busy sewing away~

I've moved my sewing machine to the kitchen table to use because it has a bigger work surface... My cat Mocha picked this spot-- in an empty plastic bag of all places to lay... the nutter~

I've finished up my grandson's toddler bedding..... now I'm going to make a new insert for my "granny shopping cart" I am wanting a more "shabby chic" look for it. I hope it turns out cauute! Stay tuned~

Mommy & me blanket~

I finally finished this "Mommy & me" blanket for my daughter so she can wrap herself and her new daughter in style. When my daughter was a teen-- she had leopard all over her room...so I thought this was pretty fitting that she has a leopard and pink fur blanket for her to cuddle with her baby girl~ I am trying my hardest to get "started" projects finished! One more finished...hooray!!

Princess Chloe~

My grandaughter (Princess) Chloe Rose is going to make her debut into this world on February the 13th~ I've begun getting things ready for her to have on hand for her big debut.

Her mothers royal robe and hat that she wore when she was a baby.Her small white-gold grown and star scepter is ready as well. Although she will hold no authority while holding this scepter, a child can never start to early in life in using those tools around her.... in any case, she can use it to smack her brother who refuses to be "Prince" Jonathan opting to be Pirate Jonathan instead~

Altered Tins~

Well....here is my altered tin all finished for my swap partner Marilyn whose blog is called "Unshelved Words". The second tin I made is similar to this one-- I think I'll hold onto that one for the upcoming One world/one heart event on January the 19th.It is a winter wonderland swap. Here is a close up of the inside. I have never made an altered tin before.... it was fun and I like how it turned out~

Declutter & Organize Party!!

Sarah at "Thrifty Chick Decor" is hosting a "Declutter & Organize" party filled with great ideas from fellow crafters and the like for storage and organizing ideas :-) I have been busy redoing my studio from THIS cluttered unorganized mess....











to this streamlined everything out in the open (mess?) I know, I've got a lot of art supplies/stuff and some plain ol' junk-- and its not 100% organized but I've had a terrible flu to deal with so bear with me! What to do when you NEED all your supplies? lol

I put in floor to ceiling shelves and purchased clear bins to house various objects. The bins will be labeled eventually once I've streamlined the contents a little more~ The bins hold contents like glitter, glue, beads, trims, vintage items, paint, feathers, sewing supplies-- you name it, I've got it and its in a bin!

I've even got hat boxes on top my t.v. unit in the studio filled to the brim with vintage finds...(labels to come soon)






This vintage bookcase sits on top of my work table for added storage. I love the look of it filled with the white boxes. On the bottom shelf there is a mini drying rack (that pink thing...) that holds tiny pieces while they dry~ neat huh. I think it once was for holding mail? I had to cut the top of it off so it would fit on that shelf-- and of course, I had to paint it pink! lol

Here is a bookcase filled with antique books, some dating from the 1800's all waiting for me to get my hands on them! Its nice not to have them mixed in with my art & craft books finally!













Here is a view from the doorway leading into my studio....
I've got a dress form standing guard at the door....
around her neck she has long necklaces that rattle when anyone passes by her.
I've got loads of things under my work desk--- which will be put into plastic bins soooooooooooon I hope~

The studio closet....I know, Do I really need all this stuff? Yep-- I do. I did toss out a lot of things, which I will probably have to rebuy lol...but its a "work in progress" and with Sarah's ever constant great tips for keeping organized and making things "Cauute", I am inspired to continue!!