My first Etsy Sale & the Latest Projects

Wow!  The past few days have flown by.  I have been meaning to get a post up, and time has just passed by faster than I can say!  


I have been busy working on many projects & I made my first sale on Etsy!  The beautiful big white framed chalkboard ended up being shipped to Canada.  I hope the person that got it loves it as much as I did.  I am going to miss seeing it around here.  Selling online is harder than I thought.  I ended up calculating the shipping wrong (way too low on my end) and broke even on the whole sale.  You live and you learn.  I still feel good about getting started.  It took a good bit of courage (for me) to put my "stuff" out there.  I am so glad I have started on this path and I am excited to see where it is going to lead me!


Here are some things that I have been working on around here lately. 


I found this little shelf with a door attached at Goodwill for $2.50.  It had notches in it from something (a dowel rod maybe).  I filled those in with wood filler -- shown as the white stuff on the sides of the shelf.)  This thing needed a lot of love.  I sanded it down (by hand, mind you) and painted it.

BEFORE

AFTER -- 
Couldn't get the glare from the flash to cooperate. 
 This was as good as it gets.
It is not this shiny and offensive to the eye IRL.

After sanding (a lot), I painted it heirloom white.  I thought a little chalkboard paint would look nice on the front.  I taped off a square and painted it with craft chalkboard paint.  It took 4 coats!  Then I did a funky little design around the edges.  I am totally inspired by my personal crafting and decorating hero, Miss Mustard Seed.  She is so creative and inventive!   

Next, I cut the word SIMPLIFY out on the trusty Cricut and used the stencil to paint on the lettering. 


I love how it turned out.  
Apparently my Mom did too.  
She is going to take it!  

** Note to self:  Do not show items to Mom until after they have sold!  :)  

Onto the lamp re-vamp.  I did not get a before picture of this lamp, and I wish I would have.  It was cute, but it was plain white.  The base was white and the shade was too.  This is what I did ... inspired yet again by Miss Mustard Seed!

I painted the base Colonial Red and used a craft paint (burnt umber) to rub the edges and give it an aged look.  I covered the shade in strips of fabric that I ripped 1" wide.  LOVE IT!


Last, but not least... and again... no before picture.  A candle holder.  I got it at Sal. Army for $2.50.  It was an ugly brown, leather looking thing, but I love the chunky shape and the hobnailing around the base.  I had to get it.  This is how it turned out.

So, all in all, I have had a productive few days.  I hope to get much more done.  My pile of junk treasures continues to look like it has been untouched.   I can't wait to tackle more this coming week.  Until next time....

Chalk It UP.

OK.... So lately I have had a strange desire to take old frames and make chalkboards.  I just love a chalkboard.  I don't know what it is exactly... maybe it is the idea of a "blank slate..." and when you make a mistake you can easily erase it.  I love the whimsical feel of a decorative frame with a chalkboard.  Pretty & functional.  It just screams "WRITE ON ME!! PLEASE!!!" 

These are what I have been working on EVER SO diligently these past few days.  I really like the way that they have turned out.  

I found this frame (only with glass) at Goodwill for $1.50!  GET OUT!!! YES!!!  It was GOLD GOLD GOLD people.  I used Heirloom white (my latest go-to color).  Then I used burnt umber acrylic paint to rub the raised ornate detailing.  It had a linen type inset that did not look good with the paint, so I put a dark brown ribbon around the inside of the frame to cover the offensive linen.  I LOVE IT!!  

  

Here are a matching set of frames that I have had in the garage for 3 years.  They had country prints in them that I had in our last house.  The prints were not really my style anymore, and they warped in the humidity... so....my sweet husband took the glass out (with a hammer over the trash can outside) ....

 Then I painted the frames two very fun colors.  I then painted some brown glaze over the whole frame and rubbed off some parts.  CUTE!

I am seriously going to try to sell these.... as my husband is SO URGING me to start doing.  But... just between me & you.... I wouldn't mind terribly if this red one doesn't sell :)

As for the desk.....  I am still working on that.  I actually put it in my daughter's room and she has gotten crayon on it already!  Therefore... the desk is going back to the garage.  I got a fab. idea from miss mustard seed's (missmustardseed.blogspot.com) gallery to use chalkboard & paint a chalkboard on top of the desk and do a beautiful swirly design around the edges of the chalkboard.  I think it is going to be wonderful.... At least it is in my head!  :)  This is how the desk looks now.  

 I painted it heirloom white.  I have not put the two brass knobs back on the front yet.  I am not sure about them.  I am thinking of something more feminine and dreamy.  Maybe some yummy glass knobs? HHHMMMM....  Looks like I need to buy more chalkboard paint :)

Longing for a Desk...

This is it! I am SO excited to finally be up & running! I have been reading POURING over dozens of decorating blogs over the past few months & I was so deeply inspired that I just HAD to make my own.


That brings me here....


I have many projects that I am working on but the one that I am focusing on right now is this desk for my daughter. I looked and looked for a cute desk for her for weeks. Then I found this one on Craigslist for $35! It. Is. Beautiful. Solid. Wood. (Swoon) 

 I have sanded it down and primed it. I am painting it Heirloom White & may end up putting a light glaze around the edges of it. I am excited to work on it during the next few days :).