a “new chair” for the b’day girl!

My Great Niece is turning 8!

Where DOES the time go?

So~she’s getting a big-girl desk for her bedroom and I’m doing the chair.  An old chair I had for the Nellie’s Barn sale—that didn’t sell.  It’s actually a sweet thing and I’m surprised to still have it.  Oh well–a score for Miss Mackenna!

She actually has GRAND ideas for REdecorating her room and I am to help!  So with the VERY animated descriptions of what she wants, I chose to

REpaint  -and-  REcover the seat with FUN FABRIC!

Here’s the old -sort of a PRESSED BACK- chair. . . that didn’t sell.

I had to cut wood to create a seat, I padded and upholstered it with some really soft & tightly woven sagless burlap.  It looked great, but this is how it went–

• ladies kept walking up to check it out,
• take a little sit down,
• get up and feel the seat,
• give a surprised look at its softness,
• remark on the cheap price tag,

and walk away.

Huh?  I couldn’t pull anything from anyone for explanation.  I still don’t get it.  Was I supposed to gift it to them?

I love the detail in the chair’s back crest!

My new fabric selection.

The stripes would be great for right now—but she wants her room REdecorated, so I’m going with the retro floral.  It will play well with the retro styled desk!

I’ve painted the chair white, then over-sprayed it with Rust-Oleum’s Linen White Chalk spray paint for a soft look with this fabric and her FUTURE room.  This has to be a super fast project–ready to deliver for a party TOMORROW!

 

–

–

–

Everything’s “wet” and I’m running helter-skelter juggling 4 things at once on this Crazy-Busy day, so

it got the TINIEST amount of distressing with a RAZOR BLADE—mostly just to emphasize the crest detail.

I’ll show you the end outcome

WITH the

Birthday girl

later!

Catherine

 

Read Full Post »

some things are just Black & White

Good deals—sucker deals.

Worth the effort—burn it.

I have to stop thinking so negatively about this poor guy.

We were BOTH badly abused in this deal.

“He” –because of the masculine paint job– I think, deserves a PROPER name.

 

Caleb

was suggested and–I like it!

So –Caleb- is growing on my affections.  Maybe because the project is –Hallelujah-  FINI!  M a y b e  ’cause he’s kinda’ handsome now.  Whatever—he’s going to the antique mall in the morn.  Please sell right away!

To REcap~

1. I was sort of strong-armed into this purchase.
2. It was lived in by some critter and was a disGUSTing clean up job.
3. It needed wAy too many repairs, the drawers were all jacked up, and it was stripped of its original hardware.

before

That’s a GOOD picture—and VERY deceiving!

Here he is now,

all cleaned up!

Meet Caleb!  Anyone looking to adopt?

Catherine

 Even though the drawers cleaned up good & DON’T stink now, I painted every inch of them just for comfort–I tend to let my own comfort levels guide me.

Then –to jazz things up a little– I took a few liberties with the sides!  Think stripes & polka dots!  A fun contrast for the big over-sized wood knobs.

I DID run the drawers through the router for an extra bead detail, and I cleaned up and put back the brass key holes–but left them tarnished for the patina!

He looks pretty cute now, huh?

No more sow!

 

Read Full Post »

a birthday cubby

Have I told you that I’m a Great-Great Auntie?

3 times now~ yikes, huh?

14 total nephews and 14 total nieces in 1sts, greats, and great-greats!

Apparently there’s nothing else to do in the Midwest in winter.

Anyway, one of those little cuties turned 4 so I made him a coat cubby!

I found this wainscoting panel at one of the Re Stores, pulled some of my 5/4 board and picked through my “patterns” for a side profile.  The sides you see below are already cut out, sanded, and routered for a beveled edge.

I also added “feet” for a small boost ~and a Sleigh look.

Then I flipped it upside down to make it super easy to set the crown-cove molding AND the bottom/floor.

I added wallpaper to the paneled board sections.  I found that at the ReStore too, and was shocked seeing it.  I knew what it was right away and its value.  Brunschwig & Fils Wallpaper.  I searched online at that time (about ’08) to get the exacts on it, $150 a roll.   I paid $1 ! 

*I just went back to get the pattern info again, but it’s not offered anymore.

Yes~ I popped the top off to make life easier wallpapering and painting!

 

The seat.  I pulled a 2″ board from my stashes.  I don’t have much left and it’s hard to find salvaged—which makes it more affordable.  As you can see, it’s a darker, more red wood, and I’m not liking the look.  YET.  I also don’t like my lighter gray paint at the sides.

I mixed a darker, greener gray and REpainted—way better!  And painted the seat while I was at it (and distressed it).

Way better!

I added reproduction hooks and it was off to serve its new little Master!

HaPPy BiRthDaY Colton!

Love~ GG Auntie Catherine

Read Full Post »

re-entry overload

I’m working on several things at once, and hunting for potential projects—which has netted some interesting things!

LIKE~a trip out of town to pick through the remains of a fallen barn, and a super cute small vintage suitcase on the trip back.

A -desk?- there’s evidence of another drawer or two?  From the ReStore. Maybe a dresser~don’t like the price,  YET.  I’m watching.

A pair of hanging chairs! (a surprise for a pair of teenage nephews!~won’t this be FUN for them?!?)

A trophy-styled lamp and several lamp shades to get REvamped.

A standard 6ft bookcase for a new antique mall space, (more on that soon)

a few leads on some other potential projects,

                -AND-

a large armoire I chased off to Chicago for yesterday

for $1.99 + a tank of gas!

~can you believe??

And looky here, looky here,

LOOKY HERE!

I’m already messin’ with it!  You see where I’m going~right?

Cabinet is huge~a beast!  So I put my nephew to work on it.   Cabinet, 6ft  vs  tall 14 yr old nephew!

I’ve got some stuff goin’ on!

Watch out!

    Catherine

Read Full Post »

yep~the show must go on…

There is SO much still to do~finish before packing and leaving for the Main Street Market show—so I have to just “limp along”. . .

. . . really.

–

Last Friday, while I was working on the twin beds that will be going, a VERY strong gust of wind came out of no where and knocked one of the headboards down my leg.  H a r d.

It knocked the wind out of me, and almost knocked me to the ground for the pain. And I could barely hobble into the house for an ice pack and ibuprofen.  It swelled and turned all kinds of colors—instantly.

This is how it looks 4 days later.  (getting better)  Going to be interesting come Friday (loading) & all day Saturday (the show).

–

So—the offending bed.  (the culprit is on the left)

Here are both -BEFORE.

◊ Mine (with the ovals) was found at the Elkhorn Flea Market, bf’s was bought from an estate sale.

I pressure washed both of them—they were that bad.

Then I made a few repairs, Kilz’d them, painted them, and upholstered the ovals of the Left one (that little culprit).  Oh yeah~ someone sprayed the “oval” one with some of that awful textured spray paint that I had to sand down too.

Better already—right?

Oh NO!

Somehow the fabric puckered hot-gluing the braided gimp around it—???  arrrrrgh  Now what—any suggestions?  It has to be ready to go Friday!

More on the other bed tomorrow~

Catherine

Read Full Post »

speaking of beds…

…how ’bout this

Blast From the Past Project!

See this little cutie-petutie?

She’s my #4 of 8 GREAT nieces!

Where has all that time gone—?

When she was 2or3’ish -and soon after her parents bought their 1st house- my niece/Goddaughter relinquished the task of making a little Princess room for her!

Since I can’t find any pictures of the room to share, you’ll have to imagine this—

Mind you, it was the smallest BR in the house so you can only do so much. . .

The room was painted Pink, of course!

We wrapped the room in a picket fence and hot glued some silk wild flowers around and behind some of the boards.  Among other details, a vintage light was hung, and I re-worked a few pieces of vintage furniture.  THIS furniture.

I found the sweetest potential of a bed in a thrift store during a half price sale, $10  $5!  Sorry, no pictures from when I bought it (’02 or ’03), but you can see what I did to it below.  A simple shabby chic paint job, and an upholstery job with over-sized welting!  The same cabbage rose fabric and some lace also made a matching duvet, pillow sham, bed skirt, and drapes!  

This was the French Empire dresser I shabby chic’d for her

—that later made it’s way back to me for THIS other project!

–I had a dresser, but I needed a Bookcase!–

This was one of my earlier postings,

and,  it~I  was lucky enough to be featured on many prominent blogs for it!  Which put me in front of many of you!  My people who GET me!  ; D

Catherine

Read Full Post »

Landen’s dresser—take 2

I just discovered this old picture—by that I mean from 2004.

Three summers ago I was busy redecorating and renovating 2 of my great nephews’ bedrooms.

One of the projects was REworking a thrift store dresser (I bought and revitalized when the BIG brother was born -in 2004) to look less baby’ish as it moved to the LITTLE brother!

I shared the Before & After project with you, but couldn’t share the BEFORE THAT portion because I didn’t know what ever became of the pictures.  Since I just found one of them, I thought it would be fun to revisit this cute project!

Do you remember this?

This is where it started . . . original “beauty.” $15

I liked the “framed” front profile—and it was SOLID wood, well made, and heavy.  Perfect for a future rough & tumble boy- right?!

My niece wanted to decorate the baby’s room with blues & greens and lots of animals!  I can do that!

Again—this was back in 2004.

Eventually, it passed from BIG brother to LITTLE brother

-and needed to “grow up” a bit more too.  That was the Summer of 2012.

You can read about that project in the original post HERE.  In the top picture my great nephew was about even with the doorknob, at 4.  He’s 7 now  and TALL.  I should check back—wonder if it needs another update!?  ; D

Catherine

 

Read Full Post »

“Isabelle”

All those little kid’s cabinets I love to build

by the time they’re finish, seem so filled with personality

I like to Christen each with a

Proper Name!

These are just SOME I’ve built and sold-

 –

I ♥ building with reclaimed & salvaged materials & flea market finds!

–

So, you know I was recently REinspired … . to build another Armoire,

a Cottage-y Cabinet.

Ensiola, meet your big sister Isabelle!

And here’s her reveal, but there’s more to the story . . . . tomorrow!

Catherine

*See the finished project HERE.

I’m sharing this project with a few of my favorite linky parties!

Read Full Post »

a Cottage-y cabinet

I built this little girl’s armoire a few years back.  It sold quickly and shipped to Arkansas!

I was thinking I’d build another

  BIG girl sized

—but I was lead astray!  It happened while digging through my stashes for “parts.” . . . So the design has changed—a little!

This project started with a door the neighbor put on the curb for garbage.

A very NICE old 4-paneled door—NOT garbage!  I’m hopeful he’ll throw out a few more, he’s—remodeling.

 

So first—I cut the door in half.

*I see my line looks a little wonky—Ooops!

~Because I wanted to make all the door hardware a part of the overall design—I couldn’t run it through the table saw.

~And because I was too lazy to secure a long board creating a fence, I followed a chalk line to make the cut free-hand.  My cut line is a little wonky in places  –oh, well-  it’ll be part of that “bespoke” look!  ; D

1—I shaped the bottom of each side to look like feet.

2—I laid them on the floor to work over it, and tacked strips to hold it upright.

3—Then I played with the top valance I’d previously lopped off of the 90¢ dish hutch.  And I cut off part of its design to simplify it for this project.

4—I ripped a 1 x 10 x 8 pine board into 2″ strips on the table saw to create the face frame and the stiles and rails of the doors.  Plus, I used some of them to both stabilize and make cleats for the top and bottom of the cabinet.

5—With cleats nailed in place, I cut and installed the left and right sides of the face frame.  But- I made a design change and cut them short to add a rosette and bullnose strip at the top.

 

 

 

 

 

–

6—The rosette.  Whenever I see cOOl and unusual rosettes for a good price —   I buy them!  So I have quite a few in my stash, and the simplicity of this seemed like the best fit for my project!  I cut off  2″ from the left and right sides to preserve the natural caked-on painted ends.

7—I uprighted the cabinet. It will stand about 6½ ft tall. The center will need a fixed shelf to make it all rigid/stable.  So I pulled out the former top of the map-luggage handled dresser. Great thickness, perfect balance, and it was left over material!

I needed to cut the top down to 23¾” —and might want to use the outside finished edges for something else so I needed to find the center and then cut it on the table saw.

◊ TIP.  Construction always means measuring and—fractions.  I thought you might like to know an easy way to figure things out quickly and acurately.

Take one bite at a time—the top was 34¼” wide and needed to be cut down to 23¾”.  Instead of driving yourself mad trying to subtract 23¾ from 34¼. . .

Divide the  30″ then 4″ then ¼”  then add them together!

15″  +  2″  +  ¹/8″  =  17¹/8″

After you find the center of the top and mark it off, measure 17¹/8″ from the center each way.  There’s your exact center piece of the top!  So easy right?

I figured out the placement of the center shelf and cut cleats for each side to support it.

~Nailed in the cleats

~set my top in place.

~Part of the other shelves are in and I’ll talk about a couple of the design changes next time!

8—Before I quit for the night, I cut the stiles and rails for the doors and propped them in place.  I also applied my fret-work pieces (the dark pieces) to see the general look!

Can you guess what they are?

Hint—they’re upside down and inside out!  Do you see it?

So far I’m $25 in —

what do ‘ya think?

Catherine

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

N e x t—

I’ve had several inquiries for one of my display cabinets in the antique mall.   —  The first one came—as I was installing it!

I really wasn’t interested in selling it—

       I built it because I nEEded it!

                4 adjustable shelves have made it incredibly flexible.

It started with pilfering off the bottom of this thrift store chair—see that post beginning HERE.

–

Since a BIG cabinet seems to be so interesting. . .

Do you remember this loooong ago post for 2 Girl’s Armoires?

I had just finished building Catrina in this picture!  Ensiola is on the left.

The cabinet on the left -Ensiola- is the one I’m thinking I’ll REbuild  GrownUp size!

So, I’m off to my studio to get going—talk soon!

Catherine

 

Read Full Post »