Weekend Buying Notes

Yesterday was a buying day, need to replenish our back stock.  This is one of those double-edged benefits of owning an antique booth.  It's fun to shop, then work to get it ready, exciting when it sells, then it starts all over again.  Especially when we've had a few good weeks where many of our furniture items have sold.  They leave a hole in the booth that needs to be filled quickly before customers get used to passing by without looking.

At a small estate sale we found an old piano bench that looks promising plus a bookcase, which won't take much work to get it ready.  It will be perfect to display the vintage cookbooks and other books I have collected.  A few pieces of glassware that add sparkle and some odds and ends that will eventually become part of something else, LOL.

Then on to the annual big antique show, these are more hard-core antique people.  It might have been just me but the prices seemed to be higher than usual.  Many items were already sold by the time we got there, which wasn't a problem since the prices were way out of our league.  I drooled over a booth of genuine Tiffany Lamps.  I think this is the first time I've seen so many of the real thing in one place, just exquisite.  The prices reflected their value but it was easy to see the quality that made them such an icon. I picked up a couple of vintage hand churns/mixers which will go to the booth this week; a quasi-vintage (not as old as they intimated) coffee grinder...it works but would need a much bigger grinding cup to make a full pot of coffee.  Would be more of a decorative piece I think.  A few other small items that are unusual and I hope will sell quickly.  No time for pictures yet.

I think the big seller of the day was the old, vintage, wood type-set letters.  They went from 1" to over 7" and the price started at $5 each and went up.  The owner was working as fast as he could and had to call for more help, people were standing three deep around the table buying letters and numbers.  He had some cool displays made up using the letters and I think that added to his success.  My coffee cup is empty and I think the paper is here; I do enjoy this quite time to myself on Sunday mornings before the sun comes up and the day begins.

                                                                                                            ...till next time, jan

                                             

Getting Busy

Took a few things out to the antique booth and wow, found them both with big holes where items had sold.  Was a surprise to see so many big items gone, a very nice surprise I might add :)  The yellow cabinet I showed you last week is already gone, as was a couple of other small tables and a wall shelf.   I have a couple of tables and a shelf just about ready to go - need to find time to finish my chair and paint the old kitchen table and chairs I got a few weeks ago.  

Annie Sloan Tips

Finally was able to take an Annie Sloan class last night, we now have a stockist in Springfield so I don't have to drive 100 miles to buy paint.  Met some fun women, most who had driven from neighboring towns to attend the class.  Since I've been using AS chalk paint for a year now I was already familiar with the basic techniques - but did pick up a few new ones I thought I'd share.

Did you know....you can wash your AS brushes in the washing machine?

...that the best way to apply the paint is in X's and brush?  (Contrary to what I thought I'd been told)

...that you should occasionally use some hair conditioner to condition your brushes?

...that if you forget and leave your brush out - or the lid off the can - no harm done?  Just gather the icky stuff around the top of the can, push it down into the can with your brush then stand your brush in the can.  In about an hour your paint will have magically re-homoginized and your brush will be soft and usable.

We did samples and I got to try their Craqueler.   I'm not a big fan of the crackle technique but have to admit it looked nice.  I used Old Ocher over a Coco base (one of my fave combos) and applied the Craqueler very thinly, then a light coat of dark wax.  It did not photograph well so no pictures. I did splurg on a jar of Gilding Wax.  I usually use Rub 'n Buff but this went on like silk and you could buff it out, take it off or add more with no problems.  I would love to have a jar of the copper and silver but those will have to wait.  As much as I like the Annie Sloan products, they are expensive.

                                                                                               

                                                                                                                             ...till next time, jan

Current projects, slow progress.

It's slow but it is progress.  As they looked a couple of weeks ago -- the chair, the bench and dresser.

The dresser will be set aside for now but the chair is underway.  Stripped of two layers of upholstery and checked out, it's OK to go ahead without having to make any repairs, just fresh batting.  Off I went to the fabric store(s), the fabric outlet, got a few samples, any of which would work but I wanted something to jump out and call my name.

Stopped at Hobby Lobby on my way home, walked through the fabric and there it was!  Didn't know what I wanted till I saw it but it's beautiful!   Hmmm, oh my, much more than I wanted to pay.  Isn't it always like that?  Got a sample though and guess what?  It looked even better in my living room, LOL. 

Now decision time.  Am I going to paint the chair?  Refinish the wood?  Leave it like it is??  The wood is in good condition just, well, boring :)  Pulled out my Annie Sloan paint samples and believe it or not, the Chateau Grey is perfect with this fabric. Chateau Grey is almost a sage color, and it brought out the little bit of green that I'd not even noticed.  But maybe a glossy black would look better so back to my test boards. No, it's definitely the CG; I have the paint and the best way to decide is to actually see it, so painted one arm.  DH is very doubtful but you have to envision how it will look painted, and waxed :)  If I put this chair in the booth, I have to ask more to cover the cost of the fabric, will everyone love the colors like I do?  Would  it be better to go with an off white paint and fabric that is nice and 1/4th the cost?  Have to mull this over.

Back to the bench. Even with my finger in the picture you can get an idea of how it looks.  Last week I posted I loved the chippy, yellow color.  But can't find a fabric that looked good with the color, not in my stash and not in the stores.  But did fall in love with a black and white polka dot, which would look super with a glossy black finish.  Got to work tearing off all the layers of fabric and batting, and found it was not in the best shape.  I even suspect this might have been a chair that someone made into a bench.  Actually that's a good idea :) but the chippy finish is worse than I thought, so much so that it would require mega sanding and filling for a glossy finish.  So...... did some minor sanding and repainted it yellow, a touch of dark wax will soften the look.  What I call yellow is really Valspar Whipped Apricot, can't imagine how they get Apricot but I love the color. Now inspiration strikes, I'll bet the yard and a half fabric I need for the chair will be enough to cover the bench too!  Laid it out and yes!  Now I can justify the cost :)  But...but...I just painted it yellow.....decisions, decisions. As soon as I know what I decide I'll let you know.

                                                                                                                           till next time, jan

Show & Tell

Here's what's been keeping me busy.  First is my Halloween sign which I made to decorate the booth - but liked so well it's still sitting on my mantle :) Actually everything here was made for the booth but hasn't made it out yet.  Although the colors don't show up well in the picture they actually glow against the wood.  The wreath was a garage sale grapevine that I wrapped with burlap and stuck in a few leaves, then some more -- then a couple of dried hydrangeas I had sprayed gold - then it took on a life of it's own.  A trip around the back yard to gather some foliage, a quick spray with gold paint, a la Martha Stewart, lol, some ribbon from the dollar store and I had a wreath.  I had tried a project I'd seen someplace, a jute twine pumpkin.  The idea was to soak the jute in glue, wrap it around a jar, let it dry overnight and the next day slide it off, clip the ends together and use a cinnamon stick for a stem.  It was a cute idea and looked OK, but didn't really have a place for it so undid it and had about 20'+ of curly jute twine.  Had some fall leaves I'd gotten half off a few weeks ago so glued them along the twine and wrapped it around the wreath and the excess along the mantle.  Hmmm, I'm liking this.  A little gold velvet pumpkin I made last month, some brass candlesticks...just need to pick up some black candles to finish it off.  I may enjoy it a week or so and take it to the booth, or maybe I'll keep it here and think of something else to decorate the antique booth.  I've had the leaves wrapped around the sign but wanted you to be able to see the words.  A few tea lights at night really sets it off.

Here's a closeup of the little velvet pumpkin and the leaf garland from the jute twine.

Next a quick look at the little cabinet I purchased a few months ago and painted yellow, it's Valspar Whipped Apricot although I called it yellow till I saw the color name :)  It looked a little plain so added some scrapbook paper inside to liven it up.  My preference would be to add a graphic on the top or something on the door, but it's one of those pieces that would work in different rooms so I decided to wait, if it doesn't sell fast I may change my mind.  Since it's not actual wood it didn't distress well so repainted and let it be.

The little chair was from a church rummage sale,  They were blond wood and I first painted it AS white and waxed it.  It sat here a few weeks till I decided to paint pink polka-dots on it -- do you know how hard it is to get good polka-dots?  I wanted very clean, defined edges - and since I had problems with that, I decided to paint pink stripes, straight lines I could do.  But a couple of days later DH brought home some more Valspar, one in a Berry Frost and I loved the bright color so out came the little white chair for a makeover.  I'm going to do a stencil along the back in apple green and think I'm going to do the other chair green as soon as it's ready to paint.  Needs a repair we didn't see till we got it home.  

Magnetic Memo Board from a garage sale tray.  Cleaned off the rust spots, painted the rim blue, chalkboard for the center and because it was so hard to get a defined edge I added some pearl trim. Not sure if I'd do that again.  Glued a magnet to an old silver spoon, tied a black bow around it and added some bling.  I'll write something on it before I take it out for display.  I've seen lots of big silver trays done this way but I never seem to find them...same with picture frames.  Where are all the big, ornate ones people pick up for a $1 or so????

Last one for today.  Not sure these memo boards are as popular as they were last year but since I had everything here, including one last coffee bag, I made one more.  If it doesn't sell DH will be more than happy to bring it home :)  He wanted to keep one last Christmas but they went fast.

I'm trying to finish up projects I already have on hand and/or have all the necessary supplies to make. They accumulate so fast and tend to get scattered here and there.  I want to get my supplies organized before Christmas.  Once the bad weather gets here I have to work inside and it's much easier if everything is organized and in it's place!!

                                     ......till next time, jan

New Projects

No pictures yet but picked up a neat chair today, along with a dresser and scored a little yellow bench.  It's already chippy so a new cushion and it will be ready for the booth.  Had about 100 staples in it - took awhile to get them all out this afternoon.  Every time I go out I swear I'm not going to buy anything that needs work and every time I get suckered in by something that would look so cute with just a little fixing up, LOL.  I made a work schedule yesterday and I've got 21 projects in progress - not counting what I got today!  About half just need a little finishing touch to be done so that's my project for this next week.  Get them finished and out of the house/garage/screen room/patio/etc...which is why my husband got chocolate chip cookies this week!

In true Missouri fashion it was in the 80's today but a storm coming in tomorrow is going to bring rain and drop the temperature 30 degrees in the space of a couple of hours. So had to hurry around this afternoon and get some hydrangeas cut to dry, some ferns to press and surprise, surprise, a half dozen big red tomatoes ready to pick.  I was beginning to think they would never ripen. A few days of cold weather will be the perfect time to work indoors, get caught up on the housework and fix some real meals.  I'll post some pictures next week of all my projects.

                                                 ...till next time, jan          

Creating in the Kitchen

Yes, these are chocolate chip cookies to reward my husband for being such a good sport.  He's hauled my treasures, ran errands and been the muscle for a lot of projects recently.  You may know I don't care for chocolate so rarely make chocolate chip cookies so thought I'd take a picture to prove I do make them occasionally :)  I added a little instant coffee and DH says he can't taste the coffee but they sure are good.  Not my idea, I read it on-line someplace and thought I'd try it.