Southern Junk Chic: November 2011

Monday, November 28, 2011

Birdcage Chandelier

This creation was featured on:
http://knockoffdecor.com/vintage-birdcage-chandelier &

http://becolorful.typepad.com/becolorful/2011/12/motivated-monday-december-5th.html

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and shopped and ate to your hearts content!

Ok – I saw the Restoration Hardware versions of birdcage chandies and OH! how I love them!! But way outta my price range!!! I wondered how I could create something similar. Hmmm, then I remembered I had two birdcages, a small bamboo one and a large brass one on a stand. At first I thought I’d just add some Christmas white lights inside the cages…but I really loved the chandelier on the inside. What to do, what to do…and I didn’t want to pay $200 for a mini-chandy - so I thought I’d just run down to Lowe’s and see what they had to choose from. SCORE!!! They had one on clearance because someone had returned it…$99 marked down to $32! YAY! Now I could try creating one of my own…

Here’s Restoration Hardware’s versions:

And here’s mine…not as sparkly and glamorous, but it’ll work for this southern girl! And the best part is it cost less than $75!! The vintage brass birdcage was a find from an estate sale last summer - $40; the Lowe’s clearance chandy - $32!! I still have to wire it to fit an outlet, but I think you can picture it. What do you think?!

Thanks for checking out my blog! Hope you enjoyed…

I linked with the following parties:
http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/2011/11/show-off-your-cottage-monday_27.html
http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/2011/11/amaze-me-monday-51.html
http://makingtheworldcuter.com/2011/11/making-the-world-cuter-monday-with-giveaway/
http://becolorful.typepad.com/becolorful/2011/11/motivated-monday-november-28th.html
http://kammyskorner.blogspot.com/2011/11/trash-2-treasure-tuesdays-8-and.html
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/2011/11/nifty-thrifty-tuesday-no90.html
http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/2011/11/tuesdays-treasures_28.html
http://www.theinspiredcollection.blogspot.com/2011/11/totally-inspired-tuesdays-2.html
http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/2011/11/transformation-thursday-giveaway.html

Friday, November 18, 2011

Future Fun Projects...

I've been super busy this week and haven't had a chance to post but wanted to share a few pics of things I've seen on pinterest and other sites that I definitely want to try. I have all the ingredients to do them, I just need to find the time and space.

This is from Restoration Hardware...and OMG I love it! I found a brass birdcage & stand at an estate sale and am definitely going to try this - although mine may be with strands of Christmas lights, versus a mini chandy (because I don't have one!).

I love love this decorated window...and you know I have plenty of these windows in my garage left over from the window art blog...see I knew I would find something else to do with them!

I've seen several blogs and pinterest pics with projects using old books...or pages from old books. I tried the making a rose and it turned out really nice! I can't wait to put a bunch of them on a wreath...or to make a book tree.

I finally learned how to create the "antique look" paper - it's so simple and quick! I've seen some blogs using coffee grounds - but i just used tea made from black tea bags - poured it over a single sheet of paper, used a paint brush to make sure all the paper was coated, (only did one side), put it on a cookie sheet and dried it in the oven. It does take some time if you're doing a bunch of pages, but i only needed about 12 so only took about 15 minutes. I refurbed a coffee table with ASCP and sheet music! Turned out really great & I can't wait to share pics.

My last pics are of signs. I was so excited when I scored a projector on craigslist...for only...$50! YAY! What a deal and it really works, tested it with my laptop before purchase, so I'm hoping I won't have to use any transfer techniques other than tracing. I've got the wood planks and my designs ready to go, just have to block out an evening where I can get them started. I was hoping to make some Christmas ones to sell in my space at the antique mall...but we'll see! I've seen several techniques on how to transfer printed materials to wood, fabrics, etc. and I can't wait to try them too. The image below was just using water and an inkjet print to transfer the design...sounds easy enough. HA! And I can't wait to try to make a subway sign! I just love the one pictured last!

As always, thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you found some of my future projects interesting and will check back to see what I've gotten done. Happy Friday!

Jennifer

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Vintage Find - Trash to Treasure

Wow! I found this little jewel while I was on vacation. I have to laugh at the memories of it…we almost…almost drove passed the “yard sale” – imagine someone so excited they’re unable to speak and just started pecking on the window and motioning to turn/look over there…well that’s what my friend Buff did! She’s so fun! It turns out the yard sale was a fundraiser for the local humane society - an extra bonus! On a tight time schedule that day, we limited ourselves to 20 minutes of searching through what looked like an acre of stuff. I spotted the antiqued mirror and carved wood piece – no price so I asked how much. I snatched it up when she said “oh, how about $2.50?”! Wow!! With a good poker face I said, I guess I’ll take it. I wasn’t sure if it was a headboard, a back piece to a sideboard or buffet…or what?! But for $2.50 it was going to be mine! Along with two crystal lamps and a huge picture that was going to become a chalk board – all for $20.

Here’s the before…it had these funky shelves, and one was broken off and actually had a large hole where the screw went. I knew some spackle was in order if I was going to save this one (without a carpenter on hand).

I decided to spackle a stencil on the areas where the shelves were (after I filled the one side with spackle to fix the hole and peeling veneer). I used a thick layer of spackle on this stencil because I really wanted the texture to show up and it was a small single design (unlike the all over texture in the Country Desk Facelift). Of course I used ASCP - Paris Gray with a little Old White underneath in areas where I knew I would sand, and clear and dark waxes. You should be able to click on any of the pics below to enlarge them.

Here’s where I added the Old White…

And this is the Paris Gray over the Old White, but before the waxes.

I just love the mirror – it’s got that nice aging on it!

And here it is after waxes…and this is the side that had the hole and veneer issues. It’s a little more lumpy than the other side, but I think it adds to that vintage / antique look.

I think it turned out great! How did you think the spackle and stencil did in place of the shelves?

I have it above a mantel in my space at the Gaslamp. I’m working on the mantel…trying to figure out how to shabby chic it more. I added a stencil and am trying to decide if I want to paint it, white wash it, or just add a glaze on top. Suggestions?

Thanks for reading my blog – I hope you enjoyed it! And if you’re not a follower, please follow me!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Country Desk Facelift

I found this cute (or not so cute) little desk on craigslist – the pics used in the ad looked much better and it was advertised as a “handmade” solid wood desk…I wasn’t sure if I found a treasure or would be labeled a sucker. You’ll have to let me know what you think!
I thought it was a little too plain Jane but I couldn’t decide how to fancy it up…then i remembered seeing a blog about stenciling to create texture and I knew that’s what this little piece of furniture needed! I added spackle to the sides using a stencil from Hobby Lobby, used some ASCP (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) Old White and Louis Blue, then added clear and dark waxes. The dark wax definitely helped highlight the stencil.

Here’s the before…see what I mean, super plain…(I did have stencil already on one side, so it’s really a semi-before pic). Don’t forget I have to work in my kitchen, so I apologize for the area and items surrounding the desk…including my weims who feel they have to supervise everything I do! ;-)

I worked in sections stenciling as much as I could without messing up a previous area (and if I did mess up, I just wiped it off with a wet towel and redid it – easy peasy). You can let it air dry, but I was too impatient to see how it would turn out, so I used my hair dryer to speed up the process. It dried a little off white, versus the bright white out of the container – but it was going to be covered with paint anyway (but just an FYI).

Ta da…..the Louis Blue was a little to bright for me so I wiped a little Old White over it with a paper towel until I thought it looked just right. I distressed (sanded) it just a little around the edges. I couldn’t decide if I should get new knobs or use the original ones – which were actually nice porcelain ones! I decided to use them…but they’re white and the desk is off white. Is that ok?

Remember what it looked like before – plain, plain….

I just love how the stencil turned out!!! Love it!!

So what do you think? Was it a good transformation or a waste of my $40 furniture investment…and time and paint..?! It was fun experimenting with the stencil. It took a little patience and a wet towel for mistakes. I washed the stencil after each section I did so the spackle didn’t get a chance to dry – I was afraid it would ruin it for future painting projects if it did.
And here it is squeezed into my space at the Gaslamp Antique Mall.

As always, thanks so much for reading my blog. I hope I shared something useful and that you enjoyed reading about my furniture adventures!

Newport stretch background