Finishing Projects

Frequently projects accumulate in their project bags.  When this happens they become part of the overall household decor.  Hanging bags from every peg, doorknob, hook, and often shoulders.  
They produce varied emotions when come across.  Some I see and just groan. Others I actually say, "hurry up and finish this one so you can get back to that one..."
This weekend I am finishing the Pink Poodle yarn baby cocoon and cloche.  I have to get it into the mail on Monday am.  It has a long way to travel to Canada. 
It is a work in progress and an invention in progress.

I have the cocoon and the cloche completed.  I am busy knitting different types of flowers and leaves and stems to adorn it.  

The knit flowers were coming out better than the crochet.  I especially like the one on the hat.  

Arranging the flowers and stems is the next giant problem.  I can already tell I don't want to use those two little flowers.   The button box will eventually come out.  I need to decide on the type of button.  The vintage button box has just about everything. Rhinestones or Mother of Pearl ?  
Will update when it is completed.

My Shabby Chic jewelry box that I was working on a week ago is completed.

I love making these. This one is a music box too and it plays the theme to Love Story.  It is in my shop here

Recent yard sale treasures that followed me home.

I love shabby chic white linens.  These are so pretty. I don't want to part with them, but I must. WeeLambieVintage

Off to get some work done!

 Anne

Shabby Chic Finishing Part 2

Putting the final touches on any project is usually the most fun.
Today I am waxing, polishing and cleaning the jewlery box started yesterday.

Step 3.  Applying wax.

applying the wax

With a soft rag apply one thin coat of wax to the wood surface. If the item you are waxing has glass or mirrors on it tape them off so you don't get wax on the glass.  It is hard to remove.  I like to use beeswax like this product. link  There are many places on the internet where you can buy beeswax.  My niece is raising bees and I wonder what she will do with the left over combs after she extracts that deliscious honey! 

Olver Honey Combs yummm

Of course you can also use a manufactured furniture wax like Minwax Paste wax link
Once the wax is applied allow it to dry for a minimum of 10 mins. 

polishing with a soft hand towel

Polishing... with another soft cloth begin polishing after the wax has dried.  This just takes elbow greese.  Lots of elbow greese! I like to go in one direction and really rub hard until I get a luster going on.  If wax is caked into any little tight spots I use an old soft toothbrush to get at it.  The wood is going to start feeling like a smooth beach stone.  Wax dries to a hard durable finish. 

Step 4.
Cleaning the inside compartments of the jewelry box.  My method is to knock out what ever I can.  Then I use 2" wide tape do get the job done. Wads and wads of tape.  I stick it on and press it down firmly. I use the pointy end of an old paint brush to get the tape into little corners and seams.  Voila when you pull the tape off the dirt and most of the grime comes with it.  This takes awhile when there are lots of little drawers.  It is worth taking the time to do it right.

tape pulling out the grime

As you can see this drawer was pretty dirty. The red velveteen fabric had a lot of dust and grime on it.

dust in all the corners using a stick to get it pressed into all the crannies...

The sides and corners were full of dust and lint.  It took alot of tape to get all that up.  A small stained area remained after the dust and grime was pulled away. 

cleaning with stain remover

A paper towel with some stain remover will get that stain out.  I have used this stain remover on all colors of velveteen linings and never had a mishap with it. I have sprayed it directly onto the interior of the box as well as a little on the paper towel. 

looking new and clean

 

I just dab away at it until it comes clean and look what a great job it did.  It looks new.  This is also a time when you can glue down any loose lining.  If the lining is so badly damaged that you cannot get it clean pull it out. You can always reline it with fabric or paper.
Once my jewelry box is painted, polished and cleaned I like to set it in the sunshine for several hours.  Sunshine really cleans.  It removes any lingering odors and does wonders to freshen up your project.  Good old Mr Sunshine.

Seven clean drawers in the sun!

I love the way this turned out. The Paris Gray paint is so rich and pretty. It is just the way I imagine Paris to be on a foggy spring night when the street lights come on.  Romantic ...Well a girl can dream...

 

 

 

ready for jewels!

available in my Etsy Shop here:  link

Enjoy some Shabby Chic !
weelambie/Anne

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shabby Chic Finishing Part 1

I was in a gray mood today. Paris Gray.
While the rest of Florida was preparing for Isaac's arrival I was busy on the lanaii painting.

I wanted to try and do some dry brush painting that I had heard of.  I had a large wooden vintage jewelry box to refinish. 
This is my version in the new technique.

Step 1.
I lightly sanded the wood and painted it with white paint.  The trick is to put very little paint on your brush.  The wood got a quick covering in white and dried quickly in the Florida sun.  I also had time to wash the brush and let it dry.
Step 2.
With gray paint.  I am calling it 'Paris Gray' and again using very little paint on the dry brush I covered all the white paint with gray. 

 

You can see how streaky the white paint is on the side of the box.  The top has a coat of gray.  I should have taken a close up picture for you.

 

  

 

Step 3.  With a little piece of sandpaper I lightly sanded the piece. I like to sand off just a little paint at a time.  In this way I can be in controll of how much of the underlying white paint shows through as well as the original stain and the wood. I sand primarily on the corners and around any knobs.  I want it to look like it was worn away over time with lots of use.

 

This box has a red velveteen lining.  It is almost perfect.  There is only one drawer that has any staining in it.  I will attack that in tomorrow's lesson.

 

 

 

I also had time to put a coat of  Paris Gray on this candle stand.

 

In my next post I will cover cleaning the drawers and waxing for the perfect finish to this Shabby Chic project.   

 

'Paris Gray' 

 

Gray is a trendy color right now.  Here are some major gray pieces from my friends shop's on Etsy. 

 

 

Vintage Stetson Fedora Hat

  

  Vintage Stetson found at The Inspired Trader you can shop for it here...

 

 

Vintage Grey Linen Skirt

Natalia has this sexy skirt for sale in her shop located here,

 

You just might want to add a splash of color to these pieces and there are plenty to choose from here...

 

Olympian Blue Art Deco Brooch

Visit Gail's shop The Vintage Funkery for this great pin...
 

 

Hurricane Isaac is heading up towards the Gulf of Mexico and I am getting ready to 'hunker down' as they say here on the Gulf Coast of Florida.  We have bottles of water, candles and batteries and food supplies all ready. 
The schools have been notified to stay closed on Monday and the RNC is being delayed one day.  
Pray it is just a lot of rain and some wind. 
Anne

 

Tootsie Got Mail

Tootsie got a package in the mail today.  It came all the way from China.

Just what she needed.  Sealed shut in a plastic bag.  Wonder why it was all damp inside?  Do mannequin hands sweat?  Spooky...

The hand arrives!  Washed off and dried it began to want to do things...like play with everything on the desk!  Now that Tootsie has opossable thumbs I had better start hiding and locking things.

weelambie/anne

Shabby Cottage Chic Picture Frame

I enjoyed my yard sale hunt this am. It was very hot and I melted quickly, but I did get some good finds.
It was picture frame day as that is what I found the most of.

This vintage metal frame was in amazing condition. It must be from the 1950's.

  I love the silver metal peaking out from the white finish.

Easel frames are very graceful.  This one also has the old picture wire attached so that it can also be hung from the wall.  Faded black velvet in good condition still covers the back of the frame.  I didn't change the frame a bit.  It was perfect just the way it was.

I didn't like the frame to be empty so I had some fun making a mixed media collage.

Pretty lilac paper, some pearls, a vintage ecru crochet doily and a black and white vintage snap shot were all tucked together.  I added lace and ribbon and stamped a key design on it.  I think it is the key to the hearts of this loving elderly couple.

Weelambie/ Anne

Vintage Weddings

I can imagine a whole wedding around these two items...

Bridal Party Hat

Country Farmhouse Wedding...

Wedding Silver

I imagine a summer wedding late in the afternoon.  On the lawn under the elms.  A romantic dinner prepared by family and friends.  Children playing in the grass, the family pets mingling with my guests.  Warm breezes tickling exposed shoulders and soft music to dance to.  Fireflies coming out as the sun sets...

Shabby Chic Furniture Painting

Sanding down various jewelry boxes, shelves, trinket boxes...
Painting with antique white paint and sea breeze blue paint...

Antique White Paint Magazine Rack

Sanding and rubbing in bees wax for a soft lustrous patina.

Sea Breeze Blue Jewelry Box

Shabby and Shiny

I polished my upcycled vintage Shabby Chic jewelry box with bees wax. Rubbed it to a soft beautiful patina.  I love the way it looks.

Upcycled Shabby Chic Jewelry Box

Yesterday the vintage jewelry I bid on and won came home to me in the mail... I had so much fun unwrapping all the many pieces and discovering what was really in the box.  The box being as beautiful as much gems inside... Now to learn all about these many designers and collections and get the Etsy ready....then to part with them!
here is a sneak peak or two.

the mother load

Anne

Vintage OCD

I have always had lots of vintage around and at various seasons in my life I have unloaded some of it at tag sales, thrift shops, church rummage sales and even auctions.  How I wish I could have it all back with a big attic to store it in. I wouldn't be allergic to dust and my knees wouldn't pain me as I climbed the stairs every day to rummage in my attic.  I'd have a comfortable old chair up there to sit in and just enough light coming in a little eyebrow window and from a hanging bulb to read. If anyone asked me for anything I'd say, "oh let's go look for it together I think I know just where it is..." That is not my reality though just a favorite dream. 
My reality is I enjoy finding new homes for things, giving things away, selling them, hunting for them, putting them into collections. 
Today was a day to  hunt and sort into collections.
I found one green wooden handled melon baller at an estate sale this am. 

green collection

That find led to two more thrift stores where I came up with lots of vintage tin and copper cookie cutters and decorative tins. When I got home I had so much fun sorting through all I'd found and making them into little vignettes and collections to sell in my etsy vintage shop.

pink collection

yellow collection

There were sweet little restaurant ware salt and peppers that made their way into two collections and a very strange and interesting collection of measuring spoons that landed in the pink collection. 
Then I couldn't resist this Industrial lunch box.  My dad carried a black one like this to work for over 35 years.

dad's lunchbox 

 It was fun seeing how my lunch would fit in there. Lots of room it works out.

my lunch

 A friend on my favorite Etsy vintage team made a beautiful wedding treasury today and I am featuring it up there on the right side. 
Enjoy
Anne April 14th 2012

Ice Cream

I needed to try and take better pictures of my vintage ice cream scoop and perfect ice cream bowl.

ummm perfect scoops 

strawberry ice cream 

blue scoop

white China bowl

the perfect temperature 

Looks to me like they came out a little dark.  I may have to try this experiment again and again...
yes I ate all the ice cream...
Anne Easter Weekend 2012
http://www.etsy.com/listing/96050068/vintage-sterling-china-bowl-vitrified?ref=v1_other_2
http://www.etsy.com/listing/96052174/aluminum-ice-cream-scoop-vintage-ice