Recycling Vintage Photos

One of the{{many things}}I love to collect is Vintage Photos. I've picked them up at Estate Sales, Antique Shops & Flea Markets for years. Even though I had no idea what I was going to do with them I still couldn't pass them up. My favorite are hand painted/tinted photos.

I've seen tutorials about printing on fabric but wasn't sure if it was simple enough to do with what I had on hand{or if my printer would work- because it's not fancy at all}.

It turned out pretty good except not all the colors came through, I'm guessing because I was low on ink.

I thought it would be perfect for a pillow cover....

How crazy is it that a photo taken in 1937 at a 4 H Picnic is preserved on a Pillow that now sits on my bed.Very cool!!

Vintage Chair spruce up!

I picked this chair up at a Thrift Store about 7 years ago. I loved the shape, the size and the legs{plus it was really comfy & squishy to sit on}. My plan was to re-cover it...but clearly hadn't gotten around to it. So, finally I decided to do something to it!

The original floral fabric on the back of the chair was in great condition 

so I decided not to cover it up. Until I learn more about furniture upholstery

this will have to do for now{and maybe some paint on the legs}. 

The next thing I'd love to learn is piping~ I can't imagine that being easy!

 

I thought these were some pretty cool before & after re-do's.

1. Before and after: Wreck to gorgeous, 2. Lovers Computing Chair, 3. How I spent my Saturday night, 4. before and after 1, 5. "Circus" chair - before after, 6. Upholstered arm chairs
WOW~ what a little paint and fabric can do :)

Painted Night Stand: Chalk Paint Project

I finally got around to trying out CeCe Caldwell's chalk paint, and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

It's extremely easy to use~ very quick drying, so not a lot of wait time in between coats{if you choose to do two coats, I found that you don't necessarily need two}.

**Color: Santa Fe Turquoise**

I had some paint left over so I painted this old frame{I added a little white to lighten it up a bit}...

then turned it into a Chalkboard.The finish on this frame{after lightly sanding it & sealing it in wax}is SO unbelievably smooth!

Now I'm starting to look at furniture around the house thinking "Hummm, maybe that could use some color". I'm so happy I gave this paint a try♥ I had pretty much given up painting furniture because of all the time consuming steps{not to mention the toxic fumes}, now I'm loving taking something that could use a little TLC and turning it into something wonderful!

Chalk Paint...my new obsession

It's been quite a while since my last post... but I'm still here :) I thought I'd share a project I recently finished. I picked up this night stand/shelf combo{for $25 at the flea market}. I've been impatiently waiting & wanting to try out Chalk Paint on furniture~ so I was thrilled when I found this piece.

Years ago I used to paint furniture that I'd sell at flea markets. I've always enjoyed painting furniture, but loathed the process of sanding, priming and absolutely hated the thought of stripping old paint off a piece of furniture!!!

Holy cow! I can not tell you how much I LOVE using Chalk Paint♥ The fact that you don't have to prime before painting is probably my favorite part. I've heard SO much about Annie Sloan &  CeCe Caldwell's Chalk Paint. After checking out both Companies, I wasn't excited about how expensive it is~ not to mention I'd have to order it on-line{then wait for it to arrive}and I wanted to get started right away. So, I started searching the internet on "How to make Chalk Paint"....

This project was done using a recipe I found here . I bought a paste wax from Home Depot, used brushes I already had and used a soft cloth to rub the wax in & wipe off{although Annie Sloan & Cece Caldwell use a wax brush to apply their wax, I followed the directions of the wax I purchased}. A few things I liked when reading about CeCe Caldwell's paint: the paint has no Volatile Organic Compounds, it's non toxic, has no odor and the fact that you use a wax brush instead of a cloth. 

I decided to purchase a couple sample paints & sample wax{here}. Each 4oz. tub is enough to cover a small piece of furniture. I have the perfect vintage night stand that I can't wait to test these out on! I'll be sure and post the end result.
 

Latest Flea Market Finds

I feel like I'm buried in them. So, some I'll keep and some will go into my Vintage Etsy Shop.

How cute is she! I think she's supposed to be a fairy because she has wings and a wand.
Lots of vintage pennants, a quilt, chenille blankets, satin eiderdown, paintings...
and the cutest little lamp I've ever seen!


My brother and I were recently talking about the things we had as kids that we wished we'd kept. His was a huge collection of 7-eleven Baseball Slurpee cups from the 70's. After we got off the phone I started browsing Ebay and found these.

14 cups in a listing that was ending in two days...at 5:30 a.m.{good thing I like my brother}. He loved them. Thanks Ebay♥

What I've been busy working on for my Shop:

Now back to work :)

After....

Here are the frames from my last blog post. What a difference a little paint can make♥


I picked this portrait up this weekend at the flea market, vintage portraits are one of my favorite things to find.
She's hanging in my hallway, the colors really brighten up the wall!

Flea Market Finds....

Sometimes my trip to the flea market pays off. Here are a few of my latest finished projects.

Before

After

One of my favorite upcycled vintage Italian Mirrors, I think it turned out beautiful. It's on the way to it's new home♥

Upcycling Thrifted Finds

I picked up this tabletop Mannequin last week at a Thrift Store. I knew it would make the perfect Jewelry display/holder with a little dressing up.
Supplies used:
fabric
fabric glue
scissors
lace
velvet ribbon
vintage jewels & buttons
millinery flowers
paint
{all things I already had}

First I painted the base a glossy black.

Then I cut fabric in random shapes and sizes forming it{brushed with glue} to the body until it was completely covered.
I added lace to the bottom, velvet ribbon around the waist, jewels & buttons creating a brooch. I also added a few extra touches: buttons down the back, extra jewels dangling at the waist & topped with millinery flowers.

My Inspiration.
This fabulous vintage tabletop mannequin was in the Summer issue of Where Women Create. Since seeing this article I've been trying to figure out how I can take found vintage objects and turn them into a functional display piece similar to this one. I love the idea of using it to display your photo's~ brilliant!! I'll continue to wrack my brain until I figure it out.

Spruced up Wall Art

This might look familiar, I posted about it here. I almost forgot about it after storing it in my hutch almost a year ago~ then I came across it yesterday. Wow what a difference a little paint makes. It's dated: 1970, who knew felt was popular back then.
F E L T on Etsy:
{Wreath By: KnockKnocking} LOVE her Wreaths!!

{Wallflowers By: LilacSaloon}

{Birthday Crowns By: drfeltgood}

{Catnip Cat Toys By: OhBoyCatToy}
I'm amazed at what people can do with Felt :)

This was something fun. I've mentioned before how I love Spoonflower, well a few weeks ago I decided to use my own image and have a swatch made. Since I wasn't sure how it would turn out I only ordered a swatch.
I think it turned out pretty nice. With a few tweaks I'll be ready to order a yard or two.
Now I find myself looking a things around the house and thinking "Oh, that would look nice as fabric"....this could get expensive!