Whimsical Custom Orders - New Wreaths

This Christmas really was the season for giving. I received many custom wreath orders. Some of them I envisioned quickly. Others took a bit more thought. Here is a glimpse of what I have been working on for the month of December.

1. Pheasant Feather Wreath - I love the linen rosettes. This was a little outside my comfort zone but so fun to do.

2. The India Wreath - This was a little trickier. My friend teaches in India and wanted an Indian Inspired Wreath. She wanted the colors of the flag (which are also the colors of the Irish Flag). I tried a few types of flowers but they all looked "Irish". So I looked for Indian Inspired Fabric but India is known for their fabric so I didn't want to give her the Hobby Lobby version of Indian Fabric. So...I went back to what I was good at, silky flowers. This was a definitely a challenge.

 

3. The Everyday Wreath - My friend wanted a bright and fun wreath for everyday use. She gave me free reign. 

4. The Christmas Sweater Wreath -  This might be one of my all time favorites. I was inspired by a Christmas Sweater with poinsettias. I used home decor fabric because it holds its form better. Then I chose a neutral background in a nice gray yarn. I used a high quality yarn for a clothing appearance.

 

Thank you to all of my friend for their custom orders. I will be accepting more orders after the first of the year.

My Top Ten Favorite Projects of 2011

I am not going to be too wordy because I would like the pictures to speak for themselves. However, I will link to each project in case you missed it the first time around.

After you see each one, please tell me your favorite.  

10. Dry Sink - Arles and Old Ochre  - I love to dry brush.

9. Smalls - Trees, Candle Sticks, Oar - I love how daring you can be with a smaller piece. I love the music paper trees.

8. Nada Farms - An amazing experience with my new friends. We all left feeling like if we survived that, we could conquer the world. I linked up to A Ruffled Nest because her photos of the event are amazing!

Sherrie (photo credit), Me, Christie, Camille

7. Rosette Wreath - This was a gift for my lobster (best friend). My fingers are still recovering so I haven't attempted it again. ;)

6. Smoking Cabinets - My first ASCP project will always be special.

5. China Cabinet - New Style - New Technique - New Camera

4. Console Table - A gift for a friend and one of my most commented on and featured pieces.

3. Journal Desk - Truly one of my most unique pieces.

2. Buffet - My first MAJOR piece.

1. Grandma's Cabinet - Read this post. Enough said.

Thank you for a wonderful year. Please join my blog or Facebook page and follow me on my 2012 journey in my new house.

Custom Order - Cream Wreath

Ok...time to be honest...I love making wreaths almost as much as I love painting furniture. I love seeing them hang on the door. I love the challenge of making it look new. I love everything about it. 
So I was sad when my wreaths didn't take-off at Carter's Cottage. I had sold a ton before I started there and several on ETSY since. I assumed they would fly off of the shelves. 

They did not. I stopped making so many because they were just sitting there. I was sad. 
Then Christmas Time rolls around and the special orders come pouring in. 

Remember this guy? I did matching wreaths for a wedding a few weeks back and they were beautiful. 



Then I was on to a cream one. Since it was just one color, I chose to add a shear fabric in between the cream fabric to give it some depth.
It turned out beautifully. 

I guess I have learned that wreaths are very seasonal. I will make a bunch in the Spring, a few in the Fall and wait for the custom orders to roll in at other times.

To view my wreaths in stock, please visit my ETSY page. 

A Whimsical Makeover - The 1930's China Cabinet Edition

Chalk Paint Give -A - Way!!! Visit the Carter's Cottage Blog to enter to win a MAJOR Chalk Paint Gift Basket.


Now, on to my makeover!

 

Do you remember this piece from a few weeks ago? A few people mentioned that looked great already. It does look beautiful in this photo but photo's can be deceiving.  

 The veneer had peeled off in more than one location and the beautiful scroll work on the glass was about as brittle as thin ice. It cracked when I touched it and had to be removed. I was really sad to do that because it added such interest to the piece. However, I never want to sell a piece that isn't sturdy and durable. The scroll work would have broken if it was sneezed on. So I peeled and painted, and painted and painted and  it is finally done!  

I am so pleased with how it turned out!! I used Coco and Old White with a wash of French Linen. The was was a little scary at first.

The Wash - Before Wiping

I painted the whole thing with Coco and then brushed a watered down version of the French Linen. Then I quickly wiped it off. This created wonderful depth to a flat piece. I also had some fun with my camera and close-up shots. :)

You can see how the French Linen got into the grooves of the piece.

Normally, Chalk Paint leaves a very smooth surface but this was intended to be a bit rougher for the wash. It was also a difficult piece to sand in all areas.

I played with the textures that I learned at the Annie Sloan Paint Class.

I Love the hardware too!

This was officially my last painted piece in our Ball Avenue house. I must now pack up my paints and wait to close on the Chauncey Street house. I will miss this house but look forward to the character of an old house and more room for my business. Please follow my blog if you are interested in hearing more about the upcoming renovations of my new home.

I am such a tease!

Just a glimpse at my last project to be completed in this house. More to come in the next 24-36 hours.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things - (no.3)

***Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens***
***Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens***

Another week and another round of amazing makeovers. I would like to help these amazing people showcase their talents by sharing what has blown me away. 

If you are as impressed and I am, please visit the blogs of these talented ladies and tell them I sent you. 

I hope you enjoy what I have found. 

 

1. I am going to start with one that I have been drooling over for quite some time. This amazing table by Hue.ol.ogy, wowed me the moment I saw it. I love Antibes Green but I am very intimidated by it. I use it on small accent pieces like mirrors and bowls. I never know what color to combine it with. Hue.ol.ogy did. It is perfect with the Paris Grey. I am so going to try this combination.

 

2. The next is a crafting project by my friend Jennifer Rizzo. I love the simplicity about it. However, it still has a presence in the space! Love it. I have old doilies that I was trying to find a purpose for and this is going to be it. On another note...I also purchased my new favorite hat from Jennifer when we did Nada Farms together. It can be purchased at her ETSY store.

 

3. Ok, I officially love dipped chairs. This chair by Beth at Sunshine on the Inside, is a great combination of colors. I love the staging of this photo too! She also has a cool feature on her blog called The Color of the Month where she simply changes a few accessories around and it changes the look of the room. Great idea!

 

4.  Now honestly, how amazing is this?!?!  The most amazing part is the "before" picture. Redoux did an amazing job re-purposing a piece that others would have passed right by. I can picture a wine rack in the large opening or maybe a jewelry organizer. It now has so many possibilities! Love!

5. The last one is not a feature but an announcement. My friend Christie from Carter's Cottage is hosting an Annie Sloan Give-A-Way. It is an amazing prize. Stop over an see her.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Give-A-Way!!

How much do I love Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint? Let me count the ways...

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

 This is just a glimps of my Chalk Paint experiments. Jump over to my friend Christie's, Carter's Cottage page.  She is having an amazing give-a-way. Tell her I sent you. ;)

The Wedding Wreath

Last weekend, friends of ours got married and I was asked to create wreaths for the doors at the ceremony. I was excited to play with a new color combination and it turned out beautifully.  I am still afraid to take my new camera in public so I had my husband use is iphone to snap it. It is not the best picture in the world but I am pleased with it. Oh...did I mention that I made two of them. One to hang on each door. 

Visit my etsy store or my weekly favorites.

A Mini-Whimsical Makeover - The Antibes Mirror Edition

First things first...Go to The Carter's Cottage page and enter the HUGE Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Give-Away.

She is a friend of mine. Tell her I sent you.

I felt the need to express myself with color recently. I was feeling a bit electric and excited. A painting quick-fix was exactly what I needed. I was inspired by Amy of The Salvage Collection. She painted this amazing mirror using a super fun green color.

I knew that Antibes Green was the perfect color for a mirror I received from my mom.

No normally I would have said..."I can cut the top off or redo it somehow". However, Miss Mustard Seed recently posted about loving imperfections and just going with it. So I did.

 I love how it turned out. Antibes is an amazing color. I love using it on small items and I am dying to find just the right larger piece to use it on.

This picture doesn't really help with the blog post much but I am just still so excited I have a camera that can take nice close-up shots. I had to include it. :)

I am just going to be posting a few mini-makeovers this week for two reasons. 1. We are packing for our move. 2. I am working on my next BIG piece.  Look at the before of my Major Makeover for next week.

FYI...I will be using a brand new color. :) Stay tuned...


Visit my etsy store or my weekly favorites.

These are a few of my favorite things - (no.2)

***Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens***
***Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens***

I would like to help these amazing people showcase their talents by sharing what has blown me away. 

If you are as impressed and I am, please visit the blogs of these talented ladies and tell them I sent you. 

I hope you enjoy what I have found.

1. I came across this amazing yellow desk and immediately got inspiration for a piece that I have been dying to complete. Lora Leis at Leisure Living did an amazing job on this piece.  I love the yellow with the gray fabric. 

2. This particular project was one of my "must dos" this winter. However, the move has placed several things on hold. I just love how rustic and simple this is. A Salvaged Wood Tree  from Three Pixie Lane is definitely on my list for next year. My husband will be happy to hear I have a vision for that barn wood in the garage.

3. I found this amazing buffet from The Midwest Cottage. I love the "messy" mix of colors. I love the swirling of the paint strokes. I love the crazy distressing. If you are a person who like things with clean lines, this one is probably driving you nuts. However, I am not that kind of person. This one speaks to me. :)

4. This is from one of my favorite blogger friends, Kim at A Brush of Whimsy.  I love how this once plain piece now has life and character. I also love the unexpected dark top with the popular blue and white combination. Kim always does amazing things but this one is my favorite. It actually inspired one of my pieces.

Add caption

5. Since I shared Kim's piece, I might as well share the piece she inspired.  I was having a particularly hard time with this piece. It was in GREAT shape but didn't have a ton of character. Kim's inspiration helped me give it character.

Thank you for stopping by and enjoying A Few of my Favorite Things. Stop back next week for a few more great items.