French Clock Long Coffee Table

Snow is falling, snow on snow, snow on snow...
What better to do than finish another hand-painted coffee table?

I love this one - it's a bit different than the past French shabby chic tables I've done.  Dare I say I like it best?

I need to start keeping the camera on hand for 'process' photos.  A New Year's resolution, perhaps?

As always, fantastic graphics are care of the amazing Graphics Fairy.  The two major images are the "Steampunk Alarm Clock" and a large "Fleur De Lis."  I promise, a quick search on the Graphics Fairy site and you can have these images for yourself!

I tried using my Christmas present of an air powered paint spray gun (bought with gift cards from my lovely hubby-hubster!) to speed up painting the table. 

I over-thinned the paint and had to experiment with the rate of spray.  I ended up over-spraying quite a bit, but with a little practice I'm going to be IN LOVE with the new sprayer! 

It's a Wagner HVLP Control Spray Paint Gun and I bought mine at Home Depot.  They're readily available online as well as other hardware/building supply stores.

Clean up was super-easy considering the amount of paint that travels through it, and I especially liked that it's not overly heavy or awkward to handle.  The large and small paint containers it comes with are also a nice addition. 


And, in case you're a bit of a geek like me, HVLP stands for 'high volume low pressure.'  Good times!





The table waiting for a coat of finishing paste...and I'm waiting to try a can of Annie Sloan Clear Wax, but not sure if the fantastic individual who was going to hunt it down in St. Thomas for me was able to get her hands on it!  If not, it'll be good ol' MinWax Finishing Paste for this one!

Wondering how I transfer these images?  I've used a variety of techniques in the past, but the easiest and fastest way I've found involves projecting the image using a portable projector and my computer. 

This means I only go over the image once and then do touch ups with my marker afterwards. 

Other methods include tracing, using graphite/pencil rubbed on the back of the image, CitraSolv, or a method I've never really mastered involving Mod Podge.  There are lots of great online tutorials out there if you're looking!

I'm also a HUGE fan of using permanent markers or paint pens over paint & small brushes for the details.  I have way more control and I think the overall finish looks more professional and less blotchy than paint - plus, it's faster (and likely cheaper!). 





 This lovely lady is for sale - $75!

Since I used six graphics from The Graphics Fairy website, I'm linking up to her 'Brag Monday' post.  Take a look - and check out all the other fantastic links.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, too!

I'm also sharing this post over at Miss Mustard Seed's blog on Furniture Feature Friday. 

Such an inspiring source of information!

Tiny Table - It Spins!

I bought a couple of occasional tables off of Kijiji a while back for some ridiculously low price, but I didn't like the tops of the tables.  I had a graphic in mind to make the table into a birthday gift for a friend, but I couldn't put an image on the table-top.  They were 'faux' leather and octagonal...not the right surface and not my favourite.  I couldn't figure out what to replace them with - and then a stroke of genious hit me while strolling the isles at our local St. V de P...

A wooden cheese tray!  Better yet - a LAZY SUSAN-style cwooden heese tray! 

So get this, now the table top is round (just the way I like it) and it spins! 

I love it!

The graphic is from The Graphics Fairy (as always!) and I created my own 'transfer' by printing out the graphic, rubbing the back of it with a grahpite stick, positioning and taping it to the table-top and then tracing over the graphic.  The final step is to go over the tracing with either paint or a permanent marker - I always use a permanent marker.  Who can tell and it's 100x faster!

I used the good ol' homemade chalk paint on the body and sanded down to the original finish for an antiqued look.  Everything gets a once over with MinWax Finishing Paste for good measure.  Now the question is: how do I wrap it? 

 

I'm sharing this post on My Repurposed Life - definitely check out the other cool projects! 

 

Click below!

Fun with Permanent Markers!

I have had some luck lately with permanent markers. 

For the YMCA Chairs for Charity event, I created a pair of bistro chairs for a wine,cheese and charcuterie restaurant with a French theme. 

I used a thin black ink pen (not necessarily permanent, but fairly indelible)  to do the detailling and a chisel-tipped dollar store permanent marker for the rest!

The trick?  Use a less-than-fresh marker to avoid excessive bleeding on the fabric.  Sharp lines can be achieved using the thin black ink pen. 

You can find all sorts of tutorials for how to use permanent markers on china - it works pretty well and is inexpensive, easy, and virtually mess-free.  Great positives!  You're supposed to bake the finished product for 30 mins. at 350oC to make the art handwash safe...it works, but is more prone to scratches than I would like.  I have an air-dry sealant product used to clear coat painted designs on glass surfaces that I am going to use to give a protective top coat. 

These dishes won't be dishwasher safe, but can be hand washed, preferrably with a cloth (no harsh scrubbers, please!).

These sets are earmarked as Christmas presents for some family and friends.  This is a really easy activity - I did mine with a group of friends at my annual Christmas party!  Worked great and everyone left with something special and unique. 

YMCA Chairs for Charity - Before and Afters

It's been (and continues to be) busy around here!  With the countdown on...just two days to go...to the YMCA Chairs for Charity event, I'm up to my eyeballs in chairs! 

Take a look at what's been going on.

For Brio Gusto, a fantastic restaurant in downtown Peterborough.  The pillow is handmade - I used contact paper on which I traced a pattern I'd printed out.  A little latex paint and a stencil pouncer...and voila! 

A chair for the New Canadians Centre, a place for learning, playing, and helping in the heart of Peterborough.  A second hand printed pillow - this one less boozy and more patriotic! 

 

A chair sponsored by Joie de Vie a gorgeous clothing store full of special items with something for everyone.  It's a feast for the senses - they even have specialty soaps and other niceties! 

Two matching chairs for the Peterborough Examiner, one of our local newspapers.  I love these chairs! 

 

This one is one of my (and my husband's) favourites!  No sponsor, but full of character and extra-fun to create!  Inspired by Robin Hood (and will be auctioned complete with tiny Robin figurine).  I used all kinds of recycled materials here including a previously loved leather skirt and a solid leather belt. 

 

Refinished for the Silver Bean Cafe "your waterfront cottage in the city" and a relaxing place to enjoy delicious homemade food and drinks, riverside.  More than worth checking out in the summer, and open especially for the Peterborough Festival of Trees Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.  Grab a hot drink!

You've seen this chair before!  The first one I did and sponsored by Hi Ho Silver a jewellery store offering unique pieces - they've also carry accessories and a large selection of special greeting cards.  Worth visiting!  Pick up something special for someone special this holiday season.  ;)

Meow!  This hot little number is decadent and edgy, just like Bloodline Parlour, a hip hair salon located in downtown Peterborough.  A team of talented stylists help to bring the vision of two sisters to life - I get my hair cut here and nowhere else!  Great cuts, great girls! 

I love this chair!  It was one of the earlier chairs I completed and I adore the hand stitching and button accents.  You can see more info in posts below (plus a close up of the back support where all the action is!)

 

The 'before' photo for this adorable chair is disasterous and not worth seeing - the after is sweet and perfect for a nursery or playroom.  A child-sized rocker made over by our very own artist, Shannon Taylor.  Love it!

 

Chairs for Charity - Cowboys, Robin, & Rock(er) Stars

The last post gave you a glimpse of one of the near-century old parson-style chairs that once belonged to the Granite Club in Toronto. 

The first of the four chairs is finished - in fine cowgirl style! 

 

The chair was recovered using denim and the chair was sanded and then painted a rich red using homemade chalk paint, with a final coat of straight latex paint.  I trimmed the bottom of the chair with part of a faux leather snake skin belt.  I used a similar belt to create the 'cowboy boot' embellishments, adding some rhinestones for extra 'bling'. 

Now this chair is ready to rock and rodeo!

I've got a number of other chairs on the go at the moment...here are some 'before' pictures.  Hoping to have some 'afters' available in a couple of days. 

Can a chair be inspired by a Robin Hood action figure?  I think so!  This chair has come substantially further than the photo below and I can't wait to post the finished photo.  Perfect for a little boy! 
 

 

There are two of these super-solid chairs, above.  If I can get the sponsor I'd like for them, they're soon to become 'Newsies.' 

 

 Four of these pretty Queen-Anne inspired chairs below.  One is being sponsored by the New Canadians Centre.

 

This cute bistro set is getting an awesome custom makeover.  Below is a sneak peek...still lots to do on these two!

 

 Between a rock(er) and a hard place? The chair on the right is getting special treatment from some YMCA staff. The chair on the right is up for grabs...and may be staying 'naked.' It looks great!
 

Chairs for Charity - Some 'Before' some 'After'

There are a ton of chairs just hanging out in our sunroom at the moment.  It looks like this, only worse now because there are actually MORE chairs than when I originally took this picture.

 

The yellow parson's-style chairs in the photo above are especially fascinating.  I knew they were old as the women who donated them told me they had originally been a part of the Granite Club (Toronto's version of a country club). 

When I was taking apart the chairs, I knew they were old because
a) they were made of real wood,
b) they were stuffed with horse hair and
c) there was a stamp that said "Made in Holland" and a paper sticker that said "J&J Kohn and Mundus New York Toronto." 

I did a little sleuthing and found out that J&J Kohn and Mundus were European companies that merged around 1922 and had both a NY and Toronto branch.  Chairs were made in various countries in Europe, including Holland. 

These chairs are likely almost 90 years old!!  Awesome!

Now the chair is naked and waiting for some new clothes...I have just the thing!  Stay tuned for more details here. 

I collected 5 of these pink plush chairs.  Four of them came from a funeral home (think 'Six Feet Under') and one from another donor, origins unknown. 

The trick is to make these 5 chairs look unique...sort of same-same but different?

Yes?

 The first of the 5 is what I like to call the 'Rambling Rose' chair.  Please excuse the quality of the photos.  I am clearly NOT a photographer. 

I have ideas for Pink Chair makeovers #2-#5...but it takes a lot of time to remove all of the old fabric (staples galore!) so don't hold your breath for pictures this week...they're coming!

For now, check out this office chair transformation a la buttons. 

 Here's a close of up that hand stitching and button work.  Fun stuff! 

Check out the Chairs for Charity event details on our Facebook page.

Ciao!

Chairs for Charity - in support of the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign

I'm coordinating a fundraising event at the YMCA with proceeds supporting the Strong Kids Campaign which helps to send children, who would otherwise be unable to afford it, to summer camp and other  other YMCA programs free of charge. 

The event will take place in early December (actual date TBA) at the YMCA.  A number of old, worn out chairs have been donated to the YMCA and require a facelift.  These chairs will be transformed by a team of talented individuals and then auctioned off to raise money. 

If you live in the Peterborough area, and are interested in refurbising a chair for this event, get in touch with me!  I'd love to have you as part of the team. 

Interested in being a chair 'sponsor?'  For a donation of $30, a chair will be created to represent your business or corporate image and you will receive publicity at the Chairs for Charity event.  Your chair will be displayed in your business during the last week of November and at the YMCA the first week of December.  Join us as a community partner! 

 

The first chair to undergo a Chairs for Charity transformation! 

 

You'll have to come and check out this chair in person at the event in December to fully appreciate all of the fantastic details! Stay tuned for more information (and more sneak peeks!).