A Custom Made Sewing Box No More!

*FYI: There are massive amounts of pics in this post...just thought I would warn you!

So I picked up this adorable little sewing box from a local consignment store here in Walnut Creek a couple of weeks back that I though was just adorable.  I didn't know (and really still don't) know exactly what I am going to use it for, but like so many other things (haha), I KNEW that it had to come home with me!

It even has a cute little ledge inside!  Probably for knitting needles...but it looks like a great chalk ledge to me!  so I guess that means I am trying my hand again with the chalkboard paint!

 

  

The night I bought it I happened to be babysitting little Miss Skye, so she helped me sand it while we watched a Care Bears movie...

 

She was such a good helper!

So I painted the box a soft off-white color that was very sweet.  But it had that I-just-got-spray-painted look about it, so I thought I would try my hand at distressing it.  After all, this is a vintage hand made piece that should look a little worn...

So now for the chalkboard paint!  I wanted to do a little design, so I drew a little pattern on some Frogtape.

and then I did a quick blast of spray paint on them to ensure that the chalkboard paint line would be clean when I removed the tape...

Then I painted 3 coats of chalkboard paint within my stencil...

(that lamp you see in the background is the first customer piece I will be doing...I will post on that soon!)

and when I pulled off the tape the line was definitely clean...but the tape actually pulled up some of the white paint under it!  Not what I was expecting!

I was a little disappointed, but I wasn't crazy about how smooth and perfect the chalkboard stencil came out anyways.  so I thought I would try distressing it to match the rest of the box...I mean what is the harm in that right?

I actually like this a lot better!  It looks so much more authentic...not like somebody took this old antique box, spray painted it and then slapped on some chalkboard paint!  What do you guys think?

So I started by putting all of my remotes in it...and until I can think of another use for it, I guess that is where they will stay.  I have been thinking about listing it on Etsy, but I might be a little heartbroken if somebody actually buys it from me..haha...I don't really want to see it go!

and I found this adorable mini chalkboard eraser at the Lakeshore Learning center this weekend (and who doesn't love things that come in a mini size right?) and it fits perfectly on my little ledge!

it was like that ledge was built to house a couple pieces of chalk and this little eraser!

More Artwork For My Walls

So some of you may remember a post I did a little while back on framing some artwork to get up on my walls.  While I love this framed print that I first went with below,

it just never really looked right there...the scale was off I think.  So I found these great oval frames during my lunch time thrift store shopping and I think that these will look much better in that space.

And while the two larger oval frames don't have glass (as there are "original" oil paintings in them now), I figured I would distress the paper I was putting in them and finish it with some Mod Podge...

So i spray painted all of them a mocha color and then distressed them all...

And this was the first time i have EVER distressed something that i had just spray painted...and it was QUITE fun...very therapeutic...haha...

Then I got out some paper that I picked up last time I visited FLAX artist supply store while in the city (San Francisco that is) and went with a primary colors theme.  I simply adhered the paper directly to the back of the oil painting, and then cut it out...

So then I took down the "Are You happy" print and hung these up in its place.

 

It looks good right?  And the antiquing came out nicely...it really made the brightly colored papers that i choose fit together more cohesively I think.

And some close ups....

         

Treasures From Thrift Shopping at Lunch

So here are some pics of the WONDERFUL things that I found while thrift store hunting this past weekend!  I got some really great stuff, and enough stuff that I was able to keep busy this whole weekend...even though I should have been preparing for my trip back home to Wisconsin...OOPS!

Here are my tables full of loot:

I got some great antique cast iron trivets...and I think I am going to spray paint them (with high-heat spray paint of course!)

 

And I got this great silver plat that I am going to spray paint and stencil.  I will probably use it for keys on my console table...but maybe I will list it on Etsy...

And I got this wonderful little cast iron sign...so I put it above my kitchen doorway in my dining room!

I got these candle holders because they have the best shape!  Such great ornate detailing and the cutest lines. 

Funny thing is that they are apparently old Avon candlesticks...who knew???

I actually spray painted them a bright aqua color to match this cup...

I also got these very sweet little terracotta bird candleholders.  I painted them white, glazed them and then distressed them...they ended up coming out really cute!  They will be in another post following shortly.

I also got some great frames!

The oval ones I painted a mocha color and distressed, the square ornate ones I painted black and are going to go in my bedroom above my hot pink nightstands, and the last one I don't know what I am going to do with.  But it was half-price frame day at the Leftovers thrift store in WC so I couldn't not buy it! 

I also got this very sweet little saucer plate that I think I am going to put up in my kitchen...

And I got some really great milk glass pieces!!!

 

 

I used the grape leaves pattered one to plant my kitty grass in...it turned out very cute...much better then the cheap black plastic planter that came with the kitty grass...that's for sure!

And I also picked up a few very nice pieces from a local antique store.  Usually this antique store is just RIDICOULOUSLY expensive, but the few pieces I picked up were actually fairly reasonable.  the traincase is probably my favorite...it is going to make a great makeup holder.

This vase and compotes were just too cute to pass up...

And these beautiful porcelain Japanese birds were actually my luckiest find I think...aren't they just beautiful?

And with a little help from the stuff you see below...I was able to keep myself busy this weekend!

More posts soon showing some of the transformations!