Shabby Chic Wannabees

Strength and wellness is returning so I could wait no longer and Molly and I headed out to the auctions.

Shop mannequin covered with hymn book pages, then paper napkins. This is on a nice pine stand and is a large child size. These are my favourtie to work on as they do not have all the nasty curves, which are so hard to decoupage!

Some of the vintage images from sheet music.

Back view, now with added large roses. So that's three lots of glue sticking pages, napkins and clippings.

Front view with more large roses. Now I have also done 3 coats of PVA. One coat of craquelure varnish. So that's seven processes. Just top coat of craquelure and waxing to go on the body and waxing then polish on the stand and thistle top. Drying time is slow as its damp and chilly here.

 Star of the show a Victorian credenza, chiffonier or sideboard. This one has been ebonized, which is pine painted or stained to look like ebony. Flash is making it look a lot lighter than it is.

Just look at the fab handles and decorative diamond carving. Swag fluted edges everywhere.

 More fab carving. I'm saying fab a lot here I love this piece!

Barley twist leg side or hall table. Again nice decorative edge on the top which is crying out for a bit of gold leaf highlight.

Stack of chairs, all solid oak with padded drop in seats so I can have some fun with fabrics too.

Dinky bedside cupboard in chunky pine with big fat bun feet.

Spice rack drawers again in pine. Another favourite.

Mirror one original beveled glass mirror with a palin edging.

Mirror two again original beveled glass with pie crust edge moulded frame.

 Third Mirror I think this one is carved, this is a rectangular one. Very, very heavy so must be wood frame again original beveled glass mirror. Tiny bit of repairs needed to each but they will look absolutely fab when painted.

The best chairs, these have sprung seats which have been newly renovated, but the covers are yuck. 

These have it all beautiful carving, inset turning on the back and turned legs.

So lots to be playing with and I am out of paint so waiting on a delivery.

For my lovely friend Cherry more china.

For my lovely friend Linda some rusty loveliness. Can you see the bee? Sadly it did not survive hibernating.

Oh and I forgot I finished the Rose Commode,  I did a mid-week update, here.

Hope everyone is happy, well and making lots of craft and art.

Now over we go to Handmade Monday see you there.

Rose Commode - Finished.

Annie sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen.

Vintage hymn book pages. 

Paper napkin roses.

Annie Sloan craquelure glaze.

Nice clean potty.

Annie Sloan dark and clear waxes,

Lot of elbow grease to polish.

Off to a new home it goes.

Five Square jacket - Multicolour Sock Yarn Overload.

Well five years ago in August 2009 I started knitting a jacket with sock yarn. Many brands of many colours, I ran out and bought more.

Started with a need to find out more about Mosaic Knitting, knitted one square then another. Its been a long haul but I am pleased with the result. Now will I be brave enough to wear it?

First few rows done. August 2009.

 Front and sleeve edging, UK double USA single crochet and Crocodile Stitch. Check out Mikey on The Crochet Crowd on You Tube for a demo.

Being confined with this infection has had a positive outcome. Annoyingly it was back to the Drs and I'm on a second dose of antibiotics. 

So I have plenty of time to check out all the other clever crafters on Handmade Monday.

Shabby Chic Furniture Makeovers.

Hello again, another week already gone by. Another trip to the hospital, this was not what I was wanting to happen, but I have got an infection in the ears, so we have a very handy drop in clinic which runs from 7am till 11pm and I'm on antibiotics now.

Enough of illness I'm fed up with it, so you all must be too.

In between the Shabby Chic mode continues. This was a set of plain "Oak Effect" coffee tables, stained on top through years of use.

They have been painted with Annie Sloan French Linen, then washed over with a thin coat of cream.

Next stage is to decoupage the top with advertising pages from Echo de La Mode 1901.

 The cream paint is mixed with water to a very thin consistency and brushed onto the paper then wiped off quickly. A two stage crackleure glaze, again Annie Sloan, is then put on the top of the paper and paint.

 I am at the experimenting stage so have gone for it on these, with areas of thick and thin crackleure to see what effect I like best.

Dark wax is then rubbed into the cracks. If it becomes too dark you use some clear wax to wipe the dark off. Two coats of wax on top with a polish between each.

 The middle table top

 The smallest table top.

The finished waxing, dark, clear and the paints both showing. I have yet to polish this set up as its very damp today and the wax has not cured yet.

A lot of stages to these but as I am working on about eight pieces at a time, I can swap from one to the other whilst drying goes on. 

Next is a plain old Commode, I have the bucket to go in this. It is a heavy china, light grey colour glazed one with a patterned lid. Pictures of it when I have finished.

 Because of the use as a commode I have covered all the inside with a 1900 hymn book pages. These are fab to use as they are yellowed and the paper is really thin. So a lot of cutting and pasting. I used Winsor & Newton Matt Medium from the more expensive range with black lids. Usually I use Heavy texture gel from the Galeria range but the shop was out of that.

 Again I have used French Linen, but here you can see it with no wax on. Once the paper is dry I mix French Linen paint with Matt Medium and some water then brush onto the paper and wipe off until I am happy with the result. More drying time, many cups of tea later.

I have used the paper napkins again from Ikea. I love the way you can still see the music through the rose.

 Some not so well stuck paper but by the time the crackleure goes on you wont notice :-)

The inside of the lid, really pleased with this. I used one of the title pages and placed roses all around.

So that is as far as I have got this week. I am waiting on a delivery of more crackleure glaze and have treated myself to a Liberon Polishing Brush for my drill. This will be used on the wood parts only as I fear it would shred the paper.

Working on these pieces I am using my collage skill and acrylic painting techniques combined with the Annie Sloan paint. I should have got more done but I have to keep stopping because of temperature and still a bit under the weather.

Tonight I am going to have a nice cuppa and skip on over to Handmade Harbour to see what everyone else has been up to this week.

Happy Easter!!!

So happy to report that I have been in hospital, had my operation and it was a complete success. Not only that I was very lucky in that there was no cancer, it was a cyst, blocking my sphenoid sinus. The operation was a lot less invasive, only one night in hospital due to anesthetic overload. Op on Thursday, 17th, Home 18th, Family day at my friends and overnight there. Several weedy days at home. Nearly back to normal today 21st.

Today I have managed to get back to the Annie Sloan painting of my furniture.

Lots of WIP's three stack of coffee tables, commode, two garden chairs, dressing table stool and some picture frames. + Two secret items that can not be shown yet.

One finished magazine rack, distressed and decoupaged using???

This also has some crackleure glaze. My first attempt using Annie Sloan stuff. I guess you can see I liked the effect as I've painted loads of items ready to go onto waxing. The wax really transforms the paint finish.

Did you guess I used flowers from Ikea paper napkins. 

Thank you so much to all my friends who have helped me out with dog duties, nursing me, sending flowers , FB messages and cards or telephoning. You all have made such a real difference in my life. I now know how ill I felt, coming round from the anesthetic and feeling NO Dizziness, Headache or Brain and Eye Pressure was just like a miracle. 

Thank you God!