Name Game Giveaway

Hello and Happy Wednesday!  I just put a coat of primer on the last one on my new dining room chairs!  The fabric came yesterday, so I hope to do a little reveal on Monday at the latest. Hey... I am realistic.  I get easily distracted.  So, while they could be finished tomorrow, they probably won't.  As I was putting the finishing touches on some other pieces that will go to the booths this week, I thought it would be a little fun to have a giveaway where YOU name a piece.  And I will give you your choice of a

Mimi Tote Bag constructed from scraps of vintage grain sacks

Or a Bemis Vintage Grain Sack pillow

Here are the rules... You just have to post a name you like... This isn't a random giveaway.  I will (with the Mr's help) choose a name.  I won't show the piece... I want to see what name I think fits her best.  I will tell you that she is a china cabinet.  And she is a pale grey (surprise, surprise.)  And, I have a leaning towards vintage-y sounding names.  And, it can't be a name that I have already used.  Here is a link to some names that I have used... but it isn't a complete list.  So, if you choose a one that I have used, I will comment back within the comment section and let you know.  Please also check and make sure no one before you suggested the same name.  And, only one entry.  So give me your best!  I need the name by Friday morning, so this will be a quick little giveaway.  I will announce the winner on Monday with a photo of the piece.

I want to take this time right now at to tell you how grateful I am for all of your encouraging comments and every bit of your support.  I love doing what I am doing now.  I have been painting furniture for awhile... since I was in high school ( a long, long time ago.)  I am sure my mother has one of my first pieces still... with layers (hand painted sunflowers under crackle paint under whatever it is now... gasp... crackle paint!)  I don't do this as a hobby.  It is a passion of mine.  Some people paint on canvas, I paint furniture.  It isn't something that the Mr. likes for me to do to get me out of his hair.  He supports me every step of the way.  I don't say this to act like I invented painting furniture or that I have been doing this longer than anyone else, but to let you know how extremely blessed I feel to be doing what I love, finally.  I know that this painted furniture trend may not last forever. And, that I may not be able to make money at it forever.  I would be painting furniture regardless of me selling it.  But, then we would probably be on hoarders.  So thank you  and now, give my piece a name!

bye for now!

Sneak Peek

Hello there!  How are you?  Honestly, I am a little on edge today... the washing machine is acting up and so is the hyena.  Plus, it is hot... so hot, that it is difficult for me to do my "job" since the garage is stifling.  But, let's find the bright side to things and I am inside where it is cool and maybe I will get the house cleaned up (but not the laundry caught up... I wonder if I should just go get new clothes...)

We have been pretty busy adding projects on top of projects.  So, if you aren't into birthday parties or vintage campers, you may want to tune out until after August 7th.  You can witness the wackiness here and  here.  Who knows why we go to extremes with the birthday parties.  But, this may be the last one that we have any sort of control over.  Will he remember these birthdays?  Probably not.  But, he will be able to look back at these parties and know without a doubt that his parents were always a little off.  So, here is a little sneak peek of some Hazel projects and some birthday projects...

A little something I did to hone my embroidery skills...

Mr. Hughes found this paint by number that I love... well, I like most paint by numbers (but not clowns..creeee-peee!)  I have a few more that we may add.

A little snippet of the birthday stuff... just need to finish his bunting and then I have a BIG plan for that HUGE yellow frame.

The second design for Hazel's curtains.  The first used clips... I decided I liked ties better.  And a great map that I want to use in her.

This happy yellow fabric is one that I have had from my single days.  I used it as some very crudely hand sewn curtains... before I had a sewing machine in my possession.  I am so glad I still have it and am glad that it works perfectly in her and was  f r e e!

Well, wish me luck... that I keep the naughty words to a minimum in this heat with no washer.  I hope to have a few more checks on my to do list this week.  It is a wild month, this July.

bye for now~

How To: Silver leaf the Non-Exact Way

hello there!  Hope you a simply wonderful long weekend!  Our Fourth was spent outside, with friends, enjoying all the money that others spent on fireworks!  We are talking major show watched from our deck.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Hughes brought home a little table with great curves and quatrefoil top.  Immediately I thought, well, I will dress her up with a go- to grey and that will be that.  But, while driving around with the hyena, I had an epiphany (all my deep thinking happens when I drive, by the way) and I called the Mr. and I said, " how about silver leafing the top?"  He proclaimed me a genius (not really) and I swung by and picked up some more sizing since I knew I was running low.  So here, my friends,  is how to silver leaf a table in the Vintage Junky fashion:

Here is the table swathed in her new grey paint

You will need silver leaf sizing (you could probably also use spray adhesive, but I have a feeling the over spray would be a nightmare if you didn't prep, and I don't like to prep!)

Put on a thin, even coat awkwardly with your left hand so that you can take a photo with your right...

While you let it dry completely, run in the house, grab a can of yellow and spray paint a chandelier yellow for your vintage camper... no?  Just me?  Remember what your husband said about not getting any spray paint on the contacts and run back inside to get something to cover them.

Okay, should be dry.

Get out your silver leaf and a brush.

Try, as always when you silver leaf, to get the brush to pick up the leaf by static reaction.  When this doesn't occur, very, very, very carefully pick it up with your fingers (make sure they aren't sticky from sizing or spray paint... )

Place the leaf on the table and smooth it down with your brush.  Just smooth along that piece... don't start dusting along the edges just yet.

Place another piece directly underneath and follow this process until...

You decide to move out of order since it was looking too orderly.  At that point, put the leaf wherever you want.  

You can gently, gently, gently tear the pieces that over hang and use that to fill in spots that you perfectly line up to the edge.

Cover the whole table, or most of it.

Now, this is where the magic happens, start to dust the excess silver leaf off with your paint brush.  Do it in a "I am excavating for fossils" sort of way.  This is fun.

Watch how the excess lazily floats to the ground.  Say a little prayer that the wind doesn't blow the flakes over to your chandelier.  Say "You're Welcome" under your breath to the neighbors who will most likely find the little bits on happiness dancing in the breeze.

There, all leafed.  Now, sometimes you will find spots that for some reason (even though you put on a perfectly even coat of clear sizing) that the leaf didn't stick.  You can resize those areas and releaf.  I am assuming though, that if you made it this far in this tutorial, that you don't care about perfection and that you would rather it look a little worn and vintage.

So this next step is for you guys: lightly (and I mean lightly) sand the surface... use a 320 grit.  It will sort of antique it and tarnish it a little.  Some people (the ones who follow the directions on the bottle) will seal the top.  I prefer to leave it unsealed so that it will get a patina over time.

And there you have it.  A silver leafed top.

Stand back and admire all your hard work.  

Much to your surprise, this isn't my first time silver leafing.  I have done several mirrors, knobs, pumpkins... I think I like it since it has that mercury glass look.  It is pretty simple... if you do it my way. 

Okay, go silver leaf something!

bye for now!

A request

Please, if you pray, please just say a quick little prayer for my momma tomorrow.  She is having back surgery.  And we are all hoping and praying and wishing that this will be the beginning to some serious healing for her.  She is in constant pain all the time and I just want her to be able to chase after my hyena so I don't have to *smiles*  So, if you pray, or even if you don't,  just think of her tomorrow.  We love our Nana very much.  I will most likely be away for a bit, so I hope you all have a wonderful, safe Fourth of July.

bye for now~

image found via pinterest via here

Just For Me

Hello Everyone!  We have had some rainy weather here in Tennessee lately.  So I have taken advantage of the inside time today to work on some things just for me.  I haven't painted anything for us in so long.  So, I woke up early and started painting these chairs:

I got three primed and painted by the time baby hughes' nap was over.  You may remember me asking you to help me beg Mr. Hughes to keep these beauties.  He caved (those were his words!)  I am just waiting on some fabric swatches to get here so we can recover these babies.

And, you may remember me asking your opinion on me tackling embroidery and some pointers.  Last night, I pulled out some linen and some floss and got started following some great online tutorials that I found here.

By no means is it perfect, but this is my first try.  Already my lazy daisy stitches are less lazy.  So I am going to practice, practice, practice over the next few days and then I will order the sampler that I have been obsessing over.  If any of you have any tips for a beginner, please feel free to share.  And if any of you are beginners as well, I would love to know what you are working on.  I really like it.... it is quite relaxing, but not mind numbing like watching television.  I am going to start a little embroidery project for Hazel tonight too.

And this is something I made just for me a few weeks ago, but I decided to list them on etsy and sell them local as well:

I embellished one of my grain sack totes with a garland of linen flowers with vintage button centers.  It has been hauling all of my stuff along with baby hughes' stuff too this summer.  I plan to use it tomorrow to smuggle some snacks that you can't get at the theatre when we go see Cars 2.  But we will have popcorn, oh yes, you can't go to your very first movie and NOT eat popcorn.

And this random photo... well, it is just for me too.  This is one of my favorite things in our crazy backyard.  Old, moss covered bricks.  Heck, I even like the little mini weeds coming up.

Okay kids, I have done enough just for me... got to pick up this crazy crayon and car strewn living room.

bye for now~