Showing posts with label Market. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Market. Show all posts

Monday, July 25, 2011

The 5 Minute Challenge

Hello again!  I wouldn't want you to think I'm slouching too much here.  What with VBS last week, swimnming lessons, 2 different band camps, summer physicals, orthodontist appointments, church fund raisers, city parades, and the rest of life I'm just not getting much done quickly.  Of course I also picked last week to start a really large paint project, so no reveals yet.  It will be a cool one when I get to though!

Preparing for this first Prairie Pickers & Peddlers Market has been a learning experience for me, and probably all of us here.  We want it to be fun for us and for a bunch of customers.  We all have busy families too and so there is that balance that we have to maintain.  I just haven't had as much time as possible to get out lately and do some "pickin".  That being said, I do have an entire house with at least 25 years of collecting accumulated throughout.  Some of it is just gathering dust though in corners and storage areas.  That brings me to my title today.  I gave myself 5 minutes to run around the house and collect as many things that I could find to add to the Market pile.  Here is a photo of what I came up with.
I went shopping in my own home's closets, storage room, trunks, and garage.  Now, this is just in 5 minutes.  Imagine what I could come up with if I gave myself an hour...or two!

15 or 20 years ago I went on a vintage hat buying binge.  They were fun, fairly reasonable, easily found, and great decor for a guest room.  I've decided that I don't have a great place to display them, and they should move on to a new home.  I have more, but I may have to let them go in small quantities.  I get attached. 

You already know I have a thing for tins.  I have plenty of cake tin carriers, this one needs to move on.  The key rings...I used to collect old, odd pieces of sterling silverware to cut up and make into key rings.  These are the left overs from other sale adventures.  Cute metal basket, hidden in a closet.  Shame on me!  I do love old jars too.  Love those lids, and all they will hold and display.  Some will be moving along I hope. 


Neat old books, pretty little candle stick, old jewelry chest, all fun, all used in various groupings over time.  But what fit 6 houses ago (retired military, we moved a LOT) doesn't necessarily make the cut here and now.  I do sincerely hope that someone else will love some or all of these things.  And there will be many more over the next few weeks joining them.  Some will be recent finds, others will be from collections that were important a few years back!  How about you all, could you stock a store or Market with what you have in your closets, trunks, and storage rooms?? 

Have a great week.
Deb

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Mixing it up with Versailles!

Hope everyone had a perfect 4th of July!  Grandparents pried all 3 kiddos (who were blessedly unscheduled for a change) off of our pant legs for a nice long weekend visit.  They all returned for BBQ and fireworks on Monday.  Everyone had a wonderful time!

It's amazing what you can get accomplished without having to stop and fix a meal, taxi someone somewhere, solve a problem, referee a disagreement, etc. You know what I mean if you still have shelf shifters at home!  I spent a lot of time out in my workshop working with the Mr. who was lending me his amazing "I can make that drawer close properly" skills.  Then he'd take me out to dinner!  Perfect and Even Better!

One of the pieces that I tackled this weekend was a cute little desk/side table.  Sorry, I spaced out taking a before.  It was in pretty decent shape, but it looked like it had been dipped in polycrylic.  LOTS of sanding people! I had pulled out my Versailles Chalk paint and decided that I wanted to brighten it up just a little bit.  I was planning on doing a lot of drybrushing over some dark stain for a super chippy kind of look.  I poured off a bit of the Versailles and added in a few dollops of duck egg blue.  Here's the end result.

I really like the color and think I  need to play around with mixing more of the chalk paint colors to expand that pallet.  The Mr. is less fond of the "prim" look of this piece than I am.  I look hard to find pieces like this when I go antiquing!  It's not for everyone, but there's a secret part of me that would love a really old primitive cabin  somewhere to decorate.  Hopefully someone else will love it and need it to complete their home!  The top was revived with a fresh coat of Dark Walnut and protected with Minwax Antique Oil Finish.  Gives it a nice hard, hand rubbed finish.


Isn't it rustic?  Do you like to mix styles and throw in some primitive looking pieces with your more traditional or modern ones? 

So, how about it, have you been mixing chalk paint colors to create varying shades or brand new colors?  I'd love to hear about your experiences with it if you have!
Hope to see your projects there too!
Have a super day!
Deb