Reupholstered seat...

Hi Everyone!  After the Apple Jack's Fair this past September, I gave my mother one of the headboard benches that didn't sell to use in her guest room that she was redecorating.  She wanted a different fabric for the seat, but had to wait until after my Open House for me to reupholster it for her.  So today I thought I'd show you how that turned out.

I really liked how it looked with the cream drop cloth fabric, but mom wanted something different.

She picked out some fabric to match her new room and I reupholstered it.

 I really liked the fabric she picked out....

.....It is just the right touch in Mom's new beach themed guest room.  Thanks for stopping by.

Pre-fair madness....

Hi Everyone!  It's been a long day....week...month.  I've been getting ready for the Clarinda Craft Carnival this weekend.  Tonight I finished upholstering a bench seat, made a bulletin board frame, some flower magnets and flower push pins and then packed up all the small items.  The only thing left to do is pack up the sheet music wreaths but I always wait until the last minute to do that so they don't get crushed.  Tomorrow I work in the morning, pick up the trailer at 1:00 pm, then pack up the trailer and head to Clarinda to set up at 4 pm.  I'm taking more furniture than I've taken to this fair before so we'll see if that's the right thing to do.

 A little peek at a few of the benches I'm taking.  I built this one to look old and painted the base in Lagoon, stained the top and then grey washed it and added the stripes.  I distressed the whole thing to give it an aged look.  I'll take better pictures of it after setting up my booth.

 I painted this twin bench in Old Paris and I love the fabric on the seat.  A modern fabric on an antique twin headboard and foot board.  Isn't it fun!

I love how this one turned out.  Distressed black with a black, cream and green upholstered seat.  Again, I'll take better pictures of it once it's in my booth.  If you are in the area, I'll be at the Pavilion in Clarinda, IA on Saturday, stop by and say hi.  Thanks for stopping by.

Getting ready for the next fair...

Hi Everyone!  I know I've been absent lately, but I've been busy getting ready for my big fair in three weeks and my Holiday Open House next month.  I was so busy this weekend that I forgot to take any pictures of things in process.  But I did take some pictures today after I had started priming things last night.

 I finally turned this full size headboard and foot board into a bench and primed it in black.  My plan right now is to paint the top coat in ASCP Graphite or Paris Grey.  Any thoughts?

 This is the base of a backless bench that I primed in black.  I think I'm going to paint it in one of my favorite colors Lagoon and the top stained? maybe?

 I built this twin bench and the boards sitting on it belong to the backless bench base in the previous picture.  I think I'm going to paint it in ASCP Paris Grey.

 I made a decorative ladder out of 1x2's and spindles from a Jenny Lind Crib.  I have primed it brown and I'm paining it in ASCP Old White.

 I made two of these headboard shelves.  I still need to add the pegs to them.  I have primed it in brown and top coat in Heirloom White.  I still need to distress them.

 And my favorite thing I built this weekend, a kid's table.  I see this going to a little girl (because of the turned legs).  I'm going to paint it white.  I primed the legs but had to stop for the night because it was getting dark.

And I made two matching chairs to go with it.  I can't wait to get back out there and finish up all of these pieces.  And in case you think I worked all weekend on these things....I also went to my parents and helped my mom with things for the guest room she's redoing.  I gave her the Paris Grey bench that didn't sell at the last fair for her guest room.  So it was a very productive weekend.  And hopefully this weekend will be equally productive.  Hope you are having a great week.  Thanks for stopping by.

Bench in Paris Grey....

Hi Everyone!  My two-day fair is this weekend.  I've gotten everything set up and ready to go and we did it in record time.  Now I just need a good nights sleep because tomorrow will be a long day.  So tonight I thought I'd show one of the benches I took to the fair.

I love how this bench turned out.  My mom picked it up at a used furniture shop for me.

  I love the lines on it.  And it's one heavy dude!  I think it's solid walnut.

I painted it first with a coat of black primer.  I wanted black to show through when I sanded it back especially on the new wood.

I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey.  I love Paris Grey!  It is my favorite color.

I sanded it to reveal the black and wood through the Paris Grey.  I upholstered the seat in drop cloth.  I love the way it turned out.  Now I'm going to play with the dogs a bit and then go to bed early!  Tomorrow will be a long day.  What are your plans for the weekend?  Make it great.  Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to:
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/2013/09/196th-power-paint-party-popp.html

Projects in process...

Hi Everyone!  I have been busy for the last month getting ready for the fair next weekend.  I still have to finish up a bunch of items but here's a little preview of some of the things I've been working on.

I built a twin bench and made a dresser bench (the white piece with the drawer) that I need to upholster and attach the seat like I did here.  I built a headboard shelf with pegs and painted the frame of a window minus the glass that I added chicken wire to, to make a message center.

I turned an antique drawer into a shelf like I did here but this time I painted the interior apple green.  And the big drawer behind it has been turned into a drawer coffee table like I made here.

 I still have to finish the top of the coffee table.

I turned the middle size drawer into a smaller coffee table or side table, more on this one later.

And another headboard shelf with pegs.  I have about 10 other projects that I've been working on but those will have to wait.  I have a lot of work to do this weekend, thank goodness the weather is going to be cooler so I can be out in the shop but we do have thunderstorms in the forecast so that might making painting a little more difficult.  What are your plans for the weekend?  Thanks for stopping by.

Evolution of a bench....

Hi Everyone!  I hope your weekend was enjoyable!  I had a wonderful working weekend.  The weather was gorgeous here all weekend which made it so easy to work in the shop.  I was able to get a lot done, but nothing I'm ready to show to you yet.  But here is a look at a bench that has had several remakes.  And this final one is it's last...as it has been spoken for...but it's still in my studio.  It will be going to it's new home on the 11th.

 Here it is at the Apple Jack's Fair last September.  Plain back with the brown and coral fabric.

 When it didn't sell I added the saying to the back of the bench.  I meant to change the fabric before it went to the Clarinda Craft Carnival in October last year, but didn't get it done and forgot to do it before my Open House.

And here it is now.  The fabric was chosen by it's new owner.  It's one of my very favorite fabrics.  I've used it on several benches and most recently on  the footstool I made.

Here's a close up of the fabric.

So now what do you think?  Better, right.  I'm working on a piece to replace this in the studio and I can't wait to finish it.  Thanks for stopping by.

New bench....

Hi Everyone!  I thought I'd show you my new favorite bench.  I built it about two weeks ago and then had to step away from it to take care of other orders and I finally got back to it in the last couple of days.  It's one of the headboards my Aunt Barb brought me the day of my Studio Open House that I shared with you here.  Let's look at the before shots...they aren't pretty.

It was painted white and then painted very badly with brown paint.  I did a little sanding to it, but wanted to keep the chippy paint look that it had from the brown paint.  I cut the foot board almost in half and then decided to cut down the post.  If it had been a full size I probably wouldn't have cut the post down but with them it looked more like a torture chair than a bench you'd want to sit on.

 So here it is, all dressed up in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.  It has been sanded to reveal the brown, white and a little yellow (it's original color maybe?). 

 I upholstered it in one of favorite fabrics.  I love the way this looks with the Old White. 

 The fabric goes so well with the blues and greens in my Studio so I won't be disappointed if it doesn't sell right away...that way I can enjoy it for a while.

I shifted furniture around last night to make room for some new pieces (I can't wait to show you the big piece I just finished).  I think it just might be time for another Open House here at the studio.  I've got all the empty spaces filled.  I just need to create some art work for the walls and some messages boards and then it will be filled nicely.  So we'll have to see.  I also have some custom orders to finish (hopefully this weekend!).  Thanks for stopping by!

Linking to:
http://theshadyporch.blogspot.com/2013/07/rock-n-share-48.html 
http://www.thecraftyblogstalker.com/2013/07/blog-stalking-thursday-100.html 
http://madeinaday.com/2013/07/04/made-u-look-linky-75/ 
http://missmustardseed.com/2013/08/furniture-feature-friday-jessicas-favorites-link-party/ 

The fair....

Hi Everyone!  It's been a long and fun weekend!  The Arbor Day Fair was this weekend.  I didn't take as much as I normally do since I'm having the Open House for my Studio in a month, but I did take a variety of items.  It was a good weekend, but not a great one. Just a warning, this post is picture heavy but I thought I'd show you what my booth looked like.

 Set up started Friday at 4pm.  Mom, Dad and I were there a little before 4 pm ready to set up and get out of there as early as we could.  This little bench was the first thing we unloaded.  Just as soon as it was set down, it was sold.  It had a twin that I brought last year to this same fair and the gal that runs the fair bought it and bought this one too.

 My little headboard turned shelf with pegs sold as soon as we set it down too....also to the same gal that bought the bench.  The two items really went well together and were the very first thing you saw as you entered the room.  I could have sold them both to at least 4 or 5 other customers.  They stayed in their spot the whole weekend and brought me several orders and a wonderful new business contact (I'll share more on that later).

 I took a couple of mirrored windows (none of them sold).

 These bead board frames were new this year and two of them sold.

 The black chicken wire frame came home with me.....

 ....as did this green backless bench with storage in it and a stained top...

...and so did my bird bench...

 ...I sold a few sheet music rosette magnets...

 ...and one white and one grey crate, several of the plain pillows, several chicken wire frames, and the numbered peg sign...

 ...the foot stool was liked by a lot of customers, but came home with me as did the large window mirror...

 ...as did this bench with storage that was painted with dark walnut paint (I've already decided to repaint it in Old White)....

 ...I sold a set of wooden love birds in white...but the rest came home with me...

 ...these burlap rosettes on clothes pins were also attached to the message boards, but the packaged ones didn't sell...

 ...and neither did the tree slice numbered tags...

 ...or the blank note cards...

...and neither did these hand painted totes...so it seemed like I didn't sell much, but I did okay and I'm alright with the amount of items I brought home...they will all be for sale at my Open House next month.  So now I have to replenish some of the items that sold and finish working on my studio to get it ready for the big sale.  If you happen to be in Southwest Iowa over Memorial Weekend, please feel free to stop by and say hello...email me for directions. 

I want to say a great big thank you to my parents for all of their help and support this weekend.  I couldn't have done it without you!  And now, I'm going to sit back with my feet up and rest for one evening before I start getting ready for the Open House.  Thanks for stopping by!