Paloma Wipe Off

First of all: THANKS SO MUCH! to Courtney of A Diamond in the Stuff for featuring me on her Time to Shine Link Party! And a big thank you to all of you who visited my link and made it the most viewed of that party!!

"Summer" is back driving us crazy with it's heat!! The best to do: Either don't move or...don't move!
Unfortunately I can't do so but I try not to get too active.

Finally I managed to order some more of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and first of all I had to try out Paloma. This is a color with a great shade which changes from warm to cold depending on it's environment and ground.
I wanted to try another painting technique which I've seen on the Annie Sloan page and on several blogs, including Marian's Miss Mustardseed. Both of them explain it well and there are different ways to do it and that is why I won't get too much into details.

Another reason for using this technique is that I discovered the great wood of this chest while sanding and I wanted it to be seen.

I covered the surface with the paint and wiped off all the excess.

If you do it immediately after painting you'll get off most of the color. If that's too much coming off, you just let it dry a little bit and wipe the color off a little later.
You can play with that and it's so easy and fun!

Afterwards I printed two graphics of Karen's Blog The Graphics Fairy onto a white cotton fabric. There also are enough of tutorials where you can read how to do this. If you still would like to know, I surely can make a tutorial on this! Just let me know.

I used Mod Podge to glue one of the graphics to the cover and brushed another layer of it onto the fabric for protection. Be careful not to rub off the image with the Mod Podge.
Let it dry and THEN wax the piece but be careful around the fabric.

On the inside I did a little upholstery with the bird graphic sewed onto the fabric.

Done :)

Much love, Dina

Beauty is Simple

Here is the latest piece I did and I'm totally in love with it.
I't was a dark brown stained chest with a horsehair upholstery (the first one I've seen myself) and it was in great condition.

I used ASCP "old white" and destressed it heavily with sandpaper nr 160 on the whole surface and a little bit more on the edges.

The structure of the wood came through which makes the piece wonderful in my opinion.

After cleaning, AS clear wax seemed to be the right choice. It was the first time I used it and to mention that the vapor really causes dizziness is important but I'm fully satisfied with this wax!

I did a quick upholstery with a thin wooden plate.

I glued a pad on and covered it with fabric.

Then I glued the whole piece on the inside of the cover. Done

Some Impressions

So much going on I never had the chance to show some of the products I made for the shop in Düsseldorf (Germany).

Unfortunately I didn't have enough time to take a picture of every singe piece but I managed it to shoot some impressions.

Voilà...

Purses

Clutches and Handbags

Necklaces and Pocket watches

And Abby thought it's ridiculous to make such a big deal out of a little bit of fabric and some metal.

Much love,

Dina

Just some thoughts and an opinion

There are so many beautiful things that are waiting for me to be done and I've got so many creative ideas and dreams to turn into reality but unfortunately I'm not doing very well these days. I fight a weird cold with an aching throat and a certain weakness in the whole body for three weeks now and it just didn't get better. I'll have my fourth doc's appointment tomorrow at a specialist for throat, ears and nose (don't know what this is called in english) and I hope he will be able to help.
Yes, I got sick way too much over the past two years!!! And guess what: I'm done!!

I felt that I will have to change a lot of things in my life! As I was sitting in bed, thinking, browsing on some other blogs and reading Hape Kerkelings book "ich bin dann mal weg" (I'm heading off) telling about how he made a pilgrimage, I got a slight idea about what I will have to change and work on.
So don't mind me turning it all upside down over the next few weeks, or days, or how long this will take.

 I also wanted to tell you the following thinking process that happened to me last week. It's about business. If you do business this might be of use for you...I don't know.

 Over the past few weeks I got offers from shops and vendors that would like to retail my bags and purses. I was thrilled and felt honored getting these offers because it was new to me that I was getting asked instead of asking. With the first two girls I made a deal that was ok for both sides. There is not much I will earn with that but I thought it will be ok and many more people will see my items and my shop name.
Then I got another offer of a girl that opens up a new shop. She asked me about my prices and I made her the same deal as I did for the other girls and told her, that I won't be able to do a lower cost because I was really close to my prime costs.
She went on asking if I could give her a better deal... My first thought was "UUUUUUGH". My second was "What am I gonna do??".
Then I thought about the prices and how to lower my prime costs and I ended up with the thought to add to the retail price.
And then it hit me. I wanted to make items of good quality affordable for just about anyone. And now I was thinking about add to the retail price? Just because I would earn not half as much as the retailer would do, even if I was the one making these items? Now way!!
You know what? It's great if people are asking to retail your products! Enjoy it to the fullest! But I think it's not ok to sell your intentions. At least I couldn't live with that.
If I add to the retail price it has to have other reasons than that and I surely won't sell myself for less than my time, work and effort is worth.
So I rather sell two bags less then I would with another retailer but first, be at least payed for my effort too, and second, selling it to a reasonable price.

I have two great friends that will sell my products at their store, not asking for much and that is so much worth. Maybe you'll also find someone that appreciates your effort and for those who are not: tell them to retail products off the racks and not handmade!!

Much love, Dina

Antique Goods

Some of you may already know that I was at Mösi's Flea and Antique-market, shopping for Mad Tea Parties. Yay!
My heart is still filled with adrenalin for I found so many great items. Furniture, sheet music, a pupped sledge (yes! again!), a statue of mary (it also had a Jesus but I wasn't sure about it...), frames, shells, glass jars, chests......
This means that a lot of work is waiting but if it wouldn't be nine p.m. already, I'd probably be downstairs sanding one of the tables.
It was an absolutely wonderful day and I feel so blessed and happy.

So here are my goods (please be patient with the pictures. The light in our garage is awful but I couldn't wait to share this with you!)

Much love, Dina

My "new" Atelier

Ladies, I decided to do a little furniture shifting and cleaning in my atelier.
Good thing no one was watching me doing this because I mad a huge chaos.
Now here are some impressions of the "new" atelier.
May creativity be with you. ;) I'm on my way.

Much love, Dina