Time is a "more Guts than Brain" Project...

More guts than brain! That will definitely be a new series on my blog!
Do you know that? You see something in a dark corner in an antique or thrift store or at a garage sale and you think...no, you don't think! You're grabbing it, paying, leaving, driving home with a big smile on your face, already knowing what this piece possibly could look like after you're done with it.
Two days later you want to start your project, looking at your treasure and think: "hmmmm - ok - wait! - no...hmmmmm"
I often thought: I've seen this on other blogs so it's possible and I'm just gonna start on it.
You start and face about ten call outs with the piece.
BUT! When you're done (I did not finish all of my "more guts than brain" projects!) you're so satisfied and proud and you've learned so many things, maybe techniques, another point of view or something about a material.
I would love to start a new linking party on this topic because I'd love to see and read about your projects!
What do you think about that?

My latest "more guts than brain" project was this chair.
Now some of you might think there's nothing to be worried about, but I've never faced a furniture with an upholstery. I didn't even check on it before. I was so lucky that the straps where still ok!

Now here's the before:

Guess what, my husband didn't like it and asked me more than once "why did you buy this chair?"
-"because I see the potential of it!" was my answer but I didn't think of the skills that where required do work it's potential out.

Let me tell you, I was sweating more than once! Above all when I had to rip off the fabric and realized what I have been starting on.
I planned to write a tutorial for this but I actually can't tell you exactly how I did it but I just did it!
And here it is:

What can I say...I went back to the antique store and bought another three of those chairs... definitely more guts than brain huh? ;)

Much love,
Dina

  

Time is a living room table

Still got my winter decoration on...

My latest posts are starting with "time is..."

I thought I'm gonna keep this going for a while because I recognized that time is relative. Not only time itself but also what it means and how it is filled.

That is what I want to put across; how time can be filled or what it can be.

So these days, for me, time is a living room table!

If you are a creative person you know how hard it is to ignore the "call of duty". I've been spending so much time on my business at the end of 2012 that I completely missed out on improving our home. I have to admit I actually didn't really care about it for a while because I was so exhausted and burned out.

But on Saturday I've heard the call of creative duty. I just did not know where it came from. Ok, I located it in our apartment but where the heck...!?

It was the living room I've been shifting furniture around in for months now and I never felt happy with it.

I was looking at the couch table and thought: THERE you go!

I mean, come on, look at it! ;)

I decided to paint it all in ASCP old white except the tabletop.
All I needed where the following things:
Paint (ASCP), plastic, tape and a brush.
This is the basic material. If you use other paint you might need sanding paper and/or a primer but that is why I love Annie Sloan's paint.

Of course I needed my cup of coffee to support me.

First I taped the tabletop.

I decided to paint the bottom of it too because it helps to lighten up a little and it also seemed easier than tape and paint around all of these shelfs.

This table needed two layers of paint.

Normally I like to distress my furniture with sanding paper but I thought that this table will distress naturally on it's own.

Normally I wax my furniture but I wanted exactly this dry chalk look the paint was giving it and since I did not paint the table top I just left it unwaxed.

BUT I decided to add a little extra.

I printed two graphics. I wrote "Family" and used parts of a graphic of Karen (The Graphics Fairy) to complete the look of the word and I used a bird engraving, also from Karen's Blog.

I traced both and hand-painted it onto the tabletop.

Now, look at it! ;)

Time is a suitcase...

...loaded with good things.

Suitcase Rummage in Lucerne, Switzerland
www.koffermarkt-luzern.ch

Yes ladies, I did my first "suitcase rummage" at the end of the last year in Lucerne. "Last year" sounds so weird, or is it just me...
I got an invitation to it without knowing what it is but I was thrilled when I found out what it's all about. It swapped over to Switzerland fully now and there are popping up suitcase rummages all over the country for this year.

No need to say: I had a BLAST and my bags and necklaces seemed to be some of the hot sellers which made my heart sing! By the time I went home there where six small pieces left, so no rummage anymore. I even sold my decoration to a girl; a brooch I used to tag some lace. She wanted it really bad so I gave her a good deal.

On this occasion I naturally wanted to have a unique suitcase.
Here is what I did...

When I got the case the false leather outside was a bright orange-deer-brown and the also-ghastly, brown satin fabric inside was splotchy. Well, don't get me wrong, I guess it looked funky in the 70's. Unfortunately this was the only suitcase at the flea market.

The decision was made with ease, I ripped out the fabric inside and spotted cardboard underneath!
A cardboard suitcase! All right!

I painted the false leather on the outside with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (yes, I did!) Duck Egg Blue, let it dry and then I brushed old white onto it. Just some strokes with an almost dry brush to bring out the highlights.
In this case I did not wax it for I wanted this dry and matt look, keeping in mind that the color could chip off and get wet. As a small decoration I used oxidized metal stamps (a butterfly, a leave and a tag).

On the inside I used Japanese Cotton Fabric (50% Cotton, 50% Linen), glued and sealed it with Mod Podge. You could use outdoor Mod Podge if you would like to be able to wipe a surface with a wet towel.

I did a quick upholstery for the inside of the cover with a light cream cotton fabric and then, decorated with a lace trim (for hanging up some earrings) and two bronze brooches (yes, that where the ones selling too).

Actually you could use such a suitcase as a decorating item in your home too where it could hold magazines, kids toys, books, remote controls, a cat (?)...or just shine.

And here it is in action! Much love, Dina