Hand painted Farm Fresh Eggs sign

 Hi guys! I am going nuts getting ready for a couple upcoming shows. We spent the weekend with the boys "Spring Breaking" in Nashville. Of COURSE I forgot my camera. We were glad we didn't go to the beach as planned. It was snowing in Nashville on Sunday and Monday! I can't imagine the beach we were going to was much warmer! We went to the Nashville Flea Market on Saturday. We got a few things, but mostly, things there were priced higher than I would price them at full retail! We did hit a couple estate sales Saturday morning and got some new old things. The above sign was one of my projects for today. It was formerly the table top of the base that is under the clock face table in my last post.

 It was missing a chunk and I pondered filling it in, but decided just to roll with it. I started with crackle medium then added creamy white homemade chalk paint in a couple purposefully uneven coats. I then printed my words du jour on the computer and rubbed the back with a pencil and then traced them on. I painted with black acrylic paint. The words aren't exactly the same size or perfect, but that was the look I was going for..yah..that's right...

 I then sanded, scratched and glazed with thinned acrylic paint.

I speckled it with even thinner acrylic paint and let it dry. Then I waxed it with Johnson's paste wax  that I tinted with some brown wax shoe polish..and that's it! All ready for me to add a hanger. I have tons of projects I thought up this weekend and I hope to get some done and "show  & told" on here before the show(s). Til next time! Julia

My latest Vintage fabric pillows and finds

 Hi guys! I made 3 more pillows yesterday. All the pillows from this and my last post went up to my booth today (Main Street Antiques Sweetwater, TN) but if you see one you like, just let me know and I will make a reserved listing for you in my Etsy shop if it is still available. This one I made from a vintage feedsack..perfect for a farmhouse cottage or urban farmhouse.

 This bag is 50-60 years old and sports a couple little piggies.

 The back is new vintage denim..I have no idea why this pic got so bright..pardon!

I made 2 of these "flag" pillows. The fronts are vintage ticking ..hmmm..where have I seen that before? 

 ..and the back is part of a burlap coffee bag. I made 2 of these but one needs more stuffing before I sew it closed. (That one says New York and coffee on the back)

 We went to a estate sale on Monday.I missed the first 2 days and I don't even want to THINK about what I missed, but Monday was 1/2 price day. We got quite a few goodies for our Etsy shops, the booth and upcoming shows. I got 2 vintage radios. This one is going on Etsy and a green one (that I discovered after I got home was spray painted green) is going in my booth. They both work!

 This was cool. It is a vintage enameled cast iron toothbrush and glass caddy (It is supposed to go on the wall) I think it would be fab as a candle holder or vase holder!

 I got these on a whim and found out that the were a lot older than I thought..30's-40's. I thought they were 70's repos. They are going to Ebay.

 I got this cute Art Deco brass New Haven alarm clock. One hand is off but it winds up and ticks away. It is right next to my computer as we speak. I'd put the hand back on but I'm afraid I'd break it trying to take it apart! I'll leave that up to its next owner.A actually got several vintage alarm clocks and wish I had bought the ones I left behind!

 I have a love hate relationship with these mugs. I used to think they were fugly, but they really have grown on me AND they are thick and large and keep your coffee nice and hot! They are Hull Oven proof.

 Ed said if I got the mugs, I couldn't leave these behind! Matching Hull salt and pepper.

 I really liked this bottle. It is an old medicine bottle from the turn of the century. It would have had a cork stopper. I think it would be great for daisies!

 The estate former owner was a doctor. His shed had exam tables , these and several sets of gynocologist speculums....????? Ed and I got a bit giggly (after I explained to him the speculums were for taking a gander at your cooter) trying to figure out if he had been giving "exams" in his backyard shed! At least I HOPE he was a doctor! Put your feet in the stirrups Ma'ame and say "AHhhh"!

 I got several sets of solid brass vintage doorknobs to put on Ebay.

And the last of tonight's pics was an old rusty rubber band shooter that is going in one of our Etsy shops.It has seen a lot of wear. Kids didn't used to have rooms full of toys. Everytime my son or grandson tells me "I'm bored I don't know what to do" I say GO PLAY..use your imaginations! And then  kick them outside. I may have to ban then from tv, video games and the computer! We got more things but after these pics today I ran out of steam. I'll share more later. Stop back and see me! 'Til then! Julia

What's up? Clock face table and stenciled burlap French pillows

 Hi guys! I'm baaaaaack ...after a couple weeks of crazy online shop work, a visiting daughter and her dog, a new deck install and a 4 year old sick with the stomach flu! I had a day this week where the grandson and grand dog were both barfing! Enough to drive me to drink! My husband started making noises about feeling sick and I told him, "Don't you DARE!" (He is way worse than a sick 4 year old!) It apparently worked. This weekend I have FINALLY got back to projects! I have a couple to share.

This started out as a antique or vintage barrel top. I always forget before pics, so here is the bottom which looks like the top did except it has a lip. I got this on our Indiana trip because we were outside standing on snow and my feet were freezing..I bought it for a couple bucks just to stand on! As I was standing on it, I thought..hmmm..this would make a cool clock face!

 This is after I painted it. It was already a shabby dark brown so I  added my crackle medium ( carpenters glue thinned with water to cream consistency). After it dried I painted it cream and let it dry and crackle. I added a greige glaze ( thinned acrylic paint..almost watercolor strength) then I wiped that off with baby wipes. I kept wiping until some of the paint came off too (purposely). I basically used the baby wipe like sandpaper. I then decided I wanted a bit of color. I drew a large circle in the center (traced a round platter).

 I traced a narrow band on the edge too. I filled in with thinned acrylic (craft) paint in a wash of pale blue. I added metallic gold to the edge. I stenciled on numbers with black craft paint. I used cheapo stencils I got at Walmart. I filled in the stencil "skips" to make a solid number. I just eyeballed their placement..I didn't want it too perfect, I wanted a hand done feel. I added black dots to the inner edge (just use the tip of the handle of your paint brush and dot away!)

 I then sanded everything again and added a paste wax finish (Johnson's paste wax) I could have tinted the wax but didn't feel the need on this. I also could have distressed it more..glazed it again before waxing, but I like this as is.  More on the finish later...

 I made these stenciled burlap pillows yesterday. I started with a freehand painted leafy heart. First I cut out a paper heart the size I wanted and traced around it with the fabric paint on the burlap square to show me where to place the leaves. Then I added a stenciled Amour with fabric paint. Then I peeled up the burlap and scrubbed paint off my table where it bled through and put down some paper! Always horse after the cart!

 The reverse on all of these is vintage Laura Ashley black and white toile from my stash. I buy vintage fabrics at estate sales when I find them. The burlap was pre washed and shrunk before I cut it out. I make my pillows to fit the pillow forms I have. I buy new unused forms when I see them at estate sales when I can..otherwise I have to buy them from the store! So when all the burlap was dry, I sewed.

 This one is a bit smaller. I added the dots and stenciled on Blessed with my vintage brass signage stencils. I love those..they slide/hook together and everything is evenly spaced!

 Maison de Joy ..House of Joy. I think this is my fav. I have 3 shows in the next 5 weekends so I am trying to gather inventory. If they don't sell at the shows they will go online or in my booth. I did line the burlap..it just seemed too flimsy to me otherwise.

 Here's the table with its "new" legs. I bought this table for a couple bucks. I removed the top that was not original to the legs. I may end up making that into a sign! (See my new deck?)

 I sprayed the legs with a mix of hammered bronze with spritzes of  red primer and black for a faux rusty finish. I like them together!

Of course when time came to screw the top to the base, I had to dig for appropriate sized screws (short enough not to go all the way through) ..then of course my drill driver was mysteriously MIA so I had to hunt for screwdrivers eventually resorting to a drill bit clamped in a vise grip..thanks honey! (My husband likes to borrow tools and not put them back..ever..grrrr) ..but it all worked in the end! I hope to get some more things put together and I will be sharing them here..check back! Til next time! Julia