Weekly Find - Last one for 2015

My last treasure find for 2015.  This week there wasn't anything out there.  This should be a week of cleaning out the old to put in the new but those old items must not have been delivered to the second hand stores yet.  Except for this gem.  I'm not a chicken fan but what's not to love about this handmade pieced together wood sign.  

I love everything about it and might not change a thing.  Now to figure out where to hang it.  At home, up north, in the garden????  If I don't paint it I'll have to come back and share it's new home.

Happy New Year to all - may 2016 find you new treasures to paint, distress, wax and enjoy. 

Later.....

Plain Box Gone Leather

This is a plain box I found at a second hand store.  I really like boxes and blank canvases.  It was a silver gray like a shiny metallic silver.  

Now it's gone Red Leather.  This was painted with Annie Sloan Emperors Silk and Graphite.  I've tried to find a good red in chalk paint and so far no luck besides my first love Emperors Silk.   

This would be my 3rd quart of Emperors Silk and I've used every last drop from the quarts.  This box isn't the true red that she is since it's blended with graphite but it's still a pretty red.  With the texture and distressing it makes a faux leather look.

A view from the top

I found that Miss Red Leather liked showing off for the camera.  Look at her close up.

Oh boy she's liking this attention.

A Shiny Silver to a showy Red Leather that is begging for attention.  

How can you not like her?         Later.......

Coco tray with fun legs

While asking a question "what's your favorite color and do you decorate your house with it?" during the paint class I learned that most people don't have a lot of color in their houses.  They might have blue as a favorite color but they don't have any blue in their house.  The most common color they decorate with is tan/brown/neutrals.  I find that interesting, I might like those colors and have them in my furniture/floors/walls but I need color most of the time.  So since I had a gift certificate for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that was going to expire I picked up a quart of Coco which is a tan/brown.  

I started with this silver tray with fun legs.  It was okay silver but what's to lose with painting it?

Painted it Coco with clear and dark wax gives it a new life.  The detail is more noticeable and his legs....... oh the legs...... are beautiful.  

I piled it full of my coasters made from a white birch log painted with Amy Howard Chalk Paint for that color I need.

I do really like the Coco and could see it used on a larger piece of furniture.

When Chalk Paint is used on the inside of a bowl or try it's not recommended for food.  This tray can be used for any non-food items or wrapped food items.  

Just load it up with the coasters and show off the legs.

Later.....

Worn Leather Recipe Box

One of my weekly finds was a metal recipe box.  Plain metal green box that was begging for a make over.  

Here is the before photo.... top boring green metal box 

Now with it's make over of black and gray chalk paint it deserves center stage on your counter filled with family recipes or spices or just full of junk you're trying to hide. 

A raised design gives this box a worn leather look

A little clear and dark wax for the aged look.... it might be difficult to let this little gem leave the house.  

Before and after

Remember chalk paint goes on any surface.... including shiny metal recipe boxes.  Later.....

Weekly Finds

I'm always on the lookout for fun jars, the two Atlas ones were jumping in my arms at a second hand store and the Patron bottle was thanks to a girl at the end of the bar who finished it and seen my eyes light up.  She asked the bartender for it and then walked it down to me.  

Two metal curtain tie backs and a broken wood handle.  As John would say "who buys a broken wood handle..... and who thinks to take a broken handle to a second hand store"  Me "I do"

Large wood bowl

Fun metal candle wall hanger from my sister-in-law who thought of me while at a metal junk yard.

A glass photo frame from my sister who thinks she can't throw it away so she believes I can do something with it.  

A metal/wood chair from my sister-in-law who rescued it from the same metal salvage yard.  It has good bones she says.

Sometimes texture isn't a good thing.  

And a table from that same sister-in-law who thinks I can find a second life in all things.  Hummmm she might just be right.

What were your finds this week?    Later.....

Weekly finds

I'm going to try really hard to take pictures of my weekly finds before I do anything with them.  This is tough for me to do for five reasons.....  

1) then my husband may come read this and see what I've snuck in the garage.

2) I can't usually keep my hands off the new items and I forget to take the pictures

3) my darn phone is so full of photos that I run out of room and I'm too lazy to delete them.

4) I usually don't think that it's going to change that much so I skip the before

5) It's so gosh darn dark this time of year.... go to work in the dark come home in the dark....

Here are my finds from the last couple weeks. 

Ugly gold french horn decoration..... {thinking white and decorated for a front door}

Super ugly cookie jar {thinking white for my cupboard for the holidays}

Silver basket {not sure just liked it}

Silver tray {liked his little feet}

Silver pitcher {love the handle and feet......real silver????  not sure.... painted it already and yep it's real silver..... oh well}

Super heavy, super big plaster wall hanging  {can picture this painted fun and outside on a fence in the garden}

Silverware box {I love these and I've done 4 of them already.  I kept one for myself and sold the rest. I may sell mine and keep this one since it has a drawer and opens up.  Good money box}

Wood tray with beautiful painting....not  {love trays}

This is my roadside find.... Tall one drawer side table with big ole' hole in the side of it  {hole can be fixed}

Great carved coat rack with loose pegs {of course I'm going to buy this}

Different shaped bottles {won't paint them I like their shape and color to add to my table decor right now and hold flowers from my garden this summer}

Wood bowls {yes I love wood bowls}

Milk Sign {not sure it will work but I have a vision}

Wood candle sticks {good bones and shape}

Metal hanger for flower pot, jar, candle, holy water(??)...... {good garden find}

Not one but I pile of them.....

A pretty vintage card box {love it's color, picture, and vintage look.  I will do nothing with this}

Sometimes you have to take what's inside to get the box..... gold mirrored ornaments

Hank the antelope {white}

Wood detailed mirrored wall hanging {??}

Broken table {broken legs and back but it's got good bones}

What can you find to transform into a new life?          Later.....

Sweet baby girl dresser

 I bought a dresser this summer during one of the garage sales I went to.  I didn't have any plans for it but it was unique so it came home with me.  

Fast forward a few months and my girlfriends daughter is looking for a dresser for their new house in their oldest daughters room.  Looking for something different she asks if I have anything.... Why yes I do.  

I ask her to pick a color........ she leaves it up to me.  That's not what I wanted to hear.  I don't mind picking the color when there isn't an owner in mind but when there is a room and a little girl waiting for it I feel the pressure of the perfect color.  

Here sits the ugly dresser being used as a dump all station in the garage.  

The little girl had green, blue and pink in her room already so my thought of white had me second guessing myself.  Her grandma came over and I showed her my green or blue that I was thinking...... grandma said she LOVED the blue in her room.  Okay so my green was out.  

Painting a dresser a bright color is pretty daring since colors change so quickly so I painted the entire thing aqua blue.  I left the handles intact since they decorative plate was a very thin metal that I felt needed to be left on and painted right over the top.  Remember chalk paint can go over any surface. 

Then I painted the entire dresser in white and distressed it down to the aqua.

It turned out so sweet, I loved it and really hoped that Grandma, Mom and Miss Rae did too.  

The morning came where Grandma and Grandpa were picking it up so of course I have to stage it and make it SHINE with little girl personality.  I painted a fun little tray with my green and a little pink just to add a little fun factor.  Added a little Christmas charm with some second hand store finds and it's screaming CUTENESS.

Here she is all ready to hold Miss Rae's clothes.  

The dresser was delivered as a surprise to mommy and a few days later I received the sweetest thank you card.  

It's so much fun to bring new life to ugly worn out furniture but even better to bring smiles to those who receive the treasure.  

Give a new life to something ugly and see who you can make smile.    Later......