Revamped Bookcase

I'm a little embarrassed at the amount of time I've allowed to lapse between posting.
With the new year I bring more challenges for myself; educationally, professionally and personally.
That being said, I'm going to aim for a bi-weekly post, gotta start somewhere, right?

Of my furniture projects that I had for sale in the Field of Poppies booth, I'm excited and shocked to say that I completely sold out in December. Shocked because some of the pieces were flirting with having been there for 6 months.

Selling out has left me empty handed for replacement so I've really been pushing myself to work on some type of project for the shop every day. A habit that I confess, I had allowed to fall by the wayside.

My furniture and hopeful projects had been (for a 6 month time period) stacking up in my husbands workshop. When my 'to do' pile reached threatening heights... for safety and sanity reasons... I was kicked out of his workspace.

We worked together to clear out an old bulk tobacco curing barn. Which ultimately meant moving a lot of pallets, sweeping a lot of old tobacco leaves and debris. One part of the process involved ripping the bead board drop ceiling out. Ripped it out but, not to throw it away but to give it a new life as something else.

I received this bookcase for free - someone was pitching it. I can understand why. It has nothing special going on with it. It even has the cheap panel backboard.

So, step one - lose the faux back and put in a new one. With that I decided to use the wood from that we pulled out of the tobacco barn ceiling.

 

Next step would be painting the entire piece with $5 oops off white paint (with the exception of the reclaimed wood). Note the toddler photobombing my pic.

And time to start waxing. I used Briwax Tudor Brown and Clear. My technique is adding Tutor Brown heavily around the edges and in corners and use the clear to blend it out.

 

Then my photobomber, artist in training, decided the piece needed more distressing

Added the shelf back in... and it's all set to go to our booth for sale!

A Malted Desk Makeover

(also known as the never ending project)

 

 

I scored this beautiful desk from my booth-mate Cassina last Thursday. 

Hmm... that doesn't really seem all that long ago. When you work on a project every day maybe that's why it's seemed so daunting. That or because it's taken up the greater portion of my front porch and every time I've gone in or out of the house its been staring at me to complete it. 

My son decided he wanted to help me paint the desk. For those of you who don't know, he's 4. I was excited that he wanted to help and that he was sharing an interest with me. I thought, Wow this could be awesome. 

So, step one. We need to make some "Chalk it Up" paint - I wanted a color that was sort of malt colored. Maybe because it's so hot here I am secretly craving a malted milkshake!

Inspiration:

Insert 4 year old helper:  

Mixing the paint after I add all the components of the "recipe" to my mason jar is my least favorite job. It takes A LOT of shaking. He was actually really good at this and if he plays his cards right... just might have himself a new job!

At last, after ample mixing, it was officially time to start painting!

Lately, I've lucked up in my projects where they have only needed one coat. This time, however, not the case. It went on very streaky so, I let out a big sigh, had my helper snag me another can of Diet Coke and went around this bad boy again.

As I was repainting... Tragedy struck.

My helper had been running around on the driveway and BOOM!

Had to pause on the painting to become Dr. Mom. 

Once bandaids were adequately placed, he was back to his helpful self. 

Much better results with coverage this time. Of course this table had LOTS of nooks and crannies so it caused me to spend a lot of time sitting on the floor.

My wonderful helper was eager to paint but, we've got some work to do to hone those painting skills. Instead he decided to drive his hot wheels around on the top while I worked on the bottom. No big deal I thought. He's happy. I'm working. Win-win. 

I finally finished the 2nd coat only to stand up to find this...

Sheesh! Can I get a break?  

My "helper" figured out how to make his cars leave doughnuts all over the top of the table. Love him. So, now my table was on to its third coat. Fortunately he only drove on the top! Whew!

Once that was finished it was finally on to my favorite part: Distressing.

I decided to go with 220 paper on my palm sander. I also decided to go a little easy on the distressing. The top I wanted nice and clean (I worked hard enough to get it that way, right?)

After sanding it where I wanted it. I called it the end to Day 1. 

Pretty productive, despite the numerous set backs. 

Big decision to make. Wax or not to wax. Poly or not to poly. Typically I'm a wax lover. But for some reason looking at this desk it told me not to wax it. I haven't poly'ed a project in a long time (I've only been waxing) So, I thought, what the heck. 

First coat: 

Didn't turn out too bad (now looking back) But, I wasn't thrilled with the streakiness of it. I wanted it to be nice and clean. Smooth. I let it dry all day... and later that evening...

I broke out the 400 grit paper and my palm sander and hit it again. 

And I laid down a coat of poly again. 

I should have taken more pictures of the clear coat layers just for humor purposes. The difference it made layer after layer, day after day, was so marginal you would laugh out loud to see my obsessiveness. 

Yesterday, I decided ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! 6 coats strong... I was DONE! (Actually it took Cassina telling me to stop) haha!

So, here she is:

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to read! 

We will be selling this color "Malted", in our "Chalk it Up" line of homemade chalk-style paint, beginning in August. 

 

Inspired by Telluride

As the sun sets on the horizon

The warm oranges and cream colors hug the Telluride landscape

Each moment the scene changes without ever losing sight of the same ridge line

The deep earthy colors warm your soul and lure you in

Black Bear Pass etched in the mountainside 

Entices anyone possessing an ounce of adventure to climb its terrain.

Telluride proudly displays its history in the mountains above 

The old town of Tomboy, a mining town, now crumbling slowly

Showing a hint of what life would have been like for its former inhabitants.

The warmth and comfort you feel

And unexplainable solace that comes 

From being surrounded by peak after peak of rocky terrain 

As ribbons of rosy clay peek out among the trees.

Embraced by a town so endearing, it seems almost cliché

That a beautiful bride and her groom should embark upon their own journey

Aboard a Land Rover Defender 110
 
To emblazon their own trail

Destiny unknown.

The only known fact, at this point, is that their history 

Much like the timeless beauty of Telluride 

Will remain forever etched in the hillside. 

This wedding experience was unlike no other I had ever encountered. I fell in love with the place and the people of the town. I pass on my love of the beauty, the only way I know how...

Colors from left to right: 
Tomboy Brown, Rosy Clay, Land Rover White, 
Telluride Orange, Mountain Sunset, and Mesa Verde Cream