Market Monday

I found this table at an estate sale and it was love at first sight.  The legs and cross bars are incredible.  It has been used and loved and has all the wonderful marks to show for it. 

 The top had such amazing character... I simply sanded a few spots and then applied a dark wax to bring out all the details.

 I then painted the apron and legs an 'old white' and did some distressing so that the unique details of the legs would show.  Beautiful!  This table is perfect for a kitchen nook or as a game table in a family room.  It measures 30"x42"x28"tall.  Very versatile!

 I love this skinny bench.  When I found it I thought it would fit perfectly at the end of a bed, especially if you have limited space.  Also would also work well in a mud room or against a wall in your entry. 

 It measures 6.5"deep x 53.5"long x 20"tall.  Do you have the perfect spot for this bench?

I love clock faces, so when I found this round disc... I wanted to paint a clock face on it.  It was quite a task to get it all spaced out and how I wanted it.  I then painted the numbers and markings in cream and rubbed a stain over the whole surface.  Very happy with the final look.

I seem to always have a least one basket each week ;)  The large one is an old tobacco basket, suffice it to say I had to give it a good cleaning but the color is dark and rich, gorgeous.  The handled basket is a light grey with a white wash.  Tons of vases and little accessories made it to the booth this week also.

And this is my favorite piece this week, a child's desk.  It is s.o.l.i.d wood!  I painted the base and legs in white and lightly distressed, and then painted the top with chalk paint.  It has a little chalk/pencil groove and the storage for books and crayons is large.  It is seriously darling and is so well built it should last for a LONG time to come.

I splurged on a little something as a convenience for myself.  I had some business/merchandise tags professionally made, whew... didn't realize how fast I would go through tags and printing, cutting, and punching hole was a tedious task.  I am so pleased with the tag my printer created for my booth!  Love them!

Hope you have a great week!

Market Monday

WOW!  Last week was my best week thus far.  My booth sure needed some restocking and I was glad I had a good mix of items going in this week including a few larger pieces, whew.  Just a heads up that I will have a couple larger furniture items completed this week and ready to go in NEXT week too... so I will be sure and spotlight those pieces next Monday.

I have a huge crush on Thonet bentwood chairs.  They are the classic 'bistro' chair and I hope to one day have TEN around my 10ft harvest table at home... just love them.  I found this chair, no markings/reproduction, and it was already painted the cutest aqua color.  I tucked it into this little corner in my family room... procrastinating the day I would need to take it to my booth.

 I have several of these bentwood chairs... lets just say the colors of the others are NOT so pleasing, grin.  I look forward in future weeks to giving them facelifts and they will soon make an appearance in the booth too.

 Beautiful crackle finish pedestal. 

 I call this the chicken wire basket.  I love the versatility of this basket because whatever you store inside it can be seen... fruit, firewood, magazines, etc.  The wooden handle is also darling.  Cute!

 I am always drawn to these little metal chair/stools.  There are so many cute shapes of these.  This particular shape I had not seen before and loved.  They are quite decorative and can be used to hold stacks of books or towels in a bathroom.

 But they are functional too... my sil had several of these and they are the perfect height for smaller children to stand on to help 'cook'.  It will lift littles to the height they need to help stir and scoop.  I guess they would also make a good 'time-out' chair if needs be, snicker.

Baskets are a staple in my booth... great seller.  This white one is quite big!  The weave is beautiful.

 My favorite thing about it is that the color is not solid... it is more of a white wash.  There are plenty of places where the color is peaking through and it makes it more interesting!

My prior birdcages have sold so I am going to add this wire one.  It is so unique... completely metal.

Several questions were left for me at the desk this week... I will just list questions and their answers as I have them in case more than one person has the same question.

Will I do custom slipcovers for furniture?
Not right now.  I love making slipcovers... I personally prefer fitted slipcovers and the process is a creative challenge for me.  But the truth is that the process is enjoyable simply because I work on pieces as I have time.  I do not have time to take custom orders because my life right now with the kids and homeschooling, etc, just is not the right time to do something that demanding.  Sorry.

Will I make duplicates of pillows for sell in booth?
Truth is that I rarely make more than two pillows the same.  So if you see a pillow in my booth and love it... the odds that I will have the same pillow again are VERY slim.  The biggest reason is that I gather antique linens as I see them... petticoats, tablecloths, curtains... and recycle them for most of my pillow slips.  So, most pillows are one of a kind or at the most there may be a set, but the pillows will always be different and made from found remnants or antique linens.  Just a note that each of my pillow slips include a feather insert... I just love how feather inserts hold their shape even with a heavy upholstery slip. 

Do I have layaway?
I rent a booth space in a larger antique mall.  I personally do not offer layaway but the owners of the mall do indeed offer a layaway plan.  Because I have larger furniture items, layaway is a great alternative to those that need to space out payments are even if you need to stall picking up/taking home the item you want to buy.  I do not know the specific details of layaway at Packards... I think the longest time period is 60 days... but most definitely ask/call (their number is top of right sidebar) them if you  want more details.  I currently have a very large hutch cabinet in the booth and that is drawing many questions concerning layaway... so be sure and see what those options are.

Do I do interior design work?
{Insert nervous giggling here}  I feel like most of my answers here are involving some form of 'nope'.  No, I do not do interior design for anyone but me, myself, and I.  I am a tough enough client... fickle, temperamental, demanding... my extended family tolerates my 'suggestions/opinions' but I by no means am a professional.

Do I currently have my items at any other locations?
Nope.  One location, Packards Antiques, is keeping me as busy as I want to be.  I hope to in the distant future have a annual HUGE Vintage Market with multiple vendors located here on our farm.  When that event is planned... I would announce that here on this blog.

Those are the questions that were passed along to me from the desk staff... feel free to ask me any questions directly through the comments and I will answer then as best I can.  Thanks!

Have a great 'last day of spring'... although it has technically felt like full blown summer for well over a month now, snicker!

Market Monday

I went in and got my month-end statement and check, yep, check last week.  If I get a check that means I covered rent and commissions and made a profit.  Wahoooo.  Got lots of compliments from owners and was quite excited.  I want to say a special thanks to those that go in to see my booth and even go so far as to talk with the owners/employees about my booth and items in it.  They told me that they have never had so much feed back from clients on a new booth!  So thank you tons!!

So, some more items to spotlight this Monday.  Do you remember this lamp and shade I made several weeks ago and took to the booth?  It sold in just a couple of days... so I decided to make another one.

 I decided to used the base pictured below to the right.  It is larger than the first one I did... quite substantial. 

 I went with a cream base again... very versatile.  I also sprayed the harp and top pin as they were dated brass too.  The light kit on this base worked perfectly so it just needed a facelift.

 Now onto the lampshade, the fun part!  I wanted to do something different than last time but loved the pairing of linen with the cream base... so that stayed the same.  I cut several long strips of linen... and then ran a long stitch down the middle of each strip and gathered them into a ruffle.

 Then I simply wrapped the ruffles around the lampshade.  I think it is so gorgeous!

 Next up is this clear vase.  Its shape reminds me of a chemistry beaker.  This shape of vase is perfect for dogwood branches and long, dramatic clippings.  I forgot to measure its height but it is at least 18" tall and heavy enough to hold a large arrangement.   Love it!

Sometimes the little things just draw me in.  I found this basket at an estate sale (thank you Kim and Jodi) and grabbed it immediately.  My crush on all baskets is well documented and this little gem is darling. 

 Did you notice the little peak at the platter next to the basket?  When we lived outside Sacramento, there was a pottery manufacturer that was closing its doors.  They sold their remaining inventory and also display pieces that they had kept from some of their earliest productions.

 I bought this set at that sale and have loved them.  They are dishwasher and microwave safe even though they are quite old.  And the fact that they do not have even one little chip is a testament to their hardiness... as many of my other dishes have not faired so well with my kids doing the dishes, wink.  The dishes are THE perfect robin's egg blue with a brown edging band.

 And last but not least... this adorable barrel.  I got this originally at a flea market.  I was going to place it just inside my front door, slip a pot inside it, and plant a lemon tree in it.  Yep.  That was my master plan... but even though we have glass double front doors... we open up BOTH doors on a very regular bases and we noticed real quick that my genius plan was not going to work, it would have to be moved a lot...not so functional.  THIS is the hardest item SHAWN has watched me take to the booth thus far.  He loves this thing.  It could also be a very cool umbrella stand or trashcan for a porch.  It is HUGE. 

Go take a look this week.  I hope it is as fun for you to see new items added each week as it is for me to add them and rearrange things.  Having a BLAST... hope you week is incredible!

Market Monday

Got some befores and afters for you today.  This is a darling wicker chair I found.  It is old and the color was faded, but it is still solid and sturdy... so I gave it a new look.

 I did a quick white wash over the wicker.  It looks fresh and light now.

 Do you have a little shaded nook on your porch?  This is a perfect sized little wicker chair to tuck in the corner of a porch and snuggle in with a good book.  The barrel back makes it extra comfy!

 And the adorable round seat cushion comes with it.  I made it with a slipcover so it can be washed as needed.  I love this chair!
And speaking of pillows... I always have an assortment in my booth with removable covers for washing AND they include the feather insert.  I lean towards large pillows for my sofas and for the kids to lay in the floor with... so I have all different sizes including ones as large as 26" square.

My next before and after is this classic wingback chair.  I have found a couple chairs and though the chairs are still in amazing condition... the upholstery is often dated, case in point... this dusty mauve cover.

My first steps were to stitch up a few rips in the original upholstery and give the upholstery a good cleaning.  The legs were scratched up, so I repaired them also. 

 Anyone that knows me... knows I am a slipcover convert.  Slipcovers function so well for me and my family.  We live on a farm afterall!  It is an impossibility that my furniture can stay clean otherwise.  So almost exclusively, I have slipcovered or leather furniture around my home.  So learning how to slipcover furniture has been a fun pursuit.  I love the process.

The dusty mauve chair got a slipcover made of 'poor man's linen', aka painters drop cloth canvas.  I triple wash the canvas before using it to make the slipcover and it will just continue to get softer and softer with each wash.  I love lighter upholstery but was always afraid of it before slipcovers!  Now I can have the lighter colors with no worries.

I dressed up the back with these ties in case the new owner needed to float this piece in their room and the back would be in full view.  Often a chair like this can be used as a floater piece to enclose a seating arrangement without the use of a wall.  And just as a fun little addition... I had personal tags made to go on my slipcovered pieces... they are discreetly sewn on the inside flap of the back, but it is like a little signature for me.

I am a chronic redecorator.  I love the versatility of accessories to work in several rooms of my home and often an item will travel around my home filling different purposes.  Can you see the 3 HUGE vases on the table.  I had these in 3 different rooms of my home.  They are genius.  Huge but clear so they fill up odd corners without visually being too obtrusive.  I personally had them filled with different natural branches.  But alas, they were permanently replaced next to my family room hearth with a 16' ladder I found in Florida last year.  I have not been able to find them a new home since... so I have them for sale in my booth.  

I got some help from my husband this weekend to rearrange a few items in the booth so I could add all my newest additions.  It is fun to visit my booth and see that things have been sold, and this week I had tons of 'holes' left so we did a quick reshuffle, and added several new larger pieces.  Enjoy!