Vintage Inspiration Friday #46: Where Bloggers Create

This is my second time participating in

 Where Bloggers Create

hosted by the lovely Karen at My Desert Cottage.

Welcome to my studio

It's the place where you can usually find me!

June 2010

(these walls really were not mustard,

but I just couldn't get a good picture in here)

I've made a few changes in here,

the one with most impact was painting the walls a creamy white.

Seeing the photos from last year prompted me to get out the paintbrush.

(I seem to have a small addiction to paint...)

This is my computer station where I do most of my blog.

My vintage worktable...

always piled with ideas for new projects

with old train cases, suitcases, and trunks full of paper supplies.

This sweet satin partial manny is my model for my jewelry photos

 for my Etsy Shop

I use "found items", and old jewelry pieces to create one of a kind key pendants.

watch pendant

Last fall I painted out a cupboard to hold jewelry supplies.

And a chippy shelf holds a variety of fun items.

"watch the birdie!"

Birds are a favorite theme in my studio

I recently put together these altered art hanging photo album pages

with vintage bird graphics.

They'll be in my Etsy store soon.

My over stuffed comfy chair with ottoman and vintage standing lamp

Every studio needs a spot to relax

An old piesafe holds other craft supplies

This is Irma, named for my paternal grandmother

who also models for me.

TV armoire

Hope you enjoyed the tour,

thanks for coming by from Where Bloggers Create

I'd love for you to come back and visit again soon.

Last week at

Vintage Inspiration Friday

we had so many wonderful posts,

Here are just a few:

Joy, the Savvycityfarmer has the Dish Gene

A Sense of Design

shares How to Stencil a Wall

Just gorgeous!!

Alison from Stuff and Nonsense shared a recent visit with

Mr. Duff and his house,

scroll down to Wed. July 6 to read about it.

And take a look at this creative display

Chicken feeder turned dish rack

from Rita at May-Days

Hope you'll join in for

Vintage Inspiration Friday

"anything vintage or vintage inspired"

please link back to this post with a button image or link in your blog post,

thanks, guys!

I'll be linking up with these great weekend parties

links on sidebar buttons

edited on 9-21-11

to join in for:

At Family Brings Joy

Have a great weekend!

love you all,

Now, I'm feelin' it...

What a difference a week makes.

Last Tuesday I was not really feelin' the love for my Living Room.

Don't get me wrong...

I'm happy and grateful;

I just needed to lighten things up in the worst way.

I think we all know that blogging gives us an opportunity

to expand our decorating horizons.

In this last two years I've really come to love and appreciate

a more light and bright aesthetic.

I don't consider the love of "white" to be a trend.

To me it's a cleaner, calming, refreshing outlook on life.

So over this last year I've found myself wanting to, and accomplishing,

some changes that are bringing my home to where I actually am "in my head".

Now I LOVE  my monster mirror,

it doesn't jump out at you anymore.

Same for the fireplace surround.

I don't like the texture of the heat resistant paint,

but at least it's not the jarring brass that it was.

These were two big impact makeovers,

that really changed the look of the fireplace.

I still have some things I am working on in here,

but the overall "feel" of the space is getting there.

I was surprised at the number of you that didn't "share my vision"

 for my grandmother clock.

(hope ya still love me anyway)

It's a new, inexpensive, battery operated, lightweight, reproduction.

Yes, it was pretty...

and it suited my taste 10 years ago...

but not any longer.

I waited till last to paint it,

giving it every chance to make it work,

but each time I looked in that direction it was all I could see...

Big, dark, and too busy.

I used two different paints on it.

My Creamy White from Behr on the body

and a special mix that I used on the walls in the kitchen,

also Behr paint, for the accent color.

I highlighted the embellishments...

Then used my stain/wipe on poly glaze technique

(Minwax stain mixed with Minwax Wipe On Polyurethane)

Then distress sanding with my mouse.

I'm really happy with it!

Then this small occasional table got the paintbrush too.

After spray painting the brass lamps

the shades now work for me.

To the right of the fireplace

 I had this ladies writing desk that I bought about six years ago.

It had been painted black to cover up a lot of faults,

but it had to go white as well.

It has some pretty detail that you couldn't see before.

But my favorite transformation has to be my coffee table.

Each time I look at it I feel all warm and fuzzy.

Right now, I just have garage sale floral pillows on the sofas.

Here's the new fabric for my four new pillows 

 that I'm hoping to work on later this week.

We have to get back our large ladder from the kiddos

before I can work on the chandy and the top of the armoire.

There's no way to spray paint that massive fixture,

(or take it down to paint)

I'm not wanting to spend a thousand on a new one,

but I do have some ideas.

For now this sofa table, below, has missed the paintbrush.

It may get it later,

but for now I'm taking a breather.

I've learned something big in this last week.

If you've given something a lot of time and thought,

and you still want to make changes,

don't be paralyzed and do nothing.

Our gut intuition usually is on target.

I love the changes I've made.

Maybe they aren't everyone else's taste,

but I want to wake up everyday and enjoy my spaces.

I cannot thank you guys enough

 for all the encouragement and input you gave.

Like I said, I looked at things with fresh eyes,

and was really open to some things I just didn't think I could do...

But DID!!!!

So far I've been able to do this without breaking the bank.

I spent $18 at Lowes for the silk accent lamp shades.

and $77 for the Pierre Deux 4 yards of material and trim.

(This is no longer available on the website,

but when new, their fabric runs between  $90 and $125 a yard.)

(can we say bargain...?)

I had all the paint on hand

except the heat paint that was $5.00

I'm linking this to these great parties this week

(links on the buttons on the sidebar)

the Power of Paint Party

at Domestically Speaking

 

Okey, dokey friends,

see ya back here on Thursday afternoon for

when I'll be joining in on the

Where Blogger's Create Party. 

Hope you'll join in.

"anything vintage or vintage inspired"!

love ya bunches,

So far, so good...

First of all, I just have to say what a great guy my hubby is.

He's agreeable with most ideas that I come up with.

He now appreciates the virtues of  old, "white", and chippy

 when it comes to junk scrounging and furniture hunting.

(whitewashing the huge mirror at 10:45pm)

I've been single minded these last few days

in transforming the living room.

Notice the change in the fireplace insert;

 heat resistant white spray paint.

Small changes here with painting the accent lamps white

and changing out the shades.

Then putting my PB knock off book bundles under the lamps

 instead of the covered ones.

This was Friday when I first tried out the demijohns

in place of the urns with flowers.

One of my goals was to minimize all the brass accents in here.

I still have a huge brass octopuss of a chandelier.

You know the saying,

"The 80's called and they want their chandelier back..."

uh huh...

This is how it all started last Tuesday.

whew...was that last Tuesday?

I have painted so much furniture this last week,

it's been a blur.

Then I broke free to hunt for fabric

 for new added pillows for the damask sofas.

These sofas are so comfortable and I really love them.

I've thought about the idea of slipcovers,

but this room is formal.

I have two other living areas that are casual,

and this one I want to be "casual elegance",

with a Country French flair.

So next I have a pillow project...

These are before photos of two other pieces I painted this week.

More tomorrow with the progress I've made.

It's all coming together, and I'm lovin' the changes.

I'm Joining Marty for TTT

love ya'll,