It's Just Me

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Saturday, April 13, 2013

My New Job is My Dream Job

Happy Saturday everybody. My eyes popped open this morning at 5:30 and I couldn't fall back asleep. Since I don't head out for my junkin' jaunt for another 2 hours, I thought I would give ya a heads up with what's been going on with me. About a month and a half ago I was asked if I was interested in doing a apprenticeship at a furniture design studio. Ummmm, YES please. I was excited with given the chance to learn new techniques. After a few weeks of sanding, priming, painting, Kreg jigging and planing wood I was offered a job. I couldn't be any more excited. I feel very blessed to be able to do something that I love and get paid for it.

Here's a few of the pieces we've done within the past couple weeks -

(this is a SMALL fraction of what we've been working on - MANY projects go on here at one time)

I wish I could show you this piece at night. The cubbies, where the chalkboard and antique ceiling tin are, light up. There are LED lights installed that are programmable. The coolest thing about them is they react to sound. You should see it with music on. AMAZING!!! There is also a soft white light installed in the back so at night the whole piece glows. It's really beautiful.

All pieces are finished inside and out ... completely. Front, back, top and bottom

This was the first piece I actually helped on. I chose the color combo

It's an honor that a company would trust my opinion right off the bat

This German art deco piece is SO cool.

Check out this chalkboard made out of 8" crown molding from a church

It's impressive in person ... and HEAVY!!!!

Also for the first time since I started doing this (3 years now) I will be heading to Mount Dora in November. I can't wait. We're also doing a BUNCH of shows coming up this fall. I can't wait.

So, that's what's going on in my life right now. Some crazyness. Aside from all the pieces we're working on at the shop, I have my own inventory I'm working on. I was also headhunted to pick for a local shop. No more doing this just for me anymore.

Please make sure to stop by the 390 Design Facebook page

and check out their other work (follow them - they got it going on)

Off for my day of junkin'.

Have a FUN & SAFE Saturday ya'all!!!!

: )

Friday, March 29, 2013

Turn of the Century Game Table Makeover

The beginning of last year I picked up this turn of the century game table at a rummage sale for $20.

It was WAY more than I would normally spend but when I saw it I knew that it was something I wasn't gonna come across very often. In fact, I knew it was different but I wasn't to sure what it was so I took it to an antique appraiser friend of mine

who told me exactly what it was used for. It was a game table.

The top opened up and came off to reveal a space that you could put cards, game boards and game pieces. There was a hole in the frame that a disk (on the top - that was missing)

that allowed the top to swivel.

The piece was solid except the top was a little rickety do to it's age. I took it into the shop to secure the box frame. We removed it and found some COOL square nails which gave us the age of the turn of the century.

It made the piece even cooler to know how old it was.

I wanted to do something really cool but couldn't figure out what it was gonna be ... UNTIL it hit me

I started by sanding the whole piece and applied the base coat of black

Then with multiple shades of gray, a little blue and some white I tackled the box

frame. I wanted it to resemble aged weathered wood

After the paint was dried I decided to add some numbers. They mean nothing. I just wanted it

to have a shipping crate feel

After a lil' distressing ... don't cha' love the black peeking through?

Now onto the base. I applied MANY layers of colors (letting each one dry in between) ...

Again a lil' distressing. Ok, a lil' more distressing than I liked

I wasn't feeling it so I re-applied the light gray/white color

and distressed again ... much better

To tone everything down I broke out my stain

I wanted something different when you opened the top. So I applied a vintage

nautical San Fransisco nautical chart on the underside of the top

Once the chart was dried I applied Minwax's Special dark wax over it (and the rest of the piece) to give it a nice aged look

Once the piece was completely dried, I took it into the shop and we hard attached the top to the base so that it now only opens on the side the "box" is on.

There's no playing around with this piece ...

get it ... playing around ... it's a game table

Sorry, lol. I like how it turned out. I can see it in a "man cave"

It's a VERY VERY cool piece now

: )

What I'm working on now ...

This set has been a CHALLENGE

Wish me luck ; )

I'm partying at:

Miss Mustard Seed
5 Days 5 Ways
Serenity Now
My Repurposed Life

Thursday, March 28, 2013

That's One Handsome Dresser Now

Howdy Ya'all ...

First let me start today's post by saying a eary very

HAPPY EASTER !!!!

Now, I'm SO excited to FINALLY be able to share the project that has been never ending

until yesterday. If you follow my Facebook Page

you were with me when I picked this guy up at a garage sale

He was in really rough shape. The top was BADLY warped but the body was in decent shape.

Even if the pieces couldn't be rescued I knew I could save the solid brass handles.

I started by removing the top completely and replacing it with a couple pieces of wood

I traced the front of the dresser under the front piece and cut it out

Then glued (Gorilla glue) and clamped it down for 2 days

After it was attached securely, I took a sander to it and rounded the edges

also making sure that the seam was not noticeable (I didn't use any wood filler)

I then stained the top with some Minwax Dark Walnut

After I let that sit and dry for a few good days I started to sand the rest of the piece

You can kind of see the inside of the middle drawer. I had to remove the bottoms of the two large drawers because they were unsalvagable

Here's where it sat for about 3 weeks while I was on the hunt for the perfect knobs

I took the drawers into the shop replaced the bottoms then stained them with the same Dark Walnut

Then I painted the top, inside and bottoms of the drawers, inside of the dresser and the back with Behr's Indiscreet Red. A little distressing, some more stain, sanding, wax, some new knobs and he's DONE : )