July 31, 2013

Shabby Little Side Table With Plaster Flowers

This little vintage side table was a great find, it just needed a little love!


I looks like it was handcrafted.  


I added a ring of plaster flowers to the little door.  You can make the flowers in your own clay mold..Tutorial HERE.   Or you can make flowers in gum paste molds...Tutorial HERE.   I made a chalk outline of a plate, then "glued" the flowers down with vinyl spackle.


To make the flowers look like they were actually a part of the original piece, I filled in between the spaces with vinyl spackle......NOW, it looks like a hot mess, but stick with me......


You don't need a cake decorating tube, you could put spackle in paper you shape into a cone, snip the tip off and pipe on the spackle.


I used a couple coats of homemade chalk paint, globbing  a lot of paint over the flowers.  Then finished with a coat of clear Minwax, followed by dark wax. 

Now I think the flowers look original to the piece.




Have you ever noticed how big the old magazines were compared to the magazines we have now?


This is going in my booth at Orange Tree Antiques...I usually tell you a price, I'm really wavering on this one.....Maybe $55-$65?


I wanted to thank you again for taking a couple minutes out of your day to read my ramblings.  I love what I do, but sharing it with like minded people sure makes it more fun!
  
Happy Creating!

July 24, 2013

Three Sewing Drawers Three Ways

I bought a sewing cabinet that was in pretty bad shape.....I hate to admit defeat, but like Humpty Dumpty, I just could not put it back together again.   So, like any good DIYer, nothing goes to waste, certainly not three perfect vintage sewing drawers!





This first drawer was painted with Heirloom white with a damask patterned knob from Hobby Lobby.  



The inside was lined with a matching  (How lucky was that) craft paper applied and coated with Mod Podge



This drawer was painted with an "Oop's" green paint



Then lined with a vintage patterned tissue paper.  Then I used a blender pen. The blender pen allowed me to apply graphics (From Graphics Fairy) to the front and side of the drawer; you can find the blender pen and 11 other transfer methods at the The Graphics Fairy HERE. 



The last drawer was also painted with Heirloom white paint.  I used a stencil and vinyl spackle to apply the raised pattern to the front and side of the box.  The tutorial is HERE.





All of the drawers got a light sanding then an application of clear Minwax followed by Annie Sloan dark wax 



Now, I wish I could have salvaged the whole sewing cabinet, but I will probably make pretty close to the same amount of money by selling just the drawers.  I put them in my booth at Orange Tree Antiques and priced them at $20 for the small drawers and $24 for the large one.

I sometimes have to stop myself when I'm doing a transformation and think......What will the monetary return be on the sweat equity I have put into this project?

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On another topic
I love visiting you and I return every comment, (Unless I have already commented on your present post)  So...If you do not hear back from me, it's because there is no way to contact you.  I'm not on Google +, but I did figure out how to find some blogs on Google +.  It seems  everyone sets up their front page  of Google + differently?  If you do not hear back from me, please email me...I can't get to you, I try everything I can, googling, FB etc......Chris M, Kathy G, and many more.

  


Happy Creating!
Carol


July 18, 2013

3 1/2 Hours At One Estate Sale!

This was one "Honey Pot" of a sale...so much great stuff!!  There was a ton of digging, two trips to the car, and a couple of (excited) heart palpitations!  I have never spent this long at an estate sale, but I knew when I walked in the door and read the first few price tags that I was going to need these... smelling salts!









These lace pillows are gorgeous; they have button backs over silk forms.



How about these brown polka dot gloves?!  ...Wait, did someone say "Polka Dots"?!!  These would look mighty fine in The Polka Dot Closet!!!



Be still my heart (I love vintage lace)!!



This bedspread was so hard to get a good photo of. It has two layers of pattered tulle with a layer of tulle over the top. What a perfect flesh color...Why, I think this will be sleeping on my bed!





I was in vintage lingerie heaven.





Oh goodness!! This was so fun, I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning!

  I also found some great frames and small pieces of furniture; projects I'll blog about in the future. Some of these treasures I'll keep and the rest will be going in my booth at Orange Tree Antiques.

  

Happy Creating!
Carol

July 11, 2013

My Creative Space...Where Bloggers Create 2013

It's that time of the year again where we all show off our creative spaces at the 5th annual: 

Hosted by: My Desert Cottage



I shared my newly transformed craft/sewing room in February but I hate to miss a good party.  So, I hope my regular readers will indulge me (and even come along) while I party with hundreds of other bloggers showing off their studios at "Where Bloggers Create"!!

I love shabby fluffy studios, but I work better in total organization. I'd say my craft room is more "Utilitarian".


The patterned pink fabric borders beside the window are wrapped around foam core from the dollar store.  It is perfect for holding pins (and inspiration).






This is a slat wall. I purchased the wall, baskets, and hooks from Barr Display.


The table against the wall in the photo above (lower left) is what I craft on; when open it's six feet long!



My fabric is all wrapped around comic book backing boards.  I did the DIY post on it HERE




Thank you to all of the new and regular visitors for stopping in at at The Polka Dot Closet!!  This is a blog where all of your favorite crafting secrets are coming out of the closet! 

Take a peek inside and follow tutorials on everything from Making Fabric Flowers, Ornamental Plaster Furniture Appliques, Transforming Dress Forms, Cake Decorating Furniture, No Sew French Market Bags...and much, much more!!

  

Happy Creating!
Carol