Cake Decorating Furniture With Spackle

I just recently redid my craft room and found tons of stuff including my cake decorating supplies.  About 100 years ago I did a lot of cake decorating, but I was pretty rusty when I tried my hand at decorating a cake for my brother in laws birthday last week. 

Here's the fun part....I was standing there with my decorating bag filled with butter creme frosting and It came to me....

......Spackle  and Furniture!!!

I decided to try it on this table I had just picked up at the thrift store

I filled my cake decorating bag with vinyl spackle, but I think you could use any form of spackle.  I put 2 plaster flowers in the middle.  How to make the plaster flower tutorial is HERE and HERE .

I used spackle to adhere the plaster flowers, then drew scrolls out to the side (I am really out of practice!)

 After I let the spackle dry (It dries rock hard!) I painted the whole piece and finished with a coat of clear wax followed by dark wax to give the flowers dimension

It looks like a hot mess up close lol!   But, stand back ....

I used vintage wallpaper on the inside shelf..... 

And there you have it...Adding just a little Somethin...Somethin, makes all the difference!

I priced this little side table at $63.00 and it sold in 2 days.......Hum, I think I see more cake decorated furniture in my future!

Happy Creating!

Carol

Partying with
Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Miss mustard Seed

Altering Vintage Hats

Do you have your Easter Bonnet picked out?

I love altering vintage hats....Anyone can be a hat milliner!

I Pick up hats anywhere I can, estate sales, antique stores, thrift stores etc.  I look for the totally unadorned ugly ducklings that are in good shape.  These are the hats that can be picked up really inexpensively.

Then with old millinery flowers, netting, feathers and jewels, along with trims and lace.... I get to work playing milliner

I added a vintage flower, leaves, and netting to this pretty pink hat

I use a combination of hot glue and a needle and thread to attach everything

The hat below I added a little pin with flowers, sometimes it is just a little detail that makes all the difference

I added a couple big pink vintage flowers to this black hat

For this hat I switched the bright flowers to softer pinks and blues....Psst.... Can you tell by the pictures which were taken on a sunny day and which were taken on a cloudy day lol!

This is one of my fabric flowers (tutorial HERE), netting and feathers

Another fabric flower, feathers and netting

I get most of my flowers from vintage hats that are a total wreck, I look past the mess they are in and look for great flowers.  This hat was  full of great flowers....Even though it was a hot mess! 

Now, don't let a whole bunch of old smashed flowers scare you away!  You can fluff them up and make them as good as new by setting your iron to the steam setting, then putting your flowers on the ironing board and giving them a big puff of steam.  Set the iron down and quickly start reshaping the flower, you will probably have to repeat this 2-3 times.

These flowers were totally flat until I steamed and reshaped them

I get my netting at JoAnn's Fabric, you will probably have to ask where it is, because it's usually hidden.  I use vintage netting from old hats any time I can . 

I sell these in my antiques booth at Orange Tree and price them between $14.00 and $24.00.  I always sell out, I guess there is a lot of ladies like me that use them for decorating and college kids who buy them to wear. 

If you would like more ideas on altering vintage hats you might enjoy THIS previous post I did 

Are you going to wear an Easter Bonnet?

Blessings and Wishing you and your families a wonderful Easter weekend.  

Happy Creating

Carol

My French Market Bags Were Published

I'm not bragging, just tooting....Tooting my own horn that is!

You never know who's reading your blog.  Well, in December it was the Editor of the Stampington Magazine

"Haute Handbags"

Yep, last December right there in an email..."Hi, I'm the editor of Haute handbags, I saw your French Market bags on your blog and we would like to publish them in our spring issue.   Please let us know if you are interested"....Oh yes, yes, yes, I would be interested!

I did a blog tutorial on these French Market bags HERE in November of 2011 and it is still one of my most viewed posts.  The graphics are from Graphics Fairy.

Of course the editor wanted the bags I pictured on the post, but they had long been sold so, I hung a late night recreating them and then shiped them off to the magazine.....

It was pretty darn fun getting the mail last Friday because there was my preview issue!

Oh look...There's my name!

And they hung my bag on a pink bike....How'd they know I love pink?

Just remember...You never know who's reading...I was just minding my own business blogging away!

I blog because I love it, but all of you reading and encouraging me with your friendship and kind comments .....Makes it incredibly fun!

SO, THANK YOU for listening to me TOOT!  

Happy Creating!

Carol

How To Sell And Ship Furniture Online

This is another installment of "What Sells and What Doesn't"  but this time with a twist!

I am so excited to have Sue from Uniquely Chic as my guest blogger today!  I have always wondered how people sell and ship furniture online.   I think it could be of use to so many people that don't have access to sell at an antique mall or market.

                                           Hi...I'm Sue from Uniquely Chic. 

Carol, my first blog follower, has asked me to add to her series of "What sells and what doesn't". Mine's a bit of a twist on the topic because I sell furniture and home decor in my Etsy shop, Uniquely Chic Furniture . I live in NJ and antique malls are pretty scarce here. The ones I have visited seem to bring no traffic at all. I envy those of you who sell in popular antique malls. I would love to have a small space to arrange my pieces in rather than a cluttered basement and garage.

However, selling on Etsy is great because it doesn't limit you to a specific geographic area. I ship everything and on occasion someone local will come by and pick up out of my lovely garage showroom. Honestly shipping is a bit of a drag...packing and lifting heavy boxes then hauling them down to the post office is the only part of being able to sell nationally I don't care for. Okay and dealing with untimely freight shippers is up there too. But, don't let that discourage you. Here are some tips on shipping I've learned over the last two years.

                                                                     LET"S TALK SHIPPING

You need to find a good box supplier and I'm not talking Staples or big box stores. They are ridiculously expensive. I'm extremely lucky. I have a box company about five minutes from me and over the last couple of years my box guys have become good friends. They are my friends with benefits :) I call them with dimensions of a piece and they tell me the size of the box best suited. They will even cut them down for me if necessary (You can find a box company in your town by goggling "Box company").  Every inch of box matters ladies because every inch means more money to ship. More money to ship can sometimes mean squashed sale. I also hoard boxes and packing material from the holidays. I use the box dimensions and run the numbers and zip code of the potential buyer through the USPS postage calculator which you can find on the USPS web site ((The combined length and girth cannot be more than 130"). This is how I get an accurate shipping quote. You'll also need the weight of what you're shipping (USPS maximum weight is 70#). I just guesstimate this. I ship standard post which used to be called parcel post because this is the least expensive way to go.  But, I've shipped nightstands and small tables this way so it's not terribly limiting. On a rare occasion when my size exceeds USPS then I'll use UPS but they are quite pricey so avoid them if you can.

  

The rocking chair, is a tough sell because it has to go UPS due to its size and UPS prices are ridiculous.

When I started shipping really large items like dressers, I used Uship.com. It's the Ebay of shipping. You list your shipment and independent shippers bid on delivering the piece. There's a small fee involved only if a bid is accepted which gets passed onto the buyer. I have been able to get some really good numbers this way. I don't use that site as much anymore. I now turn to the shippers I've met through uship for quotes first. I have several guys I use regularly and know what areas of the country they cover. The furthest I've ever freight shipped was a large dresser to Texas. The beauty of freight shipping is they handle wrapping your items. The downside, some are very unreliable.  Freight shipping cost depends on distance mainly. 

The dresser I shipped to TX cost 350.00 to ship, ouch, I know. I think if someone truly loves something though and they can afford it then they will buy it. I ship dressers to NYC for 150.00 and down to FL for about 250.00. Boston runs about 200.00. It's really about making calls and getting the best number. It takes time. Sometimes you'll get lucky and the shipper you call just so happens to be heading where your piece is going then they'll give you a low number because they're going that way anyway

                    

     WHAT SELLS ON ETSY

Painted mirrors and small pedestal tables move quick as do those metal ice cream parlor chairs. You know the ones that look all crappy upholstered in plastic. With a little spray paint and new fabric they clean up super nice. Gray dressers never hang around too long. Nightstands and small cabinets are big sellers too. Colors that are hot right now for furniture are gray, blues, turquoise, apple green and gray/blue. Vintage dressers with stained tops and painted bodies tend to go quickly. French Provincial and farmhouse style furniture are pretty hot too.

 THE SQUATTERS

Squatters are the ones that are not welcome because they've been taking up space for far too long. Pink dressers.... I'll do pink now only if it's a custom order. End tables, upholstered benches and desks tend to linger. Anything that is too big to ship USPS standard and doesn't make sense price wise to ship freight. Coffee tables and end tables fall into this category. Now I carry a small tape measure on my key chain when I go "shopping". If it exceeds the USPS maximum, I walk away. Loser colors...pink, baby blue, red. Fun colored dressers although I love them you're narrowing down the potential buyer. Save the fun and whimsical for custom orders.

HERE'S A COUPLE SQUATTERS

HERE IS A COUPLE DETAILS I WOULD LIKE TO ADD

Typically boxes for me run 3.00 per box. But keep in mind I deal with these guys weekly and they are friends now. Plus I bring them donuts, ha. I wrap legs in bubble wrap and cover tops and sides with bubble wrap as well. I try to make sure there is no wiggle room in the box. The tighter the fit the better off you are. Bubble wrap runs about 25.00 for a big roll. Buy this from your box supplier. It goes a long way. I don't use peanuts because they are messy. When I pick up foam for upholstering I buy scrap pieces on the cheap and will use that as well to create a tight fit in the box.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE: THE TOTAL COST OF SHIPPING THIS ICE CREAM CHAIR

The pink Ice cream chair went to Virginia and cost 17.39 to ship. The box cost 3.00 and I used a small amount of bubble wrap on the legs and back of the chair. Roughly it cost 21.00 to ship including packing material.

Well, that's my two cents on Etsy selling. Thanks Carol for inviting me over!

Thank you Sue!!!  This was soooo GOOD! If you ever thought about selling furniture online, this should answer all of your questions!  Please visit Sue At Uniquely Chic

Happy Creating

Carol

Highlights Of The Dress Form ball

What a Ball We Had!

I'm sure by now the carriages have delivered all of your girls home safe, sound, and exhausted!   As they left they were all chattering about plans for next years ball and even discussing what they were going to wear!

I found Belle "Resting" on a garden bench after everyone left!

Belle and Lady Anita Man met so many new friends.....

.......The Gorgeous Miss Begonia was dressed to the nine's and everyone was envious of her figure!

And Maybel in her stunning Paris inspired attire

And of course it wouldn't be a party if the.....Err...."Fun girls" didn't show up.....

.....Susan...And...

......The younger sister

And just when I thought I was in over my head some extra help arrived.....

....Judy sent over Mabel her head house maid for My Ladies Service....

.......And Sherry sent "Gigi" her proper French maid

So many guests generously shared tutorials on making their forms....

.....Deneen shared her chicken wire dress form tutorial

....And Beansie shared her dish soap bottle tutorial

Yes, they were big

Meggie

And they were small.....

Adele and Josette

And fun was had by all!

The Dress form ball is still available for viewing  HERE

My Sincerest thank you to all who attended.  I know the time it takes to plan, dress, photograph, write a post, and link up to the ball......Thank you for making it a success!

It's never to early to start planning for the 3rd annual dress form ball in 2014! 

Keep your eyes open for a vintage form and if that fails HERE is info on transforming or purchasing a new one

Happy Creating!

Carol

  

Welcome To The Polka Dot Closet 2nd Annual Dress Form Ball

 Belle....The "Belle of the ball" and Lady Anita Man cordially invite you to

Please grab a glass of bubbly and join Belle, Lady Anita Man, and the rest of the guests in the gardens

Everyone is welcome!  Link up as many dress forms as you like.  The party is open for linking all week 

If you want to continue to have a ball, I would love for you to follow The Polka Dot Closet

Please link back to the party so your readers can join in the fun!

Purchasing and transforming dress form tutorials HERE, HERE, and HERE

For my email readers, I don't want you to miss the ball! When you receive this emailed post, click on the title "Dress Form Ball", this will take you to my blog to see all of the dress forms.  Once there you will see dress form thumbnail pictures, when you click on a picture, you will be taken to that guests blog to read and see more pictures of her dress form.  The party will be going on all week so, be sure to check back later in the week to see those that have arrived fashionably late

Have a Ball!

Carol