Friday Finds

Three truckloads before noon last Saturday.

I had to go home to dump the treasures before heading back out.

I will not bore you with all - just some.

 


A boxful of baby shoes - well-loved.

Buttons, buttons, buttons followed by spools, spools, spools.

Printer's tray.

About ten floral frogs in different sizes.

A weaving loom from the 60's.

A pair of heavy duty end tables with barley twist legs.

The tops are ugly - water damage.

A very large tub I plan to use as a planter.

A MCM* dresser which is now in the middle of a major makeover.

I love the chair frame just as it sits.

Naked beauty.

The small Corsican-style table with beautiful spooled legs and ...

... beautiful burled top.

Unfortunately there is damage to the finish on the legs.

I am only touching the legs - NOT the top.

I have a whole post to write about this primitive beauty.

Handsawn wood.

Handmade with a lot of love.

It was getting late and it was SUNNY  so the pictures go downhill from here.

The Sirocco framed young girl.

There's a small bench behind her.

A cherub

A shelf unit.

And a mirror.

 

I know, I know - you cannot see them!

A lovely group of white shutters.

A wire blue plant stand.

An ornate gold frame.

Look, Farragoz fellow students, a whole jar of homemade gesso.

Not like ours, but similar.

I found it at the bottom of a box.  It is a wonder it did not break and ruin everything.  I got it free because no one at the estate sale knew what gesso was.








In the DON'T TELL CHUCKS section of this week's Friday Finds:

I went to Tractor Supply for a bag of dog food, but who can get out of that place without buying more?

I can't.

On the sale rack was this toolbox planter and the galvanized holder.



Yes, I know I am culling the herd of my vintage toolboxes, but this is perfect for my new porch look.

I also picked up two crib mattresses.

A quick tutorial:
1. Grab mattress.
2. Strip the mattress of all padding.
3. Use springs for displays!

*MCM - Mid-Century Modern!






See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA15

SHOP HERE! 

Party Junk #272
Show And Share No.255 
Vintage Inspiration Party #184  

Blue Skies Cabinet

The Sunday B.I.S. (Before Ice Storm) was all blue skies, warm temps, and sun, sun, sun.

I dragged the old primitive cabinet from the back of the truck.

Mixed up my house specialty blue gloopy paint.

AND went to work.

You previously met this primitive cabinet lying on its side with an unknowingly purchased crate sticking in it.
READ HERE 

There it stayed through days of rainy cold weather.

It is made of old wood from furniture long-discarded, plywood, and new wood.

I loved that quirky compartment with the two doors.

Who thought of this design?

It was just dusty so I scrubbed it down and sanded a few spots here and there.

I coated the inside, outside, frontside, backside, and every other side this cabinet had.

Used my homemade white gesso as a primer.

After this coat I finally realized why the person who built this cabinet had not painted it.

THE ANGLES.

OH, THE ANGUISH OF PAINTING ALL OF THOSE ANGLES!

These next few photos were taken with my new phone, and I cannot remember how to use it.

This is actually BLUE paint.

Dear Mr. Android,

I should not have to explain the photographs you take. 

Sincerely,

Your Unhappy Owner



 
I used a heavy grit sandpaper to take down some edges.

Don't you just love taking down edges!?!

You would never know these had been shiny new brass hinges.

Thank you, Laurie at Heaven's Walk for the blue inspiration!

Confession time:

I ran out of paint.

What!?!

I never, and I do mean never, run out of paint on a project.

BUT this time.  This one time.  I did.

It was a hand-mixed brew of powdered pigments and homemade gesso and grout.

What to do, what to do?



Pull out an oops paint in Sweet Bluette.

It looks right purdy.



Here is the BLUE cabinet drying on the paint frame.

Arms opened wide.

Sorta looks like an owl to me.

Someone wanted to know what is that metal stand I use as a paint frame.

Long ago when there were small round metal garbage cans, the cans fit into the round part and rested on the rails to keep varmints from knocking them over.


And, yes, it would make a great table base for inside the house.

Maybe one day.

I showed the left side door above so to be fair here is the right side door.

All dry and ready to roll.

The funny thing about this cabinet which had been sitting in my truck for two weeks waiting to be painted is:  I had to load it back into the truck. 

The ice storm hit and it sat in there for another week.  

Sunday, the blue cabinet finally arrived at the Riverfront Antique Mall looking for a new home.

It was sure glad to get away from here.

See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA14

SHOP HERE! 

Thrifty LifeThursday #7 at Revisionary Life
Be Inspired #177 at Common Ground  
Fabulously Creative Firday at Jennifer Rizzo 
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage 
The Cottage Market Presents Junkin Joe Every Friday 
Party Junk #227 at Funky Junk Interiors  

The BEST of DIY Link Party of the Year  

Old Vases From Clutter to Chic

From donated to repurchased to repurposed chic.

I love the idea of upcycling those annoying florist vases that pile up until you are forced to either think of a way to use them or donate them.

When I saw Jamie's candleholders at (Anderson and Grant) created from the vases, I knew I wanted to try it with some TWISTS.

Remember I bought these three vases from the SPCA Thrift Store last weekend (Read here).

One of which I had previously donated!

My Twist?

Looking Glass Spray!

I carefully sprayed the inside of each with a few drops of water added.

I swirled and swirled and swirled.

I did try blowing softly into the vases to speed the drying, but let me tell you, I became close to inebriated from the fumes.

NOT A GOOD THING!

I wanted the heavier Looking Glass spray around the top of each vase.

I mixed a super gloopy mix of gesso, mushroom craft paint, and grout.

It was really thick.   

I used a foam brush to get in the crevices.

Okay, I started to stop here.

Aren't they lovely?

Lightly sanded the paint to show the details.

I had been in the middle of making tags and, luck would have it, I had three which were perfect for these vases-turned-candleholders.

Ballerinas!!!

With tulle.

With silver accents.

With stamped French script.

Ballerinas!!!

Using silver beading wire I tied the tag and wrapped it around the neck of the vase.

Love the color.

Love the mirror effect.

Love the distressing.

Love the tags.  (Of course!)

I do not love the fact I did not notice one candle was crooked.

C'est la vie!

Even if I did put two coats of satin craft varnish on them, they cannot be used for vases anymore if water is involved.

Water might ruin the mirror spray inside.

These will gradually become more and more distressed as time goes by.

I doubt they will go to the landfill any time soon.

I will enjoy them for a few days then list them in the Etsy Shop.

Or maybe not.

A big, huge THANK YOU to Jamie at Anderson and Grant  for this great idea. 

Ballerina image from The Graphic Fairy.

See y'all!

Use this discount code to receive 10% off your purchase at the Distressed Donna Etsy store:

DISTRESSEDDONNA14

SHOP HERE! 

Knick of Time Tuesday
Blissful Whites Wednesday at Timewashed  
Share Your Cup Thursday #88  
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage 
Fabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo 
Party Junk #223 at Funky Junk Interiors 
The Cottage Market Presents Junkin' Joe Friday 


Thrifty Life Thursday #3 at Revisionary Life