Parlez vous Francois?

December 4, 2012 By 26 Comments

8242858219 c66f1fc07d z Parlez vous Francois?

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Now, I think this piece might be one of my favorite pieces that I have ever refinished. I was unsure about the color I picked, but that only lasted until after the first coat…the color is Pewter by Benjamin Moore…

The knobs I picked up from Pier 1, and they were really gold, and that is nicely put…they looked really cheap, but thankfully they were metal, and I painted them really easy.

I could not help but name it Francois…French, Frencie, Francois…it all made sense..The dresser is part of a set by Thomasville, that I picked up not too long ago…It was chipped, missing portion of the legs, baked in the sun, you name it. The drawers were in top notch condition, since they were covered in some peel off type of paper…it was a nightmare peeling that thing off, but grateful how nice and clean ended up being.

This dresser will be soon in my Etsy shop, and it is also available to ship. If you are interested, please contact me for a shipping quote.

 

XOXO

 

Denise

 

PS: Happy Birthday Mom, I love you so much!

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Paper love – Smock Paper

November 19, 2012 By 2 Comments

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8199039004 52ae466260 z Paper love Smock Paper

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I love good paper..and great design…and environmentally friendly products…I found Smock Paper when I was searching for a good wrapping paper to use for one of my projects. Unfortunately, there is only one distributor in the Phoenix area, and the selection slightly poor, but I did found a roll of paper I absolutely love. Since Christmas is just around the corner, and most of my family in Europe, I decided to get some of their Christmas cards as well. Having to chose from all those wonderful designs was so hard…Smock paper does really awesome letterpress, and they are passionately committed to the environment. All of their papers are printed on a pesticide-free bamboo paper, and are donating 1% of their sales to environmental causes.

They also have an Etsy shop, where I actually ordered my cards from.

Have you bought anything from Smock Paper before? Have you got your Christmas cards already? I always love getting cards in the mail, and not just e-cards…it is so nice actually opening something else than bills and advertisements..

(photos by Smock Paper)

xoxo

 

Denise

 

P.S This is not a sponsor post, I just happen to love their products and believe in what they do.

 

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New piece Monday – Elena

November 12, 2012 By 31 Comments

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Hello everybody and Happy Monday to you!!

It is Veterans Day today, and I am so thankful to every service member who has ever served our country for defending our freedom and protecting our country.

Today, I am so glad to share with you one of my favorite makeovers so far, a sweet small dresser/buffet/not sure how to call it (smile)..

I bought this from a dealer, I was lucky to stumble over it while visiting an antique dealer searching for something else, and it was so cute, I couldn’t pass on…as sweet as it looked, it gave me the run for the money..what I thought was stain and polyurethane, was more like some sort of unidentified substance, covered in some plastiky finish…I tried to remove it with Citristrip, which usually does the trick, but no..it turned into dust, which was the weirdest thing..

Lots of sanding, sweat and tears later..it was clean, and ready for my coral paint…I am on a coral run lately, I absolutely love the color..I paired it with some green knobs, and I also painted the insides dark grey..the grey sort of brought the design together..

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It will be on my Etsy shop later today.

Shipping is available anywhere in the US.

xoxo

Denise

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New piece Monday – Ceres

November 5, 2012 By 17 Comments

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hello friends!!! happy Monday!!!

how was your weekend? mine was good, way to short, and didn’t get done as many things I actually planned..I did slept in, both days, and that felt good..
Today I have to show you a sweet dresser that was in need of a makeover…

we named it Ceres..it reminds me of the cloudy skies from home…my other home (Romania)..
it’s a gentle giant..
.

while overall was in a good condition, the top was in a terrible shape. it actually had a top tier, that we removed, the edges were raised, and only a miracle could have straighten that up…after we removed the shelf, we sanded down quite a lot…there is still a little bit raised but only noticeable when you run your hand over the top..i think is as good as new now, maybe better…the knobs were painted especially for this dresser..i saw them on Etsy..mid-century knobs, according with the seller description..there was a little rust, and a gold paint that had to go away, to make space for the Rustoleum Gloss Apple Red…
match made in heaven..love the dark blue, red combination…

 

what projects have you completed this weekend? did you get everything on your list done?

xoxo

denise

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discover Etsy wednesday- Week 2

October 31, 2012 By 4 Comments

Hello friends, and welcome to the second edition of Discover Etsy Wednesday, where I share my favorite Etsy finds of the week..Well, I am right on time, and since I don’t like being late..like never..I made a promise to myself that I am going to stick to this, and not skip days..hope you will enjoy my finds, as much as I do..

Sarah Sabbe has a beautiful collection of air plants and succulents on her shop, airyobsessions..Well, after I found it, let me tell you, I felt a little obsessed myself..I love them all..especially the light bulb terrarium..How did she do that?..that would make a nice Christmas gift..so, who knows, maybe Santa reads blogs (wink).

Airy Obsessions discover Etsy wednesday Week 2

Love me some decoupage! Hannah Reed, the artist behind BananaTreeStudio has a beautiful one of a kind selection of wall mounts…yes, I love the deer head, and the moose.. and you can pick your own colors for some of the pieces..so awesome!

bananatreestudio discover Etsy wednesday Week 2Paris..oh sweet Paris..I would love to live there someday..Nichole, the artist behind TheParisPrintShop is fortunate to live there with her family..she takes some amazing picture of Paris..and its not your usual Eiffel Tower pictures..you can see flowers, and cars, and fresh baked  bread and the building and streets of Paris..she knows how to captivate the charm of Paris..did you know that her book, Paris in colors, is available at Amazon?

theparisprintshop discover Etsy wednesday Week 2(photos all linked to their source above)

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new painted piece – Morpheus

October 30, 2012 By 17 Comments

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one of the most challenging pieces of furniture I have ever painted..i picked this dresser at an auction, way back in the spring I think, and I always put it aside, because I just didn’t wanted to start taking off the bubbly finish..it looked like somebody baked it in an oven…and even if I could swear that I had a before picture, I could not find it..

cleaning the old finish off turned to be easy..I wanted to try some milk paint on it, and it happened that I have just picked up some milk paint from Old Fashion Milk Paint Company…painting went great, but this dresser sucked in the paint like there is no tomorrow..so before I have even started on the drawers, I was out of paint..so I had to pick up another one..4 coats later, I had the color that I was aiming for..

i went for some aging with stain, and the same thing happen..the stain got soaked in..i had to apply it twice, but it was all worth it..by the end of all this, my dresser was supper hydrated, and didn’t look dry..mission accomplished..

I did seal it with a few coats of poly, after all that work, that milk paint is there to stay..and I must admit, I am pretty pleased with the results.. and i named it Morpheus..

what is your secret in dealing with really dry wood? have you encountered any situation when the paint just got soaked in?

the color also turned to be quite difficult to capture…the first picture i think is the most accurate..

i also got to try my new 50 mm lens, that i admit, i already love after taking just a few pictures..

mozart was nice enough to model a little bit so i can test it out..poor thing, needs a haircut..

salmon 5 new painted piece Morpheus

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Discover Etsy Wednesday

October 24, 2012 By 4 Comments

As some of you might now, I am a huge Etsy lover. Not just that I sell my refinished pieces there, along with some accessories, but I am also an Etsy buyer. I spend a lot of time every week browsing through the multitude of shops, and I have found a lot of things that I enjoy and plan to buy. Good thing Christmas is close, I might be using that as an excuse.

For that reason, I thought it would be fun if I start doing a column everyweek with some of my favorite Etsy finds of the week. How about you? Do you spend a lot of time on Etsy? Are you a buyer, or a seller, or both?

Starting today, and I promise I will do my best to stick to it, I will pick my favorites..I have been thinking of a good name for the column, and all I could think  is Discover Etsy Wednesday …I know, not to original, so I am opened to suggestions.

Infusion by Abby Meadow, is a shop that is specialized in handcrafted bags from natural and organic materials. I  came across her shop not too long ago, and I absolutely fell in love with her bags. She uses waxes canvas and vegetable tanned leather to create beautiful bags, that are so simple, elegant and feminine. I love the waxed canvas messenger bag, it would be perfect to cary around my camera and laptop, or just for everyday use. The colors are perfect for the fall.

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The lunch tote from ArtifactBags is perfect for work, and you will definitely be the talk of the office…your lunch pack will not go unnoticed that’s for sure. Chris Hughes, the artist behind ArtifactBags also uses all american materials. Whether you are looking for an everyday bag, a garden tote pr grocery bag, I am sure that you will find a bag that you love in Chris’s shop.
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Last, but not last, Tanya’s bags will definitely bring a smile on your face. She creates funny, stylish clutches with geometrical colorful motives that she sells in her shop FancyFeltShop. Well, it is still summer here in Phoenix, so what a perfect opportunity to get one of this clutches. I know, you are not suppose to wear white after Labor day, but nobody said anything about blue, purple or orange. Right?
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Did you already pick a favorite? I cant seem to make up my mind. I want them all.

There’s nothing like shopping for one-of-a-kind handmade items at these prices!

(images from individual sellers listed above.)

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I have a crush on blue

October 23, 2012 By 3 Comments

Good morning and happy second day of the week my dear readers! I am not sure about you, but I am already ready for the weekend…and yes, I know, this week barely started. After years of getting up at 6 am, I finally realized that I am not a morning person. A big cup of my favorite german coffee seems to do the trick for now, but dragging myself out of bed is the hardest part.

So! How was your weekend? Did you have a nice time? Have you been working on any projects lately? I had a really great one, I have seen on of my good friends that came to visit from the other side of the pond, and that I haven’t seen in nearly 4 years. It was so much fun catching up, and I already miss her. If you already follow me on Facebook, you saw that I scored a really great french set this Saturday..dresser, desk and mirror, all by Thomasville. I admit, I did do the happy dance, I was so excited especially that I have been looking for that particular style of dresser for a while. Now, my garage is full…I almost lost the dog in there the other day..so shopping need to stop until I get some more projects completed..

Talking about projects, here is something that I have finished for a couple of weeks, but I was too lazy to take pictures..

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This dresser presented me with all the challenges possible..The drawer on the top, had to be removed..it was broken, and the sides cracked, and I must say I was kind of happy to get rid of it..the drawers had to be repaired and bottoms replaced..and the finish…looked like somebody let it melt in the sun..Honestly, I have been wondering what was I thinking when I bought it..

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In the end, I knew the answer to the questions.. and all the hard work is paying off..and we named it Hermes.

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This is the same dresser I used the stain to age it here.

 

xoxo

 

Denise

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aging furniture with stain

October 14, 2012 By 5 Comments

I must admit that aging furniture is not as easy as one might think. There are several methods that you can use, to achieve an realistic aged look.When I started painting furniture, I actually felt pretty intimidated by using stain to age my pieces. First, I started experimenting with glaze, and move to just stain, once I start feeling more confident.

First, you need to decide what type of stain to use, I usually don’t go for a very dramatic change, so I have been using a lot of light stains, that add just a subtle color. The type of stain to use, also depends on what color the piece that you are planning to age, is painted. I do work with Dark or Special Walnut from Minwax on dark painted colors, and Golden oak, on light color pieces.

Supplies needed:

    • stain, the color of your choice
    • rags, lots of them, to wipe off the stain, make sure they are lint free. I usually buy mine at Home Depot or Lowes, and they are pretty inexpensive.
    • chip brush, do not use your favorite brush for sure. I have a separate brush that I use only for this purpose.
    • piece of furniture, preferably distressed

 

aging furniture with stain minwax aging furniture with stain

I started with a drawer on this particular project, as I always do. It is small enough to repaint in case something goes wrong

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Use the brush to apply the stain, same way you would use it to paint

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The time you leave it on, depends on the look you are going for..add more time if necessary. I usually go for a second coat of stain, if its not dark enough.

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Wipe off the stain..I usually go in one direction, from left to right, and keep working my way down

Decide if you achieved the look you have been going for, and do the same steps on the entire piece you are working on..

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Aging process is a relatively fast one, I usually finish a whole piece in about an hour, depending on the size, and the look.

Now, you can sit back, relax, and admire your piece..You can see the finished piece really soon (wink)

XOXO

Denise

 

 

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Owl mania

October 12, 2012 By 3 Comments

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  1. Owl pillow by West Elm
  2. Owl necklace by Hannah via Etsy
  3. Owl knob by Anthropologie
  4. Owl canister by Anthropologie
  5. Owl pencil holder by Anthropologie
  6. Owl wallpaper via Spoonflower

It is not a secret that home decor stores and hardware stores feel like Disneyland to me. Today, after a long day of work, I felt the need to clear my mind, to relax and to feel inspired…Anthropologie is one of those places, that has that “something” for me…it kind of feels like home, especially when they have this comfortable bed in the middle of the store, with  soft sheets and warm blankets, that I may or may not mess up a little….it also has a good selection of hand made products. If Etsy would have a physical store, thats how I imagine it would look like. I do not go there often, their prices don’t really fit in my budget, but if I do shop there, it’s usually for my collection of knobs…yes, I admit, I watch their website like a hawk, waiting for knobs to go on sale..I am a self admitted knob hoarder,don’t judge(wink)…
I do not know if the fact that Halloween is just around the corner has anything to do with it, but I felt drawn instantly by anything owl shaped..it was like a magnet. The pencil holder was my absolute favorite, followed by that cute little knob. I didn’t buy anything else but some knobs from the clearance bin, and I left totally relaxed, calm, and inspired…way cheaper than therapy and just what I needed before I jumped in the twenty something mile, bumper to bumper drive back home.

Do you have a store that you go to, searching for inspiration?

Denise

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