Christmas in August

 Can you belive it??  It's almost the end of August!!  Right about now is when I step back and realize the summer has flown by and I am in NO hurry to be back at school.  I say it every year and this year is no different - I really wish the kids went back to school a month before I did.....I could really use that extra month to get the rest of my summer projects done :)  

Here are pics of a few of my most recent projects.  Painting Projects.

 (I won't bore you with the cleaning the house projects and weeding my yard projects).

This is what my driveway looked like a few weeks ago.  An new acquaintance asked me if I'd consider being a part of a Christmas In August craft fair 2 weekends ago and I agreed to go and sell my Christmas cards and upcycled journals:

Fortunately I keep a supply of Christmas cards ready :)

And a box of upcycled journals made from coffee sleeves...

...Bingo cards, Pop Tart boxes, etc, etc, etc....

Now here's the funny part.  Not funny-ha-ha....but funny-interesting.

I didn't sell a single Christmas card at this craft fair.  

I did sell a few journals - enough that it was worth going....but NO cards.  Weird eh?

The funny thing was though....a few days before the fair, I thought....why don't I bring along a few furniture pieces and try to sell them as well.  It's worth a shot, don't you think?  

So, I got to work - spread out all down the driveway and got a few pieces ready.

This photo is just a whole lot of primer going on.  I'm a firm believer in Kilz.  I know it's stinky but when you're working with old, or vintage, or who-knows-where-this-has-been furniture....it's so nice to know that any smells and stains and whatever else are blocked and primed with Kilz.   

I dug out this can of Hot Pink paint I got as a "seconds" can at Canadian Tire awhile ago....before I stirred it I had to take this picture with all the different pinks and reds swirling around each other.  Crazy fun :)  Took a while to stir it altogether too, but when I was done - it was a beautiful rich hot pink.

My first "Girl's Dressing Table" project - I love how it turned out!!  Apparently other people liked how it turned out too b/c I had lots of great comments on it and it sold at the Christmas in August craft fair!! 

I currently have 3 more of these dressing tables on the go - one done (white with celery coloured drawer fronts),  one nearly done (white with butter yellow drawer fronts) and one 1/2 done ( I think the drawers are going to be pink again).

Benjamin Moore Cloud White; some Hot Pink from Canadian Tire; Krylon Gloss White spray paint for the handles; Minwax finish

 I also finished up this Little Kids' Table & Chair set.  I love the 2-toned look on here too!  I used Kitchen & Bath paint for the table top and chairs to give it just that extra little bit of wash-ability :)  This lovely piece sold at the craft fair too :) 

Benjamin Moore Cloud White, Waterfall;  Minwax Finish

 The third piece I made and sold at the craft fair (well, it got picked up later, but the deal was made while I was there).  I loved how this one turned out - it was a rickety old cupboard to start with that I found at my thrift store (if you know me at all, you know that I LOVE that place).  Although it had very cool straight lines and funky legs, it also had deep grooves (bottom right photo below) where shelf dividers used to sit - probably to hold record albums  (top right photo below) I'm guessing (should have left them in - my scrapbook paper holder is an old record storage cupboard!!)  Because I didn't want those grooves on this piece, I used a pretty significant amount of Wood Filler to fill them in.  Sanded and painted, you can't even tell they were there. I used the original hardware - partly because the bronze metal had worn away to a really nice finish and they perfectly matched the patina on the hinges which I didn't want to remove.  

Benjamin Moore Cloud White,  sanded to distress,  Minwax finish

I had one more set of chairs at the sale and they although I dragged them home again, they have since sold.  Stay tuned for more painting adventures :)