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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Marta & friends

Seting up for Marta & friends witch will be this Friday the 11th & Saturday the 12th

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Cowboy up,or Cowgirl Gypsy. Hee Yaw but this was a lot of work. I do believe a western boot scooting some on might like.







  I love to play with color and texture. I like not being boxed into a set style. Furniture has to talk to me. Yeah a furniture whisperer, so what do you want to be......hmmmmm I feel saddle up. Have some fun. OK I can do that so what color. Hmmmmm well blue jeans little lady.  OK I can do that, I think. How do I make paint look like jeans. Like with most I do, I just jump in and go. 


 So I lassoed a waterfall dresser that had lost its spark. Just flat no personality. Thank you Marta
This what it looked like when I picked it up. Boring and this green is can we say Cow Pattie yucky.




 Have I told you I love flat fronts. You can do anything with them. So the dresser said,why not try a trip to Hobby Lobby and see what sparks your imagination little lady. You talking to me? OK off to Hobby Lobby.  Flipping through the posters AHHH AHHHH boots. I am the daughter of a man that liked his boots. Now he wore suits...a banker,a honestly ethical banker. Seriously Ethical but he liked ranching, horses, westerns and history. So boots! I can do that...what else do I need. 




 Hee Ya this one is ready for the ranch,lil lady. Quit calling me little lady I am any thing but little. 
I got out the Ochre by ASCP and painted the whole dresser. Then I painted with Greek blue ASCP and then I sanded and distressed. Then I used a dark glaze. Then I used clear wax...yeah all that.
OK little lady what next.  Ok you are sounding like John Wayne...I am more a Sam Elliot girl.




So after I painted and painted and painted ,including the inside of each drawer. I used a heavy hand with the sanding when the glaze was still damp. I went both vertical and horizontal for a denim texture. Personally I like faded denim...so more sanding..got to work out my arms. So sanding to get a worn denim look. A little more glaze in spots. OK little lady what else did you do to get this look.



See how bright the blue is. Yeah I do love to play in paint. So why do I paint the inside of drawers.
I think cleaning a piece and taking it all the way from sad to stunning,is important. I want the customer to have a clean drawer. This one may become a spot for a little boy and I cleaned all the mud dabbers yea bugs. Then a wash off. Then dry in the sun. Then paint inside and out. Clean.



So little lady? quit calling me that,I am 5'11' I am not little. OK OK how did you get all those boots on that dresser. I bought 2 posters from Hobby Lobby and laid them out marked where to cut. I then tore the edges. Next messy hands take the posters get them wet. Then slather the reverse with Modpodge, I yet to find a glove that lets me work the glue, all over, that doesn't stick. I them set the poster in place. Then Over the top goes antiqued modpodge. Over the top I wiped glaze. Once all dry I used clear. I them buffed. I said my arms need to be worked out. 

S
I found some great knobs at Hobby Lobby. Unfortunately not on sale,durn it....but they so make this   piece pop. I have a ton of frames to paint and this one I could have done more but I though a good wood frame paint to match the color and leave for the person who buys it use it to hang over the dresser with her cowboy. Don't worry about that string just my hang tag. 260.00 with a 20% discount.  The lanterns are not going to the shop, I used them to add color as well as the little boots. These are part of my own collection. The boots were my husbands when he was a boy.

So saddle up and head on down to Moore & Garrett and you can find this dresser.

I snapped a pic when we were traveling. We have been on the road a lot. A trip to see family. Them me several trips to go care for my grand kids. I have played allot of Willie Nelson lately. 
ON the Road Again. My next posting maybe I will show you all the spots we hit on our 3800 mile loop around the country.  

Thank you for visiting and love those who comment. 
Kalamitie....


Thursday, May 30, 2013



Playing with paint. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint mix. 


PLAYING WITH PAINT AND FRAMES! TURQUOISE LOVE, TRULY PROVENCE  PAINT. ADD ACCENTS OF COCO AND OCHRE AND DARK WAX.LAYER FOR A CHIPPY FUN LOOK ON THREE FRAMES...ONE OF MY FAVORITE COLORS!



 ALL three are painted in the same blend of color tones. The set of three would look great on a wall alone,or hang some simple treasures then surround with the frame. Empty frames are great as a color accent. The frames are all solid wood. the two larger size, are correct for hanging an oil as they are art frames



Close up on the details...do you like shabby,chipped or would you prefer solid paint. I think shabby and chip bring out a lot of character. These came from Mexico via a lady who traveled a lot in the 60's.

 You can find these at Moore & Garrett in downtown Belton. I have a fellow vendor that lets me stage some items in her booth. These are placed in Marta's booth. Visit her full shop on FM 439 a great little treasure in the country. 





OK a little nature mixed in, loved the texture with the paint finish of the frames, I like playing with my camera to see what I can come up with...
Thank you for your comments you do keep spurring me on, as my sales have been really tough of late...so keep them coming. 






Hope you like the color and the layer treatment. If you ever have a question on how to use chalk paint just ask. I am happy to tell you how I did something. If you want to know my trick for subway art,done it. Decoupage done that too.  What color I have used All tones of neutral, blue,some greens, shades of red and some black...I have made my own Chalk paint,Use ASCP a lot. Used Cece Caldwell and have more I want to try.  See you on the next Kalamitie...






















Thursday, May 23, 2013

Turquoise Love or in this case Provence Love.ASCP chalkpaint


 OK I work Friday's at  6th Street Antiques in Belton.  The little grain sack shelve I found their and this piece too. You need to visit great finds, great prices and many vendors shop their due to their great prices. This little end-table or what ever table. I painted in Provence turq....yummy Happy color. I did a straight forward paint job, nothing fancy some of my fancy not selling and this is a go too color for a sale...I did 2 coats, then some sanding of the wear spots. Some dark wax too.


 I really like the details,the turns,legs and three levels. Very serviceable and easy to fit into many decors. A pop of color or a pop of shabby with a easy look nothing, I thought maybe I am trying too hard ,to make interesting. Said  keep it simple stupid....to me. I sanded and then clear waxed.


 Can I just say grow grass grow we have done some work on our yard and it is filling in,but right here is under some big oaks. So lots of rock gardens surround my trees and this little table.


 In addition to the what ever table a little jar of vintage mother of pearl buttons are going to Moore & Garrett. Do you like the details on this little fun table. Excuse my rocks but if you take a pic anywhere outside of my house you will have rocks...my poor cars that hauled all these back sorry.

I will sign off with this picture,from my last piece. I had given it a coat of Ochre the nite before and let it dry well before taping details. This is my Grace, she is my buddy in Kalamities. When I am painting you usually find her somewhere in my work room. Grace and I say thank you for your comments,stopping by and those who choose to follow me...Thank you guys...see you on my next post

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is my go to paint...I know it is expensive..but I can paint so many items with one quart...and I love not having to sand and prep...So much of what I do are tough pieces in sad sad shape...no one loves them...so I try to find a way to bring them back...with a touch of fun.

Meet my I love Junk ....a fun shelve unit with a pot of blooms,and a storage unit for all those flea market magazines we love to go back to...and a lil paint brush...hey I did say fun...I >3junk!
 So my thought is for a great vintage lover.Kitchen or hobby room..even bedroom if red is your love.The pot of blooms are a mix of handmade paper flowers...cupcakes liners with buttons.I added burlap and some silk for a great mix...I added burlap to the pot..with a heart for junk 
 I decided to use a grain sack idea with the stripes. This adds punch to plain shelf's. These started out a golden oak look that is so stale...I liked the dowels and thought it had vintage charm. 
 Close up on how the red added a lot of punch. Emporers Silk with dark wax. I used dark wax with the stripes too...The inside of storage box has embossed wall paper on the bottom ..I like this box so versital...magazine or on top of a table with an arrangment...PS Graphic Fairy is the the best!
 Do you like the distressed treatment...OK Ochre all over first. Then Green tape, I wear as a bracelet don't you. Then coco then red stripes...break out the dark wax. Sand for streaks. I love details..and sanding and bringing out the lines and color tones used,they add to the vintage charm
 OK this looks way to white...this is not white it is Old Ochre distinctly more neutral compared to old white which is more yellowed...Dark wax use sparingly goes a long way. I did the whole item with clear wax once done...and then buffed and buffed. I did some more distressing,OK done.
Close up on the details.I used a old music sheet and then printed a graphic onto the sheet. I cut the design out and then Modpodged. I used dark wax to age. I like the imperfect look. 


I hope you like my" I love Junk look"...and you can stop by anytime and help me get all the projects I have in my little sun room that has become my work room finished. THANK YOU for stopping by my posts have been a little few and far between.Your visits make my day and your comments help to kick me in gear to find another Kalamitie and see what I can come up with.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Knee deep in Paint! So if on my knees,I will say a prayer for Oklahoma tonight.Today while painting in my little room where I am blessed with a TV to keep me company.I Saw the first reports and watched what I knew as going to be a very bad day. Nature was hard on Oklahoma Today not happy but sad and heart wrenching. Hard to do a post with a happy light heart.Let me  show you first some great places. DO you know where Gruene is?my Sis was here!Yipee and we went to the hill county.My sis and I live far away from each and this was special. I am in Central Texas and she is in Wyoming.We both have states full of beauty and she shows me her' loves and it was my turn. We hit lots of the hill country and these a few pics. I love trees !!! 


 This is a fun spot in Gruene and they have the coolest chimes you can play Amazing Grace on these. Hanging in this magnificent live Oak. Both Kim and I loved these,I need to  win the lottery and  I will buy her one or two...one for her and one for me....great day and lots of shops...fun!
 This is a really cool spot to visit. Gruene has the oldest music hall, never has shut down. If floors could talk..some day I will come back and show more pics...love the floors. Plus  all the pictures,lots of history. They have a great line up for this spring summer..would love to come back
 I said big trees and back to this spot because I want one of those chimes...this shop was so fun.
 OK I will jump around we hit Wimberly too...love these rock picnic tables and I love rocks big time and trees. They go big...the Cypress are massive along the creek in Wimberly. Magical you expect a fairy to jump out. We walked along the creek deeper into the woods...no fairy's darn
 I love old architecture and Gruene is blessed with lots of wonderful old building. Great road trip
 Now I did say big tree's right. You feel like you are in a story line with magical trees
 Ok below you see the old Grist Mill that was the start of Gruene,and boy did we have a great lunch. The Mill had several fires but they have turned it in to a great place for a meal. You can look down on the creek. Lots of outdoors areas to eat...Deserts O my heavens...huge!!!!
 So fun to stay here. How fun to wake up to so much history.Historical Bed and Breakfast, and then go here live down the street to the Hall...for live music and next door the Grist Mill to eat...
 Is it open yet? please we got here early,Yeah they are  opening the doors...we did go in and had a brew or two...love my sis....we have had a brew at the No 10 in Deadwood and the oldest bar in Wyoming. Maybe that will be my bucket list...all the oldest bars and music halls...LOL
So what else would you like to see....how about some plants I played with. We have deer, way to many deer in our area and they eat pretties. It is hard to plant anything they won't try...so I added color via. Chairs, cushions and some paint...and yea fake flowers but they add color and the deer can't eat them....lol if you want...yes peak into the kitchen. I do have a metal German Shepherd door stop and a prism window that throws rainbows in my house. Thanks Mom and Dad
 What to do with this,hmmm I saw this cool thing in Gruene so you can stack pots. OK let me try
 Yeap I did it,paint thank you ASCP and then some fun little plants and with a I can do....I did...
 I spray painted a little table that was so sad,and plant stand...my Grace is taking a nap on one  of the pads. They were a lucky find...I had picked the paint colors before I found these...a chippy shutter add vintage fun...the wicker table was blah beige...now happy Turquoise. 
Yippee!! my beige deck,has color!!Turquoise,grass vivid green and chocolate...so deer eat paint. I have color on my deck....plans for the deck down the road...See you on my next post and thank you each for checking in on me . Sorry for my lapse...life busy....but for those who come back a huge Thank you, Your comments make me so happy and brighten my day...


Monday, April 29, 2013

Not your Grandma's highchair? Pantone's Emerald 



 Ok I am not your normal Grandma either,yes I have grand kids and I would be happy to have anyone of them use this. But they all are way past highchairs....I like color and I like bold. I love shades of turquoise and greens!! Their are a couple of blogs that I need to put on my sidebar and a face book page where they do nothing but....Turquoise!!! now don't laugh to much as I show you all the stages this highchair went through....so what is your opinion?
I used several colors on this but the final is Pantone Emerald,suppose to be the color of the year, I added and played with some Craft paints in a copper tone. Looking to get a patina of copper that has patina. I like the color and I have a bench I would consider painting in this tone for my own home. So want to see how this all started. I let furniture talk to me,telling me what they want to be. Call me crazy( Willie Happy 80th Birthday) I will take crazy. But this highchair was not a piece I wanted. Thus trouble in what to do. I have a friend who has a sister who bought a place AS IS and inherited a lot of stuff. Some good some not so good....So I bought some of what she needed to clear...so take a look

Yeap a brown paint say 60"s this is a older style but you tell me when. Stage one was a white paint. ASCP was great for covering all the brown.You can see this is stage one, after cleaning,sanding and fixing leg and resetting the tray...yes got to love helping other folks stuff. 

yes working late and not a great pic...get real this is how it goes...so now all white some would say OK but not me....I like fun stuff not just paint it white....of what I see so much of .

OK now I am CeCe Calwell Kentucky mint that I  like but can't figure out what it really looks good on...and then a stencil and though bet they would use for plaints and such...but once I started said to myself this looks cheesy...yea amateur hour the stencil OK but the flower not so much. SO?

I took some of my embossed wall paper ant cut and fit it to the tray. This has been painted and then touched with accent for the look I was going for. I used Mod Podge heavy seal twice so it can withstand clean up if used for it's intended reason. But also I see this on a porch with plants in the seat and on the tray....maybe even hanging of it....

I have to say this is a pretty little highchair. Great turns and legs and curves. I hope some one  decides her little girl needs this one. Emeralds are for a Princess and this would be fit for a 
Princess, or Empress or she has been sealed,fixed all nails resest ready for her next home. I am thinking 60.00 for solid wood ....what say you????

OK spring who is ready...this is my sign

OK Jazzy has been flirting for a week or so...but had not bloomed until yesterday....this plant started as a 3qtr pot....and now O 15 years later we have Jazzy who gave the folks that did out siding and the guys who put up new gutters....a head ache cause she is one big girl

If I could ship you how she smells think Jasmine,waifing across the fields....she is a star Jasmine. She stays green year round in our Central Texas and each she puts out new vine...the brighter green in new and underneath is a dry vine that supports her weight...I would say she is on the way to Obese...but I still love her....but we have to pull her back and wrap again..of our house would be covered...LOL
PS do you like my new camera...better pics I think....Happy Spring to all and leave me some comments on what you think...I need to redo my blog...got some ideas.......?

I want some ideas on my blog redo...I won't flip my lid. I just don't want to start and go through 4 or more redo's like this highchair.....plus if you find some makeover,refresh,re purpose fairy's send them my way cause this is just a little of what I still have to paint and recreate...Crazy yeah I am!
Yes stacked in the corner...and 15 frames in the rafters and 4 shutters outside and a small chest off to the side and two big pieces in my garage...and more sitting outside my door to the deck...I need Samantha from Bewitched who remembers that...PS that tray I going to stick on top of a TV tray so it spins for a garden lazy Susan....Crazy is right., By for now lets see what Kalamities I can find....