~FRENCH PINK ROSE ATELIER SIGN~

Not too terribly long ago I shared with you an amazing little thrift store find...a fabulous canvas-covered wood sign that was in need of a repaint.

It had these flirty little metal complements on the top and bottom and the front had this great texture to it...

Here's what it looked like after it had been cleaned and primed!  It's propped up against my vintage hutch so you can see it's good sized!  Originally there had been a mannequin on the front but the background had been black and it was pretty scratched up~

I decided to paint ATELIER across the front which means WORKSHOP in French!

A pink rose floral bouquet was painted in the center and ROSES FRAICHES was added to the bottom.  This little sweetie is destined for my booth space at Serendipity Market.  Not easily shipped given it's size!

Today my Miss K and I are on the thrift store circuit!  Hoping to find some sweet things to paint up for my website.  It's continuing to suffer from lack of attention! :(

My guy has been in Kansas City all week and tonight he's flying back home!  There is something that happens to my brain when my guy leaves town...
It kicks into CLEAN-FREAK-MODE! 
Nothing like enjoying the weekend with a thoroughly spit-shined home!

No cooking tonight!

 We are celebrating with Chinese Takeout! :)

Hope your Friday is wonderful!

Love to you...

~HAND PAINTED PINK ROSE KEEPSAKE BOX~

Ahhhh....the JOYS of getting back to a normal life!  Easing back into the routine of day to day is more than wonderful!

Today I'm back in my studio finally working on some hand painted offerings.  It's been slow-going with all the hand issues and this year I've listed fewer painted things for sale since I first began selling on eBay in November 2002.  I can't grip a paint brush for more than about ten minutes at a time and that makes me NUTS!  I'm not looking forward to having surgery on both hands on the 28th, but since I've tried EVERYTHING possible to keep my hands from going numb and burning I just can't put it off any longer...  Not sure how long I'll be away, but it's going to be for quite a little bit.

I'm actually looking forward to the break although NOT the surgery itself!  I confess...I'm a total wimp.  My Mr. AGPMan had this same surgery (Carpal Tunnel) on both hands (done at the same time) and he faired just fine so I'm hoping I'll be as fortunate.

I did manage to get this vintage 1930's reproduction medicine box,(KEEPSAKE BOX), finished and just uploaded it onto eBay today.  It's a little smaller than a vintage Train Case but I love the look and feel of it just as much.  Very chippy, shabby cottage chic with a ground of soft, muted pink...

Hoping your Monday is great.  Later this week my favorite big girl (daughter Adrienne) is coming over and we will be doing our treat-baking for friends and neighbors.  Can't wait to show you what's new!

More soon!

Love to you~

 

~A SWEET VINTAGE MAKEOVER - HAND PAINTED PINK ROSE TRAIN CASE~

I can't really say for sure when it was I first fell in love with vintage Train Cases, but from an early age  I found myself drawn to them...  No doubt, at least in part, it's because my paternal grandmother always traveled with one to Southern California during her rare visits with our family.

 She didn't come to our home very often, only a handful of times that I can recall.  She preferred to live alone and liked it.  Still, I looked forward to her visits and accompanying my father to the bus station (her only means of travel) to pick her up.  I couldn't wait to carry her outdated and well-worn luggage back to our car for it smelled of perfumed talc and and dime-store cologne.  Lavender, I think.

 I've refurbished and refashioned vintage train cases for years now.   I shared with you back in 2009 I first decided to paint a vintage train case back in 1997 after seeing some luggage painted in a painting/craft book (see below).  

The inside of the suitcases were never shown, although some very complicated directions were given for lining one.  After reading them through I quickly abandoned the idea and never thought about it again for about five years.  Today the rest is history.  You can read more HERE.

I've lost count just how many Cases I've transformed to date.  I only know that each one is fun to create even though they take many, many hours to complete.

 I choose to only do a few each year because of the cost and time involved.  Still...when one is finally finished I already start dreaming

of what the next one will look like.

 This latest Case is a new style for me to makeover!  It's very petite and instead of painting it white, off white or my favorite shade of pink (custom matched from a wall paper sample many years ago) I decided to try a little experiment.

Just for fun......................

My pink paint seemed too PINK (say it isn't so!) and yet my soft white paint seemed too, well, white!  I got this brainiac idea to use two parts off white paint and one part pink paint and mix it all together.  What I got was this fabulous pale pink color that I'm just in LOVE with.  Still my pink...just softer!

After base painting the outside and letting it cure I decided to try lining this Case with French Net Lace.   Certainly more costly than cottons...but I think it turned out very romantic and pretty.  I'm so glad I decided to try something new and different for a change!  Added a vintage painted heart locket, some old ribbons and lace, vintage buttons, an old millinery flower/rose, a vintage skeleton key before moving to the artwork on the outside!

These days I do the hand painted roses last!  They are my favorite part!

This one MIGHT go on eBay...or I might just put it on my A Gathering Place website (SOLD...thank you, M!)  Not sure yet!  Either way it will find a new home soon!

Today I'm linking up with the following ladies for the following
super-fabulous blog parties:

Debra from Common Ground for 
Vintage Inspiration Friday

Kerrianne from Shabby Art Boutique for
Shabbylicious Friday

French Country Cottage for
Feathered Nest Friday

Such fun!  Hope you'll check out all the FABULOUS offerings!  Such talent out there and soo much inspiration1

Happy Friday!

Love to you...

HAND PAINTED PINK ROSES COMING

~SWEET TWO DRAWER CABINET~

I've been busy working over the past few days at base painting some sweet vintage finds!

You can find TIPS on painting your fabulous old finds

HERE!

~THE LATEST CUBBY~

After all the sewing I told you about yesterday I'm ready to get back to my paint and brushes!  Unlike sewing (which I'm happy to do most any time), I have to be in the MOOD to paint.  Otherwise my roses come out looking like, um...something other than roses.  I grabbed my camera AFTER I started removing the glossy finish on a couple of the pieces...that's why my latest finds look dusty and dirty.  THEY ARE!

~THE LAST CUBBY PAINTED~

I was happy to snag another vintage wooden cubby like the one I showed you a couple of weeks back.  This one is already sold so I was really happy to snag another one!  They are made almost identical...only thing I can see that's different is the knob.  This one is brass and the first one was a little ceramic cutie.

~GREAT METAL SIGNS~

 I found six of these sweet metal signs at Goodwill.  All of them had minor surface scratches so I assume that is why they were there.  I LOVE imperfect stuff.  Since I repaint the majority of the things I find it doesn't matter to me what kind of shape most are in!  I used my hand sander to sand down the white lettering so it wouldn't show underneath the new coat of paint!

 ~SWEET SHAPE~

I've finished the artwork on several of these pieces and will take photos of them later this afternoon to share with you tomorrow.  Some are going on my website, a couple on Etsy and even some on eBay!!!

 ~VINTAGE SHAVING MIRROR~

Can't wait to show you how this sweet old mirror came out!  One of my favorite things to paint EVAH..........................

I'll be hiding out in my studio most of the day!  It's so fun to get back to more of what I love!

Have a great Hump Day!

Love to you...

~SWEET FINDS...VINTAGE PINK ROSE CAKE COVER~

 My hands and wrists continue to improve and I was excited about getting my PINK ON with some painting time in my studio on Thursday evening.  I love working on old finds and think this charming old Cake Cover and Pedestal Stand had waited long enough for their transformation!  You can find the cake cover
HERE!

 I found this sweet two drawer cubby thingy (what do you call this anyway????) in Tennessee earlier this summer and love how it looks painted out in the same pink paint!  You can find both offered for sale on my website.

 I also worked on those two fold-up vintage chairs I showed you a couple of days ago...one is almost done and the second will be painted identical to it (roses won out by the way!).  They are already SOLD to one of my favorite gals so now I need to get busy and finish them up.  Promise to show them to you as soon as they are ready!

Yesterday morning I had to drive into Oklahoma City (about 15 miles from my home) to visit my hand doctor and after my appointment I decided to do a wee bit of junking.  I visited one estate sale (not many on Thursdays!) and tried to not be upset when a lady who had arrived at the sale ahead of me was buying up ALL MY THINGS!  

((Totally bummed, I left empty handed.))

I did find several really sweet finds at a few thrift shops though!  My favorite by far is the tiny little chest of drawers made out of solid wood.  No particle board (or worse) here!  Not sure just how I'm going to paint this piece, I only know it's destined for my booth space sometime next week!

 I also found this neat old stool and another thrift shop.  I could tell by first glace it was a quality piece and sure enough when I turned it over I found the Ethan Allen maker's mark on the bottom!

I was really having a good day because I also snagged a couple of old Tole Lamps (which are a rare find these days) and a milk glass lamp as well.  On Saturday my Mr. AGPMan and I are going to a HUGE ESTATE SALE a couple of towns away.  He doesn't get to go with me very often because of school...so this is going to be a real treat for me!

((Someone to carry all my JUNQUE!))

:) 

Linking up with Debra from COMMON GROUND for
Monday Marketplace!!!

Hope your Friday is fabulous...I'm off to play in my studio!

Love to you...

 

~A CUBBY FULL OF PINK ROSES~

A few weeks ago I found this darling wooden cubby at some tag sale.  These days it seems I go to so many places looking for good junque I can't remember just where I find them all!  Thrift stores begin to all look alike after awhile and so do estate sales.  If I pass on something hoping to return later on I might as well forget it. 

 I do believe this is only my third such piece to ever find in my ten years of selling online.  Now that I have two places to stock (my website and my booth space) it's hard to know sometimes just where some things fit best.   This is truly a sweet find!  It's been painted with a soft pink paint and accented with hand painted pink roses so onto my website it goes.  I'll be uploading it later this morning (it is now SOLD) in case you want to see more pics!  I have no idea who manufactured it...I just know I love it!  The two sold in the past were offered via eBay, but that was a long, long time ago!  I tried to find a few pics for you, but sadly they've been archived and I'm too lazy to dig them out.  I'm pretty certain the last one I had was offered for sale in 2004.  Wow! 

 Haven't had much time to shop around lately!  My Miss K and I have been busy just hanging out and truthfully she's worn me out! :)  It's a good wear-out tho!  I've managed to get a wee bit of studio work in and it's been fun to get back to painting.  I love it so much!

 My hands and wrists are much better after having the cortisone shots.  Still looks like surgery is in my future, but until I decide to go in that direction I'm going to do everything I can to find a better path to wellness!

(Whimpy Whimpy Whimpy) 

I'm linking up with Miss Beverly from

HOW SWEET THE SOUND

for

PINK SATURDAY!

Hope you can find time to pop on over to her fabulous place and check out all the pinkilicious offerings for this week!

Hope your day is wonderful!

Love to you...

 

~FRENCHY FANTABULOUS FRAME FIND~

~FABULOUS OLD FRAMED PRINT~

After tending to my booth space early Saturday morning I set off for a day of junking and slumming.  Generally I don't go tag saleing by myself, but since my Mr. AGPMan started his accelerated degree program 15 months ago I've gotten use to it.

 ~GORGEOUS APPLIQUE TRIM~

It's not nearly as fun to find treasures on my own, but until November it is what it is.  My pal, Judy, goes with me sometimes and so does my friend, Becca, but honestly they wear out before I do and then I feel guilty for dragging them around! :(  Besides, when they find something I like FIRST then I'm jealous and pout and whine until they let me have it....

 ~CIRCA 1951~

(I'm totally kidding...you know that, right? )

 ~PRECIOUS KAISER DEMITASSE~

Anyway...I found some truly amazing things both for my booth space, my home and lots and lots of things to repaint for my website. 

 

 ~LOVING THE LID~

Snagged this sweet white demitasse set for $1.99 at our local Goodwill.  Swoon................  Such a deal!  Oh...and the framed print above?  Found that at another OKCity shoppe for a fraction of it's value.  The print itself isn't my fav, but the frame is fabulous. I Googled it and found one like it in a darker frame on Craig's List in Sacramento for $200.  (((Eeeek.....)))

I'm thinking of turning this one into a chalkboard.  I'm going to lighten the frame a wee bit and then we'll see.  I don't have a space for it in my home and won't know if I can use it in my kitchen until we are farther along on our remodel.  Still think the chalkboard idea would be sweet.

A family's schedule could be written on it...what do you think????

 ~LOVELY HIGH-END DRAPES~

I gasped when I found this set of drapery panels.  Excellent sewing skills were used to fashion this great find I can assure you.  

~SWEET FLORALS~

(Very Cath Kidson Looking!)

Anyone know the print?  These are going on eBay or I may put them in my booth space.  The soft blue ground and vivid florals remind me of Cath Kidson's fabric and complements.  If you know the fabric maker I'd love it if you'd share...thank you...............................

 ~SWEET TEA LIGHT CANDLE HOLDER~

I found many more fabulous treasures...found this sweet Tea Light Candle Holder for $2.00 (half off) and knew it came from a retail/wholesale magazine I receive in the mail...wholesale it's $22.90 so this was a good score!

~WHAT A FIND~

I'm off to paint more pretties for my website.  Yesterday I began uploading some hand painted finds and if my camera will cooperate I'll be listing lots more today!  I think it's time to service my LUMIX FZ35!

~HAND PAINTED ROSE SIGN~

Hope your Monday is fabulous!

Love to you...

~CASA ROMANTICA MAGAZINE SHOWCASES MY HOME~

Sometimes, believe it or not, I am at a loss for words.  To this day it's impossible for me to describe how I felt the day I married my beloved or the feelings I had when I bore his two children.  Those three single moments will always remain the highlight of my life.  Lots of other wonderful things have happened to me since~  Watching my children graduate and then go to college and/or serve in the military and then subsequently marry ushered in feelings of great joy.  Seeing the miracle of my Miss K come into the world changed my life...  I love being a Nana, even if right now it's only to one little girl...

Like many of you, no doubt, I've experienced my share of heartache sprinkled upon the pathway of my life.  I'm grateful the rough times have been far outweighed by the good times and although I shouldn't be, I'm always surprised when super-wonderful things come my way.  Today I was reminded of the words to a favorite old hymn,

WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED

(Flint/Runyan)

 that says...

God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

God has not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He has not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

God has not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.

But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

A couple of months ago I was contacted by the editors of the Italian Magazine, CASA ROMANTICA, in hopes of doing an article showcasing my work and my La Chaumière de Briarwood.  I was shocked at their interest and was once again left speechless.  No words came to me...just sheer excitement that anyone would think anything I've ever done would be worthy of publication (OK!  I admit I might have run through the house screaming at the top of my lungs for a wee little bit, but no one was home to see me so I don't think it counts!).

Just hearing from the editors brought back the feelings I had when the American Magazine, ROMANTIC HOMES, first contacted me in 2005 about doing the same thing.  Back then I was pretty new to selling my wares and was totally clueless as to what I was doing.  I'm a firm believer that once we know better we should do better and I hope over the past seven years I've learned how to better dress my home while staying true to her simple, yet beautiful, lines...

Today I'm grateful for both change and progress and for the nod given to me by those who are far more gifted than I.  There are so many incredible homes worthy of attention and talented people who never fail to inspire me every single day.  And so I press onward doing what I love in hopes that someone else out there will be inspired to do the same.

I'm sharing with you a few photos a fellow blogger, Rosetta from http://theromanticrose.blogspot.com/ sent to me this morning of the article published in the June 2012 edition of CASA ROMANTICA (Thank you, Rosetta!  You bless me!)  Incredibly they showcased nearly every room of my home and lots of my work as well.   I'm hoping one of my sweet Italian friends (Valeria, Debby, Rosetta, Maria, Evelena and Angelina, Marta, Cherie' and Colona) can locate at least one copy for me and send it my way.

 Many, many more photos where included in the article, but I'll save them for another time.  Right now I'm working on translating the article so I can read for myself what all they had to say.  So far I've only managed to decode :) the first page!

 I leave you today with this...

Stay true to your calling and hold fast to your dreams!  Don't think for a moment God doesn't care about you or them.  What seems big to you isn't to Him!   After-all, He was the one who placed those desires deep within your heart.

Dream on friends...DREAM ON!

Because I'm trying to be tender to my hands and arms I will be blogging only a handful of times a week instead of every day for awhile.  That said, I'm going to let this post serve as my Thoughts on a Sunday Morning post as well.

I'm linking up with Kathleen over at Faded Charm for
White Wednesday!  Hope you'll visit all the gorgeous whites when you can.  You are sure to be inspired!

Blessings and love to you for a wonderful day!

Love to you...