Linen and Tulle Lampshade

I know it seems like all I do is paint furniture, but there was a time when sewing and lampshade making occupied a lot of my time. You may remember the pair of linen shades I recovered for twin, vintage lamps or this basic lamp shade tutorial I posted on my blog in 2010. Don't forget about these two, linen lamp shades I recovered in 2011. Now, taking you all the way back to my very first blog post with the mini burlap shades I made for a plain little chandelier.  It is nice to take time out from painting and focus on other creative projects.

One of my regular Loot customers brought me a lamp to consign for her.  She also left an old lamp shade and a vintage bridal veil and said I could use the veil to make some kind of shade for the lamp.

I ripped off the old shade covering, exposing the bare, metal frame.  Then, I cut the veil and some pretty, white linen fabric into strips and tied them to the top and bottom of the metal frame.  

This was such an easy way to create a new lampshade!

This shade sold right off the lamp the first weekend I put it for sale at Loot.  Now, I am back to where I started and need to make another shade for this lovely lamp.

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Graphite and Pure White Console Table

 This long, narrow console table came from an estate sale I attended recently.

The curving lines of the table give it a French provincial style, while the existing wood finish made it look straight out of the 1980's.  

The original, dark stain on this table masked the carvings.  After painting the table with Pure White Chalk Paint, I used distressing and dark wax to make the lovely details and carvings stand out.

My initial plan for this table redo, was to paint the whole thing with Pure White, but after finishing it that way, I decided it looked too uninspiring. At that point, I made a change and painted the top with Graphite to make this table more appealing to me.

I applied Annie Sloan's clear and then dark wax to the Pure White table base.  I also used clear wax on the top and finished it with a dark wax glaze, made by thinning dark wax with unscented mineral spirits.  I love the way the dark wax glaze deepens the Graphite Chalk Paint, making it appear almost black.

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Kidney Shaped Vanity in Country Grey

I was thrilled when I found this elegant vanity at a yard sale.  I love the kidney shape and the carved details on the drawer fronts. 

The finish on the top was damaged and scratched, so I filled the top with wood filler and sanded it smooth before painting.

For this special piece of furniture, I chose one of my favorite colors of Chalk Paint: Country Grey.  Country Grey is one of the colors I picked when I placed my very first Chalk Paint order, via the internet, back in June of 2011.  Since then, my love for this sophisticated neutral has never waned.

I wanted the carved, scrolling details to stand out, so I dry brushed Old White over them and then distressed, allowing the wood underneath to show through. To soften the contrast between the Country Grey and Old White, I went over them with a wash made by mixing half French Linen and half water.

click to enlarge

This vanity is no wallflower!  The backside, with its rounded sides and graceful lines, is just as stunning as the front.

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Blue & White Striped Cabinet

I picked up this small cabinet from the same seller that I bought the Old Ochre hutch from at a community sale.

It was just a dull and homely cabinet with scratches all over its surface.

I painted it with one of my favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors: Louis Blue.  Since this cabinet was so plain I decided to dress up the inside panels of the doors with Old White stripes to add some character.

I finished it by distressing all the edges and putting a Coco wash over the whole thing to create a soft, French blue.  I purchased several old, glass knobs at a barn sale and I used these to add a little more charm to an otherwise plain, little cabinet.

I am currently using this cabinet, along with the Old Ochre and Aubusson hutches, as part of my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint display at Loot.

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