Upcycled crate with French graphic

Cold, wet weather inspires me!

Another project done while the rain is pouring down in buckets!

I found this crate at our local recycling outlet, aptly called Just Junk!

The darling suitcase is from AnnaLouVintage on Etsy!

It was just a plain, old crate with nothing to write home about, but I loved its rugged look and its super sturdy construction!

I gave it some creamy mushroom colour, distressed it here and there, and added The Graphics Fairy image, French Invoice - Flower Seller from Here using the same method as my bread basket and bread board from Here. I painted the inside with a charcoal black colour for some depth!

I sealed the image with some spray on varnish.

Its holding my fresh parsley, basil and orignum before I take them out to the porch for re-potting!

Its raining, its pouring.....lovely day for hot, steaming veggie soup!

Linking up to http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ brag Monday!

e-voke...to create a -new!

French inspired mail caddy - Paris letter graphic

Pairing up with hubby sweetness is fun!!!

It was a cold and wet weekend here in Cape Town. I had every intention of crawling under my blankie and watch some movies we hired, but as hubby was in the mood for doing some crafting of his own, I decided to finish this project!

Now I am going to play dumb and say that I cannot for the life of me find the before picture of this caddy! But let me just say, it was very plain Jane without the scrolly front panel and the hooks. It could have been some store display unit back in the day. I found her in an antique shop when I visited my daughter in Johannesburg over the Easter break. Prices were sky high in that store, so when I found 2 of these caddies for R200 ($25), I snapped it up knowing I can make something fab with it.

I used a few coats of French Chartreuse on this caddy, when it was dry which does not take that long when you use chalk paint, I used The Graphics Fairy Paris letter image from Here. I used the same transfer method as my bread basket and bread board from Here to transfer the image to the centre of the caddy. I then went over it with a sharpie paint pen!

I added the cute bird and crown with podge, also from The Graphics Fairy! The crown was a brown colour and I changed it up a bit by going over it with a gold paint pen!

And this is where hubby's part in this project comes in. He made the amazing scrolly front panel, added the cup hooks and the crystal knob!

I decided not to blur the image too much this time! I dry brushed some of the paint over the image and did'nt use any wood stain. I hand sanded the raised edges for that shabby chic distressed look, and used some spray on clear varnish to protect her new look!

I will show you the other caddy soon!

Linking up to the http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ brag Monday!

e-voke...to create a -new!

Freedom Day quick projects

I want to thank all you Awesome peeps who came over from Angie - Knick of Time to say 'Hi' and to welcome this newbie to Blogland:)

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Friday was Freedom Day to commemorate the first democratic elections held in South Africa on 27 April 1994. So I made use of the day off to finish 2 quick projects. A bread basket and a bread board with graphic images!!!

1. Bread Basket

I was inspired by Angie's Antique Farmhouse Bread Basket but because I don't have a wired basket {YET}. I decided to repurpose a simple ply-wood box.

Here's how I did it:

I gave the box 2 coats of my greige colour in my home made chalk paint. I used The Graphics Fairy's French sign from Here. I printed the sign, attached it to the inside of the box with masking tape, face down and went over it with a lead pencil to transfer the image. I used a partial image for the sides!

Here it is with image transferred!

Then I went over it with my ink pen!

This left me with a very crisp image, but because I love the vintage, distressed look, I decided to rough it up a bit!

I distressed it and added my mahogany wood stain!

Then I had some doubts...help me out here....Is the crisp image better?

2. Bread Board

I used the same transfer method as the bread basket, distressed the image and then added a coat of mahogany wood stain!

 I used The Graphics Fairy's French sign from  Here.

Linking up to http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/ brag Monday

e-voke...to create a -new!

Duck egg blue tray with decoupaged antique clock graphics

Embracing friendship even though oceans lay between us!

This post is dedicated to my Muse, Angie Chevaz of knickoftimeinteriors and her love of old clocks. She is truely a goddess of inspiration. A wonderful person with a giving heart!

This was a fleamarket find! I love the cut outs and the shape but not the brown colour, the green felt and the shiny , brassy coloured handles. Hubby removed the felt with a chisel.

I mixed 2 shades of aqua colour to get this duck egg blue shade. I added some calsium carbonate powder for a chalky finish. I gave the tray a few layers of colour, then hand sanded along the edges and around the cut outs.

Next, I cut out the shapes of the openings from the same dictionary pages I used for my Junkman table and glued the shapes into the openings using my Amos glue (similar to Elma's).

Then I added a few layers of podge. I then went over to  knickoftimeinteriors and downloaded the antique clock graphics.

I was doing my happy dance when I found a square shaped clock graphic as well as the round ones!

I cut out the graphics and laid them over the dictionary cut outs using podge.

I cut narrow strips of the dictionary page and podged each strip over the handles making sure I was getting it securely fixed to the underside of each handle.

For depth, I rubbed in my Dala Antique Rub in umber and then hand sanded all over with 400 grit water paper for some variation and texture. Finally I sealed  it with a clear coat to protect its new look! I love it....I might add some glass inserts!!!

I am linking up to the 31st Knick of Time Tuesday Link Party.

e-voke...to create a -new!

My Junkman Table - French Ephemera Decoupage

Embracing salvaged pieces transformed into something beautiful!

You have to drop in at the Junk Yard where you will find the The Junkman with his amazing  whatchamacallits, thingamajigs and his famous discounts. You never know what you might find.

As The Junkman would say...

'It’s all road and no bumps when you're headed to the junkyard. What started out as a way to get rid of junk, in my little workshop here at home, has turned into an addiction. I’m now consumed with finding unique and quirky things for the patrons of my ETSY shop. To be honest, some of the junk you’ll see here at my ETSY store, I didn’t even know what it was a couple of years ago.

Well, I called on the famous Junkman when I remembered this table top which was sitting in our storeroom gathering dust. I asked for legs and I got a lot more. Everything below the table top came from The Junkyard. Complete with markings on each individual piece and instructions to put it all together. Amazing!!! I sent some dimensions and a template of the top and received 4 short legs, 4 long legs, the bottom shelf and a piece to go under the table top to make it more sturdy - all the way from Texas. All hubby had to do, was screw all the pieces together and there ya go!

Anyhoo, here is the table before.....

I gave it some loving with a few coats of my old white chalky paint. I then went over to The Graphics Fairy and found an amazing French document, and a dictionary page and decided to decoupage the top. The top is 900 mm in length and I needed a large printable. I found Karens tute Here on how to enlarge images!

I followed the instructions and printed an enlarged image; I played around with size and decided an image printed over 2 pages would be the best for my project. I photocopied a few of the pages that had the image of the stamp on it to use as inlays. I then started the decoupage making sure to line up the 2 sections correctly....easy peasy when you only have 2 puzzle pieces...lol.

Then I added the stamps which I had cut out to size; I used several layers of podge with an inno brush, waiting for each layer to dry before adding the next; each time working in the opposite direction.

Now I had some open spaces to fill; using tracing paper, I traced the design of each open space. I laid each tracing over a dictionary page and cut out the design. Then I used the same decoupaged method as before to insert the dictionary page cut outs.

I then printed a slightly smaller print of the same document and decoupaged it to the bottom shelf of the table. To finish it off I hand sanded the edges of the table and added some Dala antique rub in umber. Now it proudly shows off my collection of glass domes and some other pieces I had!

Thank you Junkman!!!!

Here is a close-up!!!

I am linking up to The Graphics Fairy Brag Monday!

e-voke...to create a -new!

Shabby chic chalk paint lamp table

Thanks for stopping by!!!

My loving husband brought this table home for me to make over. When he spotted this qtie in a junk store he knew I would love to have her!

Of course I forgot the before pic AGAIN, but originally she was dark brown and needed to be refreshed!

I used the same paint effect as my Vintage wood shutters, but added this adorable Chocolate graphic from the The Graphics Fairy using the modge podge method.

After I removed all the paper I went over the transfer with my Rust-Oleum decorative paint pen for a sharper image....love it!!!

Once I was happy with the image I started the shabby chic look by hand sanding where it would naturally become worn over time. I also used the Dala antique rub in umber to enhance the distressing and a coat of beeswax buffed to a soft sheen!!!!

I am linking up to  brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy!!!

e-voke...to create a -new!

Vintage Wood Shutters - Rustic, Cottage Chic

Thanks for stopping by!!!

I bought this adorable pair of vintage wood shutters from Angie at  Knick of Time on Etsy.

As Angie would say 'Do something stunning with it'

I mixed 2 different paint colours Sterling and Silver Expressions from Plascon. I added some calsium carbonate in the mix for a chalky effect. Calsium carbonate is much easier to work with than plaster of paris - it leaves no grainy residue like the latter!!!

I almost dry brushed the paint on; I wanted to take most of the paint off to show the Yummy chocolate brown shade of the wood underneath...who does not love chocolate!!!

After the paint had dried, I started the shabby chic, cottage look by sanding away the paint in places. I attached the pretty bow appliques with Amos craft glue. Once the glue had set, I painted the bows in the same colour.

I highlighted the wood parts and the bows by rubbing on some Dala antique rub in Umber. Then I rubbed some beeswax all over and buffed it with a mutton cloth for a soft sheen!

I am linking up to the Vintage Style Link Party at Knick of Time!!!

This is the view when the shutters are closed!

e-voke...to create a -new!

Antique Crackle Effect Coffee Table Make Over

I'm all cracked up!

The coffee table that gave me some heart stopping moments, but I am here to tell the tale ((*_*))

I found this table on Gumtree (similar to Craig's List). The first time it was listed the seller and I kept missing each other. A couple of weeks later I happened to be browsing Gumtree and here the table pops up again. This time I made sure to snap it up ...Twas meant to be!!!

Although it had minor damage, I loved the shape, the detail and the legs. I knew I was gonna lose the pretty rose inlay, but I thought I could re-create it with a transfer image or decoupage!

Well, thats where the 'FUN' started!

I gave her a colour called Elephant Hide mixed with plaster of paris!

When the paint had dried, I distressed all along the raised design, the edge of the table and the legs.

Then I printed a rose graphic and decoupaged it onto the center....it was completely off center and looked lost, so I ripped it off...ha...ha..ha...cleaned up the mess and repainted!!!

Then I found another grapic on The Graphics Fairy and decided to follow her tute on how to print large images. This went well after a couple of attempts and I started the transfer method with podge. Guess what? The transfer did not take well, so I cleaned up the mess and repainted!!!.

Then I decided to put an image on each corner, so off to The Graphics Fairy I went. I found an image of a sprig of wheat and I loved its simple organic look!!!

The transfer was a success....Yay!!!

Then I decided the antique crackle effect would look great and used crackling medium I had in my stash. Guess what? FLOP!!! Zero, Zilch cracks....all I got was a gooyi mess so I cleaned up the mess and repainted!!!., and that's when I covered up the table in disgust!

But I wanted CRACKS!!!!

So I bought the Dala crackle glaze and crackle base and tried again. This time I got my cracks...Yay!!!

I then rubbed some burnt umber oil paint into the cracks to enhance them followed by a clear varnish the day after!!!

Whew!!! What a journey!!!



All's well that ends well!!!



e-voke...to create a -new!