A Marriage of Two Desk Parts

      I love it when people have an idea of what they want and we can make it happen!  My partner had just returned from an auction and still had this beauty in the van when he sold it.  A gal came in looking for a monsterous-sized desk she could use for a crafting table and when he showed her this, she saw the potential.
     Originally, it had been two separate pieces that were married together.  The back part of the top had been cut off to make it sit flush with the wall.  At one time this top would have been part of an island piece because you could see there was housing for another set of drawers.  What are people thinking, huh?
     So, the new potential owner saw some recently finished pieces and loved the idea of a natural top with the dings and character enhanced with a shabby chic white paint job on the bottom base.  Armed with a vision, we got to work.
     I started by scraping the thick grease layer off the top so my partner could sand it easier without gumming up the sander.

     He sanded the top down while still leaving the character and used old maple flooring to fill in the back part.  He ended with three coats of polyeurethane to seal the perfect character flaws.

     Meanwhile, I sanded off the silver spray paint oops on the drawers to have a more uniformly colored surface.  I painted the whole thing with two coats of Rust-Oleums Heirloom White and did a major scuff job to it.

    This is the process and end results...........

After scraping off the layer of grease

Maple flooring back













After three coats of polyurethane

Two coats of paint and a scuff job on the left

Scuff job done on bottom part



     Origianally, we thought we would just leave the top of the desk itself alone but after I thought about it, I knew that I would like to have it all painted.  Besides, if I was purchasing it, I would see the possibility of maybe separating the top from the desk someday and having two pieces for the price of one. 

     The two pieces separate were ungodly heavy!  I never really had a good lighting after we put the top on and I really didn't feel like asking him to move it AGAIN so I hope you can see how fabulously cute it really turned out to be.

     I realize we can't keep everything that comes through the door but I would have loved to have gotten the chance to get bored with this one.  He's lucky to have sold it while I was doing something else important, whatever that was.

Wire Fencing Chandeliers

     Oh, the possibilities!  Most people think it's the obvious garden border, but it is not!  It is the makings of the base for my shabby chandeliers!

     I've got so much fencing, it is not even funny and with the season on, this is something I should have done a month or so ago.  I keep picking fencing up at garage sales by the truck load.  I do prefer the white but I'll take the green, too.

     So, today, I decided to work on my tetanus status (note to self, need shot!)

     I know you've all seen the Country Living version and that was the source of my inspiration, but with my own twist.  This is what I ended up with.............

     This one looks a lot like the CL version, except they used the old antique fencing with a heavier gauge.  I definitely recommend using the newer fencing for a first timer to get the feel of working with wire.  I use a needle nose, some kind of wire cutter and a heavier talking-to pliers.  My technical words, of course.

     I've got buckets of chain for any just-in-case moment.  Garage sales, of course.  Out here in the boonies, people will sell and apparently buy anything.  This all keeps my profits high, thankfully.

     While I should mention the obvious safety precautions, I don't practice them.  You are dealing with rusty crap that their dog has probably peed on not to mention the rust-factor altogether.  When cutting, pieces can go flying, hopefully not in the eye direction.  Also, gloves are good at keep blood blisters at bay.  Since I am more of a do-as-I-say-and-not-as-I-do kind of gal, go nuts at your own risk.

     This version has a ton of ideas attached to it.  Any old plate can become a candle holder, watering hole or bird feeder.  It doesn't have to be a plate.  See next pic.......

     I've had this metal checker board hanging out for over a year so I used it as a colorful platform.  Try using a silver platter.  You don't have to put holes in it, just bend the wires to nestle it in.  

      I always use stuff I have and try to keep it in the same patina but sometimes I have to improvise (cheat)  and use newer links and hardware.

     This one, I got a little creative and made it a three-tiered.  I have a similar one at home that holds my chipped tea cup collection.  I've kept it out year-round and haven't lost one yet.

        So, I had some antique fencing that I wanted to try out now that I feel I've gotten the hand of the lighter gauge.  Ta-da!!

     (Please forgive the pictures.  I know it is hard to see with a busy background.)

     I'm working on a ridiculously huge one as a permanent piece for the shop.  I've got my hands on some 4' antiques fencing.  I'll keep you posted.

Miss Mustard Seed Inspired Dresser

     I've been dying to do a dresser like Miss Mustard Seed.  Marian does such a wonderful job turning tired dated pieces into something with real character.
     I had successfully re-did a previous dresser using one of her dressers as inspiration but I didn't duplicate the natural top like she had.  The contrast between that and the more shabby base was beautiful! 
    When I received this photo-finish dresser, I knew it was the prefect experimental piece.  

    

     Because I was working in the shop area when this came in, I had to get my trusty block sander out.    Fortunately, the photo-finish on the top was pretty thin and already flaky so it was relatively fast work.  Since I have very little experience working with stain on this level, I didn't really know how perfectly sanded it needed to be.  I was told that I might have to spend hours getting the top flaw-free, however, I didn't want it perfect or the scuffed paint job I was planning for it would look out of place.  So I emailed Marian quick and she said, "I am totally not a perfectionist.  It just has to look great, but it doesn’t have to be perfect.  The thing with stain is that you have to have all existing varnish and stain removed, or it won’t take evenly and that can look really bad.  It’s honestly easier to strip and stain then it is to sand."  I didn't have the luxury of using stripper because I didn't want my customers being fumigated, so I applied more muscle.  Yes, I generally tend to work harder, not smarter.

     I worked through three grades of sand paper and scuffed the sides enough to ready it for paint.

     I had found this Icicle Blue paint at a garage sale for 50 cents last year and applied two coats.

     Have you noticed how Marian scuffs her 'worn' pieces from all directions?  For some reason this goes against my more anal notions of what's right although I understand the concept that authentically worn pieces aren't going to go with the grain.  I had to close my eyes the first few strokes but I got the hang of it quickly.

     I finished the top with a walnut stain and decided to lightly stain the base over the paint as well.

     A piece Miss Mustard Seed would be proud of!

Perfectly marred top!

     I actually received two photo-finish dressers the same day so I kept one as is on the sales floor to show people what it had looked like before, hoping the sell the natural version to some brave individual.  Guess which sold first.  Not too surprising and now I have another to have fun with!