Archive for June, 2011

Here is what the buffet looked like.  Don’t get too upset, this is not some family heirloom or an expensive antique.

 

 

 

 

Here is the room it resided in.

 

 

 

 

 

It resides in the same spot but the spot is a different color and the mirror and buffet have had a face lift.  Don’t you love the new handles and pulls.  It makes it look totally different.

 

I have one more piece to refinish.  Once that is done I’ll show you the entire transformation.

Let me know what you think!

Oh Henry!  Sometimes when I’m in my craft room (and he has not felt like I’ve paid him enough attention) Henry takes up his spot right in the middle of my table.

 

 

 

 

This is a pretty simple project and it gives great results.

I have some tile left over from my kitchen back splash that I wanted to use to make some coasters. The stamps are a 2009 or 2010 Stampin Up set.

 

 

 

 

Clean the tile and then stamp using StazOn ink.  I used black but you can use any color.  By the way, you can buy individual tiles from HD or Lowe’s to do this project.

As you can see either my inking or stamping did not get the “C” in cherish very well.

 

 

I took my Copic black marker and hand colored the rest of the ” C”  in.  I don’t know why the Copics works well with the StazOn ink on tile but I didn’t have any trouble with it smearing.

I let it set over night and then started putting layers of ModgePodge on.  Cut a piece of cork to fit the back and you are in business.

 

These make nice gifts for the hostess or  someone you want to give a little something to.

I haven’t forgotten you all, I’ve been really busy.

First, I went back to work full time….thanks “stock market” and I’ve been working on the buffet that you see in this picture.

It turned out great but I’ve had a little issue with getting the doors back on.  The problem is it’s an old buffet and the door bowed a little and apparently when they built it they rigged it because a couple of the screws were missing parts of their heads.

 

So, keep coming back and I’ll show you when I get it all put back together.

This is the top of my China Cabinet.  I found these two vases at Stein Mart and I also found them at Tuesday Morning but Stein Mart was cheaper.

 

The black vase in the background with the black eucalyptus I have had for years.

 

 

It looks great, there is also an hour glass up there  with black sand that was a gift from Daughter #1 for Christmas but because it is glass it is not showing up in the picture very well.

 

 

 

 

You’ll have to click on the picture to get the full view but I’m loving the way this is turning out.

Yesterday, I showed you how I took a blue colored book and recovered it to be black and white.

 

Today, I’ll show you why I needed it to be black and white.

 

 

 

I found a Mercury Glass lamp that I fell in love with and since this is the type of accessories I wanted to use in the Dining Room redo, I needed a book to give it a little height

 

Looks great doesn’t it.  What you want to see more?

 

 

I pulled some accessories that I had on my mantel into the Dining Room to dress the buffet.  The lamp shade is actually a light texture linen with a little hit of silver.  The alphabet spheres in the large glass vase were $1 finds @ M’s many months ago.  You can go to here to see how I did the eggs under the bell.

 

 

 

I added another little book (luckily it was white) to the stack.  Love the way this is shaping up.  I’ll refinish this buffet next so these items will really pop when they sit on top and the silver in the Mercury Glass will accent the new handles and pulls.

 

 

 

 

I like to put lamps on a stack of books to (especially if they are a little short or small) to help add some height and dimension.

Since this is for the re-do on the Dining Room I was looking for something black/white  or tan or cream.

Excuse the mess on my desk but this adventure in recovering a book came over me all of a sudden and I just started the process.  Luckily, I thought to take pictures.

 

 

Alright then, I’ll just go find me a book out of my bookcase and make one the color I want it.  Warning from here on this is a tutorial on how to cover the book.

Nope, blue does not fit but hey, I can change the color of this with paper.

 

 

 

 

Pulled some papers I liked.

 

 

 

 

 

Measure the spine and cut the black paper to 5-1/2″ by 10-1/2 “.

 

 

 

 

 

I ran a strip of tape down the spine to hold the paper in place.

 

 

 

 

 

Fold it over the side and run my fingers down the crease on the side.  This will make an indention in the paper and allow for it to flex properly.  Then I ran tape down each side and secured it down.

 

 

 

 

 

Once both sides are tapped down you need to address the ends of the book.

 

 

 

 

 

I’m flying by the seat of my pants here, but I snipped a section on the side where the crease happens.   Do this on both sides and both ends.

 

 

 

 

I glued down the larger tab with tape.

 

 

 

 

 

I used hot glue to glue down the little tab.  I don’t know if you could just have one tab and glue it, but this worked really well.

 

 

 

 

At this point you have the tab left on the spine.

 

 

 

 

 

I bent that tab over and creased it where it meets the book and then I cut it off and hot glued it so it would stay in place.

 

 

 

 

Here is the spine all dressed up in the black paper.

 

 

 

 

 

Next the paper for the front was cut at 7″ x 12″.  I aligned the paper on the cover passed the spine crease, leaving an overlap at the top, bottom and side.

 

 

 

 

Run the tape around the cover and place the paper on and open the cover.

 

 

 

 

 

At each corner cut the paper diagonally into the corner of the book cover.

 

 

 

 

 

Run the tape down the side and fold the paper over.

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the corner off flush with the end.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a little tricky on the end remaining fold down the diagonal cut down and the fold over.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope this makes sense, it creates a double fold but it is necessary to cover the corners.  I used a combination of hot glue and then ran tape down the rest to secure it down.

 

 

 

 

See how nice that looks.  Now at this point if you want  to finish the inside you can cut a piece of the size of the inside cover and then secure it down.  I didn’t do that because this book is just going to be to look at and not opened and read.

 

 

 

 

Side one.

 

 

 

 

Side two.  I love the way this turned out.  Come by tomorrow and I’ll show where it is sitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is Phyllis’ card for April…..hmmm, she too was a little behind!  LOL!

Love the double scalloped rosettes.  She makes her own using her MS scoreboard.  The colors remind me of sherbet ice cream and since it has been so hot here lately that sounds like a good idea.

I love the stamp she used on the lower half of the calendar and that she stamped in more than once to get the fullness affect.

 

This calendar is a challenge to come up with different things because each top part looks like the same design.  I like the fact she just covered it up!  Bravo!

I found these plates at Ikea too.  I know, I always find something at Ikea!

 

 

 

 

 

They come in the reverse too (white with black strips).  I think I’ll get a couple of white with black strips to put where the current white dish is standing in the back.  I love how this makes the new China Cabinet look all dressed and ready for that next special occasion.

I found the “perfect curtains” for this room.  I had been looking for some curtains with a white background and a black motif running through them.  I didn’t want anything to think or heavy, I want this to feel light.

 

 

 

 

I went to Ikea to buy just the plain white panels, since I couldn’t find anything that I thought would work in the room.

I had already picked up the white panels when these caught my eye hanging up in the 95″ panel area.

 

 

 

They are white with a black thin leaf pattern running through it and then there is a touch of green and a couple of dots of orange place randomly here and there in the branches.  Click on the picture and get a close look.

Best yet this set of curtains (2 panels 57″ x 98) cost $14.99 +tax.  Oh my they were just what I was looking for and reasonably price too.

 

 

Are you beginning to see the room come together.  Imagine the base of the table being black, the chairs are replaced with padded parson’s chairs.  It will bring an entirely new look to the room.

While I was putting my China Cabinet back together, I reached up inside and screwed back in the spot light .  Unfortunately, I screwed it too tight and broke the light bulb off.

 

 

 

 

Ok, I can fix this, first unplug the light from the wall.  Next , I need a pair of needle nose pilers, a good drill with a screwdriver attachment and a ladder, since standing in a chair would not make me tall enough to see over the top of the china cabinet.

Love the pink drill?  It’s a Tomboy tool I picked up at Scrapbook Convention.  Lightweight, easy to use and enough umph to help a girl out.

 

 

This is the top of the china cabinet (I am perched on a ladder) at this point.  I take my handy drill/screw driver and reverse all three screws out and take the fixture completely out.

 

 

 

 

Carefully grab the edge of the socket that is still in the light fixture and turn to the left to loosen it (lefty – loosey ; righty – tighty).

 

 

 

 

Check the light fixture and make sure nothing was left over.  Free and clear it is ready to re-install.

 

 

 

 

Since this is a man made hole it takes a little adjusting to be sure you get it back in the right position so it will slide in the hole.

 

 

 

 

Now just screw back in the three screws you took out to begin the process.  At the lower right of this picture is a white spot, that is actually a light on the drill.  When you start the screw in (or drill) it turns on automatically.

 

 

 

 

Finished, now all I have to do is find a 25 watt bulb to put back in the fixture.  I think I should be able to find one of them at HD or Lowe’s easy enough.

 

 

 

 

Here is the link to Tomboy Tools: