A Little Princess Window Display

I so enjoyed putting together the May window display at Camas Antiques again!  Last year my theme was the Secret Garden.  This year I went with another Francis Hodgson Burnett classic, A Little Princess.

So, as you can see it was all about pale pink paint finishes, ruffles, frills and flowers!  The featured Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® mix - Old White with a dash of Scandinavian Pink!

Pretty dishes, of course!

A beautiful antique secretary in Paris Grey Chalk Paint® - Read more about this makeover project here.

Stacks and stacks of luscious bed linens!  Many have found new homes but there are still a few lovelies available!

Urns, tables, chairs, topiaries, dresses, glitter book stacks, concrete birdbaths and more...

It came together so beautifully.  But I can't take all the credit.  I had some wonderful helpers!

My 6 year old daughter punched out dozens of pink paper butterflies to glue to the tree branches donated from my in-law's farm.

My husband loaded and unloaded the heavier furniture and concrete pieces more times than he cares to remember!

And my sweet friend Deanna of The Dollhouse at Camas Antiques spent the day helping me haul loads of goodies from my house to the store.  She also helped me arrange and rearrange things throughout the day until everything fit just right!

Taking photos of a window display is tricky business.  The only way to get photos through the glass without the glare is to take them at night.  Unfortunately the lighting isn't ideal in the dark.

So, here we have a few photos taken during the day from inside the display!

The window has endured many changes since these photos were first taken, but the larger pieces are still there, even the bed which has sold.  Fresh merchandise has been added throughout the month.  Just 10 more days until everything changes!

These sweet bedside tables painted in a mix of Scandinavian Pink and Old White were a late addition to the display.  They have since sold and left the window.

I will be working on more projects to add to the display this week and hope to share the details with you here over the next few days!

Thank you for your sweet visit today!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Subtle Details...A Vintage Buffet Makeover

Last week this lovely little vintage buffet made her way into my booth at Camas Antiques!  I was putting the finishing touches on her just moments before this photo was taken!  It was kind of a mad dash to get her to the shop, so I didn't quite get as many photos as I would have liked to!

When I picked her up, she was sturdy, clean and had great hardware but she was dark oak and I envisioned a much lighter, brighter look for her.

I mixed Old White and Pure White to create the color Annie Sloan calls "Original."

On the doors I applied a raised stencil relief using Artisan Enhancements VP Antico and their Fleur with Laurel and Crown stencil!  If you're interested in learning more about the raised stencil relief, please visit this blog post where I have described the technique in detail and shared a time lapse video of the process.  Normally I jazz up the relief with foils or glazes but I decided to keep it simple and subtle this time...just a hint of French elegance.

I did go over the entire piece with a light French Linen Wash and a little Old Ochre in select areas.  Unfortunately it was hard to capture in photos the subtle depth that these washes created.

On the inside I painted a pretty grey-blue.  It was a color I had mixed some time ago and had just enough left over to complete the interior.  I'm afraid I didn't make note of the color ratios...I am just not that organized!  If I had to guess, I would say it was a mix of Louis Blue and Paris Grey.

Rhododendrons, our state flower but not my favorite.  I enjoyed this one from our front yard during the short time it was a pretty pink this year

There she is...perfectly snug in my little booth, awaiting a new home!  Tomorrow the booth gets an overhaul...ready or not!  Follow me on Facebook for the reveal!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Sharing With:

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Scalloped Cottage Cream Dresser Details

 

Last month, I replaced my husband's little old dresser of 12 years with a bigger, more masculine piece, painted with love and even monogrammed just for him!  You can see his new dresser here.  The old dresser had a makeover this week and made it's way to my shop space at Camas Antiques!

 

 

Annie Sloan's butter yellow color called, "Cream" lends itself to the cottage style so well.  It seemed the perfect color for this vintage dresser destined for a cozy cottage one day soon.

 

 

The hand painted scalloped design in Old White adds just the right amount of subtle detail to the drawers.  Painting scallops is easier than you might think.  I shared my method in a blog post last year.  You can find it here. 

 

 

Rather than do any distressing on this piece, I kept my brush strokes uneven and laid the paint on thickly.  After a coat of clear wax, I worked some dark wax into my brush strokes to accentuate them and give the finish an aged appearance.  I typically go this route when painting over something that was previously painted in a color that I don't want to show through my new finish.  It works as an alternative to a sanded back, distressed look.

 

I hope this sweet little dresser reaches it's cottage destination one day soon.  I think it would be lovely in a cozy bedroom, nursery, or even a vintage inspired bathroom.  Dressers are so versatile.

 

Thank you for your visit today!

Have a lovely week!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

 

 

Sharing With:

Inspire me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life 

 Before and After Wednesday at The Decorated House

What's it Wednesday at Elephants and Ivy
Wow us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground 

 Friday's Unfolded at Nancherrow

Inspired to Create...a Girly Little Vignette!

 

As I waited in line to pay for my treasures at a recent estate sale, I looked over the items in my basket and suddenly had a very distinctive vision!  Vintage dresses for real babies and doll babies alike, a felt hat, tiny shoes, a curved handled baby spoon and a collection of old photos inspired a couple of small makeover projects and then ultimately this very girly little vignette for my booth space at Camas Antiques.  Often times when I go shopping for treasures, I don't have any idea of what I am looking for or what I might find.  I love it when I come home with a collection of things that ignite a flame within my creative soul and inspire me into action!

 

 

A rather simple but sturdy small chest of drawers had a romantic makeover with a couple of coats of Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan.  I started with a custom mix of Antoinette and Old White for a soft, pretty pink.  I added the scalloped design in Old White and a simple hand painted flower chain in the custom pink along the edges to give it the look of eyelet lace.

 

Vintage photos add such charm to a vignette.  A photo of a cheerful little girl is attached to a bare lampshade, layered with a tiny vintage slip dress alongside a skirt, shoes and pearls.

 

This gorgeous handmade baby doll dress was badly stained when I brought it home from the estate sale.  After an overnight soak in Oxy Clean, it is bright and beautiful again!

 

 

A dark, cast-off lamp base was full of potential but in need of a face-lift.  I brushed on two coats of Old White and followed up with a wash in French Linen.  After a coat of Clear Wax and the addition of a shabby floral shade, it has a soft, pretty new look! 

 

 

I quickly chose these older hardback books primarily based on each one's cover and it's subtle hue.  Once home with them, I flipped through the pages and was pleasantly surprised by the intriguing content as well!  Books are such treasures!

 

Old photographs are fun to use in vintage inspired crafts or when creating vignettes.  I pick them up whenever I find ones that speak to me.  When I was little I bought old photos at antique stores and then went home to write fictional stories about the people in them!  I have scanned my most recent photo finds to share here and invite you to print them for use in your projects, or to inspire you to write stories or create vignettes!  Enjoy!

 

 

Creative inspiration for me comes in many forms and from many different avenues.  It can't be forced and it's a shame to waste it!  So, get out there and be inspired, and when the spark ignites...create!

 

Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!  I can't tell you how much I enjoy hearing from you!  Your kind words encourage and inspire me further!    You are a blessing and a treasure!  Have a fabulous week!

 

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing with...

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

 Furniture & Paint Party at Start at Home

Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours

What's it Wednesday at Elephants and Ivy

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground 

Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House

 Wow us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

 

Favorite Projects of 2013

Hello!  Thank you so much for stopping by!  I hope you had a blessed Holiday season and are as excited as I am to begin a fresh New Year! 

Believe it or not, I rang in the New Year with my paint brush in hand!  We had a nice quiet night at home (quiet, if you don't count the neighbors with the loud fireworks and canons!)  I enjoyed spending the time finishing up a few projects for the shop that I will be sharing here very soon!  But today I thought I would do a quick "year in review" post to look back on my favorite projects of 2013. 

 

Pink Door No. 3

 

Trunk Love

 

Liqueur Cabinet Fit for the Abbey

 

Paint a Scalloped Design...So Lovely and So Easy to do!

 

Paint Me Paloma!

 

The Story of One Darling Little Commode

 

 

Tea Table...Accentuate the Pretty

 

My Eastlake Dresser Rescue

 

Shabby Buffet Makeover

 

Restyling and Repurposing Vintage Luggage

 

Feathers, Boots and Chalk Paint®

 

Use Your Printer to Create Oversized Art

 

Cinderella Cabinet Makeover

 

 

To those of you who are visiting for the first time, thank you so very much for stopping by!  I hope you will visit again soon, and I would be thrilled if you would also join me on Facebook! 

 

And to all of my blog buddies that have shared in the creative journey all year, thank you so much for your visits, your sweet comments and encouraging words and for inspiring me with your creativity and talents!  You are all so wonderful and very dear to me!  I feel so blessed to call you my friends! 

 

Cheers to the New Year!

 

Imagine, Create, Inspire!

 

Many blessings to you all!

 

Amanda

 

 

 

 

Sharing with...

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home

Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

What's it Wednesday at Elephants and Ivy

Be Inspired at Common Ground