Trestle Table with a Stencil Surprise

It wasn't until I loaded this console table into my truck at the estate sale that I noticed the leaf tucked up inside! 

I thought it was such a neat feature that I decided to stencil the leaf...and further enhance the surprise. I started with Annie Sloan's Coco followed by a blended wash technique in Old White and Country Grey.

 I used the Trellis Stencil from Artisan Enhancements in Old White. White Wax gives the overall finish a soft effect.

Thank you for your sweet visit today!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Dear Blog Friends: Thanks for not Giving up on Me!

Once again I find myself really really behind on blogging!  If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, consider this a quick recap of the past three months.  And if you just follow along here and wondered where I went, thank you SO much for hanging in there and not giving up on me! 

This first photo is a fairly recent shot of our front room.  That beautiful green door is new, well new to us!   I purchased it from my best friend's parents who tell me that it was the original front door to the 100 year old family farmhouse in Winlock, WA. They recently discovered it in the rafters of an old barn on the property. The fabulous shabby green paint is original and all of the hardware is intact! I think it works well in that corner but I'd like to raise it up a bit so we can see more of it. I think it's pretty fabulous...and oh so special!

Here's a favorite mini-project completed in January.  An old wooden tray got a beautiful update in Annie Sloan's Paris Grey and Old White.  Artisan Enhancements Transfer Gel was used to apply the beautiful typography.  Want to learn more about the image transfer process?  Here's a link to a video tutorial:  Image Transfer Sign Video

In January we started transforming our dining room into a home office/studio space.  It made a lot of sense for our family and although it's still a work in progress, we are loving it so far.  I shared this little gem that although I've had for some time, finally feels at home on our desk/work table.  I shared the back history on this very special family piece here:  Throw it on the Burn Pile

Our little Basil dog turned 13 this month!  He made a big impression on social media with this pic!  We just adore him and feel so blessed that he's still with us.

This beauty stopped me in my tracks at an estate sale last weekend! She was priced a little higher than I had wanted to pay, so I walked away but couldn't stop thinking about her. On the last day of the sale she was still there, waiting for me...meant to be! After a good cleaning and some touch up work here and there, she is ready for her debut at Camas Antiques.  I wish I had a place for her in my home.  She is really something special.  I believe her to be from the 1920's.  I wish there was a manufacturer marking somewhere, but unfortunately there is not.  If anyone has a similar piece or has any information to offer, please share!  I love researching my vintage and antique finds and feel like I've hit a dead end with this one.

I am knee deep in projects for a very special window display!  I will try to keep the blog a little more current, but if you're at all interested in daily sneak peeks, before and afters, more pet photos and so forth...come find me on Instagram!

Thank you so much for your visit today!  I wish you many blessings and much happiness!

Until next time!
Amanda

Decking the Halls!

Christmas is in full swing at Camas Antiques!  I am behind in sharing photos, so some of the items you see here have already sold.  I desperately need to restock this week!  As usual, I will be sharing sneak peeks and updates periodically on Facebook and Instagram.

I am so excited for the next movie event at Camas Antiques!  This year marks the 70th anniversary of Miracle on 34th Street and we are so thrilled to see it on the big screen at the historic Liberty Theatre in downtown Camas!  We have some fun in-store festivities planned for after the film!  

If you're in the area, please plan to join us and be sure to RSVP on our event page!

Thank you for your sweet visit!  I am off to work on decking the halls in our home today!  I hope to have more photos to share soon!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Fall in Review

As you well know, I'm sure...Life gets busy, priorities shift and time slips away.  Sadly, my little blog has been shifted down to the bottom of the priority list this year!  I had a few moments to myself this morning and was so excited to finally have time to share photos of my Christmas display at Camas Antiques.  I sat down to the computer and suddenly realized that I never shared photos of Fall or Halloween!  Goodness!  I am sure you're all ready for Christmas decor and inspiration, but I couldn't NOT post these photos here...  So very quickly, here is my Fall in review.  Thank you so much for bearing with me!  

Next up...Christmas!

This sweet vanity was painted in Old White, given a subtle wash in French Linen and sealed with Annie Sloan's White Wax.

(Sold)

These pillows were stenciled with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® using beautiful stencils from 

Artisan Enhancements!

(Sold)

I don't typically decorate for Halloween but the kids convinced me to add a little bit of spookiness to the house this year!  I agreed to decorating this one mantle.  I had some help from my friend Tracey with A Cottage Industry who made the banners and adorable "Party Crows."  p.s.  Check out her Etsy shop!  She now has a great selection of banners and decor for Christmas and New Years!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!  And again, thank you for bearing with me as I play catch up on blog shares!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

The Dresser that Caused a Commotion on Social Media!

I shared this photo on Facebook just after updating my booth display last month.  Questions began pouring in about the dresser...the dresser that I failed to get good photos of at home before delivering it to the store!  

I snagged this shot at the store later that week...decent but not a fabulous photo!  I decided to go ahead and share it along with the details, paint colors and techniques used.  

I was totally blown away by the response!  I do believe I had more likes, shares and comments than I have ever had on Facebook or Instagram!  Now, I am really really sorry that I didn't get more photos to share!  The dresser has since sold.  When I have another piece that calls for this look, I promise I will do a tutorial with lots of photos!  For now, here is a basic description of how I arrived at this paint finish:

I started by painting the entire dresser in a custom mix of French Linen and Pure White Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan.  On the drawer fronts only, I used the Floral Scroll stencil from Artisan Enhancements to create a random pattern, bouncing back and forth between Old White and French Linen Chalk Paint®.  I then lightly sanded over the stenciled design and distressed the edges and legs of the dresser.  After a coat of Annie Sloan's Clear Wax, I used a small brush to apply Annie's Dark Wax around the edges of some of the drawers.  I wiped back the areas that were too dark with a little more Clear Wax.  That's it!

Thank you to everyone who commented and shared my post on Facebook!  It kind of makes a girl feel like she's doing what she was meant to do...if you know what I mean?  In a world full of self doubt and second guessing yourself...a little praise goes a long way!

I am enjoying this final round of summer blooms from the garden!

A few more projects that I took into the booth last month...I used Artisan Enhancements Transfer Gel to apply the images to both the bucket and the bread board!  The table is painted in Cream Chalk Paint®.

One of my latest additions to the booth are these pillows, painted with Chalk Paint® using stencils from Artisan Enhancements...the covers are removable and washable!  There isn't much you can't do with Chalk Paint®!  I just added more designs to my display this month!  

Thank you so much for your visit!  I have some catch-up blogging to do but hopefully now that school has started I will be more consistent!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda

Loving My New (Bigger) Booth at Camas Antiques!

What an exciting month this has been!  After a couple of late nights at the store I was all settled into my much larger booth space...and loving it!

Customers and friends have commented that this new booth feels much lighter and brighter!  Just the look I was going for!

I've accented my neutral pallet with touches of blue and green.  I plan to bring in other soft pastel colors throughout the seasons.

It's been a great month so far and I look forward to continuing to stock vintage finds and hand painted furniture in this new space!

This beautiful French floral plate and ironstone pitcher sold quickly!

One of my favorite estate sale finds this month was this amazing Victorian butterfly brooch.  Although I can't bear to part with this one, it was a part of a collection that I will be bringing with me to the Downtown Camas Vintage and Art Street Faire on Saturday, August 26th!  (See flyer at the bottom of this post!)

Last week I restocked with more fun finds and a couple of new projects.

Still on an image transfer kick, I added this authentic French perfume label to this vintage box painted in Antoinette.  Of course Artisan Enhancements Transfer Gel is my go-to product for these projects!

The large grey/blue wall rack is a repurposed bed (footboard) painted in a mix of French Linen, Louis Blue and Pure White Chalk Paint®.

One of my favorite estate sale finds this month is a crowned cake plate that I simply cannot bear to part with.  At the moment it sits on a dresser in the living room displaying a few fun treasures.

The Downtown Camas Vintage and Art Street Faire is just one month away!  I have some fun treasures squirreled away for this fabulous event!  If you are anywhere near Camas in August, don't miss out on the fun!  RSVP on our Facebook event page for updates and sneak peeks from our vendors!

Thank you so much for your sweet visit!

Best Wishes and Blessings,

Amanda