Monday 26 March 2012

Paint Free Weekend !

No painting this weekend as we had the in laws down from Scotland for the weekend. They also very kindly picked up my Annie Sloan paint order from Perth and brought it down for me, saves me a lot on postage. Had a great time, and a nice long walk round Dagfields on Sunday. Cracking weather too !!

Don't think I have posted for a couple of weekends so I can show you what I was working on last weekend. Well, I sold the 2 white chairs, and finished painting the 3rd one which I painted "Versailles"


Also finished off the two bedside cabinets, both painted in Old White, and both are now listed on eBay 



Lined the inside of the one above with some nice cream/gold designer paper.


The Old Violet dresser has not sold yet. The Old White pieces tend to sell really quickly, maybe because they go with any decor, but it is nice to try something different. If it doesn't sell in the next month or so I may paint it with Old White or Old Ochre ( a new Annie Sloan colour I have bought to try) and sand back so some of the violet shines through. Could look really good

I have started to hand out business postcards when people come to collect their furniture, and I have already had an enquiry for prices for painting a lady's existing furniture
So please that the clocks have gone forward, that means I might manage to start doing some work through the week after dinner. It is 7.10pm now and is still light outside, which is nice. We also have Easter in a couple of weeks and I will have Friday and Monday off so that will be a good weekend for painting. Just never enough hours at the weekend !


2012 NEW YORK/FLORIDA holiday now also fully booked, just booked our New york hotel last weekend. Flying to New York, having 3 nights there to spend some time with my son who lives there now with his girlfriend in Brooklyn. Then we fly down to Miami, pick up a rental car and drive down for 2 nights in the Florida Keys, planning a visit to an alligator park where they have airboat rides. 


 Then we drive back up for a night in Miami, then 2 nights in Fort Lauderdale on the East Coast. Then we drive across country to Naples for 1 night, then 2 in St Pete's Beach before spending our last 4 nights in Orlando, where we have booked passes for Universal Studios to visit Harry Potter ;-) and plan to hit the shops!


We are so excited, only 5 months to go!!!

Have a good week !!


Sunday 11 March 2012

Sunny Sunday

Well, week started bad. Had a horrible sickness and was off work most of the week. 
Feeling better now and was able to get some items listed on eBay and Folksy, and also started painting a couple of new things. Listed 2 of the 3 chairs I bought recently. Painted them in "Old White", and the 3rd one I am doing in "Versailles" green.


Also figured out in Powerpoint how to add a cool "Unique Chic" watermark to my photos which I think looks pretty professional, even though I say so myself ;-) Finally, also got the 2 x wicker/metal bedside tables finished and listed. Photos turned out really good after staging them in my bedroom and adding the new watermark
.


What a lovely sunny day today! We headed out just after 9 to Hanley car boot sale. It was really busy but not a lot worth buying, except for three nice chairs I found. Chairs are a bit of a pain to paint, too many fiddly spindly bits, but they do look really nice when they are finished :0)


I know I said I wasn't going to buy any more, but I couldn't walk past a bargain, and I think they will look really nice painted up. They are solid and heavy, really good quality.

After the car boot sale we swung by to have a look at that charity warehouse I was telling you about. It is run to  raise funds for the Ben Howard Cancer Appeal.


It's an amazing place, and they had a cafe, so we decided to have something to eat before we started looking round. The lady who served us was Ben's Mum and she was really nice. After a yummy bacon butty and a mug of tea, we must have spent over an hour wandering round looking at everything, furniture, clothes, bric a brac, books etc. Bought a lovely little bedside cabinet in solid wood. It has a secret drawer which I only discovered when I went to pick it up. Was so excited to start painting it I forgot to take my "before" pic :-(

Dusted off my trusty sander to, and sanded down the top of a nice pine 3 drawer chest I bought on eBay recently. I may change the handles, but I will see what I think once it's painted. Will post "after" pics next week


Remember the black and red table with the lovely red iris wallpaper on top?

Well I relisted it on eBay last week and got an offer at the last minute of £17. I decided just to accept it as I have had a it for a while now and just don't have the space to store it. The buyer contacted me and said he would be sending a courier. Well, the whole thing was a pain in the a**e! Even though I told him I worked 9-5 he arranged a courier (City Link) who came at 11am when I wasn't in. I contacted buyer and he said he would arrange a late pick up. The next day I was off work sick in bed. The courier came again at 11am, but wouldn't take the table as it wasn't packaged! I have never had to pack any of the furniture that has been uplifted. The buyer then started to get really horrible and told me I had to pack the table. To avoid negative feedback, and losing my 100% feedback rating, Russell brought cardboard boxes home from his work and put together a makeshift cardboard box to wrap it in, as I was still sick. City Link finally picked it up the next day, and buyer emailed next day to say he had received it, but the packaging had damaged the table!!  He actually opened a dispute asking for his money back!
So in the end I got nothing for the table, and he ended up with it!

I seem to be having a run of bad luck lately, first the disappearing dresser, and now this. I have had to amend my listings to state that I do not package furniture, and any buyer who wants to use a courier will have to make sure the item does not need to be wrapped. You learn from these things
     I suppose!


Going for a well earned soak in the bath, arms aching after the sanding and painting today.
        Have a good week!

Sunday 4 March 2012

Loads to tell you! (part 2)

I have been busy this week transforming a really nice 3 drawer chest I bought on eBay. It is a really solid old piece with a few knocks here and there (which give it real character). Decided to try out a new Annie Sloan colour I was given as a gift :-) Thanks terry & Russell ! -  "Old Violet"  The colour reminded me of old distressed french furniture, so I decided to try and go for that look. 

before  
after




I really like how this one has turned out, and love the decorative original handles. I have just to add one more coat of wax to protect it, then I will get it listed on eBay. Really not too sure how much to list this one for. I was thinking maybe £150 with a "best offer" option? Let me know what you think please

Just before I sign off  I want to show you what our conservatory looks like at present. My shed is FULL of furniture waiting to be painted and there are also some pieces that have now crept into our lounge.



 I know I shouldn't keep buying stuff till I clear some of the things I have, but I find it so difficult when I see a bargain! and a friend at work has told me this week about a charity warehouse not far from here that has furniture dead cheap! Can I resist going to have a look round??

I will tell you next time!

Have a great week!

Loads to tell you!

Hi. Loads been happening, and I will have to do this blog in 2 x parts as I dont have room in one for everything!!!
I will start with the sad story of the disappearing dresser....

Well, remember I told you I got this old painted dresser and was having to have it delivered as it didnt split into two?  Well, I arranged with a friend of the seller that he would drop it off to me for £20. Strange thing was, whan I got home from work that evening it was nowhere to be seen! So I called the seller and he said he had spoken to his mate late morning and he had definately delivered it. I thought they were in it together, trying to pull a fast one on me, so I went to see if my neighbour had seen them delivering it. To cut a long story short, my neighbour heard some noise in the street at lunchtime and had a look out his front window. He saw the scrap van reversed up to the end of my drive, and the two guys clearing a space in the back of the van to put something in !!!!!!  
Yes, you guessed it!  My dresser !! The guy who delivered hadn't put it round the back like I asked him to, he had left it in the driveway, and the scrappy just took it!!  You can imagine how angry I was !!

I am getting angry just thinking about it again now, so will move on to something else.........bought some nice new pieces of furniture to shabby chic on ebay last week. Got a pair of nice wicker and metal bedside tables that I have started painting, and they are looking good, will post pic once finished.


Also bought a nice chest of drawers, and a pine bedside cabinet


three nice old chairs
and last night I bought this really cool chest of drawers for £20 (seller paid £140 for it last year)

Running out of space now so will sign off on part 1 and start writing part 2 :-)