To handpaint or stencil, that is the question...

Once upon a booth, there was a dresser... It never sold. 😢
When a piece doesn't sell, it's kind of like a puppy not being adopted. 

But I couldn't give up on my dresser! I fell in love with her serpentine curved drawers, the beautiful wood, & the original caster wheels. (Every good piece has caster wheels!) So I scoured Pinterest looking for ideas to dress her up without painting her completely. I searched for 'two tone dressers', 'natural wood drawers', 'antique lowboys' & convinced myself I could jazz her up while leaving some gorgeous wood to peep thru. Here are some ideas that popped up:

 

http://missmustardseed.com/2011/04/cherry-blossom-dresser/

  http://thepaintedwillows.blogspot.com/p/before.html

 http://shabby2uniquelychic.blogspot.com/2013/04/mahogany-lowboy-dresser.html
 

I ended up with an idea from Miss Mustard Seed, the queen of milk paint.
Have you seen these designs floating around the Pinterest world? I love love love how it ties the paint together, yet lets some of the wood break thru. It's really a perfect compromise for someone who appreciates antique, but loves to paint. It is to me at least, AND apparently to Miss Mustard Seed herself!

http://missmustardseed.com/2012/07/hardware/

Now I hate to steal an idea, but I tried stenciling a previous project & was not impressed.
You have to deal with bleed thru, then paint reapplication & lining up the edges perfectly...enough to send me into an OCD mess. The dresser actually turned out pretty cute, but I would prefer not to do this again any time soon.

Here is my first attempt at a stenciled dresser, all pretty in pink.

And here is my before pic of the dresser that didn't sell. 

Poor baby...

So one day I said to myself, "Let's do this! Let's draw on a dresser!"  

And I did, because there is no stopping me once I get an idea in my head.

My research suggested using chalk first, THEN painting over top.

I'm not a fan of classic chalk so I used my chalk pen, which is really more of a marker. 

My husband was eyeballing me the whole process. You know, that look that says you're doing this all wrong. And hey, I wasn't too sure about it either. But when he finally said, "How is that paint going to stick over the chalk pen?" I replied, "It just will. I know what I'm doing. I saw this on Pinterest, k?"

And this is how she turned out ⇓

I am no artist, let me make that clear. But I'm really happy with how she looks.

As you can see, I made some very professional looking swirlies there 😄 I just swooshed my brush to add leaves to the vines, then added a bird formation 'V' in the center because 'negative space'. 

See, I remember some stuff from Bob Ross.   

What do ya think?

Are you on board with hand-painting furniture or are you gonna stick with stencils?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

I bet you're tired of hearing that by now, and this is only day 5.

While most people are vowing to exercise more, eat healthier, quit drinking or go on more adventures... I just want to get this baby out of me & I can not wait to reach for that first margarita! 
What can I say, I guess I'm an underachiever 😋

2016 was a good year for me considering I had a baby, got knocked up again for the 4th time, & still continued painting furniture whenever I had the chance. Oh, you didn't know any of that? Probably because I was a slacker & completely forgot to update this blog. (I'll add that to my resolutions list too.)

Here's a little rewind of my 2016 top posts to speed us along to the present. 

Bye Bye 2016!

 

DIY: What To Do With Old Windows- Turn That Trash Into Treasure!

I just picked up a truck load of old windows, about 60! 
I have so many plans for these babies... 

A lot of people ask where I get windows from. The answer is wherever I can find them!

Luckily, I have been working on windows for about 2 years now & I have some contacts. 
This supply came from a couple who owns a window replacement company. 
They give me a good deal when I buy in bulk. 
Needless to say, I bought them all. 

This is me, Brandi, about to pop! Only 19 more days until baby Rosalee is here :)

Furniture painting has stopped for now. So I figured I would focus on my window projects. 
They are smaller, faster to turn over, cheaper, & can be made into unique works of art. 
Win/win for me & my growing family. 

In the past I have used a lot of fabric, chicken wire, & hand painted designs. 
Well, momma don't have time for all of that right now...
So I am trying out some pretty decals & embellishments on this pile of junk. 
It costs a little more, but in my opinion, it looks more professional & is less time consuming.

Here are a few I've been working on...

 I kept this window simple. Some people prefer no frilly additions. 

This way, you can add your family photos in the bottom panel. 

You can apply them with modpodge, glue dots, or just tape 'em right on- who's going to be inspecting that closely anyways! They're going to be too busy admiring!

This window has some vintage lace attached for a romantic feel. 

(I always buy lace curtains at thrift shops. It's cheaper than buying it in yards at the fabric store.  You're going to be cutting it up anyways, so thrift it up!)

I just cut the curtain to fit in the panel with my trust dusty fabric scissors, then I used a staple gun/glue gun combo to attach it to the back. I like to make extra sure that it's not going to budge!

Hobby Lobby knobs to be repurposed as coat hangers

 

This Song of Solomon bible verse window is my favorite so far. It's so chippy & gorgeous! 

I added a handmade bow from burlap ribbon & 3 crackly knobs for a little oomph. 

I learned how to fold a bow from a Pinterest tutorial, which you can find on my DIY board. 

For the knobs, I used a drill bit to create a hole straight thru the back. 

That part is a little trickier than it sounds. Finding the right sized bit, measuring for an even space between, having a knob long enough... it's a trial & error process. 

I should know.

 My husband was making fun of me for drilling too slow. 

He decided to grab the trigger & push my hand, so now we have a hole in our coffee table. :) 

We were laughing, no big deal. But for those of you trying this yourself, maybe watch out for jokester husbands & also, do it outside.

This window is being kept simple for now, but I may add some cute things later. 

Same process as above for drilling knobs into place. 

All of these decals I have added are so lovey dovey- I blame it on my baby hormones!

I purchased these decals from Amazon thru various online shops, depending on size & cost.
You can also find them in the home section at Wal-Mart & Hobby Lobby.

I would really like to invest in a vinyl decal machine in the near future- that way I could print whatever the heck phrase I feel like without having to search for it :)
That might get expensive, haha.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These windows are all for sale at my booth in The Depot at Gibson Mill.
I am currently looking into shipping options for an etsy account in the future.
***If anyone has experience with shipping, I'd greatly appreciate any helpful tidbits! Thank you!***

If you are working on a window yourself & need help, just ask! I'd be glad to help you in any way that I can. Send a message via my page at http://www.facebook.com/tinroofjunktion

Stuff that booth! Viva la vintage!

This week has been so hectic! But we finally brought in my latest milk painted beauties. 

The booth is literally stuffed...like a burrito :)

I think I have an abnormal obsession with dressers! 

 I really fell in love with the newest antique dresser additions. I named this pretty one, "Christabel."

She is painted in "Stoneware" by The Real Milk Paint Co., a very pale gray. 

I'm such a sucker for anything with big chunky legs & original wheel casters. 

But it's the hand carved details that make this piece really unique! 

I secretly hope she doesn't sell, so I can bring her on home for myself.

And here is "Louise." 

I painted this waterfall dresser's body in White, and drawer fronts in Stoneware by Real Milk Paint Co. This is a great way to tell the subtle difference in the 2 colors. As you can see on "Christabel" above, the gray tone is so subtle you can barely tell. But when compared on this piece, the undertones really pop out! As you can see, the milk paint went to work on chipping. I love, love, love chippy pieces!

Today I scored an amazing behemoth of a sideboard! 

 It is not often that I get a piece as regal as this. This big girl belongs in a room all to herself.

I can't wait to make her the center of attention in my booth!

She will be stripped down, sanded, painted, fixed up, & then get new hardware. 

I'm thinking of painting her something lighter, but not white. Grays are a new obsession of mine, but I have also been shopping around for some light greens & blues too. Oh, the creative possibilities!

A Very Vintage Day!

Today was awesome! 

The booth got a lot of newly finished pieces & on the trip back home, we picked up another load to start working on. 

It was a very vintage day!

Tin Roof Junktion was empty this morning. It has been empty the whole week- which is a good thing. But my booth senses were driving me crazy until my husband could take a day off & help me bring a new load of goodies. 

Whew, that's better! 

Even though I am still twitching nervously over the fact that there is no hutch or anything tall. It's okay, I'll get over it. :)

I really enjoyed working on these latest pieces. 

The pink stenciled dresser was definitely a first. Never have I painted pink, or used a stencil. 

But I think it turned out pretty good for my first attempt.

What do you think? 

After 2 hours of unloading all the new pieces & placing in booth (this is a way shorter time than usual), we stopped to fill up our truck bed with even more furniture. 

The lady we picked up from was so sweet! 

She had everything waiting on the porch for us-This never happens, EVER! 

We scored 2 antique dressers with lots of detail, 2 provincial mirrors, a gorgeous wicker basket, and 2 fancy chairs (not pictured).

I can't tell you how excited I am to start working on this next round. 

Pieces with character make me happy.  

I can hear the milk paint calling to me... "Brandi, buy me. Mix me. Try something besides white!"

So that was my adventure today. I am so exhausted, but so blessed to be able to do this job that I love. I am even more thankful that I am still able to push myself to do it while toting around my huge pregnant belly. I think Rosalie will love to junk like me...

Sweet Rosalee

I am one happy mama this week. Ryan & I are expecting our third blessing, Rosalee, this September.
And I just bought her the cutest little stuffed bunny from Tia's Shabby Chic Boutique in TN. The print is a vintage flower pattern- which I thought fit perfect with her name <3


You really have to check out Tia's page at https://www.facebook.com/TiasShabbyChicBoutique
Not only does she sell unique handcrafted home decor, painted furniture, & jewelry- she has the most amazing baby items for your little boy or girl. And she ships, which is perfect since I'm in SC.
Here's the shabby bunny I just HAD to buy for our little darling...

 

June has been so good to me! I also got to bring in the provincial dresser to my booth at The Depot, & my kids were surprisingly well behaved. They must know this almost 7 month pregnant mama aint messing around anymore. But I also had help from my husband, without whom, I could not fulfill my vintage lovin' dreams! 

I was so worried that we wouldn't be able to fit everything in. I do NOT like to take items back home once they are in the booth. (Moving furniture is the part I dislike the most about this junk business. I wish I could magically swish my nose like Jeannie & it would just appear in my booth all stacked perfectly. Haha, that would be the life!) But everything fit great after some rearranging. I thank the lord for small blessings like this :) 


The hutch sold today, along with some smalls. So this put-together look lasted the grand total of one day. I told myself I was going to start slowing down for Rosalie, but I'm pretty sure I am going to paint another hutch to bring in. I HAVE to have a hutch in my booth at all times. It's a strange obsession. My husband says I over obsess about my booth & what's in it, and where things go. BUT this is MY passion. I am not perfect, but dang it, I like to try. This is the only area in my life that I have control over... If people don't like the way it looks, well- I'm not there to hear about it. SO it's all gravy to me! 


I truly hope June has been a good month for you too! May your days be filled with love & your booth be full of junk <3

She Believed She Could, So she DID

One of my favorite diy window projects I've ever completed. All you need to do is...

Find an old window. 
Cut out your chicken wire from a roll with some wire cutters (which is so much fun to hold down & cut at the same time). 
Attach wire to back of frame with a staple gun. 
Put your weight into it, it's more effective than a stress ball! 
Cut away excess chicken wire- if you measure like I do.

Voila! A rustic message board!

In the top left corner, I hot glued some burlap rosette flowers to make it pretty <3
I also modpodged some vintage style fabric to the top portion of glass. I like having the option to use the clothespins OR the dry erase board.

My favorite pens to use are the chalk markers you can buy at craft stores, like AC Moores or Michaels. These come in more vibrant colors than plain old dry erase pens. And if you're using a message board, it might as well be bright & attention grabbing!

"She believed she could, so she did."

This quote is very dear to me, as I'm sure it is for a lot of ladies.
I am so glad that I keep following my creative dreams of owning a booth. It's a lot of work some days, but I will keep crafting & painting furniture until my hands fall off & my back breaks.

I hope you believe in yourself. Chase your dreams- even if everyone thinks you are 50 shades of crazy. This is YOUR life. Don't live it for anyone else.