More Gumball Machine Makeovers!

Since finishing my own gumball machine revamp for my studio, I thought it would be fun to scour the web to find others who have given theirs a whole new look as well. And did I find some creative souls!

How sweet is this antique gumball machine made over by Karla at Karla's Cottage Here is what it looked like before - it still looked great even then but she made it her own by spray painting it in "Ballerina Slipper" pink. After roughing it up just a bit with sandpaper, she lightly drybrushed on some white acrylic paint. Don't you just love how pretty it looks filled with yogurt raisins? She keeps her gumball machine in her studio, too.



Now take a look at this before shot of a gumball machine Ellie of Home - Be Inspired picked up recently at a garage sale.



She says it was actually her 9 year old daughter who fell in love with it, bought it with her own allowance, cleaned it up, and spray painted in Powder Pink herself! She filled it with pink Whoppers and now it resides in her "pinkalicious" bedroom! (My kids would be so envious!) Great job, Little One! I know your mom is proud!





Here are a couple of gumball machines handpainted by the talented artist Teresa Lynn of Vintage Rose Studio. She paints her art on just about any object. You can see some of her work here! Can you imagine this in a shabby style cottage? I love the robin's egg blue base!




Teresa doesn't just do floral painting...check out this Rooster and Hen gumball machine she painted for a custom order. The nest of eggs and chicken wire are fun touches!





Next, Kristi, the makeover queen behind Addicted 2 Decorating took this old gumball machine...



and with the stand she made this really nifty table! It has that old-fashioned feel that I just love! And the gumball machine? She filled it with...

A fish!

How neat is that?! To see how she did this, check out this entry on her blog.

So if you happen to come across on old gumball machine at a yard sale or thrift store, take it home with you and transform it into something special (and then tell me about it, of course!)

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If you would like to read more information about the 2009 Cottage Charm Giveaway event taking place during the entire month of May and see the list of current cottage style giveaways, just click the banner below!

A Cottage Chair Makeover Story: Yes, You *Can* Paint Fabric!

Edited to add: The discussion forum where I originally found the instructions for this project was on the HGTV website. The instructions have recently been brought up in the forum again and can be found here. I basically followed these instructions with the exception of using paste wax as the final step.

In your thrifting adventures, have you ever run across a perfectly well formed, good boned, sturdy upholstered piece at a great price...but you didn't buy it? Was it because you didn't like the upholstery and you thought you didn't have the skills to reupholster it yourself? Or maybe you knew it wasn't yet in your budget to higher a professional to do it for you?

Here is an alternative that can work for some low nap fabric: Paint it! Yes, you really can! And you don't have to purchase those expensive upholstery spray paints that come in limited colors, either. Just use a brush and a can of paint in whatever color you like.

I found four of the chairs above at Goodwill a couple of years ago. Obviously, they were from the 70's. (They came with the small, sturdy but beaten up dining room table that I turned into a large coffee table). I paid just $20 for the table and four chairs! I loved the form of the chairs but hated the color of the cushions. Originally, it didn't even occur to me to paint them and so I just stuck the chairs in the garage until I could figure out what to do. Then I came across a discussion in a decorating forum and someone there had actually painted their entire sofa. It looked great...it looked like leather! I was inspired and thought that if someone can paint their whole sofa, then I could try painting my chair cushions. If it didn't work out, I could always recover them down the road - and anything would be better than harvest gold, right?

The original fabric was velour, I do believe. (I am challenged when it comes to knowing fabric types so I apologize if there is another name for this.) As I mentioned, smooth, low nap fabrics work best for this project.



I made sure that the fabric was clean and dry before I began. Then, with a brush and a can of interior latex satin paint (Olympic Premium, "Dark Granite" is the name of the color I used), I started painting. I started with the edges, making sure I pulled back the decorative cording on the cushion so that I could paint in the the grooves. The first coat probably won't cover well and will look absolutely hideous. If you try this, you will want to throw out your furniture project at this point. Ah, but please don't! It gets better!

I let the first coat dry completely. It took a few days because the first coat really gets absorbed into the fabric. When it was completely dry, I sanded it well with fine sandpaper. This step is necessary because the paint raises the fibers in the fabric and it will feel rough to the touch. I sanded the fabric smooth, wiped it down, and then applied my second coat. It was the same process...I let it dry for a few days and then sanded and repeated. I believe I painted a total of four coats. The final coat did not require sanding because the fabric was completely sealed by the first layers of paint and no longer was rough to the touch.



The result was a chair cushion that looked like soft vinyl or leather. This "finish" can be cleaned easily. Just wipe it with a damp cloth!



Or you can bring it up a notch and even stencil something pretty on the seat. I didn't but I just might in the future. I think it would look great! The photo below shows the nice, soft sheen that a satin paint finish produces.



I painted the rest of the chair as well. I "distressed" it by gently brushing some of the edges of the chair with brown paint. Since this chair was photographed a few weeks ago, I've repainted the frame in a solid white as I decided I wanted it to look a little less distressed. I believe my reasoning behind brushing on the brown paint on the edges was to paint over it again with white and then sand back down lightly to the dark brown. But solid white looks just fine. This chair and another just like it will go in my craft studio.



While I don't think I'd be brave enough to paint an entire couch, I'm glad that attempted chair cushions at least. To me, they look a so much better! And we have more room in our garage now!

Sadly, my memory card for my camera just died yesterday. I had a camera full of "before" photos of various studio accessories. And the photos of my youngest child's first missing top tooth :( Hopefully we'll get a new card soon so that I can share the other projects I've been working on. Until then, I'll let you know that my farm style craft table is completed and ready to prime and paint - hubs did a fabulous job! The steps in the studio are also painted a deep chocolate brown and just need a little touch up work. I have another table that I need to start sanding in preparation for paint as well. Three more major pieces of furniture for my studio need to be built and/or made over: a large L-shaped unit, the shelving unit that will sit on top of it, and the makeover piece is a large cubby style system. So much to do, but I will be thrilled to finally have my own space to create!

Cottage Studio Ceiling Makeover Completed

First I'd like to thank all of you who stopped in and supported my blog sale last week! Your items have either already arrived or are due to arrive any day now. You may not realize it, but you've helped me take another step in accomplishing my business goals. Thank you so much!

Now, about that studio... We've actually been finished with the ceiling and walls for a little while now. We painted the walls a nice robin's egg blue and added additional trimwork to the steps. I still have a bunch of junk that I need to move out of the space before I can get some good photos of the entire studio so far, but I did snap a few shots of the ceiling. If you remember, we once had old skylights that were removed when we replaced our roof. This left four ugly plywood holes in the ceiling and I wasn't sure how I could make them look attractive until we could afford to redo the entire ceiling someday down the road. We also had a very ugly (and dusty!) ceiling fan and a couple of equally ugly lights that needed to be addressed. Replacing them was not an option because as usual, our budget is so tiny it's practically nonexistent:)

So here is the studio ceilng "BEFORE"....






And here it is "AFTER"....

(Click photos below to enlarge)






Despite the challenges and limitations, I think the ceiling makeover turned out pretty well! Hubs did a great job turning those plywood holes into "windows", didn't he? I painted a subtle sky background and used a stencil to add my sparrow. As for the light and fan makeover, thank goodness for my trusty brown camouflage paint! With a matte clear coat, they look like oil rubbed bronze fixtures! I did another fan makeover in my living room about three years ago with a different type of oil based paint, and let me tell you, what I used this time around was MUCH easier and faster! (I have a little bird - my Ginger - on my shoulder right now or else I'd go to the garage and check the spray can, but I believe it's either Rustoleum or Krylon brown camouflage paint. I got mine at Wal-Mart.)

Hubs has already built one of my craft tables. It just needs a few pieces of trim and it's ready to paint. It's got a tongue and groove pine top and is very farmhouse in style. Here is a shot of the table top before he put it all together. He cut the "tongue" part off and will add trim around the perimeter side edge of the tabletop. I thought about some kind of rope moulding but I think I'll probably just stick with plain, flat trim to keep the look simple. I have a glass top to go right on top for easy cleanup as I'm a very messy crafter. I look forward to being able to see our dining room table again because that's where all of my stuff has been for weeks!



I hope everyone is staying warm! We started using our fireplace this week and it's never been more welcomed!

Cottage Studio Layout and Color

So far, I'm very pleased with what's been happening in the studio the last couple of weekends. Though I wish work could go a little faster, I guess I'll have to work on being content with slow and steady instead. The ceiling is 99% complete with just a little touch up work and fan and light installation to go. On Saturday, hubs was finally able to find my Krylon brown camouflage paint (which looks just like oil rubbed bronze when topcoated with a matte sealer) and the fans and lights will be complete as soon as I seal them.

I've been working on my chairs. I *thought* I took a good before shot of them but I can't find the photos anywhere on the computer. I have one chair left that I haven't worked on so I'll be sure to photograph it beside one of the "new" madeover chairs for comparisons sake. Here is a snapshot that I was able to find, along with some old table legs I'm planning on using for my desk. These chairs where probably pretty back in the 70's, don't you think? Now, though, they're just...Ugh! I have four of them and they came with a small dining room set that I bought at Goodwill quite a while ago. The table and four chairs were just $20, I do believe! I cut the table legs down and it became my coffee table for the living room, but I wasn't quite sure where I'd use those chairs. The studio will be the perfect place! I just can't believe what paint can do for outdated furniture.

I thought you might be interested in knowing what the layout of my new space will be. My studio space is small and just about every square inch will be utilized. In the middle of the room will be a rolling work table (with leaves that fold down). I decided that since we never use one of the big sliding doors and because I have so little wall space to begin with, a work table and shelving unit will completely cover it up. I'm just going to add white light blocking roller blinds to the glass doors (for a cohesive view from the exterior) and treat it as a wall. It will completely disappear once the units are in place. I get plenty of light from the other sliding door on the opposite side of the room and there are three small windows (six total) near the ceiling on both sides of the room as well.



I said I would wait until the room was painted before I'd reveal the new room color, but that probably won't be until this weekend and I just don't want to wait! I've painted the corners of the room and several large "samples" on all the walls. Did anyone guess Robin's Egg Blue? Yummmm! This photo doesn't do the color justice, but I'm absolutely thrilled with it. I designed a new banner for my future shop and my walls will coordinate with it:)


On the business front, I've been far too busy working on the studio to create much - and most of my supplies are boxed up. But I did finally make something I've been wanting to try for a while now. They are custom cupcake wrappers.I call them Cupcake Hugs! I'm going to have a lot of fun making these:)





I hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Tuesday's Kitchen

I'm preparing for my cake decorating class tonight, which involves baking a cake (I made chocolate) and about nine cups of frosting. Seriously, my waistline has expanded since starting these classes. What's a girl to do? Is it really possible to *not* eat cake?



Studio work continues. Yesterday I primed and painted the window trim for the "faux" skylights and still need to add another coat of paint. I also worked on the headboard and filled in the nail holes in the steps and also in the trim work hubs added to the studio a few days ago.

This coming weekend, I hope to get the ceiling painted and the fan and ceiling lights installed after their makeovers. I went to get the paint yesterday for the fan and the one light I have left to do and it was all gone - and was still out of stock today. It is Krylon Brown Camouflage spray paint. Yes, I know...that is quite the choice for paint but I've used this particular paint and color for so many applications and absolutely love it. It is a matte finish and sprays on so easily - and looks very much like oil rubbed bronze. You can add a clear coat as well for protection and sheen. I always hate to run out of it as it is my first choice for anything that I need painted brown. Try it out and see if you like it! (See the topiary in the photos above? The container was a terra cotta color but I painted it with the camouflage paint!)


If you haven't yet, please put your guess in for my studio remodel guessing contest. You all have come up with a lot of great and creative ideas for that antique headboard already! Thanks for playing!

A Guessing Contest!

It's Saturday evening and hubs and I just wrapped up another afternoon of working on my studio. We've finished putting in the rest of the trim work (baseboards, trim around the stairs) with the exception of the skylight window trim. He did cut the pieces for me but I want to paint them before he installs them to avoid getting paint on my "sky" mural. Hubs also removed the ugly ceiling fan and the other two ceiling lights so that I can paint them a dark chocolate brown! I've painted one already and it looks a thousand times better. How I wish I could have prettier ceiling lighting altogether but this is a budget makeover and if I can't change the lighting style, I can surely change the color! And as much as I hate ceiling fans (see in the photo how much dust mine has collected!), in this room, one is absolutely necessary. I do have additional lighting that I will be adding to the space, and maybe even a little chandelier above my desk if hubs can make the cord longer. It's been boxed up forever and I'd love to use it).

Now about that contest! I have lots of furniture pieces that I'm making over or building for my new space. I will somehow be using this antique headboard. I bought it quite a while ago for $5 or $10 dollars. Can you believe that!

To the person that correctly guesses what I will be using this antique headboard for in my studio, I will send to them some of my faux candies as a prize:) If more than one person guesses correctly, I'll put their names in a hat and draw a winner. To make it fun, try not looking at the other guesses when you post your guess. I'd love to see what you all come up with! Only one guess per person, please, and you must include a way for me to contact you if you are the winner.

I'm keeping this contest open until I am finished revamping the headboard and probably after it is in it's place in my completed studio...that may be a month or so from now. But the more guesses, the better!

Have fun!

Oh, I forgot to tell you - I decorated my first real cake on Tuesday in my cake decorating class. Hop on over to my other blog to take a look!

Cottage Studio Before Photos

I know everyone has probably seen photos of my sunroom / office / future craft studio a million times, but for the sake of comparison later, I wanted to share some photos of my "studio in progress". We're coming up on the second weekend of work in here and I was able to get a head start on it last night and today.

By the way, if you'd like to see the *BEFORE* before photos (that is, what the space looked like months ago when I was just dreaming of a studio), just click here.

I took out the banister and carpet on the steps quite a while back, but last weekend we patched the walls as well as insulated the ceiling where the old sky lights use to be. We removed the poorly installed skylights years ago when we replaced the roof and will someday even remove the current old ceiling. The beadboard is ok (I love beadboard!) but it's the thin imitation beadboard and wasn't exactly installed with the greatest of care. So for now, we are left with recessed "patches" on the ceiling, as I call them. My solution to the eyesores was to paint a sky mural within each of the square holes to give the effect of skylights. I painted the murals today but will show them to you later:) I still have one sweet detail to add, plus this weekend hubs will be adding a nice wide moulding around the perimeter of each skylight. When the moulding is up, caulked, and painted, I'll take some photos. But I will tell you that I LOVE how the murals have turned out so far. I didn't know what I was going to do with those big ugly plywood holes, but I really think the murals were just the right solution.

So this is what the studio looked like last night. I apologize for the dark photos - I rarely photograph at night for this reason. It is a small space for sure, but I think the tall ceilings and lots of natural light will make the studio feel less cramped.





(Has anyone seen my ladder?)





What is really exciting for me is that I've finally figured out a color scheme! The walls are *not* going to be the same as kitchen and living room as I thought I would probably choose. I'm going to keep it a little secret until after they are painted, but if you have any good guesses or opinions, I'd love to hear them! I will say that the accent colors I'll be using are white, off-white, and chocolate brown (neutrals that go with just about any color, I think). Choosing paint colors is soooo hard - there are too many options!

So what colors would you choose for this space?

A Cupcake Laboratory

That's what my kitchen has become over the last few days - half bakery / half science lab! You see, I'm kicking it into high gear to really start producing my faux desserts for the opening of Lollishops toward the end of the year. More on that in a moment...

Well, I'm all better and up and at'em again! Unfortunately, after I recovered, two of my kidlets once again were sick. One (who had a fever for a day or so) complained once late at night that her ear bothered her...then her ear drum ruptured early the next morning! It was an ear infection we didn't even know she had - her first one ever in seven and a half years. The other one had a fever for several days - once up to 104.3, followed by bronchitis. She missed a week and half of school:( So it's been a tough month but we are ALL well now, thank goodness! Thank you to all those that stopped by and left well wishes - I really appreciate your kind words!

So...lately I've been dreaming about what kinds of things I want to make for my Lollishops store, and OH what fun! I went to Hobby Lobby last Saturday and had to keep reminding myself to focus on one or two products at a time...there are so many ideas spinning around in my head and it would be easy to leave a place like Hobby Lobby with a buggy load:) I picked up paint, pastel chalk, and three pretty glass cake plates of different sizes, from cake size down to cupcake size. They were half off and I couldn't resist!

I've been focusing for now on my cookies, candies, and cupcakes. I *wanted* to also be working on some sugared lollipops and sugared gumballs because they are so much fun, but there's only so much time in one weekend...*sigh*

I've used various recipes in the past for my faux cookies but haven't been completely thrilled with the cookies unless they were painted a yummy chocolatey color, which is fine - but not all cookies are chocolate. I basically needed a recipe that produced a cookie that looked delicious and natural right out of the oven and that only needed a clear coat sealer. I finally found it! I had some of my cookies on a cooling sheet the other day when my oldest daughter came home from school and she saw them and asked if she could have one, lol. (That's the tough thing about being a faux dessert maker and having kids...you do feel a *twinge* of guilt when you have to tell your kids that what they hoped was real was indeed fake, hehe. I do make plenty of real cookies, too, or else there would be a small uprising here!)

With my cupcakes, I've been trying to figure out how to make a realistic looking cupcake base - the actual cake portion of the cupcake. In the past I've used plaster and while it's easy to use and looks great piled high with yummy faux icing, I wanted something lighter weight and that wasn't flat on top - I wanted a bit of a rise like an actual cupcake. I experimented this weekend and am so excited that I think I've found it! Hubs was amazed (and it takes a lot to get a "Wow!" out of him!). I can't help but to think back to all the times I've spent pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to achieve a certain look or effect, using every product under the moon, and almost giving up. (And there will be many more times like that in the future!) I'm sure with many crafts, it's half art, half science experiment. You just never know if something will work until you try! My next "science experiment" will have to do with making faux fondant. I have my "ingredients" and tools but will have to see how it works out!

I'm also working on a new color palette. Chocolate is divine and I want to offer plenty of it, but in a place like Lollishops, there must be plenty of candy coated sweetness, don't you think? I've tested quite a few colors on some candy pieces and it looks like they are going to work! My girls especially loved the more "frou frou" looking candies. The same colors will be used on cupcakes, cookies, lollipops, etc. I've mostly only ever used red, white, cream, pink, and brown for my desserts, so I'm really excited about adding to my color palette!

On the home front, today a friend is coming to help hubs hang drywall in the hallway. Yay! One less area in our home with visible studs (and there are many!!)!!

But the most exciting news this week is that hubs gave me the go ahead last night to design my work studio! At this moment, the kitchen is slowly being overtaken by cupcakes and cookies as I work more on my desserts, and I have to have a place for all of it so that we can continue to function in there. BUT...here is the twist...

Ninety-five percent of my materials needed to create my studio will come from what we already have on hand in the garage. I need lots of shelving, a work table, seating, storage, and so on...and I want it to be pretty, of course:) So there will be a lot of trash to treasure projects to complete this makeover. I have some preliminary ideas already and hubs told me to give the plans to him when I'm done and we'll work on it together. When I'm able, I'll take a photo of the all the stuff I plan on using...from old woodend table legs to the bifold doors we removed from the dining room (you will probably think that I've lost my mind, hehe...but hopefully it will work out and also free up some space in our garage in the process!)

What I know I will have to buy is paint, some decorative trim for dressing up the shelving, and window treatments. The walls will probably be Malted Milk like the rest of our house so far and the furniture will all be white. For color, I've been dreaming about pretty long flowy curtains in a vintage or robin's egg blue. and the rest of the color will come from faux dessert displays. Ahhhh....

Wow, I wrote a novel! Thanks for popping in!

P.S

I may be having another much smaller online yard sale here in the next couple of weeks...probably less than 10 items:) Just a heads up!

P.S.S If you have haven't yet submitted your application to Lollishops, please do!

My Favorite Cottage Things: Wooden Trivets + the "Best Chocolate Chip Cookies"

Up until fairly recently, Hubs would often joke that I have a knack for making biscuits that resemble cookies and cookies that look (and taste) like biscuits. He was right. I don't know what I was doing wrong, but no matter what recipe I tried or how meticulously I followed it, my cookies would just never turn out. I believe now that what I really needed all those years was my little old-fashion cottage kitchen to spark in me the determination to make the perfect cookie - even if it was the last thing I ever managed to do.

I have to admit that I didn't really *love* or feel attached to my almost renovated cottage kitchen until this past April when I began to do more cooking and baking. It had nothing to do with expensive appliance upgrades and state of the art cooking gadgets (I have neither, anyway) but I think it had more to do with finally feeling "at home" in the new space after getting thoroughly acquainted with it. With the two of us working happily and frequently together (the kitchen and I), we have become like old friends who feel confident that when we tackle a recipe, especially a cookie recipe, we will succeed...or at least get better with each attempt. Individually, people and old kitchens are imperfect and need work (and sometimes must be accepted "as is") , but my goodness, as a team - is there anything that they can't accomplish? Nevermind my fine lines and foibles - nevermind her unlevel floor and imperfectly installed countertop...when we're working together, those things are put out of mind and our focus is on creating something delicious and from our hearts!

So during these last few months, my dear old kitchen and I have set off to try our best at baking and in the process, have discovered some really great recipes. Out of all the ones I may share with you in the future, you have to know that I really and truly mean it when I say that you absolutely, positively, must try the "Best Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe at least once in your lifetime, but preferably every week - if not more. I have tried so many chocolate chip cookie recipes and while most of them were tasty, they just weren't what I personally was looking for in a chocolate chip cookie (the old "it's not you, it's me" explanation). I like a good old-fashion chocolate chip cookie that is hearty, chunky, chewy, soft, and moist - and stays that way even the day after baking (there will be none left by the third day, just so you know). I've been on the search for this cookie for 15 years, and I'm happy to report that I've finally found it. Your personal chocolate chip cookie preference may be different but if not, do try this recipe and let me know what you think! Most of the 1500+ reviews were positive and the few that weren't, well, I believe those folks just have a different cookie style:)

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons hot water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
* 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

My personal notes:

I don't have one of those handy cookie scoops to ensure that each of my cookies are the same size, so I used two level tablespoons of dough, rolled up into a loose ball, for each cookie. They come out a perfect size and just the right thickness!

I baked my cookies for exactly 11 minutes and they were perfect. Try a test cookie for 10 minutes first and let cool, and see if you might like it even better.

After removing them from the oven, I let my cookies stand for just a few minutes until they were firm enough to transfer to a wire cooling rack. I let them cool completely and then stored them in an airtight plastic container. I layered them between sheets of wax paper just in case they tried to stick together!

Today, I was pondering the fact that I've got a few little growing collections of items that I didn't consciously realize I was collecting! I guess they are just little things that I always gravitate towards at thrift stores or yard sales without thinking "Oh, I'll add this to my collection!"

I've discovered that I happen to have an affinity for carved wooden trivets. I like the various sizes you can find and the intricate details on most of them. What I've found that I like to do is paint them, of course! I've already painted two of the five that I own and I'm pleased with how they turned out. I painted a white basecoat using spray paint, and then a few coats of red spray paint. After sanding and distressing the trivets to reveal the white undercoat here and there, I wiped them down with a dark tinted paste wax and then buffed, buffed, buffed.

I've never actually used the painted trivets as I'm afraid a hot pot would damage the finish, but I do like the way the trivets look as decorative accents. I've put the two red ones in my kitchen island and think they look sweet and dainty tucked in between the ironstone china. I'm sure they are feeling much too pretty now to be bearing up the load of a hefty old pot, anyway. "Let the practical potholders have that job!", they say:)