Projects, Projects, Projects...

So many projects, SO LITTLE TIME!!  I know, I should be focusing on the job search and school...and I am... I've just ALSO been working on finishing up a couple projects I've had going for a while.

Last year, I found this hideous, hideous forest green side table on somebody's driveway getting sent to the trash.  Now, I mean it was ugly like, found in the attic at your grandma's house covered in cobwebs and spiders kind of ugly.  The style itself isn't beautiful.. but it had a cute little drawer and I thought I could fix it up to look nice.

unfortunately i didn't take any pictures of it before i began fixing it. :(

MY BAD!  This whole blog thing is new to me, so I didn't realize how important pictures are in the chronicling process.  Now I know!  You'll just have to trust me this time that it was 20 years too late for it's date with the wood chipper.  The process was quite difficult.  For such a small table, all the legs and little parts took a really long time to sand by hand.  The green was so strong, I had to prime it white, then I used THREE bottles of rust-oleum satin spray paint in "Heirloom White" to finish.   Here's a look at a bit of the process:

sanding done, sprayed first coat

these legs were so DIFFICULT to sand!

I must say, finished product still looks bland.  I originally intended to give it an antique look, and I still can, I'm just still learning how to do that.  I can't decide if I should do crackle effect, or the "browning" look where you put brownish paint on those key spots in order to make it look warn out.  

Anyway, then to spruce it up a bit more, I decided to line the inner drawer with some fabric..just to give it some LIFE.

elmers spray adhesive, it doesn't disappoint

template for fabric cut out

I used the paper template in order to cut out a perfect fabric size.  Once I sprayed the elmers on, I had to place it on PERFECTLY otherwise it would stick in places I didn't want it to and look messed up.  THANK GOD it worked out.

And the final product....

still bland, right?

i think i love the drawer the most!

I'm actually glad I'm done.  I spent a LOT of days baking in the sun trying to spray paint this thing.  I don't think I would ever spray paint again, it's not worth it.  Painting is much easier and I think gives it a better finish.  Also, side note, if you ever do want to buy spray paint and you frequent the U.S., the bottle of spray paint I bought was $6 compared to $3 at the Home Depot there.  Also, the chalkboard paint here is maybe $22, I got it for $9 there.  

Anyway, next time I will definitely spend my efforts on a piece of furniture that I more enjoy the look of, even though it may have ugly elements.  I will let you know how the antiquing goes...suggestions??


** update: I posted this table on kijiji and got some interest!  though nobody has followed through.  :(  however, i really want to refinish some more things.. so it's very encouraging! 

**further update: SOLD!!!  To the lowest bidder @ $35.  You know what I'm just happy it's gone and someone loves it and wants to use it!

Introducing the Principessa...

 

the face only a mother could love??

Principessa means Princess in Italian and Tutu, the absolute love of my life, could not be more of one.   I guess all cats are to an extent.  Tutu takes it to a whole other level though.   She is the cutest, sweetest, bitchiest little girl.  

And I {love} her to little goopy pieces. 

It's really difficult for me to say the L word, but because she's a cat, it's a lot easier.  I have an endless amount of names for her, sometimes lasting a day, a week, or months.   Right now her latest fad nickname is Jiggabot...don't ask me why.  I must have been watching transformers and listening to Jay-z or something.  hee.   :)

I just love calling out to her and having her around.  I know she likes just having me around too, because she always follows me around the house but is sure to never get too obviously close.  If she's sleeping on my bed with me and I leave the room, it's only a matter of minutes before she will leave too.  Even if she's snoring up a storm.  And she ALWAYS attempts to sleep on my stomach when I'm on my laptop.  I take those moments as her expressing her affection for me.

When I was leaving for the airport to go to Italy, she could care less, but I was so sad to leave her.  When I came home, she serenaded me with a couple meows and in her caring, yet still aloof, way, stuck by me and "allowed" me to snuggle with her.  It was soooo wonderful.

Ah... the love of a cat

I think it takes a very specific type of person to love a cat.  Someone who doesn't mind giving more love than getting.  I don't know if that's a good thing or not... it just is what it is.   Cat lovers want love from their pet, just like dog lovers, but they don't want to take the easy way out and get a dog.  A dog will love you even if you smack it around and call him names.  It's such an effortless relationship.  A cat will take you to account for your actions.  They definitely need and give love too, it's just not in an all up in your face kind of way.  I think their independence is admirable; their personalities so unique.  Not to say dogs are just mindless drones,  but they aren't as thoughtful and delicate as cats are.  I know plenty of people who would disagree.. so let's just agree to disagree!

I mean, how could you NOT love a face like that??

♥

attack mode: my arm... a little lamb for the slaughter.  and i still ♥ her

Jewellery Crafting..! Woot..!

Well I haven't blogged, again, in a while.. sigh.  ALWAYS an excuse.  This time it was studying & I went on a trip to Italy.  So, I thought I'd do a post about the project I finished before I left for the trip.

I got together with the girls a couple weeks ago for a jewellery crafting session.  I found this really CUTE fabric necklace pattern on www.amybutlerdesign.com and thought I would try it out while everyone else in the craft club was making necklaces with their wire and pliers (too complicated for me with my poor planning).  I don't really wear jewellery very much to boot, so this bohemian style works well for me. 

The tutorial for it can be found here http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/pdfs/FabricNecklace.pdf .  She has some other really inspiring free craft patterns you might want to check out too.

SO, this is what it SHOULD look like...

And this is what I made...

whaddya think??!! 

My apologies for the crumby pics.. I will def post better ones in the future.  But you get the gist.  It was actually surprisingly easy.. though the colours I chose ended up not really working.  CURSE those two dark fabrics!!  =T  gr.  The fabric itself only cost $8 though, and I could make probably 3 more necklaces with that.  The 1" balls you can get in a pack of 24 at the dollar store.  Not bad for an entire necklace, eh?   I will definitely make a second attempt.

NOW, the only problem I ran into was when I finally sewed the tube of fabric together, the balls didn't really fit inside in some spots because they were too big.  I must have cut the fabric in different sizes.  My quick fix was to just open a small hole in the seam and shove the balls in, while simply overlapping the fabric around the ball and then knotting as per usual.   That worked so well I am considering trying again without even bothering to sew it on either side.  We'll see..  if you try it out you'll know what I mean.    Unless yours is perfect of course... and if that's the case..  then......... kudos to you!!  :)   I swear I'm not bitter....;P