Shabby Lamp Shade Makeover & More!

Each day is filled with possibilities if we only open our eyes to see . . .

So . . . I’m usually the one searching for furniture on Craigslist, for that something special that I can transform with a little paint.  Lately though, I’ve been listing pieces that I never had the chance to get to.  Last week a young woman came out to look at a lighted bookcase and ended up buying some other items that were beginning to pile up in my “Garage/Vintage/Flea Sale” pile.  Mr. OTN says I can’t take everything with me across the country so I’ve been doing a lot of sorting and will be having a few sales throughout the summer.  Here are a few items I sold that were leftover from the sales I did last Fall:

First of all was this Shabby Lamp Shade.  She already had it loaded into her SUV when I pulled it out and started taking pictures explaining that, “I haven’t blogged on that yet!”

This vintage lamp has been chalk painted, rag tied, key fringed, and shabby chic’d to perfection.

Sweet, yes?

Here is how she looked before, in her full Victorian glory.  I must tell you that some people liked her better this way.  While I was doing a chalk painting display at our Old Things New Holiday Open House I had several people that looked at the before and after (there were two lamps) who thought this one was the after!  They really liked it too!  And that’s okay because they are two totally different styles.  Not everyone is into ripped rag lamp shades!

I placed a key plate on top for a decorative touch . . .

. . . and hung miscellaneous keys from the bottom of the frame.

As I sold my items to this young woman named Kari we talked about our mutual love of things French and things Shabby.  In very short order I was to tell her my story of moving and she was to tell me her story of wanting to sell the furniture pieces she has been painting.  We talked about the Queen Bee French Flea that I was a part of last year and I told her that I didn’t think they were going to be able to do it this year as they were still without a venue.

By the end of our half hour or so together we shared other personal life stories and became fast . . . though fleeting . . . friends.  We both felt a special connection had been made.

Now for the tutorial.  Very simple.  I had some old sheets that had become so soft with age (don’t you love the feel of sheets like that?) that they ended up with one long rip from a doggy claw.  Very sad!  So what do you do with old sheets?  Make lampshades of course . . . or pretty rosettes, or ruffles for pillows, or just about anything the creative mind can imagine.

I tore strips which I draped over the top wire frame of the lamp . . .

. . . brought the two ends together around the bottom frame . . .

. . .  and tied them together with a nice bow.

The keys were tied on with a creamy satin ribbon to create a “fringe” on the lamps.

Hmmm . . . I didn’t even notice when I snapped the picture but this one says “journey”, the very thing we’re about to embark on!

And now for a few more things I sold my new friend.

Simple pillows made from drop cloth fabric and adorned with ironed on graphics from The Graphics Fairy.  This is actually two graphic prints, one superimposed upon the other, and  I got the idea from Debbie at Confessions of a Plate Addict.  She shares MANY great tutorials on her site!

This is another fun graphic that I outlined with a drop cloth ruffle.

And finally, a simple Queen Bee.

Within a few days of our chance meeting, my young friend was able to connect with the woman in charge of the Queen Bee French Flea and has helped in procuring their next venue.  I’m excited for her that she will be participating in her very first French Flea market, just like I did last year!  I’ll most likely be moved cross country by the time the show comes this year, but maybe a few of the things I sold to my new friend will receive a new coat of paint and make it there without me!

  A few days ago my young friend Kari sent me a photo from her iPhone of her first commissioned piece and it made me smile.  She’ll also be back for some display pieces I have set aside for her in my garage.

It’s funny how things work out.  When you wake up in the morning you never know whom you might meet that day or what role you might end up playing in each others lives.

Blessings,

P.S. I will be back with another post about my Budget Kitchen Remodel.  I’m working on a list of the most important things you need to know about chalk painting kitchen cabinets.