THE ALTERED FLEA: April 2013

Friday, April 12, 2013

Thrift Store Table from Drab to Fab with Parisian Flair

Isn't it great when you're walking along, minding your own business, when you hear ~~someone~~ something call out your name? That's exactly what happened to me last summer.

This little "beauty" stood right outside a tiny thrift shop, waiting to be rescued! It was in good condition, just a little dreary-looking. All it needed was a new home and some TLC...

and my
BIG GIRL TOOLS!

First, I sanded the table.

Then painted it with "oops" paint

I found at my local Home Depot for fifty cents.

It needed three coats.

While the paint dried, I looked for a French transfer printable

to add some flair to the table top.

I knew exactly where to find a great selection:

The Graphics Fairy.

I chose this beautiful graphic

from a pastry shop advertisement

dating back to the 1880's!

The transfer method was easy:

Print the graphic onto freezer paper in a reverse image.

Transfer the image onto the table

by rubbing the freezer paper

with the back of a spoon.

I also decided to add a smaller graphic to the bottom of the table,

then finished the table stand with two coats of paste finishing wax.

The table looks right at home in our guest bath,

which is decorated with a vintage Parisian theme.

This was such a fun and inexpensive project.

One of my aspirations this year is to transform several pieces of furniture.

I've got a magazine rack just waiting in the wings.

[Well, it's actually waiting in the garage!]

Snail Mail Cafe - Postage Required

You gotta love what technology has done for our day-to-day communication. It's changed our lives so much. We share new "Polaroids" [hello, Instagram], get immediate status of our BFFs and kids [how fast can you "tweet"?], view virtual bulletin boards of our favorite things [Pinterest], post photos and commentary ([Facebook], and of course, email--you can write me at dozeedo[at]gmail[dot]com. And I didn't even mention blogging.

However, I digress. This post is really about my latest altered artwork project, the Mail Cafe.

While recently thrifting at a local Salvation Army, I came across this beauty. It looks like it was a wall organizer for a pad of paper and outgoing mail. Yes, as in post mail, the kind that gets delivered right into your mailbox. [The kind you need postage stamps for.]

My home can always use a little more organization, but this piece is a little too worn and dated for my liking. I decided to spruce it up starting with a light sanding and a fresh coat of paint.

I purchased a Silhouette Cameo last year, which to be honest, is intimidating. However, I finally decided to give it a test ride. After ~~a little~~ a lot of practice, I cut out "Mail Cafe," and adhered it to the top of the wooden board. Then I coated the entire board with Mod Podge in the satin finish.

With a bit of black & white dotted Washi tape, a few acrylic arrows, a fancy key, pretty glass knobs and red & white twine, I brought the organization board back to life.

Needing a place to quickly get my hands on stationery and postage items, I gathered kraft and white folded cards and envelopes, my mini address book, address labels, business cards, a roll of postage stamps, stapler, and a pen.

I adhered a stick-on pen holder onto the side of the board to hold the pen (embellished with Washi tape and twine) and added a snarky memo pad to the front.

And now all the items I need to mail you an actual letter are neatly organized and accessible. Of course, it's not instantaneous like today's communication tools. However, last time I checked, 45 46 cents can get a letter to you in just a few days. Sometimes, good things come to those who wait!