A small solution to a big problem
So, I have this problem. I’m a collector. I love to go to a yard sale, estate sale, or thrift store and find a great deal . . . that ‘diamond in the rough.’ I hunt for things I can repair or restore and give a new life. I’ve been doing this for years. It’s a fun hobby, but it has left me with too many treasures.
There is this wonderful flea market near us, that I love to shop at, Tennessee Flea Mall, in White House, TN. It’s where I like to buy my DIY paint and IOD stamps. Every time I walk through there, I find more treasures. If you get the chance, go by and check them out, the people are super friendly. I thought how fun it would be to have a booth in a place like this. Unfortunately for me, they are fully booked.
However, I have this wonderful friend who has a booth at the Vette City Antique Mall in Bowling Green, KY, and she was willing to split it with me. She sells framed puzzles, big puzzles, small puzzles, fancy puzzles, country puzzles, landscape puzzles, so many puzzles. You could literally find art for any room and any style. And I am convinced that her daughter can make about anything with yarn.
My friends know I’m a collector. My neighbor found this Baker’s Rack beside the road. It was 1990s green had rusty feet and had a good layer of kitchen fuzz. Then it sat in my wood shop holding tools and supplies for about a year. While in the shop, it collected sawdust. It was a mess. I removed the wooden shelf, deep cleaned the whole thing, spray painted the metal black, added a couple of coats of polycrylic spray paint. painted the wooden shelf, and then put shelf back on. It made the perfect shelf for some of my treasures.
A cookbook holder, an old enamel pitcher, some galvanized art, a basket of ornaments, an adorable bulletin board, some picture holders, and a scale.
If you look really close, you can see some of my friend’s treasures and some of her daughter’s creations.
I found this entry table at a yard sale. It had a few scars but was overall in good condition. I base coated the piece with Faded Burlap DIY Paint mixed with Saltwash Powder. It took 2 coats. Then I added Sweet Pickins Milk Paint in the color Basil and distressed the piece after it dried. Two coats of DIY Big Top protect the piece.
I put a few of my pieces on the top, but I absolutely love, love, love the way it showcases my friend’s vintage orange bowl, and I love the gorgeous framed art (puzzle) hanging behind it.
This antique chair and bench belonged to a friend and coworker. She was retiring and moving far, far away. The pieces were in rough shape, but she could not bear to throw them out because they had belonged to her mother. It was a bit of a puzzle. (I should have let my friend put it together, she loves puzzles) After I made sure they were sturdy, I sprayed them with 2 coats of Zinsser shellac. Because the chairs were so dark to start with it took 3 coats of DIY Paint Cake Batter. A coat of DIY Clear Wax, some DIY Dark Wax in some of the adornments, a little gold gilding wax on the feet, reupholstered seats and these two were ready for their new home. They are just going to hang out at Vette City Antique Mall until they find their forever home.
So, the booth experiment is now in process. If you live near Bowling Green stop by and check us out.
Bowling Green is an hour away, but I don’t mind because two of my favorite people live there. I’ll take any excuse to visit with my daughter and grandson.