One of a Kind Show & Sale

Hi Everyone! I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas & holiday season. Thank you to everyone who visited the booth during the One of a Kind Show & Sale, Dec. 3-6th. Here's a few pictures from the event:

One side of the booth - the large piece in the middle we've nicknamed the "elephant"... it does seem to take up a lot of space. However, it does disassemble into 3 sections- making it easy to transport & mount. See more details on the website: www.secondchanceart.net/item_156/Post-Office-Message-Center.htm

Here's a shot of one of my walls.... the closest window with the blue frame has it's original paint finish on the frame. Most of the time, the window frames end up being painted or stripped / stained, but this one had some interesting colors happening.... so we left it as is & clear coated it. www.secondchanceart.net/item_144/French-Boutique-window-art.htm

Here's a picture of my hubby & I - boy am I lucky to have him! He puts up with all sorts of Second Chance Art & Accessories issues... not to mention, hanging all the art before the show. We're standing here in front of a piece inspired by the London underground subway system. This piece is backlight with a ropelight... very cool! www.secondchanceart.net/item_152/Down-Street-Station-door-art.htm

Next on the agenda... planning & applying for 2010 art shows, working on the website shopping cart, and of course - trying to finish up my living room for the holidays! Next time I'll include a personal project or two.

thanks for stopping by! We appreciate our customers! take care - Amy

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Hope you all have a great holiday filled with family, friends, and turkey. Isn't our country great? We have so much to be thankful for. It's easy to get bogged down thinking about the economy right now - but really, we are so very lucky to live in a country where we can do something to control our own destiny..

Okay - enough of the deep thinking, right? I'm thankful that Second Chance Art & Accessories will have the opportunity to exhibit at the One of a Kind Show & Sale at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago - Dec. 3-6. Our booth will be #8-2050.... stop by if you're going to the show!

Here's a sneak peak at some new items -

Ahhh... yes, the concierge coatrack. This is a popular combo - dark stain, and sparkly vintage glass knobs! What's not to like?

Here's a new coat rack that is part of our Edition Speciales collection. The original paint on this one just screamed out "French Country" to me... and the label holders - I've never seen any like this before. There's a plate that slides off allowing you to change out the label. Here I've left the original labels with old hand-written numbers. These also have a thin sheet of clear mica to protect the label...

Here's a cool take on a bathroom coat rack. The painted finish was a result of sanding a bit of the original paint on the door (green started to peek out). The faucet is really old... a great dark patina. Use the label holders to label your towels! The "hooks" are actually latches from a casement window.

Here's another piece from our Edition Speciales collection. This photo shows the piece about 95% finished. We've added some cool hardware to the bottom, and installed a backlight that can be plugged into a standard outlet. The design was inspired by a decommissioned underground station in London that was used during WWII for meetings by Winston Churchill.

Come see these pieces & more at the One of a Kind Show & Sale in Chicago! As always, thanks for stopping by the blog - and have a Happy Thanksgiving! -Amy

Fall happenings, plus some personal projects...

Hi Everyone - So... what's new at Second Chance Art & Accessories? Here's the latest......

Starting with a photo of our booth at the St. James Court Art Show in Louisville, KY. This was the weekend of Oct 2-4. We had great weather for the show, and a booth spot near the kettle corn booth, which gave us great smells the whole weekend. :) Thanks to those who visited the booth - we met many new customers!


The next 2 photos don't look that exciting, but show a few "ingredients" for our next great Edition Special project. There are a few more components in addition to the great door header & 3 pane safety glass door section...... we'll throw a few PO boxes into the mix also. Stay tuned for the finished project. We're hoping to unveil this one for the One of a Kind Show & Sale - Dec. 3-6.

Yes, I admit to being a dog lover. Here's a few more pictures from the Louisville art show... I must say that those Louisville folk do like their pets. These dogs are in a stroller - the owner told me their names are "Prince" and "Princess". Cute!

Okay, another doggie in a stroller, this time wearing some sort of feathery purple number.

Okay, now I'm changing the tune a bit. I've mentioned that my hubby & I have moved recently, to a 1906 house we've been working on for quite some time. Slowly but surely we're making progress. I finally have the foyer & upstairs hall completed (with the exception of art on the walls & some rugs - I think these stairs need a runner!).

Here's some before & after pics:

The woodwork started as a honey oak color. The walls were a minty-green. While the woodwork had a nice warm feel to it, I was hoping for something a little richer & more dramatic..

I think I've achieved it here, by using a dark glaze over much of the woodwork, and painting the risers & balusters a clean white. The stair treads & floors have been sanded & refinished a dark walnut color. I've also painted the walls a nice gray-taupe color (Sherwin Williams - "Mink").

After much sweat, sanding, painting on a ladder, etc.... at least we have something to show for it! Next project: the Dining Room! Hopefully I can get the bulk of this one done before the holidays... We've also got a bathroom 90% done (will share once it's finished), and thanks to my Dad, a terrific new linen closet - with an old door used for the face...

As always, thanks for all your support. Second Chance Art & Accessories next show will be the One of a Kind Show & Sale in December (3-6) at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. Hope to see you there! Email me with your address if you'd like me to send you a postcard with $3 off the admission price.... amy@secondchanceart.net

Happy Fall!

Hi Everyone - Hope fall has been treating you well so far. I have to say, I'm not a fan of super hot & humid, so I'm loving this cooler weather.....

So, what is Second Chance Art & Accessories up to lately? We're getting ready to travel to Louisville, KY for the St. James Court Art Show Oct 2-4. This is a new show for us, so hopefully it will be a fun adventure!

Part of my prep for each show involves getting my tent weights ready. I have tent weights made from plastic urn planters, mostly full of concrete - 80 lbs each! We left a recess in the concrete for me to fill with seasonal plantings. Here's the latest "planting" that we'll be using this weekend:


This was not that difficult to create.. and you don't need a concrete filled planter to replicate something similar. You could just pull your tired annuals out of any planters you have, & use the dirt as an anchor. Here's where I started a day ago: my poor tired plantings from summer shows have been a little neglected, wouldn't you agree? They looked better a few weeks ago.


First, I discarded the old plantings, but left the dirt in the inner pot to use for an anchor. I then touched up my urn with more "granite" spray paint. (Secrets revealed! This is actually an $8 plastic pot from Kmart).

I then cut some tree branches from my yard, & inserted them into the dirt...


I spray painted the branches with black spray paint... I did use some cardboard as a shield around the base of the urns, so I could paint the bottom of the twigs without getting overspray on my urns. Notice the observant border collie peeking out of the doors behind... she always wants to be a part of the action!
I picked up some bags of mixed ornamental gourds at the grocery store, and sorted them into 3 piles on my "spray painting" tarp...

I spray painted each pile a different metallic color. Here I've used antique brass, copper, and dark metallic bronze. After one side was dry, I flipped them to paint both sides.

To finish, I piled the painted gourds around the edge of the urn, and added some baby boo pumpkins, and pine cones. I made sure to put a few of them between the base of the branches, so it looks like the branches are coming out of the pile of gourds...

The orange pumpkins really pop in this arrangement, which I plan to use to decorate (& weigh down) my booth this weekend. I'll probably add a few larger pumpkins on the ground to tie in with the small baby boo ones...

Now to switch gears......

Here's a peek at some of the latest art from Second Chance Art & Accessories!

Below: "Valet" key holder and "Concierge" coat rack... with cool original paint in ivory, beige, white, and apple green -

Below is a close up of another key rack & coat rack combo... with 3 vintage glass knobs & ornate doorknob escutcheon plates..

Below is a cool vintage mirror that I've painted - this one gives off a 40's club feel... inspired by cool old train stations. Mount it above a large doorway for a unique accent!

This window (below) has the original paint on the frame.. a cool combo of blue, lavender, and sage green -

Thanks for stopping by! We'll be in Louisville, KY from Oct 1-5. Please be patient, as it may take us until Tuesday Oct. 6 to respond to any email inquiries.

After that, we'll be at the One of a Kind Show & Sale in December at the Merchandise mart in Chicago - hope to see you then! take care - Amy

Frankfort Fall Fest weekend - Second Chance Art goes batty!

Hi Everyone! thanks for stopping by the booth this past weekend at the Frankfort Fall Festival - it was a fun weekend with perfect weather, and lots of food on sticks!


Above is a shot of our booth, in front of Jenny's restaurant on Kansas St. We were entertained by patrons who brought their pets, many wearing dresses, hats, and assorted doggie fashions.


Above is a shot from inside the booth .... this section shows coat racks waiting for your hangables!


Above is a close up of our "Post Office" highboy dresser.... here we've taken vintage post office box doors, and retrofitted them into a dresser drawer to create mailboxes. We've added dividers to the drawer, and slots above each mailbox - for all your family's mail. This is an entertaining piece, as each door has it's own combination. You'll have to visit a show in person to see if you can get the doors open! (the combos are listed on this piece's price tag, and each works just fine if you know how to enter the combo)

Okay, so now it's time to explain why we've "gone batty". On a personal note, my husband & I moved a few months ago to an old house we've been rehabbing. Well... it's still not done yet, and will probably take us a couple of years to really get it buttoned up. Our next big project is adding a fireplace, so we've prepared for this by removing a section of wall, and busting into an existing brick chimney.

Both Saturday night & Sunday night we discovered a bat flying around our house! Being the manager type that I am, I immediately delegated the task of "bat removal" to my husband.

Little did he know when we got married that he'd have to remove assorted live animals from our house (in the past, he's been in charge of "opossum removal", "bird removal", and "dismembered squirrel removal" - compliments of our doggie door, and our bored border collie)

The picture above shows the bat, clinging to a section of chimney in our living room (which, by the way, is currently under construction). He ended up catching it in a coffee can, and released it outside. This was saturday night when we came home from the fest. The following evening, we were "delighted" by another bat, flying in circles around our bedroom! Ahhhh! Of course, I covered myself with a blanket until it flew out of the room. Since he was now well practiced in bat removal, my husband was again able to catch the bat with a coffee can & release it outside. We've since tried to identify & plug up all holes in our attic, chimney, etc. Hopefully this will be it for the battiness!

thanks for stopping by... our next show is in Louisville, Kentucky - Oct. 2-4. Stay tuned for more Second Chance Art & Accessories adventures, and show info - take care - Amy

Thanks Gold Coast & Art at the Glen!

Hi Everyone -

Second Chance Art & Accessories wants to thank all those who stopped by the booth at the Gold Coast Art Fest (july 31-aug 2) and the Art at the Glen show this past weekend (August 8-9). Here's a few pictures from the shows:

Above - our booth at Art at the Glen... I didn't get to take as many pictures at this show. Too bad, I did see lots of great doggie photo op's. Dogs in strollers wearing dresses... that's all I can say. Too bad my border collie won't put up with this sort of treatment. She's got too much to do to be sitting in a stroller.

Above is our booth at the Gold Coast Art fest. We had great weather for this one!

Here's a couple of new pieces up on the wall in the booth at Gold Coast. I'm on the hunt for more old golf clubs, since this one was a hit! (it's difficult to see from the photo, but the lower piece in the photo reads "nineteenth hole coat check" and has old golf clubs mounted for "hooks" to hang coats.

Here's a couple more coat racks & a chalkboard. In the next few weeks, I'll be making more of these coatracks.... look out doors, here I come! (the coat racks are made from sections of paneled doors, sliced up with a table saw).

Here's my husband & I at the Gold Coast art fest. This is one of those "take a picture of yourself by holding the camera out at arm's length" shots. Not bad, huh?

thanks again for stopping by the blog... our next show will be the Frankfort Fall Fest over labor day weekend. Meanwhile, I'll be shopping at the Sandwich antiques market in a week or so for more fantastic salvage items! Can't wait for this one, since I've been unable to visit the Kane County Flea Market all summer due to my show schedule. As always - take care! :) Amy

Chalkboards, knobs, & epoxy....

Hi Everyone! Here's a look at what we've been up to lately at Second Chance Art & Accessories...

I've made chalkboards in the past using vintage frames or window sash frames, but up until this point the chalkboard itself was made using chalkboard paint. I've been looking for a more durable chalkboard material that can stand up to heavy use - for businesses, restaurants, and for those who just want something more durable.

So, I've ordered some factory made porcelain coated steel chalkboards. They come in these huge sheets.... 4' x 8', on a semi truck...(makes receiving them a little more interesting, not your every day package!)

Here's the sheet before cutting:

Here's a picture of my Dad, running the material through his table saw. This was after our session of "try to figure out how to most efficiently cut the chalkboard to get the most pieces out of it"... or something like that.

To be honest, I was hoping to get some sparks flying in the picture... but no such luck. The material has a layer of metal in it, so this was not the most comfortable thing to do. We were pelted with small metal bits as we cut each piece..

Above... we've cut pieces to fit an assortment of frames. I've also got black chalkboards. Below is a closeup of the finished chalkboards, all in a stack. The material comes with protective plastic on the surface, which I plan to leave on for my customers to remove.

Okay, now on to other things...yesterday we worked on more coat racks. I've done quite a few now with doorknob "hooks"... but it has taken a little bit of figuring. After all, how does one attach something securely that was not intended for this purpose?

Let's just say we have our methods... and they involve a lot of epoxy! Which is really sticky stuff.... but you can clean your hands afterward with denatured alcohol - comes right off.

The photo above shows a new piece with it's original paint... I've added lots of antique hardware for hanging keys.

This piece (above) required a departure from our usual method... I guess these old porcelain faucet handles are not quite like doorknobs.

Here's a long one....8 knobs! This piece was made from a hard-to-find full door length door panel. The other half of this door is becoming a golf-themed coat rack. At the time I took these photos, it was still in the "drying" position, so I didn't want to disturb it.

Come out to the Gold Coast Art Fair (July 31, August 1-2), and visit our booth - #258-258.5 to check out the new pieces in person! We'd love to have you stop by... the booth is near the corner of Wells street & Erie, downtown Chicago. Hours: Friday noon-5pm, sat & sun 10am-5pm.

We'll also be in Glenview, IL the following weekend (August 8-9). Check out Art at the Glen Town Center.. hours are 10am-5pm sat & sun.

take care - Amy :)

Oak Brook Fine Craft Invitational 2009

Hi Everyone! Thank you for stopping by the booth at the Oak Brook Fine Craft show last weekend - it was a hot, sticky weekend, but at least it was sunny & above 70 degrees! (our last show was 50-60 degrees, and in June!)

Here's a picture of the booth:


Here's some of my typical "feet photos" - don't ask why I keep taking these, but now it seems to be a show tradition. Maybe it's an easy way to post pictures of my Mom & I without having our faces shown....

So - what's new with Second Chance Art & Accessories? Mainly... my husband & I are now moved into our "new" old house in Minooka, IL. We've spent the last month or so packing up the old house, and finishing up the details of selling the old house. We are grateful to now be living in one location, and have all the fantastic salvage stored neatly in our "new" carraige house.

I've got some new items in the works... so I'll plan a post in the next week or two with some preview photos. Hopefully these items will make their debut at the Gold Coast Art Fest in a couple of weeks -

thanks for stopping by the blog - I appreciate all the support of my customers! take care - Amy

Eastside Millenium Art Fest 2009

Hi Everyone! Thanks for stopping by the booth at the Eastside Millenium Art Fest this past weekend - June 5-7. Here's some pictures of the Second Chance Art & Accessories tent before the fest opened:

Each show brings it's challenges - this weekend the weather was only 50-60 degrees, and saturday brought a consistent drizzle the entire day. We found new use for all of our blanket "padding" that gets set aside while art is on display!

Above is a picture of my foot, along with my Mom's feet. My Mom, a real trooper, was with me in the cold the entire weekend. Despite the cold, we got to meet some new faces and sell some great artwork.

On the personal front, my husband & I are moving about 15 minutes west - to a house we've been working on for about a year now. The move is happening in the next couple of weeks. I hope to share some photos from our new home in progress.... I think it will probably be in progress for quite some time!

thanks for all your support & stopping by the booth, blog, etc. Our next show is at Oak Brook Center, July 11-12th. Looking forward to it! take care - Amy :)