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

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

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 :)

One of a Kind Show & Sale

Hi Everyone! Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by the Second Chance Art & Accessories ® booth this past weekend at the One of a Kind Show & Sale in Chicago. Here's a few pictures from our booth set up -

This one (below) is from December 2nd. Since I teach a class on wednesday mornings, we did the bulk of our setup on tuesday. Here I am, amidst the pile of art, amazed at how quickly the art got from the loading dock to my booth.



This photo shows the booth after our setup - almost done, except for the pile of empty bins that needed to go to storage....


Finally ready! Bring on the shoppers! This shot was taken by a "real" photographer.... yes, that is definitely not me. Try as I may, many of my pictures end up with glare - or better yet - a vague outline of my own reflection in them. I figured I better get some pro shots...

Please bear with me as I get my website up to date this week.... since I'm still my own webmaster, it usually takes me a few days to get out of paperwork mode & into "website rearrangement" mode after I finish a show. I've also got some special orders in the works.

thanks for visiting the blog! :) take care - Amy

Halloween project ideas - as seen at Fall Diddley

Hi Everyone! This past weekend Second Chance Art & Accessories exhibited at Fall Diddley, in Belvidere, IL. Prior to the show, I collected some different gourds to use as part of my display. A few years back I had created a way to add a little sparkle to my pumpkins at home, & I've been doing this each year since. I brought some of my sparkle-y stemmed pumpkins with to the show, and had a few requests on how to recreate this - so here's a few tips-

Pumpkins with sparkle:
1. use basic acrylic paint to carefully paint the stem of your pumpkin or gourd. I've used dark brown & black here, but really any fall color could be used. In the past I've used maroon, purple, gold, etc.
2. while the paint is still wet, sprinkle on your favorite glitter! here I've used a very small grain irridescent glitter - purchased from a craft store. I used several varieties of glitter - in white, gold, and silvery tints.
3. Try the same technique to paint a design on the pumpkin's flesh - I've got a "2" here to represent Second Chance Art & Accessories - but this is a great way to put your address, or whatever you'd like on the pumpkin.



These two pictures (below) where taken with a soft flash on my camera, outside after dark. A very fun effect in the evening if you've got some soft lights in the vicinity!
Here's a look at my booth display at Fall Diddley:
Here's my Mom & I taking one of those "take it yourself" photos - pretty good, huh?
Here's what bored Dads do when they get suckered into helping out for the weekend - find a tree & read!
I see now the husband (at right) has followed suit from my Father. Bless their hearts! At least they had something to read. They both thought there was a 20:1 ratio of women to men at this fair. Ha!
Thanks for stopping by - Next up for Second Chance Art - knocking out special orders with finish dates in the next month, having a "sanding party", and getting some really unique & special items in the works for my next show. Stay tuned! :) Amy

Frankfort Fall Festival

Hi Everyone! thanks to all who stopped by the Second Chance Art & Accessories booth this past weekend at the Frankfort Fall Festival. We had beautiful weather & a great time! Here are some pictures from the weekend:

My business sign, next to my flowerpot urn "tent weights". Yes, the urns are filled mostly with concrete, with a little room for dirt. Very heavy - all the better to attach to my tent poles & prevent tipping. More than meets the eye, huh?

Here's a shot of the entire booth - I must say it's much easier to display everything in 2 booths. I'm leaning toward having 2 booths at most shows in the future.

Here's another flower pot - but this one's not filled with concrete, just dirt. It dries out quickly though - lots of trips back & forth to the water fountain!
More shots of the booth display:


Here's a cute little cockapoo, riding in her owner's purse. How adorable! I'm quite intrigued by the "ornamental dog" thing. My dog would jump right out, & I'd need a duffle bag to fit her in. ha!

Here's my sister, who will probably be mad I posted this picture of her eating some sort of fried carnival food. Mmmmmm.. potato chips.
Here's my Dad - always a trooper. I'm so lucky to have parents who are a HUGE help to me. I think here he's trying to stay awake.. we were worried he'd tip off the chair when the afternoon got warm & eyelids got heavy.
Here's some of that carnival food I refered to earlier. I'm amazed they can get this much on the plate. I also witnessed my family members eating some sort of sausage wrapped in pizza.... yikes! The dietitian in me is still alive & well. I guess I need to start bringing big bags of fruit to my shows.

Anyway..... Up next for me in the next few days: updating all my customer email & address lists, and updating my website. Usually it takes me a week or so to get the website straightened out after a show. I plan to take a few weeks to get some of my custom orders finished. Then I'll keep working on orders & prepare for my next show in Belvedere, IL (Fall Diddley).

thanks for stopping by! :) take care - Amy

Gold Coast Art Fest

Hi Everyone! Hope all is well.... Second Chance Art & Accessories was at the Gold Coast Art Fest this past weekend - the weather & the crowds were great! Here's a few pictures from the weekend...

My sign, painted on a portion of an old door (shocking, I know!)... I just love the leathery texture of the old varnish!

Here's a booth shot before the show started.

Another booth shot....
Here's our "office" behind the tent...

Husband pretending to sleep... probably so he doesn't have to talk to me... does anyone else have this problem?

This sideways picture is the husband actually sleeping. I'm a little worried he might tip off the chair, but that would be pretty funny, wouldn't it? Of course, I tried to rotate this one - but decided to leave it to demonstrate my awesome technical skills. Ha!

Here's our feet - My Mom & I... for some reason, I haven't posted many feet photos this year. Last year, I had many of these. I'll have to resume the tradition.

Beautiful flowers in a planter outside the "Flair House" - which was behind my booth...

Okay... because I'm fascinated by small dogs that are truly just companions, I asked permission to photograph a few. I loooove dogs, but mine are sort of "utility dogs." In my mind, this means they have a purpose other than companionship (ie. running partner, newspaper fetcher, etc.)

This cutie above has his own doggie sunglasses!

Talk about relaxing... this dog remained in this position the entire time I talked with the owner.

I cannot imagine either of my dogs riding in a backpack. This priviledge must be reserved for those less than 10 lbs....

This little guy is just plain cute.

Alright, here's my own cuties sunbathing on our back steps. Polly (aka "the bacon") looks relaxed as usual. Olive, the scruffy one, is about to get all of her hair clipped off due to her owner (that's me) neglecting to brush out her matted fur. Shame on me! Spending too much time making art again....

Here they are again, sitting on the landing as I make them "Staaaaaay." They love to rush down into the basement, trampling all in their path. Polly looks like some sort of ghost, as usual. I have a very difficult time capturing her yellowish-brown eyes. She always comes out evil-looking. Olive really does look a little evil due to her mottled eye color (both are combos of blue & brown - she looks, and is, a little crazy!)

Anyway... enough rambling for now. Thanks so much for stopping by the booth this past weekend! The next show for Second Chance Art & Accessories is the Frankfort Fall Festival over Labor Day weekend, so I'll be getting ready with some new seasonal artwork. Take care - Amy :)