Trunk-tacular!

Hello everyone! Hope you had a great holiday weekend. I feel so blessed that we live in a country with so many freedoms - because of our great military. I hope everyone was able to pay a little respect to someone in the military, past or present.

Because we have freedom, I was able to check out a "flea market" this weekend. I took a picture of the sign from my car at a stoplight. Of course, I tried to blow it up - but it became a little fuzzy. My resulting picture shows off my vast array of technical skills, as it has a large white area around it. Oh well - hopefully you get the idea. I think the sign is a little funny, since it says "Giant Flea Market". This particular flea market I would describe more as a large garage sale. Not so Giant.

Anyway, I did find a few great things, including this fabulous old cedar-lined trunk! (hence: Trunktacular!) Okay, I now admit to the annoying habit of making a new word from 2 existing words (trunk + spectacular). I've done this before - cases in point: "fabumaps" and "crudtastic". This habit could get under one's skin a little, a la Rachel Ray style (sorry if you're a big fan of hers - I respect her, but I'm more of a Nigella / Giada / Alton Brown fan - all you food network junkies know what I mean).

I think the finish needs some work, but this one definitely has potential, probably in the form of paint. I should also say... on my word-combining habit, there is always a little sarcasm in my newly coined words. I know when I see something with potential, but I know whatever I bring home may be ridiculed by my family as some sort of useless junk. I usually get the last laugh when my scoffers see the end result..... we will see what this becomes. Check out the great carvings! I picked up this great tin because I was inspired by the beautiful label - for Tobacco! I can't wait to sink a jar in & fill it with some roses from my garden.
I now keep a small supply of chalk for the chalkboards I sell. I found the perfect old chalk box to store it in - I just love the way things were explained way back..... check out the label!
Here's a picture of my sister, after she climbed in the back of the vehicle with the back seat folded down. We took off & she "spilled" over. I thought it was funny... she probably won't like that I posted this picture. Ha!

She's now righted herself. Apparently she loves Carbs.
No, I did not buy this. But what a steal for just $.75! Remember these? The parrot will repeat what you say over & over. Not annoying at all, right?
No, I didn't buy this either since it didn't match my decor. (I'm being sarcastic here!) But what a find! Listen to the radio as you pull TP from the roll. Anyone have one that is willing to fess up?

As always, thanks for stopping in. I'm getting ready to exhibit Second Chance Art & Accessories at the Wells Street Art Festival in Chicago in 2.5 weeks. I'll be sending out postcards shortly with my schedule for summer & fall, and finishing up other details to get ready for the show. Hope to see you at a show this summer! take care - Amy :)

The garbage date comes through again

Hi Everyone......

My husband & I haven't been on a garbage date in a while, so I started bugging him early yesterday to see if I could weasel one out of him. (in a nutshell, this is when I have my hubby drive me around alleys in his truck, so I can check out everyone's cast offs with my flashlight stuck out the window). Anyway, it was looking like a night with not many finds. Then low & behold - I spied this great dresser! Check it out (I failed to get a picture of it before it went into my storage room on it's side - so I squeezed in there this morning for some pictures):

Here's another shot (I took this sideways also):
Check out the original pulls! Sadly, it is missing one - so I'll have to come up with another option for a couple of the drawers...
Great casters on the legs! These appear a little crusty, so if I can't get them rolling smoothly, I'll replace them with another set of vintage casters.
On a more personal note - we are in the process of giving our bedroom a facelift. We've ripped out an old closet which seemed a little "half baked". We've also ripped down an old drop ceiling, & replaced it with pressed-tin look paper tiles. I'm in the process of painting the entire room (ceiling, trim, walls, etc). This hole in the wall is where I've removed my ventilation grate. It was coated with paint, so of course I see this as a challenge. I should also mention, this is the last major piece of hardware in my house that I have yet to strip paint from (except door hinges - I'm not THAT die hard).

Here's the grate on my living room rug, disassembled & ready for a little cooking. Don't worry, I vacuumed up all the paint chips!
Here it is, face down, in a disposable pan. Larger items are tricky, since they don't fit in my slow cooker. Sooo... I braise them in a pan like this in my oven, at 200 degrees for 7-8 hours. Yuck! But this does the same thing as slow cooking, helps soften the paint for scraping.
The finished product - after at least an hour with me & my putty knife. I have to say, this was a doozy - but I think worth the effort. Whatever metal this one's made from did not want to let go of the paint. I'm glad it's over. :)
thanks for stopping by - take care! Amy :)

Soup du jour....

Hi everyone! Sooo... I was cooking up some hardware soup today. The "flavor" was mostly crusty painted hooks, with some odds & ends thrown in for a little variety.
The end result is above - terrific shiny hooks with great patina! There's always a little suspense involved in the paint removal process. The crustier hooks start out, the less I know about how they will turn out. Below is the tangled pile I started out with - from the Kane County Flea market May 4th.
Here are 3 more hooks that looked a little different from most of the others. The top right hook is actually some sort of porcelain, in a cool robbin's egg blue. Probably an old bathroom hook -
While I was at it, I threw in some old doorknob plates - these started out a nice orange color. The end result: great blackish brown patina... I think they may be copper??
Here's another "2" for my collection (to support my second chance theme). This one was coated with black paint. Now the finish shows through - some sort of rusty copper look.
Other notes on Second Chance Art ..... I found out today that I've been accepted into the Frankfort Fall Festival! (Labor Day weekend). This has been a great show for me for the past 3 years, so of course I'm excited to return.

Also - I was asked by Country Living Magazine to send some samples of my artwork to their New York offices. I took part in a "pitch your product" opportunity back in march this year. As a result of this, they wanted to see my art again up close. This past saturday, my husband & I shipped 2 items via UPS to the magazine. Very exciting! Naturally, I'm thrilled.. even if nothing comes out of this, every opportunity is another chance to make a connection. Though my main sales venue right now is retail art shows, I continue to keep an open mind about the direction Second Chance Art & Accessories may head in the future.

On a personal note, my family spent the past 2-3 days in Miami for my cousin's wedding, on Monday night. I've included some photos here. One photo is a view of the Miami skyline just after sunset. The signage is from a store we found... taken at an unflattering angle. The sign really said "scrap n' elegance" but I couldn't resist a photo of this view. (heh heh). Of course, I wanted to check it out, but it was closed. The final photo is my husband & I standing in front of some strange stringy looking tree. Definitely not something that would grow in our area!

One more thing about some Second Chance Art - here's the finished product (one of them) from those great door sections with chippy green paint I showed a few posts back. I love the way they turned out. They exemplify the very essence of what I'm trying to do with Second Chance Art & Accessories: preserving the patina of old things while making them into unique artwork.

As always, thanks for checking in! take care - Amy

Flea market finds

Hi everyone -

My Mom & I went to the Kane County Flea market this weekend. Here's some photos of a few great finds! I indulged my love of old Hotel Silver, even though my husband has told me he thinks it's "gross" or something like that. I put it through the dishwasher (you're probably not supposed to do this, but it makes me feel better about using it - who knows where it's been!) and then polish it. Ever hear of the "Lawrence"? I'll have to google this one.


These old plumbing knobs are destined to become hooks for some bathroom themed art!

My Mom & I both got one of these cool old PO box doors. It actually still works! This will probably be built into a wall in my house at some point.

Here we are, before we left - displaying our empty trunk. I meant to take an after picture, but when I got home - my husband was gone with the camera.

check out the tangle of old painted hooks. Most people would think I'm crazy to buy such a thing. I see it as a new flavor of "hardware soup" - my method for removing old paint from hardware. (crockpot here it comes!)
Here's a couple of great old mirrors - very thick glass. See my feet in the picture?
Here's a couple of trays, which are harder for me to find. I have a hard time keeping them in stock.
I bought this picture for the frame - but check out the grumpy old ancestors! Sorry if you know these people, but no one from way back ever seemed very happy.
Here's another shot of the hotel silver I found, and another old "2" house number - goes with my second chance theme, so I'll probably mount it on some of my booth display signage.

Bye for now! thanks for checking in - Amy :)

Soggy morning

Hi everyone -

Soooo... this morning the sky looked pretty menacing, but I really wanted to go for my usual run. I figured if I got through at least 2/3 of it without it raining I'd be doing pretty good. That is exactly what happened. I had about a mile left & then it poured, resulting in one puffy yet soggy border collie.

Now I should give a little history - if my labrador was more agreeable to running with me (she's not, as demonstrated by her laying down in the middle of the road during multiple runs), she would be much more water resistant. Water actually appears to bead up on her coat & run right off. Not the case with puffy little border collies (which are much more agreeable to running, therefore, justifying her existance in our house).

Anyway, here's a picture of the little soggy fluff ball before her bath, and another of her after the bath - running around the house rubbing herself against all walls, furniture, curtains, etc. She's trying to "self dry" apparently.





New this year for Second Chance Art & Accessories, I'm starting a collection of pieces called "Editions Speciales" - (french for special editions). I've been wanting to do something like this, to showcase really unique pieces that would be difficult to replicate . Of course, all of my art pieces are one of a kind because each window sash, mirror, or door I start with has it's own quirks. However, some designs are fairly easy to replicate on another window, mirror, etc. Every now & then I run across something that I know would be difficult or impossible to find another of. Here's a sample of one of my first pieces - the before picture is the frame from an old dresser mirror- there was a mirror inside this frame on pivoting screws:

This isn't a great picture, but hopefully you get the idea of what it's becoming. I've inserted a chalkboard, which I've painted "Declarations" on, and gussied up the frame a bit. I've added some hardware on the bottom also.

My hubby & I have figured out a way to attach magnets to an eraser & chalk, so I can stick them to an old door plate attached to the frame - pretty cool, huh?

Anyway... thanks for checking in. I'll post more info about pieces I'm working on in the future. I've got another Edition Speciales piece waiting in the wings.... take care - Amy :)

Finally Spring!

Hi Everyone! If you're like me, you have been waiting for some nice weather for quite some time. I am sooo glad it has finally arrived, & not just for obvious reasons. To be honest, I am one of those "crazies" that actually likes cold weather. And, I really don't like 75+ degree weather. However, when it comes to making some progress on my artwork, I really need some nice mild temps to get my finishes to cooperate.

I usually paint in my garage, which has a tenous heater. I can get my garage warm enough for my paint finishes in the winter, but that also means the doors are shut - so I tend to gas myself out sometimes. Anyway, now I can paint with reckless abandon - doors open, spray paint gun flying.

Here's a current project - these 2 panels used to be part of one door, which we sliced in half. After beginning to sand them, I discovered multiple layers of paint in varying colors. This does happen a lot, but on rare occasion, the color combination actually looks pretty good. This one is a winner! (lucky for me, & all you fans of interesting chippy paint).

Here's some close ups of the paint. These 2 pieces will now be more French country garden themed. A great sample of how sometimes the pieces I'm working with dictate the final outcome.

Look at all these cool sage-y greens, yellow, pink, & a little bit of aqua! Makes you wonder who painted what color & when......

This is off the subject, but here's a picture of my thermometer hanging outside my kitchen window (never mind that my window needs washing, please!). Yes, it's nice & sunny, but 88 degrees? No way. This thermometer gets crazy with the sun shining on it.

And.... at last... my beloved crud-tastic couch! I realized I never really posted a final picture of it. I've had it finished for a few weeks now. This is the biggest upholstery project I've tried thus far, & I have to say I'm pretty happy. Will I do this again? Hmmmm.. maybe ask me in a year. Or.... if the right piece comes along....

thanks for checking in! :) Amy

Inspiration from a hankerchief

HI Everyone - I've been working on a few vintage mirrors this week. I've used a Paris-themed design on many of my mirrors in the past, but this particular one had cleaner lines & looked a little "art-deco" to me (even though the frame started out a vibrant aqua color). Soooo... I knew I wanted to come up with something more American, 20's or 30's era. I started googling art deco hotels & architecture, & came up with the design you see on this mirror. Of course, I never copy an old sign word for word, but I like to use old signs & photos as inspiration - to create something that could have been realistic to a certain time period or fictional place.

Anyway, I looked over on my side table at a few old hankies I had received from my mom. She had them from her grandma - so I'm guessing they were originally made in the 20's or 30's? I've looked at them before, but never really stopped to think about how much time or artistry actually went into them. I found a beautiful scroll applique on one, & decided it would make a perfect side bracket to my lettering on the mirror. Check out the hankie:

And here's how it ended up painted on my mirror:

And.... the finished product! One note about this picture - no matter how hard I try, I have yet to master the art of photographing mirrors. Any tips? I'll keep trying, eventually I'll find a way to capture what it looks like in person. For now, I seem to get a lot of glare, flash, etc.

Another note about the hankies - do you think ladies from way back had hankie competitions? Some are so intricate & beautiful, you'd think they'd have some sort of "hankie-off" or enter them into the county fair. Hmmmm....

Here's some bonus pictures - my little border collie, who absolutely loves to lick my soap sitting in a dish on my bathroom shelves. What is up with this? I don't understand. Maybe she knows she's been bad & she's attempting to punish herself. I guess there are worse things for her to be licking - if you're a dog owner, you know what I mean.

After she's been caught licking the soap... her she is licking her chops. Mmmmmm.... Soapy!

Other news - I found out this week I've been accepted into the Fall Diddley Craft show in October - Belvidere, IL. I haven't done this show in the past, but I did the companion show last year (Fair Diddley, in May 2007). Fair Diddley went fairly well for me, considering it was only one day & it was 50 degrees & rainy. This year, I decided to go all out & try the 2 day fall show (Fall Diddley) with a double booth. Sooo... we will see how this goes. If you live up in Northern Illinois - come stop by! (see my website: www.secondchanceart.net, and click on "show schedule").

Bye for now - thanks for stopping by! :) Amy