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

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

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 :)

2009 Show Schedule

Hi Everyone! Second Chance Art & Accessories' 2009 show schedule is coming together...

So far, we'll be at:

June 5-7: Eastside Millenium Art Festival, Chicago

July 11-12: Oak Brook Center Invitational Fine Craft Exhibition - Oak Brook, IL

July 31-August 2: Gold Coast Art Fair, Chicago

August 8-9: Art at the Glen, Glenview, IL

Sept. 5-7: Frankfort Fall Festival, Frankfort, IL

Dec. 3-6: One of a Kind Show & Sale, Chicago

I'm still waiting to hear back from a couple of shows... I'll be sure to keep the website up to date - check out the Events page for updated info.

Sadly, we won't be exhibiting at the Wells Street Art Festival this year, because we did not get in! This brings up a whole new can of worms... how to get our art to the public, without having to go through a "gatekeeper" (aka - show juries!). Without getting into too much detail, I am seriously considering starting to sell art directly from the new website. After the dust settles from our move (in case you haven't heard, my husband & I are moving a short distance... which includes both of our home based businesses) & we see how this show season pans out, we'll likely be considering a few new avenues to get our products to the public.

Here's a sneak peek at a few new items:

Hotel Laundry vintage painted mirror -

Flower Shoppe themed painted door panel sign - with original green paint -

Jardin de Provence painted door panel sign, with original paint finish -

Now this is a fun project currently underway for our Editions Speciales line....

here is the before picture - an antique highboy dresser...

Here it is in the works - it has been outfitted with 6 vintage P.O. box doors, with working combinations. The top drawer has been removed & subsequent opening "slotted" so mail can be deposited into each of 6 boxes. In this photo, it is just back from "carpentry land" - aka - Dad's workshop (thanks Dad!). A new finish & hardware has yet to be applied. Check this one out in person at one of our retail shows... once it's finished, you'll find it on the website under Editions Speciales.

Thanks for stopping by! We're looking forward to an exciting season of retail shows with new products, along with a new workshop location for us. I'll be sure to share more pictures of our home renovation as we make more progress... take care - Amy

New website, new items, new house...

Hi everyone... Yes, I seem to have fallen back to my "post once a month" schedule that sometimes occurs when other life events take over. Ya know what I mean?

Anyway... the new website is coming now VERY soon, I mean it this time! I'm hoping to get it up live early next week. Over the past month I spent time uploading all of my current inventory, and working with a designer to get the web template ready. Another great thing about my new site is the potential for ecommerce in the future... I'm thinking within the next year I'd like to go for it!

I've also been applying to shows for the summer... and having professional pictures taken (finally!) of some of my art for show applications... here's a few samples:

Cool new towel rack with an old faucet to hang your towels from.... the photog actually put the brick background in after the fact. Pretty sneaky!



This piece hangs 4 sets of keys from old window sash lock catches... labeled with the vintage label holders. I've also put 2 doorknobs & a level at the bottom for coats....

Here's an interesting coat rack - I was going for a 1900-1920's feel.. like a fancy old hotel or maybe a theater.... this one has a combo of vintage hooks & some window sash lock pieces to hold your coats. Label the 5 sections for your family members. The label holders are vintage - from the American Type Founder's Co.... (as imprinted onto each).

I hope to resume my more frequent posting habits shortly! My husband & I have our house up for sale, and hope to move to our new place soon (another vintage find). With this will come all the fun of moving a home business.... a few hundred windows, etc.

thanks for stopping by! :) Amy

Happy Thanksgiving!

HI everyone!

Hard to believe Thanksgiving is only 2 days away, isn't it? Things have been busy for me & the art business. In the last month & a half, I've been turning out special orders - so that all promised before the second week of December are complete. I've also been working on some new projects - for the One of a Kind Show & Sale Dec. 4-7. Here's a sneak peak at some new items:

Proof that this blog is "behind the scenes" - you can see the blue tape used to tape my background to my garage door (the background is burlap). My hubby's hand is also in the photo, balancing the art! Hopefully I'll get this cropped a little before it appears on my website.

This is the top of an old privacy door, which I've painted an original design on & refinished the frame.

Again - you can see the tape & my hubby's hand. Heh heh. This is an old 9 pane door insert, that I've painted with a design inspired by the 1933 Chicago World's fair. The frame has been sanded down & refinished also.

This window was inspired by the movie "A Christmas Story". Higbee's is the department store where many scenes were shot. To respect the property of others, I did not use the term "red-rider-bb gun", as they actually still exist!

Here's a popular design inspired by "A Christmas Carol". This time, done on a 6 pane window with original hardware cleaned & reattached.

Here's one of my latest coatracks - an interesting combo of white, cream, and even a small amount of sky blue paint was revealed when I sanded this one down.

Here's another coatrack - this time the coloring is a combo of ivory, peach, and mauve-y taupe. I used vintage hose nozzles on this one for the hooks.

If you plan on going to the One of a Kind Show & Sale - at the Merchandise Mart, Chicago - from Dec. 4-7th, stop by the booth - #8-2050. It should be an interesting experience, as it's my first time for the show. I start loading in my art on Tuesday the 2nd of December.

thanks for checking in -

Have a great Thanksgiving!

:) Amy

How do you know when you've done too much flea market shopping?

Maybe when your car is full to the brim like this one..... Yikes! (sorry if this is your car!)

I spotted this car at the Kane County Flea market this past weekend. Makes me think a little about my own flea market addiction / "problem".... but I can always argue that my collection of crusty old things is for my business, therefore - justifying my habit! I can honestly say that my car does not look like this.

However, I will admit that when we got back into the vehicle this weekend, I had it so packed with stuff that I had to drive with my knees jammed into the dashboard (see the picture below - ouch!).

Here's a peek into the rear of the vehicle - the reason for my angst was a pair of 70" long french doors that I picked up, hoping that my hubby will be able to magically fit them into our "new" old house. He's always saying how he prefers prehung doors.... I'll just have to tell him how great he is when he rises to the challenge of fitting these in. (heh heh)

Since it's election day, I found this picture of old buttons sort of fitting. A dealer was selling them at the flea market. Okay - to shift gears a bit - here's a sneak preview of some projects I have in the works. These pictures are the "before" pics ...... hopefully the finished products will soon appear on my website! www.secondchanceart.net

Here's a picture of a mirror that formerly was part of a console table. I found the mirror no longer attached to the table, & sent it to my Dad for some "doctoring". Here it is (sans mirror - just the frame) in the middle of surgery, so we can transform it into a very unique coatrack.

This frame must have been for a swivel-type mirror above a dresser. I found it in pieces; we've since glued it back together...... it is destined to become a very unique chalkboard!Thanks for checking in! Second Chance Art & Accessories will be exhibiting at the One of a Kind Show & Sale at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Dec.4-7. Hopefully I'll post another update soon with some sneak peeks on the latest artwork! thanks - Amy :)

We're registered!

Hi everyone! I've been a bad blogger lately, due to "hectic life schedule" issues. Hey, I just invented a new term! I'm sure this might describe the life of many of you, doesn't it?

Anyway, here's what's up with Second Chance Art & Accessories lately. I had applied for a trademark registration a long time ago... and after a few glitches (ie - trying to fill out the application myself without professional legal help), and about 1.5 years (& real legal help) - we're now officially registered! I decided to pursue the registration status to protect & promote the Second Chance Art & Accessories "brand" - I haven't figure out what the future will hold, but I've got a few different directions in mind. We'll see where the road leads as we continue to travel down it. Here's a peek at my registration certificate!


I've been to a few flea markets in the last month - here's some goodies my Mom & I found at the Sandwich Antiques market on Sept. 28:
Here's a picture of my mom, sister, & I as we load up the finds from a local flea market this past weekend.
Here's a few "interesting" items we saw at the same local flea market - but they didn't make the cut for Second Chance Art & Accessories. I'm not sure I understand what this was or is - half of a man with a construction hat on. Anyone know what this was for? Maybe he is actually captain hook, since he has no hands. Hmmm...
All I can say here is: Ewwwww! I'm definitely the squeemish type when it comes to bugs of any kind.
On a different note - I've been trying to ramp up my inventory for my next show, which is Fall Diddley - this weekend in Belvedere, IL. (Boone County Fairgrounds - oct 11-12). My parents (who are invaluable to me as volunteer "slave" labor) helped me assemble a large number of "his/hers" windows the other day - one of Second Chance Art & Accessories' most popular items. Hopefully if you come looking for these in the future - I'll have something in stock that fits your color scheme. Yes, they really do seem to go on forever. (not really - but I do have quite a few right now).
Anyway - if you're in the vicinity - come visit the booth at Fall Diddley - Second Chance Art & Accessories is in building #3, booth #25-26. Hopefully it will be a fun weekend! The next scheduled show will be the One of a Kind Show & Sale at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago - Dec. 4-7.

take care -
:) Amy