A busy week

Isn't it funny, how just when you take a week off, and head away on a family road trip, things go mad on the furniture front (in a good way!).  That is what happened here last week so I am on a bit of a high now, I love it when people buy my creations and I love seeing how happy they are to take their new treasures home.  I know I have said it before, but I really LOVE my 'job'....in my old day job it didn't involve anything pretty and sure didn't put as many smiles on faces!

So this is where we were last week:

Lake Tekapo, South Island, New Zealand

Cardrona Hotel, Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand

Lake Tekapo, South Island, New Zealand

Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

 

 

Cardrona Hotel, South Island, New Zealand

 

Lake Pukaki with Mt Cook in background, South Island, New Zealand

Lake Pukaki, South Island, New Zealand

 

 

Puzzling World, Wanaka, New Zealand

Puzzling World, Wanaka, New Zealand (the guy with his pants down is part of a painting, lol)

Lake Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand

Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

Glendhu Bay, Laka Wanaka, New Zealand

Glendhu Bay, Laka Wanaka, New Zealand

 

Arrowtown, South Island, New Zealand

Skyline Gondola, Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu view from Skyline Gondola

Cadbury's Chocolate Factory, Dunedin, New Zealand

 

 

 

We packed alot into our 5 nights away, and travelled quite a distance for NZ standards at least :)  We all had a fantastic time, I absolutely love it when it is just the four of us out there having adventures.  But home we had to come, and I must say we were all glad to see it...holidays are nice but it makes home seem even sweeter when you return...nothing like your own bed!

Anyway, sorry for all the holiday shots, this is meant to be a furniture blog but sometimes it is nice to mix a bit of other 'keepin' it real' stuff in here too...well I think so anyway.  I know that alot of my followers are from the Northern hemisphere (and across the ditch...ahem...Sandy xx) and I am a proud Kiwi and love my beautiful country so if any of these shots might tempt you here then that is all good!

So as if I don't have enough photos in this post, here is what has headed to new homes recently...

So, Spring school holidays are over, and I am having my first kid-free day in three weeks....better go paint some furniture!

xx Karen

Rimu Chest for Cindy

Cindy first contacted me after she spotted a bedhead that I had for sale (sorry I don't have a before shot of it!)

She was looking for a chest of drawers and wondered if I would paint them for her to match the bedhead, and of course, I said yes :)

So the hunt began and she eventually found a beautiful solid Rimu scotch chest.  In my hurry to get started to forgot to take a photo with the drawers in and the handles on...oops!

(Do you like my highly sophisticated 'paint stands'? 

I have a fair few 4 litre paint cans...and they worked a treat!)

It was a beautiful piece of furniture and even though I (clearly!) love painting furniture, and I'm not normally sentimental about painting it, I have to admit I did struggle a little with putting paint over Rimu...but it wasn't mine, and Cindy wanted it painted...

 

 After the sealer coat, I did three coats of top coat (Dulux Cape Colville).  Then left it to dry for a few days before I attacked it with the sandpaper to distress it (all by hand).  What a workout that was!

 Once it was all distressed, I went over the whole piece with a fine sanding sponge to give it a nice smooth finish.  Then I finished it off with some Liberon Furniture Wax in Neutral.

It is a really good match with the bedhead (phew!)

Now, just to add a 'keeping it real' shot, I do have a little touch up to finish on one of the top drawers, hence the gap, lol.  But I am so close to finished, I wanted to show it off...

I hope Cindy will be pleased....I think it has come up really well :)

I am showing this off at

xx Karen

Pink Bedside Cabinet

This has been hanging around my workshop for a while, waiting for some makeover magic.  It is pretty plain, but I still thought I could do something with it to give it new life....and I decided pretty and pink was the way to go.

I cleaned it then sealer coated it with adhesion primer.  Then gave it some pink paint that I custom mixed...

After 3 coats of pink paint, I distressed it then glazed it with my usual conconction of watered down wood stain, wiped off quickly with a wet cloth...the stain really grabbed the pink, especially where I had sanded to distress it.  Then, just to soften it a little, I applied liming wax.

Here it is, all finished...

I painted the insides of the drawers in off white, to give it a nice fresh clean feel.

I lime-waxed the handles, too.

I am showing this off at

xx Karen