DIY Home Decor

Problem Solved – No More Fuzzies in My Topcoat!

CHALLENGE #1 My first really big challenge years ago was applying poly to give me a smooth even look. When light reflects on a piece, we want it to look consistent without drag. Drag is when the poly dries before you come back over for the next strip of poly and you see stripes because you “dragged over” the poly when it had already started to dry. It took me about 2 weeks to figure it out after searching for the answer and then it was smooth sailing from that point on. That two weeks I went to sleep thinking about it and woke up thinking about it. I’m like that. I HAVE to figure it out. I now use a damp sponge or sponge brush to apply and use a product that is easy to work with. I now carry it in my online store, Furniture Flipping Market. I … Read more

Storing Tools Tip

Tips from seasoned furniture artists and those experienced in marketing can make a big difference. The things we consistently do every day become habits that we don’t have to think about. That’s the place we want to be. We want to know all the little things that make life easier so we can focus on our creative pursuits. Isaac, my grandson, is pretty amazing when it comes to fixing things and using tools, so I enlisted him to share some of his knowledge. It doesn’t hurt that he enjoys doing videos with me either. I’m all for family getting involved. Three years ago he created the Creative Kids Furniture Art Course. Perhaps your kids need something to do this summer? I’ll be posting more in the future. It’s the little things that make all the difference. Here’s Isaac… Do you have a tip you want to share? Leave one in … Read more

A Headboard Redesign w/ Brushes Overview

Do you ever get a chance to paint for yourself? I try to, but it’s kinda like the “Cobbler’s children have no shoes,” for most furniture flippers. This headboard has sat around waiting for me for about 3 or 4 years. It’s massive. And now, it’s almost ready for my master suite. Here’s the “before”. Here are steps 1-3:   STEP #1  Repair & Clean We couldn’t get it up the two flights of stairs because it was too tall and ceilings got in the way. So DH had to cut off the end pieces and reassemble them. He used L brackets so they can easily be taken apart in the future. Hats off to him for repairing it so well and figuring out the best way to take it apart and put it back together. STEP #2  Prime with STIX. STIX isn’t a regular primer that covers stains or … Read more

Bun Feet Alternative – TIP!

A while ago I told you about our new kitchen table and how I redesigned it. To see the before and after of the table go here: Can Furniture Become a Piece of Art? The table was too short to fit well with the chairs we already had, so we were constantly having to sit a little sideways to be comfortable. I had plans to fix the height but was too stubborn to pay the long price for bun feet. I looked in woodworking shops, on Amazon etc. but they were so expensive! I finally found something that worked, so I’m sharing a tip with you today based on my experience. Go to garage sales! To add a few inches, be cut down feet from another piece of furniture and DH attached them. I originally was going to paint the added pieces to match the table legs but once they … Read more

A Tour of My Workspace and Showroom

I get a lot of requests to see my workshop, see top private office, and other parts of my business set up. This is where the magic happens. I have a second kitchen area for my workshop with cabinets that hold all the handy things I need to prep and paint, a studio where I stage for listings, and a showroom to display my finished pieces. I even have a craft room where I work on crafts and store all my crafty types of my materials currently a spot in that room where I am for the time being, growing seedlings for my garden. I am blessed. I’d love to hear from you where you work and how you manage your supplies and such. It’s a lot of work to get a functional workspace, especially once we start accumulating all the stuff we need for our furniture flipping ventures. I … Read more

Furniture Flipping Market Coming Soon!

A few years ago there was a lady who commented on one of the posts on Furniture Flipping Forum, my FB group, that the original poster should try Retique It. Since I have a “No self-promotion” rule in the group, I messaged Michele and asked if she was the CEO of Retique It. She told me she as, but I was curious and asked her for a link to her product that she was promoting in my group. Honestly, I usually just delete and tell them we have the rule. But I’d seen the product mentioned once or twice before and I wanted to know what it was. So she gave me a link and I went exploring. Michele offered to send me some of the product to try and I said, “OK.” I tried it and liked it and have been promoting it every since. If product is good … Read more

A is for Ability – Talent is Overrated

There are many who believe they can’t do something because of a lack of talent. But I believe that most things can be learned, even if it doesn’t come naturally. “I am not talented enough,” usually means, “I don’t want to invest the time or effort to learn this.” or, “I don’t have the confidence to try.” Unfortunately, I think we miss out on a lot due to lack of effort or vision. Years ago when we attended our daughter’s graduation at Crown College, we hear the main speaker say, “Get a vision,” while pointing his finger at the audience. We joked about it later because it was his catch phrase, and since he was very old, his finger was very crooked and his voice was very “old.” “Get a vision,” has been repeated in our family many times since then in jest, but it really is the truth. We … Read more

Create an Inviting Office Space

Since I spend 99% of my time in my home, I LIVE in my home. It’s what I see when I wake up, work, play, relax, cook, eat – you get the idea. It’s my sanctuary. It’s my castle. It’s where I AM all the time. It was especially true this past year. Don’t get me started… We have transformed nearly every room in our 4-level home, implementing significant upgrades with the assistance of a reliable service such as gresham heating and cooling. Beyond interior renovations, we’ve also dedicated efforts to enhance the exterior. This property and its surroundings were initially a chaotic mess, presenting us with the challenge of truly making it our own. Our top level has two master bedroom suites, and an office (have a peek at this web-site to find the best office spaces around your locality). It was originally 4 bedrooms, but you know, I … Read more

Typesetter’s Drawer Upcycle – Essential Oils Decorative Rack

We found this typesetter’s drawer for just a few dollars about 6 years ago and just never did anything with it…until last week. I have a challenge in my Blueprint member’s group that consists of 3 things: Clean up/organize your workshop. Make your workshop pretty. Do something special for yourself. I’m joining my members in the challenge and I’m: Cleaning up my office (workshop already done) Making my office pretty Cleaned up the typesetter’s drawer, stained and mounted it on the wall  of my master bedroom hallway.   Here is the “BEFORE” of the typesetter drawer: We decided to take it to the car wash and spray it down – normally you have to be very careful when getting water on old wood because it could warp. But I decided it was worth the risk since it looked like the back had already been exposed to moisture (rippled). Besides, I … Read more

Antique Side Table Updated with OFMP – An Empire Case Goods Co. Antique

Pepper – An Empire Case Goods Co. Antique This is a Sponsored Post I found a sweet little antique bedroom side table from the Empire Case Goods Company at an estate auction. It was in bad shape and everyone was passing it by like it had no more life to it. I knew better. I immediately knew it was a great find and fought till I won it. It was a bit pricey, but totally worth it. Pricey for me might not mean the same thing to others…  Upon a bit of research, I found the manufacturer of this side table, the Empire Case Goods Co., listed in a 620 page library book of Jamestown, New York 1915-1916 Town Directory. From what I’ve read elsewhere, the company was formed in 1912.  This side table was sold by the Donath Furniture Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their tag was stapled to the … Read more

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