Daily-Beast-cottagecharmcreations

Farmhouse finds...

Posted by Unknown | Labels: salvaged favorites

Some of you may recall my post about the salavaged parlor doors (see here)
that I picked up at an estate sale of an old farmhouse...

Well . . . I thought it would be fun to share with you all the

wonderful treasures that I came home with :)

One might wonder. . .

what in the WORLD is she going to do with all that junk?!

Well, you'll just have to wait and see ;)

"Don't ever judge a book

by its cover."

-Anonymous

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Vintage linen lampshade skirt

Posted by Unknown | Labels: tutorials

I absolutely LOVE the company called Soft Surroundings . . .

If I had lots of money to spend, this is where I'd shop!

Any-hoo, today my cute mom (who just happens to live right across

the street) came in and plopped this adorable picture
down on my kitchen table. . .

It's called a Vintage Linen Lampshade Skirt. . .

made by Soft Surroundings.

Is that not the cutest thing EVER!?

It just cinches up with a silk ribbon to fit on any lampshade. . .genius!

I took a look at the boring little lamp on my side table,

and decided to give it a try. . .

Rummaging through my scrap pieces, I came across this vintage

pattern that would match my living room perfectly.

After pulling a quick iron over it, I ~~clumsily~~ hemmed the seam and

inserted some white tulle, since I didn't have any silk ribbon. . .

Pulling the tulle nice and snug naturally created

a pretty little ruffle. . .not bad for fifteen minutes!

Now I know my lampshade skirt isn't nearly as darling and flowy

as theirs. . .but hey, give me a break. . .I'm NOT a seamstress!

Just think of the possibilities though. . .

french linens,

burlap,

plaids,

paisleys,

silk,

cottons.

Here is my second attempt with another lamp. . .

before . .

and after. . .

This one was SUPER easy actually. . . I just snipped and "tore" the

linen, cut little slits one inch apart, and wove a 2" linen

strip in and out. . .tying a bow in front!

...which means NO SEWING!!

I would LOVE to see YOUR lampshade cover ideas!

"Few of us write great novels;

all of us live them."

-Winston Churchill

If you want to see more tips, tricks, and ideas, click here to view all our other tutorials. :)

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Zinc Patina Custom Tutorial

Posted by Unknown | Labels: tutorials, Zinc Patina

It's finally here!

Thank you for being so patient with me!

Many of you have read my posts on our Zinc Patina finish. . .

but if you'd like to review, you can see them (here) and (here).

Our inspiration...

. . .the Zinc Collection from Restoration Hardware.

Mmmm. . .yummy!

After much experimentation and practicing, I came up with this. . .

and this. . .

. . .and these :)

Now it's your turn!

If you'd like to order the

Zinc Patina Custom Tutorial,

there is a small one-time fee of $5.oo.

Upon receiving payment, we will send you the full

tutorial in PDF format via e-mail to keep and print!

(please allow 24-48 hours to receive tutorial)

If you want to see more tips, tricks, and ideas, click here to view all our other tutorials. :)

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Zinc Patina Cabinets!

Posted by Unknown | Labels: tutorials, Zinc Patina

Last week we posted about our Zinc Patina finish (see here) and mentioned that
we were working on some custom cabinets in both a bathroom and laundry
. . .well, they are finally done!

For a re-cap. . .remember the source of my inspiration?

Yep, there she is. . .in all her glory! I LUUUVE Restoration Hardware!

Anyhoo, here's the picture of the bathroom cabinets before...

. . .and after

Here's the laundry room before. . .

Laundry room after. . .

It turned out sooooo purdy. . .the pictures just don't do it justice!

p.s. . .the Zinc Patina tutorial is under construction

and will be ready by Friday! (see here)

Linking up to:

The Brambleberry Cottage

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Somewhat Simple

Miss Mustard Seed

French Country Cottage

The Shabby Nest

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

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Basic vs. Custom Tutorials

Posted by Unknown | Labels: tutorials

We've had a lot of wonderful compliments and questions on many
of our finishes. . .especially our Zinc Patina. . . Thank you!

As many of you know, we've been refinishing furniture and cabinetry

for several years now, and have spent a lot of time using the trial and error
method, while perfecting our skills and techniques. As we have experimented
throughout this time, we have stumbled across many new and unique ideas.
Because of this, we are able to offer a fresh perspective to our clientele.

With that being said, we have come up with two different ways to offer tutorials.

Our Basic Tutorials are free, and will consist of tried and true
techniques that are basic skills in painting and decorating ideas.

We hope that you will find them fun and inspirational!

Our Custom Tutorials will consist of a "workshop" type
series, covering more complex techniques, but put in simple and easy
terms to understand. Originally we were tossing around the idea of
holding hands-on workshops, but felt that putting together step by step
tutorials would be more beneficial for those who couldn't attend.
There is a small fee in ordering Custom Tutorials because
of the time and effort involved.

If you want to see our tips, tricks, and ideas, click here to view our tutorial page:)

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