(Faux) Blackened Wax Fruit Tutorial~Thrift Shop Bowl Makeover

 If you read my blog on a regular basis you already know that I'm a thrift shop junkie. I have a favorite local shop run by the sweetest little ladies. They are exceptionally kind to me and always seem to have the "good stuff". Last week I stopped by, and among other things, found this...

...large wooden bowl filled with faux fruit, only $4. This is only a few pieces of the fruit, as I nearly forgot to snap a "before" photo. I had an idea brewing and was impatient excited to get started.

I've always wanted a big ol' bowl of the beautiful blackened wax fruit that I see in shops, but being the cheapskate that I am, have never wanted to spend the money on something "I can make myself". Yes, yes we've all been there, haven't we? We CAN make it...but we almost never do. Well, when I saw this lovely big wooden bowl filled with fruit I got the idea to turn faux fruit into "blacken wax" faux fruit. And if it didn't work...well, the bowl was still a deal at $4, right? And while I was at it, I decided I'd give the bowl a new/old finish.

~Before~

 I already had everything I needed, so I gathered my materials.

 

 For the faux wax fruit you only need a few things.

Black Acrylic Paint, Matte Finish (the cheap stuff is fine)

Ground Cinnamon  (the cheap stuff is fine here too. I bought ALDI brand)

Small Artist's Paintbrush

Drop Cloth

Handheld Hairdryer (optional, but sure speeds up drying)

This project is so easy...you're gonna love it.

Spread out your drop cloth and give yourself plenty of room to work. If you do a lot of pieces, you'll have fruit drying everywhere. Using full strength paint, begin painting each piece of fruit with a nice even coat. I painted one side of each piece of fruit then sat it aside to dry and did the next piece. Then I went back and painted the other side of each piece. I checked each piece in bright light to be sure I had good coverage. You want the original color of the fruit to be completely covered. 

 Like this.

I didn't paint the stems. Tip: If any of the fruit is missing a stem-or if they look "fake", you can replace them with stems from real fruit. Just poke a small hole in the top using an awl or a large needle and glue in the replacement stem. Do this before adding the cinnamon.  

 Now for the tricky part. OK, not really...there is no tricky part.

After the fruit is completely dry (this is where the hairdryer comes in handy), pour your bottle of cinnamon into a shallow dish. This project only uses up a small amount of cinnamon, but you can keep what's leftover to use on another project. Just don't use it for cooking. Now, roll each piece of fruit in the cinnamon. You can gently pat, rub or sprinkle...whatever works for you. I just rolled mine around, then sat each piece aside while I painted my bowl. 

Now for the bowl...I started by giving my bowl a good washing and allowing it to dry overnight before painting. There was no previous finish on the bowl. For painting the bowl I used Old Century Colors, acrylic paint in the color, Olde Pewter 2023. I used full strength paint to get the look of a heavily painted old bowl...but you can water your paint down (one part paint, two parts water) for a more transparent look. 

 My painted bowl, before the antiquing process.

I painted the bottom of the bowl, going around in a circular motion, with the grain. Pay special attention to the rim and the bottom where you would see natural wear, were it an antique bowl. If you get too much paint on the bowl, just use a wet cloth to scrub some off, again following the bowl's contours. You can also use fine sandpaper to remove a bit of paint. When you're happy with the way it looks, set it aside to dry. Again, I used a hairdryer to speed up the process.

After your bowl is dry you'll want to go over it with an antiquing medium to give it a bit of age. I used Folkart/Plaid Antiquing Medium, in the color Apple Butter Brown, to stain my bowl. Mix one part antiquing medium to two parts water. Remember a little goes a long way. Brush the mixture on over the outside of the bowl and quickly wipe off excess stain with a dry cloth. Then repeat on the inside of the bowl. The antiquing medium drys fast and the longer it sits, the darker the wood will be. If it is too dark for your liking, wipe some stain off with a wet cloth. 

The  bottom of my painted bowl, after a light sanding and applying the antiquing medium.

I antiqued both the inside, and the outside of my bowl. Keep in mind that you won't want to use these products on the inside if you plan to serve food in your bowl, as they are not food-safe. 

 The inside of my finished bowl is a nice warm brown color.

~After~

Looks  and smells just like the real deal...and just in time for my Thanksgiving table!

That's it! Told you it was easy!

Until next time...

Rhonda

Painting Upholstered Furniture

We recently decided to change up our living space by swapping out several rooms. While trying to decide which furniture would work best in which rooms, I realized that I was in need of a sewing chair in my studio. I wanted something pretty, pink and comfortable. I watched Craigslist for over a month with no luck. Finally, I spotted a listing for this chair, just a short distance from my home. In the listing it looked pink, but when I went to see it in person, it was definitely a peachy orange. Still, it was a great style, clean, comfortable, and in good condition. And the price was right...$50. I convinced myself that I could make it work.

After

When I got home, I moved the chair upstairs next to the window and looked at it. I let it sit there for a few days, hoping it would grow on me. It didn't. It looked awful in my pale pink world. This is when I decided I'd change the color. After an extensive internet search, I determined that there was no colorfast way to dye the chair...then I came across Kristy Swain's blog, hyphen interiors. Kristy posted a tutorial that showed how to paint upholstery. I was intrigued. After reading and rereading her instructions many times, I thought, "I can do this!" 

I gathered my materials. 

1. One quart of  Behr indoor, satin latex paint.  (There's enough left over to do 30 more chairs-you could probably get away with a sample size paint)

2. A large bottle of Delta Textile Medium (I used 2/3 of the bottle)

3. Six Foam Brushes (I used one brush)

I already had a spray bottle for water, painters tape, and a pint jar. And although this project was surprisingly not messy, you'll probably want some sort of drop cloth under your project...just in case.

Getting started was the hardest part. I had to tell myself that if I ruined the chair, it wasn't the end of the world...so I took a deep breath and jumped in.

First things first. Even though it was in great condition, the chair had a wee bit of what I like to call, "old lady smell". I am a bit of a germophobe, so I decided that before I painted it, the chair must be shampooed. This is a photo of the clean, damp chair, before. The fabric on this chair was a beautiful nubby silk with a flame stitch pattern in the weave. Because the color I envisioned was an old fashioned dark pink, I chose a bright pink paint, hoping the combination of colors would be exactly what I had in mind. 

Before

Before getting started, be sure your piece is clean with no lint, dust or dirty spots. This will ensure that the paint goes on evenly as possible.

I used the upholstery attachment on my Bissel Rug Shampooer to clean my chair, making sure I didn't leave it too wet. While the chair was damp, you could see lines where the various types of stuffing begin & end...which was a little worrisome at first. But by that point I was already too far in to fret over it.

Next, I mixed equal parts paint, textile medium, and water in a pint jar. If your paint is really thick you might need to add more water until it's about the consistency of a glaze. I refilled my jar only once, using about 1.75 pints of my paint concoction altogether.

I began by taping off the wood with painters tape. Since I planned to replace the faded gimp trim on the chair, I left it in place and painted right up to it. The trim acted as a natural barrier between the wood and the painted areas. 

 My chair was already pretty damp from cleaning. If you are starting with dry upholstery, you will want to get it damp before beginning. As Kristy said, don't be shy...you want the fabric damp. Keep your spray bottle handy, the upholstery dries out as you are painting. 

To begin, I took the seat cushion off and painted the inside arm of the chair. I painted slowly and deliberately, blending the paint as I went.

I worked my way around the chair, spritzing with water and blending the paint. On the deep sculpted back, I used the foam brush to paint between the tufted folds of the chair. I finished the seat of the chair last, then tackled the cushion.

After I finished painting, I used a fan to dry the chair. I painted it late at night and it was completely dry by morning.

I'm sure different fabrics will react differently to the process. I found that one coat of paint was all I needed on my chair. The color is perfect and the fabric remains soft & pliable. In Kristy's tutorial she used several coat of paint to achieve a darker richer color. She also recommended sanding areas that might be too stiff. 

I finished my chair by pulling off the old gimp trim and using a hot glue gun to attach the new trim. I had a hard time finding trim to match so I did what I always do...I checked Etsy.com. I found Peggy's Shop there...she was offering 6 yards of  (new) vintage trim in the exact shade I needed. In retrospect, I think I'd buy my trim first and match the paint to it.

After

I think you'll have to experiment with your own upholstered piece to see what works for you. Kristy's tutorial is a must read...and be sure to read through her tips at the bottom. It's also a great place to see more painted upholstery projects done by her readers. Some of them are really incredible.

Tuesday Display Chain~ Life is Yummy ~

Each Tuesday Misi, of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her "Tuesday Display Chain". This week the theme is "Yummy", to be interpreted by  each participating blogger as they see fit. 

I confess, I have a bit of a sweet tooth...so of course when Misi said "yummy", my mind went right to dessert...

 ~Even my pies are a little "kattywhompus"~

As grandpa Ralph always said, "I only like two kinds of pie.

Hot...and cold."

But for a really yummy treat...you can't beat my favorite scone recipe. People beg me to make these...now they can beg you too.

 From the 1989 February issue of Country Living Magazine, 
I give you...

Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups unsifted self rising, all-purpose flour (see note)

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking sheet. In large bowl, combine flour and sugar. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs.

2. In small bowl, combine milk, egg, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients, along with chocolate chips and mix with fork until mixture clings together and forms a soft dough.

3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 5 or 6 times. With lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 7 inch round. Cut into 4 wedges.

4. Place scones, 1 inch apart, on greased baking sheet. Pierce tops with tines of fork.

5. Bake scones 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Note: Or add 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to 2 cups regular all-purpose flour.

Kattywhompus Tips: Knead gently, no more than needed to hold the dough together. Over handling will give you tough scones. Instead of rolling out the dough I pat it into a flat round with my hands and cut it into eight scones. Also, these burn easily. I watch them carefully and bake until lightly browned...golden brown on top means the bottoms are too dark for me. See the photo for "lightly browned".

And then there is my very favorite sweet thang. Mancake. ;)

~Yummy~

See the other Tuesday Display Chain participants at: http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com/

Until next time...

Hello, my name is Rhonda...

...and I'm a picker. As you saw in my last post, I love treasure hunting. And finding vintage treasure usually involves lots of time spent digging through thrift stores and garage & estate sales.

I bought this transferware, luncheon service for six, from a sweet lady on Craigslist this week. Red "isn't her thing"...fortunately, it's mine.

A few of you asked where I find so much good stuff...I thought I'd share some of my best pickin' tips.

1. Go often. You will have to devote some time to treasure hunting if you want to find the good stuff. You might get lucky on your first trip to Goodwill, but it's unlikely. As Ben Franklin once said, "Diligence is the mother of good luck." The harder I work at finding treasure, the luckier I seem to get. Eventually you will learn which days to stop in which shops, what neighborhoods to shop, and you will even develop an "eye" for the things you like. Speaking of Goodwill...their stores are OK, but personally I love the little church thrift shops. Better pickin', better prices, and the proceeds usually support local mission projects.

2. The early worm gets the yellowware/hutch/firkin/etc. If you aren't a morning person, become one. I am not naturally gifted in this area, but I have been known to be on the doorstep of an estate sale at 5:30am with a cup of coffee and a book. Behave yourself and no one will mind. 

3. Which brings me to...be polite. You don't need to grab, push or be obnoxious to get the goods. I'd rather leave empty handed than engage in rude behavior.

4. Be genuine and friendly. People like to talk and tell their stories...listen and be sincere. Don't try to get one over on people. It's icky and most people can sense it.

5. Don't be squeamish. Sometimes you will have to touch some grimy or unpleasant things...it's inevitable. Take along some hand wipes or carry a pair of work gloves with you.

6. Utilize the local newspapers for sales information.  I like to get the newspapers and plan my garage sale route based on time, what is offered and location. Also note the time sales begin and end.  Please respect people who say "no early birds"...they have probably been working for days to get ready for the sale and would like to sleep until 7 am.  

I found these 1958 princess phone key-chains in a tattered old box at a garage sale last summer. They were under a table where some of the less desirable items had been stowed. I had no idea what they were at the time...but when something is so darn cute, how could I go wrong? Let's just say I made a profit. My point? Look closely and look everywhere.

7. Utilize online sites like Craigslist.org, freecycle.org and estatesales.net. Subscribe to these sites and have notifications sent straight to your inbox. Get to know the estate liquidators...which companies have good prices, who does a great job...which companies should you avoid? Whether buying or selling, please keep folks abreast of your intentions...and for heaven's sake, respond to emails. If you make an appointment, please, keep it! I am stunned at the number of people who are no shows on Freecycle. They are being GIVEN something and can't be bothered to show up? Always be safe when making contact with someone you don't know. Meet in a public place or take someone with you...they can even wait in the car, but never go alone. I always let sellers know I have someone with me and that I will need to find an ATM to get cash. If something seems off, it probably is...leave immediately.

I just love the old calico, ringers and stenciled porcelains and have been trying to collect enough of these buttons to make a sampler. Thanks to a sweet Craigslist seller this week, I'm ready to begin. 

8. Talk to people...especially people who you are already buying something from. Tell them what you collect. Ask questions. They might have what you need...but you'll never know if you don't ask. Never be pushy or pressure someone to sell something they aren't ready to sell. If you're pleasant, they'll remember you when they are ready.

A friend of a friend called me when she was ready to sell her mother's button collection. She had heard that I like old buttons. I bought 800 of the loveliest buttons I've ever seen from her...and we both went away happy.

9. Be prepared. Fill up your gas tank the night before your pick. Fold down or take out seats in your vehicle if you need to. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged. Have a GPS or map of the area you're going to. Get up early and dress for success...wear comfy clothes & shoes.  Make a list with dimensions of things you are looking for and bring along a tape measure. Take a snack and plenty of coffee along. Know where the clean bathrooms are. Pack hand wipes.  Head out with a smile and be nice.

10. Be patient and enjoy yourself. Half the thrill is in the hunt. Cross you fingers and rub your rabbit's foot. Today may be your lucky day!

Happy hunting! Until next time...

Tuesday Display Chain~ Homemade Granola by Kattywhompus

Each Tuesday Misi, of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her "Tuesday Display Chain" by featuring items from their collections. Since many of us are browsing through magazines and looking online for holiday ideas such as gifts, decorating ideas & recipes, Let us give a little of ourselves here through blogland. This week's theme is "To Share".

I'd like to share my recipe for homemade granola...a huge hit at out house. My husband & sons think this is a real treat for breakfast served with fruit and yogurt. It also makes a great healthy snack. I make up a big batch at Christmas for gift giving. It looks great in a cello bag tied with a piece of homespun and a handmade tag. I've made it for fund raisers and bazaars and it is always the first thing that sells out. I hope it will become a favorite at your house too.

Homemade Granola by Kattywhompus

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients except raisins until well blended.

2 1/2 Cups Old Fashion Oats

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Sunflower Meats

1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds

1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

1/4 Cup Wheat Germ

1/2 Cup Flaked Coconut

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

* 1/2 Cup Golden Raisins & 1/2 Cup Dark Raisins

Of course the above ingredients can be adjusted to your taste...try a variety of nuts and dried fruit for lots of different flavors!

Melt butter and honey together and then add vanilla. Pour over dry granola mixture and toss until well coated.

1/3 Cup Butter

1/3 Cup Honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Spread granola in a thin layer on two lightly greased cookie sheets (pans with sides work best).

 

Forgive my "well seasoned" baking pan...the best kind. :)

 Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes. Stir frequently while baking. Pay special attention to granola around the edges of the pan. When granola turns a golden brown, remove from oven & spread on wax paper or foil to cool. Stir in raisins, and store in an airtight container. Enjoy! 

See the other Tuesday Display Chain participants at: http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com/

Until next time...

Uncle Louie's Apple Cake

A butcher by trade, Uncle Louie enjoyed baking in his spare time. His 'Hint of Mint Cake' was known all over Starke County as the cake to beat at North Judson's annual Mint Festival. He also came up with what we affectionately call, 'Uncle Louie's Apple Cake'. Every year at Thanksgiving, Uncle Louie presented each family with an apple cake. We looked forward to those cakes all year. Even when he was well into his seventies, he was baking thirty cakes for each holiday. Uncle Louie has been gone for over twelve years. We bake this cake every year at apple time, in memory of Uncle Louie.

 Uncle Louie's Apple Cake

 3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple sauce

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups of diced, unpeeled apples

1 cup chopped nuts (Louie used walnuts)

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Blend oil, eggs, apple sauce and vanilla, then stir into dry ingredients. Stir in diced apples and chopped nuts. Bake in an ungreased 9" x 13" pan at 350 degrees for one hour and 10 minutes. Great topped with vanilla ice cream or a bit of whipped cream.

Please feel free to share this recipe with your friends and family...and tell them they have Louie Ball to thank for the best darn apple cake they've ever eaten.  

Until next time...

Pppp...pumpkin

Anyone who knows me well knows that I do not “do” pumpkin. While everyone else is exchanging their autumnal recipes, featuring the lovely orange squash, I am likely to be wrinkling up my nose to show my displeasure, unless we are talking about THIS recipe. This is a soft, nutty, wholesome cookie…and as my Granny always said “I only put good things it there.” So for those like me, who usually pass on pumpkin, might I suggest?

Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Brown Sugar

½ Cup White Sugar

½ Teaspoon Salt

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

Blend together:

1 Cup Butter (Softened)

1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1 Large Egg

Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Next, fold into batter:

3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

1 Cup Dark Seedless Raisins

½ Cup Coconut

½ cup Pecan (chopped)

½ Cup Walnuts (chopped)

½ Cup Almonds (Slices)

½ Cup Roasted Sunflower Meats

Blend well. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 3-5 dozen, depending on how large you make them.

Helpful Hints: I like to mix in the last ingredients in with my hands. Also I use Pampered Chef’s (1.25 diameter) melon ball scoop to give cookies a uniform size. This makes about 5 dozen smallish cookies. And lastly, I like these cookies best when they are nicely browned…it brings out the toasted flavors of the nuts. Enjoy!