Sunday, August 19, 2012

Chirpy Weekend

 Chirp had it's first event this weekend. Saturday was bright and beautiful weather wise. Sales were slow but we were very happy with our work and with what we had gotten accomplished in a short amount of time.

Krista's daughters, Tara and Jaimie helped us out. Much appreciated...what a help! It's hard moving those bigger pieces around!

We had nearly 40 pieces of furniture and plenty of vintage decorative smalls.


 The milk glass vases looked so cute set up on a dresser. 


But unfortunately, the traffic just didn't happen at this particular show. It was slow, slow, slow. We had a nice time talking but not selling. We do have a good inventory for any upcoming shows though!  Because of an impending rain storm, we packed up early and skedaddeled home on Sunday.

The event was held on the grounds of On A Whim. The shop is filled with painted furniture, Annie Sloan paint and other fun stuff like these 1950's prom dresses.


...and hats
I'm glad we pushed ourselves to finish so many pieces, but we were hopeful to not have to haul so much back. My dream is to have our furniture find homes (and not our homes!) The next opportunity for purchasing these refreshed vintage pieces is the Countryside Artisans' Studio Tour,
 October 12, 13, 14. In the mean time I'll still be visiting Goodwill stores, estate sales and friends' attics for those forlorn tables, chairs, and dressers to give a makeover. And I do need to step away from the furniture for a bit to concentrate on Dancing Leaf Farm. That yarn does not dye itself!

Friday, August 17, 2012

OK. I Guess We're Ready!


I drive up to Krista's barn, Chirp headquarters, nearly every day to splash color on plain wood furniture.  I laugh every time I see their bright red truck smiling at me from the barn doors. 
Isn't this about the most perfect work place to spend summer days? 

Two more finished chairs. I just picked up 4 more in Cumberland.

A child's toy chest, which was once a tool chest. 

Once a tv console (remember those?!), now a dog bed.

I picked up 4 pieces of this 1960's furniture, which I actually had the same set growing up. 

I know there doesn't appear to be too much of a difference, but getting rid of the gold embellishments helps a lot. 

before....


after

work in progress...

finished. 


Krista refinished three of these 'Waterfall' pieces from the late 1930's. We thought this one looks like a tiny refrigerator.

Another high boy done. 

I don't know why we found so many dressers, but we just kept bringing them in. 


I had no idea we would fill this huge box truck. I thought we would load everything into our two pickup trucks and my trailer. But when we looked at all we had, we decided, the box truck it is. 

Krista trying to make room for everything.

and the chairs...awaiting their new homes. Wish us luck!
Wish us luck! I hope we don't have to haul all this stuff back to the barn! 

Monday, August 13, 2012

Spools and Spindles

 
 Up in Cumberland this week, I checked out some yard sales in the area. This spool bed came from 
The Castle, a stone home built in 1940 in Savage, Maryland. The bed was stored away for years in the carriage house. 

 It was dirty and dusty but such a delightful find. 


But all those spindles/spools to clean, prime and paint!

But I love to get right to work on a piece the same day I get it, so after putting on my grubby clothes, I got down to it.

I decided to use spray primer to save some time on those curves. 

I kinda got in a zen zone painting them. 

They are just so cute. I imagined the furniture maker, slowly turning the wood to form these exact forms, spindle after spindle. I was happy to just have to paint them. Now to distress and wax the bed and it's ready for the sale this weekend. It will look so awesome with a lace bedspread and some of Krista's pillows. Can't wait! Come see us at our first sale at 'On a Whim', near Luckett's, Virginia, August 18 & 19.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Furniture R Us


This is where I spent most of last week. At the Sweat Shop. Whoooboydammit was it hot! If you don't believe me, see Puka panting above. Krista has two dogs, a blue heeler and Benny, a yellow lab. Benny is always underfoot. All day we say, "Benny move!" He then moves 6". If there's any hair in your furniture, it's Benny's. 
We pulled a lot of the furniture out of the horse stalls and got to work. Krista and I work in the same way. We mess up every space we touch. We start on 5 different pieces, do a bit, then go on to 5 others. We work in her air conditioned pool house (trashed), in her horse barn (super trashed) and I work on the small pieces, candle holders, chairs, end tables, at my house (more chaos). We can never find the right brush, roller, scraper, paint, screws, handles, screw driver, putty. We need three of everything! We say we'll get more organized when the sale is over. Yeah, right. 

But occasionally we do finish a piece. This is a darling little number that Krista completed. It will be a set of four mismatched friends that will have the same material to tie them together. 

Here are two other friends who will get a makeover.

That really ugly duckling yellow on the right will be a beautiful swan soon.

Yellow be gone!

Another finished piece. I painted chalkboard stripes, then numbers with chalk.

In case you wanted to know how many drawers there are.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Pillow Talk

Krista has been very busy at the sewing machine, putting vintage fabrics together to
 create these darling pillows. 

She recently scored quite a few antique doilies and runners and is incorporating them onto the fronts.




This little gem is my favorite. I'm having a love affair with grey lately. And this classic barkcloth is a beaut! I may have to hide this one away.

 
 A vintage tablecloth becomes a pillow covering. Love the butterflies.





Rustic burlap with a bit of a girly ruffle. Love the combo!


All will be available at our sale August 17 & 18 at 'On A Whim' near Luckett's Virginia.