Lighting Up My Life

A good friend of mine taught me how to rewire lamps one night, and ever since then, I have been an unstopable electric lady. What's the saying? "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime (or never come home to do simple household chores). With this experience under my tool belt, I have made some shocking discoveries. Yes, I just used a pun.

I've electrocuted the hell of my right arm, but the positive side (yes another pun) is that the next morning my hair had the body of a supermodel. It was FABULOUS!

Here are a couple of my creations:

Cute Turquoise Insulator Lamp

SOLD!

A great way to recycle those insulators!!!

Wire Apple Basket Swag Light

$145

This makes the most beautiful shadow on the ceiling.

Look forward to more crazy light fixtures!

The Ghost Finish

This is a new technique brought about on accident while working on this piece.

This awesome reproduction buffet went through hurricane Katrina. The top was covered in what I thought was paint, but surprise! It's mold. Fabulous. So I doubled up the masks and set out to prime it. During the process I discovered that the beautiful detail was enhanced from the dark wood showing through under the white paint. This gave me the idea for the "Ghost Finish".

I basically just spray painted the whole piece black and white washed over it, making sure to do it very lightly to preserve the detail. I could not have been happier with the results and the small amount of time it took to accomplish it.

The handles and key were given the same treatment, and were heavily polyed to preserve the paint and survive wear.

Sold!

I was so happy with it that I did this cute little demi-lune table the same way.

Demi-Lune Table: $75

I hope to experiment some more with this finish on elaborately decorative pieces like the two above.

The buffet has already sold, not surprisingly. However, during the sales process I almost keeled over when the customer mentioned the fact that they were going to paint it. I almost didn't sell it to them. I was totally convinced by that point that they had no grasp of taste and that they could in fact, suck it. Thankfully they changed their mind before leaving. But the next day, a lady came back inquiring about the piece and was so disheartened that it had already found a home. She was also willing to pay full price in cash. So, the moral of that story is that sometimes it is best to hold on to a good thing and it will eventually find a deserving home. Also, never tell someone that you are going to have to paint a piece of furniture (that has obviously been painted by the dealer selling you the piece) just so you can get a discount. It will send them into a private or not so private rage.

Number 9

Mannequin Lamp $299

This unique lamp is made of all repurposed/recylced materials. The base is an antique display stand from the early 1900s. The body is a traditional male mannequin form that has been re-covered with a recycled canvas fabric stapled to simulate a Frankenstein look. The light is a vintage marine or boat light that has been rewired to fit a lower wattage bulb. The cord of the lamp is stapled down the back of the mannequin and must be plugged in to turn it on. It's a really cool piece! Take him home today! 

Beachy Bicycle Table

SOLD!   Email mwbutler24@gmail.com

Cute Beachy Bicycle Table

I used the "ghetto inking method" on this piece and it turned out great!

Repurposed Sewing Machine Drawers

Available for purchase. Email mwbutler24@gmail.com.

Repurposed sewing machine drawers with vintage sheet metal tops.

Drawers are $45 each. Shipping-arrange your own or I can give you an estimate.

Happy Hour Secretary Bar
Repurposed Antique Secretary

Items can be purchased by e-mailing me at mwbutler24@gmail.com!

I came across this sweet broken down secretary with a missing drawer. I wish I could say this was a garbage find, but it wasn't. I got it and all the materials from the famous Dan Turrentine, a MS Gulf Coast legend in the antique biz. 

The shelves are made from old crate slats and the siding is vintage decorative sheet metal (what a find! I bought it all!). I installed a vintage wine glass holder rack that I cut down to fit. The inside, I left, since the finish was in tact. It makes for a great contrast to the rest of the piece. There is plenty of storage for more booze and glasses. The cubby holes are great for holding wine keys and things. I brought the outside in with the sheet metal backing.

Now, on to that graphic. I'm not a big stencil fan, but I AM a graphics fan... not sure if there is much difference, but I like things to look like they have been on there for a very long time. After much suffering and toil, I finally found a method that works for me! I call it the "Ghetto Inking Method".

People that know me understand that I am somewhat of a MacGyver. I try to do things without making a special trip to Lowes. I admit, I couldn't have done this without the help of a fellow blogger/life saver : http://redhenhome.blogspot.com/2011/06/little-french-chocolate.html. This is where I got the initial idea and just formated it around my laziness. 

It's basically the same method, but instead of using the projector paper and going to Office Depot, I just used clear plastic report covers. Make sure to cut the sides off and cut them apart to page size. 

First, make your graphic on your fancy CS software- or MS Word (like me). I chose an antique French wine label (chardonnay of course). Make sure to FLIP your image HORIZONTALLY so that it doesn't come out backwards. Feed the clear plastic paper into the printer (sometimes it jams, sometimes it works perfectly). Do not touch the wet ink! Dampen the surface of the wood, Damp not wet! Some wood requires more, some next to nothing. Place the image ink down where you want it, do not move it, there is little room for error in this step. I tape mine down. I used a wooden flat ended spoon to rub over the graphic so that it soaks into the wood. Quickly but gently remove the plastic sheet and Voila! or Uh Oh. It may take you a few tries, but you'll eventually get it. The ink wipes off with water, so once you get your finished product, make sure to shellac or spray something over it so that it doesn't wipe off. Good Luck!!!                                                                         

Antique French Wine Label on Front

Repurposed Antique Secretary- Happy Hour Bar/Wine Rack

SOLD!!!

 E-Mail: mwbutler24@gmail.com Arrange your own shipping.