Blogging Return - Spring Inspired Pink and Green Primitve chest

I’ve been gone for awhile….Not only from blogging, but from my home, business, family and friends, here on the Cape.


It’s been a long journey through the ravages of the tongue cancer experience with my fiancé’s mother, Marge. What this brave soul has been through, you can’t even imagine. The condensed version: Marge went through radiation and suffered through all the painful side affects. Then, just as we thought she was on the road to healing, the cancer in her tongue started to cause unbearable pain. A biopsy was done and the heartbreaking news of the cancer’s return was delivered. Doctor after doctor and opinion after opinion, led us out of New York and into Mass. Eye and Ear in Boston. We thought she would be getting up to two thirds of her tongue removed. However, because of this cancer’s quick growth, she ended up loosing her tongue, voice box, and having a chest muscle pulled up through her throat to create a flap. She has a stoma in her neck and all her breathing is done through that. She will also be fed through a feeding tube for the rest of her life.


We've been from Mass. Eye and Ear, to Hebrew Rehab (outside Boston) and now, she is in a rehab on the Cape…Finally! This 87 year old is brave and strong. I salute her! And as for Wayne and I, we can care-take and work, right on our own turf!


So, as you might be able to imagine, getting back to everything let go for so long, is overwhelming! My shop had such a mish-mosh of the seasons in it, I didn’t know where to begin. But, we did have a few days of warmth and managed to get some spring cleaning done, both inside and out. It’s actually beginning to look like a fresh breath of spring in there!

Below are pictures of my newest piece, a pink and green primitive. I love the enhancements of time gone by, and the warm color and finish that the glazing (mocha by Valspar) adds to the piece:

Here's the piece, all sanded and ready to go!

And, these are the tools I use to prime my pieces.

What I do, is dip my roller directly into the primer/paint and then blot it on a piece of card board. Then, I apply a smooth finish.

When I am finished, or have to take a break, I slide my roller off into an air tight plastic bag.



The great thing about the Zinzer Bin primer I use, is that it is a wonderful stain blocker. It's lacquer based and therefore, broken down by household ammonia. When I am ready to clean out my roller, I fill the bag with ammonia, let it soak, and then clean and rinse the roller out with water. (If you don't use the ammonia and skip right to water, your roller will turn to muck!)

These are the original handles for my primitive piece. I've sanded them, and punched them thru card board (using their hardware).

I've sprayed them black and let them dry. Later, I will be shabbying them off.

My piece has been base coated in Ben Moore's, "Dried Parsley", with the drawers painted a pink I mixed up myself. I've ruffed up and shabbied off the appropriate places, enhancing the piece's years of wear. I've glazed the piece with Valspar's "Mocha", using Windex to help move the glaze around. (Sometimes, places dry when I am trying to remove the glaze and the Windex helps me to keep things moving.)

Here, I am applying glaze to the drawer.

Here are some close-ups of the distressed places and the glazing.

More, distressing.

I'm finished with the piece and the drawers are drying. My piece will be sealed with a matt finish by Behr.

Finished and displayed in my shop....All ready to find a new home!

Happy Spring!

Pieces of Dreams

The Full Swing of Spring

A few days ago, my fingers fumbled with a key that I eventually pressed into the door knob of my neglected Brewster shop. Upon entering, an overwhelming vision hit me in the face! Picture this…a dwelling owned by someone, who for some reason, was not able to keep up with things and suddenly had to leave the place abandoned. So, I stepped through the door and experienced a stale, winter and Christmas holiday flashback. Not only that, due to the closing of the now deceased, “Karen’s Garden Cottage Antiques”, formerly located in Chatham, there had been one of Wayne’s famous “drive-by dumpings” of stocked inventory. All this was accented with such a film of cobwebs and dust, that anyone would be inspired to whisk their finger threw it, and ponder the collection of residue. So, where on earth, does one begin?

With some help from two very kind people, we waded through the confusing maze, cleaning, unpacking, sorting and repacking. For the time being, it’s necessary to close off the back bedroom display area and use it for storage. So, I was really having difficulty with my visions for display. Everyday, I would come home feeling frustrated. Happily, by the end of this past week, the interior of the shop started to “sing spring”!

The following pictures show the “rebirth” of my original, Karen’s Garden Cottage Antiques, located in Brewster. (Kind of like the very meaning of spring!) Thankfully, we have made a great deal of progress, during the past few days. The Brewster shop now has the new and improved sign, originally designed for Chatham. In addition, my wonderful Wayne created the most charming little picket fence, surrounding the base of the sign. Even though we haven’t gotten the flowers into place yet, it cheers me up just to look at it!

Today is another beautiful, sunny day on Cape Cod. And, to all of us living here year ‘round, an increased traffic flow is obvious. Yes! The “snow birds” are returning to their Cape Cod nests, bringing activity and hopefully, business amongst the spring blooms! It’s time for the shop to be “OPEN”! To all who ride by, my new flag will wave, “Hello! Come on in!” And, as my sign swings gently in the fresh sea breeze, I too, find myself in “The Full Swing of Spring!" Happy springtime wishes to you all!

Pieces of Dreams

Wayne hit on some great new pieces of wicker to display outside...He says, "Bring those customers in!"

Walking into the livingroom area.

The shop's nice and full with cheery spring colors.

Perky pinks and lovely florals dance upon delicate dishes.

About a week ago, this vignette was still wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

Lot's of great new finds from treasure hunting this week. We found the Nippon dish one place, and the vase in another...They look so pretty together!

Around the corner, into the next room, the vignettes and colors change. This is called, "making the best out of what you have".

Something new for this season...A classic antique pine dresser and one drawer stand. They've been sanded, primed and painted this "beachy" aqua and then "shabbied off" to the white primer and wood. The glass knobs really do the trick! This project was a lot of fun to do because the "shabbying off" turned out so interesting. (It doesn't always work that way!)

Close up!

Vintage wicker vignette.

Hand painted rose chest.
The tecnique for painting this little chest is called, "dry brushing". It gives a nice weathered, yet clean look.

Hand painted rose wreath table...There are those stripes again!

Pink and white stripe little vanity. This was dark and boring when we got it...Now it has a new charm!

Here we go into the next room.

Hand painted English pine mixed with vintage wicker...Interesting mix, don't you think?

More views of this room.

I dry brushed these stripes onto the back portion of this

corner cabinet. I think the stripes really enhance anything that gets displayed in it.

Close up of a pink and yellow mix of treasures.

Continuing into the hallway...

Little hallway display. I'm looking forward to once again, going beyond the door to display a bedroom. But for now, this works and we can be open!

In conclusion, this is a close up of an oil painting of the cottage. A local artist (who has other works displayed in my shop) came over to the shop, set up under the arbor, and painted this lovely landscape scene!

Inside...Stage Right!

I'm so glad you decided to stay!

So, we were really excited that the owners gave us permission to change some of the colors in the cottage. I feel that it makes the staging of what you are trying to sell that much more effective. The pictures below will show you snippets of how the middle room began and evolved. It's such an adventure! Wayne and I go out on house calls, attend auctions, as well as scope out yard/tag and estate sales. You never know what we will come back with, if anything at all. Then we get to divide up all the stuff and set the stage. Some of it works out so perfectly, you would think we special ordered it from a catalogue. Other things end up in the palm of your hand as you walk around placing it here and there, shaking your head "no" and then trying it somewhere else. (That's the easy part.) What creates difficulty is the neurotic moving of the furniture. It's like when someone wants to become a member of a club, refuses to get along or cooperate, and the rest of the members won't sit next to the newcomer...And they all come complaining to you! But some how, like magic, it works!

Hope you enjoy this portion of my little tour. Just come on in and take a right! (Remember to click the pics!)

Pieces of Dreams

Once again, inside the door.

This was an old chair that someone had completely stripped and left. I did a finish called "Dry Brushing" for the background and hand painted ivey vines and berries.


One of our opening day vignettes ~ To mention a few highlights: English pine farm table, wall lamp created from old Fiesta Ware and Theorem paintings.

I created these tie backs by combining some left over pieces from the floral vines used in the front window treatment, antiqued silk roses, scallop sea shells and antique punch bowl cups. They were the first things out of the store on opening day. I wasn't going to sell them, but a friend begged me. They were one of a kind, but the good news is, I can visit them!

Opening day vignette...So empty looking compared to how it is now!

Okay...There! Now, nobody touch any thing! One false move and that layer of purses will look like a mess in a teenage girl's room. (Like they would really have a flower purse with gloves and tea cups!)

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes! (Remember that song?)

"Yard sales are like a box of chocolates..."

So, this picture and the one below, give you an idea of how it all goes.

I loved finding this breakfront, display case. I still have the pink and cream dessert set (occupied Germany). I love them and really don't care if I end up with them or not!

There's still some more fun to come...Wish I could offer you something sweet to eat...If you haven't treated yourself to something nice today, go ahead and do it! Meanwhile, I'll get busy with the next part!

The Good Fairy Came Last Night!

It must have happened while I was asleep...If I knew "She" was coming, I would have stayed up, like a child waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve! I have no idea how she got here, or if in fact, you could have seen her shadow magically moving across the starlit sky. All I know is that when I woke up this morning, I received a gift. Several people who are new to me, and one dear friend, left messages in response to my latest blog, "Another Bend in the Road"! All that writing, correcting and fiddling around with the posting of pictures (frustrating) reached some new blogging friends, out there in the blog-es-phere. Thank you so much!

So without further delay, I hope you enjoy the little "Thank You" card, created just for you. Once again, the "notepaper" background came from a stored picture of a piece of my painted furniture (pictured below). The directions for this little computer ditty, lie within the blog, "That was Then, and This is Now".


Today my spirits are high, because the Good Fairy came last night! I believe! I believe! Pieces of Dreams

Custom Order ~ Ribbons and Roses on Yellow Stripe

Side View ~ Note the dry brushed legs

Top front view

Close up of chosen area

Cropped piece ~ Now it's my Notepaper!