Antique Mail Desk!

I have always wanted a wooden desk with drawer to keep mail in and also to decorate with. Every time I decorate the bureau, the kitties knock it all over, so I wanted something large and heavy. It is decorative and practical and exactly what I wanted and my wonderful friend Carol and her husband, made me one.

I started painting it and then things got hectic and when my nerves go hay wire, it makes it hard to sand and do wood work, but i finally got the last coat of paint on, then sanding and antiquing. I finished it off with a matte spray and I think it came out nicely, considering I got sloppy and rushed it;)

The first coat was a light gold, then black over that, then I sanded it down in areas to show the lighter paint. I used a brown antique stain which gives it a nice aged look. I still have to decorate this area.

Another thing I did was to clean my shoe rack, it does get dusty and half the shoes were on the floor. I have had these slippers since the 80's and I thought it was time to let them go, lol. I have no idea if they are collectible and one came apart at the feet which I could fix. The bear is Captain Joshua Bear, and Bill got me them, one Christmas. They are cute, but totally impractical, not something you can walk in too well.

Flower Candle Mat!

I finished my candle mat, it took longer than I thought it would, but well worth the effort. I got the design from Dover Publishing. They send email once a week with free samples, so well worth signing up.

I used some of my variegated floss for the flowers and a solid green for the leaves. To make the circle, I use an old plastic lid and trace around it with a wash out blue marker. I added some yellow french knots to the centers to give it a little extra pop. I decided to antique it, I think it looks nice on my firkin, but it will probably be a gift.

And here is a shot to show you the design and details. I still have the design, so if you would like a copy, just send me an email.

This is a bit light and pink, but I lightened it, so  you could see the detail better.