Here is how I used the items that Gaye (My Small Obsession) made. They are the perfect colors for the Magnolia Way living room.
I put Brenda's shabby hutch in the boarding house kitchen. Harriet likes it much better than the ugly blue and white thing that was there before. :)
Here's a photo of everything I received. I've found homes for everything now and I am so pleased with my gifts.
I just participated in a shabby chic swap with a couple of good friends. I know they've both received what I made so I can share with you all now. I will be receiving what they made soon. The chest of drawers is one of those red stained Dollar Tree pieces. I gave it a shabby finish and hand painted the roses on it. The bed was completely hand made using a wooden fence for the headboard. The linens were made from a pretty rose print fabric, and old handkerchief, vintage lace, and a linen napkin. The "braided" rug was crocheted. The candle is a cut down birthday candle in a bead cap bowl surrounded by punched paper flowers. I used the same flower punch to make the blossoms decorating the lamp shade. The lamp is made from twisted wire and a pretty bead. I painted the baskets and made mini versions of some shabby chic/country magazines to put in them.
This bed has a larger floral print ribbon bedskirt and a gingham backed comforter. I also framed a tiny rose print in a silver jewelry finding with dimensional gel "glass" for each of them. I don't normally make quite so many things for swaps but shabby chic is my favorite decorating style so I just couldn't stop, lol. I included fabric and lace scraps for each of them so they can make matching curtains or cushions if they want.
Today's mini project was this little bedside table. The table was made from a piece of paper towel tube cut down to size with a foamcore table top. I made all of the items on top of the table. The mini magazine is a printie but the cup of tea was made from polymer clay with glass paint tea. The candle is a pencil eraser with a black thread wick. I sealed the eraser with satin varnish and used tacky glue to add melted "wax" to the top of the candle. The candle stand was made from a couple of jewelry findings.
A miniaturist friend of mine is dealing with some health issues. I made these as a gift to cheer her up.
The shelves are lined with a little lace paper.
The comforter was all hand quilted.
I'm very happy with how the painting turned out. The roses were painted with a very simple technique. Dab on a dot of the darker paint, pick up a drop of a lighter shade on a toothpick and swirl the colors together. Very easy and quite effective.
This little home office cabinet was an entry in a recent Michael's hutch contest. I've spruced it up a bit and it is now listed in my etsy shop. I really like the distressed white finish and the toile and reverse toile wallpapers I used. I didn't make the books or the TV I used as the monitor but I think I made everything else. The doors have a bulletin board on one and a white board on the other. There are pens, pencils and whiteboard markers in the little cup on the top shelf. The desktop has a folder, miniatures magazine and cordless telephone as well as a notepad, pen and cup of tea. The office chair is my variation of an online tutorial I found a long time ago. I don't even remember whose it was. It's quite an easy project, though, and the end results are very realistic. The first one I made was all black - it looks very much like my real chair.
Mercedes over at www.libertybiberty.blogspot.com made a beautiful little shabby display coffee table from a picture frame. I tried a similar project and this is the result. I will have to make my own little shabby room now. Anything so I can start a new project, lol.
