A Mother's Day Bouquet

It's finally starting to look and feel like spring around here at the Chateau!  Actually, today is more like summer, with temps in the 80's. So it seems as if we've skipped from a chilly spring right into summer, but I'm not complaining!

Today I thought I'd share with you one of my latest creations, a floral arrangement that I made for my Mom for Mother's Day.  It's hard to believe that it's this weekend already, isn't it?

Anyway, I usually get Mom a bunch of flowering plants that she can enjoy outside.  I thought this year I'd do something a bit different, that was low maintenance, that she could enjoy year round, and that wouldn't need watering!

So, I made her a silk floral centerpiece, that is nestled inside of a pretty and large ceramic white basket.

 I just realized that I should have taken a shot of the basket before I added the flowers!  I filled it so full of flowers, that it's hard to see the actual basket in my photos!

 So you know how I love to spray paint just about everything that doesn't move, right? Well, that is just what I did with this floral arrangement!  You may have seen my silk flower wreath some time ago that I gave a spray paint treatment to. Well,  I purchased a very large silk bouquet at Hobby Lobby, on clearance last winter.  It began life in autumnal colors of gold, orange, rust and yellow. I knew when I spotted it that it would be perfect to tuck away for a project just like this!

I took the entire bouquet outside and spray painted the heck out of it with Heirloom White spray paint, my favorite creamy color!  It took quite a bit of paint, as the flowers seemed to suck it all up!  I really was happy with the end result, how the colors still show thru, but in a more muted and softer faded over time look.

 To the inside of the basket, I place blocks of floral foam, also from Hobby Lobby.  I then cut each wire stem of each flower, and randomly stuck them into the foam, in a pleasing manner.

I also added a few of my paper roses made from vintage sheet music. They each have a tiny little rhinestone in their centers, for a bit of bling!

 My favorite part of the arrangement is this cute little bird's nest and eggs!  I fashioned the nest out of Spanish moss and other mosses.  Nestled inside are three sweet little eggs that I made from pink Sculpy clay.  I added little brown speckles to make them look realistic.

(though I don't know how realistic pink eggs are, hahaha!) 

My Mom loves pink, so I think she will be excited!

To top it all off, I tied a ribbon of crinkly cream seam binding around the handle of the basket.

 I must say that I'm really happy with how it turned out!  It was a fun project, and I think my Mom will really enjoy it!

 Wishing you a very Happy Mother's Day!

Spray Painted Wreath

Bonjour Mes Amis!

Yep, you read the title correctly!  I said "spray painted wreath"!

I like to joke that if something isn't moving, out comes my can of spray paint:)

I wanted to make a wreath to hang over our bed, but wanted to utilize materials that I had on hand, rather than go out and buy all new supplies.  I remembered a large bunch of silk flowers that I purchased on clearance last fall at Hobby Lobby, but they were in autumnal shades, which definitely wasn't the look I was going for.  Lucky for me, I already had a grapevine wreath base on hand.  And of course I always have a large supply of spray paint in my arsenal!

 So, after spraying the flowers with primer, and then my favorite Heirloom White, I cut off the individual flowers and leaves, and hot glued them to my base.

 I then sprayed the heck out of it with another coat of Heirloom White.  It took a ton of paint!  It was pretty much impossible to totally cover all of flowers, as some of the color showed thru.  But, I really am in love the look of faded, frosty blooms!

 After the paint had dried, I brought the wreath back inside and added the piece de la resistance, a bunch of my glittered vintage sheet music roses, which I had made awhile back.

 I'm so happy with the end result!

 I really love how the colors that once were bright gold, dark burgundy, and orange (and so not me!!)

now have the look of being gently faded over time.

 Right now I'm enjoying it in my craft room, on my brick wall. But soon it will go in our bedroom and add just the touch I was looking for.

So don't be afraid to look beyond what is, to what could be.  Get out those cans of spray paint and create something fun!
Sharing with Becky for Blissful Whites Wednesday

Creamy Whites

Bonjour Mes Amis!

It was Michigan's Longest Garage Sale last weekend, right in my neck of the woods!  So I had fun stopping at as many garage and yard sales that I could squeeze into a few hours time!  There were tons of people out and about, I think half the fun was mingling!  I was amazed at the variety of things that I spotted. Everything from a wedding dress to an old bathroom sink at one sale!  Another sale had an adorable vintage baby buggy, complete with "peep hole" windows on each side!  Another sale had an antique bathtub that was pretty worse for wear.  Of course, there was alot of crusty, rusty and grungy looking things at many of the sales.  Those were the ones that I quickly passed up!

I did manage to find quite a few treasures to transform for my shop, so today I thought I'd share with you a few of them that I've already worked some magic on!

Beautiful picture frames are always good sellers in my shop, so I was super excited to find this heavy brass frame!  Of course it was very, well, brassy when I discovered it!  I could hardly wait to transform it with my favorite shade of creamy white!

 The details of the piece are amazing!

 These sweet little frames were pewter finished.   I think their new creamy look suits them much better!

 I always like to insert vintage sheet music or decorative paper in my frames for their photo shoots. 

 Look at all of their lovely details.

 I guess I was on a roll and got lucky finding great frames!  I adore this gorgeous frame with three openings.

It was a bit of a gaudy gold when I first spotted it.  But no more!

 I really love how the cream paint, and a bit of distressing make all of the wonderful details pop!

 I love easels, too!  So I couldn't grab the one below fast enough!  It's brass, and was just begging to be given my shabby chic treatment!!

 It's so pretty, I think.

Perched on top are the sweetest pair of love birds.

That's it for now!  I'm off to do some more painting, and to see what you all have been up to!

Have a great day!

Sharing with Blissful Whites Wednesday. Be sure to visit for tons of dreamy white inspirations!

Vintage Sewing Box Makeover

Bonjour Mes Amis!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

A while ago my mom gave me her old sewing box, circa early 1970's, that she no longer used.  I knew right away that I could totally transform it into a pretty accessory for my craft room, with a little paint and tlc!

Here is the after:

 And here is the before!  "Lovely" avocado green (ugh, I told you it was from the 70's!), which made it look even more plasticy than it already was!

 I could hardly wait to cover all of that icky green with my favorite creamy white spray paint!

Mom's sewing box holds alot of special memories for me, as I remember spending hours as a little girl pouring thru her buttons and other sewing notions.  My mom sewed nearly all of my clothes while I was growing up, as well as complete wardrobes for all of my dolls!  So this sewing box, which she filled with thread, snaps, buttons, rick rack, fabric scraps, and much more, got a real workout!

 So now instead of looking like the heavy plastic that it actually is, it truly has the look of carved wood!

I also painted the insert, which used to be harvest gold (I sure don't miss that 70's look!).  I painted it white inside, only because I ran out of the cream spray paint. And I'm a "use what you've got kinda girl"!

The tray lifts out to reveal lots of storage space.

 Even the back side is pretty!  I couldn't believe how the paint brought out all of the wonderful details that were totally hidden in that icky green!

 Just the right amount of distressing gives it time worn appeal.

 It will come in so handy in my craft room to store my supplies. And I'll take it along with me when we go camping, as I always like to bring along a few crafting projects.  So I think it will be perfect for that!

 I also wanted to share with you a fun surprise that I received in the mail today, from a sweet blogging friend.  She sent me a huge roll of the most amazing decorative paper!  It's a nice heavy paper that has vintage hand written letters copied all over it!  I love it!  It will be so fun to use in future projects!

 I can hardly wait to use it!  I am so blessed to have met so many wonderful and thoughtful kindred spirits here in blogland!  Bloggers are the best, aren't they?

Have a fun and creative week!
Sharing with Debra for Be Inspired Friday.  Be sure to visit for lots of great ideas!

A Few Recent Projects

Bonjour!  Hope you all are having a great week!  Thank you for your kind comments about my craft room!  While getting it organized and "camera ready" was alot of work, it feels great to have a tidier and freshened up space!  If you missed the post, you can view it here.

And be sure to check out all of the other amazing spaces  at the "Where Bloggers Create" party, while you are at it!  I've been getting tons of ideas and inspiration from visiting everyone's studios and craft rooms!

Today I thought I would share with you a few of my latest projects, that I've created and added to my 

etsy shop.  You know how much I love creamy dreamy white, and I've painted these creations my very favorite creamy hue!

 I found this adorable little wire basket last week, just begging for a shabby French makeover!  It was black when I discovered it, and I can't believe the different several coats of paint make!  

 The basket has the cutest little wooden handle, which I painted as well.

 I just had to add an oversized Frenchy tag, that I created from vintage sheet music, and this gorgeous French soap label image from the Graphics Fairy.  A touch of glitter, a generous bow of taupe crinkly seam binding, and just the right amount of distressing, and

oooh, la, la!

 Next up is this gorgeous vintage desk organizer and pencil holder.  I found and repainted quite a few of these very organizers when we were living in Washington State, but now that we have been back here in the Midwest for a year, I have only found one!  So I was more than excited when hubby came home last week, with this set that he picked up for me!

  (wow, I guess I have taught him well, he knows just what to look for when he's out treasure hunting for me!!)

 In my excited haste to paint this puppy, I neglected to take a "before" shot!  I'll try and get better about that next time, I promise!  Anyway, if you have been lucky enough to find these organizers, they start out life a very boring dark brown, ugh!!

What a difference paint makes!

(Ok, the next organizer I find like this I am keeping for myself, for sure!) 

I'm always searching for pretty picture frames that I can transform, and I was thrilled to discover these beautiful frames earlier this summer, when we were camping in northern Michigan.

The are vintage metal filigree, and were just begging for a makeover!  Originally gold, I think they look oh so much better painted creamy white!  The details on the frames are just amazing, and were totally lost in all of that gold!

 I added some of my Parisian themed wrapping paper to the insides, but whoever purchases this set can easily remove it and add their own photos.

 I am so happy with the way they turned out!

 For now they are in my craft room where I can admire and enjoy them!

 That's it for now, hope you are inspired to search for your own treasures to paint!

Have a great day!

Joining Timewashed for Blissful Whites Wednesday. Be sure to visit for lots of inspiration!

Sneak Peek of My Redecorated Craft Room!

Hello everyone!

Today I wanted to give you a little sneak peek at my craft room, which I've been busy redecorating.  I still have some finishing touches to complete, then I'll be sure to show you the entire room.  I must admit that I never gave much thought to actually decorating the room where I create (or should I say "play"?!).  Of course I always wanted it to be functional and look nice.  But once saw so many of your gorgeous crafting rooms, I was inspired to pretty up mine as well!

 Ok, I know that I am missing a handle on this desk (which I am looking for a replacement for!), but I am so excited about this new area in my craft room, that I just couldn't wait to share it with you!  Anyway, I had been wanting to add a new piece to my room that not only would allow for more storage of my supplies, but would provide an attractive display area for things that I've made for my Etsy shop, as well as treasures and mementos of mine.  The catch was, I challenged myself to do it on a teeny tiny budget! You see, our cross country move back to Michigan was very costly. And if you've been following me for awhile, you know that our "lovely" renter that was leasing our home while we lived in Washington caused thousands and thousands of dollars in damage to our home.  Which we have been left to pay.

So, I had a brainstorm!  The desk, hutch and chair that you see here actually was mine when I was a young girl!  My mom still had it in storage in her home! Like so many little girls "back then" (and I won't even tell you how many years ago that was!), I had a bedroom set of white French Provincial furniture, that I loved! 

 So, I brought it home, and guess what I did to it?  I spray painted it Heirloom White!  I know, that may have been cheating a bit, but I've been doing so much painting since we've moved home, that I thought a short cut was in order!  And with hubby's help, I reupholstered the chair, which I am so happy with!  I just so happened to have the blue & white toile, which I think goes perfect with the Shabby French look that I was going for!  So, total cost for my redo, including 1 can of primer, 2 cans of spray paint, and new foam for the chair:  a whopping $15!!!  Now I just need to find a new handle for the bottom drawer, and I'll be all set!

 Another redo that I am super excited about is this gorgeous pair of antique sconces, which I've placed on either side of the desk/hutch.  A sweet blogging friend sent me a photo of them, asking if I might be interested in them.  No pressure to accept them, she said.  What?  No Pressure?:)  I couldn't say "yes" fast enough!  They are cast iron, and originally were wired for electricity, which had since been removed.  They needed a bit of tlc, so I painted them Heirloom White (of course!), and distressed them a bit.  I'm cheating a little here, as I "stole" the crystal bobeches from the chandelier in our bedroom for this photo shoot.  I've been looking for some affordable ones for the sconces, which I have yet to find (but I know they are out there somewhere!).

 Aren't they gorgeous?  I thought that was so thoughtful of my friend to share them with me!! Love them!

 Ok, back to my desk/hutch.  I am having so much fun with it!  I've placed two baskets on the top to neatly store things.

 And I've added a wooden organizer that I found at a garage sale a few years ago, and finally got around to painting.  Love all of the little cubbies!

 I added a new green glass knob from Hobby Lobby.  And I love my vintage books, one a French textbook, and another a children's dictionary. In my favorite color, blue, of course!

 The cubbies are perfect for stashing my handcrafted tags and other miscellaneous supplies.

 I found this lovely vintage print of the Virgin Mary a few weeks ago at the thrift store. Isn't she beautiful?  The frame was originally brown and cream, and a bit dingy looking.  So some HW was in order!  I had intended on putting her in my Etsy shop, but I love her so much that I decided to keep her for myself! (Whoops, I just noticed a reflection of my arm to the left of Mary!)

 I really love looking for interesting baskets and containers to store supplies in. Right now I'm keeping some of my handcrafted notecards in this pretty fleur de lis cream tin.

 Wire baskets are another love of mine.  Thought Pinky and Blue Boy looked so pretty displayed here!

 A vintage paperweight and vintage French vocabulary card.

 I made this sweet birdie plaque a few years ago, using a graphic from the Graphics Fairy.  Here I've displayed it on a pretty little cream easel.

 A basket which I spray painted HW holds my stash of vintage sheet music that I love to use for crafting. Isn't the cover of this book charming?

And here is a glimpse at where I spend lots of my time!  My crafting cubby!  I've had this for a few years, and just love it! I found it at a moving sale (for a mere $15), and hubby added the pegboard to the side, as well as to the wall.  I've painted the pegboard my favorite shade of green.  There are 12 cubbies on each side, and they hold a ton of my crafting supplies!

I've got lots more to show you, which I will share in future posts!  Thanks so much for coming along on my little tour!

I'm linking up with the following fun parties:
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday 
Courtney at French Country Cottage Feathered Nest Friday 
Shabby Art Boutique Shabbilicious Friday 
Faded Charm White Wednesday