Dreaming of Spring

I love finding flat front, tall chest of drawers or wide dressers that offer a blank canvas for getting creative. I knew when I picked up this tall boy chest, that it would be perfect for the floral/dragonfly graphic I came across several  months ago (sorry I can't remember where).  I knew the graphic needed a base of classic off white so I underbrushed ASCP Paris Gray then brushed on ASCP Old White. Viola...my canvas was ready!

I like to use the projector method on a lot of my graphics, mainly because I can't draw stick figures. :) I started out by filling in the turquoise flowers using ASCP Florence then finished up with the Gray/Black. After a lot of tweaking, I was pretty happy with the outcome and she was finally ready for her distressing and waxing.

In the end, I gave her a pedicure with wooden caster wheels and new jewelry with her crackled glass knobs.

I should have taken pictures as I went a long, but didn't, and am now kicking myself for it. Being new to the blog world I need to get better at that...and posting to my blog for that matter. It's a process I guess!

How Henry got his name

 

I have a confession. I am cheap. I am a bargain junkie. When I go shopping, the first place I go to is the clearance rack. I despise paying full price for anything. For me, it is a quest. It is a challange for one. I thrive on it. I am pretty sure it actually makes my heart rate increase. I can't tell you when this obsession started. I honestly think I was born with it, and as a child, it was nurtured by my grandmother who would to take me to garage sales with her. Now I am not saying these are bad qualities. In fact, they have served me quite well as a mother raising four kids. Being cheap has also forced my creative side to bubble to the surface. Whether I was creating four Halloween costumes from scratch or building an art studio table from scrap bundle lumber from Lowes, I always used what was on hand or what I could find second hand. It is the same reason why I get such a rush when I turn a piece of furniture that no one else wanted into something that gets a second chance at being loved again. Cue Henry.....

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When I found Henry he was in a three sided building at a Antique/Junk auction buried underneath piles of "stuff"......rusty, greasy, dirty "stuff". He had two drawers that would not pull open, peeling vaneer off the top and covered in cob webs. Just as I anticipated, no one wanted him at the auction. So we loaded him up with all of our other loot for the day and headed home.

Soon it was Henry's turn for a facelift. While making several repairs and removing metal window screen from the bottom (I assume it was to keep critters out of the drawers) we made some pretty cool discoveries. The first being Henry was made with quarter sawn lumber and square nails. Yes...SQUARE nails! I don't know who was more excited, hubs or I. It became obvious that Henry was hand made MANY years ago and obviously had a lot of stories he could tell. We finally finished his rehab and he was ready for the paint table.

 

 

*Metal window screen on the bottom

Once Henry was all painted (ASCP Olive and Arles) and glazed and was PURDDY again, we made one final discovery. On the bottom of the top middle drawer was a signature and 2 dates. The name Henry Moser was written in beautiful scroll type script. The dates 1876 and 1877 were also printed. WOW!

Who knew, that when I saw him all covered in YUCK, Mr Henry was hiding so many secrets! I was over the moon! Any that, my friends, is how Henry got his name!

*Henry eventually did get his new jewelry on the top drawers. "Someone" made an ooops when ordering his new pulls. ;} I must say he looks rather handsome in his new rusted iron pulls!

 

 

 I hope you enjoyed Henry's story. I am happy to say that he now has a new home and is being loved again!

 

Thank you for stopping by. Until next time...