First Post!

So, I am getting started with a blog.

Coming up with the name for my little corner of the internets was a big challenge. It is not really that subtle, but like everyone with a young family and a house and a dog, I am busy and doing what I want to do with my time has to get shoved into the 25th hour of my day.

I have loved doing creative things for a long long time. I have always felt that I was given just enough talent artistically to only be frustrated that I am not better. One area that has always given me a lot of satisfaction is sewing and another is furniture refinishing. I have spent a lot of time sewing aprons and other fun things the past few years, but it feels like time for a change.

In a long-ago stage of life, pre-children and without a work visa, I moved with my husband down to south Texas. I discovered a very eccentric cabinet maker who loved the idea of someone who would work for basically nothing in exchange for learning about woodworking and tools and swearing like a true artist (him, not me). I found that I loved the refinishing aspect of the shop and enjoyed seeing the beauty restored to these old pieces. I also did a lot of painting and gluing and sweeping (not as glamourous).

After a couple of years in Texas, we returned to Canada and set up stakes in central Alberta. We bought an old 1960's bungalow in need of a lot of love and worked over the next 10 years to make it into our family home and painted and renovated every square inch of that house. I should point out that we also discovered that I should be the one wielding the paintbrush. Tim (my excellent and patient husband) grew accustomed to coming home to a wall removed or cabinets in the middle of a remodel and was happy with it all as long as he did not have to participate. We brought our two children home there and it was cozy and we loved it.

In 2009 we made the decision to move just outside of Calgary, Alberta to the 'burbs due to job changes for Tim. Just for something completely different we bought a brand new house which is nice in some ways, but comes with its own set of challenges. The big one being that everything is a blank slate. It has been difficult infusing some character into the typical builder finished home. An older home naturally brings some character with it, but a new house needs some help. I have spent the past year and half finding ways to do that and also rediscovering a real passion for upcycling some truly ugly stuff.

I am running out of room for a lot of my finds, but not out of ideas. I know I cannot be the only person who loves these little treasures, so I thought I would start to offer some of these extra pieces at a reasonable price. I am trying some new techniques and different types of paint and finishes. I am nervous to put this stuff out there, but have been encouraged by people close to me that this could be good.

I will post items here and on the local Kijiji site in the hopes that I will be able to find others who like this  character stuff too. I am also open to doing commission work as well. If you have a small piece that you would like reinvented, please contact me and we can talk about it!

Stayed tuned for my first item.