(Linda has sent me some dolly pictures and I’ll start showing them tomorrow, but I wanted to get this “home project” out of the way first…)
I really am not a quitter on most projects, it’s just that sometimes it takes me a while to figure things out. I watched a video last night on how to use dark wax over clear wax. It seemed like a simple thing to do… but I guess my Paste Finishing Wax from Lowe’s wasn’t really the kind of wax she was talking about, because I got up this morning raring to get this island detailed and finished! I tried just a tiny bit of the wax but it just wouldn’t stay in place.
In case you haven’t been here for a few days, I have been working on a small table that is being turned into an island for my kitchen. It has these grooves cut out on the sides and I wanted them to show up with something “dark” in the cracks to make the piece “pop!” Nothing I was trying was working…
So I gave up on the wax and went down in the basement to see what else I could find. I found a can of Java Brown glaze and decided to try it on the underneath side of my island…
It seemed like it might stick in the cracks and crevices, so I didn’t hardly bat an eye, but stirred the can well and then loaded my brush with some and started slathering it on the detail work on the island… It looked like a hot mess at first… all smeared with dark brown marks going every which way. As soon as I got one area covered from side to side, I grabbed a cotton rag and wiped it off… a little more and then I stood back and looked at it… and then I smiled… I knew I had found the answer. It got in all the little nooks and crannies in the wood grain and looked like what I had been hoping for.
Yippee!
This is what I was wanting!
I worked for quite a while and my hubby left the house to go do a job for someone. I was eyeballing those brass corner pieces that my hubby had carefully taken off and thought “surely” I can put those back on. The little holes where they had been originally were still visible, and once you lined the pieces up, it was just a matter of tapping them into place…
Here is a shot of 2 sides…
I got to looking at them and noticed they looked slightly off from side to side… UGH!
I measured them and the opposite corners were the same but not the end corners… they were off about 1/4″. So what did I do? I texted Cindy (for the umpteenth time during this project) and asked her what she thought…) She said she really couldn’t tell…
That was all I needed to hear… and you know what, when my hubby got home and we just had to see it in the kitchen, it wasn’t noticeable at all… because it was down lower than eye level…and I really doubt that someone will come over to my house and notice the brass corners on my island are uneven (unless of course, one of YOU stops by!) :o) This will just be “OUR” little secret, okay?
Remember… this is what she looked like the day we bought her…
So here is my new island (I still have to steel wool the top of it and put a conditioner on it) making her debut… the picture with “Chandi” on, makes it look more blue, but with the light off, it’s a better representation of the color.
What a happy ending to a stressful day yesterday… I love it in my kitchen and can’t wait for Cindy to see it in person!
Okay, I’ll get this top finished but it will probably look almost the same… Thanks for hanging around during this project!
P.S. I just had to sneak in the kitchen before I went to bed and have one more look… yep, I still love her!
See you tomorrow, and don’t forget I’ll have “Linda’s pictures!”
Blessings, Jeanne
“Never underestimate the ingenuity of an inspired woman!” That glaze was just the ticket for your new island! It really makes the carved details stand out, as they are supposed to. And, no, I doubt anyone will notice if the brass pieces aren’t perfectly, symmetrically positioned. I sure wouldn’t! It’s not like they are at eye level. Plus, the asymmetrical carved details helps fool the eye.
Thanks for sharing my photos yesterday, Jeanne. I think I answered everyone’s questions/comments. I just want to clarify one thing–at one point I said the Leeann dolls were 13″ tall, and they aren’t, they’re 10-1/2″ tall. I guess I was thinking of the LIttle Darlings, which are 13″. Sorry if I confused anyone.
I missed commenting yesterday but I had to tell you I loved your LeeAnn/LouLou dolls. I do remember you buying one lately. I think it was the ballerina. I don’t have any of these dolls so thanks for sharing. I’m going to be doing a little more research on them.
Thank you, Barbara. Yes, I got the ballerina doll about 2 years ago now, I think, plus one other at that time. Then this past fall these three! (And I already had two.) They are multiplying!
The Leeann website is leeann.ca . It is closed until the 15th, after Denis gets back from France. You can “like” his website on FB, and that will get you notices as to his being back in Canada and his website being reopened, when it happens, plus you can see pictures that others have shared of their dolls from the Leeann family.
You should be really proud of youself, Jeanne, for all the trouble you went through to get this project finished and and the end result looking so good, and I know you are! Just think, no one in the world has this piece, and here it is, one of a kind, right in your very own kitchen! Bravo to you for your diligence and patience in getting it done just right! I don’t really notice any difference in the brass pieces, and I don’t tink anyone else will either.
Lighting certainly does make a difference in the colors! I try to match ribbons and other accessories on my dolls with their outfits, then take a picture, only to show that the ribbons DON’T match in the picture, while I can see in plain daylight, they do!
I like that shot of your kitchen with Chandy lit up. You are ready for “Better Homes and Gardens” to come calling, and I am sure you slept very well last night! 🙂
Jeanne one i saw on face book had a small dish towel rack on it. a thought
Glad you were able to finish the piece to your liking. I’d love to see a pic of it being used for what you intend. Is it going to be a chopping block for things going into a pan on the stove behind? Just curious. 🙂
Looking forward to seeing Linda’s pictures.
Hope Ingrid’s husband is doing well. Has anyone heard anything?
Jeanne, your kitchen work table looks great! Glad you found the glaze too, it’s just what the cut design needed. Your kitchen looks so nice to begin with and now you have a special work table that not only looks good, but it has a purpose too.
It’s always fun to see your projects. Btw, I love the look of your kitchen curtains.
How nice to find exactly what you needed in your own basement, Jeanne. And LOL I see your island has now taken on a female personality like Chandi. I’m sure they’ll be good friends 🙂
I love unique pieces of anything and the island brings a unique touch to your kitchen.
Looking forward to Linda’s pictures tomorrow and whatever fun her dolls are having next. Mine spend most of their time as watchman on the shelf lately.
I too, hope Ingrid’s husband is recovery nicely.
Well done! It looks perfect in your pretty kitchen. I have to laugh when I compare all the pics along the way…color is so weird…it looks very grey in some pics…very green in some of the first pics and so blue in the finished ones. No wonder you have issues sometimes with color coming out right on fabric… It isn’t you.🫣
Magic Linda is up to waving her wand over her dolls again🤗😍🤩
Tomorrow will be fun!
What a feeling of accomplishment you must feel. Your table/island is very nice and the glaze worked perfectly. Did you give any dimensions on it? I don’t recall seeing any and I was wondering how much area there was on top.
Looking forward to seeing what Linda’s dolls have been up to. My Betsy is especially waiting to see if her Betsy is in the pictures and what she is wearing.
I am bummed out a bit. I have a pack of silk dupioni fabric I can’t find. I have looked everywhere I have fabric and cannot find it. I was going to use one of the pieces for a Spring Fling dress for one of my dolls but I fear she will have to make another choice. I know it’s got to be somewhere and I’m sure it will turn up. I kept it in the plastic bag it came in because it’s a bit delicate so I would think that would make it easier to find. I know it will turn up but I’ve now spent two days looking for it instead of getting any sewing done. My laundry room curtains are finished and I was anxious to start creating. I’ll probably find it as soon as I stop looking.
Hopefully we will hear from Ingrid soon that her husband is doing well. Since so much done in the hospital these days does not require a stay, if he went home after the procedure she probably has her hands full.
Hi Jeanne,
Your new kitchen island looks great. You always seem to get the job done no matter what issues arise. Good job!
Thank you, ladies, for all the prayers and good vibes. Hubby came home today. He’s tired and his wrist is painful where the surgeon went in. Two weeks ago, he told his doctor during a routine physical he’d been having chest pains, (He’s not one to complain. I found out recently he’s been having chest pains on and off for a year) he thought it was probably a pulled muscle, as his pain happen at times when he was being very active. The doctor thankfully sent him for a stress test. Long story short yesterday they went in through his wrist. They used dye and an x-ray machine and later used that artery at the wrist to place a stent.
Things certainly have changed since my father was in the hospital for the same thing. They went in at the groin for dad. Mom and I sat in a huge room full of people waiting for their loved ones, watching a large tv screen hanging on the wall with patient numbers saying they were in surgery or recovery. Yesterday I stayed in hubby’s room the entire time. I brought a punch needle craft to work on, my lunch and iced tea. There was a comfortable chair that reclined, a tv if I wanted to watch a show and a nice clean bathroom. I also received updates via text message which was wonderful.
After the procedure Dr. Bhayana (the Cardiologist) called me on my cell phone. He told me what he found, (one artery 100% blocked but amazingly the body had rerouted the blood supply to his heart, because of that he was not going to do anything with that. (Wow that to me is just fascinating and wonderous! I didn’t know our bodies were capable of that kind of thing!) (One artery blocked 90% and one 80%) He was turning hubby over to his partner who would be placing a stent in the artery with the 90% blockage. He wasn’t worried about the artery that was 80% blocked… I think I was in shock all I remember saying was ok, ok, ok and then how long until I see my husband?
Dr. Dalal came to see us once hubby was back in his room. What a nice man and so calm. He explained in layman’s terms what he had done and why. One question I have and didn’t think to ask yesterday was … is the type of blockage hubby has hereditary? In 2004 my hubby’s 38-year brother died in a horrible ski accident, his autopsy showed significant blockage. Both my hubby and brother in-law are/were nonsmokers and in very good physical shape. I should also mention that my father in-law had a heart attack in his late 30’s, he was however a smoker, did drink and was slightly overweight. So, does anyone know if it’s hereditary? I feel like I need to tell my son he needs to get checked out.
Sending hugs and love to my sofa sisters