Christmas!! Christmas!! Christmas!! 2012

It's the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...besides the first day of school!!! HeeHee!

This is my most favorite time of the year. My house it FULLY decorated as of November 1st! Everything is so magical feeling. I love all the smells, the feeling of love in the air, and all the food!

 I wanted to blog about how GRATEFUL I am for this past year! My fan base has shot up and I feel like I'm getting better, or should I say getting deeper in my creativeness! This blog and my page are SO much Positiveness for me that it makes my heart ache with glee! THANK YOU everyone for your ongoing support, it truly means the world to me!

I want to share some of my holiday decor with you...

 My beloved dresser. It's been in my family for 92 years! I adore decorating it seasonally!

Some Mercury Ball Ornaments and beads placed on a sofa table.......I LOVE this look, it's so Glamorous!

This is a my Vintage Bear in a match box, from Bethany Lowe, check out her line....Amazing!

He is one of my most treasured Christmas pieces.

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Penguins! These were my first pair I ever bought.....So Sweet! I have tons more around the entire house!

My Shabby, Sparkling, Fabulous Sleigh on my mantle!

My Vintage Window that I seasonally decorate. This one is hung in my living room!

Here is a view of my living room! Please excuse the ton of wine glasses and the chips on the table.....this was the night of my Annual Blind Wine Tasting Party!

 Here is a huge ledge over top of my bedroom doors. This is a fantastic space to decorate seasonally as well!

I'm not much of a "red" girl but I do enjoy some at Christmas time and here is my entire red collection on top of the ledge! My favorite piece? The farm gate with the Vintage Santa Scroll. 

I hope you enjoyed a sneak peek of my home decor!

Wishing you the Merriest Christmas and the most Exciting New Year!
See you next year!

Much Love,

Jenny

Ava Blake Creations

xoxoxo

Annual Blind Wine Tasting Party 2012

Hello Hello,

I'm behind on my blogging.....funny how Christmas just sneaks up on you, and at a jet plane pace!!

I wanted to blog about my Wine Party!

We have a Blind Wine Tasting Party every year, this was our 4th year. You have to bring a Red Wine, any region, and in a brown bag.~FUN~

Here is my kitchen island set up for the tasting...

We had 24 people with 12 tastings to do! I have to limit the guests at this party otherwise we would have 20+ tastings to do!! Our score cards go from appearance to after taste. 

This year we had a new crowd of tasters and therefore new wines, we tried a Chocolate Wine, tastes like pure chocolate...for real!!!

 Our Winner this year was a California Pinot Noir! This is totally new for us, this crowd is mostly Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon Drinkers!

Some people don't drink Red Wine.......GASP, can you imagine???? TeeHee

For these lovely friends, I also have the table set up for an International Beer Tasting. This year we had these people submit 2 beers each. They have score cards to mark each beer. There were about 6 people beer tasting.

The tasting in full swing!

The Winner was a Pumpkin Beer!

I hope you enjoyed this fun post!

CHEERS,

Jenny

xoxo

Retro Console Unit

Good Day!

 I do ADORE a good console cabinet....seriously!! You just don't see them much anymore! Perfect for little crafts storage, kids coloring stuff, books, or Wine & Spirits, the sky is really is the limit! I LOVE mine in my entrance, in my hallway, or any little wall with a mirror above it.....SO many ideas with them!

This little darling I received from the sweetest little lady whom was throwing it in the garbage! GASP, Ava Blake Creations to the rescue!

I actually did a post on this console already...see 'Vintage Upright Console Cabinet' to read more of the story! 

It did take a  little trip, then came back to me. I felt that it scooped up some bad Karma along the way...... so I gave it new energy and repainted it!

FYI, this was my very first painting job with van Gogh Fossil Paint.

Here was the original paint job!

I repainted it.....well, just the outside of it, but decided it needed more......

Seriously?? Who doesn't LOVE a good retro vibe!? WAH-LAH! I found it's match!

I painted this console van Gogh Fossil Paint Mascara Black, and did the front with Chalk White. I projected the Retro Folks onto the front then hand painted them in! These fantastic images are from Graphics Fairy!

 Check out the Dolly and the Big Daddy! Like Don't Have A Cow but isn't it just so Hip now?!

HAHAHA SO FUN!

Here it was the night of my Open House....Rad right?!

This one was Made In The Shade!

Jenny
xoxo

Tissue Paper Tables

Holla!

Today's project is a quick, easy and SO cute!

This cute little table was on my doorstep one morning from a great friend, THANKS Sue!

This Antique Claw Foot Table was on it's way to the dump when my friend Mel intervened! THANKS for thinking of me Mel.
What a beauty!











Along with this Antique Half Moon Table. It was also in the truck load that was saved from the dump!!

French Perfume Label Dresser

Ava Blake Creations had an Open House at my home on Nov.17, 2012. Despite the winter conditions I had a good turn out and I was super Grateful!

Here was one of the show stoppers of the night, there was more then one actually, so stay tuned for that!

AGAIN I'm eternally grateful for my network of friends! "Jenny, I'm getting rid of this dresser do you think you can do anything with it?" THANKS SCARLETT for this one!

circa 1950's Dresser with mirror. Can you see the potential??? 

Giddy dance, while rubbing hands together!!!!

 These Antique Dressers were made with such workmanship. The dovetail drawers were handmade, I'd like to say made with love!

 I was so excited to get started on this one.....

WOWZA!!!!

I painted it van Gogh Fossil Paint in Mama's Boy Blue, then I painted the drawers van Gogh Fossil Paint Chalk White. Have I mentioned how much I'm in love with van Gogh Fossil Paint....super easy to work with!! I distressed the drawers back to the blue and in some spots the natural brown of the dresser. The rest of the dresser I distressed back to the brown. I then used this Antique French Perfume Label from Graphics Fairy.  I just ADORE the font!

This dresser makes me giddy dance....and it looks more like Elaine from Seinfeld BUT so much fun!!

Here is a closer look at the distressing! LOVE LOVE LOVE that distressed, worn in, loved look!

This dresser sold right away to a gal with superb style!

Hope you love it!

Gotta run Honey bun

Jenny

xox

I Partied at these sites for this blog post!

Cupcakes and Crinoline.com 

  Three Mango Seeds & It's So Very Cheri Linky Party

 The Funky Junk Linky Party

70's Chunky Wood Chairs....FINALLY!

Hello Hello,

FINALLY....is all I can say about these chairs!! I received them over a year ago from  a friend, THANK YOU Candace! 

Their story is....The Calgary Rotary Club had owned these chairs and put them in storage in the early 1990's and last year cleared out the storage unit. I saved them from the dump!! 

They had matching side tables. I renewed the side tables and a gal with fabulous taste bought them and uses them as nightstands. You can see the post showing the renewed nightstands HERE.

Typical 70's style, chunky wood set....I remember my parents had this sofa set and it had brown/gold corduroy-ish material on the cushions! 

I sent them to the sprayer, he painted them an off white, and there they sat for just under a year!!

Then my prayers were answered......a sewing fairy came into my life, THANK YOU JODI P!!

I picked the fabric from Ikea....YES, Ikea!!! They have some beautiful fabric now, and my sewing fairy made the cushions and covered the pillows!

Ta Da...

I gave them some of my popping Shabby Style and thought this Beauteous Grey with White Roses Fabric was a perfect match! I admire the comfy factor of these giant chairs and I wanted to keep that feeling, so I went with two huge snugly pillows on the backs of the chairs instead of another cushion.

Here is a closer picture. Believe me these chairs are as comfy as they look!

They turned out Spectacular!

Bye Bye Butterfly!

Jenny

xoxo

Vintage Roll Top Desk Transformed, Tuxedo Style

Hello Friends,

Well as this story goes....Before the Calgary Sun paper was the Calgary Sun,  it was called The Albertan. This desk was from that office! A dad and a son both owned it, life long!

I received the desk like this...

The fellow who owned it had it in his garage for years after his dad had owned it for years.

The inside compartments...

The drawers, and other parts! 

This desk was built with outstanding craftsmanship. Dovetail joints for all the drawers and still just as sturdy as when it was built!

Here is the style I saw in my mind for this desk.....Tuxedo!!!

I painted the bottom of the desk van Gogh Fossil Paint Chalk White, and the top Mascara Black. 

Fine, Fine Style for this Tuxedo Desk!

I then added a perfectly matched Vintage Ad for Fine Rubber Stamps and such from Graphics Fairy website.

 I made the edges a little rough looking as if it was stamped on top of the desk!

Here is a picture of the drawers, painted as well.

I finished it by giving it some worn in Shabby Style and finally 100% all natural Bees-waxed the heck out of it....and I have a bigger right bicep to prove it!!

A woman with amazing style bought this desk for her husband for Christmas! They picked it up this past weekend and are completely in love with it!! Cheers to another 100yrs of life this desk will now have and all the love it will share!

Much Love,

Jenny

xox

I linked this post up to the House Of Hepworths linky party and Funky Junk Interiors 184 Linky Party

Painted Vintage Windows

Hello Hello, Oh My Goodness I haven't posted in a while!! I've been SO busy painting and waxing away for my Ava Blake Open House this Friday, and I have a bigger bicep on the right to prove it!

Well, you all know that I adore Vintage Windows! I'm always thinking of a million ways to reuse them.
 Here is a picture of my ongoing stock pile of Vintage Windows....

Here are my latest Creations....

SOOOO, I downloaded the Vintage images from Graphics Fairy to blockposters.com and then printed them in the size that I needed for each window. I taped them to the back of my window and then traced the image with a sharpie marker. Then I painted over the sharpie with either Acrylic Paint or Glass Paint.

This French Fabric Ad is so Gorgeous!

Then I fell in LOVE and did more....This Tin Company Ad was just so cool and PERFECTLY matched with the Antique Cow Bell I thought!

This one was just so Romantic looking I had to do it...

OHHHHH, and this one....which happens to be my FAVORITE of the bunch...A Vintage Mermaid...STUNNING, seriously!

Hung on my wall they look so Mesmerising!!!!  I most certainly will do more...The Sky Is The Limit!!!!

I linked this post up to Funky Junk Interiors Linky Party. GAWD, I do hope I'm doing this right? It's my 2nd linky party!!
I also linked it to The Three Mango Seeds linky party.

See you soon Baboon!!

Jenny

xox

El' Creepy Custom Morgue Trunk

Hello Hello and soon to be Happy Halloween!

I found this trunk on  my local Kijiji site, and the story goes.....A son found the trunk up in the back corner shelf in a cabin garage that his parents bought! He had it for years hoping to renew it but just didn't get around to it. It has the original tag on it saying "Never break Trunks". It's dated early 1900!!

My sister In law, lets say likes "the darker side" of things and requested me do a custom design for her...completely out of my ordinary but I'll give it a try!

Here is the before...

The inside, with original hardware and hangers! How cool is that?

Elegant 1914 Trunk Makeover

Happy Monday Everyone!

After I finished the first Vintage Steamer, now Paris Trunk (look for the earlier post) I ran out and bought 2 more trunks, this being one of them...

This was already renewed....GASP..... Head in Sand!

This is the original paper lining the inside. It also had the original drawer still intact. How cool is that?

I HAD to use the Patina van Gogh Fossil Paint because it's my current obsession! Seriously...I posted a warning to my friends not to come over this week or they to would be painted Patina blue!

Here is what I did...

I painted the entire piece with van Gogh Fossil Paint, Patina. I then gave it some Shabby Style with Buttah Yellow. I used this simple Paris Address from Graphics Fairy, and used my projector to enlarge the image to fit the trunk front. Next I sealed it with the natural Beeswax and finalized it with the French Caffeine Dark Wax that perfected the Time Worn feel that I so adore!

~Simple yet Elegant!~

I also painted the entire inside....this trunk has had some journeys and it had the smells to prove it....WHEWEE! 

I wanted the trunk to feel loved yet fresh, so I painted it Buttah Yellow inside, and sealed it with the wax.....it's like opening sunshine now!

As you might already know, I'm smitten with taking pictures of my creations down gravel roads....there is something about the journey of roads that I love to capture in the pictures. My favorite picture is this one below, with the hay bales on the background....Amazing!

I hope this inspires you to renew your old Trunks.....

Much gratitude,

Jenny

xox