The Benefits of Social Networking

When Face Book first came out I wasn’t a believer. I thought I could never get into that, but now it’s like an addiction for me! How about you? I love my business Face Book page and have met so many great people through it. I’ve even added a Twitter account too! Hahaha! I know I sound like a tool! But it's amazing how it can help your business grow!

(My personal page is a whole other story. My kids think I’m crazy and yes they hate the fact that they have friended me and I write, “I love you!” all over their walls!)

Anyway, the reason why I’m going on about Face Book and Twitter, is this, the social media thing…it works! I’ve actually gotten a lot of business from it, my case and point, this beautiful redo right here! Krissy was a friend from high school, we reconnected via FB (how cool am I with the abbreviated lingo), she saw my stuff and “BAM!” (Okay, maybe not that intensely) commissioned me to redo her grandmother’s dressing table for her daughter!

At first we chatted via FB, and then she sent pics via email. She sat down with her daughter scanned my blog and Etsy store for designs, which led to a list of things they might like to see on their dresser. Her daughter really liked this bookcase I had painted for another client, so that was our insperation piece.

I then scketched out some designs (tweeted about them! Hahaha! Joking!), sent the pictures back to her via e-mail and they picked the one they liked best.

Now, some of you are thinking, Mary, this isn’t a very personal way to do business, and I would agree, but in today’s world when people are oober busy, carving out “time” to meet with someone face to face, and coordinating schedules is crazy! Krissy is a working mom, I’m a working mom, enough said people! Sometimes I take care of business at 2 am! This is when social media, e-mail etc…is a total must! If I could have had her fax the actual dresser to me and save the gas, I would have!

The desk was in really good shape despite its age. I did have to do some minor repairs to it. I used (as always) Gorilla glue in the cracks and held it shut with clothespins until it dried.

I sanded it, primed it and turned it on its side to get ready for painting. Just a side note: Always turn your pieces upside down, otherwise you’re always going to be finding “missed spots”, plus my motto is, “If it looks good from underneath, it will look even better from the top.”

I even prime and paint the drawers. First, I think it gives every piece a finished detailed look. Second, most of the pieces I refinish are used, and who wants to put their junk in someone else’s junk, right!

 I added cute knobs, all from Hobby Lobby. I didn’t want them to match because I felt it added to the funkiness of the piece. I also added wooden letter appliqués also from Hobby Lobby in the form of her initials on the two top drawers, plus the wings & heart in the center just for some added whimsy.

And just before I finish I sign my pieces now. I wasn’t signing things before, but a good friend (thanks Lucy, AKA Lucy Designs) told me “You have to sign your work, it’s your art!” so now I do.

Krissy also purchased this great mirror from me to go with the set. I just put some black and white checks around the outside and the trio was complete.

I did lacquer it with 4-5 coats of lacquer but you know teenage girls! Mom’s going to purchase either a piece of glass/Plexiglas to cover the top area to preserve it better, plus she can add pictures or keepsakes underneath to personalize it even more.

Hopefully, when Krissy has it all set up in her room she’ll send me a picture and we’ll see what it looks like in action!

So the moral of this story! Social Networking pays off!


And for those of you who live locally stop out and see us next weekend at The Syracuse Arts and Crafts Festivale! All the details are here!


Have a Fantastic Weekend!


Happy Painting!






Mary!






I will be sharing with my friends on my link up page. You can find them all here.

Garage Sale Lovin'

Two weeks ago we had a garage sale. We had been procrastinating about it for awhile. We knew the guy across the street would be getting ready for his annual whoopla soon and we always tried to coincide ours with his, problem was we never quit made it, but this year we were determined. We had been stocking up like squirrels on crack; our living room looked like an episode of Hoarders gone bad. Do you ever notice when you tell someone you’re having a garage sale all of a sudden you inherit their garbage too? But the scary thing is when I went to my Moms to get her “junk” half of it I wanted to keep! Ugh! I have a problem people! Really who needs 2 George Foreman Grills! Hahaha!

Seriously, I didn’t keep the grill but there were some nice lamp shades I scored, as well as some other interesting salvage. So, after a weeklong frenzy of moving, cleaning, tagging, and setting up we were ready for business. It was great because we set up shop in the driveway and got a lot of painting done for our upcoming show while we waited on customers in between, win/win. The lady across the street opened up her garage too, so we drew even more people in, I mean we were rocking, people!

Then it happened… (Cue the cheesy music da, da, da!) I saw her (or them I should say) from across the street. They stole my heart (and my profit, almost) but I had to have them! I made a mad dash across the road. Okay, let’s be real, I’m a bigger woman, I don’t make a mad dash for anything unless it’s smothered in butter, but I wanted that furniture! I was like Daffy Duck in that one cartoon where he grabs the pearl in the oyster and says, “Mine, mine, all mine!” I even knocked some old lady out of the way to get to it! This bad boy was for me and no one else! I would have arm wrestled my own grandmother for it! It was that spectacular! Unfortunately, I had to leave her sister. I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend the money (and I spent the next day and half pining away for her from across the street. Secretly sending daggers at anyone who went near her).

All right, so back in my driveway, even though I was working on other pieces I quickly tossed them aside (sorry chairs) and sat her front and center. I had a bit of an idea of what I wanted to do with her but I wanted to see what you guys thought. Within minutes of posting my last blog someone (thanks Renee!) wrote back clouds! BINGO! That totally connected with what I was thinking and I ran with it (although the fish idea was pretty cool too). I had also seen a cool plastic plate while grocery shopping (inspiration everywhere, right!) and knew black and white harlequins would be fantastic along the base.

So, without further a due her she is….

And just in case you were wondering…I did go back and get her sister at the end of the garage sale extravaganza. No one had purchased her (she was meant to be mine I think) and I was able to talk my neighbor down in price. So, I did wind up investing a good chunk of our sales back into furniture (big surprise there, right? But I figured with the Syracuse Arts and Crafts Show coming up at the end of July, God willing, I might be able to make that back ;D

Here’s my next project on deck, a custom order, a dresser and bench for a client’s teenage daughter. This will be tricked out in black, white, hot-pink, and iguana green, with funky flowers, stripes polka dots, hearts and wings! You won’t want to miss it!

I will be sharing with these link parties, just click here to get back to your designated page!

Happy Painting!



Mary