Christmas in September

What is this??? is it Christmas... it sure feels like it. Ryobi has partnered with me to sponsor my White Wood Studio workshops...so now I can offer even better workshops and more tools for more building and learning fun. Head on over to the Ryobi Power Tools Canada facebook page and give them a like so you don't miss out on any of the great things coming soon.

 I have been working on the workshop...we have done a lot of work since moving here in December...we insulated the garage, added more electricity to run all my tools, we also just outfitted the garage with a propane heater to keep us all toasty during those cold winter months that are on their way so we are ready for year round workshops...and how could I forget this shiplap I just installed...I didn't want to spend much so I went with 1/2" fence boards that I planed...I just wanted to clad the walls and this was the perfect solution...I do plan on painting the wood white.

As you likely know if you have been following my blog for any length of time I am a huge fan of Ryobi tools...they are always just what I need to get all my jobs complete around the house and for all my DIY and building needs...I am so happy to bring them to my workshop. 

Not only is this an amazing announcement but I have a second big announcement...I will be hosting the White Wood Winter Market here at our church house in Enfield Ontario just outside of Oshawa in Durham region...It will take place December 2nd and 3rd from 10 am to 3pm...follow my White Wood Studio facebook page to find this event in the events section where all the info will be...Don't forget to like the page so you don't miss out on anything...the market is an all handmade market to showcase some great local makers...more information will follow as I work out all the details....but it will be a fun event and the house will be all decked out for Christmas so come join us and do some Christmas shopping and support some talented local mompreneurs.

Swedish basket makeover with tutorial

I wanted to buy some Byholma trunk baskets for our family room but Ikea has discontinued the weathered ones I wanted...they added a new basket trunk but it is a dark redish brown color which was not what I wanted...I wanted that old swedish basket look...

I started to search for other options and I found some gorgeous pieces at Target online...but they were very pricey..$260-$400 range....much more than I wanted to spend...so I bought two of the brown baskets from Ikea $99.00 and attempted to make them into what I had envisioned.

 my result is more grey than my inspiration but I love how they turned out, it's hard to believe they are even the same baskets

 Here is the before of how the GABBIG basket looks

I started this paint process with minwax water based stain in white wash pickling...I generously painted it all over the basket and put it in the sun to dry...

After the white layer I applied a dry brush layer in this custom taupe shade...by dry brush I mean I dipped the brush in to the paint and removed the excess stain on the side of the can to have very little transfer to the basket...I then let that dry...

nest I added some watered how white chalk paint at a ratio 8 parts water to 1 part paint...a very watery mix...I wanted that flat white wash...I brushed it on in a very sloppy generous manner..letting it drip is fine....after it dried I then flicked on drops of this watered paint with a big old brush...then dry brushed it to blend it in...

here is a good close up of another basket I worked on...the more you do the better...

 After this I used some black paint on a dry brush and very sparingly dry brushed on black very faintly to just accent and to create that low light type of effect...then I did the same with white chalk paint after that was dry I then applied a very sloppy wet coat of this water white and a touch of black paint to create this barely grey wash...it's the consistency of skim milk....you can't really go wrong...just water white paint and a touch of black...and lots of water...flat paints work best for this look.

After all the applied paint dried, this doesn't take long, I took my ryobi corner cat with a 120 grit paper and sanded the basket to make it appear more worn...

I wanted to add to my basket to create that old antique look with stenciled words...I decided to take inspiration from our location and from the year our house/church was built so Enfield 1877 was the stencil I made with my silhouette machine...a light coat of flat black spray paint and I had my antique one of a kind trunk basket...

after I stenciled the words and numbers I added one more light application over the black of the water grey wash to just soften the black...and that was how I achieved this unique look. 

 I did two different designs to create the appearance that perhaps I found these trunks.

I'm really please with how they turned out and it was fun to tackle this project...it took about an hour to complete these two baskets on a nice hot sunny day.

So if you are searching for that swedish look but don't have bags of money to spend this is worth the effort...and you can even stock up on clearance baskets because you will want to add this finish to all your baskets...

thanks for reading....and happy painting,

Chris 

on the home front...

sorry for keeping so quiet lately...not much has been going as as far as home improvement goes, we have been busy with birthdays though....baby girl Sophie turned 13 on the 26th of June one day before Mason turned 16...time has flown by

 We took the girls out for a joint dinner on Mason's birthday and something miraculous happened...they let me take photos of them....this never happens....aren't they so lovely....
I bleached Mason's hair blonde in preparation for her to color it pastel pinky coral.... why not , you're only young once, I blame Youtube videos....

 I had my fall just prior to the kids birthdays but somehow I whipped up a simple birthday cake for Sophie, just a box cake...red velvet...

 It's been very beautiful lately , lot's of wonderful clear hot days....bring it on...because I've got nothing but time while I still am healing my ankles that I sprained...its 18 days since I fell and my ankles are healing quite well and improving nicely but it seems some days it's one step forward two steps back....thank you for all the lovely comments and well wishes...

I am taking Mason to NYC very soon for our mother daughter sweet 16 trip I have been planning since she was a little girl...we are so excited... it will be our first time and we are making a road trip of it....but I need to be able to really walk so taking the time to heal it so important...

We were introduced to something very exciting yesterday , my SIL brought this box of fruit sorbet she picked up at Costco served in fruit cavities....it is so delish you must try...

All this time sitting around has my thinking of all the projects I need to or can do.....soon I will back at it...

Minwax sent me these staining cloths, how brilliant...I can't wait to give them a try...

The MOST exciting thing happened the other day....Ryobi sent me a cordless brad nailer and let me tell you I can not wait to get going with this baby.....my kids always think I'm nuts being so excited over a tool...I wonder if any of what I do will rub off on them when they are older , will they be handy???? So far they show NO interest in what I do around the house...but I didn't at their age either, so only time will tell. 

I think I will be making an outdoor bar table for a our little deck and I can give this bad boy a go!

So for now I sit a lot...and plan

Hope you have a beautiful day 

Power Into Spring Blogger Event

 I've been doing DIY and carpentry projects for just around 10 years now and during that time I have bought and tried out so many different brands of tools. I can honestly say that my favorite brand by far and my go to brand has turned out to be Ryobi so when I got invited to participate in Ryobi's Power Into Spring blogger event I made time to go. Its always fun to take a break from projects and head into the city for some fun.
Jen from http://www.ramblingrenovators.ca/ was there too, its always nice to see her friendly face.We got to work on a little window box project together and take some amazing tools for a whirl.

 We were introduced to so many amazing cordless tools. I am a huge fan of cordless as I am not a fan of gas equipment, I hate having gas around the house and also because of the environmental effects. I had to purchase a gas mower when we moved into this house as our plug in electric mower wouldn't have done the job so I would definitely would love a cordless electric mower.

 The other BIG perk of this mower is how compact it is as it folds up and is light and easy to move, now that is amazing because minimizing the space tools take up in the garage is a huge bonus. I would need the wider model but this size, I believe its a 20" deck would be perfect for most city lots.

 Hedge trimmer being tried out by Julie at http://www.soberjulie.com/

 We enjoyed great food and drinks and met some great people.We learned a lot about the great Ryobi line of cordless tools and we made window boxes, what fun! I finally got my hands on that cordless nailer that I have been drooling over for the past year. AHHHH I loved it!

We also got to meet and chat with Frankie Flowers...he was happy to talk gardening and I walked away with a whole lot of good information and great advice....now to get my fence project over with and move onto the gardening....I really love spring and summer and I love being outside working on the yard, I really do.
You need to check Frankie's new book Power Plants.

I would have to say it was a great blogger event and I am glad I was able to make it...I am so ready to get back into the swing of building and creating projects inside and outside because spring and summer are my seasons for DIY especially after this long hard winter we made it through.

Here's my list so far:
build three gates
coffered ceiling in the dining room
pine floor install in the dining room
wainscoting in the main hall
bring back the grass(that's a tough one)
enjoy the spring and summer and relax.. I must fit that in


Don't forget you can get Ryobi tools at Home Depot, look for the great new bright green its hard to miss.

what a difference a few days make....are you here to see my fence?

 I'm thrilled to show you how the fence is coming along. I have been working non stop on the fence and the disastrous condition of my house will prove that!
They are calling for rain tomorrow and I hope for the sake of my family and the house that it does, I need to spend a day putting everything back in order.(don't leave your doors and windows open when you are cutting wood right outside them, big mistake)
I am so happy we went ahead with beefing up the gate posts ,they are gorgeous if I do say so myself. I re-did the tops three times until they were just right.
My husband and I worked all Saturday getting all the beams and rails in place, we worked really well together...its not always gone so smoothly the two of us working together.
My Ryobi cordless impact driver was my other best friend and nearly lasted the whole day on one charge boy I love that tool, I just need another battery, we also had some plug in drills that were too heavy and made the work harder, I'm not a fan.

 I was on my own Sunday to tackle the boards. I thought I would get a bunch done but to my surprise I got the entire front installed, I just need to rip down the odd sized boards on another day.
I found pretty fence toppers that compliment the two gate posts.

 Remember my plans?

 My grass is in a very sad state, I know!It will get some attention soon.
It's so nice to block out all the cars and driveways, I am enjoying the feeling of privacy the fence is providing already....soon I will work on the gates, that scares me a little.
The fence has to dry out for some time so the painting will wait until fall or even next spring as will the battens.

 It will take some getting used to seeing the house with a fence, but I like it very much, it feels more toward finished.

Another bonus is that we can now use more of the yard than we did before, it seems more appropriate to take advantage of this new sunny corner.
I think its time to get some more decor out and pick up a big fire pit....bring on summer.
I should really go caulk those post tops and trim work before tomorrow....someone help me.....