2011 October

My Newest Inspirational Shop – Revival Antiques & Accessories

When Courtney (The Joy of Decorating) organized the Raleigh group for I <3 Thrifting Day she took us to an “off the beaten” path shop. Tucked into an industrial zone off Capital Blvd. in Raleigh, you would miss it unless you were specifically looking for it.

Here are just a few of the inspirational photos I took on my visit to Revival Antiques & Accessories:

Old bead board or flooring pieces cut, painted and turned into a coat rack!

A pendant light made from corrugated cardboard!

Here's a closer look at the cardboard.

Give me chippy paint or give me death! Okay, I know I'm being dramatic, but I seriously love anything rustic with chipping paint.

Decorative scroll embellishment on an armoire.

Just think how easy these ampersand pillows would be to make!

Hello, does this vignette remind you of Miss Mustard Seed? Me too.

Painted and numbered chippy buckets.

Another scale and a buggy wheel. Makes my wheels churn thinking what I could make with it.

I just love the detail on this drawer pull (and of course the chippy paint.)

Bare wire framed pendants are very popular right now.

I think I like the pendant even more because of the antique light bulb.

Antique cameras are sculptural and easy to decorate with.

I spotted this shelf made from old shutters.

Or you could turn an old shutter into a coat rack.

This armoire is too stunning for words!

If I owned this dresser, her name would be buttercup.

Old typewriter keys are just graphic goodness.

This tool caddy is adorable, but I bet it would be easy to make. I think I could use Julie's (Follow Your Heart Woodworking) tool caddy tutorial that appeared on Funky Junk Donna's.

A cute little nook shelf. Complete with (you guessed it) chippy paint and beadboard.

This birdcage photo display gives me a few ideas. How about you?

2nd only to chippy paint, I love blue bottles!

Little antique crates can be found everywhere at ReVival Antiques.

A buoy birdhouse! How adorable.

{Yawn!} That's it for today, I'm ready for my cat nap.

If you liked anything you saw in this post, be sure to visit or contact:

Revival Antiques & Accessories
1505 Capital Blvd, Suite 14-A
Raleigh, NC 27603

919-833-3444
www.revival-antiques.com

Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. Revival Antiques doesn’t know me, they didn’t poke or prod me to write this. It is just one of those places that I thought you might like to visit with me. So, I brought you along for the visual tour.

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Filed Under: Aged, Birdhouse, decor, Destinations, distressing, graphic letters and numbers, Pendant Lamps

How to Use a Jig Saw – Tool Tutorial Friday and Trick or Tip

28 Oct posted by Brittany Bailey

Welcome back for another Tool Tutorial Friday. Today I have two lessons for you. The first will cover the basics of using a Jig Saw. THEN….I’ll show you a professional trick for cutting a hole inside a piece of wood without sawing from the edge! And at the end of this post, you may link up your Trick or Tip!

Don’t forget that my sponsor, Tomboy Tools, is giving away another fabulous magnetic hammer this week. So, be sure to leave me a comment at the end of this post to enter to win.

magnetic hammer

Last week’s winner was: Lucy! Congratulations girl! Lucy is another empowered woman, her Dad bought her a miter box when she was younger. Isn’t he an awesome father?!

Let’s get this party started…well, this tutorial at least.

A jigsaw is a good introductory power saw to own. Being small and handheld, makes it a bit less intimidating than the bigger power saws. The jig saw can cut straight lines (when pushed up against a guide like a long level or board.) But, it really excels at cutting curves, profiles and circle cuts.

Below is a picture of my jig saw and its parts. Not every jig saw will look the same or have the same features, but this gives you a good idea.

I have used a jig saw to cut curved handles into a crate, cut profiles in panels to fit around an outlet or the baseboards and a few other craft type projects. Jig saws are modestly priced starting at $25 up to over $150. When buying a jig saw, look for strong and solid construction. One of the features that I really like on a jigsaw is an LED light that automatically comes on when the trigger is depressed. My first jig saw was a cheap model. I regretted that purchase because it really did a poor job when cutting through anything thick or hard. Learn from my mistake and invest in at least a middle of the road model and save yourself the need to buy a new one when the cheap one doesn’t cut very well.

Most jigsaws have a speed control. Sometimes it might only be a high – low switch. The speed control is located on top of my jig saw, but this will vary depending on the jig saw you buy.

The jig saw has a straight blade that moves up and down to cut. The teeth of the blade always face forward to cut into the wood as you press it into the cut.

Most modern jig saws have a quick release blade. This is how to remove the blade on the Porter Cable jig saw:

I have not needed to replace this blade yet, and I’ve been using it for 2 years.

Before we watch the video, a little reminder:

DISCLAIMER

The viewer assumes all responsibility and liability associated with the hazards of woodworking. Pretty Handy Girl is not responsible for any errors or omissions that may be present in this tutorial. She also assumes no liability for any action or inaction of a viewer.

Please use extreme caution when using power tools. Read your tool manual thoroughly and wear protective safety gear. Take your time familiarizing yourself with a tool before using it. (If you are missing the manual, you can easily find it online by going to the manufacturer’s website or google your saw’s make and model + manual.)

Please recognize that I have tried to put together a basic jig saw usage tutorial to get you started. I have tried my best to show the safest way to use a jig saw. That being said, I am not a professional (I only play one on this blog ;-) .)

And now, the basics of using a jig saw!

Here is the video:

Now for my professional tip. Let’s imagine that you want to cut a large hole in the middle of a piece of wood. For example, a curved handle hole in a crate or an outlet opening in a sheet of beadboard. Obviously you don’t want to cut in from the side. That wouldn’t look very professional, now would it? But, how do you do it? I’m going to use the outlet hole as an example today.

You’ll need a few tools first:

Jig saw
Drill with a spade bit slightly wider than your jig saw blade
Pencil
Dark lipstick (bear with me)
Outlet cover

Cut your beadboard to size (make any adjustments and profile cuts before proceeding.)

Instead of measuring where the hole is and then transferring those measurements onto the board, you can use this trick instead! (1) Rub the lipstick around the outer edge of the outlet sockets. (2) Press your bead board up against the outlet. Gently pound your fist onto the outlet through the bead board. When you remove the beadboard, you will see the location of the outlet. (3) Lay your outlet cover in line with the socket impressions. (4) Trace around the outlet cover.

Draw a second line about 1/8″ inside the first. This will be your cut line.

Insert the spade bit into your drill. Position the spade bit inside one corner, and drill a hole.

Repeat for the other three corners.

Position your jig saw blade inside one hole, move the blade to the back of the hole before you start your saw up. Otherwise, the teeth will grab at the front edge and could cause the saw to jerk out of your hands.

Cut from hole to hole along the cut line until the square hole for the outlet is completely cut. Here is a quickie video showing exactly how to cut the hole:

AND NOW, it is your turn! I want to hear your tricks or tips. Go ahead and link up to our “Trick or Tip” Week link party.

Your post will magically show up on all five of our blogs! I’m going to pick a few of my favorite tricks or tips to share with you next week. So get linkin’!

*Please spread the party invitation by linking back in your post. If you don’t have a post to link up, I’d love to hear your tips, just leave me a comment . AND, remember if you leave a comment you are automatically entered to win a Tomboy Magnetic Hammer. So there!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Bagster® Bag Blogger Challenge and $100 Giveaway

26 Oct posted by Brittany Bailey

This is a little story about a girl named Pretty ~~Handy~~ Messy Girl. She was a DIY Super Star, but she had a big problem. Her workshop (sometimes referred to as the garage) was a colossal mess! There were piles of paint, unfinished projects, tools strewn everywhere, remnants of beach vacations past and worst of all: the clutter seemed to be procreating. Yikes!

I’m warning you now — what you are about to see is very disturbing — please avert your eyes if you detest chaos.

This is abuse! The sad plastic shelving just can’t hold all the paint cans anymore.

Don’t look now, squeezed amongst the toys are the bikes. Believe it or not, there are actually 4 bikes in the picture. But, that 4th one is inaccessible! Can you tell it doesn’t get much use?

Then there are the tools —Pretty Messy Girl’s necessities of the trade — they are just scattered willy nilly. Such a crying shame!

Lucky for our heroine, she had a Super Hero who was about to deliver her from this prison of clutter.

Meet our hero, The Bagster® Bag! Pretty Handsome Guy found our hero at the local Ace Hardware and left him front and center for Pretty Messy Girl to see. Speaking of see, did you see that last word? My favorite: GONE!

Catching the hint, she embarked on a long journey to reclaim what was once hers. Setting up the Bagster bag took only a few seconds.

If you’ve never met the Bagster® bag before, you’ll be surprised to learn some amazing facts about him:

1. He is an inexpensive alternative to renting a dumpster.

The Bagster® bag is an affordable solution for homeowners and a great way to save money on do-it-yourself projects. Bagster® bags cost just $29.95 and the flat rate collection fee ranges from $79 to $159 per bag, depending on your area – 50 to 70 percent less than a dumpster rental.

2. He’s compact, but packs a mean punch.

The Bagster® bag is a highly durable, woven bag designed for disposing as much as 3,300 pounds of debris and is big enough to hold full sheets of plywood, doors and even a bathtub.

3. If you’ve ever seen a big unattractive dumpster you will agree that Mr. The Bagster is quite the dashing fellow.

The Bagster® bag is a convenient choice for any home improvement project.

www.thebagster.com

4. He is easy to locate and will be there in a moments notice at the first cry of “Help!”

Waste Management has made the Bagster® bag a simple solution for waste and debris removal.

- Consumers can purchase the lightweight bag at more than 2,000 locations across the country, use it for as long as they like, then schedule a collection online or over the phone whenever they are ready.
- The Bagster® bag is sold at local home improvement and hardware stores, including participating The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware and True Value. To find a local retailer near you, visit www.thebagster.com.

5. He might as well have a cape because he’s a super hero in a bag (errr, Bagster).

For more information and to see a demonstration of a Bagster® bag in action, visit www.thebagster.com.

While Pretty ~~Handy~~ Messy Girl attempts to gain control of her workshop, you could win a $100 American Express gift card, compliments of Waste Management.

To enter to win, you may do any of the following (leave a separate comment for each entry) for up to 3 chances to win!

Follow @BagsterBag on Twitter
“Like” the Bagster Bag on Facebook.
Help me in this challenge by sharing your tips for a clutter free garage/workshop!

One winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, November 2nd.

Disclosure

Waste Management partnered with bloggers such as myself to participate in its The Bagster® Bag Blogger Challenge. As part of the program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the The Bagster® Bag Blogger Challenge. Waste Management believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Waste Management’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

61 Comments
Filed Under: Contest, Giveaway, organizational tips

Guest Posting at Positively Splendid – Swell Noël Gift Idea

24 Oct posted by Brittany Bailey

Hey y’all, I spent the weekend clearing out our garage, painting it and building custom storage. If there was a nook in that garage, I utilized it! Like the storage underneath my router table, I added shelves and casters and now it is a rolling power tool storage and router table. Ha! I’ll give you some tutorials at a later date.

In the meantime, my friend Amy asked me to participate in A Swell Noel, two months worth of DIY gift ideas for the holidays. There are some fantastic bloggers participating and sharing their best gift tutorials! You should take a peek.

While you are there, I will show you how to turn a pile of this…

…into these!

Aren’t they adorable?! I mean the kids, of course .

In other news, if you missed my post on Friday, The Tool Tutorial Friday series just started. We learned how to use a miter saw. AND, Tomboy Tools is giving away a magnetic hammer. All you have to do is comment on my Tool Tutorial Friday post to enter to win.

Did you remember? This week is Trick or Tip Week! I’m teaming up with some other great bloggers to give tips all week! Friday will be a link party where you can share your own tip or trick!

Jenna at SAS Interiors is waiting to share her painting tips with you, so head over to her blog.

I hope you’ll join the fun.

5 Comments
Filed Under: arts and craft, Crafts, E-6000, gifts, Guests

How to Use a Miter Saw – Tool Tutorial Friday

21 Oct posted by Brittany Bailey

Hello and welcome to the very first Tool Tutorial Friday! Come right in and have a seat. If you give me less than 10 minutes of your time, I will empower you with some new power tool skills! Today, I’m going to show you one of my favorite power tools. In fact, I dreamed of owning one for years. Using a hand saw and a cheap plastic miter box was really putting a cramp in my DIY style (if you know what I mean.)

My Makita 10″ Sliding Compound Miter Saw (I just love saying that) was a Mother’s Day present to me a few years ago. That’s right, I don’t ask for jewelry for big occasions. Pretty Handsome Guy knows to ask one thing before a upcoming holiday, “So Honey, what power tool do you want now?” It’s true, I’m a power tool junky.

Here is the deal, I really want these workshops to be interactive, so don’t be shy! Ask questions, leave comments, let me know you are learning something new.

Okay, let’s get started…

This is my Sliding Compound Miter Saw (oooo, ahhhhh.) She’s a diva of a power tool and therefore demands a little respect.

Miter saws come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The size (usually from 7.25″ up to 12″) refers to the diameter of the blade on the saw. The larger the blade the wider the boards it can cut. However, if you purchase a “sliding” miter saw, you can usually cut a few inches wider than your blade diameter. Miter saws run anywhere from $80 up to $800 depending on the features and brand you choose.

A non-slide (regular) miter saw will not slide forward and back. Most of the lower end models will still cut a miter and a bevel. Sometimes, these “lower end” models are affectionately referred to as chop saws.

I highly recommend a sliding miter saw, if you can afford it. Being able to cut a few inches wider means the difference between using your miter saw or having to break out the circular saw or table saw.

The modern miter saws have a trigger built into the handle. Some also have a safety button that you must push with your finger or thumb before you can squeeze the trigger. To start a straight downward cut, press the safety button, squeeze the trigger and wait for the saw to reach maximum rotation. Then slowly lower your saw into the board you are cutting. Never force the saw through the wood. Let the saw cut and then guide it downward. Once you have completed the cut, bring the saw back up and out of the wood, then you can release the trigger.

A compound miter saw has a blade that will cut miters and bevels at the same time (thus the name compound, as in compound cut.) The diagram below shows the bevel and miter adjustments.

Most miter saws should have a fence. The fence lets you rest the back of your board against. It keeps the wood steady and helps your miter saw cut true to the degree setting you have chosen.

My miter saw has a clamp, if yours has one, use it! Let the clamp be your right hand man (literally). If you don’t have a clamp on your saw, be sure to always position your hand far away from the blade as you hold your board up again the fence. AND NEVER reach under the saw while it is rotating (guard or no guard!)

When using a sliding miter saw, there is a proper way to make a sliding cut (used to cut wider boards):

Start by putting your board against the fence and clamp it.
Before you start the blade, pull the saw toward you until the blade is directly over the board’s edge that is closest to you.
Squeeze the trigger to start the saw and wait for it to reach peak rotation speed. Then pull the blade down and into the wood.
While the blade is still rotating, push the saw back and away from you as your blade cuts through the rest of the wood (see photo below.)
Once the blade has finished cutting through the wood, raise the saw and release the trigger to stop the saw.

Before you watch the video — a few necessary words of caution:

DISCLAIMER

Please recognize that I have tried to put together a basic miter saw usage tutorial to get you started. I have tried my best to show the safest way to use a miter saw. That being said, I am not a professional (I only play one on this blog .)

And now, let’s get you more familiar with using a miter saw!

I hope you have been empowered! Go on and give the miter saw a try if you own one. If you decide to buy a new miter saw, I recommend buying a reputable brand with a decent amount of features. My goal has always been to save up to buy a saw that will last my lifetime, and not settle for a cheap saw just because that is what I could afford at the time.

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