Terri Buckland Creations & exciting adventures ❤️

Happy Saturday! It’s been a whirlwind 3 months. I’m excited to share the evolution of The Little Red Door, and a few exciting milestones ❤️

When I picked up a paint brush for the first time in 2015, it was an act of bravery. I had no idea if I could paint, and my main goal was to explore an urge I had to get back to myself and find a little fun. I discovered, to my surprise, not only talent but passion. Every aspect of it I loved … the feeling of the paintbrush in my hand, the way being creative transports me to the present moment; everything else falls away while I bring my vision to fruition. I come alive. All I wanted to do was paint. I dreamt of it, night and day. I still do!

I started out painting furniture. A hobby that gave me great pleasure. I started to make a little name for myself in the furniture artist world, and I was featured multiple times by Unfolded, the company that manufactures the Annie Sloan line of paint that I LOVE. A dresser was my favourite canvas, and I’m so inspired by nature that I often painted botanicals on the furniture. My favourite look is a strategic pop of color & pattern in a neutral setting. Here are a few of my creations from my furniture days:

I also started painting with watercolour & acrylics. My style is clear: fun, happy vibes. Color, but simple. Nature inspired. I am obsessed with succulents in real life, and that comes through when I paint. I also make all of my own greeting cards, as well as framing & painting my favourite quotes in my own hand writing. Here are a couple of the cards I made for my partner & a few succulents I painted:

A love for photography started to evolve as well. I’m a passionate Maritimer and my partner and I travel the maritimes loving local sights, food, art, and everything our dear little part of the country has to offer. I started photographing local scenery, and I have a separate Instagram feed @terribuckland that features my photos and my love for spiritual growth. This feed is another creative outlet for me. Here are a few of my favourite photographs I took at (in order of appearance) Parlee Beach, Queensland, LaHave & Bayswater:

When I picked up clay, it was pure love. I had just taken a walk in the village of Peggys Cove on a very cold day in January. When I came home, I opened my new clay and what came out was an earring that looked like an abstract representation of the little village. Next, a Cape Split inspired earring, then a LaHave inspired one. A couple of people loved the earrings, and asked if they could have a pair. I gave my first 10 or so pairs away for free. Before I knew it, within a day or two of sharing, I had 20+ requests for earrings. So I made a bigger batch, and they immediately sold out…with a waiting list for 20 or so more! The rest is history. Here are a few of my creations:

I launched my website in mid-May, which you can check out here, and registered my business as Terri Buckland Creations. I did my first market in April in Lawrencetown and it was a dream come true, as I had always wanted to do markets since I started being creative. I brought my mom because I was a little scared, my partner because I can do anything with her by my side, and my best friend came to visit because she is as solid as they come. I am truly blessed.

It is so important for me to create from a place of love and authenticity. My designs & creativity can not be forced. Working in Flow -from a God given place- is sacred, and I honour it by staying true to my own visions. I believe in doing the things I would do if no one was watching, only doing the things I would do if I wasn’t getting paid, and doing only the things that genuinely light me up. Fun & Joy. That’s my bottom line.

The growth that The Little Red Door has had is astonishing to me. I have so much love for the people who seem to love what I do as much as I do. From the bottom of my heart: Thank you, thank you, thank you! 💕

New Developments:

I found my first retail partner! Tooies in Yarmouth. It’s the dearest little place, you’ll have to visit! I’ll be stocking their shelves with The Little Red Door this week.

I’m headed to Berwick for The Seaglass Festival in July 21 & 22nd.

I’m participating in a fun event with a group of 9,000 (oh my goodness!) Mom’s in June -it’s like a groupon thing featuring The Little Red Door earrings. I am so flattered they asked me to participate in their “Buy.”

I applied for the Maritime Makers event in September. We’ll see if I get accepted!

Am I out of my comfort zone? You bet! I’ve never run a retail business, I have never thought of myself as an artist, and I’m learning SO MUCH and doing my very best. I’m also more excited, more fulfilled and more happy than I’ve ever been, too. My cup is full 💕☺️✨

Thank you, dear ones, for being on this journey with me. I am so proud to represent our community as a local entrepreneur and artist. Lots of love.

Terri 😘 XO

Clay Earrings & Lots of Fun things!

Hello, hello!

Lots of fun things going on here at the Little Red Door. What started as a total drag has led to a very happy outcome. I’ll explain.

In May, we had to trade in our almost-new lemon of a car. We lost a LOT of money on it, and had to buy a much less expensive, much smaller car to make up for it. As a result … dun dun dun … I couldn’t fit my beloved antique furniture in the new car. It is way too small. Hence the big, long break of me posting. I’ve been restricted to making over smaller items, like washstands (one on the way, by the way!). And although I like the occasional washstand, I much prefer big, beautiful dressers as my canvas. So, the fun of it was lost.

But the need to be creative still burned inside of me. It’s a part of who I am now. So, one day, I pulled out watercolours and started to paint. Much like when I started furniture, I had zero practice painting. I was immediately enthralled by the beauty of the paint -mesmerized! Here are some of the things I painted:

In case you can’t tell, I’m obsessed with painting cactuses & succulents 🌵 I have so many paintings now!

The next thing I picked up -in lieu of not being able to paint furniture- is clay. It’s like, me and clay were separated at birth 🤞. It started as a desire to make a pretty bowl for my jewelry & a diffuser necklace. Once I bought my first 5 colours … I was enthralled. I realized I could make the kind of earrings I dream about. Let me tell you about me and earrings: I LOVE STUDS. They are the ONLY type of earring I like, and I rarely find ones I love. Back when I was painting furniture in Annie Sloan’s amazing colour palette, I was able to discover my style: bright, fun & nostalgic. A little bit of magic. A pop of colour. I love having an amazing, heartwarming pop of colour as an earring.

My earring designs are me all over, and I am in love.

Love. With the designing, with the hand-shaping. With the perfectly imperfect nature of clay. I lose time when I’m making, and I love each one like they’re my earring babies.

I absolutely adore the process. Each earring takes focus & care, and no two earrings are the same. Each design is inspired by something nostalgic to me. For example, the Peggys Cove Earrings evoke the same feeling I get when I walk the ocean lined village:

Or, my Public Garden earrings. Inspired by a dress I wore there as a little girl:

Then the ones inspired by the kaleidoscope I had as a kid:

Some, because I love the many colours of the ocean, which I see in all its glory & many shades from my living room window:

Some are just favourite colours:

So….

When you love something T H I S M U C H it’s only natural to incorporate it into your life.

I’m taking these little pieces of Joy to several pop ups, trunk shows, Spring flings & markets. So far, I’ve got one Mothers Day Show booked for sure, and the rest are pending. I’ll keep you updated! I would love to see you in person at one of my events! 😘

Don’t worry if you can’t make it in person. These little bundles of joy will also be available to order ONLINE as well. Starting April 3rd, I’ll have a website up & running and I’ll be shipping all over Canada & internationally. So exciting ☺️

And now, for The Little Red Door’s new logo reveal! This is a hand painted original design by yours truly:

I’m so in love with it. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

As always, lots of love to you,

Terri ❤️

Layla’s Mint Cabinet & A Fun Morning ❤️

This was my first time using Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint and, oh my goodness, I am in love. Love. Like, totally over the moon 🌙. I’m picturing all the wonderful things we’re going to do together, milk paint!

😍😍😍😍😍

In total seriousness, I really do have that feeling of being inspired. The natural color variation of the paint, the way it glides on and the magical way it has of settling on to the wood! Must do more…

I haven’t loved a paint like this since I discovered Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint!

For my first project I made over a solid maple Cabinet. I saw a post by Marian, Miss Mustard Seed herself, using a layering/resist technique with the colours of Flow Blue & French Enamel. I loved it! So I decided to try it on this little darling using the colours Boxwood & Layla’s Mint. Here is the Cabinet before, in all its brass knobbed & laquered glory:

I (and by “I” I mean my partner) sanded it down quite a bit to prep for the milk paint. I didn’t want to use bonding agent. Next time I’ll aim for a chippy finish & not sand it at all! I can’t wait to get to know this paint in its full range! There’s so much to choose from -chippy goodness, washes, white wax, antiquing wax, hemp oil & top coat! Endless possibilities 😊🙏

Layer one, in the color Boxwood :

I bought the sample size & it coated this baby nicely in one coat with leftovers. Next, I used Annie’s wax in strategic spots on the cabinet over the Boxwood as a resist to the next color, Layla’s Mint. Layla’s Mint It’s a beautifully white-toned soft green. Pretty, eh? Again, one coat! Once dry, I used a 220 grit sandpaper to expose the Boxwood. The paint came off more easily on the sections where I used the wax.

I used wooden knobs I already had in my stockpile.

I bought the sweetest little yellow canary pull at The Painted Attic (I also got my milk paint from there!).

I love, love, love how this turned out! Isn’t the Boxwood beautiful peeking out?I left the top natural and sealed it with hemp oil. Then I added Annie’s Dark Wax to darken the top a tad more. I sealed the body with clear wax from the Annie Sloan line and spent a lot of time buffing the finish to a high, smooth shine. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to part with this little cabinet! It’s so cute!

So! I love sharing local treasures. This morning we discovered a beautiful little coffee shop, Hubbards Cove Coffee. We had homemade pastry & Latte’s with a view for breakfast! So good, too! Lovely, friendly service in this little spot ❤️

Thanks, dear friends, for stopping by! Follow me on Facebook or Insta @reddoorgirl if you like!

XO Terri 😘

Paris Grey Dresser & a flattering mention :)

Hi there and hello! Don’t you love this dresser? I couldn’t wait to share it! Annie Sloan paint has THE.BEST. colours and every time I’m finished a makeover I’m in deep ❤️❤️❤️❤️!

This little baby has been in my studio for ages. Here’s how she looked on arrival:

Excellent bones and solid wood. I was so excited to update this beauty! Here’s how it looked in between then and now…I started on a different path using Duck Egg Blue & Pure White:

I wasn’t feeling it! After this stage I left it for a while because I knew I’d have to sand off the hand painted design & stain in order to re-paint so I was like….ugh 😉

Fast forward! The cutest little store opened in my neighbourhood called The Painted Attic and my talented painter-friend Kim over at The Blue Dresser kept posting adorable drawer-pulls she got from there. I fell in love with these knobs, and wanted to use them.

(Side note: Molly, the owner of The Painted Attic, gave me amazing customer service. I went to get the knobs and they were out of stock (!!!) she ran around getting them off of display furniture in the store. Love that ❤️)

I designed and painted the artwork on the dresser. Free-hand painting is my favourite thing to do, and I love how I feel when I’m being creative. Fun fact: Did you know I never painted a thing in my life until I picked up a paint brush and can of Annie Sloan paint on a whim? Follow your creative urges, you never know what talent is hidden inside! This time I left the top natural and protected it with MMS hemp oil.

The sides and frame are painted in two coats of Paris Grey

The draws are painted in Old White with Paris Grey on the detail.

I protected the whole thing in MMS Tough Coat Top Coat that I got from The Painted Attic. It was my first time using that product & it’s really tough! However, I found that it ever so slightly yellowed the Old White which wasn’t a problem on this particular dresser, but I found that disappointing nonetheless. Here’s a side-by-side of one with and one without the top coat. Can you spy the difference?

Well, loves, I got an exciting message about a week ago! The folks at Unfolded, distributors of the Annie Sloan paint line I use, got in contact and asked if they could feature this dresser (see blog post in the link) in some of their media!

Whether they do or don’t in the end, it was incredibly flattering! I absolutely love -love!- painting furniture and Annie’s paints are so inspiring! Thanks for the acknowledgement, guys! XO 😘

Oh yeah! I’m on Facebook HERE & Instagram @reddoorgirl if you’d like to follow my paint adventures as they happen ⭐️

Happy Thursday everyone!

XO Terri ❤️

Maple Fleur de lis Dresser

Happy Valentine’s Day! I had a lot of fun making this dresser, even though it took me a loooong time.

I got stuck on this one. I started and I couldn’t figure out where to go! When that happens I have to put it away and look at it, waiting for it to speak to me 😉

This dresser came from a home in Mt. Uniacke. It was a beauty of a drive and the home was on a lake. Here it is before:

My partner sanded this for me, and this cute message had a double meaning; there were at least 5 different layers of paint to sand though and it was a LOT of work, but she did it because she loves me ❤️

This dresser went through two transformations before it ended up as it did. First, birches in Old White & Graphite:

I liked it, but didn’t love it. So, I changed the birch colour to Old White and French Linen:

I still wasn’t in love. So…. it sat & sat.

Christmas came & I got Martha Stewart stencils. Ah-ha! My chance to do something different to this dresser. So, out came my sander & off went the birches!

And now the challenge: My BFF wanted a gender neutral, grown-up but still baby dresser for their soon-to-be-bundle of joy! She loves fleur de lis, and was sad to have lost the chance to snatch up the fleur de lis dresser I did last year (see that one here). One of my new Christmas stencils had a modern fleur de lis pattern -perfect opportunity 🙂

I used my favourite high end paint, Annie Sloan Chalkpaint. The frame got 2 coats of Old White:

Then I did the drawers in Cream, followed by a textured layer of Old Ochre. I love the look of pairing neutrals with neutrals!

See the texture? I used Olive for the stencil part. It’s such a classic neutral green. I’m in love 😍

I stanined the top in Walnut from the Minwax line. Nice, right?

I reused the hardware because it suited a baby dresser. I thoroughly cleaned them with a special brass cleaner to remove grease so the paint would stick, and sealed them with Annie’s floor laquer.

There is a great amount of room on top for a changing pad for Baby S ❤️

Hope you enjoyed this makeover

Terri ❤️

Sweet Duck Egg Blue Side Table & a What’s Up!

Happy August! I’ve been loving every sweet, sunny beautiful day this summer has offered so far & I hope you have, too!

I’ve been on a mini-break from painting due to the high heat & my workspace being upstairs where it’s the most hot; I’ve been passionate in spirit, though…my Pinterest boards are full of ideas and can’t-wait-to-try’s and I’ve picked up a few new pieces to re-do. That’s the thing about passion, it’s in you no matter what ❤️

I’ve been filling my time finishing up the rooms in our home & doing small projects. We moved in about a year ago (you can view that post here) and I’ve been fussily decorating since. I re-did an antique mirror frame for our bathroom. I’m in l-o-v-e with it:

The texture is amazing! I used a single coat of Antibes Green & then sanded down with a really high grit sand paper to reveal the original stain underneath. Sorry the photos aren’t better -in a later blog I’ll do a room-by-room home tour 😊

I also redid this little milking stool. I was really dark & drab until I gave it a wash in Pure White:

Super cute now, I think!

And, now on to the little side table. It arrived in my workshop ages ago! Its antique & came from a lovely older couple in Dartmouth who were moving and down-sizing. For the life of me, I could not get it painted the way I liked it. It’s been painted green, white, two different blues, red, and back to green. Nothing suited my eye. I put it away, and pulled it out recently on a hot day in July when I reallllly wanted to paint but it was too hot to do anything big.
I’d been lusting after a Duck Egg Blue painted dresser I saw on Pinterest & had wanted to use that color in combination with Emperors Silk Red for ages. I love Annie Sloan paint, and I’m forever making up color combinations in my head.

Here’s a photo of the side table in its original condition & one after sanding off the umteenth color (green) so I could start over yet again…

…Two coats of duck egg blue and a hand painted original design on three sides of the table later, and I was ready to give the whole thing a whitewash in Pure White by Annie Sloan.

My favourite thing -5 Stars- is hand painting designs on furniture *sigh* …I’m in heaven!

It’s funny, the times I just relax & go with my gut always seem to work out best. I wasn’t trying to please anyone, or use colors I thought others might like; I simply choose colors I loved & did my thing! Here are photos of the top so you can see the white-wash effect:

Before I white-washed, I used a high grit sandpaper to add wear & fading to the red design I painted on. It made it really pretty, like faded material.

I added a knob from Pier 1 Imports and a basket from Wicker Emporium to complete the look!

This little gem was staged for photographs in our bedroom, and she’s a keeper. Fits perfectly with the red theme I’ve got going on in there, plus my other half just so happens to need a side table 😉

So happy you stopped by! See you next time!

Love,

Terri xo

Country Gray Dresser & a new development to share❤️

Spring has Sprung! Today was awesome & we got out biking with the dog. It felt amazing to exercise in the fresh air & take in the sun for longer than 2 minutes. Ahhhhhhhhh, I’m feeling so refreshed!

This week’s makeover is light & airy like Spring. Many thanks to my buddy James, who sent me a message saying he was getting rid of some stuff and did I want this dresser? Um, yes! Right up my alley! Love at first sight. Thank you, James 😊

This diamond in the rough needed a lot of work actually. The veneer was peeling & chipped, it was stained from being put to good use over the years & some of the drawer joints needed to be shored up.

This was my first time removing veneer, and what a MESS. Goggles required!

I am sooooo self-taught, so I just did what felt right & took a flat thingie (for putty?) & my hammer and went to it. Fellow DIY pals on my Facebook page sent me a muuuuch easier way to remove the veneer, so next time I’ll get an old iron & use a wet towel as per the YouTube video. Speaking of my fellow DIY buddies, check out The Blue Dresser to give yourself a treat! I’m SUCH a fan of her work. She uses Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint a lot, and her stuff is dreamy!

So, I pulled out my Annie Sloan paint & started this beauty off with a mild sanding and coat of Country Gray. While the second coat was still wet, I pulled through ribbons of French Linen & blended them to my taste. I painted the front feet in French Linen, too. It looked like this:

A little too harsh, but that’s ok, I had a plan 😉 The final step was a white wash for beachy glamour.

I reused the knobs because they were high quality & nice. I rarely reuse the hardware! What a treat!

Didn’t the top turn out lovely? I gouged it here & there, yes. I left it natural & protected it with MMS Hemp Oil. Gorgeous, even with the rough patches (which I like, actually).

I staged this in my living room in the sun because the lighting really showed the colors well ❤️

It looks so good there that I might just keep it! As such, I haven’t posted it for sale just yet 😊

Sooooo -boy do I have lots going on! I have lots of stuff in my shop and a lengthy list of client requests that makes me super happy every time I look at it. I’ve been exploring a retail space and nothing feels right just yet…one of my dreams is to have a place where I sell Annie’s paint, host workshops, sell Antiques, and my own & other’s DIY furniture, too!

New development: A YouTube channel for The Little Red Door is in the works! Ever since my work was featured by ChalkPaint & The Graphics Fairy, I get lots of requests for tutorials & how-to paint techniques from around the world (which is totally cool, by the way!) and this seems like a fun thing to add to my creative plate. THANKS for asking!!! Feel free to leave suggestions and requests for what you’d like to see in the commenyts or on My Facebook page😊

Thanks for stopping by. I love what I do, and I love sharing it with you! ❤️

XO Terri

The Paloma Dresser & thoughts on living well ❤️

Happy Sunday! It’s my favourite day of the week. I love endings & new beginnings, which is how I think of Sunday. I usually take time to sit down, relax, and reflect on the week past, and dream about fun things in the week to come ❤️

I feel humbled & grateful that I love Sunday because I didn’t always. It used to mean the weekend was over, and I dreaded Monday. Have you ever felt like that? I made a decision 4 years ago to STOP living like that, and create a life I couldn’t wait to wake up to. Now, I’m at a stage where I’m living a life I love and I’m actively in the process of creating more of what I love. It took me a while to understand that happiness doesn’t come about from the external (i.e.: thinking once I have X, Y or Z, then I’ll be happy) it actually comes from inside. The happier I feel, the more happiness comes my way. It’s the law of attraction! So, I spent a lot of time figuring out what I truly love love love in the here and now, and spend as much time possible actually doing it, bringing about feelings of happiness. Hot bubble baths, time by the ocean with my dogs, tea & homemade sweets with my friends, coffee with my partner every morning, a new can of paint, etc, etc.,.. Once on that “happiness” frequency the universe automatically sends more of what’s being put out. Simple but true. And insanely effective. Month on month, year after year, the wrong doors closed & the right windows opened and this path has been unfolding since. Now I adore Sunday’s ❤️ What do you love doing?

What I love doing most is creating beautiful furniture art. I feel totally in my groove as a human being when I sit in front of a beautiful piece of wood with my paint brush. My mission is to add value to others by creating beautiful pieces that create a space that brings about feelings of joy, peace and love. Happiness creates more happiness, after all!

The Paloma dresser gives me that feeling. It’s a solid pine dresser that looked like this before:

It’s a fairly big dresser that has nice details you couldn’t see because they got lost in the darkness of the uniform, not-so-nice stain. It was just a big, dark, functional box in our room and I knew it needed lightening up.

Paloma is a greyish color with a warm beige (almost mauve) undertone. I’ve been wanting to use it, but unsure how. Then I saw this photo of a chest by Somewhat Quirky Design and I had my inspiration! They paired Annie Sloan’s Old White over-top with a stunning result.

I rarely use stencils & this was no different. I chalked on some lines & painted the stems free-hand in Old White. It took about 4 hours. It’s sooooooooo therapeutic. I paint sitting cross-legged on my floor & since I got lost in what I was doing I didn’t notice the kink in my hip & neck and I paid for that for a few weeks after 😉

I painted the trim of each drawer in Old White, too.
And dry brushed the frame, particularly the crown on top & bottom:

I left the feet natural

I put the original hardware back on & it looked great! A pop of dark chocolate set it off beautifully, I think.
The beauty of Annie Sloan’s chalk paint and old furniture is that sometimes you don’t know how it will take to distressing. I love that. The piece “knows” just what to do all on its own to be at its best. This piece delivered a very rare effect (usually found in milk paint) known as chipping -hard to recreate unless you come by it honestly. I was delighted! It means the paint naturally flecked off in chunks here & there, creating an authentic distressed look.
Voilà!

I’ll post for sale later today 😊

Thanks so much for stopping by!!! See you next time, when I’ll know more about a potential retail space -my appointment’s on Wednesday! Eeeeeek.

XO Terri

Antique maple chest & …a retail space??!!!!!

Hello, happy Sunday! It’s gloriously sunny here after a snowstorm yesterday. The Saturday snow was a good excuse to stay home and curl up with my Harry Potter book, drink lots of tea & relax!

I’ve finished only two projects & a sign (for my Uncle’s new business) over the past month because I’ve been busy working at the hospital & helping out at a friend’s store temporarily while she’s away. My head has been bursting with new furniture makeover ideas & I’m itching to get back to my studio full-time. I’m dying to go antiquing, too 😊

I finally finished the sweet antique maple chest I picked up from Howard at Antique Picker’s Yarmouth. Here it is before, hardware-less and a coat of pretty blue/grey paint already on the frame: I left it in my work room for a while to look at because I couldn’t immediately think of what to do with it. I love the ornate keyholes and I found it was a peaceful looking chest…that’s why when my friend Annette sent me this photo of a dresser she found at Homesense I was inspired. I loved it, and I thought something like it would suit the chest ❤️

I painted the frame in Pure White from the Annie Sloan line, filled in old hardware holes, drilled new holes & printed out positive, peaceful words that appealed to me.

Then I white-washed the drawers & transferred the words.

I painted the words in Graphite & softened them by sanding over with a high-grit sponge. I highlighted the keyholes with gold rub & wax.

I stained the top a darker color for contrast.

I added reclaimed antique hardware that originally belonged to the Elm Dresser I made over at Christmas.

I gave the chest an overall sanding and it distressed beautifully, as is the case with Annie Sloan’s paint line.

Ta-dah!!!!!!

I’ll post it for sale later today 😊

And now on to some exciting news: I have a meeting on March 17th to discuss the possibility of a retail location for The Little Red Door! What an adventure this is turning out to be!!! Having a retail location would be a HUGE step & a dream of mine. I have no idea what will come out of this meeting, but it’s centred around the financial particulars & startup considerations. It’s the beginning of an exploration of options. What I know for sure is that I’m really, really happy and I want to share my passion with everyone. I have a big vision.

I’ll take you on the journey every step of the way!

Next up, I’ll share the Paloma dresser I’ve done. I just need to photograph it. Here’s a sneak peek!

Thanks for stopping by!

See you next time 😘

Terri XO

Arles cabinet & future endeavours!

Happy Wednesday! We’ve had a ton of snow here. It looks like a frozen snowglobe out my front window. Look closely & you’ll see the beautiful frozen cove. It’s our first winter in this house and I find it mesmerizing to watch the tide go in and out, effortlessly moving the ice.

I have lots to share this week!
I had my first ever feature on Instagram a week ago. Annie Sloan’s ChalkPaint showcased my Paris Grey dresser! I’m so thankful. The impact it had on my Insta-following was amazing! Thank you, Annie Sloan! It was super fun to get over 100 new notifications all at once! I loved it ❤️

The next fun thing is that I’m preparing to start attending markets as a Vendor! I’m thinking the Seaport Market at Pier 21, but I’m not totally sure yet. I would love to find a place I can call Home. I’ve been starting signs & other crafts that are signature Little Red Door style -that’s been fun to figure out, too- and I’m loving every mintute. I’m definitely a mixture of old antique & bright n’ cottagey. Here’s one sign I made from a reclaimed Antique table.

Isn’t the texture ah-mazing? I used a thick layer of Old Ochre & a hair dryer to crackle it, and dark wax to age and settle in the cracks. I love it! The color of the word Groceries is in Olive -of course, all from the Annie Sloan collection. There will be a lot more where that came from 😊

This summer, I hope to spend a ton of time at our trailer in Shediac, NB. It’s so cozy. Here’s a look at our place and Parlee Beach, which is a 5 min walk away! It’s so gorgeous there.

You can see why I love it there! Shediac has a thriving summer population & tons of cottages. There’s a Sunday market that I’m thinking will be perfect for me to set up a Little Red Door booth every Sunday. I’ve started on nautical-themed projects that I can transport to NB. No big furniture for practical reasons; I’m thinking signs, paddles, stools & small tables will be the focus. The plan is to finish a TON over the next few months and start transporting things to Shediac at the end of May, when the campground opens. I have one thing started, here’s a look at it “in progress” Fun stuff!

And now, an Arles dresser! Now that it’s done it has a definite Lunenberg feel. Bright colors & chippy, distressed paint.

Here’s what it looked like before with my antique tool box on top. It’s solid wood, and I got it from a girl in Clayton Park who totally forgot I was coming and so wasn’t home; thankfully her roommate still answered the door, lol.

I did a base coat in Napoleonic blue, thinking at first I would go in another direction.

I didn’t love it, so I messaged a talented friend of mine & asked for her opinion. I had this amazing hand painted hardware from Mahone Bay (an awesome Christmas present from my Mom) that I was set on using. Suzanne & I decided a mustard yellow would compliment the hardware much better. Thanks Suzanne! 😊