Bench Makeover

I wanted to share a bench makeover that I have been working onfor the last week.  I found this bench at a yard sale and it had such good bones I couldn't resist it.  Here is the before picture.

I'm trying to teach myself some new distressing techniques and it'smostly trial and error.  I painted the bench black, but wanted severalcolors to show through after distressing.  If anyone has any tips, I sure could use them.  It came out okay, but not totally as I had envisioned.  I based the underneath colors on this chicken fabric I found at Hobby Lobbyand made pillows out of it.

Here is the bench in its finished form.

Here is a closeup (not a very good picture) or the distressing.  Iused red, gold and olive green underneath the black.

The most exciting part of this bench for me was teaching myself how tomake double welting.  I picked three other fabrics for the cushion ofthis bench before settling on this nubby cranberry fabric and thedouble welting enhances it tremendously.

I found these two chicken prints at the thrift store and bought them to goalong with the bench.  I used the same distressing technique on the frames.Sorry for the shadow line going right through the pictures.

Here they are all together before going off to the store.

While at the flea market over the weekend, I found this lovely traywith chickens on it and couldn't resist picking it up for the shop display.It wasn't a price at which I could make a profit, but it went sonicely with everything else, that I bought it anyways.  It was being sold by a local lady with a store in town and I try to support my fellowentrepreneurs who are trying to make a living at what they love and are good at.

I love this tray with its subtle French postal markings in the background thatit could almost convince me to start decorating with chickens.I find it more fun to take a vignette of things to the store thanjust one piece of refinished furniture.  My next two projects arewicker and following that will be a garden vignette.  I'm trying toturn out at least one piece of furniture a week for the store and aftera fun weekend at the Springfield, Ohio Extravaganza flea market, Ihave a garage full of furniture to work on.~ Linking with~Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday~Life Made Lovely for Life Made Lovely Mondays~The House in the Roses for Show Off Your Cottage Mondays~Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday