Sunday, October 16, 2011

History repeats itself... Before & After

I have had my eye on this sign for awhile now. Lately it seems I have been gravitating to the Ballard Design creations.  There isn't too much I don't like from their vintage collection.  They make my heart sing.  Their pieces speak to me... I love the challenge of stepping out of my comfort zone.

I loved the shape of this sign, rather than a straight board.  It promptly went in my inspiration file for future consideration.  The first thing I do when I am bored is pull up the file and see if something bites and hope it will motivate me to get back down to the workshop.

Yesterday, was one of those days.  Housework was all done, outside work was on hold due to rain... hence a guilt free play day. 

A friend gave me this board a year or so ago and there it sat in my garage along with all the other piles in waiting.  I didn't quite know what to do with it... I knew that heart absolutely had to go and that was the last I thought about it...

until I needed a large board for my newest creation...
I cut it on each side of the heart, then screwed the two pieces together and drew the design...

using my miter and jig saw (first time using that, another one mastered) it was starting to take shape... 
I attached the two pieces using my Kreg Jig, Gorilla glue and a couple brackets for reinforcement...

I pulled a frame back out of my trunk that was destined for the Sally Ann...
cut it and used it for the top border...
glued and air nailed it in place.

Now onto the fun part...

this was my inspiration for the wording... if pictures could only talk,
I'd have a thousand questions for you.

This is my Great Great Grandfather, Andrew McNutt at his store in Nova Scotia.  Circa 1880 - 1910.   He was a very successful business man in his day... 


he went on to own the whole block, which was named after him.

My niece put me on to a long lost relative that provided me with this information along with numerous photos of the family.  Thanks so much Tim, I can't thank you enough. 
Who would have thought that making a piece of history would open so many doors. 
Before I made this I knew very little of my history.   
I used the Cricut to cut the letters (thanks Gail, I used contact paper to save on vinyl, worked great)... applied them to the board which I had previously painted black... painted the second colour over the letters... not so patiently waited for the paint to dry and peeled them off... (wait for the paint to dry,  not that I messed up a few because "Impatient" is my middle name)

I gave it a good sanding with 150 grit...

then applied ebony stain and a coat of Light Pine Briwax...

It now proudly hangs in my kitchen...

Now I have my own little piece of history to enjoy.

Looks like a piece that has been hanging around for 100+ years...
don't you think?

The best part is that it didn't cost me a penny... I had all the materials left over from other projects, even the paint was given to me.

Now you wanna know what Ballard Design charged?

So what do you think? 

I'm off to see what new piece I can steal borrow from them next...

Hugs,

13 comments:

Brenda said...

Love that Deb! You are so creative!
Brenda

Unknown said...

Wow!
Awesome job.
Love it.
Tam

gail@My Repurposed Life said...

Oh MY GOSH! Deb!!! I LOVE it, especially the history behind it. You KNOW I'm a sentimental sap! hehehe
You executed this project perfectly!
Glad the contact paper tip helped you.
gail

Denise said...

Nice looking reproduction, I especially love the connection to your family! Hope that project helped to start the creative juices flowing.

Becky@Beyond The Picket Fence said...

Brilliant--love this!!

Korrie@RedHenHome said...

I love that you didn't just *copy*, but made it truly your own! Great work. I love this sign too, and now you've got me thinking how I could personalize it for my home.

DaisyExpress said...

Absolutely love your sign. Love the photo of your grandfather and his shop. Thanks so much for sharing and look forward to your next creation.

Anonymous said...

That turned out amazing! Yours is better than the catalog's! GO DEB!!!

Rose @ Confessions of a Curbshopaholic said...

I've been eyeballing that sign too! (actually have a wood headboard that's similar to it) I just love how yours came out, and your choice of wording is so special! Great job!
I always forget that the jigsaw can do stuff like this. You rocked it!

Connie the crafterbug said...

Wow! That looks fabulous!
Connie

Gwen @ Gwenny Penny said...

I love your version, Deb! Beautiful! Thanks for the link to my tutorial :)

Julie @ followyourheartwoodworking said...

Great job, Deb, and even more special because it's personalized.

the wayside cottage said...

Wonderful sign - definitely looks like an antique...I think your great-great grandfather would be pleased that you have something so special honoring him in your home...