Counting her chickens . . .

I found this print at an antique store many, many years ago.  It was sitting down on the floor, mostly hidden, the corner of it peeking out from behind an old butter churn.  I pulled it out so I could see it better. Staring back at me was the cutest little face - and naturally I couldn't resist it.  I brought it to the owner and asked how much he wanted for it.  It had several tears and the frame was pretty well ruined.  He looked at it for a moment and told me I could have it for free since it was in pretty rough shape.  I was excited! I thanked him and brought her home to live with me! Over the years she has sat in the basement waiting for some attention.  I just couldn't find the right place to put her . . . until now . . . right there, in that empty spot under the new cabinets.

Imagine, fifteen years later, I have finally found a home for my sweet girl and her chicks. I decided she would be a perfect fit in my Serendipity Studio.  The pink walls brought out the pink in her dress.  The picture is so calming and serene, and that is how I want this room to feel!
Now, for a frame.  I looked all through the basement and even in my mom's basement, hoping to find an old picture (not being used of course) with a nice frame.  No luck.  I started looking in stores and was shocked at how expensive frames were.  At least the kind of frame I wanted.  I wanted it to be very vintagey and wide and carved and beautiful. It would  need to be 16 x 20, which was rather large, and that added to the cost.  One day in Hobby Lobby I remembered the picture and walked over by the frames.  Fifty percent off.  Hmmm.  I found several that would work but they would still be thirty or twenty five dollars, and I just didn't have that much to spare. One in particular was so beautiful, just perfect in fact, but it was shiny black . . . and expensive. I think it was $59.99.  I pulled it off the hook to look at it in detail and noticed the third one back was damaged.  I started getting excited, because you know what damaged goods means . . . discount!!!!  Long story short, I got this frame for five dollars.  It was cracked and falling apart, but I knew my husband could fix it.  

  

So he fixed it . . .

 

                                     and I primed and painted it .

I touched  up the picture as much as I could by matching the color of the paint and touching up scratches. I set the picture onto the cardboard and used a pencil to make a mark where the tears would be, and painted little bits of color onto the areas so the holes wouldn't be so obvious.

Finally I put it in the newly painted frame, and VOILA!  Isn't she beautiful!!  I started out painting the frame in off-white, but it just didn't look good on the wall.  I looked at my blue wall in the basement and decided that would be a perfect shade.  I painted the frame, wiping back on the fancy carvings to show the dark so it looked more dimensional.

Here she is!  I think she looks perfect.  I'm so glad I saved her all these years, and I'll bet she's happy to finally have a proper home.  Who knew I would have chickens myself?  The writing on the bottom of the print says "Counting her chickens after they hatch" but you can't see it as it is at the very bottom edge.   I hope she will be happy in my new studio.  I will be happy to have that sweet little face greet me every single day!! 

Thanks for visiting, and I'll keep you up to date as I go along! Thank you once again to my sweet friend Meri, from ImagiMeri's, for another wonderful vintage image!