I got married to my soulmate a little while back (I'm such a lucky girl) & I really wanted a wedding gown that reflected my own artistic personality & my love of vintage couture.
I wanted it all too... poufy, lacey, full on Cinderella stuff.

That gown existed in my mind & so when I decided to make it a reality I was lucky to find a lovely seamstress in Rita, a perfectionist like me who was able to work with me to create the gown of my dreams!
This gown started as a blank tulle dress I purchased at David's bridal but it was transformed into a couture , one of a kind work of art by the time she & I put our minds together.
Believe it or not, the fabric that we added into another layer of the skirt was a set of BLUSH PINK CURTAINS that I had found at a thrift store about 5 years earlier!
My friends said I was CRAZY to want to add old curtains to my wedding gown, lol. 
It was fate though! It was a new/vintage (kinda) dress that was going to worn by me,
a second time around bride lol.

She was PERFECT.
so of course I had to do her very own photo shoot :)

Just look at those awesome vintage curtains under that tulle!
​The perfect shade of blush pink!

This beautiful forest was where our wedding reception took place...
​

and this is me.. livin the dream.....

& I still am ❤

A little while back I was a vendor at an amazing vintage market in our area called
The Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market!
I held a little contest for anyone who visited my booth! 

Here's my booth! Our vintage trailer Serenity is our main attraction, lol!

All the wonderful folks who visited my booth were able to enter my draw for my hand painted artwork to be done on a piece of furniture of their choosing! 
​
A lucky gal named Kimberley won the prize & decided to have me work some magic on an antique vanity that had been in her family since she was a teeny girl! ​

The story goes that when Kimberley was little, her father had completely stripped this beautiful vanity down to it's amazing wood!
It had been painted many times with all sorts of different colors!
​Layers upon layers of paint that were indeed a chore to get off!
He & her mom lovingly restored it's natural beauty & gave it to their little girl as a surprise along with the matching bedroom set completely redoing her room in a dreamy way!

Fast forward a few years and the vanity has definitely seen better days!
When Kimberly won my prize she knew exactly which piece she would have me paint on,
​to give it new life!
After all that work her father had done many years before, we knew we just couldn't paint it an all over color, so instead, i left the beautiful dark wood in it's original state and hand painted on pretty flowers & dragonflies!
​
Scroll down for photos & the reveal video where we show Kimberley the vanity for the first time after it has been decoratively painted!
​ 

I painted some of the trim work in a complimentary ombre fade out to bring it all together !
​

​
Thanks so much for checking out my blog post! Please subscribe to my blog to get all sorts of fun ideas, inspiration, tutorials & eye candy! You just never know what I'm up to! 
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram here... Barefootbutterflystudio
 my  Facebook Vintage page here ... Barefootbutterfly House of Vintage
& my photography studio facebook page here...
Barefootbutterfly Studio

​And don't forget to comment here on my blog post!! 

 Chilliwack Fraser Valley Vancouver Boudoir Maternity Newborn Photographer makeup artist belly painter vintage furniture Vancouver boudoir on location experienced Chilliwack Fraser Valley Vancouver Boudoir Maternity Newborn Photographer Nail tech makeup artist belly painter vintage furniture hand painted roses artwork creative Vancouver artist Boudoir Shabby chic Barefootbutterfly premier boudoir studio classic rustic Fraser Valley Women's photographer specialty Outdoor  Langley Surrey New West Burnaby Fort Langley Artist Abbotsford Chilliwack Hope Professional Chilliwack Fraser Valley Vancouver Boudoir Maternity Newborn Photographer makeup artist belly painter vintage furniture Vancouver boudoir on location experienced Chilliwack Fraser Valley Vancouver Boudoir Maternity Newborn Photographer Nail tech makeup artist belly painter vintage furniture hand painted roses artwork creative Vancouver artist Boudoir Shabby chic Barefootbutterfly premier boudoir studio classic rustic Fraser Valley Women's photographer ​

A few months ago I saw an add on craigslist (I visit that website A LOT)
It was for an auction... :D
Little backstory...
I live near Vancouver, BC Canada & we have an iconic hotel downtown Vancouver called, fittingly, "The Hotel Vancouver"
It's ornate & gorgeous!
Well, apparently someone decided that the furnishings that were gracing the iconic hotel were no longer 'up to date' & must be disposed of! *GASP*!
There was to be an auction of the vintage furniture & dang it, I was gonna be at it!!
Well, sadly schedules conflicted, which happens to me a lot & so I missed the auction
BUT, I was able to get my hands on a few lonely cast offs that were left over!! SCORE!
I was able to aquire THREE beautiful Queen Anne style solid mahogany desks, a Stunning mirror & a beautiful mahogany pedestal table! (which I will blog about soon!)

Here's the before shot of one of the desks..
I named her Sylvia ❤
​
​

​They had actually butchered this beautiful creature to put some sort of internet cable box into the front of it (hotel room style) so I had to fix that with a new veneer on the front of the faux drawer. ​

​Here is the after!
​ I decided to lighten her up so first I painted her with a white undercoat then I painted her a totally custom shade of my home made chalky paint in a robin's egg/light turquoise/pale blue, lol.. don't ask me what color it is, lol!
​ I custom mix my colors for every different item I paint :) none are the same !
​It must be the crazy artist in me,lol
I lightly distressed her details to bring some of the white to the surface & a bit of that pretty mahogany, then 
​I hand painted her top surface with a custom design of spring blossoms & branches in a watercolor technique!

​

She only had one drawer pull so I grabbed another off of one of the other desks I got & sprayed them a pretty off white tone & distressed them so you could see the
​brass peeking through.

She was then sealed with 2 coats of polyurethane spray to seal in her pretty details.
Isn't she darling!?
​​

​
This is the faux drawer front that I had to repair with a veneer. 
Can you tell it has a whole new veneer on it? :)

Me neither ;)

Her curvy legs are soooo sexy!
​

She even has a gorgeous glass top to protect her hand painting!

Sylvia is ready for her new home! 

I can see her in a lady's work space, gleaming in the light, giving rest to someone busy at her computer. She would take a peek down at the flowers & take deep breath & sigh ❤
​Beauty is all around her :)
 
​

I found a perfect accent chair to go with this beautiful desk & painted her to match :) I used a pretty scrap of fabric I had left over to upholster the seat that looks nice, I think! 

This desk is currently for sale so if you live locally,
near Vancouver , BC, Canada, shoot me a message via my
contact form
& you can come see her in person!

Thanks so much for checking out my blog post! You can subscribe to my blog to get all sorts of fun ideas, inspiration, tutorials & eye candy! You just never know what I'm up to! 
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram here... Barefootbutterflystudio
 my  Facebook Vintage page here ... Barefootbutterfly House of Vintage
& my photography studio facebook page here...
Barefootbutterfly Studio

On a recent junkin outing I found this poor old double size wood bed that had for sure seen a better day!
I heard her whisper... 'Help me! I need some love!'
​ She was jammed in between a few press board bed frames at our local ReStore, quietly calling out to me!
I named her Marj ❤
Her veneer was peeling, mainly at the back (thank goodness) & she was quite haggard but I instantly had a vision of the beauty she could become! 
Here she is back at the workshop!

I forged ahead with wood glue (clamping overnight) & then wood filler on the back of the headboard because even though it was the back, i wanted to be sure she didn't have any rough edges. After the veneer was filled, sanded & fixed we were ready for paint!
I knew that the color needed to be light & I seriously had not painted anything white in a while! (hard to believe!)
I whipped out my latex paint & made up a batch of my chalky paint mixture (I'll do a blog post on that recipe soon) & then put it through a paint strainer making it 'sprayer ready'!
I like to spray large pieces like this because it gives a really nice overall smooth finish & she was destined to be a canvas for some roses so I needed her to be as smooth as possible.
I use a Mastercraft gravity fed paint sprayer (in case you're wondering) that is air fed by a compressor.
​

Here's the footboard basking (drying,lol) in the sun after a couple coats...
​

After fully drying & a soft sanding with a fine grit paper to smooth her out, I distressed all her pretty details to bring them out.
Then I went to town with my signature roses, hand painting to my hearts content. I really feel peaceful when I paint. I painted some of the trim a delicate yellow tone to :)
​
After her full on makeover, I went back with the sprayer & did 2 light coats of water based satin polyurethane to protect the delicate details.
​
Here she is all finished & gussied up, waiting for her her new mom to pick her up!
​

Thanks so much for checking out my blog post! You can subscribe to my blog to get all sorts of fun ideas, inspiration, tutorials & eye candy! You just never know what I'm up to! 
Don't forget to follow me on Instagram here... Barefootbutterflystudio
 my  Facebook Vintage page here ... Barefootbutterfly House of Vintage
& my photography studio facebook page here...
Barefootbutterfly Studio

Visiting my good friend Sue when I'm in California is always so much fun! She's like a sister ♡
Sue is the owner of Cabbage Rose Weddings in Huntington Beach & she has a great eye for detail!

We always have a blast going to flea markets & swap meets looking for treasures!
This trip was no different!
She scored some great finds including a large, gorgeous, ornate picture frame, a pretty vintage oval mirror & this sweet little shabby chic cream colored tea cart that she let me style up with a few pretty peices she had in her china cabinet ♡

I was lucky to & found a beautiful little vintage settee with Hollywood regency style & a pretty little antique carved boudoir chair that needs love ♡

We named the settee & her new sister Laverne & Shirley ♡ they'll live at Sue's until the next time we drive down with the truck :)

Feel free to subscribe to my blog! I'm on the fun, artsy roller coaster of life! come with me! 

s​ 
I had an absolute blast painting this extremely unique, one of a kind demilune jewelry box.
The finish turned out super shabby chic & distressed and I love it! 

When I found her she was begging for a make over... and of course I said yes because i can't resist when furniture talks to me, whispering sweet nothings !
There she was...
"hey you.. lady.. I need paint.. & roses & I will be FABULOUS!'
AND SHE WAS RIGHT!

I've named her Sylvia.

She's has all the functionality with just the right amount of sass
& she looks fabulous in her new shabby chic boudoir home ❤
(yes, sorry, she is sold)

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog posts & be entered to win a fabulous hand painted work of art by me, Carolyn of Barefootbutterfly House of Vintage & Barefootbutterfly Studio.  Award winning Chilliwack, BC, Canada Artist & Photographer! 
(details on that contest coming soon!!)
Follow me on Instagram here... Barefootbutterflystudio
 my  Facebook Vintage page here ... Barefootbutterfly House of Vintage
& my photography studio facebook page here...
Barefootbutterfly Studio

​​Thrift store shopping is essential to my life. Period. Serious. Spare moments are precious & mine are spent in thrift stores, lol.
Annnnnd some of you know I have a love of special dolls......
Yesterday, I happened to stumble across a sweet little vintage baby doll.

But not just any baby... A prince!

There sitting on a cold rack , waiting for his new mum was
beautiful little Prince William himself!
Made by Royal Doulton & the House of Nisbet, this 'First Born Collectors doll' is premium hand painted bone china, not regular porcelain.

I knew when I picked him up he was needing love & had to come home with me!
His bonnet needed a few stitches & his face needed a little wipe but after all,
​ what are dolly mums for? 
I think he looks pretty cozy in his new spot don't you?

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog posts & be entered to win a fabulous hand painted work of art by me, Carolyn of Barefootbutterfly House of Vintage & Barefootbutterfly Studio.  Award winning Chilliwack, BC, Canada Artist & Photographer.

I just wanted to write a little something to keep all of you in my crazy loop :) Lots of you know that I have my hands on many projects but some may wonder why they see so much diversity in my posts on my facebook page & here on my blog. 

"Boudoir, Maternity & newborn photography? I thought she was a nail tech?"...  "Nails? I thought she was a makeup artist & body painter?"... "Upcycled Vintage? I thought she was a photographer?"

Let me explain... ;)

I have a story.. it's a bit long but hopefully it will clear up the confusion,lol 

I have been a professional nail technician, make up artist & esthetician for around 26 years mainly focusing on nails, make up & body painting. This was a dream I had since I was in middle school.. to help people feel good about the way they looked ;) My friends & I would draw floor plans to beauty salons we would one day own. (you know who u are,lol)  That dream came true for me & I thank everyone of you who has sat in my chair & trusted me to do my best for you! I love the looks on your faces when you are happy with your nails, makeup, body or belly paint or whatever I have done for you :) Its the best!
I have also been a photographer for around the same amount of time starting as a child with a point & shoot then in high school photography class. Having taken photography in university along with fine arts like painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. back in 1989 I learned the technical yadayada. I had so much fun doing photo shoots back in the day, carefully developing all the film & images myself in the darkroom, lots of the time with my bestie cheering me on with poems of crazy people who liked to pose upside down & nude for the drawing & painting classes,lol (u know who u are to ;) This has been a great journey & I am soo happy to say that that the dream of being a photographer has come true as well, helping people see what I see & empowering women !! 
 
In the last 20 yrs or so I have been blessed with 3 amazing children as well. With the oldest now being 20, they are pretty much to the point of being able to take care of themselves without me having to be there every second,lol. (those who know me well know the 3rd child is a mommy's girl & is still quite attached at the hip,lol) but I have been able to 'find myself' a bit and create some nice art with some pretty awesome people.
I consider myself blessed to be able to follow my dreams, thanks mostly to my amazing soulmate Scott for being there by my side to & enabling me to do so  <3 (he actually likes doing laundry! can you believe it! lol)

This brings me to another path of my journey... in amongst my dreams, for a very long time, I have always longed to be able to create art with antique, vintage type things. Having grown up in house full of antiques thanks to my dad who was always at an auction picking up the coolest old stuff & my artist mother who always had a great appreciation for it, I have always had an appreciation for good quality items that were made with love in days gone past.
To add to that, one thing I really can't stand is seeing a good thing go in the garbage! Ask anyone who has been to the dump with me,lol... I will literally walk up to people who are getting ready to toss out perfectly good objects & ask them if i can have them,lol. Its a curse! But seriously, I think there should be some sort of way to save everything that is reusable, from the landfill, (but that is a whole nother can of worms,lol.)
So, here I am, a collector of great "junque" as I & some others who are addicted to it, like to call it & believe me, it IS an addiction. I wouldn't call myself a hoarder (because my stuff is SO awesome) but my house is piling up,lol.
 
So what do I get when I follow my dreams? My newest artistic project... my creative space that we have miraculously found & transformed from an ugly bug filled 'barnish' type of building to a great place to hang out & display my painted & artsy & vintage things for folks to see!
I knew the second I first saw the space that it had the bones to be GREAT :)






It's been fun, ripping out old insulation filled with birds nests lol!... we tore down the yucky stuff, then covered it in wood that we saved from the landfill (so awesome!!)
Painted some of it white to bring an amazing shabby feel to the place... Scotty & my brother Jim used some of the reclaimed wood to create an amazing creaky floor that reminds me of wandering through the old homestead buildings at the Fort, in Fort Langley BC where we grew up. We built a new barn door to replace double doors that were rotting off. My kids have been a great help as well with my boys working hard to help me with my dream & my girl cleaning & doing everything she can to help to :) 

Now I have a wonderful place to paint & create all sorts of fun & crazy things with all of my junque I have been collecting for sooo long! 

So these are some of the reasons why you will see all sorts of images when I post here on my blog or facebook or instagram, or wherever it may be! 
Thank you for hanging in there if you just like posts of nails, or body paint, or if you like to check out my photography or if you are waiting to see what I make of all my cool vintage stuff... I appreciate every single person who follows me on this journey to create art!!
Feel free to like stuff & comment to.. your feedback inspires me to create more!  <3
{Big hugs} ~ Carolyn ~ Barefootbutterfly

Barefootbutterfly Studio Chilliwack Photographer Boudoir, Maternity, Newborn, Nails, Make up, Belly paint, Maternity art Upcycled Vintage, Redone Antiques, Shabby Chic decor.

UPDATE! :)
I've had a bunch of questions as to what the pieces are in this bird bath so here goes...
There are 20 pieces in this birdbath all together...
 #1-the bottom piece is a large plate. I've heard that old microwave plates work well for this & you can cover them with dirt or mulch.
 #2- a bowl with a square foot. 
#3- a square decanter. 
#'s 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 are custard bowls. 
#11 is the large pickle dish with handles,
#'s 12,13 & 14 are more custard dishes. 
#15 is a cut glass candle holder. 
#16 (which is sort of hidden inside #15) is a smaller cut glass candle holder.
#17 is the twin of 16 turned upside down.
#18 is the small pickle dish with handles.
#19 is the finial (top, lid) from #3 (the square decanter) 
last but not least, #20 is my little black & clear swirled birdie! 
I find if you use thicker glass everything is much sturdier & use quite a bit of glue & allow to dry very thoroughly, gluing 2, maybe 3 pieces together at a time. I'm creating my next one with mostly all pieces of glass with a familiar vintage pattern called Early American Prescut Pattern by Anchor Hocking. It's also called the Star of David pattern & I think everyone had a cream & covered sugar bowl in their home! It's been fun finding pieces to make the bird bath & I'm almost ready to start gluing! :)