My Key Coffee Table. I'm in Love Again.

Well, I hate to tell my hubby, but I'm having an affair...with my new coffee table. Yup. I love this more than life itself. Well...not really, but I'm pretty dang pleased with it.
Firstly, I purchased this table off of Craigslist for a very small price. Score.
It sat in my garage for about 2 weeks until I made the absolute FINAL decision of what to do with it. I was inspired by a table I saw on Sisters of the Wild West. I thought it was SO kewl (my teen daughters HATE when I write cool that way, so that's why I'm doing it).
One of the best things is that this table was totally unfinished. Yup. A furniture crafter's dream. The problem is that when you have a piece like that, the sky is the limit. I become paralyzed with decision making because I want it to be perfect!
One day, I took the plunge and just started. And now, I am in love with the finished product.

I don't have a complete pic of what it looked like in the beginning, but just imagine that it was a plain jane.

The other thing that absolutely tickles me about this project is that all of the keys are my original designs. Since I don't consider myself particularly creative, these designs were a boost to my craft ego.

I cut out the vinyl with my Cricut, placed it on the table, and painted away.

I decided to use some lock designs as well.

This is one of my favorite key designs and is the logo for my new business, which will be called Howsewears:

This is another favorite design. They're almost like my children.

And here is the final product.

The base is painted in Old White chalk paint. It's not distressed. The jury is still out on that.

The project stalled when I couldn't decide which stain to use on the top. I experimented on the underside with just wax, oak stain, cherry stain, and walnut stain. The final decision (with the help of my daughters) was to use a cherry and walnut stain mix. I was so pleased with the final outcome. I like the warmth but I don't like it too dark, so this worked well.

Here's a better view of the designs.

I do have to admit that I might have to enter a 12-step program. Hi. My name is Tami, and I'm an obsessive crafter. Nah. That means I'd have to be willing to change.
I hope you like it.
And, if you're interested in fancy-ing up a table you already have, message me through my Etsy shop here, and I can custom cut vinyl keys to fit your piece of furniture!
Fondly, Tami
Today, I'm linking to:
The Shabby Nest
Remodelaholic Friday
My Romantic Home
Feathered Nest Friday 
No Minimalist Here 
The Frugal Girls 
I Heart Naptime
Flamingo Toes
Sisters of the Wild West
The DIY Showoff
Under the Table and Dreaming
Tatertots and Jello
Between Naps on the Porch 
Dittle Dattle
http://creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/
Craftomaniac
The Graphics Fairy
The Tattered Tag
Singing Three Little Birds
Be Colorful
Homemaker on a Dime
Making the World Cuter
A Diamond in the Stuff
Coastal Charm
DIY by Design
The Tip Junkie
Primitive and Proper
Night Owl Crafting
Saavy Southern Style
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Restore Interiors
Today's Creative Blog
Someday Crafts
Beyond the Picket Fence
Blue Cricket Design
French Country Cottage
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Tip Junkie
The 36th Avenue
The Shady Porch
Gingersnap Crafts
Stuff and Nonsense 
The Trendy Treehouse 
The Southern Institute 
Polly Want a Crafter 
It's a Hodgepodge Life 
Embracing Change 
Miss Mustard Seed 
The Vintage Farmhouse 
Kampenlane 
Elizabeth and Co.
Ivy and Elephants
Kammy's Korner
The Vintage Farmhouse

Is it something? Does anyone know what this is???

Hey, Froggers (Friends who are Bloggers)!
I was so excited with my great purchases on Saturday! However, I bought an item that I had no idea what it was. It was so cool that I couldn't pass it up, especially since it was only $2.

It appears to be made of wood, and the scalloped parts are metal, which leads me to believe that it was used more for cutting or making impressions than printing. I'm hoping that it's a Medievil artifact that the Smithsonian has been wanting for their collection. You know. Kinda like "the missing link"? I'd love to be seen on Antiques Roadshow and find out that it's worth a million dollars, and that the market is hot for it right now, and that I'll pretend that I will NEVER sell it because it's so unique, knowing fully well that if it's gonna pay for my daughters' college educations, it's SO last week!

The back has some kind of handles with which to use it.

And here's another view. It's about a square foot or so.

So, what do you all think? I'd love some input.

And, here's my latest project. The image is from the Graphics Fairy. I imported it into my Sure Cuts A Lot and cut it out in vinyl. I placed the vinyl in the center after I painted over the wood in black. It was a little tedious, but I love the process. I painted over the vinyl with Old White Chalk Paint, then lifted up the vinyl. The key to a lovely finish is to sand well (distressing if you so desire) and apply wax. I used a mixture of mostly clear Briwax with a small amount of oak Briwax, which is my new fave.
I adore this finish, and I'm going to have a hard time getting rid of this one.

I think The Graphics Fairy is the bees' knees. She has such beautiful graphics for projects. She ranks up there in my book!

As always, thanks bunches for stopping by. I hope I've inspired some of you to craft on!
Fondly, Tami
And, I'm linking up to
No Minimalist Here
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Beyond the Picket Fence 
House of Hepworths 
Fireflies and Jellybeans