Painted China Cabinet

I am doing a lot of cleaning out these days and getting projects finished! In the late summer I like to stock up on various pieces for the fall and winter months. By doing this it allows me to pick and paint what I want for the store. Some of my earlier pieces needed some work so I put them off. Now with spring here I want to clear out so I can start new and fresh.

This little china cabinet needed some love. It had a hole cut out of the back for a TV. My hubbie replace the wood for me so I could begin painting. The shelves went MIA and I was so glad to find them the other day. So there was no excuse!

This is what I started with after he fixed the back. I took this pic at night sorry.

I don't know about you all but it takes me awhile to come up with paint color. I have to stare at it awhile.

I decided on Duck Egg and Old White with some dry brushing and distressing.

I painted the shelves Duck Egg and the back ot the inside with Old White. I actually kept the knob!

I used the Old white to highlight some of the details. I also used it to dry brush.

 

You can see it better in this close up!

 Love the distressing around the knob!!!

The inside finished and ready for some decorative items.

Placed it in the kitchen and added some color!

Another amazing transformation with paint!

I want to thank Kim Too Much Time on My Hands for featuring my Paint Stick Flag and Utensil Draw Organizer! So Sorry I forgot to mention it!!

Also I want to thank Claire from Bless My Nest for featuring my Nesting Bird Table!!!

Thank you ALL!! It is always a thrill!!

Antique Chair Leg

You know you have done it too! You go out thrifting and yard saling and bring back that odd piece of something. Sometimes those are the pieces that inspire you the most. Sometimes they are the ones that sit in a corner waiting for you to think up that one creative thing that can turn it into beauty.

Last year, don't judge, I went to the Watertown Yard Sale in Tennessee. I was a little disappointed to see mostly venders set up but there were some that were the true yard salees!  I actually managed to come home with a few great pieces. Well they were great at the time!

This is one thing that I found

 It was an antique chair leg! I thought it was an interesting find.

Problem was it sat in a corner for a year! Then I decided what I wanted to do with it. I grabbed some barn wood and dry brushed some gesso on the front and wired it to the board.

I had a piece of brass and some new metal stamps that I wanted to use.

I went outside in the beautiful sunshine and stamped and hammered away!

This is what I came up with! I sweet saying to add to my art piece.

I hammered the brass and sanded it to look worn. "Where there is Faith love grows"

Then I attached my antique chair leg to it. Because I have stared at it for soooo long I love that it looked like a wooden cross.

I turned it upside down and tied it to the barn wood with nails and jute.

 

I love it next to the roses! It can be used as garden art or I can hang it on the wall. I attached a saw tooth hanger to the back just in case!

What do you think? Would you use this to hang on a wall or use it for garden art? You know me. I just like something out-of-the -box different!!!

Enjoy this beautiful day the Lord has made!!!

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Chalkboard Art

I love art of any kind! I have been intrigued lately by chalkboard art. I have seen it on the blogs, in stores and now in OPRAH"S magazine.

Dana Tanamachi was the cover artist for the magazine and she has several other's she has done.

Here is one she did in Turquoise!

If you were here yesterday I showed you my latest chalkboard project. I used a painting technique to change a gold plastic frame to a stone look.

So after being mesmerized by the beautiful typography of this powdered art, I decided to let this be my inspiration!

I wanted somewhat of a menu board so I thought this would work perfectly

I used some color chalk and good ole white

 

 

 

 

I did it all by hand with no patterns. I wanted it to look free hand....not perfect

I thought it was fun and I will probably do more in the future!

Have you tried some art on your chalkboards?

TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!

Stone Texture Technique with Paint

While shopping for that extra something to be creative with, I found this picture. No, I haven't got a place for it in my house! Not my style! But I think I can create something with it!

I did like the frame with all of its carved details. It was a plastic frame but I was going to turn it into stone! Well with paint of course. I used a dry brush technique like the one in my Lamp Redo post. I actually painted on and wiped off on that post. This one is painting light on dark.

I painted right over the print with chalk paint and continued to the frame. Using my brush to push paint into the crevices.

  This is how it looked when the paint dried. I went back and touched up any surface that I missed.


With detailing like this it is easy to highlight. I used gesso and dry brushed in a circular motion. In my lamp redo I used a beige paint. The key is to dry brush.

See how it starts to pull out the details. I love the texture the ASCP has when painted.

There really isn't a way to mess this up. Just make sure you don't cover over all the dark color.

This is some yummy detailing. It changed an ugly gold plastic frame into this!

What a change! OK I photo-shopped my blog on the chalkboard! Come back tomorrow to see my inspired artwork that is going on it with colored chalk!

How do you like the before and after?

Italian Flower Chandelier

One of my clients gave me this chandelier to revamp. There had been several welding spots on it leaving black color in different areas.

The flowers were rusty and it just lacked luster. I have to be honest, I was a little apprehensive about doing it. Some people like things all rusty and chippy. What if I ruined it?

Don't we all say that every now and then? Well how will we ever know till we do it!

This is how it looked with the welded areas.

 

 See how the paint is oxidized

The flower just looks tired. So after wrapping it and taping off all the flowers and leaves I began to paint the base in a flat white.

I hand painted each flower with a small paintbrush

This is the look underneath

The flowers are painted in a gloss and I left the centers to not mess with the integrity of the piece.

So much better! Looks fresh and new. A perfect spring project!

Before

 After

It just comes alive! Another surprise paint job! Wish I had a picture of it all hung and lit!

So tackle that project that has you scared! You will be glad you did!!

Happy Easter!

Comments and Blogs

It has come to my attention that there has been problems out there with comments on blogs. Some people in Wordpress are having problems commenting on Blogger. The say if you put in the URL of the blog it works but most don't know about it.

I have tried to leave comments on several blogs that say they are unable to post the comment and to try back later. When I go back it still is doing this.

Others claim that Pinterest has caused a decline in comments. Have you had any of these problems?

It is a bummer when we don't receive comments on our blogs! Let's face it, sometimes it is what fuels our creativity! Hopefully this is a problem that can be fixed by Blogger or whatever is causing the decline.

I appreciate each of you being here! Please know I am reading your blogs even if you don't see a comment from me!!

Let me know if you have seen this or heard other people talking about it!
That is if you can leave a comment!!!!! I would love to hear from you!
Have a wonderful Ester weekend! Enjoy your families!

Paper Dress Form

Sometimes I just like to sit and create different things without really thinking about it.

I played around with paper and created this cool dress form. It is like a little favor for a table, but I think it can be made at any size.

I just had to share it!!!

I used scrapbook paper to have a heavier weight paper for sturdiness.

This can be made as a gift box also. This is my first one. I think embelishing it a little with beads or lace would be a nice touch.

I think this could be fun for Mother's Day, a Bridal Shower or even a Birthday Party!

This is the back

This is underneath

See the cone....you can fill it with something nice and add a bottom to it or place it on top of something like a vase or bottle.

It was just something fun to make!

Hope this stirs your creative juices!!

Happy Spring!