More white

I've been trying to transform the colors in my house to white and blues. Why?  I don't know, time for a change, white continues to show up everywhere and I really like it.

Sunday after my last painting class I decide I should paint something for myself once.  I have this old dot-matrix printer table in the dining room painted from long ago in a yellow and green, you remember the kind with the long slot in the back for the paper to be on the shelf with the printer on the top.  I've painted and sold so many fun unique table that would have replaced this boring table but of course I kept boring for me and sold fun to others.  So today was the day to paint boring once again.

Check out boring and busy 

Now here is white, clean and symmetrical.

I had a new family photo to hang up and the last time I hung our family photo it was just temporary until I could paint the frame.  As you see in the photo above temporary became permanent.  Now it's white and updated with 4 more people.

I had that back board out in the garage and thought it might be a nice addition to the boring dot-matrix printer.  I haven't attached it yet due to the dang light switch and I'm not sure that I like it.

The shelves got cleaned off and ended up white and clear glass

I love it, now I think John needs to replace the black breakfast nook with stained wood vs the black.  Hummmmmmm who is going to tell him?

Before and after

Have I convinced you to paint white yet?    Later.....

New life to old frames

Just a couple quick trash to treasure projects that have happened in my She Shed (I keep telling John I need a She Shed not a shared She/He, He/She Shed but a pretty, spacious She Shed).  I frequently visit the second hand stores looking for the not so glamourous pictures with fun frames, fun size or even a gosh darn ugly picture that is cheap and just waiting for me to take her home and make her pretty again.    Here are two examples of the before and after.

This one I did for my granddaughter Elly who has a Paris theme in her room.  The picture was kinda neat and reminded me of the flowers and soft colors you see from Paris photos.  The painting was in good shape, it was HUGE, the frame wasn’t anything special but the price was perfect since I was already spoiling her with many other Paris items for her room.  

I muted down those colors just a bit more with dry brushing over the entire painting with Annie Sloan Old White.  I wanted it to be the background not the main focus.  Then I added a free-hand graphic and painted the frame with Annie Sloan Provence.  And we do love her to Paris and back :)  

Next project was this old Home Interiors picture.  I love the oval shape and the chunky frame and of course the price.  It sat around in my box of "to-do" for a few months.

Until I got a quart of the Rust-Oleum soft pink and needed to test out the color on something.   Finding a photo to fit in an oval frame is a headache for me and removing the well intact back of the frame wasn't worth messing with a good thing..... so in my eyes paint over the whole thing.  Then paint a deer head and wreath of leaves......

call Monica to see if my littlest rustic princess Andee Lea would like this in her room.  

What can you find to paint and change the trash to a treasure...... Later

Winter decor in the sunshine

Sunday was so nice it was hard to spend anytime indoors.... so I didn't.  

Normally I'm not a Christmas decorator, I've had lights outside but nothing special and haven't ever decorated with live greenery.  But Sunday was so nice I decided to decorate my pots on the porch (and then I didn't have to empty them and put them away for the winter).  So this is the finished product.  Pots are looking a little dull....

So of course I painted them with chalk paint.  Why not paint after the pots are totally done :)

I never did take a picture of them after they were painted.  There are 3 on the porch and then I dug another one out of the garden shed and put it by the main door on the house.  

Hung lights on the deck and decorated my old bike.

Then I cleaned out a few flower beds and burnt all the dried flowers.  I made quite the smoky neighborhood.  Actually got a text from the neighbors that they were smoked out.

Do you have flower pots that are tired and dull looking?   Paint them.    Later.....

Classes

There are 4 chalk painting classes coming up soon.  If you want to learn everything there is to know about chalk paint you have got to make one of these classes work in your busy schedules.  These classes will be held during the 4th Annual Holiday Bazaar Craft Sale.  Shopping, painting, good conversations..... what more could you ask for.  

Saturday Nov 21st I will teach you how to paint a Mason jar box.  The class is 11-1, cost is $20, at the Veranda.  email or call (text) to sign up.  7159652925 connie{dot}hemmer{at}gmail{dot}com.  

Sunday Nov 22nd I will teach you how to paint a chalkboard.  There are varying sizes but the smallest is a 11x14 The class is 11-1 at the Veranda, cost is $25.  email or call (text) to sign up.  7159652925 connie{dot}hemmer{at}gmail{dot}com 

Saturday Dec 5th I will teach you how to paint a snowflake board.  This class is almost full so sign up quick.   The class is 11-1 at the Veranda, cost is $18.  email or call (text) to sign up.  7159652925 connie{dot}hemmer{at}gmail{dot}com 

Sunday Dec 6th I will teach you how to paint a Medallion Frame.  The class is 11-1 at the Veranda, cost is $23.  email or call (text) to sign up.  7159652925 connie{dot}hemmer{at}gmail{dot}com 

Can't wait to see you all there.     Later.....

Trash to Treasure Tuesday - Step Stool

I hit my favorite second hand store on Friday and run into my very good junkin' friend.  We had a good time complaining about the prices on the "junk" in the store, but we also found some good deals and snatched them up.  KR found this step stool and said "here's one for you painted photographer"

So of course I couldn't wait to start on it.  I had a new look I wanted to try out on something flat and boring.  This was it.  

I pour some Rust-Oleum Orange onto a paper plate and let it sit to get thick and dry.

I painted the stool with Amy Howard Vintage Affliction on top of the already white paint.  The Vintage Affliction got a solid coat but could be streaky because that wasn't going to be the final paint color.  

When the Vintage Affliction was totally dry I sloppily put on the thick crusty Rust-Oleum Orange.  I didn't hit everything, I just slopped it on and in some spots it was puddled.

Waiting for thick puddled paint is a long process so make sure you have another project to keep you busy.  I had about 14 going that night so I was just fine.  

when the paint is about 80% dry I took a paint scraper and distressed the paint on the edges and the flat surfaces.  Making sure to scrape down to the white paint and get globs of thick paint built up on the scraper.  Then push it back onto the stool.  Scrape and push, scrape and drag, scrape and pray you're not messing this up.  Exactly what I did but probably more of the later.  John had ventured off to the neighbors so at least I didn't have to listen to him tell me I ruined it.  You're going to get all the colors of the paint scraping up and making a thick mess.   I think the Amy Howard paint is such a nice smooth hard paint that it helped to peek it through without scraping it all off.

Ignore the dirt on my floor, it fell off the wreath I put on the bench and thought I pushed it out of the way...... 

After thinking this wasn't working and ready to give up I just globbed the paint in various patterns and let it dry overnight.

The next morning I had a 1 year old photoshoot and thought I needed to use the stool.   So I ran out to the garage to grab it just the way it was.  The little boy would be sitting on it so it really didn't matter that I ruined it.  But I had to clear and dark wax it just to make sure

I love it.  I love the globs of paint, the Base White and Amy Howard Vintage Affliction showing through, and the dark wax that gives it depth.

On Sunday Melanie and Junior thought this was the best stool ever.  Of course they liked it because it was easy to crawl on and stand on top of it.  The mom's liked it because it sturdy and wide enough for them to be safe.  So it has the seal of old time painted look and function... it will be for sale but for right now I think I will enjoy it for a bit longer.

Another fun Trash to Treasure Tuesday and a new way to paint.         

Later...