Shabby Distressed Farmhouse Numbered End Tables

Of course I forgot to take before pics.  I always do!  Lol!  I'm always so anxious to beautify everything.  I painted these cute little tables Pure White by Annie Sloan, glazed with Tobacco Glaze by Ralph Lauren and stenciled with my Cricut in brown.  Then I sealed with my Shabby VAX! Nothing fancy, just cute! I'm still working on my glazing technique.  It's a lot harder than one would think!  I did read that I should seal first when glazing over chalk paint because it's so porous that it grabs the glaze too much.  I'll try that next time.

Shabby Paint VAX WOW!!

Okay, so I'm not a huge painter.  I do it to relax.  I do it to change the look of something old and discarded.  I do it because I'm not a big fan of plain Jane stained wood.  I love Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, hate the wax.  Love the look, hate the wax.  Not just because of the work involved, but because I don't find it to be durable enough for the average girl.  To buy a piece and have to re-wax it in a year or so....nah!  Too much trouble for me.  I searched and searched for something else.  Something easier, something more durable...enter Shabby Paints VAX!  Wow!!  I am absolutely in LOVE!!

This is the easiest, most user friendly topcoat that I've tried.  I have not tried APC's topcoat, but now that I've found my true love, I don't think that I will.  If you paint furniture for a living or for fun, I highly recommend that you try it out!  You won't be disappointed!

TTFN!!

Crushing on Craqueleur

I am totally crushing on Annie Sloan's Craqueleur!!  I am working on a dresser painted in AS Emperor's Silk and using the Craqueleur on the drawers, which are done in AS Pure.  I fell in love with Stiltskin Studios Red Velvet dresser and am kind of spinning off of that.  I can't wait to get it all done with lots of Annie's dark wax over the Emperor's Silk and touches of gold gilding wax!

This crackle is WAY better than the junk that you buy in the craft stores and so easy to use!  

Stay tuned for the dresser completed!

French Linen and Old White Stenciled Dresser

She's finally done!  Whew!!  She's a little shabby, with areas worn down though the paint.  She's a little chic, with her Paris in the Springtime stenciling.  She's done in Annie Sloan French Linen and Old White and sealed with CeCe Caldwell Wax.  I ordered new drawer pulls for the bottom and they will complete her so she can be sold.

My camera sucks, by the way.  Maybe I'll get a new one for Christmas!!  Hint, hint!!

xoxo~Di

Paris in the Springtime Stencil

I have been killing myself to get all my painting projects done before my son comes home for Christmas.  My house is my studio in the winter and it is a total wreck!

A few months ago I fell in love with the Paris in the Springtime stencil from Royal Design Studio.  I saved up and ordered one, not knowing what I was going to do with it or even how to stencil!  My friend gave me a hideous yellow mid-century modern dresser from her dads estate and then I saw an AMAZING french chippy buffet from Create Inspire and I knew I had to copy it!

This is the dresser before...

Yucky yellow and I just do NOT like mid-century modern!  Anywhoooo...I am in the process of transforming it into this...

I have to wax, distress, dress it up with some hardware, yada yada yada, but hopefully I will have it done before the kid gets home from Denver!  Wish me luck!

Bird on a Branch Table

It's going to be 65 degrees in Michigan today!  Wow!  That's amazing!  It would be a great day to finish painting my cute little birdie table outside, but I have a family gathering today, so NO DICE!  That's okay.  I love my family and enjoy spending time with them.

Here's a sneak peek of my vintage Thomasville table...

I am using Annie Sloan French Linen and Old White and will be doing lots of distressing.  Aren't these two colors yummy?

Chalk Paint Sofa Table with Etched Glass Top

I found this sofa table and 2 matching end tables and had to have them.  I am not crazy about glass top tables, but I loved the shape and the details.  The bottom of the sofa table had some bubbling veneer.  I tried the iron method, but it just wouldn't lay down.  So, flying by the seat of my pants, I scraped up the bubbled veneer and filled the area with wood filler.  Hmmm, I know I took a picture of that, but can't seem to find it, along with my before pics.  Oh well, I decided to etch a fleur de lis in the glass.  Not knowing whether it would work or not, I grabbed my Armour Etch that I've had for a couple of years and made a stencil out of contact paper.  Well, by golly, it worked!!

Then I decided to add some fleurs to the top of the column legs.  I had a button I got from Goodwill that was the perfect size, so I grabbed my trusty Amazing Molding Putty and got to work!

I painted the table with CeCe Caldwell Cinco Bayou Moss first and then Annie Sloan Old White.  I distressed it heavily, because I like that shabby french farmhouse kind of look, and I'm hoping that someone else will too!  It was my first time using CeCe Caldwell's Clear Wax and WOW!  I am impressed.  I am used to using other waxes that I have to battle with and it went on so smooth and easy that I contacted my stockist, Shelly at Shizzle Design, to make sure that I was doing it right!  Shelly took time out of her busy day to give me all of her tips and tricks and it turned out fabulous!

I may add some dark wax, hmmmmm...I am not sure yet. I don't know how people get done with a piece in a day.  This took me about a week!  Of course, it's a little bit here and a little bit there, but my goodness!  I don't know that I could ever get done in one day! Let me know what you think!  I will post more when I get the end tables done.

Enjoy your day!! :)

Chalk Painted Stool

I got this stool at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  It was old, dirty and unloved, but it was sturdy.

Excuse my mess, I had to move all of my painting inside because of the cold, rainy weather!  The bottom of the inside compartment was REALLY NASTY!  So I ripped it out right after I took pics of it!

The fabric on top was in tact, but it was plastic like material.  Almost like a shower curtain.

So I painted her up with a base coat of Annie Sloan Duck Egg Blue, then layered Old Ochre on top.  I used red mattress ticking fabric for the top and added dark wax for some depth.

I think it turned out pretty cute!  What do you think?  Linking up to Deja Vue Designs!

My Mess-terpiece

I have been looking at this little table for a while now and just didn't know what to do with it.  I forgot to take before pics, but this little pair of Mersman bunching tables were dark wood, ya know, lilke the Brady Bunch era.

I started messing with it last night.  I painted it in AS Old White, nah!  I put Paris Grey on top.  Kinda plain.  Then I washed it with Cece's Vermont Slate.  I like it better.  Then I added the crown and the typography, which I got from the Graphics Fairy.  Unfortunately, I eyeballed it and the lettering is crooked!!!  Lol!  Oh well.  I put some Martha Metallic Glaze on top of it all.  Wow!!  What a mess!!!  Ha ha!!  Oh well, they weren't my favorite tables anyway!

The first is an indoor shot and the last two are outdoor shots.  I should start a blog on how NOT to do things!  I'm a pro at that!

Chalk Paint Entry Table

My cute little entry table, which was originally a vanity table is complete!  I just love it!  What do you think?

I didn't have time to set it up in nice lighting or stage it, but this gives you an idea of how she turned out.

VACATION!!!

I don't have much to report today.  I was going to do a post on my kitchen cabinets, but I got lazy and didn't take pics, lol, so I am just going to ramble a bit before work.  I only have two more days of work left before I start my ten day vacation!  No planes, no resorts, just kicking it right here in Michigan.  The weather is fantastic today and the weather report says it will continue through the week.  YAY!!  I love fall in Michigan.  There's a nice breeze and the sun is shining!  My kind of weather!  I am spending my vacation with rock stars like Annie Sloan, Cece Caldwell and many religious saints.  I will be painting and soldering!  My 2 favorite things to do.

However, I may sneak off to Cadillac to our cabin for a few days and tire out, oops, I mean play with my puppies that have soooo much energy!  Until tomorrow.......

Chalk Paint Vanity Turned Entry Table

I found this cute vanity table at my local Salvation Army.  I wish I had taken before shots, because she was in ROUGH shape.  Nothing compared to what she is starting to look like now.   This table contains a lot of firsts for me.

I sanded the top down and filled the holes where the mirror was supposed to attach.  I used Cece Caldwell Simply White Chalk Paint on the lower portion and for the first time ever, I tried my hand at glazing.  I used Ralph Lauren Tea Stain Glaze.  Glazing is a lot more difficult than I would have thought, but I think that for my first time, it turned out okay.  Trying to avoid hard lines was the hardest part.  I waxed it with Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

Another first for me was using Webster's Chalk Paint powder.  I mixed it with Behr French Roast.  I was really happy with the way that it went on.  NO BRUSH MARKS!  I had to add a little more powder than the package suggested, but I love this color, so it was okay with me.  I distressed and waxed again.

This is what it looks like so far...

I am still waiting for the glaze to dry on the drawer so I can wax it and finish her up.  I am thinking of dark waxing the top as well.  Let me know what you think!  Thanks for stopping by!

Thomasville Tables Craigslist BARGAIN!

I found a sofa table and 2 end tables on Craigslist on Thursday.  The price was $50 for the sofa table and $50 for the 2 end tables.  I e-mailed the person and got no response.  I woke up Friday morning and the pieces were still there and better yet, they lowered the price!  It was $25 for the sofa table and $30 for the end tables.  I tried frantically to e-mail the seller ALL DAY!  Finally, I gave up.  I was getting dinner ready and while I was waiting for the grill to warm up, I finally got an e-mail from the seller!  I called her, set up a time, which gave me about an hour and a half to get dinner done, eat, and get cleaned up.

Off I went!  I stopped to get gas and then I got a little nervous.  A woman e-mailed me, but I talked to a man on the phone.  I had my pepper spray, but no one knew where I was going exactly.  So I called my son, in Denver, and told him where I was going unless I came up missing!  He laughed and called me a dork, but took the info anyway.  When I got there, to my relief, they were a wonderful, friendly couple in their late 40's that ran a day care.  I looked at her treasures and told her that I would take them.  As her hubby and I were loading them, she hollered to me, "You can have this one for $10 too, if you're interested."  It matched the rest of the tables and the varnish was peeling on top, but other than that, it was really nice.  I took that one too!  Four great solid wood Thomasville pieces for $70?!?  That's a Craigslist BARGAIN!

Excuse my messy house.  I swear, I haven't been home, except to eat and sleep, for a month or more!

I plan to use my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on these and I can't wait!!  I am not sure what color yet, but  I am on vacation next week and ya know what I'll be doing??  Painting and soldering :)  They are my joy!  My happiness!  Strange, but true!

My Own Worst Enemy

Okay, I have been a bit ridiculous about blogging.  Months go by and I don't post a thing.  I haven't finished any jewelry or finished painting any furniture in quite some time.  I can't make excuses anymore.  I hold myself back.  I always have.  I really don't know why!  Is it fear of success?  Is it because I am comfortable where I am at?  Hmmm....

So, here's my plan.  I am going to make sure that I post SOMETHING at least once a day.  It may not be spectacular or even very interesting, but I have to dedicate myself to doing this.  I am also making sure that I do at least one thing toward finishing either a piece of jewelry or a piece of painted furniture. I have to hold myself to this and put it right in my schedule, otherwise I will just fall of the face of the internet again!  Holiday bazaar's are coming up and I need to get some inventory!

See ya tomorrow!

A Chalk Paint Epiphany!

I have been playing with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Cece Caldwell Chalk Paint for a few months now.  It did the job.  It had a decent finish.  Some of my pieces turned out mediocre and some turned out really good, but not good enough for me.  Small pieces, I have not had a problem with, they turn out great, but the furniture, I haven't had the best of luck with.  I have spent quite a bit of money trying to learn how to get the professional finish that I wanted, without traveling to an workshop miles and miles away.  In hindsight, it would have been cheaper to travel all of those miles, but eh, I am a diy girl!  I am self taught!  I can do this!

This is the first weekend that I've had off from everyone and everything.  I am determined to get some of this furniture painting done.  Tonight, while I was struggling with my Coco dresser on the deck, in the dark, with mosquitoes biting me everywhere and low lighting, I finally saw the finish I was looking for!!  I was so excited that I didn't even notice all that buzzing in my ears!  Finally!!!  I wish I could continue to work on it tonight, but those mosquitoes are really eating me up!  So stay tuned!

French Poem Chalk Paint Table

I am a really bad blogger.  I've been MIA for 3 weeks!  Anyway, I haven't finished my Coco dresser.  It's been raining on my days off.  I started on this little side table.  I painted it in Old White and then, since I didn't have $100 to spend on the beautiful Paris in Springtime stencil, I got out my overhead projector and did it with a transparency that I made based on the same poem.  I used French Linen for the lettering.  It turned out okay, but I am not the best painter when it comes to tiny details.  I seem to get the paint too thick in these little lines, which is why I like to use paint pens for this sort of thing.  Anywhooo,  I distressed it and clear waxed it, and will probably dark wax it as well.  It didn't turn out exactly like I wanted, but my little table was only $7, so it was worth the experience.

I also did a cute little bar stool in Coco and used a black paint pen for the graphics.

Annie Sloan Coco Chalk Paint Dresser

I added a few things to my shop, and like always, I got side tracked and picked up my paint again!  I think I have ADHD, because I can't stick with one thing for very long.

I am really feeling the color Coco from Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint line!  A few people have said that they don't care for it, I however,  LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!  I am not one for a lot of bright colors.  I love all of the new shades of neutrals that have come out the past few years, so this is right up my alley!

I got this dresser on Craigslist for $25.00!  It's solid and the lady took really good care of it.  You remember this furniture from the 70's, don't you??

Every little girl's room had this style in it...er, except for mine!  I had to share a bedroom with my older sister, so we had an earlier bedroom set.  I always wanted a set like this, and now slowly, I am getting it!

Here is my progress so far...

I haven't quite decided if I want to paint the drawers Old White or Old Ochre, or just paint it all Coco.  I am also going to add some icing to this dresser with some resin appliques that I painted in Coco and dry brushed with Old Ochre...they look amazing!  

I also got this Ethan Allen buffet for $30 that I am trying to pick a color for.  Graphite?  Louis Blue?  I just don't know yet!

I do have to get back to one of two things...painting or beading.  Hmmmm, which will I choose today??

That's it for now!  Thanks for looking!

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Coffee Table

I have been busy painting away, finding some great pieces at reasonable prices and learning a lot about technique!  I was supposed to go up to our family cabin this weekend, but I was so excited to work on this great vintage Thomasville coffee or cocktail table that I picked up last weekend, that I opted out.  I am sure I missed some great food and laughter, but I was just so engrossed in my painting.  I painted the table with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  The top is Old Ochre and the base is Duck Egg Blue.  I painted, sanded, waxed and finally completed my project despite over 100 degree days here in Michigan!

 I didn't have time to stage and get the right lighting, so here is just a taste!  Let me know what you think!