I finished my second  house project of the year. This was a 10 dollar chair that I bought from a garage sale. It was badly repaired where it had once had arms and was perfect for me to practice on. I sanded it all down and then filled in the holes with wood putty.
I used chalk paint for both layers I put on it.
 I painted it the light teal and then used Vaseline to make a resist in a few of the areas to let the teal paint show through. This was mostly on the edges and the legs where the wear would be heaviest. Then I used  off white chalk paint over.  Then I stained it with a light walnut gel stain and buffed it so in places the stain came out dark in the recesses and light where the wear would be. I then covered the cracked faded leather seat in a cream bird print.
I was going for the rustic "hey look what I just found in the back of grandmas barn" look and I think I nailed it. Maybe a little too rustic but for 10 bucks and 3.25 in paint and fabric it will do.

Chalk Painting Adventures

I have been away from this blog and crafting for too long.

For three years I have been working so many hours at my day job and because the nature of my job means I can and do get called in at all hours so I really never relaxed enough to be creative once I got home.

In the last few months I have tried to force myself to get creative by devising some Christmas projects and trying to give myself deadlines. Of course that did not work.
You cannot force yourself to create. Or at least I can't. I did not finish the projects, felt guilty and it only put more pressure on me at work and at home.

So I tried another approach. As long as I am working I do not have any pressure to create work that sells. I did that for years  loved it and I probably will go back to it some day but I do not need to make a penny off it right now.
So I am going to concentrate on taking classes and making things for myself.
I started this past weekend by attending a chalk painting class at Alter'd in Deer Park Texas.
In the class we learned about chalk painting furniture. Here is the link if you are in the area check out the store it has awesome furniture and items. Mandi was an awesome instructor.
http://altard.com/workshops/

We learned about chalk paint, stains and how to finish a piece. You leave the workshop with a link to some eBooks' so you don't even have to take notes in class.

So I am updating a few small pieces I have around the house to practice.
My first project of the weekend was painting my front door. It was my attempt to make sure every night when I get home from work I have a choice...vegetate and fret or do something creative and
fun.

Lets hope it works........

My next project was a small cupboard I bought years ago at a garage sale for 5 bucks. I wish I had taken a before photo but it looked similar to this one but it was brown not white.

And now with one coat of a pale teal, a white stencil design and an over stain with a dark brown it looks like this.

I am going to add a clear stain over the top to protect the finish or a dark wax.
Mandi our instructor told us she does not like wax but I think I might try it on this piece because it will not be in a high traffic area and I don't mind rewaxing once in a while.

I have a few more pieces of furniture I am going to refinish in the next month and I will post them here.

Did I mention that I love, love chalk paint? I cant believe I was able to cover those painted apples and the dark wood on this in one coat.

 

 

 

 



Happy New Year Everyone!!!!!!

I have been working a lot lately outside of the studio so I do not have a lot to post. when I am off and get in the studio I work, work work with the time I have so I just don't have much time to post anymore. I am still working on my journals and my artwork but mostly I am cutting, hammering and drilling away with the huge stash of tin I have accumulated. The results are so satisfying and I have got a few photos to show you later in the week. Here is one of the necklaces.

Well I am splitting my creative time between making jewelry out of recycled tin and my art journal. I love working with the tin because it is kind of like collage in the way that you are taking interesting pieces of photos (on tin in this case) and piecing them together to make something new. I always thought I came by my love of collage from my work with quilting. I think it has always been a womanly thing to piece together beauty from bits and bobs. Whether it was taking bits of fabric and making a quilt or pulling together all the diverse things that it takes to turn a house into a home and a group of people into a loving family. Not that a man cannot do it, but I like and am honored that it was considered traditionally "women's work".

This is a book I have started using the October challenge on the yahoo group Altered books. The challenge is to use the bits of stuff you have laying around to create a collage. I choose to do an altered board book. I am using it to gently examine my faith. Just a nudge really. Sometimes I have to examine why I believe what I believe. I have to shake up my faith to see if it is still valid to the world outside and inside of me.
Anyhow...enjoy.

Thumb print trees

I started on a project for a friends daughters wedding. She wanted a thumbprint tree for her wedding guestbook. the idea is a bare tree and the guests will use the ink pads she sets out to make a thumb print leaf on the tree. I told her I would work on some designs but once I got into doing the trees I just could not stop.
There is something soothing about making these trees. I like the idea of the whole thing. Having a record of everyone who attended your wedding in such a personal way. And also as an artist the idea of being able to let go of a finished piece and give it up to be altered by others. That whole idea just intrigues me.
I of course have not been able to do a design like she requested though. She wants a "swirly tree"....... My hands refuse to draw a swirly tree. I can do a twisted tree and with some effort I actually was able to twist the branches into a heart but so far not a swirl one.
I never was able to do commissions. No matter how reasonable the request my brain always screamed "hell no" before I could even grasp what it was they were asking for. No matter what the medium from paintings, drawings to jewelry , pottery or lampwork beads and no matter how reasonable the request I resisted the commission.
Oh well.....
The two trees I have finished here are acrylic and ink on canvas board. I thought the board would hold up to the assault of 200 thumbs better than paper. I like the idea of original art for the base because I think everything in a wedding should be unique. Prints are nice but a little less personal.
I put these up on Etsy so that I can feel good about making more....Did I mention I love painting trees? Each one is so unique and yet fits into the forest nicely with all the others. The perfect symbol for the joining of two families.