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Friday, May 31, 2013

French Typography Ice Bucket with Roses

Here is the French typography ice bucket I showed you last Sunday.  I love the way it came out with just the black and white typography, but I thought I would try to add a little color to it.
Being the floral kind of gal I am, I really love it with the roses.  This is a Catherine Klein rose image I found on Google.  It's the same image.  I just reversed it on the opposite side so it looks a little different.
I love the contrasting colors.  However, if you like the simpler look, the black and white turned out stunning as well.
Thanks for stopping by.


I may be partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday

Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           


Thursday, May 30, 2013

Romantic Jewelry Armoire

I loved working on this project.  It's for the total girlie girl in all of us.  I found this little jewelry armoire a couple of weeks ago at the flea market.  Her legs were wobbly, which was an easy fix, and she really isn't a great quality piece, but I met the challenge of re-inventing her.
I've sold many of these over the years, and I always wanted to paint them, but I thought it would be too big a deal.  Guess what?  It was so easy.  I'll never sell another one without adding my own decorative touch to it.
I found this image at Our Cottage Garden.  They have fabulous digital images that you can download to your computer, and the average cost is $3.  I love their images because they are easily re-sized.  I emailed this beauty to my Fed Ex Office store and had them print this on a legal size page and it was only 50 cents.  To do the transfer you need a laser copy.  Now, some of the paper was worn away at the bottom, and on the bottom drawer, I didn't use a razor blade to cut between the drawers so a little of the paper tore, but the end result is a very vintage looking piece which is what I want my end result to look like.  I would recommend, however, using a fresh razor blade if you are going to be cutting the wet image like this.
So I know I sound like a total broken record, but I did my reverse mod podge transfer on the front, and on the side I used my raised plaster technique using joint compound with the usual stencil of my choice.  Yes, this is my newest Maison de Stencil.  Isn't it gorgeous?  I ordered it just to put on my furniture pieces.  This was waxed to give it an aged appearance too.
The biggest reason I love these methods is not just because they turn out so beautiful every time, but because I am selling my pieces and I need to keep my costs down so I realize some profit from what I sell.  I love my furniture appliques, but they are expensive when you start adding up the cost of putting them on little pieces like this, and then to add in my labor - well, it just isn't cost effective.  I know a lot of you out there sell your work, so keep these two methods in mind.  They are easy to do and the results are fabulous.

Here is the before photo of what I started with.  Notice I didn't put the pulls back on the front of the drawers.  I really didn't think it was necessary, as the sides open up and you can just grab the little drawers by the sides.
Thanks for stopping by.  I'll be responding to comments very soon.  I was so busy playing with this baby, I lost track of time.

I may be partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
 
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           


Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Faux Etched Window

I'm really excited to share this project with you today because I have been wanting to do an etched window project for months.  What kept me from doing it was how to get the look of these windows if I couldn't use stencils to accomplish it and I feared an etching solution would ruin any stencil I tried to use.
So last week while I was making one of my five trips to Joann's to find things to complete my French chair project, I actually found a sales person who had some knowledge of the products they carried.  I asked for an etching solution, and the woman walked me right over to the Martha Stewart section.
Leave it to Martha to come up with this great product.  It's called Etch Effects.  You can use it with regular stencils and it will not hurt the stencils as long as you wash it off before it dries.
I already had found three windows at the salvage yard and I was ready to try to transform a clear glass window into a work of art which I did with the help of my Maison De Stencils.  They fit great inside the window sash and all I had to do was dab on the Etch Effect from the wrong side.  I let it dry and voila, I had my etched glass.  Now I'm sure if I took a razor blade to the etching it would come off, but I bet it would take some work.  I'm sure I can clean the windows without damaging the design.  So there you have it.  What will they think of next?
One of my windows is very wide so I used painters tape and scotch tape to do some striping.  I'm thrilled with the results too.  By the way, I am not compensated in any way by Maison de Stencils for promoting their products.  I just truly love how beautiful they are and how easy they are to use.  I've created some wonderful projects with their help.  Their link is on my side bar so please pay them a visit.  I know you will love their stencils as much as I do.

Thanks so much for your visit.
I may be partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
  
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           


Monday, May 27, 2013

Queen Bee Pillows

Let me apologize in advance for how bad these photos are.  I'm only sharing two photos with you because most of them did not come out well, but you can get the idea.  I found these three pillow shams at a sale and they are an off white with a gold pin striping on the ruffles and the pillow shams themselves.  The middle section of the shams were plain and I felt they needed a little something to spruce them up.

You can purchase this image on Etsy for $1.  Here is the link I love this image.  It's called Queen Bee.  I used Leslie Reilly's Transfer Artist Paper, commonly referred to as TAP.  You can purchase it on Amazon.  It does amazing transfers.  I'm calling these pillows my Queen Bee Pillows.  They came out great and they are already at the shop waiting for a good home.  
 
 
If you haven't used the iron on transfer methods, you are missing out on pure magic.  I use the TAP paper and the Avery Light Transfer paper that you can purchase through Office Max and those sorts of stores.  They come with simple instructions and you can do wonderful projects with them.  I did some tea towels last year and I wash them every week and the transfer has not lifted or faded.  Like I said it's magic.  Just be sure to reverse the image if there is any type of writing or directionality to the image.

Thanks for your visit.

I may be partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
   
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays           


Sunday, May 26, 2013

French Typography Ice Bucket

I can't believe I didn't take a before picture of this bucket, but it was a plain old galvanized oblong bucket that came from Home Goods or one of the discount stores.  It's about 20 inches long and it would be great for filling with ice and sodas for a party.  I can even envision it packed with towels and bubble bath containers or wines and crackers and wrapped with cellophane for a gift bucket.


This project was Pinterest inspired.  I saw one similar to it and had to copy it when I found this piece at a local sale.  The graphic is from the Graphics Fairy.  First I gave the bucket one coat of Rustoleum Heirloom White spray just to waterproof it.  Then I went over it with Annie Sloan's Old White.  Next I did a reverse mod podge transfer method.  Yes, it works on metal too.  You can find the transfer method here.   When that was completed, I went back with a small paint brush and painted the black border with acrylic craft paint.  I'll seal it with a clear spray to set the image and the paint and make it permanent. 

In the meantime, I confess that I am a floralholic and while I love the simplicity of this look, I felt compelled to do a reverse mod podge of a Catherine Klein rose.  If it comes out the way I hope it will, I will share it with you this week.  I'm really liking the great typography graphics that are out there these days combined with the beautiful floral graphics so we'll see what transpires.

As always, thanks for visiting.
I may be partying at...


Mondays          Le Chateau des Fleurs       The Graphics Fairy    
                                      Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday
   
Tuesdays          Knick of Time       Coastal Charm  
                                      Boogie Board Cottage    A Stroll Thru Life   
                                     Cozy Little House Tweak it Tuesday
Wednesdays     Savvy Southern Style
                                           
Thursdays        The Shabby Creek Cottage    No Minimalist Here 
                                     Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday    
                                     Rustic Restorations Homespun Happenings
Fridays            French Country Cottage       My Romantic Home        Miss Mustard Seed
                                    Potpourri Friday     Common Ground
                                    The Charm of Home    Rooted in Thyme
Saturdays        Funky Junk Interiors

Sundays