I Can't Wait 100 Years

I don't have the time...or the money.  I can't wait for that "natural" aged, shabby finish and I can't really afford to pay for the real thing.  With a few tools I was able to give my old piece of furniture a wonderful aged look.  Wow!

 

It doesn't need wax or any kind of a seal because if more paint gets knocked or scraped off...GREAT!!  That's the point.

If you are adventurous you can do this too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The old plastic grocery bags ARE good for something...

My daughter and I completed a paint project in the dining area that goes wonderfully with my Homemade table.  (Seriously, please ignore the junk on the floor).

This Harlequin technique requires good math skills and a firm application of the "measure twice, paint once" concept.  It also included 3 levels of paint and some skills with needle nose pliers and a hammer. 

 

 



First we applied a base coat in the lighter color on the connecting wall.  It's sort of an olive toned beige. The next step required some glaze medium.  I mixed this with the darker color on the bottom half of the wall with the glazing medium. 

Here is where those plastic grocery bags come in handy.  This looks so much better than that old sponging technique that you see occasionally on one of those house hunting shows.  Cringe!  But I digress. 

Just brush on a small section of the mixed glaze and paint, about the size of your plastic grocery bag wall then slap a plastic grocery bag into the paint.  Gently wrinkle the bag as you push it together making it smaller  (Be sure to wear some disposable gloves because it's messy)   Try a sample if you can because you'll want to decide how much wrinkle you want to your taste.  Then just pull the grocery bag off the wall and you have this great look.

 

 

After we applied this second coat we carefully measured and taped the wall.  Tape and trim, tape and trim, tape and... well you get the idea.

When all the taping was complete we mixed the glazing medium with the lighter colored paint and lightly brushed it over the darker paint in every other diamond.  This way some of the marbling in the darker color will be visible through the opaque glaze.

After all the paint was dry we finished the wall off by nailing furniture tacks into each point.  It's a great 3 dimensional addition.

I left a few inches on the top of the wall in the darker glaze to add a cute quote.  I painted this in but I'm sure a Sharpie would work just as well. 

And just to make sure we had a little bit of bling we finished it off by hot glue-ing some decorator trim to the wall.

And there you have it.  It's great to see what can be accomplished when we try new things, and aren't afraid to break out of those traditional decorating molds.

Have fun with this one.

So Many Bundles Of Joy

I know so many people who are expecting right now.  Another grandchild is on the way.

Today I tackled my first gift for the daughter of a friend who's baby was born on Saturday.  I made this reversible baby sling so that she can keep her new little boy close to her heart.

Some ribbon and a bow add a little style.

...a little bit more ribbon sewn over the fold over.

 Nothing like a little "Made by hand with love" tag to let your giftee know that it's a one of a kind.

It's a Struggle

Crafting, painting, building, gardening...  I love them all.  But they all have at least this one thing in common.  You have to have hands.  You have to have fingers, and you have to be able to use them.

It's a struggle for me. 

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.  The more appropriate name is Rheumatoid Disease.

Many people have a misunderstanding of what this disease is. It's not just sore knees, achy joints or old age.   RD is an auto-immune disorder.  The simple explanation is that your own body is attacking itself.

Pardon My French

Rheumatoid Disease is constant pain & constant fatigue.

There are different severity levels and different symptoms, but one thing remains the same.  A few ibuprofen doesn't solve the problem.  Many people with RD have very serious issues with their hearts, lungs and other internal organs as a result of this disease.  Many have severe sores and deformities.  

At this point in my life I am managing my pain with medication and by limiting the use of my hands and feet.  I've developed some larger knuckles.  I don't walk much anymore.  My crafting time is limited so my projects take much longer than they used to.  I'm often enlisting my talented daughter to help me with some of my projects.  I'm good for about 45 minutes of shopping at the most, and even that is not pain free.  The electronic shopping carts at Walmart have become my friend.  That was a serious pride pill for me to swallow.

The long and short of it is this...I'll be crafting and painting with my brain til the day I go home.  As long as I can bum a few fingers off of a friend or family member, what goes on in the head will become a reality.  

I'll also be visiting Disneyland as long as I can. 

So I ask my followers to be patient with my slow projects and postings.

Be considerate of those with "invisible" diseases, and remember not all "arthritis" is the same.

If you share my illness share it with me.  Support is important.

As my dear friend Eileen, who is 90 years old and has been struggling with RD for over 40 years said to me...

  

 

Pretty Pallet Persuasions

Ripping pallets apart can't be a daunting process.  I spent a lot of wasted effort before finding this handy technique. I used his second technique with the pry bar and a piece of wood.

I just happened to have a 4' long pry bar handy and it worked great.

After accumulating plenty of rustic, distressed wood I decided to create some wall art.

First I added a few blotches of blue to the entire piece.  Then I found a peacock silhouette on the internet, blew it up to cover 4 sheets of standard copy paper, cut and taped the pieces together then used double-stick tape to adhere it to the boards.  The lettering was done using contact paper and my Cricut.  I finished it off with a quick coat of white spray paint and hit the edges and high spots lightly with my electric sander.

Again, my Cricut and some contact paper.

A little of my Canadian heritage on this cute vintage farm piece.

I did this fun piece for my daughter and son-in-law.  They're really into pirates.  It's a big one...48" across.

Instead of paint I thinned out some water based wood stain and put it in a spray bottle.  After creating the stencils with contact paper I sprayed it with the stain.  Again, I finished it off with a light sanding.


I've got a few more ideas I'm going to try.  Keep your eyes peeled.

Quicky Post #1

Hope Chest.

I've had this piece for over 30 years.  I just repainted and reupholstered it.

Sorry, I forgot to take before pictures.

Ready for it's new job...storing grandbaby toys.

Sweet Dreams

Perfect for my little princess.

Yes, it's a bench made from a bed...sort of.  I built this out of a full size bed frame but rather than constructing the standard bed-bench I decided to make it bigger.  I wanted something outdoors that was really comfortable.  What better than an big bench with a mattress and lots of throw pillows, right?

So much for my comfy outdoor bench.

My daughter confiscated it and turned it into a toddler bed for my little grand-princess.  

POLL QUESTION: 

 What color should it be painted?

Just in case you're wondering about the construction...

I built a frame and attached the headboard.  The foot board was cut down the middle and attached.  Then I attached left over IKEA bed slats and dropped in a $10 waterproof Craigslist crib mattress.

Total cost.  $35 for bed and mattress

Appx. $10 for wood and hardware.

Awwwwwwww!