I LOVE TEXTURE!

Final Painting: Winter Birches

Started with this and re-purposed it:

I saw this painting at the Good Will - a nice canvas with frame for $20 - but not what I would use in my one or office. I decided to take it home and repurpose it. 

I actually forgot to take a picture of it before I started - so this is the original painting with my first coat of Elastomeric Custom Patch from Home Depot. It's a great product to inexpensively add a nice thick texture to a painting.

- I turned the painting sideways.

- I sketched the trees on the canvass with chalk - right over the other painting.

- I texture it with Custom Patch.

Next I started pairing the background, allowing some of the colors form the old painting to show through. I did not paint anything on the trees yet, and this is what it looked like:

Next I began painting the trees

After it was dry I used a permanent fine point marker to  add some "flowy details." Here you can also see some of the texture coming through.

I painted the brassy metal frame with charcoal grey chalk paint. Here is the final painting, ready to hang in the hallway of the Heart of Wisconsin - right across from our office door.

Old Door - New Accent

Saw this door by the side of the road and asked permission to rescue it! It was the perfect piece to add  a little color to the corner of my garden, and the price was right. Two coats of Annie Sloan  Provence with Greek Blue trim - straight from the can - and it's good to go!

Gourds - Who Knew?!?

Bob & I were in St. George Utah visiting his sister, Anne who makes beautiful gourds. I had a fun time visiting her weekly "Gourd Lady Group," and it was really inspiring! She let me take a stab at it, so here's my finished product. I'm sure I'll try another one . . . looks like it could be addicting!

Can you believe the "Wisconsin Gourd Society" is having their annual festival in Madison next weekend?!?!?!? I may have to swing down and take a look!

My very first gourd design

1. I chose a gourd & penciled on a design

2. I used a small drill at the top and bottom of each point;
Then I used Anne's little saw to cut the top into the cover

3. I used the wood burner to outline the design

4. Color was liquid acrylics and gourd dyes;

The inside was painted with acrylics.

5. I managed to get it home on the airplane in one piece!

Applied a little more color and sprayed it with clear satin acrylic.

Ta-da! Thanks Anne!

Master Makeover

Master Makeover

The tired brown on this chair and
a cedar chest was painted white

My 2013 Christmas present from Bob was to plan a makeover for our master bedroom. Well.... We got busy with life and this fall I realized that I still hadn't cashed in on that one! So I got to work and finalized my color choices - and we blocked off time to make it happen before Christmas of 2014. Dark woodwork was painted white, and tired yellow walls were painted a yummy shade of aqua. Here's the result!

Original furniture looks fresh and new
against the new wall color

Before:

Time for the border print and stenciling to go!

Details, Details!

Aqua medallion for the ceiling fan

Found this old grate an an estate sale - love it!

Old brass sconce was antiqued

Closet door knobs form Hobby Lobby

Love the window seat!

Still need to add my photos to these frames on the wall
of the hallway leading into the room

Lamps were antiqued, shutters were dry-brushed yellow to go with
the textured duvet cover from Pier 1