CHALK PAINT RECIPES AND TUTORIAL

Okay, so I promised to give you a quick tutorial on the projects in my last post..... click here to see.
Like many in the blogging community, I'd heard great things about chalk paint.  But, most of the goodies that I paint are for RESALE, so I cannot pay the prices that I'm hearing that stuff cost.  Plus it is not sold in my area.  So, I'll either have to jump into the truck and drive about 80 miles to buy it, OR order it online and pay EXTRA to have it shipped to me.  Sooooo, like many, again, I decided to MAKE MY OWN.  

And, I also wanted to try it on really difficult pieces.  This little table is NOT real wood.  I think maybe it is press wood, not sure.  But anyway, a difficult piece when you're talking about the paint adhering to the surface.

The recipe I decided to try I found HERE.  I tried the plaster of Paris mixture.  It seemed really thin, but it did GRAB to the surface.  After two coats, I gave the piece a good sanding, distressing around the edges.  And, I really did like the finished product.  I tried on these two small tables first, but then graduated on to the rocker in my last post.

This pie crust table even had BLACK ENAMEL paint on it.  Annnd, to my surprise, my new paint mixture STUCK TIGHT.  This one, I sanded back where you could see the black and yellow under layers.  Loved it!!!  

Okay, you've gotta give it a try.  Honestly, I hated painting with it, but I loved the finished product.  And, anything that lets you SKIP the prep stages..........well, I'm all for it.

These are some other links that have chalk paint recipes.  Take a look.

Chalk Paint Recipe # 1

Homemade Chalk Paint # 2

Another Chalk Paint Recipe # 3

Liz Marie's Chalk Paint Recipe # 4

and

Classy Clutter's Chalk Paint, Recipe # 5

Check these out and let me know which recipe you like the best.  THANKS and I'll see ya'll next time.


     My entry into Make it Pretty Monday's link party is sponsored by Appliances Online.


I'm linking here:

http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/

http://www.tipjunkie.com/homemade-projects-417/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:%20TipJunkie%20(Tip%20Junkie%20-%20Creative%20Inspiration)

http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/2012/04/feathered-nest-friday_26.html

http://www.familyhomeandlife.com/2012/06/wow-us-wednesday.html?utm_source=BP_recent

http://thecraftyblogstalker.blogspot.com/2012/06/blog-stalking-thursday-46.html

http://my1929charmer.com/

http://mommyssweetconfessions.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-08-22T16:45:00-07:00&max-results=5

http://www.serenityyou.com/

www.therusticpig.com

http://www.michellestastycreations.blogspot.com/2012/09/creative-thursday-link-party-no-24.html

http://www.kathewithane.com/2012/10/youre-gonna-love-it-week-25.html

http://madeinaday.com/2012/11/08/made-u-look-linky-48-2/

http://www.foxhollowcottage.com/

CHALK PAINT PROJECTS

Hey Y'all,

I've been kinda busy lately painting and just thought I'd show you a few of my finished projects. Here ya go............

The two tables and the sewing rocker are my first chalk paint projects.

It was definitely different, but I think I like it.

Look at the legs on this precious sewing rocker.

I want to do an entire room in these colors.......a sunroom maybe??

Okay, back to my paint brush now.  I'll give some directions in the NEXT POST..

And, I'll have to do a painting tutorial on the turquoise chest in the background.  That one sold just a few days after going into the shop.

Now I'm headed over to Shabby Creek Cottage's TRANSFORMATION THURSDAY to link up.  See you over at Gina's.

Ya'll come back soon.  8-)

ANOTHER DRAWER

Hey, I found yet another drawer.  I'm on a roll now.  

At least this time, I reversed the colors.......Robin's egg blue on the inside and yellow on the outside.

I just love these.  Only wish I had more of them, so I could try out more color combinations.

For a quick tutorial on how I painted my 'DRAWERS' click HERE.

Ya'll hurry back to see me.

YEAAAAAA!!!

                                                 

The Liebster Blog Award {Liebster is a German word meaning "dearest or beloved"}

Imagine my surprise when I opened my email recently to see that I'd been awarded The Liebster Blog Award.  Then I continued to open email, and there was another Liebster Award...........both on the same day.  Then, yet another Liebster Award came the next day.  Hey, thanks girls.  Maybe I'm doin something right if I received this award from 3 different people in just a couple days.  So, I've gotta say a big THANK YOU to Lori over at Color It Simple AND Elyse at Shabby Sweet Tea AND Katie Sue of Let's Add Sprinkles.  PLEASE take a sec and go visit these three great blogs, say hello and tell um Candy sent ya.  

I really feel honored since I only started my little blog about 7 weeks ago.  So, maybe you're wondering just what is The Liebster Award???  It's an award in the blogging community given to an up and coming blog, having less than 200 followers.  Now, I am to 'pay it forward' by passing the award to 5 other new, up and coming bloggers. What fun.

Soooo, after much visiting, reading and searching, these are my PICKS for The Liebster Blog Award:

1.  Amy at With a Vintage Twist.  Amy was one of the first bloggers I met and I've been a fan of her page ever since.  She always has beautiful photos of neat vintage finds and sometimes of her favorite haunts.   Her blog is lots of fun, so please go check her out.

2.  Patty at Patty's Pretty Things is such a sweet person. I've enjoyed just talking with Patty by email.  She usually shares decorating ideas in her blog. Go over and visit for some great decorating tips.

3.  Joyce at Little Family in the Big Woods is a favorite of mine.  She also inspired me to start a blog.  She once had a booth in my shop and that's how I learned about her blog.  If you want some really good recipes for great home cookin, go visit Joyce's blog.  And, she always has great pics of things in my favorite colors....blue and purple.  

4.  Kerry at Woman at the Well I met through Amy's blog.  I love to blog hop and ran into Kerry one day while visiting Vintage Twist.  Anyway, Kerry shares recipes, decorating tips, and craft projects....always something different and fun.  So, please go check out her brand new blog.

5.  I've been following Analisa at Ruth's Farm and Furniture for awhile now.  I guess I enjoy her blog so much because she does the type things that I do. We both love to take old things and make them new again...be it a shelf or a chest of drawers.  Please visit her blog and see what wonderful ideas and talent this girl has to share.

Congratulations to each of you! Here are the rules for passing the award  along.

Choose 5 blogs with less than 200 followers.

Show your appreciation to the blogger who awarded you by linking back to them.

Post the award on your blog. (I did this by right clicking the image and saving it as a picture. I then uploaded a "Picture" gadget in my side bar and uploaded the saved award picture).

Link back to the blogs you are awarding so that everyone else can pay them a visit.

Thanks again to Lori, Elyse and Katie Sue.     8-)

EXTRA DRAWERS

Everyone needs extra drawers, don't cha think???  Goin on an overnight trip??  Take extra drawers.  I don't know about all parts of the country, but here in the South, there's a certain undergarment that older folk, especially,  once called drawers.  

With that said, I have to tell you a quick, cute story.  This precious older man who does my furniture repair is wonderful.  Honestly, he can do anything.  He's even made those little wooden rollers that are on older pieces and have a habit of getting broken.  If it's wood, and needs a professional fix, take it to Mr. Fixit.  Well, recently Mr. Fixit's grandson was in the shop and I was telling him how gifted I think his granddad is....and the grandson asked if I knew how old his Granddad was.  Soooo, I guessed.......late 70's maybe.  No Ma'am.  My Grandpa just turned 91 years old.  I could not believe it.  I take all sorts of furniture pieces to Mr. Fixit.....large tables, chest of drawers, dressers.  And, he is always right there to help me unload from the truck and take into his shop.  He truly is amazing and the way I hope I can be if I possibly live to be that age.  Now, the funny part.  I took Mr. Fixit a couple drawers from an old kitchen cupboard (actually the one that Gina, over at TheShabbyCreekCottage bought from me recently).  Anyway, this precious 91 year old jewel of a man, smiled a huge smile and said to me,  I love it when all these ladies bring me their DRAWERS.  I thought that was hysterical.  Even at 91...........well, you know.

And so, here are a couple EXTRA DRAWERS that I saved from a piece of furniture.......that I couldn't save.  Ya follow that?  First I painted inside with a spring yellow and then the outside with a color I mixed with Behr off white from Home Depot and Glidden turquoise.  Anyway, it made a gorgeous soft spring turquoise.....kinda Robin's egg blueish color.

After the paint had dried, I hand sanded around the edges letting the original white show through in places.  And, in other areas, sanding all the way to the wood. 

Then I brushed on Special Walnut stain by Minwax ,inside and out. 

Now, with a soft cloth or paper towel, while it is still wet, wipe most of the stain off.....leaving that perfect aged look. 

I added a crystal knob......and there ya go............the perfect place for magazines or even files would fit in this one.

This size?  Hang on the wall as a shelf, or just sit on another piece of furniture to be used as a riser. 

The ideas and uses are endless for an extra pair of drawers.

Thanks, ya'll, for stoppin to visit. 

I'm linking to these parties:

Transformation Thursday 

COMMON GROUND

http://www.kathewithane.com/2012/08/youre-gonna-love-it-week-17.html?showComment=1344967931709

http://my1929charmer.com/sundays-best-awards-and-linky-par-tay-50/

 

http://madeinaday.com/2012/10/04/made-u-look-linky-44/

ONLY A MONTH LATE

Yes, I know February is gone.........and it's waaaay past Valentine's Day. But, I want to show ya'll bout my 'first' swap. which just happened to be a heart for Valentine's Day.



I had only started my blog on January 31, 2012, so I was liiiiike......ONLY 3 days into this wonderful new world when I ran across http://www.apetitecottage.blogspot.com/.  I really enjoyed reading her blog and then saw where she was doing a 'HEART SWAP' for Valentine's Day.  Well, I wasn't even sure what she was talkin about, but I had already noticed that this swappin stuff is a biggie here in blogland, and thought, "why not", so I signed up to take part in the heart swap.  Then I read on.  OOPS, I saw that it is to be stitched to a certain size..........ah, WHAT??.  Stitched???  Uh un, no, I don't sew.  Not a bit, no more than a button.  I do not own a sewing machine.  I didn't want to back out on my first lil venture in this new community I've just become a part of.  Sooooo,  I asked Ana, the lady/owner of http://www.apetitecottage.blogspot.com/ if maybe I could just PAINT a little wooden heart or something.  Her answer was, "sure, paint one, but please try painting a fabric heart."  That way she could do the stitching and make a heart that would fit into her collection of little stitched hearts.

                                          Well, worth a try, right?

So, first, cut out a couple heart shapes.  I used a muslin cloth.
Then gather my supplies, brushes, acrylic paints, water basin, paper towels, Styrofoam plate to use as a paint pallet.

Place the colors of choice for flowers to come, out on the plate.  Starting with the liner brush (the thin round), I just did a thin line to look like vines and from there little rosebuds sprouted.

After the rosebuds, I added tiny leaves here and there, then tiny blue flowers.  Then just draw, with the brush, little lines connecting the dots...........or connecting everything to the vines.  Just be loose and it'll look more natural.  Ohhh, but then when I'd finished, I remembered, Ana would have to have enough room around the design for a seam.  Soooo, I decided this would not do.  So, I did another, starting in the center rather than around the edge, then I'd send both in hopes that she might get one good finished heart from the two.

So........WHA LAAA....

These are what went off in the mail to Ana.

                                          And, in a few days, this is the heart I received in the mail .  How sweet....with one little hand rolled rose, another yoyo flower with button center, and a third flower made from what looked like individual tiny petals with frayed natural edges.  LOVED IT!!!  And, this is where she landed.......her new home, atop my little vintage thread spools in a basket that I made years ago. 

Then in a few more days, I received an email from Ana with pictures of what she'd done with my little 'flat' hand painted hearts.

                              They did turn out to be kinda cute, don't cha think?  

Thank you so very much, Ana, for allowing me to take part, even though you did have to change directions a tiny bit just for me.  It was fun..........especially on my THIRD DAY IN, to be involved in this exchange.  It was my first, but I'm sure it WON'T be my last.

HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY, YA'LL     8-)

.

NEW LIFE FOR AN OLD TABLE

Let's take this oooold, outta date table and bring it into 2012.  I think this style was called French Provincial, 1970's maybe,  but we're gonna call the 'NEW LOOK' ......SHABBY Country French.  To start, just sand the entire table so that the paint will 'grab' onto it.  Love my lil Mouse by Black and Decker to do this job.

And, don't forget to take off the hardware.  Then sand the drawer. 

Okay, ready to paint.  I wanted a French blue for a Country French Table.........soooo, since I didn't want to to spend $$$ for another gallon of paint, I looked to see what I might have.  Found a pretty, dark blue that I had used to paint an entrance door about 6 years ago.  I thought it couldn't possibly still be good.  It was a Walmart brand, Color Place, in Centennial Blue, and can you believe, when I opened it, it was still like new.  So, I poured some Home Depot, Behr white into a jar, then mixed the blue into the white.  When mixing, it seems better if you mix the dark into the light.  It's TOO easy to get TOO dark TOO fast.  So add small amounts of the dark, then mix until you get the color you desire.  And, yes, I do mix brands.......never any problem.  Just be sure to never try mixing oil with acrylic.  But, you already knew that, didn't cha???

I gave everything two coats of paint, then let dry for at least an hour.  Take the sander and distress around the edges and places where the piece would have gotten normal wear.  I then use a stain or glaze.....my favorite is Minwax Special Walnut......and brush over the entire piece.  Then, take a soft cloth or paper towel and wipe back, leaving just enough to give the piece character or 'age'.  Let dry.  This will stay tacky for hours in this damp cool weather, but will dry faster in warmer weather (duh).  I liked the handles as they were, so just popped them back on, AND..........WA LA...........French Provincial becomes Shabby Country French.

I think she's pretty.  Tell me what cha think???

David Crockett State Park

There was no pickin or paintin today, but instead a Sunday afternoon drive through the park.  We are blessed in Lawrenceburg, TN, to have this beautiful park, established here in 1959, when I was just a wee little girl.  Many things in this small town are named after Mr. David Crockett.  He was not born here, but lived here, had a Mill here and he was one of the founders and officials of our town. 

There are several water falls,

and a beautiful 40 acre lake, where people fish or lazily ride along in paddle boats.

 In the summer of 2011, several cabins were built and opened to the public.

There's a restaurant.

              Windows at the back of the restaurant look out over the lake.

 This covered bridge was recently rebuilt after the original was washed away by a flood.

The park also has an olympic size swimming pool, several playground areas, 2 campground sites, many, many picnic spots with grills and tables.  There are tennis courts for the athletic, or walking trails for us slower moving people.

So, if you ever make it to my neck of the woods, you'll want to be sure to visit our beautiful park, The David Crockett State Park.

For more information click

                      http://www.tnstateparks.com/DavidCrockettSP

SAVE A CHAIR

Okay, I know I'm gaining weight, but reaaaaally.  

Recently I sat down at my lil kitchen table and my 4 year old grandson, Jett, crawled up into my lap.  CRACK, CREEK and CRASH.........we both went to the floor.  This old chair that I had at my table had already lost a couple of the bars at the bottom, so I should have expected it to break, especially when TWO people crawled up on it.  Wellll, if you've read any of my posts, you already know that I can't STAND to throw anything away.  After I pulled myself up out of the floor and dusted my pride off, my mind went to work thinking of WHAT I could use or HOW I could use the remaining pieces of the chair lying in the floor.  

First, the front of the seat was cut off, so that it wouldn't be soooo deep.  Then, out came the paint brushes.  I took my favorite turquoise paint and mixed just a 'tad' of it with some Behr white, to make a really pretty light turquoise.....kinda Robin's egg blue'ish color.  

After two coats front and back, top and bottom,  I took my little Black & Decker Mouse and roughed it up a little.  Hit the edges where it would normally get more wear and tear.

Then, to give it a little more aged look, get out the ole faithful, Minwax Dark Walnut ........stains and puts a protective coat on at the same time.

Rub this over the entire project.  (hint:  WEAR GLOVES)  My fingers and nails will probably be stained for at least two weeks.  Brilliant, huh.  But, I was so anxious to see the finished product, I didn't want to take the time to pilfer through those 'junk' drawers to find gloves.  I guess that tells ya how very organized I am.  NOT.

Anywaaaay.........after rubbing the stain ON, take a paper towel or soft cloth and rub it OFF..........leaving just the right amount in the cracks to give it that just perfect aged look.

And here she be.........a CHAIR SHELF.  I can just see it on your kitchen wall holding cookbooks and a dish towel on the bar below.  

Or maybe even in the garden shed, with a pot of ivy trailing down from the seat and garden tools hanging from the bar.  The main thing is..........like my last post............another piece is saved from the dump and turned into something useful and JUST TOO CUTE.

Sharing with these linky parties:

 http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/08/make-it-pretty-monday-week-11.html
http://mommyssweetconfessions.blogspot.com/2012/09/sundays-sweet-confessions-link-party-7.html

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/

http://www.itsoverflowing.com/

http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=212394