Chalk Paint in Red, White, and Blue

Well, shades of that, anyway.

My latest painted treasure......

Unfortunately, I failed to take a before picture. Suffice it to say, the wood finish was dull dull dull. There are some woods which I consider sacrilege to paint (birds eye maple and burlwood, to name a few), but this was not anything remotely of that caliber.

This writing slope was in relatively good condition, but needed wood filler in a few rough spots on the back. I didn't like the drawer pull, so I swapped it out with one I had, which I color-matched and sealed in a dark copper to coordinate with the hinges.

I had some leftover Annie Sloan chalkpaint, which was more than enough for this project. Provence blue and Cream for the exterior, and I mixed a homemade ruby red chalkpaint for the interiors.

Then, you know the drill.....distressing, then clear and dark wax. I know Annie advises to wax, then sand, but I don't like how gummed up the sandpaper or sanding sponge gets, so I sand first. I only sand after waxing if I'm not satified with the distressing. I'm sure if I was conquering a large piece of furniture, I would probably need to adhere to Annie's advice, or I'd have a blanket of chalk everywhere in my home......:)

I really love how this turned out. I hope it finds a loving home, since I don't have room for it.......

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@MagiaMiaEtsy

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Mercantile Vases

The theme this weekend for Funky Junk Interiors' 

SNS party is 

"Flower Arrangements in Creative Containers".

I had so many options, but so little time,

so this is a last minute entry.

I have a great fondness for the old country store 

or mercantile style,

so I thought I'd feature pieces 

from my collection that reflect that.

I've had this mini barrel for years, as evidenced by

 the faded writing and rusty bands, which of course

just gives it that much more junkie street cred.

Any flower would do here, 

but I used what was ready for cutting,

which in this case was some striking False Indigo.

Using a mini barrel is kind of a no-brainer,

since the large ones are used as planters.

In this case, just stick a jar or glass inside,

and she's a fabulous, rustic vase for alfresco dining.

Perfect old-fashioned min vase. 

The only thing you must must do

is seal all the seams with silicone.

Just apply it with a craft brush

so you can reach inside the tin.

Spice containers, especially old ones,

are only made for dry material,

so will definitely leak if you don't.

The most convenient spice tins for vases

are the ones with the large oval lids,

since it leaves plenty of room

for the stems.

Dontcha love this? Very mercantile.....

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@MagiaMiaEtsy

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Of Course it's Aqua.....What Else would it Be?

I realize I have a one track mind when it comes to color right now. Aqua, Sweet Aqua. So it should come as no surprise that my latest offering is not only chalk paint, but also Aqua. 

Here's the before...........

Now I realize there's nothing really wrong with it as is, 
as a matte gold,

but it just needed a little more personality.

I knew I could go opulent or rustic.

Now see which look won.......

I've done A LOT of faux painting in my day,

but not in the way of faux rust.

It took a lot of paint mixing, 

and I wanted to get the rust colors just right.

So I went outside and looked for some examples,

and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

I sponged on 2 different shades of rust chalk paint I created, plus the aqua.
In producing the rusty look, not only was the color important,
but it being chalk paint was what really gave it the proper
texture you find with rust. I sealed it with several layers
of matte Clearcoat, and she's ready for use. 

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