Chalk-painted Frame/Chalkboard & First Dibs to my Readers

One of the top posts I’ve ever written was about morphing a frame using chalk paint. The photos are sub-par at best, and I cringe every time I look at them, perplexed how it could be such a popular post.

Today I’m going to remedy that.

I found another gold resin frame recently, and knew it would be the perfect candidate for a chalk paint makeover.

This time, I chose to start with a base of vivid grass green. I painted it over the entire frame.

The next color is a dark turquoise. I applied this color haphazardly using a bristle fan brush.

I then did a wet distress, which is nothing more than wrapping a portion of a rag around your index finger, dipping it in water, then rubbing the paint off all the raised details of the frame. (If you accidentally rub paint off where you didn’t want to, you can always touch it up later.) The reason I wet-distress a gold resin frame, is because if you use sandpaper, it will reveal the white resin beneath the gold.

After that step, I did some fine-tuning with metallic gold paint. Finally, I sealed it with clear wax. I didn’t use dark wax this time, because I wanted to keep all the coloring fresh and brighter.

I added a chalkboard I made with a 5x7 canvas board. The easel back allows for displaying horizontal or vertical. Outer dimensions of frame are
8-1/2” x 6-1/2”. 

As I stated in my last post, I am testing out the possibility of selling some of my creations from this blog. Today, I am offering first dibs on this frame to my readers, before I list it in my Etsy shop. 

UPDATE: Offer has ended. Now Listed on Etsy.

Reader’s Special Price: $24 + Priority Mail. If not sold via the blog, $32 + Priority Mail via Etsy. Email me with your Zipcode for exact shipping rate. I will include the frame’s original glass upon request.

Next creation in the works…..something that involves rusty, aged chicken wire!

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A Nostalgic Train Case Makeover with a First Dibs Offer to my Readers

It seems that the majority of the makeovers I feature on my blog involve chalk paint. While that may be true, every once in a while I stumble on a piece that has a lot of character, and just a little accessorizing puts the charm factor over the top.

This train case is an example of that.

With a warm black, faux crocodile covering, a clear plastic handle, and rusty, darkened hardware, this piece already had a lot going for it in the way of vintage charm.

Although to some, the wear to the covering, fraying, dings, scuffs, and exposed wood might not seem attractive, I think it shows it’s potentially eventful history, and I like it that way.

Therefore, I only touched up a few dings here and there, keeping the vintage authenticity intact. I waxed all the covering, to seal it and give it richness and even sheen.

The real fun to this piece lies inside. There was a perfectly good mirror inside the lid, so no sense in removing it. The removable tray, that is usually in a train case, was gone, but I left the wood ledges that it rests on, so the next owner could put their own tray on
if they chose to.

Behold! Nostalgic Panache!

I have some small catalogs that are reproductions of 1909 Sears catalogs. These repros are vintage from 1979, so they have gorgeous browned/yellowed pages. I thought it would be fun to use the jewelry and shoe pages, and decoupage them to the inside. It seemed an appropriate choice for a train case.

I love love love how it turned out. I sealed the inside with several coats of gloss varnish, to extend the new life of this piece. I also painted the border paper of the mirror and the wooden ledges a gloss black to gel with the exterior.

Recently, it was suggested to me by one of my customers that some of my blog readers might be more interested in puchasing my creations more than attempting DIY. So I'm trying out that theory right now.

I am offering first dibs to my blog readers and Facebook followers to purchase this train case from my blog, before I list it on Etsy. I also want to find out what types of projects and makeovers attract the majority of my readers.

UPDATE: Offer has Ended, and now listed on Etsy.
Purchase price for my readers is $36 + shipping, via Paypal. Otherwise, I will list it in my Etsy shop for $48 plus shipping.

This piece measures 11-1/4” long, 7” high closed, and 6-1/2” front to back. It weighs 3 pounds before packaging, so I can ship it Priority or Standard Post. You can email me with your zip code, so I can quote you exact shipping before you purchase it. To purchase this piece, I will email you a Paypal invoice, which you can pay with
your Paypal account or credit card.

If this sells via the blog, I will visit the possibility of selling more of my creations here as well. I’ve also been wanting to offer newer items with vintage style and farmhouse chic, since this type of merchandise does not qualify to be sold on Etsy. Time will tell!

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Mediterranean Makeover with Chalk Paint on Metal Mesh Shelves

Today I have another chalk paint transformation. I think this one has more impact than many I've done.

We’ve all seen these metal pierced shelves, usually black, with quatrefoil shaped cutouts.

I don’t know if it’s how ubiquitous they are, or the black color, that makes these so boring and unappealing. 

They’ve been sitting in my mother’s storage for years, waiting for a new home at Goodwill, or until I took the time to brainstorm a makeover.

Well, years ago I didn’t have chalk paint.

But now that I do……..Behold. 

Hello Gohgeous!

No longer boring, but now the Moroccan/Mediterranean style the quatrefoil shapes dictate.

I did a complete basecoat of a vibrant Leaf Green, then used a fan brush to haphazardly add my go-to deep Aqua/Turquoise. The final color is a watered-down Brick Red, which I applied in random spots here and there, keeping it subtle so as not to dull the Green and Aqua.

The color combo is certainly good enough for a transformation, but I really wanted to make these stand out more, like hand-painted should. It was very important to me that it not look spray-painted, since all too often, that seems to be the extent of makeovers for these. So, as the final piece de resistance, I hand-painted brilliant metallic gold shapes, that are a simplistic mix of a Maltese cross and the quatrefoil cutouts, to all the braces outer sides. I also added gold dots to all the front and side-facing edges of the shelves, to tie them in with the braces design. And of course I sealed everything with clear wax.

I really like the quatrefoil detail, but the original black color really didn’t do justice to the intricate design. I think my paint treatment really showcases the Mediterranean style, making these way more attractive and
not just lipstick on a pig…….:)

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Kitty Bliss & Chalk-Painted Sconces

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post! I was kitty-sitting and painting furniture for a client friend.

But playing with this impish cutie pie, it's easy to see why I was distracted.
She is appropriately named Charlie for that adorable Chaplin mustache....:)

So now let's look at my latest chalk paint makeover.
Look at what I found another pair of at Goodwill……

Last time, I painted them in 4 or 5 colors, in this post.

This time around, I was inspired to paint them in the same chalk paint colors as the dresser tilt mirror that I currently have listed in my Etsy shop. I thought they would make a lovely coordinated ensemble in the same room together.

Although I did use the same colors, along with clear and dark wax, overlapping them with each other definitely softens the Aqua.

No large areas of any one color will have that effect.

I covered each piece in the creamy Beige color, because I wasn’t fond of the original cold metallic gold. The creamy base gives a nice light background to brighten the topcoat, which, in this case, was the Aqua..

I then took the Beige color again, and using it sparingly, added fine highlights to the highest ridges. I added the most creamy beige to the petals on the candle cup, to show off their shape better.

Next, I added a custom-mixed metallic Bronze paint to all the curves I wanted to accentuate.

I also wanted to show you how I prep these pieces before I paint them. I always file down the mold seams first,  so they don't look like cheap plastic after I go to so much trouble painting them.

After finishing them off with the waxes, I touched up bits of Bronze here and there, keeping it imperfect and random.

So, believe it or not, I am sometimes actually satisfied with only 3 colors, rather than my typical M.O. of 5 or 6…….

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