Rustic Phone Table Makeover Themed Furniture Makeover

I am so excited today!
Its one of my favorite days of the MONTH!
Its THEMED FURNITURE MAKEOVER day, 

and this months THEME is RUSTIC!

Now I believe this table is what you might call rustic!

A bit TOO rustic for me thanks!

While I wanted to keep a bit of the rustic, I also wanted to pretty it up...JUST A BIT! :)

 

I grabbed my general finishes Milk Paint in Persian Blue

and Java Gel stain and got to work.

The piece already had been sanded I think with the intent to refinish,

But the person who had it never got that far and it looks like they left it sitting outside in the rain. 

So I stained the drawer front and started painting the base.

 

I loved that the milk paint allows me to make it sleek or rustic.

Once I was done painting I just lightly distressed to go along with the RUSTIC theme and

added a RUSTIC little Bird Pull to the front of the drawer.

I loved the patina on it and thought it was the perfect match for this piece.

I think you will agree it looks much better than before, but still a bit RUSTIC!

Be sure to visit all my bloggy friends who are participating in the Themed Furniture Makeover!
They are sure to be great!!!

Every days a Good day when you Paint. "COVENTINA" and multiple tree paintings.

We are still in Colorado, But I thought I would hit REPLAY.

Showing off some of my paintings...

I have been so INSPIRED while here that I can't wait to get home

to my paints.

So don't mind the talk about cold and snow..:)

We are enjoying summer now.....

WE MADE IT THROUGH LOL.

Well my Beauties, I don't know about you, but I am GOING 

STIR FREAKING CRAZY.

Our weather here in Michigan has been UNENDING, SNOW,

SNOW, SNOW, and FREEZING COLD GRAY skies..

I am surrounded by white and most days, it takes all the energy I can muster just

to SUIT up to leave the house. 

Soooo, I have been painting....A LOT!!!

Not Furniture....because..like I said...its been so cold

even turning on the furnace doesn't help.

(I can still see my breath with the furnace running for hours)

So, I have been Painting...PAINTINGS...

This isn't really a DIY..but since I have nothing else to show you,

I thought I would show you these...(one of my biggest passions, they I really do give myself to little time to practice) :)

I had this old canvas that was from a thrift store. I have no idea what was on it before,

but I bought it primed from Goodwill. Someone had the intention of painting something over it,

but never got around to it, and ended up donating..(totally been there SISTER...:))

SO I whipped up what I like to call and Italian AUTUMN tree. 

It reminds me of those old Italian paintings with all the symmetrical tall trees.

Well, after that I had some left over paint. I hate to waste paint, so I grabbed another canvas and did a little smaller little different version of the tree.

(I mean....I couldn't throw away good paint) :)

I have been on a major TREE kick...If you notice I love to paint trees. 

Something about trees and the fact that they can take on such a human form and

the way the branches sway and the bark gives such a personal feeling that I can't explain.

This winter tree I did a couple weeks ago and Happy to say that this sold at my Booth~

The other painting that I just did was this MYSTIC TREE. 

I had started it last year..and got so mad I walked away...FOR A YEAR..

came back and suddenly every thing clicked.

I did this one in iridescent acrylic, so it was very hard to photograph.

I am happy to say, that this painting is also on its way to its NEW HOME.

It just sold LAST WEEK.

I never thought that I would be able to sell my art.

I know I love what I do,

and its just a bonus when someone else supports me by buying one

of my paintings.

Now this....this is going to be hard to let go.

I had been doing so many trees, and I wanted to step outside my

comfort zone.

I had been browsing the internet and 

kept seeing all these BEAUTIFUL water paintings.

I am dreaming of spring and summer.

Going to the Beach...

whether it be LAKE or OCEAN..

at this point I don't care..:)

I NEED water...

I NEED warmth..

I NEED COLOR..

So I named her COVENTINA.

after the Celtic Goddess of water.

I thought it fit in with our trip to Ireland this past August.

Here is a close up of her body and head..

I am sorry  that the pictures are not the best..

but like I said..the WEATHER...

causes such problems for us here in Michigan.

Its so hard to photograph in the Winter 

because we have to use so much

incandescent light for everything inside,

and if you take something outside it gets washed out

by all the white snow.

:)

I keep trying to remember our Falls and our Summers when we get our PAYBACKS for our

WINTERS. 

I also should mention that the Coventina Sold within minutes!

I was so happy...and sad...she is hard to let go.

But its o.k. I have been painting up a storm and

finally figured out how to add a "PAINTINGS FOR SALE" page on  

my blog in the MENU...You can see the ones I have available

and the price. 

Look at me...being all technical...LOL!

I hope you guys enjoyed this even though it wasn't a furniture DIY.

Sometimes I just need to break away 

from what I am doing and Paint a PAINTING.

It brings me back to ME.

Until next time

Have a BEAUTIFUL day!

Hugs,

Karin

http://www.itallstartedwithpaint.com/super-saturday-link-party-10/

http://redheadcandecorate.com/4/post/2014/02/inspiration-monday-party-21.html http://www.callmepmc.com/2014/02/marvelous-mondays-link-party-2-9-14/ http://www.sillypearl.com/2014/02/project-inspired-link-party-creative.html
http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/tutorials/tutorials-tips-link-party-145.html
http://www.vmg206.com/2014/02/brag-about-it-link-party-no-41.html

TWIRL and TAKE A BOW Link Party and FEATURES

Hi, Everyone!  For those of you who don't know me, my name is Brooke and I blog over at DesignedByBH.  It's my pleasure to welcome you to another great week of Twirl & Take a Bow!  We are so happy that you are here!!!  Can you believe that Valentine's Day is this week?  Do you have any big plans?  My husband and I don't as of yet...which is fine by me because Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that calls for a fabulous outfit, and I am fresh out!  Hmmm...maybe my hubby will take me shopping for Valentine's Day...problem solved... ;)

Rescued "HOME" Mud room bench Makeover

Good Morning my BEAUTIES! 

at least I hope it is for you! :)

I my friends am MAJORLY crabby.

The weather here seems to be a broken record...we are stuck on SNOW and hitting, if you can imagine record breaking numbers for snow fall. 

You know its bad when you start to see Gravel trucks with double trailers

having to MOVE snow out of town. (yes.....there is no longer anywhere to put the snow in parking lots or edges of roads. )

So if you can imagine all we are getting to see here in Michigan is lots and LOTS of white...and gray....and blah...(now you know why I am so crabby..LOL :)

So this has taken a huge impact not only on my PAINTINGS...but also the furniture I have been painting...NO WHITE for me!! I NEED COLOR!

I had this old bench sitting in my garage...It was a save from a friend..(the "come get this outta my garage before I throw it away" kinda save)

As you can see, It was a SARCASTICALLY gorgeous BROWN.. :)

Well that didn't take but a few minutes to change...I 

grabbed American Paint Company's Peacock Blue

and slapped on a couple coats.

I think it looks better already.....don't you?

Then it sat....and sat....and sat...One of the side effects of lots of snow and cold..

is things need to be done inside...Even with my furnace running I couldn't get the garage

to stay heated...So it sat...IN MY DEN...along with about 10 paintings I had just done...

I was so busy painting pictures, that I just couldn't decide WHAT I wanted to put on this bench.

I had thrown around funny phrases and ideas..but I wasn't feeling it..

Then inspiration STRUCK!!

Now me and my STATE are not exactly on speaking terms right now...

I mean..most of us here and pretty much DONE with winter...

but the blue of this bench had me dreaming of the BLUE BLUE lakes 

along the shores of MICHIGAN...the beautiful beaches..the sand dunes..the campfires of

the SUMMER....and I remembered why it is that we do love it here.

for all the heck we are put through in the winter...we do get our pay backs in the summer.

So I decided the perfect thing for the top of this bench was to make a vinyl stencil 

that said "HOME".

I used my silhouette to cut out the letters and use our MITTEN state for the O.

I used a pale white acrylic paint to put it on and when it was dry I distressed and waxed the whole thing and buffed it. 

Quite the transformation...

and then it was time to bring it to the booth.

Along with all the paintings I have been working on..

like my "WHIMSY  TREE OF LIFE"

I brought it into my booth..with all the other COLORFUL stuff

I have been loading it up with...

Plus I think she looks pretty good with my COVENTINA sitting above her

at the booth. :)

 So hopefully my BEAUTIES...by the time you guys read this..I will wake up to SUN

and blue skies...(but I won't hold my breath..or else I will be the same color blue as this bench)

:)

I promise to at least TRY not to be crabby about the weather...(I am crossing my fingers...)

So until next time...

Have a BEAUTIFUL day...

(and if you happen to have any extra SUN or WARM weather....please send it to Michigan..

You have no idea how many of us would be GRATEFUL)

HUGS,

Karin

Nauty Nautical Freezer Paper Stencil Throw pillows

 
This was my first ever Freezer Paper Stencil transfer.
I thought it was a fun NAUTY little tutorial. :) 

I had found these pillows last week at Goodwill

They were only $1.99.  and to my surprise when I unzipped them I found this nice tag..

Yup Pottery Barn pillows for $1.99. .....SCORE...

I loved the color and the texture of the pillow with the nice little muslin edging, BUT
I thought they lacked UMPHHH!!! So I googled how to make a freezer paper stencil.
Basically you cut a piece of FREEZER Paper the size of your printer paper.
You put the paper in your printer..Only one sheet at a time with the dull side for
the print side.  When the ink is dry you take and exacto knife and cut out your pattern.
The pattern I chose was this cute little anchor from THE GRAPHICS FAIRY.

When you are done cutting out the pattern you iron the shiny side down onto your fabric.
Make sure to seal your edges. 

When it cools you paint in your stencil I used a mix of acrylic and fabric paint,
because my fabric paint was too dark and I didn't want a totally stark white with my acrylic.
When the paint is dry you pull off your stencil. Then when the paint is totally dry you lay a cloth over
your painted area and use the iron to set the paint. 

When its done..This is what you get. I now have 2 very nauty Nautical pillows.
It was easier than I thought and I am now wondering why I waited so long to try this.
I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day.

/>

http://www.craftyscrappyhappy.net/