Sunday, August 19, 2012

A Table with Racing Strips?

Ok, sweet friends.  My teachers come back to work tomorrow so this may be my last post for a week or two until I can come up for air.  No worries, though.  I've got a great buffet in the garage waiting for my attention.  Soon enough!

So I found this library table at a flea market last month.  To my delight, it was already painted white.  One less thing to do!

The only problem is, it was too plain.  

So I decided to put stripes down the middle.  First I measured for their placement and used a straight edge to draw them in place.  Then I used the pencil lines a guides for the painter's tape.
(If you look closely you can see the pencil line for the bottom edge of the stripe)

Once it was taped off, I started to paint.  I used ASCP Emperor's Silk.  Two coats was just enough to get a great red stripe.


Well that little stripe needed some help, so I decided to put smaller stripes on either side.  I used the same method as above to mark and tape off the stripes.  Then painted them in!

When I pulled the tape off I had the coolest grain sack-inspired stripes!

I loved it!  But it was still lacking something.  So I decided to follow through with the grain sack motif.  I printed out (in reverse) a design I worked up on my Silhouette and copied it on a toner-based machine.  Then I taped it face down in the center of the table.

I used a blender pen to transfer the image and burnished it with the back of a spoon, working one small section at a time so it wouldn't dry out.  Here's what it looked like when I finished.  


The transfer worked great but I wanted it a little darker so it could compete with my bold red stripes.  So I grabbed a Sharpie marker and started filling in the design.


Darker is definitely better!

I was careful not to color in each area completely so it would have a more distressed look.

It turned out exactly as I had hoped!


Does it look like a landing strip?


Or racing stripes?


This is yet another piece I would love to keep if I had room!


I bet this one won't last long!


Pin It

Showing up at these parties:
i should be mopping the floorPhotobucketMod Vintage LifePrimitive and ProperA Diamond in the StuffPhotobucketFurniture Feature FridaysPhotobucket It's Overflowing{nifty button}

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

A Desk fit for Florence

My teachers come back to work on Monday.  I'm doing good to come up for air.  It's a good thing I got a few pieces finished before the back-to-school rush hit.

A few months ago I found a great desk and did a fun make-over on it.  You can read about it here.  Anyway, the desk sold the first week it was in the shop!  Well believe it or not, I was in a completely different city recently and found the same desk at a flea market.  I'm no idiot!  I bought that sucker and brought it home!



I decided to follow the same recipe: strip and refinish the top, paint and distress the body, wax, and apply new hardware.

So I started by stripping the top.  You can read more about stripping and refinishing the top here.

I applied a Black Cherry stain.  Then it was ready to paint.

I recently bought a new quart of Annie Sloan paint in the new color, Florence.  I decided to try it out on this desk.  So I gave it two coats.


I know this color looks like Provence, but Florence is really more of a green-turquoise.  This picture is deceptive!

I grabbed a sanding sponge and started distressing.

Then I applied a coat of clear wax and a dark wax glaze.
 The color in this picture is much more accurate.  It reminds me of Indian turquoise jewelry!


Pin It

Let's party!
HookingupwithHoHPhotobucketPrimitive and ProperPhotobucketFurniture Feature FridaysThe Shabby NestSomewhat SimpleChic on a Shoestring DecoratingStuff and NonsensePhotobuckethttp://www.findingfabulousblog.com/It's Overflowing
vif187Rooted In ThymeA Glimpse InsideFurniture Feature Fridays