Painting Blue Willow Vase & Roses

I thought this would be really hard, but it wasn't. To make the vase, you paint a vase that has a cast shadow the color of what would be reflected near it. For example, whiter near the light source, orange near the apricots, darker in shadow. The "Blue Willow" is basically just a squiggly design you come up with and slightly go across with a dry brush to blend. The Roses?, well, YouTube is a magical place!

The Family Table

A few months back, I got it into my head to make a "Family Table".  My kid's are getting older, and some of our best and fondest memories have occurred around the Family Dinner table.  I didn't realize how "sentimental" it would become, until my husband, Eric, took a job requiring him to travel.  Now, when we sit down for our evening meal, he's still with us!  Sort of...!

What I forgot to do was to take a picture of the table and chair. Anyway, I bought a black one at a yard sale for $30!

My husband, who is the "World Finest Spray Painter" (no exaggeration) was who I enlisted to paint the table.  He has painted numerous items and the man NEVER has his paint to run.  I bow to the master.

I knew I wanted to use different "Crowns" that were available from The Graphics Fairy.

We each chose different "Crowns" from her website.  I then typed each name of our family and placed them under our chosen "Crowns".  After, I printed them off on the laser printer and transferred them to the table using the Citrasolv Method.

I liked how the crowns looked, but I felt the names needed to be "crisper".  So, I went over the names with Sharpies, hoping the sealer wouldn't smear!

I then decided the table would look better if I painted the lip of the table in dark black acrylic paint.

IMPORTANT POINT!!!

I forgot to add that I sealed the table using 5 (yes 5) coats of Minwax Polycrylic.  After 5 coats I was still concerned if the water based finish would be strong enough.  So, on went two coats of Polyurethane!  It has already turned yellow.  (I had a caddy in the center and you can see the outline).  I removed the caddy, and it seems to be fading, but I'm afraid we will eventually have a yellow top table!

Chalk Paint furniture

Meet Lillie!

Well, this is my newest creation.  I repainted it twice because I messed it up ROYALLY the first time.  I'm liking how it finally turned out.  I used Annie Sloan paint and it is SO amazing.  NO priming and NO sanding and absolutely NO prepping!  The stuff dries fast; can be distressed easy...and costs a bloody fortune!  I'm glad I tried it, but I'm about out. :( I've have lots more projects down the pike, and will be trying one of the recipes I have found to make your own chalk paint.  (Stay tuned for possible and likely upcoming furniture fiascos!)  My design, again, came from the Graphics Fairy.

Graphics Fairy Step Stool

If you have never visited The Graphics Fairy, you have missed out on something magical.  I have learned so much by visiting her blog; using her FREE vintage graphic downloads; and plain old been inspired by her creativity.  I made this stool using her design and the CitraSolv transfer method.  I've made several other pieces using her designs and this method to transfer images.  I'll upload more soon.