Painted furniture 2016

 I have been excited about making this post since I am very excited about my painted furniture. I only work on these painted funky pieces in the springtime, usually in April and May when I can work both inside and outside here in Arizona. Anyway, I want to start with the lamp that I started and posted about last  spring. I lived with this lamp all winter, really all year with the little pieces of blue painters tape. I got lots of suggestions last spring, but I decided it needed something.

 What else but my favorite black and white checks. I did decide that uneven circular checks would be more pleasing to the eye. My Partner In Crime and I looked at this for a couple of weeks and first we said that it was great this way. Then I put the flowers back on it and I asked my Partner In Crime his opinion (I of course already had one) and he said he like the flowers on it. So here is the finished lamp below and we love how it turned out. The small box to the side of the lamp, I painted last spring and it hold some of my favorite fabric post cards.

 Next is this white bookcase that is in our bedroom. This is new and the surface was slick. I used sandpaper to scruff up the surface so the paint would adhere and washed it down with TSP.

 Here is the top in progress. I didn't use any fabric on this piece and not using fabric was a definite departure for me. This picture shows how I drew in my design in pencil so I knew where to paint.

 This picture shows the top painted but no separating lines to define the design and no shading to add depth. I might add that I hate to do shading but there is no doubt that it makes a difference. I  should of added shading on the lamp stripes but I didn't.

 Here is the shading, and the designs that I created. I also used stencils which I have not played with very much. I did like the way the stencils helped my design process.

 One of the bookcase sides in the creative progress

 The other side of the bookcase in progress

 The above side finished. Again using stencils and of course the black and white checks that I love.

 The other side of the bookcase finished.

 This is the front of the bookcase

 The finished top of the bookcase. Now this bookcase was designed to go in the same room as the big chest I painted last year and they look great together and my craft and art books look great in this bookcase.

 This table is the second piece. I had to also sand this piece and washed it down with TSP.  I used two coats of Kilz Latex 2 which covers the dark color of the wood.

 This is the table top in progress. I used painters tape to paint the strips. You can see the tape still on the table in the top section of the table. I painted black and white checks (what else) in the white areas.

 Here is the finished top. I used fabric for the designs and also continued my use of the stencils. As you can also see, I painted blue checks in the top section which I thought broke up the large expanse of the table top. I absolutely love the way this table turned out. Unfortunately a problem that I have discovered is that this table (and all the tops of my pieces) usually have something on top so you can't see the designs. This table was also supposed to go in my bedroom but I am rethinking where I want to put it so hopefully I will be able to keep the top cleared off because as I said, I really love this piece.

 Here is a side view of the table. The whole piece is fabulous. At least in my opinion.

 The third piece I worked on this spring painting session is this fabulous retro lamp. I found this at a garage sale for $5 last summer in Sheridan, Wyoming. A man was clearing out his Mother's estate. I just couldn't resist it. My Partner In Crime couldn't believe that I bought it, much less that he needed to bring it back to Phoenix but I had plans for this lamp.

 Well this was the first idea I had. It just wasn't working for me or for my Partner In Crime. This piece was going to go in our living room where the top lamp was residing.

 Here is the top with a new painted design. I used the painters tape to make the strips.

 One design that I tried using floral fabrics. It was okay. Nothing to get excited about.

 Here is the finished top using different floral fabrics. I also used the stencils for a layered design.

A full view of the lamp. My Partner In Crime put the lamp shade from the top lamp on this lamp and I like it. When we get a new lamp shade, I will probably make it similar to this one which I think looks great with this piece.

What I learned this painting session is that #1, I really love using fabric in my pieces. To me it just makes the pieces more interesting. Although I also love the bookcase which is only painted. #2, Creating these furniture pieces is not easy for me. I have to work on the major design parts. #3, I found out that my children think that these pieces are art and they are very impressed with their Mama. How wonderful is that? #4, I have to remember that in my house the tops of tables always have something on them so perhaps I shouldn't create a design on the tops that I love so much I don't want them covered. #5, My Partner In Crime says that he is afraid that I just might paint him. While he doesn't always see my vision, he likes what I create. I already have my projects for next spring painting session. My Partner In Crime can hardly wait !!!!

Houston Red Carpet coat/jacket

 The above picture is of a linen swing coat/jacket that I got at the thrift store probably 5 years or so ago. I liked the off white and black graphic print. It was great on it's own, but I wanted to add some of my own personality.  I knew what I wanted to do (paint red poppies) but since I don't feel total confidence painting, it took me awhile to get all my info and courage together.

 First I asked some help from a on-line art group I belong too (Quiltart) about possible paint to use. I knew I wanted the off white and black graphic from the coat/jacket to show through the poppies. The choices suggested were Dye-an-flow and setacolor paints which are transparent.  I purchased both and did a test sample. Another important factor was that I wanted to make sure the coat/jacket remained soft and supple. The above strips show my test samples. I used Sharpie Paint Pens to do the black lettering. This strip had already been washed and dried. I did heat set the paints. I decided to go with the Dye-na-flow paints. I thought that red color was richer.

Next I had to cut a stencil, which I had never done before. I actually haven't used stencils much in my creative life. So this required a lot thinking on my part. I am surprised my brain didn't explode !

After I had decided on the poppy pattern and size of the poppy I wanted to use, and with the stencil cut, I printed out the poppy pattern and fussy cut them.  I pinned them on the coat to check the placement. I actually left them the paper poppies on the coat and pinned the stencil on top of the paper poppy and the removed the paper pattern before I started painting each poppy. After painting each poppy, I used a heat gun (carefully) to dry the paint on both the top of the coat and the lining.

 This is my finished swing coat/jacket and I am very happy with how this turned out. After this picture was taken, I did go back and add three half poppies to fill in some larger space that I thought needed some color.

Now my swing coat/jacket has my stamp on it. For me it has pizzaz. I can't wait to wear it. And if anyone is wondering, I will probably wear it with those polka dot leggings.

Lampshade adventure

 Well after all this time, I still don't have this blog stuff down, so I will start below this picture and say that my Mr. Partner In Crime and I have been married almost 45 years and in all that time we have only bought a few lamps.  Most of them when we got married. With this new lamp I painted, I needed a lamp shade. Actually we needed three lamp shades, one an antique type shade.  I checked at my favorite store (thrift) and couldn't find one and also I wasn't sure the style my special lamp needed, so we went to the Phoenix  Lamp store.  WOW, who knew there was so much you needed to know about lamp shades !!! As I was walking into the store with my shade-less lamp, a man told me how beautiful my lamp was. Needless to say I was very pleased.  We ended up getting lamp shades for all three of our lamps.  This above shade was what the lady suggested for my lamp after I told her I was going to paint it.  A total blank canvas so to speak.

 I painted and decorated the shade like the lamp base with the same paints as I used on the lamp. Then the dilemma, leave the shade just painted or add flowers.

 This shows the flowers held on by painters tape on about a third of the lamp.  Now my Mr. Partner In Crime likes it plain.  I am torn. I actually like both ways. I asked friends and family about what they thought and frankly the answers fall just about 50-50 about lampshade with no flowers vs lampshade with flowers.  If you would like to leave a comment and vote letting me know what you think, I would love to hear your vote and your reasoning.  Right now the lamp and shade is living in our family room just as it is till I make a decision.

One other fun decorating thing I have done is take a picture frame from the Dollar Store. I should say that this idea came from Pinterest. Only they spray painted them white.

 The frames are plastic and I have used two sizes 3.5"x5" and 5"x7". I painted black and white checks on them with craft paint .

 I used removable hanger strips (just in case I ever need to remove them) on the corners and adhered them to the light switches in my house. I am very happy with how they look. Above is the 5"x7" frame.

Above is all the plastic picture frames, light switch plate covers I just finished. I need to get more hangers and I will get them up where they belong. I like them very much and Mr. Partner in Crime likes them too. How much fun is this??? It definitely goes with my funky décor. 

New Painted Furniture

 If it is April and May it is time for me to be painting furniture.  Last spring was the first serious furniture painting that I did and I sent out SOS to friends for info on painting furniture tips.  I got lots of help and I especially want to thank Pamela Allen and Janice Paine Dawes.  This top vase is mine curtsey of my middle daughter, Victoria.  She purchased it at a Salvation Army thrift store in Sheridan, Wyoming and decided she didn't need it after all and gifted it to me.  In all these pieces I used both painting and fabric decoupage.  

 I thought it was finished at this stage but decided that perhaps it needed something else.  The flowers are fabric

 As you can see I added green polka dots.  I really am pleased with the finished lamp.  I just need to get a lampshade and decorate it to go with the lamp.

 The second piece I did was this table that belonged to my grandmother and Mama.  It was not in good shape.  My Partner In Crime took off the top veneer which was cracked. It originally had a glass top.  Of course it is long gone.

 Here is the start of the design process.  Most of the paint used on these furniture pieces were sample jars of paint I purchased from Home Depot. I find it is a inexpensive way to audition a lot of varieties paint colors.   I also used some craft paint for smaller details.  You can see fabric strips. I drew in the grid lines with chalk.

 This was the finished piece, I thought.  I decided I wasn't totally happy with it. 

                       I played around with some other flower placements. 

 I ended up deciding that I liked this.  You can see the beginning of the black and white tendrils that I added. This was the scary part.  I thought the design needed black and white to tie everything together, but I knew that once I started the process, there was no going back.

 Side view of table.  Painting all the black and white checks free hand on these furniture pieces took most of the time.  My Mama would be very happy with the finished piece and would be thrilled that I made this worn out piece fun and funky and that I am going to be using it instead of storing it.

 This is the final piece.  A wardrobe that came from my husband's family. 

 The top of the wardrobe.  This came easy.  The rest of the design was more difficult.

                              Side view of the wardrobe in process.

 I decided to add stripes to fill the negative space and add interest.

 Here I am playing with the design.  My Partner in Crime helped pick out the vase colors.  I used blue painters tape to tape up my design. I used Liquitex Mat Medium to adhere the fabric pieces.  I used water based Varathane for the varnish and have been very happy with how it has worked.

                                             One finished side

                                          Second finished side

Finished front.  I absolutely love this piece.  My Partner In Crime would walk around this and say how much he loved it.  Good thing since this piece is in our bedroom and he will be seeing it all the time.  I already have my pieces selected to paint next spring. I really enjoy this process.  It is so much fun and the results are wonderful.  My opinion of course !!!!!!

Easter ensemble 2015

 First let me say that I started this year's Easter outfit not as an Easter outfit just something for me to wear that was funky.  I found this black blazer/suit coat at one of my visits to the thrift store some months ago.  It was way to big, but ya know, when something is right you just know you can make it work. It is hard to see but it has rhinestones on the jacket lapels and on the sleeve cuffs. It is an awesome piece of clothing.

 Before I fitted the jacket, I tried to decide if I wanted to shorten the jacket or leave it the length it was.  I sought advice from my Partner In Crime, my children and my sisters and friends. I got various advice from them.  Of course that is what you get for asking other peoples opinions. 

 I happen to find this skirt at another visit to the thrift store.  Both the skirt and the jacket were hanging on my display rack together but not together and a light bulb went off in my head that these two pieces would make a great marriage.  Several of my opinion people mentioned that the skirt needed to be shortened, which I had not noticed. This top picture was suppose to show how the jacket was going to fit.

The skirt fit and shortening it was easy. The shortened skirt is in the above picture.  Fitting the jacket was another kettle of fish altogether.  I had to take the sleeves off along with the shoulder pads.  I took about 1 1/2" off the jacket shoulders.  Put the sleeves back in along with the shoulder pads.  I also had to take all the jacket bodice seams in and of course that meant doing the same (or mostly the same) to the lining. I ended up deciding to leave the jacket long, which is what most of my opinion people told me to do. 

 My Easter hat was my last year's Easter hat for those not reading my blog, it looked like this at the thrift store. I took all the decorations off and then added my own.

 I had planned to wear it as shown in the picture above as the real back of the hat became the front and actually did wear it like this to Easter Mass 2014, but found it was too heavy and needed to be worn as below with the original front as the front of my hat, which I originally designed to be the back. I know that is confusing.

So this was my final Easter outfit.  We were in Denver for Easter and this was perfect for our weather. The jacket doesn't fit quite as well as I would of liked. There were about ten hats at our Mass, but I can say with certainty that my hat was the most elaborate. You can see that this is quite a hat.  This hat is New York City Easter Parade ready, it is Kentucky Derby ready and English Royal Wedding ready. I certainly got a lot of second looks at Mass, but I also got compliments. 

Thread Spool Necklace

I haven't blogged in quite awhile.  Always seemed to be something else to do, but recently I have been interested in making jewelry.  I used to do a lot of seed beading, but since my vision isn't what it used to be, now I am enjoy making fiber jewelry.  This necklace was inspired by an article in one of my magazines and used empty thread spools and bobbins.  The original jewelry didn't really appeal to me but it gave me this idea.  Besides what could be better than recycling and using an item that most sewers/quilters have plenty of.

 First I started with an empty, plastic, thread spool, heavy felt or peltex, and crushed velvet that I probably got at the thrift store

 I measured the felt and wrapped it tightly around the spool and hand stitched it in place.

 I cut the velvet about an inch larger than the spool, and a couple of inches longer than the spool. The  fleece was cut slightly smaller and I used that on the back of the velvet.  I measured the amount of space I thought would be seen and embellished that area.  There was no need to embellish more than that area since only that would be seen. I couched down some threads both heavy and lighter.  I used button, beads and sequins.

 This is the back. The fleece also gave it a fluffier look.  I cut the fleece down close to the size of the spool.  Then I wrapped the velvet piece again tightly around the spool.  Lined everything up, trimmed and hand stitched the fabric closed.  I then trimmed the sides of the velvet down about 1/4" past the edge of the thread spool and ran a gathering stitch around the edge of the 1/4" of velvet and pulled it tight around the edge of the spool and tied it off.

 To finish the sides of the spool, I cut a circle of fleece just slightly larger than the spool and put it inside a circle of black velvet.  I decided that I would need a hole for the necklace strap and also a hole for the fringe.  The only colored grommets I have are small, so I used it for the fringe which I decided would be the center hole of the thread spool which is totally round. I decided that the thread spool would work better if I used a top section of the thread spool for the strap.  Those sections are not totally round. After putting the grommets in, I ran a running hand stitch around the outside edges of the circles and gathered the fabric and tied it off. Then I hand sewed the circles to the top and bottom of the thread spool.  

This is the finished piece before the fringe and necklace strap were done. The skewer is in the top hole of the thread spool where the necklace strap will be.  You can see that the hole lines up so the embellished area is what you see.

 The necklace strap is made with E beads and a double strand of fireline so I could get it through the grommet hole.  I put the fringe on a heavy beading wire so it would stand out from the thread spool instead of droop. 

 I love how it turned out and how it looks.  Can't wait for cooler weather to wear it.  I think I might make another black one.  I have some great black embellished velvet from the thrift store ready to use. Hope this inspires you to try one of these recycled thread spool necklaces of your very own.

Funky Furniture

Sometimes I just can't figure how out this blog picture thing works.  Anyway I wanted to say at the top of this picture that the dresser I decided to funk up was an old, dark, small chest of drawers from my husband's family.  What I did first was use sandpaper and scruff up the piece.  Then I used TSP and wiped it down to clean and get the dust off.  I did two coat of Kiln 2 to prime the piece.  I purchased several small sample cans of house paint from Home Depot for $3 apiece and decided what color I wanted to paint the chest.  I decided on a light lavender. I believe I put two coats of the lavender paint on.  I had decided that rather than paint a design on the furniture I would use fabric and decoupage the piece on the two sides and the top.  Painting designs are not my strong suit. I cut my fabric and used painters tape to secure the design so I could  see how I liked the placement.  After okaying the design, I used Liquitex Matte Medium to adhere the fabric pieces down. or rather decoupage the pieces down.  The wonderful Pamela Allan from the quiltart list gave me lots of info on decoupaging, which was immensely helpful. 

 As you can see I did something different with the front of the piece.  I used black house paint from Home Depot and gave it two coats.  Then I used a dauber to paint the white polka dots on the chest.  The funny thing is that I did the polka dots while the drawers were out of the chest.  I should of put the drawers in the chest and then put the polka dots on the drawers.  It didn't look like that many polka dots with the drawers separate, but together in the chest, there is A LOT of polka dots.  Good thing I like polka dots.  The pictures below are of the finished decoupage side pieces.

 The stripes on all the sides of the piece is from a wonderful fabric I bought a couple of years ago.  Goes to show you never know what you are going to do with fabric.  I never thought I would be using it this way, but it is really fun and saved me from having to paint the black and white checks and polka dots on the chest. The center flower stems are from another wonder stripe fabric. 

     The second side.  I did paint the black and white checks on the top side of the chest and on the very top of the chest. This piece is finished with several coats of water based varnish.

This is the top of the chest.  I really like how this piece of furniture turned out and it will look great in my bedroom.  I already have several pieces of furniture that I want to funky paint and reupholster.  I want to add that my husband doesn't mind all this excess of color I am bringing into the house.  In fact he enjoys it.   After he read this he said with a big grin on his face,  well, he tolerates all this color !!!  As always he is my partner in crime.