Gold Cross Updates

Another Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Project. I'm really becoming obsessed with this product! But you really couldn't tell, could you? ;^)

I bought these three crosses in Sedona during a girls weekend a few years back. I was leaning toward reds and maroons and golds for my living room decor. And of course the fleur de lis pattern caught my eye. I love a fleur de lis! 

So they'd been packed away for several years, never really finding a place in my house, until I'd pulled them out recently and realized they were in dire need of a new color. I decided to play with two colors for these crosses, Emperors Silk and Old White.

Being the new blogger I am, I forgot to take good before pics, so here is a pic of the side to give you an idea of the gold colors.

So I started on the largest of the three with Old White. I could tell much of the detail was being lost by painting only one color so I dry brushed with Emperors Silk.

I then moved on to the smaller two crosses. The first was done similar to the large cross.

The second started as the opposite, a full dose of Emperors Silk for the base. I let that dry and then dry brushed with Old white. The red on top of gold gave it a deep rusty red appearance.

Here they are side by side. It's amazing how vibrant the red is on one and muted on the other. Such a contrast.

Although I'm pleased with the finished product, I'm itching to paint them again. Perhaps the pale muted pink of Antoinette over Old White? I don't want them to be matchy-matchy, and would be open to splitting them up...  any suggestions?


<3 Sasha

Scandinavian Pink and Old Violet Picture Frame Re-do

Here's another picture frame makeover.

Finished Product <3

 I found this icky frame at Hobby Lobby for $10, marked down from $49 because it's in bad shape. The corners were very chipped and the the attachment to make it stand up was missing. 

Before Picture - Icky!!!

After I got it home I also noticed a large crack in the wood, but for $10 I don't really mind. I love the detail in the frame and knew it was just screaming for some help from ASCP. ;)  

Loved the viney pattern. 

Having just taken the Beginning Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Workshop at Green Table Gifts yesterday, I decided to do a color wash first. This was to preserve the detailed pattern. With the first picture frame I did, the Emperor's Silk Re-do, I realized how quickly the detail can be lost when using the paint full strength.That in mind, I started with my base color, Scandinavian Pink. 

Color Wash of  Scandinavian  Pink 

I did two coats of Pink, then moved on to one full strength coat of Old Violet.  Where the viney detail is, I decided to use a stippling technique (also learned in yesterday's class. Thank you Patty!), to preserve some of the pink color in the base of the scrolls. I also very lightly brushed from side to side on the top of the detail to only impart some color. I didn't want to go overboard here. 

Old Violet - almost finished!

 The next step was to take some fine grit sandpaper and gently remove some of the Old Violet to allow the Scandinavian Pink to peek through. 

Peek-a-boo Pink

When that was all done to my liking, I finished with the Clear Wax and buffed it to a shine.  I used a shoe polish brush and loved the result because it really got into all the little grooves to polish is up nicely.

I have to admit these two colors together are a bit out of my comfort zone, but thanks to the excellent advice from Patty, the teacher of yesterday's class and owner of Green Table Gifts,  about the combo, and her tip about the shoe polish brush, this picture frame now has a new lease on life. :)  


<3 Sasha

Random word of the day

Do you ever make up words? Sure you do! I do all the time! Usually I add "y" to the end of a word, no matter how nonsensical it makes the original word. Yesterday while discussing upcoming events for my birthday, I was telling my co-workers that I doubt there will be any surprise events happening. I said "surprisey wise", and we all laughed at how ridiculous it sounded.  So lets make that the random word for today "Surprisey".    

Emperor's Silk Picture Frame Re-do

Happy Tuesday!!! 

This blog has started so sloooowwww. I wasn't really sure where to take it, or what to put on it, or who would even read it. Then two weekends ago I happened to stumble upon this adorable handmade/vintage shop. The moment I walked into Green Table Gifts I was struck by inspiration! This cute shop carries Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, something I'd seen on Pinterest and craft blogs but was hesitant to order online, sight unseen. I had no idea there was a stockist so close to my house. I truly feel finding GTGifts was Serendipity!!!


Fast forward a week, and tons of ideas, later and a cheap find at Ross yields this black scroll picture frame:

Crazy Cheap Picture Frame!

The glass was cracked and it was marked down way cheap! Too good to pass up!  I was so excited to paint it this gorgeous red, that I totally forgot to take a picture so I could post it here.  


The painting was so easy, and just to give it good coverage, I painted two coats of Emperor Red. 

I allowed to dry for over 24 hours, then added the clear wax and buffed it to make it shiny. 

sorry the pic is so blurry, it's dark in my garage!

I am sooo happy with the end result! This was my first venture with Annie Sloan paint, and I'm impressed with how easy it was to paint. No priming, no sanding, I just made sure the surface was clean, removed the glass and started painting!! I have plans to make this a cute memo board by adding a sheet of chalkboard vinyl, but it photographed so much better with my wedding photo! (haha)


<3 Sasha

Update: I decided to go with my instinct and make it a mini-chalkboard. I'm so glad I did!  Enjoy!!



Chalkboard Picture Frame <3 <3

**(disclaimer, neither Annie Sloan nor GTGifts asked me to endorse or rate their products or services, this is 100% my opinion)

Pondering Puggles

So the husband and I have two dogs. Not just any type of dog, but Puggles! For those of you not familiar with this “designer” breed, a Puggle is a cross between a Pug and Beagle. And the result is absolutely adorable! Our two pups, Cole and Callie are so much fun, with funny personalities and quirky traits.



But as adorable as those two faces are, you can’t escape the mischief they cause!  Our pups are curious, devious, persistent and extremely intelligent. Granted most dog owners think their dog is The Smartest, Cutest, blah, blah, blah. And I’m not saying my pups are above average in the brains department, but the smarts they have amaze me almost daily! 



Cole, aka Coley aka Coley Monster aka Monster Man, is five years old and he’s such a mama’s boy. A people pleaser and snuggle bug, he’s never far from your side, and is always on the lookout for an open lap.



Callie, our fawn colored female, has us figured out. She’s the younger of our two dogs and those big brown eyes have been used as weapons to score extra treats or convince me I’m no longer mad at her for eating that brand new pair of shoes.


I really must say I’m thankful we are passed the puppy phase. There’s a reason these dogs are so cute as puppies, they have to be to survive to adulthood!!! I have some friends who have a puggle puppy and boy is he driving them CRAZY!! I don’t envy them. All I can do is reassure them, it does get better. Cole and Callie finally settled down around their third birthdays… too bad they were born 9 months apart and the three’s didn’t come at the same time!



Even though they drive me crazy, I love these two crazy mutts more than I can express. They are the living, breathing, tail wagging example of unconditional love. They always know when I’m feeling less than great, always ready with love or snuggles or sloppy kisses. I’ll never quite understand people who aren’t “Dog People”, because I can’t imagine my life without the love, joy, laughter, and fun these two bring.


Anyone have funny, frustrating, exasperating experiences with your pups? If so, how did you handle it (scream, cry, take pics and post to facebook)??

The Birth of a Blog

 

So I’ve never really blogged before. I have all these ideas and projects and thoughts to share, so this blog will be a way to bring all of that together. Eventually I’d like to pull in other aspects of my life, especially extended family, and utilize this blog as a way for all of us to keep in touch.