Hello Plaster Paint!

Last night a dear friend invited me to a painting technique class using Plaster Paint.  All I can say is WOW! I love this stuff, including the amazing wax!

 

I'm sorry about the bad pictures. My phone was broken, so I was using a loner phone.

 

This is what I made! It is painted with Plaster Paint's Espresso in the center and Native Stone on the outside. I did not wax the center so I could write on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the white cabinet door that I started with. Not bad, but definitely needed some love.

 

  

 

 

 

Again, the paint is Plaster Paint. Espresso and Native Stone. It is so easy to use! It really sticks to anything, and it does not stink!

 

 

 

I started with the Espresso as a base color. I had to paint a few coats to make sure it covered well in the center. I didn't mind if it was completely covered around the sides.

 

 

 

 

I let it dry for about 10 minutes, but I would suggest you let it dry for a few hours so it sets. Since it was a class, I was limited on time. I had a little issue later on with the distressing since the brown wasn't completely set.

 

Next I painted the Native stone around the sides. I let that dry, then put one more coat on.

 I also put one more coat of Espresso on the center while my second coat was drying.

 

 

I didn't get pictures of the wax...sorry! It is clear, so I mixed some of the espresso color with it to give more of a distressed look. You paint it on, let it set for just a little bit, then wipe it off. It was so simple and easy. I think it turned out cute!

 

 

I'm thinking about adding some metal hardware from Hobby Lobby, but not sure exactly what, so you will have to check back and see the finished product.

 

 

 

 

 



Burlap lamp shade

Summer was nuts! I had all these plans for projects, but life got in the way and projects were put on the backburner. One thing I did do was give an ugly lamp shade a make over. I love burlap...I would say I have an obsession with burlap...but that's another entry. Anyway, I felt like I needed more color in my living room, so I used red burlap to give it the pop of color I was look for.
First thing, I covered the lamp with extra red fabric, just to give it a fill and something for the burlap to stick to. It is NOT pretty, but it did it's job. 


 

Next, you cut your burlap into squares...lots as lots of squares...way more than I ever imagined. 

Some were square, some were not. I just wanted to have a little variety. Then I folded the squares and hot glued them to  the shade. 

Then you just glue and glue...I think I burned myself five times and had two big blisters when it was all said and done. I would recommend you be a little more careful than me. Your fingers will thank you. 

I think it turned out pretty cute. It is so much better than the old shade!

Now I'm ready for my next project!

Curtain dilemma...

Moving into my new home, I never really thought about my curtain lengths. I just knew I had plenty of curtains that I had used in my previous houses, and I was pretty happy with them all. Well, I knew I had tall windows in my new house, but never really thought about it, until I started putting them up. All my curtains were the standard 84in length, and my windows were 96in!

So I knew I had to buy curtains, but I had no idea they would be so hard to find! I would find a pattern I liked, but then it would be too expensive or the wrong length. Then I would find some that were the right length, but I never liked them. So finally, I just decided to make my own. I saw some on another blog that I really liked, so I figured I would try to make them.

I had several beige tab top panels from our first house that were just sitting in a bin in my attic, so I thought I could stencil the pattern and then sew a solid block panel to the bottom to get my length.

I went to Hobby Lobby and got a stencil, blue acrylic paint ,and textile medium. I used 3 parts paint to 1 part medium and began stenciling away.

 Make sure you use a drop cloth beneath your curtain, because the paint does bleed through.  Luckily, it wiped off rather easily.

I really love the way they turned out.  The blue block panel hasn't been sewn on yet, but they are hidden behind my love seat right now.  I will tackle that in a week or two. I think I am going to run the blue up the middle edge too.  Stay tuned...