Summer French Desk

Hello friends:

Are you still enjoying summer?, its great.

Here is the latest on my French desk, I keep adding, redoing, and its looking better everyday.

What do you think?  pretty good for a Chalk painter without experiences or classes.  It is possible,

Step One:  Choose a color. I chose Loui Blue, Old White, and both waxes.

Step Two:  Just give it a coat. of Loui Blue

Step Three:  Maybe it needs another coat ( my desk just needed one coat)

Step Four:  With a very very fine paint brush paint the details in Old White or any white

You like, I have loads of Old White so I need to use it.  This step takes a long time, if you

make a mistake just clean it with a rag and paint it over.

Step Five:  Apply the clear wax all over the piece, so to preserve it, I don't have the expensive brushes so I just do it with good rags.  JUST DO SMALL PIECES AT A TIME.

Step Six: Distress with the dark wax.  ONLY APPLY a DAB and rub. Don't apply too much or

it will look very dark.  If you make a mistake just apply the clear wax and it comes off. Or just paint the spot over.

I didn't apply much dark wax, just a little was enough for me, because I like to see the light blue and the white. To be honest I almost didn't do the dark wax because I love the blue is very pale, but I decided to experiment a bit.

Another TRICK:  With an old brush dab half of the brush with dark wax and half with paint and play with this. If you don't like it, just erase it with a rag.  I did this on the corners and top on the design. I use old brushes, cheap ones and save money.

I'm thinking of doing a video for you, remember, I learn by doing, experimenting, , I believe in classes but unfortunately my time is so limited I have to do it myself.  This desk is in my living room, people want it but I love it myself, and after spending two weeks painting it I cann't give it away.

Basically the best way to learn how to paint furniture is by doing. You can also learn from Miss Mustard Seed, or Shauna, but the best way is to do it yourself and learn from your mistakes .

Hope you enjoy it.

Now to the next piece, I found this gorgeous bureau and I'm not painting it, I love oak, the color,

the patina, the coasters, the hardware I just love it. So I'm leaving it alone. SORRY

Isn't this gorgeous, I have to leave it as it is, cannot destroy beautiful oak. The owners took care of the bureau and I will too.

Check my video on how I painted my desk through trial and error with Chalk paint.

Love

Martha

BIG ANNOUNCEMENt

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

   SALLY, she is the winner of the giveaway.

Have fun Sally, there are 255 candies, (oh la la)


the fun begins now, again, thank you all for visiting, and be watching soon I'll have another
fun giveaway.

A SUMMER LOOK

Hello Friends:

A simple way to change for a new season is with pillows.

I made these simple pillows with antique grain sacks.

Simple three mother of pearl buttons.

This sack had lines and letters

This is one of my fav. I made a French ribbon with muslin and stamps, ketp it simple and the weave is beautiful.

I hope you have a great weekend, happy junking.

XOXO

Martha

A blank wall (continue)

Dear Friends:

Welcome to my blog. I'm trying to find a solution to a couple of empty walls, and I found the answer last night. Here it is:

Antique vintage ceiling tiles from a factory made into a picture.

at night with my mason jar solar jar light.

My antique ceiling tile 8 x 5 picture.  It looks very good on the wall, and I like it better than a bunch of plates, or pictures, its something that I made, its antique, and a conversation piece.  How do you like it? tomorrow I will hang it up. Its big and heavy.

 I got this tile at a Salvage Place years ago, it sat in the basement for a long time.
A rainy day, I brought it up, got myself some plywood at Lowe's and glued the tile 8 ft. by 5 ft. on it. It took forever, you have to put bricks on top  and wait many days for the glue to adhere. This is a large old block of tile, it was the smallest I could find, for the price.  Only the gorilla glue works on this tiles, they are very hard to glue, and this was a big piece.
I painted it with one of my favorite Michael's Robin's blue spray paint, (40% coupon),  I did  prime with a special primer for metal, then, I antiqued a little bit with the antiquing paint, just a bit, and sealed it.  You can see its not perfect, but I love it and my bedroom walls are a very very pale antique blue. So I think it will go perfect.  I just have to glue a couple of (teeth hooks thingy) and oh la la,
done.

Have a wonderful Thursday,

Martha

Decorate a blank wall with simple art and New finds.

Hello friends:

WOW, its hot today here, but we need to keep moving, all of us  "designers" and creative people,

have to keep busy, we are not used to the hot and humid weather, but I welcome it.
I have two blank walls, and for years I look at them, but don't know what to do. I tried the traditional one picture, didn't like it, then I tried another traditional transfer ware plates, all the same
color , I tried three, then four, I'm looking at them but I still think the wall looks empty.
So, I'm looking for some inspiration and found these idea, I kind of like it but I not sure??

and this wall, and another one:

I like botanical, but don't have any, what do you think???


This last one I like, minus the furniture, one of the walls is in the kitchen and the other one is in the bedroom. There is no room for furniture, its small with a low ceiling, you know, the old old, cottage style wooden ceiling, nice and cozy but difficult to decorate because if you put too much, it looks
clutter, I have three windows, two together and the other one to the end of one wall. Difficult walls.  But I think the white plain pictures would look good.

Please I need your ideas, do you have a blank empty wall that needs something??

Now to the fun fun finds:

I found a lot of "junk/treasures"

This hooked rug by Marie Claire, large 6x4

My favorite this handmade rustic rustic, shabby and not a single nail on it. This bench is adorable.

Look at this beauty I'm telling you most people think I'm crazy, I'm crazy for antiques, handmade, rustic, great for the yard, deck, porch.

Solid oak dresser, cannot paint this, love the color of oak, I'm sometimes afraid to paint nice pieces.

The bench look at the details.

I also got two mirrors, but I didn't do the pictures yet, more tomorrow,

XOXO

Martha