Monday, August 15, 2022

Home Decor: From Brass to Hammered Pewter


I previously shared the Lamp and Mirror Makeover I did for our entryway but hadn't yet done the table. I finished it and am so happy with how it turned out! With just a little paint, it changed the whole feel of the table and entry. 

Supplies:
  • Rustoleum Hammered Pewter Spray Paint


We bought this table years ago. It's heavier than it looks, has stayed in great condition and there was no reason to get rid of it, except the color didn't go with our new home. I was also not looking to spend any more money when I knew I could re-purpose it! Rustoleum All Surface Paint to the rescue! 



The paint comes in several different colors and is paint and primer all in one. It sprays evenly and coats well. You definitely still want to use it outside or someplace with good ventilation so Mr. Chocolate brought it out to the backyard and I went to work spraying! Not a lot of before and after to show so at the top of the post is the before, here's the after: 



I had to take advantage of a break in the monsoon weather so my picture-taking was utility vs perfection based. 

Our entryway is now complete with a beautiful hammered pewter table. Honestly, I spent more on the orchid stems and branches (Michaels) and quartz vase fillers (also Michaels)!



To finish the entryway, I recovered an ottoman with a crushed velvet cover I bought on Amazon and the mirror we bought a Pottery Barn years ago which is also still going strong. 


Since we're a shoes-off house, it will make it easier for guests to have a place to sit to remove / put on their shoes. 

What's hilarious is, Mr. Chocolate has always been reluctant when I say I want to paint something. Guess who brought our coffee table outside for a makeover? I used the same Rustoleum paint but this time in brushed nickel. 









 

Thursday, August 11, 2022

BFF Open House

 

Have you seen my week? Because I'm not sure where it went. I know it's not coming back, however! Hope yours has been good. I've been busy painting more furniture but did have a chance to do my first love...my gateway drug to all other crafting and made a birthday card for a dear friend which you can see here Papercrafting: Magical Birthday Card.

Inspiring ideas as always at last week's party so let's take a look at few! 


Aren't these bracelets beautiful? Even better...the beads are made from recycled paper and can be done in any color combination to match any outfit which is exactly what Within a World of My Own did!


Speaking of repurposing, check out this gorgeous Room Makeover from Thrifting Wonderland proving you don't have to break the bank to have a stunning look! 

For gift giving season or just because, check out this fabulous idea from Artsy Fartsy Mama. What a special way to share a treasured recipe that's both special and functional. 


Finally, these Lido Cupcakes from Cindy's Online Recipe Box look delicious inside (Cream Cheese and Chocolate Chips!) and out (Chocolate Ganache Frosting). YUM! 

Thanks to everyone who linked up and can't wait to see what you've all been up to this week!










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Monday, August 8, 2022

Papercrafting: Birthday Magic

 


I've been busy with updating and making home decor. I was thankful that a friend had a birthday so I had a reason to make a card, my first love!

Supplies: 
  • Recollections Paper Stack, Spring Inks (Michaels)
  • Recollections White Cardstock 110 lb (Michaels)
  • Black and White Polka Dot Paper
  • Capitol Chic Designs Die Cuts (Michaels)
  • Crafter's Square Embellishments (Dollar Tree)
  • Foam Tape
  • Tape Gun


I pulled out some supplies from my stash. The Capitol Chic Designs die cuts,a while I picked up at Michaels awhile ago when they first came out. It's great having more diversity in crafting supplies and I love their work! I chose a couple of images to use as the focal for the card. I also love that Dollar Tree has increased and expanded their craft supplies and find a lot of embellishments there. 

I chose a foiled-marble paper from the stack that coordinated with the die cuts, and them made a card from white cardstock (5x7) and cut a panel (4.75x6.75) from the polka dot paper. 



I've had this Martha Stewart scoreboard forever and use it for all of my cards. I scored the 10x7 cardstock panel down the middle to create the 5x7 card, then applied the marbled panel and die cuts using foam tape to mount.


I skipped the cupcake stickers and just went with the rhinestones in coordinated colors to embellish. 


Et Voila!





Thursday, August 4, 2022

BFF Open House

 


Happy August, everyone. How it's already August, I don't know but here we are which means maker season is about to go into overdrive. Seeing more Halloween and even a little Christmas popping up in the stores and some of it is already on sale! Riddle me that. 

This week I shared two more home decor projects. A Lamp and Mirror Makeover and some more DIY Wall Art in Shades of Blue

Some wonderful projects as usual were shared at last week's party so let's take a look at a few!


LOVE this transformation of a stand ashtray from The Apple Street Cottage .



Whether you have a box of maps you've collected or just grab some new ones. Creatively Beth has you covered with Three Ways to Use Recycled Maps.  


If you want to get a headstart on Christmas cards, this one from Paper Seedlings is a stunner! 


Maybe you've been gardening or picked up some Zucchini at a Farmer's Market. Here's a great way to use it and it doesn't hurt that it means getting more veggies in. Check out this Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake from The House on Silverado










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Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Home Decor: Shades of Blue DIY Wall Art

 


See? Not everything I'm working on lately is black! With a lot of wall space to cover and not trying to break the bank buying art for it, I continue on my DIY Wall Art journey. Our master bathroom has blue cabinets which are a nice contrast to the gray tile on the floor and in the shower. I decided to do a new painting to tie the two together. 

Supplies: 
  • 36x48 Canvas (Michaels)
  • Acrylic paints in shades of White, Silver, Blue
  • Paint Scraper and Brushes 


My "easel" is a folding card table that works perfectly for these larger canvases. There was no master plan here. I started by painting a section of white, then blending in two different shades of silver. FOr the "water" effect, I did dots of blues and white and then dragged through the paint with a paint scraper. 


For the center of the painting I did a deep blue that coordinated with the color of our cabinets, then did the reverse order of the silvers to white using a wide paintbrush. 


Coincidentally, I'd done a couple of blue-themed paintings before we bought this house that fit perfectly into this room. 


The toilet is situated in its own area so this is in that "room". I'd also previously done this Acrylic Paint Pour canvas which also works in this room! 


I must have been psychic because both of the pieces I did before we even found this house remind me of the fluidity of water so they're perfect for this bathroom. 


No Galleries will be calling to offer me a show, but I'm happy with my DIY Artwork and my biggest fan, Mr. Chocolate, is too! 







Monday, August 1, 2022

Home Decor: Lamp and Mirror Makeover

 


So I promise not everything I'm making and/or making over is black! In fact I have a couple of colorful projects to share coming up. But, today I'm sharing an easy update to an existing lamp and mirror. 

Supplies:
  • Items to make over
  • Craft Smart Multi Surface Premium Satin Paint, Black
  • Martha Stewart High Gloss Multi Surface Paint 
  • Craft Smart Metallic Paint Silver


I started with this brass Stiffel lamp we've had forever. I originally thought I was going to spray paint it but the weather's been iffy lately and I'm not exactly patient so I decided to test whether Craft Smart's multi-surface paint would do the trick. Boy did it! It went on very smoothly from the fist coat and I only needed to do two coats to get great coverage. 



LOVE this paint! The original shade was a parchment color and I wanted a different shape. We found this one at Target. I was very nervous I'd muck up a nice lamp but now, I love it even more! 


The mirror also went with our prior style and color scheme so it too got a makeover. 


I cut a circle of contact paper to cover the glass then painted it with a matte black paint, dry brushed with silver and then again with the Martha Stewart Gloss paint which added a bit of depth that's hard to see in the picture. 



I wanted to capture the essence of the original which wasn't a solid finish.  


I have plans to spray paint the table since we're moving away from the brass but need monsoon season to calm down since it's definitely an outside job! 


I'm very happy how they work with the Thrifted Candlesticks I've used on this same table, and am looking for some tall branches and vase fillers for my big vase (Pottery Barn) but didn't want to wait until it's all done to share!