Happy Independence Day

What happens when your BFF and her daughter come to your house before the 4th of July? Naturally you do some Americana crafting and a rousing rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" (complete with harmony and high notes.)

These "Holiday" kits were on clearance at JoAnn's but I thought they would look amazing with a fresh coat of chalk paint and a bit of jute twine and be able to be used all year round.

Starting off  we masked off stripes on the wood panel. We then used Waverly chalk paint in "Crimson" for the red stripes.  When dry we masked off again and did the stripes this time in"Plaster." We finally accented the sides with the Ocean blue.

When the whole project was painted we added the jute twine to the nails that are already on the project. 

Each one was different and we LOVED the way they turned out! Thanks Plaid Crafts for providing the brushes and the paint! 

 Supplies Used: Fab Lab-Holiday Star Kit, Waverly Chalk Paint in :Crimson, Plaster, and Ocean, Jute Twine, Chalk Paint brushes -Waverly

What are you "Podging?"

Happy Mod Podge Day!!! 

What are you "Podging" lately?

So many wonderful things happen in May, the "April showers" bring "May flowers." Mother's Day is Celebrated and last but certainly not least May 18th, is "National Mod Podge Day!" Yes, Mod Podge is celebrating it's 51st birthday and I decided to wrap all of our May celebrations in one fun project and a contest!

So how would one tie all of these wonderful celebrations together with one project? By redoing an adorable sewing desk!

 I was given this adorable sewing desk that belonged to my Grandma Helen. I love it's petite size and the drawers hold tons, but it isn't compatible with my sewing machine. So for Mother's Day I asked for help to adapt the desk for my use and time to be able to refinish it.

After filling some holes with wood putty, I sanded down the rough edges. I then taped off edges and started painting the main part of the desk a lovely creamy color of Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Paint called "sheepskin." For the top of the desk I created my own shade of "Aqua blue" with two additional colors of chalk paint. 

 For the top of the desk and the drawers,  I created my own shade of "Aqua blue" with two additional colors of chalk paint. 

My next step was to use Mod Podge Furniture, to adhere this gorgeous floral scrapbook paper to the front of the drawers. The used the darker aqua in the flowers as my paint inspiration! I love the way the paper reminds me of vintage wall paper.

Now comes the fun part of waiting for Mod Podge to dry! So while things are drying lets have a contest! Answer the question in the comments below, "What are you Mod Podging lately?" or if you have never used Mod Podge before, what would you like to? 

My friends over at Plaid Crafts will award one lucky recipient a wonderful "Mod Podge Prize pack" including: 

-8 oz Mod Podge Mega Glitter

-8 OZ. Mod Podge GLOSS 

-8 OZ. Mod Podge Matte 
-8 Oz. Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe Gloss 
-Mod Podge Image Transfer Medium with Brush
-Mod Podge Silicone Craft Mat
-M/P 4pc Spouncer Set -M/P 4pc Foam Brush Set


The contest is open to U.S. Residents only and will close next Thursday, May 24, 2018(11:59pm CST.) Please don't forget to input your email address when you leave your comment, so I may contact you if you are the lucky winner.

Thank you to Plaid Crafts for sponsoring the paint and Mod Podge used in this project and the contest!

Now if  you are like me and can't wait to win your Mod Podge, Plaid Crafts is having a special sale in honor of Mod Podge Day. From now thru Sunday May 20, 2018 you can get 40% off and free shipping when you spend $60 on all Mod Podge Branded products when you use promo code MPDAY18! See the website for details!

Shop now: http://bit.ly/2wM3wI8

Be sure to check back next week to see the finished project and if you are the lucky winner! Happy "Podging" 

Key Cabinet

I am so blessed to be a part of a wonderful group of bloggers associated with Prime Publishing. This past January we were invited to a fabulous blogger event during the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show. At this event we mixed and mingled with some amazing manufacturers all wanting to send us product to create with! 

Once again there was a contest involved, and with my mind awhirl I set out to create. 

I always am loosing my keys, which is really kind of funny because I LOVE collecting vintage keys so I thought how cool would it be to create something fun and functional. Taking a wood tray and frame from the thrift store, I set out to upcycle them into an adorable key cabinet!

Instructions:

Remove glass from frame and hardware if necessary. Lightly sand all wood surfaces.

Apply base coat of paint (the color bamboo shown) and allow to dry.

Base Coat

Apply crackle medium on all wood surfaces. Use smooth strokes. The thicker the coat the deeper the cracks when finished. Allow to dry.

I opened my paint to find it smiling on me

Apply top coat of paint (Ceramcoat Chalk in Raven shown.) Use long smooth strokes for best results, allow to dry. 

Just like that the magic happens!

Brush on Ceramcoat wax to entire painted surface allow to dry and then buff with a soft cloth. 

Cut 4 pieces of metal ribbon slightly longer than inside opening of of frame. Lightly sand and then rub on Stazon ink and wipe immediately off. Ink will settle into recesses of the ribbon and grooves made by sanding to give an "aged look" Heat set in being careful because the metal gets hot. Staple metal ribbon in place on back side.

**Pausing for a moment to say this metal ribbon is AWESOME!!! It comes in several widths, has fabulous detail both embossed, and die cut. It's heavier than foil, but not as rigid as tin. I've only seen it at Hobby Lobby in the spool ribbon aisle by the wedding stuff. $4.99-5.99 a 9ft roll. 

Cut wire mesh to cover the backside of frame. Using staple gun, staple into place.

Cut burlap to fit inside wood tray, using a brush, apply Fabric Fuse to inside of tray, glue burlap to inside of tray, smoothing out fabric. Slightly fray edges of burlap if desired. 

Trying to get the keys to hang straight

Line up frame with wood tray, Making sure to center frame over wood tray. Using drill, install hinges so the frame becomes the door of the cabinet. 

I found out after the fact
do the burlap before the hinges!
(Messing up first so you don't have to!)

Install knob to front of cabinet, install latch to close, on side of cabinet.

Install cup hooks inside cabinet to hang keys, install hangers on back of cabinet to hang on wall. 

Volia' an adorable key cabinet! Hopefully it will become not only a place to store the vintage key collection, but a place to remember to put my keys (where I can see them!) 

Notes:
When working with the crackle medium, a smooth thin coat will produce tiny cracks, a thicker coat will produce cracks that are wider exposing more of the undercoat. Remember to wear protective eyewear when cutting the wire mesh, the tiny pieces fly everywhere. Use a drill to predrill holes for hinges especially on softer wood (or particle board.) This will help keep the wood from splitting.

Supplies used:

Plaid Delta Ceramcoat Chalk Paint-Raven, Plaid Delta Ceramcoat Select Multi Surface Satin-Bamboo, Plaid Delta Ceramcoat Crackle Medium,
Plaid Delta Ceramcoat Wax-Clear, Wood Tray (from thrift store), Wood Frame large enough to cover edges of tray, Piece of burlap fabric to cover inside of tray, Therm-o-web Fabric Fuse, Hinges from hardware store, Wire mesh from hardware store, Staple Gun and Staples, Wire Cutters, Metal Ribbon enough to line inside of frame-Hobby Lobby, Knob-hardware store, Latch-hardware store, Paint brushes in assorted sizes, Cup hooks, Protective eyeware, Needle nose pliers, Drill and bits, Screwdriver, Heat Gun, Sandpaper, Black Stazon Ink

This project is in the "Best Blogger Craft contest" over at Fave Crafts! I would LOVE your vote!  You can vote once per day!

 http://www.favecrafts.com/voting/Blogger-Contest/

2nd Place!

Remember my shelf turned pie safe??

 The talent in this contest was amazing! It was an honor to be a part of it and even more so to see my name and project up on the Winner's List! Thank you to everyone that voted for me! Plus a special thanks to Fave Crafts, for sponsoring the contest and to  Plaid Crafts and MD Hobby and Craft for having amazing products to work with.

For the full announcement http://www.favecrafts.com/contest/Blogger-Contest

and for instructions on my project: http://www.favecrafts.com/Painting-on-Wood/Restyled-Red-Shelf-Home-Decor-Craft

Be sure to look for the blogger ebook featuring projects from the contest coming April 1st!

Vintage Pie Safe Inspired Shelf Restyle

My kitchen is getting a "makeover" but unlike the TV show...I'm on a very limited budget! This being the case imaging my excitement when I was at the Craft and Hobby Association trade show this past January and was given some amazing supplies to create with at the Fave Crafts/Prime Publishing Blogger Event and they "just so happened" to be perfect for this project.

Twenty years ago, my husband made me this wood shelf for my canned goods. It has served us well, never complaining as we double stacked soup, or fit more on the shelf by turning cans on their side so they would fit. It's time though had passed and it's new home was the basement. It was stained, and a back piece was loose, the side was even splitting a bit and needed repair. The shelf was good enough for the basement cause no one looked there.

But then inspiration hit! I wondered if I could spruce it up with some paint, and add doors, maybe with some tin panel and make a pie safe? After cleaning it up, repairing some parts, and using some 1"x 2" pieces to create a frame I started to think this just might work!  I collect red and white enamelware and thought it would be fun to have a RED cabinet as a focal point in the kitchen.

I talked to my friends from Plaid Crafts and asked about their Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Ultra Matte Paint. I had worked with this at the show and loved the finish it gave, they were good enough to send me some to use. This paint has a nice creamy texture and is super easy to work with. I started with a base coat of Cottage White, and then allowed that to cure and topped with Imperial Red. I then sanded the top coat, to reveal some of the white underneath. I used the Folk Art Home Decor Clear Wax to seal the surface.

Then it was time to add "metal to the doors." Most pie safes have tin punched metal covering the front, this allowed for the pies to cool, while keeping bugs and other creatures away from the baked goods. I didn't want another heavy closed piece of furniture so decided chicken wire was the way to go! My friends over at MD Hobby and Craft had some chicken wire designed for crafting. It came in smaller more manageable pieces. After grabbing my electric staple gun and suiting up with metal working gloves, I attached a double layer of chicken wire to the door frames, I offset the second layer from the first to give me a "3-D" look with the honeycombs of the wire.

All that was left was to install the hinges and handles. These I easily picked up at a local hardware store.

I LOVED the look of the finished piece and it looks even more adorable FILLED

 

Fave Crafts, challenged Bloggers at their event to come up with a craft from the goodie box items we were sent. These crafts could then be submitted to their "Fave Crafts, Best Blogger Craft Contest." I am entered, and would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,  your vote! But there are lots of amazing entries! The top prize is $1000 cash!!!  

 

My entry is called "Restyled Red Shelf " by Betsy Burnett.

To vote in the contest and find further instructions....please visit -----> http://www.favecrafts.com/contest/Blogger-Contest