Archive for the ‘painting’ Category
Hello Green Kitchen….
After our trip to Long Beach Island, my husband took our kids to Maine for 4 days…I had 4 days by myself! I don’t think that has happened in about 5 years! So, of course, I had to do a project! Our kitchen has been in need of a makeover..BIG TIME! We haven’t done anything to the kitchen since we moved in…except get new appliances….I spend so much time in the kitchen, yet I couldn’t stand how it looked!
I couldn’t take it! The previous owners had put red and white striped contact paper on the ceiling! I had ripped it down and half of it still remained. Also, we had gotten a new light/fan and where the old fluorescent light was..there were holes and discoloration! In other words, it was a mess! I love bold and vivid colors and I wanted a bright green kitchen……well, I think I got it!!
The ceiling took me a lot longer than I expected, so I wasn’t able to finish everything I hoped to finish! I still need to paint the cabinets white, give them new hardware and put a tile backsplash behind the stove! That is the next project. But, for now, I’m happy with the changes…now when I go into the kitchen, I smile instead of moan! Now, I just need a new kitchen floor…..
In: painting, remodeling
Go Dog Go Murals…..
I’ve gotten a few requests asking for more photos of the Go Dog Go mural I did in River’s room. Each mural is approximately 5 feet by 4 feet. I did them with acrylic paints.
Another mural finished……
It has been so hot around here..that I have had lots of time to paint..inside. So, I finally finished the latest mural I had been working on…..from the book Excuse Me…Are You a Witch? by Emily Horn. It was a fun and quick mural. I have to put some type of polyurethane coating over it to protect it a bit…it is below windows, so the cats are constantly jumping up and scratching it. I am not sure what type of protective layer to put on it…I will be figuring that out soon.
Now, I am in the process of redoing the cushions on the window seat. Our old cushions for the seat have long ago died. We had an old pillowtop mattress and it became completely uncomfortable….so I cut it off! And I am using that for the new cushions. I am in the process of picking out some new material…and then I need to make two slip covers! Something I haven’t done before!
Chalk Paint…
I have seen a couple of different craft sites that talk about chalk paint…it sounded interesting, so we thought we would give it a try!
It has been extremely hot around here, so I made sure we did the project early in the morning, before it got too hot!
The recipe called for 1/4 cup of cornstarch, 1/4 cup of water and some food coloring. The recipe warned to make sure you put in the cornstarch first, then the water..so that is what we did! Then we got started painting……
River had a great time..but I must say, I was a bit disappointed….it didn’t work that well….our sidewalk/driveway is very rough..so maybe that is why it didn’t work.
River painted the driveway, the sidewalk, the fence, the stones, and then she started painting the trashcans! She wanted to paint the house, but I said no…so she started painting the plants….
I think River’s favorite part was rearranging the paints and moving them all over..trying to find something new to paint.
She had a great time and didn’t complain about the paints one bit….she only complained when I said it was too hot and we had to go back inside! She did get it all over her dress…and I’m assuming it will come out in the wash….I’ll let you know!
In: River, craft projects, painting
Painting….
Pretty much EVERY day River paints. She either paints on her easel or she paints on her desk. She usually paints for about ten minutes. It takes about five minutes to get everything set up and it takes about twenty minutes for me to clean up….somehow, I think something is off here…..
********And don’t forget to enter my latest giveaway*********
I’m giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to my Etsy shop!!!
Painting a Mural…..
My latest mural is coming along quickly. It is so much smaller than the other one…..I can do just a bit of work and it makes a difference (have I said that before?)! Did you ever want to paint a mural on one of your walls, but thought you couldn’t do it? Well, you should just go for it! I start out by thinking about which wall I would like to paint..maybe start off small..in a bathroom or somewhere like that. Then, I think about what I would like to paint. Usually, I find a picture in a children’s book or magazine….there are so many incredible images!
Then, I scan the image and load it onto my computer. I have a Panasonic LCD Projector that I use…but you don’t have to use one of those…you could use a simple projector..I have one of those too…a Design Master Projector, which works great. The only difference is that I can use the Panasonic LCD projector in the daytime..I don’t have to wait until it is dark outside, which I have to do with the Design Master projector.
Then, I set up the projector and my laptop and position the picture. And I draw out the design using a pencil…very lightly. This sets your mural up so that you are ready to paint.
Then you get started on the painting, which I think is the fun part…seeing the mural come to life! Sometimes your pencil lines disappear when you paint, but they are meant as guide lines only. When I am finished painting, I usually outline everything using black paint, or my new best friend….a Sharpie paint pen!! These things are my new best friend!
I’ll keep you posted with my progress on this mural!
Also, don’t forget to enter my latest giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m giving away a $25.00 gift certificate to my Etsy shop!!!
In: drawing, murals, painting
Small transformations…..
River had her old crib still in her room….I had changed it into a day bed….it was mostly a stuffed animal bed! I had been contemplating taking it down for awhile. …but couldn’t figure out if I wanted to or not….then I saw that ALL Simplicity cribs had been recalled, all makes and all models….and we had a Simplicity crib….it said that all cribs should be returned to the store where you purchased it…..so that made the decision easy for me! She loves dress up and we needed a place to put all her dress up stuff….so we dragged an old chest out of the basement…..
And of course it needed a coat of paint! And of course River had to help paint it!
Which of course, made things a bit more interesting…she wanted it painted then and there…and was very upset we didn’t have any pink paint…she had to settle for baby blue. I promised her that during the summer we would paint a beautiful pink design over the baby blue…..
By today, the chest was dry…so we took down the crib and moved in the chest….of course, we had to rearrange a few other things…and read some books in between and play with Barbies here and there…and get out all the stuffed animals….vacuum out the cobwebs……you know how it is…..
But finally things were all back together…and River seemed pretty happy with her room…..
In: Decorating, River, murals, painting
Excuse Me..Are You a Witch Mural….continues…
I’m slowly making progress on the new mural. It is nice to be doing a smaller mural. I can see the progress much faster…….not that I’m progressing that much faster..but even when I do something small, it seems like more.
The problem with this area is that it belongs to the dogs, literallly. It is the only spot in the house where they like to sleep. They aren’t allowed on any furniture, so this is their way of thinking they are on the furniture. So, while I am painting, I have to shoo them away. Then, when I am done, I have to put something on the window seat, to keep them away, until it is dry!
After the mural is finished, I need to get new cushions and sew new covers and pillows!
In: Creations, drawing, murals, painting
Watercolor Sandwiches….
River loves going to art class, but during art class she is supposed to eat lunch. Sometimes she is so excited about the class, that she forgets that it is important to eat the lunch. And then she gets hungry…..and grumpy..which isn’t good. So, I try to do whatever I can to make her excited about her lunch. She loves the concept of eating her lunch at the class, but actually eating it, is another thing!
So, to make her sandwich extra exciting..we make it into a watercolor sandwich! We make her sandwich and then River picks out a cookie cutter design. This time she chose a butterfly! Then, I take a glass bowl and add a few drops of food coloring and add a few drops of water. I have a special paint brush that is used only for food coloring. Sometimes I paint the design for her and sometimes she wants to do it herself!
If she is doing it herself, I have to make sure she doesn’t use too much “paint” or the sandwich may become a bit soggy! If it does get a little soggy, I just leave it out for a bit and it dries quickly. It is a simple thing that just takes a little bit of extra time. And it involves River in making and getting her lunch together and packed, which I always think is important….and a good motivator!
In: River, craft projects, painting
Sneak peek….a new mural begins….
I know it isn’t much to look at yet…but I started a new mural…hopefully I’ll get all the drawing part done today……more pictures to come….
