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Restocking

Today was a good day.  I had my foot x-rayed (after dropping two sheets of bead board on it last Friday) and it’s badly bruise, but not broken.  Yay!  I was having nightmares of a paint-splattered cast.  I bought a great French chair off Craig’s List.  And, I turned thirty-three today.  My husband did a grand job with it, too.  He bought me a spa day and some gift cards, so I can shop.  My boys signed cards for me and sang the cutest version of “Happy Birthday” ever.  I had to bake my own cake, because none of my boys can bake.  I made a Texas Sheet Cake, like my mom used to make.  I had no idea there’s half a box of butter in that cake.  AND Crisco.  Oh well.  It’s once a year.  I also got the weekend totals for my Lucketts sales and…well…let’s just say I have A

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April 4, 2011 101 Comments

market sign & my pavilion

I finished this sign the morning I brought it to Lucketts, so we didn’t have a chance to do a proper photo shoot together.  Sorry!  I really love how this one turned out, though.  The bead board door was already painted a cream color, so I simply painted over it with Antibes Green with lettering in Old White and shadow in Graphite (all chalk paint.)  Once dry, I used a palm sander to use and abuse the sign until it looked how I wanted it to.  The piece was finished with a mix of clear and brown wax.  Check out my Waxes 101 video if you’d like to see my technique.   I just bought some huge barn doors today to paint some signs on.  They sell well and it’s fun to create my own “art” to sell in my space.   Some of you were a little confused about the “pavilion” idea, so I

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April 3, 2011 52 Comments

Waxes 101

So sorry! I planned to have this video to you last week and I even filmed one, but I was tired and it was half-heartedly done.  You deserve better than that, so I made a new one yesterday morning in my very best painting outfit.  Believe it or not, I actually go out in that ratty, paint splattered sweatshirt.  Someone call “What Not To Wear” on my behalf, please.  I wanted to post this video last night, but it was still converting after midnight, so I had to turn in and post it this morning. Without further delay, here is my opinion piece on waxes!  (A transcription of these videos is available HERE for the hearing impaired.) The wax I’m using in the video is called Fiddes and Sons and I purchased it from John Millen Hardware.  (They lowered the price of the wax to $14.00 for my readers!)  I use the Clear and

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March 30, 2011 132 Comments

Couldn’t Walk Away

Surprisingly, the more I am around antiques, the easier it is for me to resist the urge to buy everything that catches my eye.  This amazing wire caddy holding 12 mini clay pots was in Christine’s space at Wild Rose the day I moved out.  I kept looking at it.  It was a siren…calling to me.  My husband is outside tying the antique shoe rack to the top of our van and I’m eyeing things I want to buy instead of packing.  I went back to my packing and suddenly became paranoid that someone else would come into the shop, make a beeline for the caddy and buy it while I was loading my car.  When I start getting paranoid, I know I need to buy it or regret it later.  I informed Lynette, “Ok.  I’m getting this.” and plunked it clearly on the counter.  I’m so happy I did. 

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March 27, 2011 44 Comments

Wordsworth Pillow Tutorial

A few days ago, I got a new toy from Artograph and I couldn’t wait to put it to work.  I’ve been eyeing a light box for a long time, but it was always bumped down the priority list after lenses and sewing machines and other tools of my trade.  My new Artograph LightPad A930 arrived on my doorstep last week and I knew my days of taping things to a window to trace were over.  Can you hear the angelic choir?  I have loads of ideas for how to use this, but I started out with something simple.  A hand painted poetry pillow. I started off by selecting a pillow, fabric, poem and a font.  I chose the very last paragraph of a Wordsworth poem called “Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.”  I printed it in a free downloadable font called “Jane Austin.”  Once the poem was

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March 22, 2011 68 Comments

Slipcover Video Tutorial Series Part Six – Skirt, Cushion, Tips & Inspiration

It’s finally here.  The last installment of the video slipcover tutorial series.  I really hope this has been helpful to those who are making slipcovers for the first time and still informative for those who have made them before.  I’ve loved reading all of the comments from you about the projects you’re about to tackle and I can’t wait to see them.  I think I’ll have a link party in a week or so (with a giveaway), so everyone can share their work. If you missed the previous tutorials, you can check them out here: Part One – Sewing Custom Piping Part Two – Cutting the Fabric Part Three – Positioning Fabric and Pin Fitting Back Part Four – Pin Fitting Back, Wings and Arms Part Five – Pin Fitting Arms, Seat and Apron This “webisode” shows how to pin and sew the skirt and cushion.  In addition, I show

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March 19, 2011 57 Comments

Mystery Paint Revealed!

Jane, Lee Gamble and a few others guessed it right!  Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint is the mystery paint.  I received an e-mail from a reader a few weeks ago, telling me I should try chalk paint.  My first thought was, “Duh.  I know what chalk board paint is.”  I was being a little high and mighty at that moment and then I clicked the link she kindly sent me.  I was an idiot.  A high and mighty idiot.  Chalk paint is not chalk board paint, but something entirely different. I loved the colors available and was intrigued by this product, so I thought I would contact them to see if they would send me some samples.  I would try it out and review it on my blog.  Well, I spoke to one of the best sales woman alive, Patty Seaman of Classic Wall Finishes.  She went on and on and

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March 17, 2011 117 Comments

Video Slipcover Tutorial Series – Part Five

First of all, thanks to Steph from Somewhat Simple for featuring an “oldie” of mine, my sheet music side table.  Steph writes an awesome craft/DIY blog and I am honored to have my work featured there. Second, for those of you waiting for the mystery paint to be revealed, it will happen tomorrow.  Yay!  I can’t wait to share it with you.  Also, a lot of readers have asked me about waxes and I will definitely share a tutorial about some different brands and how to use it. After three tries yesterday afternoon and into the wee hours, I was finally able to get the next video in the slipcover series uploaded.  If you’re just joining us, check out the previous installments – Part One – Sewing Custom Piping Part Two – Cutting the Fabric Part Three – Positioning Fabric and Pin Fitting Back Part Four – Pin Fitting Back,

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March 16, 2011 28 Comments

I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.

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