Photo I promised to post...

So the quilting project I finally got done and to it's recipient can now be posted ;-)

Soft Minky Backing

Keli had reminded me a while back that she did not have a quilt like her siblings all did .

So one more quilt project to be completed and I will finally be caught up….lol… yet the list seems to continue to grow.

On a roll… ;-) I hope it can continue.

So after staring a little at the dresser I painted I felt there was just something not quite as I had hoped or envisioned. Thankful two of my daughters critiqued the piece quickly and suggested I swap out some of the accent painting, switching some Arles for white and vice versus.

Sadly I cannot seem to get a good photo of the dresser in basement.

Notice painted yellow on drawers and left only a trim of white.

Dresser when first completed.

I mentioned I was on a roll? I've managed to finally finish another one of my quilting projects I had hoped to have had completed by Christmas, no photo yet but will post one soon…then here's the idea I had RE: taking an old farm window and colored glass. It's ready for final glueing of the blue glass pieces then I can grout it. So far I am pleased..it seems to be working out as I had envisioned…One's gotta love when that happens, I know I do!

Just have to glue down the blue glass pieces.

Here is photo from bottom, I will grout the window after the glass dries. I am a little nervous because the one glass glue I used at first is still showing as white, sure hope it cures to clear as promised.

It's done!

So I finished (at least for now) my first Annie Sloan Paint project! My ("at least for now" refers to still want to purchase new dresser handles but they are special order due to the holes being 5 1/2 inch apart) For the time being I just painted the old handles and knob with the Annie Sloan Paint but they give the piece a very French Provincial look not exactly what I was shooting for?
Also I am not completely sold on the white accents I painted on the drawers and dresser frame I am thinking I might enjoy the dresser more all one color?
I used this dresser as a learning curve trying out a new product for me and thus I decided to try out as many techniques as I could at once. lol lol…… I like the paint/product and have many projects I intend to use it on in my near future. The great thing about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint it seems very forgiving and thus if I decide I do not like or want the white accents I can just repaint over the white areas with no problem, no striping or sanding just paint over it with the color Arles. ;-) and I'll be set.
So here is the dresser.

This dresser was my hubby's parent's bedroom furniture.

Need to find new handles and knob to create an updated look.

A new look for an old dresser.

So What do you think?

PS: here is the before:

Sadly I forgot to take a photo before I removed the drawers and handles. ;-)

Sure felt like a Sunday to me?

So hmmm for some reason today felt like a Sunday to me today ;-) lol but whether it was a Saturday or Sunday it was a nice quiet semi productive Art day. I worked in the dungeon (our basement) all day painting final touches on an old dresser I am trying out Annie Sloan Paints on… I have high hopes to use this product on quite a few old furniture pieces of ours in hopes of updating the items for use in our  "Someday down the road future Home" lol…. So for now I am just having fun…this piece is a no stress piece…the "oh well it's can't hurt to try piece"…it's my learning curve piece. 

Already I have discovered a lot about using the product. #1: I began by using the paint a little too thick, straight from the can. There is so much pigment in this paint that I realized quickly water can be your best friend. #2: a good brush can make a difference. For this first piece I bought a can of Arles and have accented the trim in Old White. Next up is the step of waxing and deciding how much to possibly distress the dresser? So much fun..

Ready for waxing

Coming along..

After working on the dresser today I then moved over to a project I meant to complete long ago yet let things get in the way. It was an idea I've had for a long time and is meant as a gift, actually a house warming gift now over a year or so late… Finally this project has moved to the front of my "list to do".

Stain glass mosaic with paper design taped from behind

Half the panes have paper designs in place, half the paper is removed.

Photo from below the project, some glass glue still needs to dry.

Once I get all the glass cut and fit then glued in place I intend to put grout around the glass pieces.

Hope tomorrow ends up being an art day too!

Feeling it's too late to try to catch you up on January

Ok so I KNOW I wrote in my last post that I would try to catch up on my January….. ;-( sadly I neglected to keep my word…. For some reason I have gotten out of my blogging habit heck if it matters EVEN my Facebook habit seems presently gone.
So here's to possible fresh starts…let's see I'll begin with last week instead:

King Memorial

I did a lot of sightseeing since a buddy of mine had finally come down to VA for a visit. We went into DC and had a nice day of walking around viewed some of the many monuments and were able to view the newly installed King Monument which has a nice location near the basin.  We visited Middleburg, Purceville, the Plains, Luray Caverns and on route to her Dulles flight our final visit for her was the Space Museum. So you can imagine I had a busy week sadly no art was completed.

Luray Caverns

Now sadly I am battling a sinus infection/ cold ;-(( but decided today needed to feel like an Art day.
I finally cracked open a can of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I am using it to try to refurbish a dresser from part of my husband's parents old bedroom set.  I have high hopes in this paint, after attending a mini class from Janet of : http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/ 
Her class is great and thanks to her I have lots of ideas for future projects.
So here is my first Annie Sloan project so far….

dresser before

2 coats on

thinking I want to paint some off white accents before I wax the piece

So sadly for now it's break time….. I think my sinus infection is getting the best of me and I need a nap.

So finally realized how long it's been since my last post.

Christmas came and went much too quick, we nearly had time to breath. We did a fast drive up north this year took less then a week. When we arrived back to VA for a few days we did a quick turn-a-round drive to West Chester PA to visit our two grandchildren we missed during the MI Christmas celebrations. I posted photos of these wonderful times long ago but sadly it was on my Face book account and thus I  let my blog drop out of sight… ;-(
So here is a little catch up of my January fun…

So we celebrated West Chester Christmas in time
to babysit for Keli and Nate 's New Year Eve Celebrations
Who passes up free babysitting.

Brynn getting Mommy Keli's help to open packages.

Grandma got to enjoy all the hugs!

Then believe it or not Keli (my daughter in case one's forgotten) conned me into driving back to West Chester the following weekend to babysit  Caleb and Brynn while she flew to New Orleans to join her hubby at one of the bowl games.
Again this granny had a lovely long weekend yet minus hubby this time ;-(.

This was about the time the kids were realizing that mom and dad had really left...

Play time..

My sweet Brynn playing dress up..

I promise more updates of January tomorrow…you will soon find out that sadly it was filled with lots more family adventures, mishaps then art… ;-( yet I keep plugging away for I've found that art feeds my soul… ;-) Take care...