Happy Monday!!

Happy Monday Everyone!!

I hope you all had a great weekend. I know I did, the weather turned out to be pretty great actually...

A recap from Thursday's blog, I had all these things planned out to get done this weekend..

With life, we have detours!

I did get major work done on the buffet I have been working on...

All the veneer is off and I have started painting...I will have the completed pics and full blog on how I did this beauty hopefully by Wed..Because of a doc appointment tomorrow, I will be a little behind.

But Good News, I have to go to BIG CITY for that appointment, and that means a trip to the LARGE GOODWILL store there..WINK WINK!

I was successful in getting the candle holder supplies gathered, but only got one completed...This one was made from driftwood from Hurrican IKE. I found during my last trip to TX

I started with rough driftwood that had been drying for months in the barn.

I put a coat of PolyAcrylic on it just to preserve it and keep things from falling off..it still has barnacles on it from being in water so long.

I got my inspiration from these candle holders

 http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2012/02/industrial-chic-sconce.html

I just changed mine a bit...I used a tin strip that I cut from some old supplies and roughed it up a bit with a drimmel and a grinding stone, then applied a light spray of metalic paint to tone it to the wood.   

I then measured kinda where I wanted my candle holder to sit..it was a flared Crown Royal Glass..Cool HUH!!

I measured the length of metal before I started grinding on it

I put a hole in one end (the easiest way to do that is with a hammer and Large nail...and then wrapped to mark where the other end should have a hole. **DON'T LOOK AT MY NAILS PLS!!** I had been playing around with a french nail tip pen...SMILE!!!

I simply marked through the one hole to the other side with a sharpie...Easy enough..and then I did the same thing on the other end with the hammer and nail.

I had to enlarge my holes some because I needed the screw to fit easy with no resistance.. Simple enough with a drill and drill bit a little larger than your screw.

The picture below shows the metal before I applied paint and the wood before the POLY....

I was testing to see which I liked better.

The finished product with the strip painted..Like I said just a little dusting. I still wanted the grinding texture to show through...

 I like this better with the tones of wood...

The rest of my weekend involved Burning off fence lines and chasing FIRE...it never wants to do what you want it to do.....

So after a long weekend, some work done..my yard raked and burned...swallowing loads of smoke..and FEELING THE HEAT!!!

I am safely at work on this Beautiful Monday!!

My weekend is starting

Hello Everyone,

I am so ready for the weekend!

It has been really slow at work, so I got the change to look around on the internet for some flea markets, or Auctions that might be happening in my area this weekend.

My hubby is out of town until about Easter, so I am on my own...I will get lots of things done...SMILE

Even though the weather is going to be a little NIPPY this weekend, I plan on finishing my candle projects, getting some major amounts of tin objects cut out and ready for paint, finish a quilt, and if I have time..go get mulch and get it put into the flower beds!!

Wish me luck..(A worried weary smile on her face)

Because it has been so slow today, I thought I would just share what I have piddling with lately...

This was a piece of tin art I cut out last summer, it (the flour-de-les) has been hanging in my studio since then...the other day, I decided to finish it. So here is the final result...

I loved how it turned out, and wanted to keep it for my self, but I do not have a single place in my house to hang this...DARN!!!

It was so popular when I walked into the store, they started asking HOW MUCH? 

I swore I would never cut another one like this out;

I ended up getting a tetanus shot over this thing,

I might have to eat my words and get started on another one soon.

The other thing I've had laying around for a bit was a couple of these shutters. I finally got a hold of them with my palm sander and roughed them up some.

I decided I needed a shelf in my studio for my canvas's and extra frames that were taking up floor space.

This worked perfect:

I hung the other one on the wall by my computer cabinet, it works great for holding bills and things I need to pay attention to.

I will have to get a picture and update.

I have a couple of other things going on as well, but I need to get them a little further before I let you see. It is one of those trial and error projects, I am learning as I go. (And she GRINS from ear to ear!)

I am so Happy You All Stopped BY! Please Do So AGAIN...BIG SMILES

I am headed out of here!!

Charlene

aka HINK

I LOVE THESE TEMPS!!!

Hello Everyone!

We are having the most BEAUTIFUL weather! I could just run around and scream!!!! 

Can you tell which season is my FAVORITE?  WINK!

This morning, while waiting on my little ones to finish their business...I was snooping around my flower beds...and Guess What.

Lillies making their appearance!



Hydrania Bud



These were peeping their heads out too....

The temps today are in the lower 70's....just my kind of weather...and I am stuck inside at my desk...SO SAD!!!

And to top it off; Friday is my day off...and would'nt you know it...the temps are going to drop back down into the freezing #s...Oh well...that is LIFE...

OH AND the LADYBUGS ARE TAKING OVER!!!

These things are ALL over my Studio...and about every corner of my Kitchen...They BITE!!!!
Any suggestions on how to get them GONE???

I would greatly appreciate it!!!

Last night I was working on a project that I have been putting off, because I just did not know what I wanted to do with it...
I did finally finish it...and it turned out pretty good, if I say so my self...I will have to get the pictures and post that to a blog..
I know...I should not of even mentioned it...but hey keeping you guessing....SMILE!!

But I did decide that I would share this little tidbit..

If you are one of the many that use rubber stamps...you know how expensive they can be. I have been doing this little trick for years...when I saw how much the cleaning supplies were too!!

At Hobby Lobby you can purchase the cleaning solution for rubber stamps and the cleaning pads as well...
When I saw the pad, I knew there was a cheaper option to that...

So I spent the money on the solution and headed straight to WalMart and bought some replacement pads for a paint edger tool...

They are perfect for cleaning the stamps. I just wet them with warm water and squirt some solution on the pad and then rub my stamp (rubber side down) until it comes clean, then Rinse and let Air Dry...
After I finish all my inked stamps, I Rinse the pad out and let it dry as well..

The pads are soft and get down into all the little nooks and crannies of the stamp design...I have yet to not get a stamp clean with this process...

This pack of pads had 2 in it, and I have been using the same one since I started...THEY DO NOT WEAR OUT VERY EASY!!!!

Well it is almost time to head home for the day, so I am gonna get off...

Everyone have a great Evening...and Hope to See You Soon.

Charlene
aka Spring LOVIN Woman!!!

Happy Monday!!

Happy Monday Blogger World!

I am in a good mood, the sun is shining and the temps are in the mid 60's....LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS WEATHER.

Yesterday was a Beautiful day and after I relaxed in the AM (it was a new pain patch day and it takes a minute for me to feel like doing anything.) In the PM I got so much done!!

I got this great piece from a friend  FREE!!  and started on it..

I know it does not look like much, but HAVE FAITH....it will be Gorgeous.  These are the before...HEY I  REMEMBERED TO TAKE PICTURES!! WINK!

I peeled all the veneer off and got to sanding...and this is what it looks like now.

I still have a little work to do on the drawers and doors...so that is for a later post...and this is For Sure gonna be a Roadkill Rescue!!

OK on to the rest of the day...While I still had the trailer hooked up, I got a large load of tin...

I have lots of flowers to make...for my booth and for The Back Porch in Prairie Grove, AR..Just a little reminder / Amy loves my Tin Art and wants to sell it...BIG BIG SMILES!! 

I got all the leaves that were not standing in water BURNED!! 

(we got a big rain the night before)        

My flower beds are cleaned out and ready for mulch!! I think it is gonna take about 20-25 bags this year...I keep adding flower beds every year....OOPS!!!

I am off to buy Pansies today, I NEED FLOWERS!!!

Boy when my patch kicks in....WOW!!! 

And then as the evening was sitting in, I came in, took my shower...smelled like burned leaves....YUCK!

I have been looking for a Polka Dotted table cloth for a table in my booth...and so far I could not find anything I liked....or wanted to pay an arm and leg for...so Guess What..

 Got this green felt backed table cloth at the $Zone for $1

and while there picked up a sponge another $1

I got out a sharpie and marked my circle and cut it out...and with some Enamel craft paint...made my table cloth...

Is it not TOO CUTE!!!!

 A tip...make sure you wet your sponge first, and I re-stamped my dots a couple times to get an even coat on each. This type of sponge tends to leave sponge marks.

So now it is on my dining table drying real good and then I will take to my booth...SPRING IS COMING in booth CC212 at the Market Place!!! 

Well that was a FULL DAY! Even if it did start at 10:00 AM...Wink, Wink.

I will have the follow up to the Buffet as soon as I get time to tackle it again...I have Jury Duty this week....NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT!

Till next time...

Charlene

aka Hink

My Dining room gets a light upgrade

Hello Everyone I hope this post finds you all well.

I want to thank everyone who has visited my site and say I am glad you are here!!! Please won't you let me know what you think..I
would love to hear from you.

A few weeks back, I went to my moms to take care of her after knee surgery.

While I was there I got some heavy duty cleaning done for her and found this in my grandmothers closet. It had been there for years, every since they moved into the house and replaced lights with ceiling fans.

bright brass finish on lamp

It is your standard bright brass chandler with glass globes that hand from the sockets.

I was glad when she said take it with you...I knew just where it was going.


When I got home a week later, I could not wait to get started. I painted with Krylon Paint, the kind that sticks to plastic....THAT IS SOME TOUGH PAINT!!!!!
I did not want it all shiny, so I decided to use a satin finish. I applied about 4 coats, I did not want to take the chance that it would come off the brass finish.  

after 4 coats of paint

I let this cure for about 2 weeks, as I was busy and my husband was away on business. I am very independent, but hey everyone needs help from time to time...and my hubby loves it when I ask for help....SMILE!!

He helped me hang it before he left on his next work trip...I was so excited...it looks fantastic in the Dining room and adds a completely different atmosphere...the light that was in there was an original from the house...and it is a 100 yr old house..

This had been a rough weekend for me pain wise and getting this light up...IT MADE IT BETTER....BIG SMILES

Now I just need to get to the store and get 2 more bulbs to make them all the same....WINK, WINK!

Final

If you love a good Mystery Novel

www.deathscrookedshadow.com

Real estate developer Doug Sutherland thinks it is just going to be another sweltering summer day in Chicago. But when the foreman demolishing his late father’s rundown office building discovers a skull and human bones encased in a crumbling Greek column, Sutherland is suddenly propelled into a cauldron of greed, sadism, and murder.

The last thing Sutherland needs is bad publicity. When he learns the victim is notorious alderman Danny Delaney, however, he realizes a fifteen-year-old mystery is about to be solved and that now his deceased father is one of the prime suspects. Then the murdered man’s notebook and videotapes suddenly surface, and Sutherland discovers that his father had more secrets than he ever realized. As he is relentlessly harassed for what he might know–endangering both his life and his business—Sutherland must convince everyone that he knows nothing. Unfortunately, no one believes him.

As a desperate Sutherland collaborates with an ambitious reporter and his calculating sister in a pursuit strewn with murder victims, he soon finds out that trusting the wrong person can lead to dire consequences.

Author:

Gordon N. McIntosh began writing mysteries and thrillers after a master's degree from the University of Chicago and a successful real estate career. After an early retirement he and his wife traveled and lived extensively in Mexico, South America, Australia and Europe. Now they split their time between their homes in Chicago and Key West, Florida. When he’s not writing, he enjoys running, scuba diving, tennis, and world travel. This is his second mystery/thriller novel.

WHAT A GREAT BOOK!

Suspense novels are my favorite, the rush you get when you cannot read the page fast enough.

This book got my blood racing.

It takes you back 15yrs into a murder mystery, with many suspects. I really liked how the author pulled you into each and every one, you lived their triumphs as well as their fears.

As the story progressed, you think you have it figured out, and WHAM!!!! Did not see that coming.

This was the first novel for my by Gordon McIntosh and I cannot wait until I get another of his novels.

If you love Mystery Novels, get your hands on this one, you won't regret it.

My only regret, with life so crazy, I literally had to find a place to hide in order to read!!!

If you have any time in your busy life, and love a good suspense...get this book!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Charlene

aka hink

Goodwill Table

Front of table

Back and sides

I bought this table at the Goodwill store the other day, I paid $3.00 for it.

The top was in bad shape, lots of water ring damage and the wood was bumped up.


These pictures were after I had done loads of sanding on the top with an electric belt sander and palm sander and a couple coats of Kilz Primer.


The next pictures are the priming of the whole thing.

 I only primed the floor of the table inside, as I knew I would not be painting the already black sides.

I also like to remove the doors when working on a project like this....It just makes things easier and cleaner, you don't get paint on your hinges.

I let this completely dry about 48 hrs...I was dreading more sanding...

But needless to say, it had to be done. So I gave the whole thing a good sanding and got the surface as smooth as I could for the paint.

I knew that I wanted to try a CHALK PAINT on this table...I found this receipt on the Internet and thought I would try it.

Latex Paint & Baking Soda a 3/1 ratio.

cabinet with fresh coat of CHALK PAINT

So I got some black paint ( I used Valspar Satin Black Paint ) and a new box of baking soda and got to mixing...I like to mix my CHALK PAINT with an electric mixer, it does better than my arm on getting the lumps out. WINK.

I have a recipe that I came up with, but it has more involved to it, so this EASY recipe seemed to easy to be true.

Mine has LATEX paint, GESSO, GROUT, and WHITING POWDER.  



 

Front of doors...don't forget the back side



The paint was thick and went on really good...
So far So good...

I let this dry and started SANDING again...

With CHALK PAINT you have to sand to get a smooth surface back, it dries a really rough surface.

THE SANDING DID NOT GO SO GOOD.

I did not like the way it turned out...lots of streaks!!

It was hard to get down to smooth surface, and hard to get off.

OK I like my recipe better!!!! 

This photo shows the streaks after one very hard sanding...also one of my little helpers got in this shot.



Bandit's closeup...how did that get in here...
Wink Wimk



door after sanding

another of my little helpers,
she is looking for what she can steal when I look away

Ok I really do not like where this is going, so ANOTHER coat of paint is needed.

After one more coat, and sanding again...I liked how it turned out a little more.

 After the sanding was over than came the waxing.

I like to use MINWAX Paste Wax on Chalk Paint. 

I use a soft natural brush most of the time as I did here on the doors, brushes make it easy to get into all the little crooks and crannies, however, on large areas I use cheese cloth to apply.

Like most, I cannot afford or am willing to pay for the expensive Chalk Paint, or brushes, so I made due...The brushes that I use, I got at Lowes in the Faux area, I think it was called a blending brush? I simply cut them with some sissors to the length and stiffness I want.




After you let the wax sit for a bit, you just use a soft rag ( I like cotton t-shirts) to buff to a shine.



Below are pictures of the finished project.








I also painted the hardware, as it was a tarnished brass look, and I wanted something to blend better with the piece.

I used Valspar Hammer Finish Paint for this.

These pictures do not do this piece justice...

I was amazed how it turned out.

The top view show that the water marks and the bumpy wood is gone...THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF THIS PROJECT. But I knew that I was not loosing much if I could not get it back to a good surface.

THE FINAL PIECE

now that is better than it started would'nt you say.

What I learned from this project...

I will use my recipe for CHALK PAINT. It goes on better, sands better, and comes off like chalk paint should.

I would use this recipe for little projects...frames, candle holders...etc.

And finally, keep my eye on my little helpers, they are getting to smart and like my sand paper way TOO much!!!!

I hope this was a good teaching blog for everyone, if you have any questions, please drop me a line and I look forward to the next time.

Charlene

aka HINK