Beach Chic Chair...take a dining chair to the ocean!

After battling that flu and numerous job interviews...wish me luck! I am back! Doing what I love almost as much as a walk on the beach...re-inventing!  Here she is my finally (took forever) beach chic chair.

If you remember...I had a blast getting her prepped with the power tools!

Okay getting help prepping!

Here the chair is primered and ready for artwork...then the flu came back and things got hectic.  Between interviews and ear infections I did what I could. I painted the entire chair an off white and as you see below I taped off for the details.  I always use the base coat to seal off my tape to prevent bleeding.

A stripe here a stripe there using scotch blue painters tape.

After that is dry I add my color and details. I use acrylic paints and good brushes from the craft store.  I love Donna Dewberry brushes.  They are a good quality brush and reasonably priced.  I love my 1 inch Purdy brush for larger areas of detail work.

I love this part but always stress on my artwork!  I finally just decided what the heck it is just paint and I have more sand paper and base paint for a fresh palette if needed.

After adding detail, distressing by hand with 220 grit fine sand paper...Here she is in all her beach chic glory!  I hope she is well loved in her new beach chic office space!  I f I get pictures of her new home I will share them with you.

Sometimes things take time for a reason...I found this very therapeutic and motivating.  I am off to do some more and maybe even hit the local thrift stores for something else!

Have a wonderful day!

Laurie

At the Picket Fence hosts the Inspiration Friday blog party! I love their blog and wanted to join. You should too!

Oh my goodness! Power tools ROCK!

Oh my!  I have been super busy and forgot to blog!  Actually I feel really guilty and have to admit to thinking about it and even whole heartedly wanting to do it...instead I just kinda prepped stuff and finished nothing to talk about! BUT I did find that if you involve power tools you get help!

I went to town with my new all in one tool on some chairs from a yard sale!  I needed to totally sand the captains chair! UGH I really do not like sanding chairs! I also needed to sand a chair that I had started to paint and realized I had to sand it even more because the paint was peeling as I painted...it was ugly! 

This is my all in one tool...by Ridgid! I LOVE IT!!!!

and I just discovered today a reason to love it even more! Power tools attract help!

Those are not my arms!  

This is really a wonderful tool...I love it! Next a paint sprayer! The chairs came out nice and compared to the last 4 I have done by hand it was so much quicker!

Here she is all primered and ready for paint!  I asked friends on Facebook to offer up some suggestions on how to paint her...I have started and will hopefully finish tomorrow! I will show her off when she is done but I just had to share!  I hope you enjoyed this a fraction as much as I did! Whew! I am tired and so very in love with my power tool! 

Have a great one!  I am off to paint her some more!

Laurie

At the Picket Fence hosts the Inspiration Friday blog party! I love their blog and wanted to join. I am very new to blogging and was not quite sure how to go about being a part of the fun...Heather was wonderful and walked me through the steps! Please click on the link above and check out their awesome blog and many others.  Thank you Heather and Vanessa.

I remember when...

I used to love to make signs, shelfs and other easy projects made of wood!  I loved it! Loved it! Loved it! I think it was the power tools.  I am kidding...maybe.  I did love the tools but especially the finished product that I knew I made myself with my own two hands.  I am now living in an apartment and the wonderful garage with all the tools you can imagine is a memory. I found an awesome deal at Home Depot for an all-in-one  tool.  I got the RIDGID JobMax Multi-tool!  I love it! One tool, cordless with it's own case!  I use the multi-tool to cut, sand and drill!  It is similar to the Dremel and it will work with Dremel accessories.

I used it on my signs yesterday...today is all about cutting, sanding and more signs!  I will also tackle the little side table that has required lots of TLC.

I am really hoping this table turns out well...it has needed a lot of wood putty and elbow grease!  I made another sign...this one is for those that need to find me...no worries...I am right here in Morro Bay!

Have a great day!

Laurie

Which way to the beach?

I am blessed to live so close to the beach!  Except during a Tsunami warning! We love it here and of course many of us so close to the beach like to decorate in the beach chic style.  I bought a long pine board and went to town cutting lengths between 36in and 24in and made a sign that will lead everyone to the water.  Here is a before and the hand painted sign before distressing. 

I used a latex exterior in a soft aqua and a chocolate brown acrylic for the lettering that I like to do by hand...it is much easier for me than stencils but either would work fine.  I sanded with fine 220 grit sand paper to distress. I used Ralph Lauren tobacco glaze and finished with a wipe-on poly by MinWax.  I also added a  real shell and of course hangers on the back so it can be displayed proudly! 

Have fun and use your imagination! I gotta run SURFS UP!  Actually I used to surf but I would not dare try it now...I will however get busy on my next sign.

Have great day!

Laurie

Beachcomber...

My son came to visit so I spent all my time with him.  We did have a chance to get some sand dollars.  I have been collecting our sand dollars from our various trips down to the beach and after about 7 times a few hours here and there we have finally filled the vase!

Just Beachy!

I found an old school chair at a yard sale and could not pass it up!  Got in a beachy mood and had some fun! The chair was dry I would say thirsty. I cleaned it well sanded a few areas lightly and painted it a soft aqua oops paint that I paid a dollar for a quart.  The paint I used was a flat latex with primer. I loved it because it covered well in one coat.  I painted a few starfish, shells and brown stripes with FOLKART acrylics! I love the soft aqua and brown combo. I then coated with Minwax poly and stain in one. None of my before pics made it through the scandisk drama but here are my afters!

Anyone for leftovers?

I don't know about you but I love to go to estate sales and yard sales and barn sales and thrift stores and...and...wow I really do not have a problem! I justify my madness by utilizing my finds in a unique way. I have a few friends who still think it's junk but I don't care...it makes me happy see those poor little leftovers that nobody wants become something that someone just might enjoy!  It is so much better than eating leftovers from the fridge and better for your waistline.  I recently discovered Craigslist and it did not take me long to regularly scan for an incredible bargain but oh my I was afraid of the free section!  I don't know why maybe the spammers/scammers could be a problem or maybe it was just to good to be true...I need that dramatic music here.  I finally saw an ad for leftover yard sale stuff and it happened to be less than a mile away.  I made Ronnie get out of the truck and take a look.  I could see the beautiful table that was unfortunately falling apart and now that I am in an apartment with no workshop as I had before I knew she had to stay...but she had friends.  I found a cute little table type thing.  I think this aspiring side table was a part of something else but I saw some potential so loaded it up!  I also found a few items in a box and here they are.

I am sure they were wonderful candle holders at one time but they need a little help! I cleaned them up, and painted them black. I was out of spray paint so I used licorice acrylic.

I love the way black or white makes it all better!  Now a little distressing and dry brush in a vanilla acrylic and they can be used together or individually.  I love to make soy candles and now I have a reason!

I like it! Can not wait to add it to the left over table when I am done.  I will give you a sneak peek!  I still have tons of prep!

Wish me luck!  I think I am gonna need it!

The little purple bench that could...

I love to find that thing, that little sad leftover thingy that will either be tossed or sent away after the Estate/yard sale is over...I found this little purple bench which was in front of an awesome antique rocker that I just missed out on! The rocker was just $7 and the little stool $1.  I thought why not I am bored and need something to paint.  I brought her home and my son Darian who is a Chef immediately said that would make a  "cute breakfast tray" ..okay he said "cool tray" that's what I get for typing my blog in front of him.  I stand corrected but it would make a cute tray! Back to the little stool/tray that could...thought I would paint it black...I used latex flat black.

I should have used primer but did not have any on hand ... so two coats later...hmmm???  What to do to jazz her up?

I taped of the little apron side with blue painters tape for stripes...I used a pale pink acrylic. I also free handed a few rose buds.  Here she is...

I have not found a place for it as of yet and I do need to do some distressing and a coat of flat poly but just in time for Mama's day breakfast in bed.  I can also see this in a Shabby nursery or lil' girls room as a stool.  I had fun and it was a dollar well spent!

I love turning someone else's trash or as I like to say "former treasure" into something that can be enjoyed by myself or by someone else. I am off to get some supplies...Happy Hunting and creating.

Laurie