Ten Gables Cottage

Ten Gables Cottage
Ten Gables Cottage

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Hi Everybody,  The chair is finished! It turned out really pretty. I decided on painting the legs vintage white, and to add a simple stripe down the middle just to give it some "spunk". Also made and stenciled a "Cafe Paris" pillow. It has 2 coats of chalk paint ( I mixed in fabric medium) and then a coat of wax and I burnished it to a satin shine.  It resembles soft leather.  Looks good and tomorrow it will go to my gallery. Hope the "artsie" look will fit in!

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Spring Flowers and painting a chair!


Hi Everyone, It has been awhile since I have posted. It seems this Spring is a really busy time, what with gardening and house cleaning and working on various projects for my art gallery/shop. It is so nice outdoors today and many flowers are blooming! The Mandavilla above is a new vine I bought to go on a trellis. Everything I have tried in that particular spot has died, so I thought this heat loving vine might survive. We will see!
 As you can see, this photo loaded twice....looks like I have twice the mini zinnias, so I will just leave it on here! I love zinnias because they love the heat and because they are excellent cut flowers for the house.

This year, I decided to make the "granny garden" a flower/herb garden.  I tried veggie last summer and it got hot so quickly that they did not do well. So I think herbs and flowers will do better. At least for now they look really pretty. I have basil and oregano in with the flowers. Notice in the right upper corner and you can see the large leaves of the banana tree. FINALLY, after about 10 years, I have a banana stalk growing.

These are what is known as "finger bananas". They are small when mature and very sweet and good. I see 3 "hands" of them. Can you pick out the hands?  

On a different subject, I am painting upholstery fabric on this wing back chair! Yes, the upholstery! I am using chalk paint mixed with water and fabric medium. Above is the start.
Here is the finished first coat.  You wet down the chair with a spray bottle of water first, then use very diluted paint on the first coat. Let dry overnight and then do a second coat.  This chair was flowered, so you can still see some of the flowers.  The second coat should take care of that.  It is a bluish gray color called Vintage. I plan to add some sort of decoration, maybe a twiggy tree branch on one side, or a stripe down the middle of cream color and paint the legs cream color.  I think up these ideas as I go along, so they may change. Anyway, I will post the finished product soon and then off it goes to my little shop!

It has been a fun Saturday! Hope you are having fun, too!