PAINTING FLOWERS & IVY ON CHRISTA'S BICYCLE BASKET

PAINTING FLOWERS & IVY ON CHRISTA'S BICYCLE BASKET

Christa loves riding her bicycle at the beach.

She had an old brown wicker bicycle basket and asked if I would paint it for her.

She asked for flowers and told me the colors that she loves.

So, I hand painted two really good coats of this greenie blue paint.

I think she said she has a silver bicycle and a yellow one, so I tried to paint colors that would go with either.

This first picture is the front, when I started painting.

The second picture is the back.  I painted ivy all the way around the basket.

When she and (wonderful little) Cody came to pick it up, she was very happy.

I love the colors and I always love painting flowers.

Because (I think) she's leaving it at her beach house, I suggested that she keep it protected from the weather when she's not riding her bicycle.

Wicker is a booger to paint because you have to get as far down inside the weave as possible and you still will not be able to get paint all the way into every crevice.

Even though I sealed it really well, water could penetrate the parts that aren't painted and the basket would eventually fall apart.

CODY...remember Cody?

So nice of Christa to send me a picture of the basket on her bike.

Thank you, Christa!

MATCHING NEW WOOD TO AN OLDER FINISH ON SHANNON'S KITCHEN CABINETS

Keeping formulas and paint colors is really important to me.

I have this very full notebook that is many years old with good information in it about the different jobs I've done through the years.

But,

for some reason, I misplaced Shannon's formula when I painted her kitchen in 2006.

Recently, she got a new refrigerator with wood face and added a wooden face to her dishwasher.  

I had to figure out the paint colors I used way back then and I think I made about twelve samples, trying to get it right.  Also, it's been several years and the paint had aged.

The carpenter had to reconfigure the cabinets and built a new frame around her new refrigerator.  He used the original cabinet doors and the rest was new wood.

I think I got pretty close to the older color and this new paint will age, making it a little darker and closer to the old finish.  

It's my job to get it right and thank goodness I figured it out.

Shannon is very happy!!  and, I'm very relieved!!

While I was there, she asked me to paint the walls in her family room and kitchen.

All of the colors look really nice together.

And, here is Belle.  She is sooo sweet and such a good girl. 

She's several years old, maybe seven, and still loves her toys.

Through the years, I always remembered Shannon because when I went to give a bid and paint her cabinets in 2006, she had a HUGE sign on her house welcoming home her husband who is a doctor in the air force.  

That meant so much to me because I really appreciate our military guys.

Thank you for your service, Jeff!

FINALLY!! PATTI'S HUGE TANGERINE MIRROR THAT I PAINTED FOR HER BEACH HOUSE

Here is that wonderful, fabulous, huge mirror that Patti asked me to paint for her beach house.

It was sooo beautiful, before, but she wanted it to be a fun color, now.

Remember those way cool pantry doors that she had me paint for her beach house?

ORANGE FRENCH DOORS FOR PATTI'S PANTRY

Well, she wanted this mirror to be the same funky orange...she calls it tangerine and I think that's a better description.

As beautiful as it was before, Patti and I agree that this is much better.

She asked me to distress it and as I sanded and scraped, the white primer and the old finish came through. 

 LOVE the way it looks!!

Oops!  I didn't know my pink coveralls were in the picture.

ALWAYS in paint clothes.

It was 4' x 3' and very heavy.  I know because she and I carried it out to her car.

This was the original finish and it was very, very nice.

Patti was just ready for a change and it will look great in it's new home.

Oh, and she was just so nice to sqat behind the mirror to hold it upright so I could take a picture of it. 

 I, also, sneaked a picture of her holding it, but I DARE NOT share it with you!! :)

PAINTING A BLACK DISTRESSED FINISH ON LORI'S NEW WET BAR

Lori wanted to change her wet bar area.
  She had a new cabinet built and had beadboard installed on the wall under the bar.  Also, she added new tile on the back splash.  She showed me a picture of the special finish she wanted on the new and old cabinets.  The original cabinets were the pickled/white washed finish.

She wanted black distressed.

(She's having walls and ceilings painted and she said the other painter could touch up my messy lines.)

This wet bar is kind of in the middle of her living area and the new wood that she added and the black distressed finish look just wonderful!!  

Black is such a good "accent" color and for this wet bar, such a great choice. 

Remember Panda Lu?

  When she was tiny, Lori taught her to ring that bell when she needed to go out and it's the cutest thing!  She will keep touching and ringing the bell until someone notices and lets her out.  Her sister, Buffy, is a senior doggie and doesn't think much of ringing the bell.  But, when Buffy is standing at the door to go out, Panda Lu will ring it for her.  I was working right there by the door and it tickled me to watch Panda Lu managing all the "going out" time.

Selfie of my leg :)  

I always sit on the floor to paint the baseboards and bottom of whatever I'm painting and since the floor is cold in winter, I wear long socks and they're so warm.  I have colorful socks to match all of my paint clothes.

 I'm really colorful, but I'm good with that!!

I just love the black contrast with her lighter floors and walls.

Lori planned, very carefully, the design of her new wet bar.

So glad I got to paint it for her and she's very, very happy.

 This sweet message was in an email she sent to me.

                                           Thank you Lynda, and Brian is home now and loves all your work.

                 Thank you again, you’re the BEST!! Your talent is a true treasure and I couldn’t ‘create’ without you!!

                                                                                                 Lori

 That makes me feel really good!

 Thank you, Lori!! 

PAINTING A GEL STAIN ON A HUGE BEAUTIFUL DINING ROOM TABLE

PAINTING A GEL STAIN ON A HUGE BEAUTIFUL DINING ROOM TABLE

Thank goodness!! 

 I have my house back...

A couple of weeks ago, my client brought this HUGE dining room table for me to paint to look like stained wood.

They wanted me to match it to their new dining room chairs and I got it pretty close.  It was already a very beautiful table, but with this finish, it is very fine and elegant.

With the two leaves, it was 9' 3" long.  I could barely move past it in my dining room.

That's why I'm so happy to have my house back!! 

I had to move my dining room furniture into the living room.  My house is small and my studio is full, so my dining room was the ideal place for this huge table.

Then, Patti brought this HUGE mirror for me to paint for her beach house and it fit perfectly on my dining room table~~~in the living room!

She asked me to paint and distress it the salmon color I painted her wonderful pantry doors.  Remember those pantry doors?

Orange French Doors For Patti's Pantry

This mirror turned out so, so special and will show that to you, soon.

This is the pickled/white washed finish that was on the dining room table BEFORE.

From time to time, I have to move my furniture out of the room to paint larger pieces.

Today, both pieces were picked up within a couple of hours of each other.  

When I have to move my furniture out of the way, I really don't mind because when I put everything back in it's place, it's like new again and I really appreciate my home.

Within a couple of hours I had everything vacuumed and back in place.

I love my home!

~

I've written an eBook about painting with gel stains.  

Here is a link if you would like that information:

PAINTING WITH GEL STAINS

MY CLEAN, NEWLY PAINTED MAILBOX

My mail lady will be very surprised!

FINALLY, I painted my mailbox and it looks soooo pretty and clean.

It's in the hot sun and the paint had faded and there was a little bit of rust on it.

I found a tiny can of acrylic black paint at Lowe's and thought it was the perfect size, perfect amount of paint.  Then, I used a craft paint "red" to paint the flag.

I'm just mighty proud, driving up to my house and my mailbox looking so cool and sophisticated!!

I think I'm gonna mow my yard!  Well, when it warms up a bit.

VIEW FROM MY FRONT DOOR THIS MORNING

THANK YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL VIEW FROM MY FRONT PORCH THIS MORNING