Some Creative Inspiration

 It's been a while since I've posted anything on my blog and I think it's time to show you what I've been doing. Besides working on my Etsy Shop, I've taken a spot at the flea market. We went half with a friend of ours, which is a great way to start.

I decided I needed something unique to sell, so found myself a few things to work on. I had been scanning the Internet for something I'd like to do and came across a blog that explained about a new trend...Chalk Painting. This method is fabulous. You don't have to sand pieces before painting. Chalk Paint will cover veneer, varnish, old paint, laminate and can even be used on plastic, terra cotta pots and so much more.

My first project was a small table. I didn't want to start with anything too large. I had a half quart of light blue paint and from that I made my own Chalk Paint. It didn't sound difficult and I decided I'd give it a try. I was successful on the first try.

I forgot to take before photos, but have a few after ones. The table was quite beat up, but the marks from past generations just gives it more character. I know this won't be my best piece, but it was great for a start.

A couple of photos of the top of the table. It would make a great plant stand and I put a coat of protective sealer on it so cleaning is simple. Just wipe with a damp cloth and wipe with a soft cloth or piece of toweling.

Since I wanted to enhance it a bit, I transferred an image of bluebirds onto the top for a nice touch of nature.

I'm going to have a hard time parting with this one, as it was my first and I love the bluebird image on the top. However, I have no place to put this, as our new place is really quite small and I'm downsizing a lot of stuff that I've had for years. I am going to keep photos of all my pieces and eventually, when I think I'm ready, I will be doing custom pieces as well.

This piece is now at the flea market waiting anxiously for its new home. I'm hoping that someone will spot it and love it as much as I do, even with its flaws.

I've already started on my second project...a chair. A lady gave it to me, as she was going to throw it out. The seat was horse hair and I decided to leave that and just recover it. The seat is reupholstered with a piece of fabric that Mom had. I think it's going to be super. Once it's done, I will post photos of before and after here. The before photos have already been taken.