Painting Passion

Painting is one of my most favorite hobbies. No, it's my most favorite hobby. There was a time long ago that I attempted to enjoy tole painting, but I found it too technical and frustrating. I would spend hours fixing minor flaws and would end up being unhappy with the outcome. Then one day I decided I wanted to repaint my old gray hand-me-down desk. I can't really remember, but I was maybe 12 or 13 at the time? It was a long process that I didn't know much about. We had a little storage shed behind our house and I laid down newspapers in cramped quarters and started stripping using paint thinner. Oy..the task was stinky, messy, and never-ending. I remember thinking, "what have I gotten myself into?" But, there was no going back, I had to finish what I had started. Once I sanded it, I was ready to paint. It was more difficult than I had anticipated. Painting a chair with rounded legs was a headache...and once I reached the desktop I was struggling with brush marks and paint that was drying too fast. Then there was the realization that one coat of paint wasn't going to be enough. "What?! I have to paint it again?" The entire process took several days; maybe even weeks. Once it was finished I decided that there was no way I was going to reinstall the old bent and beat-up hardware, so I begged my mom to take me to Rite Aid to pick out new hardware. And, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I had to buy it myself. Yes, there was a time long ago in which Rite Aid sold a decent selection of hardware...among other things. I didn't fall in love with any of the options, but I was so anxious to see my desk completely finished, that I settled for 5 shiny new knobs. Those knobs were installed within minutes of my arrival home. And it was then that I felt it...overwhelming satisfaction. A few years later I carefully lined all the drawers with elegant wallpaper that matched my room. Later, after I went to college, my mom dressed it up with tole painting (she was always better at that than I was) that matched the wallpaper. The ugly gray desk had become a treasure. A couple of years ago I replaced the second-rate Rite Aid knobs with glass ones and gave the desk to Synnove for Christmas.

Since finishing that first project, my love of painting has only increased. Becoming a homeowner was like wining the painting lottery! I had a whole house to fill with furniture on an extremely tight budget. I shopped Goodwill and my mother-in-law. In the short 2.5 years that we lived in our first home I painted a few walls, 3 dressers, a hutch, a crib, a bed, and a table. If I hadn't have birthed two babies in that time period, I probably would have painted more! 

When we moved into our current house, I had my work cut out for me. The house still had much of it's 1970's flair; wallpaper, white and pastel walls, dirty brick fireplace, and an entire basement adorned with raw tongue and groove cedar. I've since painted 90% of the ENTIRE house inside AND out. I've also painted the ins and outs of many of my friends' houses, my mom's house, my grandma's house, and my sister's house. Of course, this doesn't include all of the furniture pieces I've painted as well. The best part is I've enjoyed (almost) every minute of it.

It isn't very often that I paint something "just because." I usually have a purpose and vision in mind for each and every piece. A few weeks ago I was sitting down to sew a shower curtain at my old drop-leaf table that I painted for my kitchen in my first house. It was a red and yellow table placed in a room filled with beachy grays and turquoises. The only reason the table wasn't a complete out-of-place eyesore was because our downstairs still wears it's 1970's brick red/orange carpet. Originally the table was in storage until I started homeschooling and needed a table for our extra computer. It's placement was meant to be temporary (were intending to get a laptop), so I didn't care what it looked like. We've now been homeschooling for 3 years, and the table has not moved. The doldrums of Christmas break were starting to set in, and I was itching for a new project. This table was screaming to be re-done...so as soon as I finished that shower curtain, I carried that table out to the garage and started right away.

Remember how I stripped the paint on that first desk that I did? Well the experience was so unpleasant that I decided to avoid it whenever I could. I avoided it until my mother-in-law gave me this table for our first house. It had several layers of old paint and stripping it was a nightmare. I wasn't able to get two of the layers off, so I just sanded, primed and painted. Because I knew what was under my paint job from 11 years ago, I decided that avoiding stripping it AGAIN wasn't an option. Ugh. Stripping paint in your open-air garage in the middle of winter is not recommended. I'd say I spent around 20-25 hours over the course of several days stripping, scraping, and sanding. Like before, I quit before getting all the layers off. I primed and painted it a very bold teal color. And honestly, I was just gonna leave it at that...

But then I decided it might look cool with some words painted on it. I thought I'd find a Bible verse or a saying that might fit well with a sewing/crafting/project table. I had some different ideas on how I might do that, but nothing I was finding was exciting me much. I started looking into doing French typography...but creating a French typography stencil was going to be insanely difficult, and I wanted to finish the table within a reasonable amount of time.

I searched vintage graphics on thegraphicsfairy.com and found one of a vintage clothing stamp. I thought it quite fitting for a sewing table and decided to upload the graphic on blockposters.com. Blockposters is a free service that takes your picture or graphic and makes it big and prints it in pieces that fit on standard printer-size paper. To achieve the size I wanted, I needed it printed on EIGHT pieces of cardstock. I then proceeded to subject myself to 8 continuous hours of xacto-knife torture. I take that back...I took one break to make dinner and give my hand a much needed massage.

It took a couple of hours to stencil and touch-up. I also added some touches to the drawers, back cabinet (not shown in pics), and table-ends. Then I shabbied up the entire piece with sandpaper so that some of the white primer would show on the edges, etc. making sure I also gave the stenciled graphic a good sanding as well. It was then that I just left it for an hour or so. I looked at it, and looked at it again. I debated back and forth on if I should add the "dirty" antique glaze. In the end, I resolved to add it.

All that was left to do was to apply a couple of coats of Minwax satin Wipe-On-Poly, and get some new hardware.

I've spent more time and effort on this table than any other piece of furniture that I've refinished. My body ached at the end of every hour of work, but it was all worth it. There's nothing better than the satisfaction at the end of a job well done.

Caromal'd Crib Set

Back in June, Elise, my Mom, and I headed to Cornelius, OR to pick up a crib set that Elise found on Craigslist. The pictures looked good, the price was OK, and Elise needed it for the new baby. When we arrived at the house and saw it in person, I wasn't too impressed...but after making the 1.5 hr trip, it was hard for Elise to turn down the deal. We packed it up and headed home. Nobody said much about the set on the way home, but I just couldn't let my new niece or nephew sleep in such a disastrously painted crib. It had been spray-painted and rolled black over white. There were drips everywhere and the "artist" used different finishes of paint to complete it. Since Elise was dropping me off at my house first, I told her to just unload it in our shop so that I could re-paint it. I had nothing fancy in mind. I just wanted to give it a good sanding, paint it, and seal it properly. She tried to protest, but I had made up my mind.

I was too busy at the time to begin the project so it sat in the shop for a few weeks. During that time, the idea came up that I should distress it with Caromal Colours. The idea excited me, but I didn't know if Elise would be up for paying for it. She was totally up for it and we ordered Peppercorn, Parchment, toner, and chipping cream. I was eager to start, but had to wait for a decent slot of time where I could devote several days to the project without too many stopping points. Elise helped me sand it some of the really bad drip spots...but, because it was being distressed, major sanding wasn't necessary. The project took several days and a few very late nights. In the end, Elise loved it...and that made it all worth it to me :)

Because the set was already black, I didn't feel the need to do two coats of parchment. In the end, I wished that I had (the perfectionist in me).

We actually ordered two jars of peppercorn because I thought everything would need two coats. That wasn't the case! I couldn't believe how completely black the set was after just one coat! This is a shot of what it looked like just after I sanded off some of the black.
It's hard to tell the subtle change from sanded to finished, but this is after I toned it with the antique brown stuff and applied two coats of Wipe-On Poly (LOVE that stuff!)

This shot of the crib headboard shows the toner a bit better...

Complete, and in Evelyn's new bedroom

Her black, white, and yellow bumble bee bedding (MY idea...ha!) compliments the set quite nicely.

This was my second project with Caromal Colours and I can't say enough fantastic things about the product. I ordered some Candy Apple Red along with the paint from this order, and I'm looking forward to finding some time to do another fun project!

Some helpful links:

Caromal Colours website

Patty Henning's Blog

Blog entry on my dining room table

The Miracle of "Caromal Colours"

A few of you may know that I've been talking about re-doing a table that I "inherited" a couple of years ago. This table has been in the family for quite some time. I don't know for sure, but I imagine it was purchased by my grandparents (my Dad's parents) sometime in the '60's. I should find out, but I imagine it was new? Later, my Dad inherited it and it was our family's dining room table until my parents built a new house in '96. I'm sure my Grandma loved it at one time, but the love died...and I don't think my mother ever loved it. She was happy to get a new table and the rickety "picnic table" was retired to the basement. It was occasionally used during Christmas...but that's about it. I think my mom tried to get rid of it...even tried to give it to me...but I didn't want it (at the time). It wasn't until we moved here that the table became more appealing to me. Our current house only has one dining area, and though I love my hand-me-down farm table and chairs (thanks Uncle Steve and Aunt Kathi), it isn't very big and only seats 6. The infamous picnic table has the ability to scrunch 8 kids and 2 adults (if chairs are added on the ends). NO, I don't plan on having 8 kids...it's just a visual. Plus, it's not akward and oversized, takes up little space, and leaves room for people to walk around it even though it's bigger than the other table. So, I agreed to take it off of Mom's hands.

Since then, I've spent many hours researching a solution to it's ugliness. From tole paint, stencils, and crackle paint, I was NOT finding anything I could get excited about. I wanted it to look authentically old...not look like a 1960's thrift-store find. I went so far as to purchase some crackle paint on MEGA sale (thank goodness), but was not happy with the results. I like crackle, but it doesn't make furniture look authentically old...it looks like the faux finish that it is. I was stuck. I wasn't going to proceed with the project if I wasn't going to be completely happy with the results.

Last June my parents took the kids and I fishing on the islands for Father's Day. To help relieve the boredom, Mom brought several magazines...one being Country Living. I love Country Living. Anyway, I found a tiny little ad on one of the pages for a faux finish technique called "Barnworn" from Caromal Colours. I was over-the-top excited, looked up the website on my phone, and was obsessed with finding out more about it for the next few weeks. In my research, I came upon Patty Henning's "Fabulous Finishes" blog. If you're into any kind of faux finishing, Patty is your gal! She's got lots of pictures and how-to's, and though I never contacted her, she's available for all your questions and concerns. She doesn't know it, but her website helped me a TON when it came to choosing my paint and attacking my project.

The purchase of the paint was going to be a tad spendy, so I spent lots of time deciding my colors. In fact, I ended up spending more than needed because I just couldn't decide! Btw, Patty's blog has a section where you can actually SEE and order sample finishes...it's great! Anyway, because of lack of time, I didn't get around to starting the project until a couple of weeks ago. Here it is...

I never understood why the table had two drop-leaves. They served little to no purpose. I showed my Grandma Barbara the table last Christmas and she said that she thought it was a "bench-table." It can be used as a picnic table (obviously), or the leaves can be dropped so that folks can sit the opposite way like a bench! Who knew?

I reluctantly did the entire project in the basement. It was freezing and rainy outside and I wanted to be where it was warm where the paint could dry properly. We didn't run the woodstove for a few days so that the paint wouldn't dry too fast. Below shows the benches painted with two coats of the "Putty" color Textured Basecoat. The paint is thick, like peanut butter and can be applied to ANY surface without prep! Plus, you're meant to smoosh it on or paint it smooth depending on the effect you want. Sloppy is better for a more worn finish.
After applying the first color, the next step is to apply a layer of "Chipping Creme." Chipping Creme allows the bond between the first color and the final color to be weak so that the final paint color can easily be chipped or sanded off to make the furniture look worn. Once that is dry, you paint on the final color of Textured Basecoat (I used Wisteria). AS SOON as that's dry you sand and distress it however you like. I used my mouse sander as well as various screwdrivers, toys and other tools to create dents and scrapes. Once you're done with that you can choose to apply the Toner (like a glaze) for added depth and antiquing. The next two pictures are a comparison of the benches...one toned, one not.

Once I was done with the toning, I was so, SO pleased! The table looked better than I imagined it would. Then, at Patty's suggestion, I used Minwax Wipe-On Poly in Satin to seal it. And oh. my. GOODNESS. I wish I would have discovered this product years ago! The wipe-on was so easy to apply! If you've ever painted on polyurethane, you know how stressful and complicated it can be.

The table was in it's place the next day. Even Adam was impressed...because he wasn't so sure mid-way through the project. Now that I have my wall and my table, I have some SERIOUS re-decorating to do. Maybe an area rug, new wall-hangings, and new drapes. But, that probably won't happen till after the holidays ;)

Another Week

I realize that I skipped a week in blogging...but the week before last was way too full and complicated to write down, so I'm just gonna skip it altogether. Last week was non-stop as well...


Monday, the kids went to swimming lessons (every day of the week, actually) and afterwards I planned to go just a couple of parking lots over to drop some MK over to my Aunt who works at Park Medical. As I was showering the kids after lessons, I noticed something black stuck in Synnove's hair. I thought it was a piece of fuzz and pulled on it and she said, "ouch!" I tugged a bit more, thinking it was a dark scab that was hanging by a small bit of skin, but upon further investigation, I discovered it had legs! It was a tick! I had never seen a tick before, but knew that if it wasn't removed properly, it could cause infection. So, instead of seeing Aunt Jeanne at Park's, I went to Urgent Care and Park's. Apparently it was still alive, and the doctor removed it without leaving anything behind. Yes, I could have removed it myself...but I just didn't want to risk doing something wrong. I didn't know how long it was there...it could have been there for a couple of days! I had just gotten back from Creation and Adam wouldn't have noticed it because he doesn't "do" hair. The only reason I saw it is because her hair was half up and I could see something black when I sprayed her head in a certain place.

Anyway, we saw Aunt Jeanne after that, then headed home, then came back into town. I had an appointment with a gal in Astoria, and the kids were gonna spend some time with Grandpa while he painted the house. When I got back, the kids were headed to Costco with Weesie and Grandma. We didn't get home till after bedtime.

On Tuesday, after swimming, I headed over to my parent's house to help my dad paint. I stayed there all afternoon and, again, got home after bedtime. That night I opened my camera for the FIRST time since it arrived on the Friday prior. I was SO excited to get my camera...but had NO time to even open the box till Tuesday!

One of the first pictures I took on my new camera on Tues.

On Wednesday, after swimming, I met a gal at the coffee shop for a little MK consult. Then, I went all the way back home to wait for UPS so that I could make a large delivery for a party I had the week prior. Then, I headed back to town to deliver the order, and afterwards, went back to my parent's to help my dad paint again. Dad was on his way out, so the kids and I were there by ourselves. After about 20 minutes my Grandma Barb showed up and we visited while I painted the house on the deck. She left, I finished the part of the house that sits above the deck, we ate dinner, we got home sometime after bedtime.

That night I stayed up passed midnight finishing the invitations for my friend Tonya's bridal shower...they turned out pretty cute.

Thursday we went swimming, did a MK delivery, then headed to Cassie's so that the kids could play. We stayed all afternoon! It was great fun! On the way home, though exhausted, I decided I needed to go to Safeway. Our fridge has been utterly neglected, and has been virtually empty for almost two weeks. That NEVER happens! But, I honestly haven't had the time to go to the store! Anyway, I stopped at Safeway and started to put the kids in the cart. I put Soren in the seat and put Synnove in the basket part. Synnove then decided to whine and throw a fit about not being in the seat. I told her if she continued to whine, then we would have to leave without getting dinner for Daddy. She continued to whine. We left the store. I was too exhausted to care and I don't remember what we even had for dinner...waffles maybe??

Jena and JR have a bouncy house at their house...SO fun!!

Friday was the last day for swimming lessons for that session. Synnove is still in the smallest class (has been to at least 6 or 7 two-week sessions) and will stay there till she puts her face in the water. Soren is in the class above her (has been to 3 two-week sessions) and is starting to learn the basics. I don't think I'll be putting the kids in lessons for the rest of summer. Synnove isn't progressing, and it costs me too much time and money. I think I'll continue Soren's lessons in the fall when Synnove is in school. We'll see.


After lessons I went to the coffee shop to get stamps from Elise for Tonya's bridal shower invitations and mailed them off. Then, I headed back home to meet Tonya and Faith for a playdate. My kids are so blessed to have so many little friends, and I'm so blessed to be friends with all their little friends' mommies!! It makes me almost wonder that if I didn't have kids...would I have as many friends??? Probably not!

Saturday we woke late, made a big breakfast, and got in the car to go to Seattle for the day. Adam's Aunt Chris got married last month, and they were hosting an open house. We don't ever get up to Seattle to see Adam's extended family, so it was a good excuse to go. Adam got to see people he hasn't seen in years, and I got to finally meet some of his extended family (that I hadn't met before). The kids enjoyed running around and playing with Alice and Cash. The drive home was a loooong one. I think we walked through our front door sometime around 12:30 AM.

Chris's husband Ed is a part of a "Mini" club. Here's 3 of the 4 that were parked by our car...

Sunday was meant to be a relaxing "don't have to go anywhere or do anything" kind of day...but it didn't end up that way. After going to church, we drove home to get Synnove fed and changed to go over to Grace's house for the afternoon. Our fridge was still empty and because fair was (is) going to start the next week (this week) I didn't know if a trip to the grocery store was (is) going to happen. SO, I sorta planned to make the trip to Longview to go to WinCo. But, I changed my mind. Sunday was the last day to enter in the fair, and I kinda wanted to enter some photos. I didn't really have any good ones from the year, but I had a couple in mind. I spent the next 2 hours fiddling on the computer and fighting with my printer. I finally gave up and took what I printed to the fairgrounds. Soren decided that splitting wood with daddy was boring, so he came with me.

Of course, when we got to the fairgrounds, I ran into half of my family and and handful of friends and chatted it up a bit. Then, I headed to Fred Meyer to get some semi-expensive groceries. And, of course, I ran into more family and friends. I stayed and the store way longer than planned and didn't get over to pick Synnove up till around 7:00. Once and Grace's house, I ended up chatting with Eddie and Rena (Grace's parents) for over an hour. Yes, over half of my daily existence is TALK!

I ended the week with a massive bowl of Tillamook's "Grandma's Cake Batter" ice cream (the LAST one at the store!!) YUMMY!!