Spring Clean

In order to take my mind off things I’ve been spring cleaning my deck and getting my planters ready for growing veggies and herbs. Currently garden centers are considered an essential service and still open, so I will have some seedlings delivered. There are many early varieties available. Apparently the optimum time to plant lettuce and hardy vegetables around here is mid March, so I have to get my skates on.

As you see after two days of intense work I have most of the balcony swept, wiped and rinsed. I have arranged three tall planters to catch the morning sun, which I may ultimately use for geraniums, but use for seeds or seedlings for now. I have three long planters in full sun for my leaf crops, three more tall planters for root crops and various pots for lavender and other flowers. I’m not a particularly good gardener, so this is a big experiment.

In an effort to keep more reflected light in the area I decided to chalk paint my repurposed shutters and create trellis. They were black and I decided on beige because white might be too reflective and burn the plants.

I have yet to refinish my giant farmhouse style table, but since the thrift store delivered it a couple of months ago, it has been used for so many projects. Initially I cut a protective cover from fabric backed vinyl left from another project. Then I cut another thick plastic cover from yardage I had used for classes. These two give me a thick, soft, non skid surface that I don't mind being messy on.

I wasn't too fussy with brush strokes because I love the slightly weathered look, but each of the 8 trellis panels took an hour to paint back and front. There was no need to do two coats, wax or varnish as they are going outside. I love the way chalk paint dries so fast that a project is useable in less than an hour. You get a real sense if achievement.

Hall Table Transformation

When I moved to my current home I had a vision for a beautiful, welcoming entrance way. The hallway is wide and opens onto the lounge: There are  five doors and two openings leading off it, so there is little room for decor. And so began the journey of how to furnish the one long wall. This table was a possibility. It was a rich cherry, shiny, 1990s Queen Anne style, which was totally over the top, but I was charmed by the seashell appliqués.

I love the look of chalk paint and find it a fun and gratifying task, so it was an easy choice. The table was very glossy, so first I rubbed it all over with sandpaper. Sanding isn’t usually necessary with chalk paint, but this table needed some tooth for the paint to stick. I decided to prep the top because a hall table gets a lot of abuse from keys and bags. I used some Miss Mustard Seed Bonding Agent which I purchased on Amazon. This prep is gloopy and I used a brush, so brush marks were visible when dry. I didn't sand the marks, I kinda liked it, but I would probably use a roller next time.

The color I chose is called Cascade, a lovely soft grey/turquoise which seems to look good anywhere. The brand is Folk Art Home Decor Chalk which goes on nicely, but make sure you tighten the lid and wrap in cling wrap when done as it tends to dry out easily. I had let the prep dry for a couple of days, then I applied one coat of Cascade. It’s not necessary to leave for more than a couple of days between coats, but I left mine for a few months before applying a second coat because I became busy.

After the second coat of chalk paint I covered the sides and legs with clear satin wax and then I applied a light coat of white wax around the edges and shells. Because the top of a table gets a lot of use I applied a coat of satin varnish. To match the white wax I added a touch of AntiqueWhite to some Cascade in a clean yoghurt container and stencilled some designs on the top. When that was dry I  sealed it in with another coat of varnish.

While I was in process with this table I had decided on different furniture for my hallway, so it is now ready for sale. Have you ever tried chalk paint? I find it very fast and relaxing. It is also an inexpensive way to update a piece of furniture.

Stay home - Stay safe

Furniture and Finishing

I have waaay too much furniture in process in my studio and around the house. Some is half finished and some is a figment of my imagination. However chances are that I will have plenty of time to get some painted over the next few months.

New seat covers - Chairs now ready for sale

These chairs came with a used table I fell in love with. I have a mega excess of chairs, so these have to go. They came with a ghastly set of covers made from old T-shirts, so they had to go. I unscrewed the seats and removed about 3,000 staples from the shirts. The original covers were mostly in great shape, except one had pen or paint marks on it. Drat!

So I then purchased a meter of beige micro fibre fabric and cut it into four squares. I positioned each square on top of the padding, turned each seat over and folded the corners into place underneath. A quick staple with a gun to hold each corner in place. Then one along each side while pulling the fabric taught. Tidying each corner with two more staples each and one more between each of the side staples for a total of 24 staples per seat. A quick flip, then screwing the seats back into place and voila! A beautiful set of chairs ready for resale.

I have at least 3 months worth of things like this to amuse myself while I’m  self isolating. I would love to hear what you are doing with all the extra time.

Stay home - Stay safe.

Bistro Table Top in Chalk Paint

BISTRO TABLE TOP by Sea Dean

Its nice to do something different after an intense 30 days being creative. I set my theme as birds and nests. I produced some good saleable pieces and a few that still need some work. However, I now have a backlog of furniture pieces to refinish, some I’ve been working on during the challenge, but they need finishing, others are just waiting in my imagination.

One piece just needs varnishing; it is table top for a wine barrel that I’m repurposing into a bistro table. It used to be an ugly gloss brown. First I coated it with light taupe and added a faux wood look in brown. I wasn't keen on the look, so set it aside for inspiration. During the challenge I gave it a couple of coats of Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Primitive. I wanted it to be more decorative, so I went through all my stencils and chose a leafy pattern. I taped the stencil down and stippled it with a brush lightly coated with Folk Art Home Decor Chalk in Castle. I wanted the effect to be a bit rough looking so I was pleased that the slightly too fluid chalk paint had created indistinct edges.

When my chalk furniture involves a table top I always finish with varnish rather than wax to give extra durability. I will probably do this in satin.