turning over a new leaf

Hello friends!

As you may have heard me complain talk about already, I'm in the process of moving, so I haven't been taking on too many new projects. So today I'm sharing a project from last year that I haven't gotten around to writing about yet. This was one of my favorites, AND there's a few new techniques I haven't shared yet. Hope you enjoy.  <3




Here she is "before" - just a couple moments after my big brother Jeremy of   "A Green Hammer"  dropped her off after he finding her at one of his construction jobs. She'd been curbed. Can you believe it? I immediately fell in love with the frenchy lines and naturally weathered top. I really didn't want to reinvent the wheel on this project because I loved her the way she was. She just needed some sprucing up, so that's what I set out to do.

I started by sanding away the loose, chipping pieces of stain and prepping the surface for refinishing. I could see that the table split apart in the center and upon further investigation, saw that it opened to reveal a leaf. A PERFECT, brand-spanking-new looking leaf. Even with the wood weathering techniques I am familiar with, I would NEVER be able to match them up. So my wheels started turning about how to make this worn and weathered top and a perfect leaf blend together.

Well as you can see from the "spoiler" picture at the top of this post - I painted the leaf. It turned out blending wasn't going to be an option at all. So I went the opposite direction and painted the leaf to match the table legs with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White. Classic and perfect.


 


For the lettering, I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in "Chateau Grey" and did a light shadow style outline in "Graphite." Speaking of graphite, have you tried doing a graphite paper graphics transfer yet? This is DEFINITELY my favorite graphics transfer technique to date. I pop over to Michael's and pick up a large sheet (2' x 3') of graphite paper. (around $7, but I always have one of those 40% off coupons. Don't leave home without it.) Once I get home, I whip up my text in a document using Microsoft Word so that way I can play with the letter sizes and fonts until I have what I like, then print it out, place the text over the graphite paper (Carbon side down) trace, and BAM - professional looking, custom lettering.


As for my choice of text - "Plus l'on est de fous" loosely translates to "the  more the merrier" in french. I went this route because:

1. I love all things French. (disclaimer; they also sell really, really fast.)
2. "The more the merrier" just seems campy in English, doesn't it?
3. When you use a leaf, you have more guests over, so it just makes sense. Am I right, or am I right?





Here's how she looks with the leaf enclosed. Still shabby, worn and weathered, but a lot cleaner than her before shot. I love the upward turning, warped edges on the table. This table is probably one of those where you will probably love it or hate it. I'm one of the ones that loves flaws character like that. I think my brother's words while dropping it off were: "this looks like one of those pieces of crap that you fawn over."

Yep, I sure do.

OH! Also - this is NOT dark wax! I totally experimented on this set. It's not waxed at all, actually. I did use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White, but I was in no mood to wax all these chairs. So, I used Minwax's Polycrylic in Satin and gave all the chairs a coat of that. THEN, I sanded them down on all the corners, crevices, etc (using the same concept as when you wax. Clear first so that you seal the paint, then sanding away some of that finish so that the dark wax / stain can soak in.) So after sanding away the finish in some areas that would be naturally worn after time, I took a rag soaked in a 50/50 mix I made out of mineral spirits and Minwax Stain in Dark Walnut. It wipes on, soaks in in all the right places (the sanded down ones) and easily wipes off the previously sealed & Polycrylic'd areas. It's a little bit different look than dark wax, but I really love how it turned out. Plus - no buffing necessary. Can I get a HALLELUJAH?

 Same thing down here - wiped on Minwax in Espresso & Mineral Spirits. What do you think? It turned out super matte, which I love, and was so easy to do.

Voila.

Coming up next week - some projects with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint!

Do you have a MMS Milk paint project you've completed and would like me to share on my blog or Facebook page? Email pics to stellarjunk@hotmail.com. I'm working on a new (weekly) milk paint project feature post. I can link to your Etsy account, Facebook page or blog! Give me a holler!


Make sure you're a Stellar Junk blog follower so you never miss a post!


Till next week -

Happy painting, friends!

Jess