Time is a living room table

Still got my winter decoration on...

My latest posts are starting with "time is..."

I thought I'm gonna keep this going for a while because I recognized that time is relative. Not only time itself but also what it means and how it is filled.

That is what I want to put across; how time can be filled or what it can be.

So these days, for me, time is a living room table!

If you are a creative person you know how hard it is to ignore the "call of duty". I've been spending so much time on my business at the end of 2012 that I completely missed out on improving our home. I have to admit I actually didn't really care about it for a while because I was so exhausted and burned out.

But on Saturday I've heard the call of creative duty. I just did not know where it came from. Ok, I located it in our apartment but where the heck...!?

It was the living room I've been shifting furniture around in for months now and I never felt happy with it.

I was looking at the couch table and thought: THERE you go!

I mean, come on, look at it! ;)

I decided to paint it all in ASCP old white except the tabletop.
All I needed where the following things:
Paint (ASCP), plastic, tape and a brush.
This is the basic material. If you use other paint you might need sanding paper and/or a primer but that is why I love Annie Sloan's paint.

Of course I needed my cup of coffee to support me.

First I taped the tabletop.

I decided to paint the bottom of it too because it helps to lighten up a little and it also seemed easier than tape and paint around all of these shelfs.

This table needed two layers of paint.

Normally I like to distress my furniture with sanding paper but I thought that this table will distress naturally on it's own.

Normally I wax my furniture but I wanted exactly this dry chalk look the paint was giving it and since I did not paint the table top I just left it unwaxed.

BUT I decided to add a little extra.

I printed two graphics. I wrote "Family" and used parts of a graphic of Karen (The Graphics Fairy) to complete the look of the word and I used a bird engraving, also from Karen's Blog.

I traced both and hand-painted it onto the tabletop.

Now, look at it! ;)

Deer Purse

Yes, I'm still alive...at least half way sometimes...being all over the place, working, thinking, creating....
In between all the markets and being excited about the first snow, I manage to show off with just a little bit of my material online.
Matching fall and winter I decided to use this deer graphic of Karen's Blog again, but on a purse this time. I just printed the graphic onto a linen fabric and sewed it on.
Feel free to have a look at it.

And another thing I'd really like to share with you: I finally got my own stamps! Aren't they cool?

If you would like to have your own stamp visit Avie-Art. (This is not a sponsored post! I'm just really happy with their products and service and I'd like to share this.)
Ok, unfortunately I have to get back to business but I hope you'll have a great rest of the day.

Love, Dina

Paloma Wipe Off

First of all: THANKS SO MUCH! to Courtney of A Diamond in the Stuff for featuring me on her Time to Shine Link Party! And a big thank you to all of you who visited my link and made it the most viewed of that party!!

"Summer" is back driving us crazy with it's heat!! The best to do: Either don't move or...don't move!
Unfortunately I can't do so but I try not to get too active.

Finally I managed to order some more of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and first of all I had to try out Paloma. This is a color with a great shade which changes from warm to cold depending on it's environment and ground.
I wanted to try another painting technique which I've seen on the Annie Sloan page and on several blogs, including Marian's Miss Mustardseed. Both of them explain it well and there are different ways to do it and that is why I won't get too much into details.

Another reason for using this technique is that I discovered the great wood of this chest while sanding and I wanted it to be seen.

I covered the surface with the paint and wiped off all the excess.

If you do it immediately after painting you'll get off most of the color. If that's too much coming off, you just let it dry a little bit and wipe the color off a little later.
You can play with that and it's so easy and fun!

Afterwards I printed two graphics of Karen's Blog The Graphics Fairy onto a white cotton fabric. There also are enough of tutorials where you can read how to do this. If you still would like to know, I surely can make a tutorial on this! Just let me know.

I used Mod Podge to glue one of the graphics to the cover and brushed another layer of it onto the fabric for protection. Be careful not to rub off the image with the Mod Podge.
Let it dry and THEN wax the piece but be careful around the fabric.

On the inside I did a little upholstery with the bird graphic sewed onto the fabric.

Done :)

Much love, Dina

Beauty is Simple

Here is the latest piece I did and I'm totally in love with it.
I't was a dark brown stained chest with a horsehair upholstery (the first one I've seen myself) and it was in great condition.

I used ASCP "old white" and destressed it heavily with sandpaper nr 160 on the whole surface and a little bit more on the edges.

The structure of the wood came through which makes the piece wonderful in my opinion.

After cleaning, AS clear wax seemed to be the right choice. It was the first time I used it and to mention that the vapor really causes dizziness is important but I'm fully satisfied with this wax!

I did a quick upholstery with a thin wooden plate.

I glued a pad on and covered it with fabric.

Then I glued the whole piece on the inside of the cover. Done