Dry Brushing - Coffee Table Makeover

 Today I will show you my work made with the use of technique of painting a variety of surfaces which are not only wooden but also made of iron, metal or even canvas. The technique is called DRY BRUSHING. 

 Having experienced it myself, I know that the effect got with the usage of this method depends on the amount of paint which is put on the surface, a type of brush as well as the colour of outer or primer paint. Generally, thin, narrow brushes are out of the question. You should also know that after finishing the process of painting, the work will be covered with wax or varnish which will brighten the final effect. 

 

Therefore, it is sometimes better to paint the surface more greatly in order to reach the intensive look of an old, used piece of furniture with the features of an antique masterpiece. 

Dry brushing is a method of putting paint on the surface with almost dry brush.

We can use acrylic or water based paints. Sadly, I haven’t got any experience with the oils because of the onerousness of washing the brush with special degreasing agents.

I’m often so excited because of a new project that I’m lost to the world therefore I couldn’t take the picture before starting the work.

 

A whole table was covered with a very dark paint and it was greatly varnished. The process of removing the paint lasted a few hours. However, thanks to it I uncovered the real structure of the wood.

I’ve used antique pine, water based stain as a base coat. Dry brushing was firstly made with white acrylic paint. Then, I’ve added beige and green. 

 

The whole work was covered with matt acrylic varnish.

The final effect is presented here:

See you next....

Vintage Home Decor Ideas

Hello

I'm very thankful today to Jessica from 4interiordesign for sharing her guest post on vintage home decor ideas. She is a blogger too and home decor has always been her passion.

Hope you all like reading.

VINTAGE STYLE  is timeless, lending an air of elegance and grace to any room or home, and you do not have to break the bank purchasing expensive antiques nor must you be forced to buy reproduction vintage furniture and decor - contemporary products made to look old and sturdy, usually at very high prices!

The best way to put together an authentic vintage look room is the sometimes time consuming, but often more economical and budget friendly way. Trawl through auction houses, car boots sales, slowly but surely accumulating treasures to clean up, repaint or even remodel. Snapping these items as they come available, for throw-away prices, then tucking them away safely until you have the time to spend on them can save you an absolute fortune in the long run. The downside is that each room can take quite a long time, but you can be sure that you will end up with a unique and individual look of your very own.

   Car boot sales

Car boot sale

Image Source

FURNITURE can be stripped down, then re-varnished to smooth perfection or left plain for rustic appeal. Soft furnishings can be shortened or lengthened as required, and can even be made over into small items – choosing a luxurious vintage fabric gives the finished item a genuinely old school glamour.

Distressed furniture



Shabby Chic Furniture

Distressed chest of drawers

Vintage Fabric

Kelly Swallow Patchwork Chairs and her
Exciting collection of fabrics 

You do not have to buy genuine vintage items if you cannot find something close to what you want. Learn a new skill and make your very own, custom designed piece of furniture, set of cushions or curtains – whatever it is that you need to finish off a room to your satisfaction. For true vintage appeal use materials appropriate to the period you admire, using wood from ugly pieces of furniture or fabric from the improbably long curtains! For exotic bed covers and curtains you can check www.yorkshirelinen.com.They are my favourite because they produce finest quality and are the original makers without any export or outsourcing.

It is possible to create a vintage air, even with a full complement of contemporary furniture! Carefully chosen pieces of art, whether they are paintings, photographs or sculptures, can infuse a room with a delightfully old-fashioned look.
Another quick and easy idea is to replace fixings with old-style ones to enhance the vintage theme in a room. Quite often genuinely old cabinets and wardrobes can be in quite poor condition, but their latches, fastening and even door knobs and handles will be in much better shape. Carefully removing these in order to attach them to modern furniture can add just a touch of old-school glamour without forcing you to spend a fortune on all new furniture.

Vintage door knobs and handles
 

Chic Mouldings are also another great idea and no one does it better than www.chicmouldings.com. They have very nice decorative trims which can light up any place.

Chic Mouldings

A bedroom is relatively easy to make over with vintage elegance. A four-poster bed, preferably wooden, with a wooden chest at the foot; the latter filled with a choice selection of beautiful satiny bedding, such as that available at yorkshirelinen.com, can create a fabulous air of sensuous comfort and old-fashioned welcome that can be hard to find in a modern, polished yet clinical bedroom. For reviewing beds its all up here, www.dreams.co.uk/
Try your hand at a number of the old arts and crafts – those practised by all people, not for fun or to pass the time, but for reasons of necessity. Lace-making is a dying art, as is crochet and knitting – yet all of these can be incorporated into a beautiful home, enhancing it and stamping it with your unique and distinctive style.

Another quick and easy way to add a touch of vintage practicality into your home is to install vintage storage in your home – mason jars, wicker boxes and hampers and even fabric covered cardboard boxes create a useful place for odds and ends, while adding a jaunty and authentically vintage theme 

 to the home.

Image Source

These quick and easy tips are a sure fire way to start reshaping your home into the vintage paradise of your dreams.

See you next......

How To Extend Life Of Your Cut Flowers - Daffodils And Tulips

Most of us adore cut flowers in a vase. Regardless of the fact if we buy the flowers or they are given to us, we would like to be pleased with their fresh look without the necessity of replacing them. 

Beautiful colourful bouquets can change our interiors thus they acquire more character. Bouquets improve our mood. 

Fresh cut flowers are very often at my home therefore I will present you some trusted hints concerning extending life of some flowers which were in majority told me by my mother. The advice will be divided into a few phases, in which I will tell you about different varieties of flowers as well as some techniques of extending their lifespan. I will also try to attach some photos. 

You don’t have any influence on the process of cutting the flowers or on their previous keeping but you can obviously influence their further life. There are some factors which are important: 

• first of all a proper temperature or a place where the vase stays, fresh water or a good access of air.

My most favourite flower, despite its bizarre nature, is a daffodil or narcissus. 

They are bulbous flowers of which more than one story can be told. Daffodils secrete a viscous and poisonous substance with an unpleasant scent. In combination with tulips or irises they can harmfully influence their lifespan and cause their drooping because of alkaloids which were previously mentioned.

 If we want to combine daffodils with other flowers, the best idea would be to:

•  put them in a vase with tepid water on the day before the  rest  of flowers. A viscous sap should be secreted within a day and night and shouldn’t constitute any danger. 

In case of daffodils alone, we should:

•  put them in a clean vase, cutting straight their stalks
•  we should also often change the water.

As we know cut flowers are kept in the special refrigerator rooms or other places which are well air-conditioned. In florists or supermarkets they stay frequently next to the entry to the shop. 

I advise you to keep your vases away from radiators, electric devices or sunny places in order to eliminate excessive heat. I also don’t recommend you to place them on the TV set because of safety reasons. 

Summer time is favourable to surrounding with flowers therefore observe this plot and maybe you will find out some more…

Uk Handmade Summer Wedding Showcase - Jewellery Box

Hello my dear!

 Welcome again after a very busy last week. I was trying to take advantage of nice weather and take some good pictures to my shop. 

But still, I don’t know if I should be happy or sad. 

 I’m very pleased because I took part in Where Bloggers Create 2013, which is still lasting but I'm chasing around the virtual world as I would be in a wonderland. In a fraction of second, I’m going to the ends of the earth looking at beautiful interiors or works of talented people.  

In the meantime, I was qualified for the UK Handmade Summer Wedding Showcase featuring gorgeous handmade products from designer makers from across the UK. 

UK HANDMADE SUMMER WEDDING SHOWCASE

Here you can see the Internet lookbook of all of the wedding related items, including my vintage box for tea. 

Meanwhile, I managed to finish a similar work made to order, in which I used the picture of the future young couple instead of paper. 

As you have probably seen, my blog is empty. Cleaning prevailed over the reason.

 I have accidentally cleaned the folder in which I had all the files connected with the graphics of my blog. Here, I’d like to thank once again Karen from the Desert Cottage. Fortunately, I have regained a whole layout of the website. The rest will be slowly loaded by me.

I recommend those, who love blogging and plan to continue their passion, to record their virtual diary. You can import, export or delete your posts and comments in Blog tools. I strongly advise you to transfer your blog at least once a month and to save it to a hard disk. 

How to do it..... 
                                                               *********************** 

Please go to Settings, Other, Blog Tools and then choose your destination in which your treasure will be stored. 

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To my astonishment or maybe nice surprise, one of my customers - expressed her thanks to me, giving a picture. Isn't this lovely....

 I made two similar caskets for her. 

The one of them will be surely given to her friend. 

It was a very nice end of the week and I also wish you great time.

Cordial greetings

THIS WEEK I PARTY WITH  

Friday

• Romantic Home - Show And tell Friday
• Handmade Harbour - Handmade Monday 
• French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Friday

• Mad In Crafts - Mad Skills Tutorial Link Party 
• Common Ground - Be Inspired