How to Whitewash a Table Top

I am the owner of what was once a roadside-abandoned kitchen table.  The legs are painted a gorgeous rich red but when it was rescued the table top had a hand-painted plaid motif down the centre.  I lived with it as such until my mom said "You should really do something with that table, paint it or something...."

It was true, I had become so accustomed to its ugliness, I no longer noticed it.  So over a year ago, when I was on a very high dosage of the prescription drug Prednisone, (I mention this because Prednisone can create in one a sense of... let's just say...."unabashed enthusiasm") I awoke very early one morning (very little sleep being another side-effect of the medication), grabbed some paint from the studio and repainted my kitchen table with large bold flower-like swirls.

table extension sanded and painted table top 

I still believe the flowers were an improvement over the plaid and I happily lived with it until the past few months when I began to hide it under various tablecloths.  So last week I dismantled the table, hauled it into the driveway and began the process of stripping, scraping and sanding (thank you Dad for the loan of the belt sander!!).

Stinky, messy, toxic stripper. This wasn't working for me.

Out came the big guns, my dad's belt sander!

Getting there, very slowly

Finally beautiful bare wood.

With the top down to bare wood (I'll spare you the details of how long that took), I decided to whitewash the top. I used a mixture of two acrylic paint colours: unbleached titanium and white. Mixing 2 parts paint and one part water I brushed on the paint using long strokes going with the grain of the wood, then with a slightly damp cloth I wiped off the excess paint to even it out and reveal the wood grain.

Unbleached Titanium Acrylic Paint

The extension whitewashed

Final result 

With the top completely whitewashed and dried I very lightly sanded over the entire top (220 grit sandpaper), moving in the direction of the grain. A quick wipe with a cloth and I was ready to put on the varnish: two coats of matte and a final coat which I mixed half matte, half satin finish varnish. Be sure to give each coat time to dry and sand lightly before the next layer.  I'm delighted with the result and won't be hiding it under a tablecloth any time soon!

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Paint yourself the perfect day!

Sandra

Jam Jar Door Bouquet

The art of welcoming.  We go all out to welcome our family and friends into our homes, we want them to know that they are cherished and appreciated.  But how do we welcome ourselves home at the end of the day?
What  could be nicer than a fresh bouquet of summer flowers to greet you (and your guests) every time you walk through your front door?

Jam Jar Door Bouquet

Materials list:
small jam jar
plastic pill bottle that fits inside the jam jar
picture hanger/nail
picture hanging wire
flowers/water

• Wrap the wire around the top edge of the jam jar tight enough that it won't slip off.  
• Leave enough wire to create a loop that will hang from the nail.  
• Drop the pill bottle inside the jam jar and fill with water. (I use a pill bottle inside because the smaller diameter requires less flowers and creates a "tighter" arrangement.)  
• Arrange cut flowers and leaves inside the pill bottle. 
• Nail picture hanger into door at suitable height (wooden doors only).  
• Hang your summer bouquet and change flowers when they begin to wilt.

If you don't have a wooden door try hanging your bouquet from the  mailbox
or your civic number sign

Last week I used forget-me-knots in my arrangement and this week its daisies.  I love the idea that the bouquet will change throughout the summer according to what is blooming in my garden.  Why not practice the art of welcoming yourself home, is there anyone who deserves it more than you?

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Be good to you,

Sandra

DIY Christmas Tree

It isn't that I don't like a real Christmas tree, the look, the scent and all those decorations but this year I wanted to do something a little different.  I looked on line for ideas for alternatives to Christmas trees but nothing inspired me.  I stood in the middle of my painting studio and figured that there had to be something on hand that would serve as my tree this year.  Leaning in a corner were four simple wooden easels.  I took three and fashioned them together into a cone shape.  I love when an idea starts sparking....

Christmas Tree using 3 wooden artist easels
My Turquoise Kettle Life

I tied the easels together using twine, then strung the mini light around and wrapped several meters of white tulle over the lights.  The finishing touch was a star which I suspended from the ceiling to hang over the top of the tree.  Yes, its a little off beat but it might just be the perfect Christmas tree for an artist.

I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas; a time of laughter and love; and may the spirit of Christmas reside in our hearts all year long.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Merry Christmas,
Sandra

Painting Flowers

Pot with Flowers.  10" x 12"  Acrylic, Graphite and Collage.

I did this painting several weeks ago and took it along to a small format show.  It never got a second look that day and I nearly painted over it several times since.  My good friend and fellow artist, Joan, saw it and loved it.  Suddenly I thought it had merit again.  Why didn't I trust my own instincts?  Why did I need outside approval?  

I have some work that I am so deeply connected to I don't care what anyone says about it; I know its good because I love it.  Some others I think are fine, but fall more deeply in love with as time goes by.  And then there are paintings I unearth in my studio and wonder how I possibly signed my name to them... ghastly.  Maybe paintings are like relationships: some are love at first sight and remain so, others grow on us over time and still others that were once lovely could now be recycled.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Wishing you a day of quiet joy,

Sandra

Recycling Inspiration

A recycled bedspread creates subtle texture and colour as a cover for a bench and pillows.
S. King-Allikas

 

 

This short post is just to inspire you to think outside of the box when it comes to throwing or giving away old linens, throws, spreads etc.    I've just spent a couple of hours snipping and sewing a bedspread that my mom was giving away.

 

We have a six foot long white upholstered Ikea bench in our living room (a Kijiji find!).  I absolutely love white upholstered furnishings, but with a mud-loving dog, relaxed life style and my easy-going attitude about cleaning, I loathe taking off those Ikea slip covers and washing them. 

 

BEFORE: Ikea upholstered bench with white slip covers
 

 

My solution, thanks to my  mom's donation, was to sew two made-to-measure covers for the upholstered bench (while one is being laundered I have the other to use).  The scalloped edges  create a soft effect and with the left over fabric I recovered two pillows. 

 

AFTER: Easy clean cover and pillows

 

Now I have the beauty of white furnishings with the ease of washing nothing more than a small cover. 

 

Thank you for stopping by at My Turquoise Kettle Life.

 

May your day be covered with possibilities,

 

Sandra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Kitchen Window Seat - Simple and Easy

Here is the 1930's buffet that we converted into a kitchen window seat. This idea worked beautifully it was frugal, simple and easy.

Kitchen Window Seat - former buffet

 

 

When we were given this buffet a year ago, the legs had already been cut off, a 1960's alteration to give the piece a sleeker more modern look. I removed the handles and sanded off the heavy varnish finish, leaving most of the dark stain. Using semi-gloss latex paint intended for doors and trim, I streaked on two coats of paint, rubbing off some spots to give it a weathered look. I rummaged up some old knobs that had been on our kitchen cabinets years ago to replace the originals, which now looked too large and heavy on the white finish. Two vintage quilts folded soften the seat and a few throw pillows finish off the window seat. By the way, can you believe I picked up the hand stitched quilt complete with cross-stiched details at a neighbour's yard sale for $3!!

This cozy corner has become my (very) early morning spot. For the few minutes that it takes for the kettle to come to a boil, I sit in the darkness and listen to the chirping of the crickets and marvel at the deep blue of the pre-dawn sky. The cool air wafts in and the world seems like a sleepy, peaceful place. That is a nice return on a project that cost a total of about $35.

Buffet - free
Paint - on hand
Quilt - $3.
Pillow forms and fabric $30.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a peaceful place in the world today,

Sandra

Make a Hand Painted Pillow

It's wintery and blustery and oh so chilly.  Here's an idea for making a beautiful hand painted pillow that will be comfy and add a pretty touch to a special cozy corner.

I created this painting pretty much as I would for any of my traditional paintings, so that it a truly original piece of art and signed by the artist. 

To create this project you will need.

Canvas type fabric
Acrylic paint
Paint brush or pallet knife
duct tape or masking tape
a pillow form or fibrefill for the stuffing
a sewing machine or needle and thread for hand sewing.

I think the process is probably obvious for most DIY-ers but here are some photos to guide you.

tape off area to be painted

Create your masterpiece
(don't worry the fabric will get wavy until it dries)

Let paint dry. Remove masking tape.

 

Sign your name

With right sides together, sew the back and front of the pillow
together, leaving an opening for your pillow form.
Turn, trim corners and insert the pillow form.
I made mine so that the cover could be removed for laundering.
Yes! they are washable on a delicate cycle, hang to dry.



• If you want to make your pillow cover washable you will have to "set" the paint.  Once the paint is fully dry, place it on your ironing board.  Cover the painted area completely with an old tea towel or piece of cotton fabric.  Iron on a high setting for about 20 seconds.  Remove the tea towel and let cool.

Let your imagination run wild, or coordinate your colours to your decor.  With some supervision, even your children can create a pillow for their room or to give as a gift.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a pillowy-soft kinda day,

Sandra

Home as Haven - Part II

It's the beginning of January and that means that we are all spending a lot more time indoors. Our task this month as we move out of festivity mode and begin to feather our winter nest is to create harmony and authenticity in our homes. We are looking for a way to express our genuine selves and to create an environment that not only catches us, but embraces us as we cross the threshold whether after a workday or a day spent building snow forts and ice skating.

Close your eyes for a moment and picture a home that is a truly comforting winter retreat.

What do you see as you enter?

·  What aromas, colours, textures, furnishings fill the rooms?

·  Is there a special chair or window seat that you can curl up in?

·  Is the table set with floral china or rugged pottery?

·  Are there candles, rugs, or simmering potpourri?

·  Are the curtains open to appreciate the winter view or closed to create a cozy nest?

·  Is there music?

 

 

If you live in a truly four season climate your home needs to change her wardrobe as much as you do. Warning: before you dash off to Crate and Barrel or Ikea or (yikes!) the mall, stop and think for a moment; what do you already have that could be dusted off and repurposed?

·  A long woven scarf becomes a colourful table runner

·  A wooly sweater that you no longer love is cut to recover decorative pillows

·  Group together mismatched pillar candles onto a silver tray that reflects their glow as you dine

·  Relocate your favourite serving plate to your entranceway table to catch keys, sunglasses and loose change

·  Could you hang your antique quilt on the wall or leave it draped near your favourite chair?

·  Do you love your china dishes yet save them for entertaining only? Really?

C'mon you know better than that, this is all about comfort and surrounding yourself with items that you love. We've all been practical for far too long.

Let yourself imagine and dream a little. Scout out those items you love and yet never use. Incorporate fragrance, sound and beauty into your home as you set about to feather your winter nest.

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a warm and cozy day,

Sandra

Baroque.... Without Going Broke

In yesterday's edition of the Montreal Gazette, there is a large feature on baroque inspired fashion, ornate, glitzy, gold and just in time for the holiday season.  I thought it would be fun to have a really stunning piece to wear over the Christmas holiday, but I didn't want to buy something from the mall and bump into the obviously identical outfit at an event.  Nor did I want to spend a lot of money on something that is going to be "in" this season and "out" within a couple of months.

Inspired by the photos I visited a local thrift store at opening time this morning.  After about fifteen minutes I had found it!  A gold embroidered evening jacket.  With a few alterations it would be a perfect fit.  It screamed 1980's or 1990's with it's heavy shoulder pads and little "pouf" in the breast pocket.  All very fixable however, and at $5.99 worth a try.



Thrift Store Find

Metal and crystal buttons

Once I got it home I opened up the lining at the shoulder seams and did a shoulder pad-ectomy.  Next step was to remove the sewn in pocket "pouf".  I tried the jacket on again and pinned in the side seams about 1.25 inches down each side.

Opend shoulder seams to remove shoulder pad

With the shoulder pad removed, the fit is softer and more natural.

I thought I'd wear them with some slim fit black pants, put then tried pairing the jacket with a little black dress, black stockings and heels.

It's holiday-perfect; one-of-a-kind, touch of baroque without going broke!

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a resourceful day,

Sandra

Mosaic Table

This post brings to completion the work on my mosaic table.  For previous mosaic table posts just click here. 

All the tiles were glued in place early this summer but it wasn't until the last couple of weeks that I managed to grout the tiles, seal the grout and put the edging on. I'm currently in the process of painting the legs white.

The edging was a little tricky, I used tin snips to cut it to length but nailing it in place was a two person job.  Thankfully, my husband held the trim securely in place while I nailed it down (he's quite brave to leave his fingers anywhere near where I'm swinging a hammer!)

I'm happy with the results, take a look for yourself.

 

 

 

Mosaic Table grouted and sealed

 



Metal edging nailed in place



In the process of painting the brown legs white

 

 

First coat of paint applied to legs

 

If you would like any information about the process or products just send me an e-mail.

 

Thanks for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

 

Wishing you a wonderful day,

 

Sandra



How to Make a Mosaic Table Top

I just wanted to let you take a peak at how my mosaic table is coming along.  You may remember last summer when I started to work on it (mosaic table top). 

Well, winter arrived before the completion of the work.  Thankfully, this week I had a helping hand(s) from my daughter, Sam, and  my niece, Emily.  We spent the better part of a sunny afternoon snipping and glueing tiles.  There truly seems to be something therapeutic about piecing together bits of coloured ceramic.  As you can see from the latest photos, we've begun to incorporate the contrast colour, a yellow ochre tile.

Mosaic table top in progress

Mosaic table top

I'm hoping to have the table finished by the beginning of June to coincide with the beginning of the Summer Studio 2012.  I quite like the idea of being able to serve refreshments on a beautiful table on the verandah to the hard working artists who will assemble here during the summer.

If you'd like to join us, click the link in the above paragraph for details and how to contact me.

Thanks so much for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Hoping you can piece together a wonderful day for yourself,

Sandra

How to make a toddler's sundress from scraps of fabric

This week my creativity is pouring out all over the place, writing, decorating, photography, mosaic work, painting and sewing.  Today I want to share with you a simple way to use up remnants of cotton fabric to make cute little sundresses.

This is a simple sundress pattern that fits my 20 month old granddaughter who weighs about 30 pounds. 

sundress made using 3 types of fabric

I used two different fabrics for the bodice and pieced together panels of alternating patterns and widths for the skirt.  I used ribbon for the shoulder ties so that the dress can "grow" along with her. I think the result is cute and of course its one-of-a-kind!

right side of bodice - two coordinating fabrics

sundress skirt - 3 fabrics of varying width panels pieced together

bodice attached to gathered skirt

Here is the same dress pattern made out of a single type of fabric.  This time I made matching shoulder ties and put a little lace trim around the hemline.

sundress with matching shoulder ties

lace hem detail

sundress with matching shoulder ties

The pink dress sewed up in about 75 minutes. 

Here is the pattern I drew to make the bodice (cut 4 as the bodice is lined). 
There isn't a pattern for the skirt, its just 15" long and 2 1/2 times the width of the bottom of the bodice or approximately 60" wide. The ribbons or ties are about 10" long.
If you are new to sewing this may not be enough instruction... feel free to e-mail me at sandra.myturquoisekettlelife@gmail.com and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Thanks for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day that is sew wonderful,

Sandra

Spring Decluttering

"In our rich consumers' civilization we spin cocoons around ourselves and get possessed by our possessions."
Max Lerner

First let me say, "Thank-you" to everyone who came out a couple of Saturdays ago to support La Maison des Arts Rive Sud small format exhibition. At the end of the day I was happy to return home with considerably fewer paintings than I had arrived with. That's a great feeling, not only because people liked my work enough to want to bring it home, but also because there is just a little bit more room in the studio.

You see, with the arrival of spring, with the opening of windows and feeling the fresh air circulating about the house, I get this overwhelming urge to declutter. What drawers are hiding old receipts, elastics, paper clips, wine corks and miscellaneous gizmos? What books can I pass on to others? What clothes need mending or haven't been worn for (another) winter season?

A lot of us like the idea of a minimalist home, or at least of an uncluttered home but we are stymied for a couple of reasons. The task seems so daunting that it is difficult to begin and/or we have attached sentimental feelings on to a lot of our junk (sorry but a lot of it is really just junk: faded, worn, stained, broken) I have things that I keep for sentimental reasons too, just not a lot of them. I have a couple of pieces of artwork from each of my daughters when they were little, my two favourites are framed; two little clay masterpieces round out my "kid art" collection.

When I jettison no longer needed items I feel liberated, lighter, and free. One thing I've noticed is that thinking about a serene, uncluttered home is a start but it will never happen until I get off my butt and start tossing things. It’s not easy to begin but the result is always worth the effort.

My cousin, Deb, has a great technique. She gets out a big garbage bag and determines to declutter until the bag is full. She does this regularly and her home feels and looks serene. So far I've filled a bag and a half.

If you need de-cluttering inspiration look at photos of rooms that are clutter-free. Imagine how wonderful it would feel to own only what you need (okay and maybe a few items that you love just because they are beautiful). Imagine yourself unencumbered by possessions both those you thought were a good idea at one time and those that you inherited. The memories are not in the items, they are in your mind and in your heart. So open the windows take a deep breath and liberate yourself and your home.

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Have a liberated day,

Sandra








 

How to Refurbish a Child's Rocking Duck

Here's my latest curb-side rescue; a real ugly duckling that ended up being our Christmas gift to our little grand-daughter.  This poor guy was rescued last spring from a neighbour's garbage.  I should have taken a real "before" picture prior to getting out the red spray paint so that you could appreciate how ugly "Ugly" actually was.

He was originally bright yellow with a red seat and a navy blue beak and eyes.  He had a few rough edges which my husband sanded down.  I spray painted the entire duck with several coats of red paint, it took a lot to even begin to cover the navy blue beak and eyes.

I bought one sheet of gorgeous wrapping paper from Omer DeSerres (artist/craft shop) and a bottle of Modge Podge.  The background of the wrapping paper almost perfectly matched the red paint I had chosen and I loved the flowing floral motif.


Cutting carefully around various flowers, stems and butterflies, I was able to create shapes that suited the curving lines of the duck.

I positioned and re-positioned the cut-out flowers until I had a design that I liked.  I strategically placed the cut outs to cover the beak and eyes that were still visible through the paint. 

Using a soft paint brush I applied the flowers using the Modge Podge both under the paper and over.  I painted the entire surface of the duck with the Modge Podge so that there would be a shiny finish throughout.  I let one side dry before proceeding to the second side. I also put motifs on the inside of the duck where our grand-daughter would sit and see them.

The end result?  This once ugly duckling has been transformed into the most beautiful duck under the Christmas Tree.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

Wishing you a most beautiful day,

Sandra