More Artwork For My Walls

So some of you may remember a post I did a little while back on framing some artwork to get up on my walls.  While I love this framed print that I first went with below,

it just never really looked right there...the scale was off I think.  So I found these great oval frames during my lunch time thrift store shopping and I think that these will look much better in that space.

And while the two larger oval frames don't have glass (as there are "original" oil paintings in them now), I figured I would distress the paper I was putting in them and finish it with some Mod Podge...

So i spray painted all of them a mocha color and then distressed them all...

And this was the first time i have EVER distressed something that i had just spray painted...and it was QUITE fun...very therapeutic...haha...

Then I got out some paper that I picked up last time I visited FLAX artist supply store while in the city (San Francisco that is) and went with a primary colors theme.  I simply adhered the paper directly to the back of the oil painting, and then cut it out...

So then I took down the "Are You happy" print and hung these up in its place.

 

It looks good right?  And the antiquing came out nicely...it really made the brightly colored papers that i choose fit together more cohesively I think.

And some close ups....

         

A Few Things To Come...

I haven't had a lot of time to blog recently but I have been working on a few different projects.  A few of them for about a month now!  So I thought I just might do a quick posting covering some of my current projects.

The first project is also the oldest.  I saw an add on craigslist awhile back listing a bunch of frames for $25.00.  This is the picture that was posted in the craigslist ad:

I saw a couple that I liked and so I figured it was worth to just buy the whole lot.  When I showed up at the lady's house, she had 4 Trader Joe's bags stuffed full of frames...there must have been 25 frames.  So I picked out my favorites and started spray painting them.

And then I laid them out on my floor to figure out the composition I wanted for the wall...

Now all I have left is to put some artwork in them!  Hence the delay...

The next project I have been working on (or at least have done some work on) is a refinishing project for two antique side tables. 

I picked these up at the thrift store for $15.00 a piece and so far have only sanded and primed one of them.  I think this is going to be the first project in which I paint them and them immediately "rough" them up...I am a little scared...but wish me luck!

 

 Don't they have such cute detailing???

And the last project for this post is a little antique sewing box I picked up at the consignment store around the block from where I work.  I am thinking about it as a place to keep my dogs food...but it might also become home to all of the remotes that float around my house.

 

It has a really cute little ledge inside probably for knitting needles...but I thought it might be the perfect place to store a piece of chalk.  Then I could put a little chalkboard paint on the doors so I can label what is inside...because who out there doesn't love to label things???

So the first night I got it I happen to be babysitting Miss Skye...so of course I put her to work sanding it for me!  I mean she has to earn her keep somehow right???

I hope you have enjoyed my little rendition of "things to come...."

 

My Kitchen...Now New And Improved!!!

So if you have seen my blog before, you have probably seen the some of updates that have been made to my kitchen.  But in case this is your first perusal...here is the wall above my stove.

Isn't that hole lovely??? When I moved in there was a 4 inch metal tube going from my oven to my wall.  Its purpose appeared to be for venting...but it wasn't actually hooked up to anything so it was just there for "decoration" I guess...so I riped it down first thing.  And now I get to stare at this while I am cooking...appealing right?

It also left a hole at the top of my stove which I have not cleverly hidden with a cupcake shaped trivet.

   

 

So I knew I needed some artwork for my kitchen so I landed on adding a large chalkboard (for more on that click here) and some prints.  I saw this post on Stephanie's blog Under The Table And Dreaming.  I really loved the vintagey feeling of these signs and loved the "if you can't take the heat" message!  Too cute!

So I printed two of them out that I thought would look cute with the chalkboard.  And since the chalkboard was in a very ornate traditional styling, I thought I should choose frames for the other two prints that had that same feeling.  Here is a quick before-and-after of the chalkboard redo:

      

I picked up this frame awhile back at Marshall's for $8 bucks.  I originally picked it up for my Dad (sorry Dad) to use to frame one of his many family western pictures, but the shape is just too cute and so I kept it.

It got a couple of quick coats of ballet slipper pink spray paint and it already looked distressed. 

Which inspired my to attempt glazing on the other two frames (more of that story click here)

And since I like this frame the best, I choose to put the print in it I like the best.  But what should I back it with to make it pop?

I really like the Japanese papers from Paper-Source so I thought I would start there.  and this classic cherry blossom print was very pretty...but I felt it was just a little too busy and not really the vibe I was going for.  so I tried out this one...

Again cute...but just not right.  The saying is "tough" so I needed a paper pattern to match it.

Now this was closer to what I was going for...but still not just right.  I felt it was too busy...so maybe a solid would look better...

Now I liked this the best!  But it just looks too flat...too one dimensional.  So maybe if I blew the print up larger?

OK I like this, but still too plain (I am a very picky woman...haha)

Then I remembered I had some leftover paper from some invitations I had done that had a great print.  So I grabbed the extras from my craft room...

I like that...but the print kind of gets lost because it it so light...

And this was good.  But it was still lacking something...so maybe a combination of solids with a print...

And tada!  Perfection!  Now for the next frame.  I started using this cheapo frame that was part of a grab bag of frames I got from Craigslist for $25.00 awhile back, but it just didn't fit with the other two...

See what I mean?  The top one is too plain.  so I remembered that I recently acquired a few other frames from the thrift store (again purchased for my Dad and once again I kept them...sorry Dad).  And these have a much better shape to them.

So a couple coats of spray paint later...

So here is the final product hung up in my kitchen!

Pretty cute huh???  It is a big improvement!  This is much better to walk in to...

And the two framed prints look pretty good together...

So here is the final before and after shots...enjoy!