My first year

Painting furniture has been the perfect hobby/obsession for me.  I retired from teaching at the end of January 2013 and plunged right into painting. I had first read about Annie Sloan chalk paint in a newspaper article that featured Katrina Barclay who owns Malenka Originals.  Here is a look back, more or less in order, at the things that I have painted.  It’s pretty obvious that I like colour.

Mahogany dresser painted in Provence with dark wax:

French Provincial coffee table painted in French Linen with a blue wash and gilding:

Pine dresser in a lightened Napoleon Blue and stained top:

Waterfall Dressers: The first one is Barcelona Orange, the second is a peacock blue that was a mix of Napoleon Blue and Aubusson.  I later repainted it in the 3rd photo.

Mahogany end tables painted in a lightened Provence with Old White and German Silver gilding:

Mahogany End tables.

Art Deco mahogany dresser in Provence with an Aubusson wash:

Mahogany Desk in Old White and Emile in the drawers:

Smaller Mahogany desk in French Linen, Old White and copper gilding:

Small dresser in Chateau Grey and Old White:

Two incarnations of a Mid-Century table:

Miss Mustard Seed Typewriter and Old White:

Coffee table in Graphite and Old White:

End table in Graphite and Silver Craft paint:

Drum table in Old White, with Graphite, Paloma and Gilding on the edges:

French Provincial Dresser in Pure White with Old Violet and Gilding:

French Provincial dresser with Old Violet and gilding

Teak coffee table in Graphite and Florence:

Washstand in MMS Tricycle and dark wax:

End table that was painted first in Tricycle then changed to a Provence/Florence mix:

Provence mixed with Florence to make a true turquoise.

Pine dining table refinished top and Pure White:

Round table with Provence and Old White base:

French Provincial table in Old White with walnut top:

Antique table in Chateau Grey with a white wash:

Table painted with Chateau Grey and a white wash

Vintage rocking chair in a Provence/Florence mix:

Maple dresser in Emperor’s Silk, Tricycle and Old White:

Antique mahogany dresser in Cream:

Oak desk in Graphite:

Antique dresser in Emperor’s Silk:

Antique dresser painted with Emperor’s Silk

Mid-century table in Provence/ Florence mix with MMS Typewriter and Emperor’s Silk feet:

Nesting tables in lightened Provence with Graphite and gilding on the edges:

I have also done a few custom pieces and various chairs and small tables which I haven’t included in this post.  It has been a very busy retirement so far.

Linking up with:

http://www.flamingotoes.com/

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Starship Enterprise?

This mid-century modern table had a reddish stain in its previous life.  It was pretty unattractive and totally forgettable. Now it could fit in on Star Trek according to my Annie Sloan retailer, Katrina, from Malenka Originals.  She’s right-the ’60’s colours and the atomic design of the table really give it a retro feeling.  I must have been channeling the uniforms. I do know that  when I decided to paint the feet red that I was actually thinking of Yves Saint Laurent’s classic Mondrian dresses.  I even owned one like this:

Of course, Saint Laurent was influenced by Piet Mondrian whose grid-based paintings from the 1920’s and 30’s are classics of modern art.

I painted the table in an AS mix of Provence and Florence, the legs are MMS Typewriter ( a true black) and the red socks are AS Emperor’s Silk.  There are all kinds of step end tables available, many of them with French Provincial styling but most of them seem to have that mid-century streamlined look.

Linking up with:

http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.ca/

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The Liebster Award

The Liebster award is given to new blogs on the internet.  It ‘s a sort of chain letter, really.  Joan, a fellow furniture lover from Toronto, writes a blog called Nicer than New and she nominated me.  Thanks Joan.  Check out her site.  Here are the rules for the award; they are designed to get more action to your blog.  It’s kind of silly but if it brings in new readers, then it’s worth a try

Award Rules

1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog.
2. Answer the questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.
3. Present the Liebster Award to several other bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed. Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen.
4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.

Here are the questions Joan sent me:

1.Why did you start blogging?

I wrote a blog last year about teaching ideas because I was retiring.  After retirement, I discovered chalk paint and started painting furniture.  The blog is about furniture styles mostly but I also get to show what I have painted.  It’s pretty much an ego thing but I enjoy writing.

2.  What is your most memorable vacation destination?

I really liked visiting Vancouver and Vancouver Island a few years ago.  It is incredibly beautiful.
3.  What is your favourite quick go-to recipe?

That’s a tough one as the quick things I make are pretty unremarkable.  My favourite comfort food is spaghetti.
4. Choose a movie or record album you like and tell us why?

My favourite movie is The Godfather Part I because it is a perfect film and is still great 35+ years after it was made.
5. What is your favourite blog post you have completed to date?

I enjoy research so I would have to say it the one about The Atomic Age.  It’s also pretty nostalgic for me.
6.If you were dropped off on a deserted island and you could only have three items with you what would they be and why?

It would have to be 3 very large books because I am easily bored.
7.  What is your most prized possession?

Like most people, I would say my children although they are not really possessions.
8.  If you were reborn as an animal, what would it be and why?

A dog, they can have great lives and their owners usually adore them.
9. What is the best book you have read in the past 5 years and why?

That’s also a tough one because I read a fair number of books.  This year it would be  The Headmaster’s Wager by Vincent Lam.
10. If weight was a non issue, what’s one thing you would eat every day?

Ice cream-my favourite dessert.
11.  What are your future plans or goals for blogging?

It would be nice to grow an audience or to be able to sell furniture through the blog.

 

Things you may not know about me:

1.  I was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

2.  I initially graduated university at 19-my birthday is in November.

3. I love Coronation St and other British dramas.

4.  I saw the Beatles live at the Montreal Forum when I was 12 years old.

5.  I met my husband when I was 17.

6.  I have 4 sisters.  My father had 3 sisters and 5 daughters-no brothers or sons.

7.  I am an English teacher but I skip parts of books that are too descriptive.

8.  I love hockey and am a passionate Ottawa Senators fan.

9.  I have had a crush on an English tenor named Alfie Boe for a few years.  He has a huge fan club of middle aged women like myself-it is very odd and I can’t explain the fanatic behaviour.

10.  I really enjoy painting furniture but I have no artistic ability- I don’t even have good fine motor control.

Here are my nominations; I honestly don’t know how many followers they have but I am sure they would enjoy having new people visit their blogs:

http://www.revivalstore.org/blog.html       These gals run a vintage store in the summer and visit flea markets in the winter.  They have some very informative posts about certain eras, which I have used in my own blog.

Tessie’s Creations   Tessie is a fellow Ottawan who paints furniture and does a whole lot of other crafts as well.

Fragments1   A poet who would like an audience.

Knatalee’s World   An animal lover and artist

I am going to break the rules a bit and ask only 5 questions.  You can list as many facts about yourself as you wish.

1.  Why did you take up blogging?

2.  What have been the most important influences in your life?

3.  If you could re-do something what would it be?

4.  What bloggers do you enjoy reading?

5.  What would you like to see happen in the future? ( can be personal or global)

So that’s it.  If you wish to participate, great.