Button Bird Designs

Anthropologie or Grandma’s basement?

August 19, 2011

There’s just something about a little boy riding a giant dog with a yellow parrot resting on his shoulder that screams, BUY ME!!!!!!! Or maybe it’s just me. Anywho I saw this lamp at Habitat Restore for $5.00. I pushed three people out of the way, jumped over a couch and dining table and hurdled a small child before this beauty was resting in my cart.

I loved the look of it but hated the gold book and the gold rod for the lamp shade. The lamp shade was was too small and broken.

I had this lamp shade at home. I hate to buy new and I love to use what I have. BUT could I use this shade with the little boy riding a giant dog with a yellow parrot resting on his shoulder lamp????

They claim Chalk Paint will stick to ANYTHING. No sanding, no priming, just paint it and you are done….. so far they have been right. I am thinking about throwing out all my regular paint, it’s that good. I even painted a mirror, not the frame, but a mirror and the paint stuck to it.

The chalk paint did stick but I was going to have to do several coats to cover up the gold book.

This was the part I was excited about. Would it stick to the gold rod??? If so this would open up a whole new world of projects. Think about all those gold lamps, gold frames, and gold chandeliers just dying to be painted!!!!!!

One of the great things about chalk paint is the way it distresses. When I distress a piece of furniture it comes off in a powder instead of peeling off, like with regular paint.

The chalk paint worked beautifully on the gold surface, and distressed easily!

When chalk paint dries, it has a very flat finish. I used finishing wax to protect the paint job and to give it a little shine.

Apply with a clean cotton rag, take your dog outside for a potty break, and then buff.

It reminds me of something I saw at Anthropologie or maybe I am thinking of something I saw in my grandma’s basement!

Anywho….I love my little boy riding a giant dog with a yellow parrot resting on his shoulder lamp. I am taking him to Sanctuary and hopefully somebody will love him as much as I do!
(or maybe I will keep him to freak out my husband!)

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Little Pink Houses

August 17, 2011

Krissy and I working hard!

I work at Sanctuary of Davidson, a beautiful art gallery located in Davidson, NC. I love the gallery because everything is handmade by local artists. I also love the gallery because it offers lots of art classes taught by some of the artists that have their work on display.
I recently took an art class from my dear friend and owner of Sanctuary, Kristen Feighery. She is amazing!! Not only is she a mother and business woman but she also paints, sings, acts, writes poetry, was a personal trainer, and she is beautiful on the inside and out. I think part of the reason I work at Sanctuary is just so I can hang out with her! I took a class called Decoupaged Houses. This is what I created from wood, paper, paint, and a few other things.

One rainy day I taught my daughter how to make the decoupage houses. I have these special pieces hanging in my guest room (aka.. my room when my husband snores).

I love to take art classes because they build on each other and you can add your own ideas and creativity. This is an idea I had after I took Krissy’s class.

I grabbed an old shelf that I had laying in my garage. I painted it green and cut the top with my jigsaw to look like a roof.

I tore out lots of book pages and modge podged them on the wood.

I bought a pillow at the Habitat Restore for the stuffing for .50. The pillow had white flowers all over it. I cut them off and spray painted them.

Hardware for the back.

I always buy odd pieces of wood when I am out at yard sales or thrifting. I bought these at a yard sale for .25 each. No clue what I was going to use them for, until…….

Little red paint and some sanding.

I found a box of little type letters at a flea market for $5.00.

Add some fabric scrapes.

I painted two old frames I didn’t use anymore.

Lots and lots of fabric yo yos!

Some zippers from my grandma’s stash.

“Hope, Faith, Love”

My new friend Christa, who I met at the Becoming Conference, bought my wood house for her classroom!!!! Thank you and hope you enjoy it Christa!!!

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I’m doing the happy dance!!

August 15, 2011

I did it! I went to Becoming and spoke!!!! This may not be a big deal to most normal people, but to me its like climbing Mt. Everest, completing an Ironman, or becoming president. I got up on that stage three different times for an hour each and talked about my passion. Public speaking is not my thing. I have been freaking out about this most of the summer! I wanted to be part of such a great conference and I wanted to share my passion with the amazing women that would be attending, but honestly I just didn’t know how I was going to get up on that stage and do it! Every time I thought about my sessions I broke out in a sweat and had a hard time breathing. But when I got up on that stage Saturday morning, a peace came over me like I can’t explain. God was with me. I am soooooooooooooo happy and proud of myself for taking a risk and trying something sooooooooo outside my comfort zone. I met so many amazing women and had the absolute best time. Thank you Jen and Jenny for the opportunity to be a part of Becoming, and thank you Nester for putting up with my freaked out self all weekend! Now I am going to sleep for two weeks straight!

I promised to post the How to Paint a Piece of Furniture handout, and here it is. Please email me at buttonbirddesigns@gmail.com with pictures of your trash to treasure project!!!

How to Paint a Piece of Furniture

Find

Craigslist, thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, auction and estate sales,

friends and family.

Prepare

· Fill in holes with wood puddy. Let dry, then sand using fine grit sand paper. Repeat.

· Electric Sander or Sand paper: Knock off shiny finish, and rough up so paint will stick. Sand down scratches, dents, chipped veneer, and knock off old flaky peeling paint.

· Kilz Spray primer: Use on a smooth finish if you don’t want to sand. Also use if you are going to paint a piece white, it will cut down on the number of coats. Good to use if piece is not solid wood. Spray piece and let dry. Lightly sand with fine sandpaper

Paint

· Purdy Cub XL is a great brush that lasts a long time.

· Paint: Behr paint, interior satin, premium plus ultra (Home Depot) or chalk paint.

· Dip brush halfway in and then wipe on backside of edge to get rid of excess paint.

· Long strokes, 2-3 THINNNNN coats of paint, drying for 3-4 hours in between.

· Lightly sand in between each coat of paint.

· Store paint brush in a plastic baggie in refrigerator in between coats of paint.

· Clean brush with warm water and BBQ brush.

Distress

· Always distress before you glaze.

· Tear off piece of sand paper or use electric sander for really distressed pieces.

· Sand areas that you want to look distressed.

Glaze

Readymade glaze, mixed glaze, or stains

· Mutes the brightness, adds dimension, and gives paint an aged look.

· Behr Premium plus Faux Glaze: Three parts to one part color of your choice.

· Apply with damp brush or damp clean cotton rag. Leave on for a few minutes, then wipe off. The longer you leave on the darker the glaze will be.

Protect

· Minwax Polyurethane Wipe-On Satin (darker pieces, and pieces with lots of wear): Clean rag, rub on poly like furniture polish. 2-3 thin even coats depending on the surface. Wait 2-3 hours for each coat to dry.

· Minwax Paste Finishing Wax: With a lint free cloth, rub on furniture, 10 minutes later buff.

Chalk Paint

If you are going to use chalk paint, forget everything I just told you!!!!!

1. You do not have to sand. The paint sticks to any surface regardless of the finish.

2. You do not have to prime.

3. Chalk paint takes less coats and dries faster.

4. Chalk paint is more expensive but saves you a ton of time and money on other supplies.

5. Chalk paint distresses easily and beautifully. Sands off in a powder instead of peeling off.

6. Can only order online www.periwinklepass.com

Supplies

Drop Cloth

Safety glasses