The Purple " Elephant" Chair ......

 

I found this rush seat chair at a local upcycle shop.  It is a nice size and very sturdy construction and the seat was in perfect condition!  I began by spray painting it all over with a gloss purple, and loved it already.

I found a copyright free image of an elephant, a black and white rendering with lots of fancy detail.  I printed it off, colored it in with watercolor pencils and sprayed it with a fixative to keep it from smearing.  I added two embossed wood corner pieces on the back for texture and interest. 

 

Then I just started adding colors and shapes until it was all covered.  The last step was to  paint it all over with a gold metallic
glaze.

 

 

 This glaze gives the chair a soft glow and mutes all the bright colors to a wonderful patina.  When you see it in the light it really glows. 

 

I encourage you to find an old chair and have some fun with it!
  Go do it!

The " Paris Box of Secrets" .......

I am continuing to experiment with upcycling wood furniture and accessories.  I found this sweet wooden box at my favorite upcycle shop and was sure I could make something fabulous out of it.  Originally it was a pale green with a  strawberry decal on the lid.

  Not so any more!

" Paris Box of Secrets"

9 X 9  and 7 inches tall

 The images are attached with wall paper paste and the entire box is painted a silver acrylic.

The inside bottom is covered with black felt.

I added the embossed wood accents and the entire piece is finished with a gold metallic glaze.

Signed and dated.

The Antique Medicine Cabinet .....

I found this antique, ( circa. 1910)  in-wall, wood medicine cabinet in a shop in Tulsa OK, about 40 years ago.  I could never find the right place to use it, even after several moves, but loved it and continued to move it from place to place.  Now, it has a  new life ! 
 
After a good cleaning and sanding, I have applied acrylic paints, fabric flowers, gilding wax, small wood accent pieces and several coats of poly acrylic sealer.  I retained the original hardware, even thought it is a little wonky.
Good news!  I remembered to take a "before" photograph!

 

 I'm not sure what my next project will be.  The good news is, I think Spring is here which means I can work outside! See you soon!

The " Garden Love" chair......

This project has been a work in progress for several weeks and today it is finished!  I had no idea how many "paintable" surfaces there were on a chair.  I started by purchasing a yard of upholstery fabric (which was 50 % off). Using this as my color pallet, I painted the chair with flowers, checks, squiggles, and of course, dots.  I do love it! The chair itself was destined to be sent to a thrift store until I took another look at it.  It is very sturdy, well made and will make a nice occasional chair. 
I encourage you to look around your house.  Maybe you have a chair sitting in a corner, looking sad and unappreciated.  Make it pretty!