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  • The Purple Painted Lady Festival was a huge success!

    Life's defining moments can reignite dormant parts of you. This past weekend was one such moment for me. The overwhelming response to my work was truly heartwarming. Creating is about passion, not praise, but appreciation reinforces your purpose. Sharing this experience with supportive family and friends was the ultimate joy. Thank you all for your love and support! If all this was not enough, I met Annie Sloan. She came to my booth, we spoke for a little bit, and she took a picture with me! She even came back a second time and asked to take a picture of me with one of my pieces! Later I was able to have her sign my book. On to the Festival…. Setting up my tent was so exciting! Staging all my pieces and getting ready for the masses to view them was intimidating! But watching over 300 artists also putting together their tents and seeing them come together was mind blowing. So many people wanted to know about my furniture pieces. They asked about my techniques, what paint colors I use (Annie Sloan of course), and where I get my inspiration. By the end of each day, I was losing my voice (I also did not realize how much I use my hands when I talk). My first experience as an artist in the Purple Painted Lady Festival was beyond anything I could have imagined! I do not know what is next, but if it is anything like this, I cannot wait! If you liked this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are e created.

  • 6 Days and counting…Purple Painted Lady 2019!!

    With just 6 days left I am focused on making sure everything is ready for Saturday and the Purple Painted Lady Festival! I hope to see you there, make sure to stop by booth # 56 and say hi! Can’t wait to tell you about it in my Blog next week!

  • Purple Painted Lady Festival In Two Weeks!

    Just two weeks now before the Purple Painted Lady Festival! I know I have told you repeatedly how excited I am to be in this festival. What I have not emphasized enough is how over the moon I am to meet Annie Sloan. She has requested to meet all the vendors who refinish furniture using her paint. It will be such an honor to meet her, not only because she is such a successful businesswoman, but also because she truly inspired me. When I was a stay-at-home mom and desperate to decorate my home while on a budget, I discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It allowed me to take used and hand-me-down furniture and make them beautiful! It also gave me a way to express myself creatively, an outlet I really needed! Let's get back to making more product for the show: We purchased this desk on a buying trip to North Carolina. I had already started to strip it in the photo. This is the inside with the desktop lifted up. As you can see, it was in bad shape. Annie Sloan Graphite Chalk Paint was used to paint the body and shelf, followed by a finish of Annie Sloan Black Wax. The desktop was stained with Minwax Dark Walnut. It even has the original key. It doesn’t lock, but it adds so much character. I just used Old English wood repair on the inside, and it came out great! This desk would be perfect for an entryway, office, or bedroom. . The next few weeks are going to be a whirlwind. I plan to practice setting up my tent, making sure everything works properly. Once the tent is set up, I will arrange my items and take photos that I can use as a reference when I am on-site. I also have a checklist the length of my arm, but I am confident that everything will get done in time. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created.

  • Purple Painted Lady Festival Prep, Not Just Furniture!

    Most of the time, my creative endeavors are directed toward furniture, interior design, and creating art. But sometimes I am drawn to something, and I have to have it. Today, I want to share one of those items - a wooden train I came across at a garage sale. It brought back memories of a book my mom would read to me as a child, "The Little Engine That Could." Despite its rough shape, I knew I had to try and breathe new life into it. I had already started to paint, but you can still see how rough it looked. One of the wheels was missing on the engine and needed to be replaced. I bought the book to give me inspiration ("I think I can, I think I can, I know I can"). If I wanted the train to work, I had to replace the wheel. I found one just like it at Michaels. I painted the cars with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Aubusson Blue, Emperor’s Silk, Versailles, and a mixture of Antibes Green and Graphite, ending with Athenian Black on the wheels. I loved the colors but thought it needed something that shouted "Circus". When I looked online, these images popped up for "Barnum and Bailey Circus". I decoupaged them on the train and sealed everything with Annie Sloan Clear Wax. In addition to the train, peg people were also included. Wanting to add to the peg people's clan, I discovered similar ones at Michaels. Then I started creating my circus characters like those on the front of "The Little Engine That Could" using acrylic paints. I had so much fun creating my circus peg people! Meet the Clown, Trapeze Artist, Ringmaster, Fortune Teller and the Strong Man. I really hope someone buys this for their child so it can be used and loved again! If you liked this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created.

  • Purple Painted Lady Festival Progress!

    When we were in Boston visiting my cousin Nancy, I came upon a dresser I thought would be perfect for the Purple Painted Lady Festival. Unfortunately, it would not fit in our car. My cousin was going to see her mother the next weekend and offered to drop it off there, where we could then pick it up. What a supportive family I have! This is the dresser. The width was fine, but the height that would not fit. We took the drawers, and my cousin Nancy and her husband Wally transported the shell. Having thoroughly cleaned and assessed the piece, I decided to strip, sand and stain the top of the dresser and paint the base. I chose a green chalk paint (products used will be mentioned later in the post). After letting it dry, I applied a coat of teal paint over it. Not really certain of the direction I was taking, I just wanted to lighten up the dark and heavy feeling of the piece. Again, not sure where I was headed, just knew the piece was screaming for some fun. I started sanding to let color and wood show from underneath. I liked the result and kept going. I finished with clear and dark wax and added some amazing knobs I found at %50 off. Here is the before and after. It was most definitely given another, more fun lease on life! This week, I am headed to North Carolina to pick up some unique home décor items for my booth at the Purple Painted Lady Festival on September 21st and 22nd! If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. As always, I love to hear your comments. Keep them coming! Products used: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Aubusson Blue Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Antibes Green Hobby Lobby Knobs Citristrip Minwax Stain

  • Saratoga Springs New York A Stimulus For Creativity!

    Sometimes I look around and I am in awe of the beauty I see! Everywhere I look, there is inspiration to feed my creative soul! It can be a color, pattern, words, music, or architecture. Sometimes it comes in the way something has aged. The rust, the cracks, the patina. I was recently in Saratoga Springs, NY and took some photographs of things I found to be not only interesting and beautiful, but very inspirational too! I would like to share some of them with. you. Upon spotting these statues on both sides of the walkway at the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga, NY, I immediately asked my husband to stop the car. The symmetry and color took my breath away. Just think about the effort required to align them so impeccably! Some of the homes I saw were so beautiful… I love how the flowers lining the pathway guide you in. In the next house, I appreciate the intertwining of stone and brick on this building; it adds depth to the simple brick pattern. Here, I like the arched windows and doors, but find it interesting that not all openings have arches, yet it still works! There is even a place devoted to inspiring creativity! "Yaddo," in Saratoga, NY, was established by Spencer Trask and his wife Katrina, who was an author. They bequeathed their fortune and estate to the establishment of a residency program for artists. It became a place for rest and refreshment for authors, painters, sculptors, musicians, and any other men or women selected for their creative gifts. The litany of artists who have stayed there is amazing! Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, and Leonard Bernstein, to name a few. Click on the link if you want to learn more about this spectacular place: Yaddo The public can visit the gardens at "Yaddo" for free all year round. It's difficult to put into words the feeling you experience while walking through the grounds. The gardens are truly spectacular; beauty greets you at every turn. The use of symmetry, natural light, spacing, and materials, along with the thought of it being imagined in someone's mind and brought to life, is truly awe-inspiring to me. I understand why artists go here for motivation; it's simply impossible not to be inspired! While I may never have 400 acres of gardens filled with beautiful statuary and fountains, nor will I be a famous artist living at 'Yaddo', but I too have been inspired to take all the beauty I've seen and knowledge I gained and apply it in my garden and home. If you enjoyed this post, please give it a "like" and subscribe to receive new posts as they are created. Links: Yaddo

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