43°f this morning, overcast and light showers.
Nothing exciting going on around here lately. We did not watch the Super Bowl, so no excitement there except one of our sons won some $$$$ on a football pool or something like that. I don't know much about such things, but it's nice he won!
Other than that, we have stuck close to home. I have been doing more clearing out, and Larry straightened up the garage so he could put the tractor in there, freeing up the lean-to for additional rabbit cages given to us by a friend.
I have been working on a few furniture projects, right now focusing on a little desk. It has been a challenge. First, it had so much veneer missing and falling off that we had a lot of work just to deal with that. For the life of me I couldn't get the front smooth; any more sanding and I think I would have sanded right through the thin wood.
So first I painted it white. And hated it. All the imperfections still showed. More sanding ensued but still not great. I then decided on green chalk paint. Chalk paint makes a dull finish and can be a big help with bad finishes. Three coats later, it looked better, but that front...still not good. (Forgot to take before photos.) I tried stenciling next.
It looked better, hiding most imperfections. I sanded over the stencil to give it a softer look, then added a decal. Which did not look like I had hoped, most of the color being obscured by the green paint. I should have known that would happen. I used a flat poly over the decal, then used a small brush to add touches of pink, to bring out the color of the roses a bit. That looked better.
Finally, I went over the whole front with whitewash. Now I am pretty satisfied with the look. All it needs is a few coats of wax.
I still need to paint the inside pigeonholes, which thank goodness came out of the desk as a unit, and the drawer needs to be sanded, painted, and waxed. Then to paint a chair to go with it, and it's ready for the booth. A lot more work than I had expected.
Next up is this bad boy.
Larry sanded it down and repaired the drawers. I think I will use the same colors already on it, because I kinda like the way it looks.
With the weather turning cold again, at least I will have plenty to keep me occupied.
I love that little desk..the green actually looks really nice.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Angie. It may be too bold for some, but I hope it will find a home when it's done.
DeleteThat was a lot of of work, but, to my eyes, it sure paid off.
ReplyDeleteThanks, AC! It's coming along.
DeleteYou have an artist's eye. I have been watching a furniture flipper, and she uses bondo to disguise missing veneer. Have you ever done that?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debbie. Yes, we use Bondo sometimes, but for some reason it would not adhere properly on this desk. Bonds can be amazing, though, and is super strong. And thank you for the heads up about looking in my Spam. For some reason that is where you last comment was!
DeleteI'm not sure why you need even more work to keep you occupied but so be it. Keep on keepin' on, my friend.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! I always wonder what people do with their time if they aren't working. I get reading , walking, writing, crafts...but what else? Have to do something, so might as well be something I enjoy. I do read, occasionally write, not a crafter though.
DeleteWe watched the Superbowl for the first time (Germany it's at night)- wow, a first change in game in 48 years!
ReplyDeleteYou have a tractor? Cool.
That desk came out great after all!
Looking forward to a good boy! :-)
Yes, out here a tractor is a necessity for plowing gardens, clearing or leveling our long driveway, hauling stuff, etc.
DeleteThe desk is coming along, slowly. I may finish it today.
Our Ryland is a hoot! I can't wait for his little sister to start talking.