What's up? Clock face table and stenciled burlap French pillows

 Hi guys! I'm baaaaaack ...after a couple weeks of crazy online shop work, a visiting daughter and her dog, a new deck install and a 4 year old sick with the stomach flu! I had a day this week where the grandson and grand dog were both barfing! Enough to drive me to drink! My husband started making noises about feeling sick and I told him, "Don't you DARE!" (He is way worse than a sick 4 year old!) It apparently worked. This weekend I have FINALLY got back to projects! I have a couple to share.

This started out as a antique or vintage barrel top. I always forget before pics, so here is the bottom which looks like the top did except it has a lip. I got this on our Indiana trip because we were outside standing on snow and my feet were freezing..I bought it for a couple bucks just to stand on! As I was standing on it, I thought..hmmm..this would make a cool clock face!

 This is after I painted it. It was already a shabby dark brown so I  added my crackle medium ( carpenters glue thinned with water to cream consistency). After it dried I painted it cream and let it dry and crackle. I added a greige glaze ( thinned acrylic paint..almost watercolor strength) then I wiped that off with baby wipes. I kept wiping until some of the paint came off too (purposely). I basically used the baby wipe like sandpaper. I then decided I wanted a bit of color. I drew a large circle in the center (traced a round platter).

 I traced a narrow band on the edge too. I filled in with thinned acrylic (craft) paint in a wash of pale blue. I added metallic gold to the edge. I stenciled on numbers with black craft paint. I used cheapo stencils I got at Walmart. I filled in the stencil "skips" to make a solid number. I just eyeballed their placement..I didn't want it too perfect, I wanted a hand done feel. I added black dots to the inner edge (just use the tip of the handle of your paint brush and dot away!)

 I then sanded everything again and added a paste wax finish (Johnson's paste wax) I could have tinted the wax but didn't feel the need on this. I also could have distressed it more..glazed it again before waxing, but I like this as is.  More on the finish later...

 I made these stenciled burlap pillows yesterday. I started with a freehand painted leafy heart. First I cut out a paper heart the size I wanted and traced around it with the fabric paint on the burlap square to show me where to place the leaves. Then I added a stenciled Amour with fabric paint. Then I peeled up the burlap and scrubbed paint off my table where it bled through and put down some paper! Always horse after the cart!

 The reverse on all of these is vintage Laura Ashley black and white toile from my stash. I buy vintage fabrics at estate sales when I find them. The burlap was pre washed and shrunk before I cut it out. I make my pillows to fit the pillow forms I have. I buy new unused forms when I see them at estate sales when I can..otherwise I have to buy them from the store! So when all the burlap was dry, I sewed.

 This one is a bit smaller. I added the dots and stenciled on Blessed with my vintage brass signage stencils. I love those..they slide/hook together and everything is evenly spaced!

 Maison de Joy ..House of Joy. I think this is my fav. I have 3 shows in the next 5 weekends so I am trying to gather inventory. If they don't sell at the shows they will go online or in my booth. I did line the burlap..it just seemed too flimsy to me otherwise.

 Here's the table with its "new" legs. I bought this table for a couple bucks. I removed the top that was not original to the legs. I may end up making that into a sign! (See my new deck?)

 I sprayed the legs with a mix of hammered bronze with spritzes of  red primer and black for a faux rusty finish. I like them together!

Of course when time came to screw the top to the base, I had to dig for appropriate sized screws (short enough not to go all the way through) ..then of course my drill driver was mysteriously MIA so I had to hunt for screwdrivers eventually resorting to a drill bit clamped in a vise grip..thanks honey! (My husband likes to borrow tools and not put them back..ever..grrrr) ..but it all worked in the end! I hope to get some more things put together and I will be sharing them here..check back! Til next time! Julia