Showing posts with label chalk-painting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chalk-painting. Show all posts

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Secret Keepers

PAD Challenge Day 2: For today’s prompt, write a secret poem.

Paint Tins;
they don't say much
just sit there waiting
for tint and brush
and a world of creating


Vegetables;
quiet creatures, they are
and quite ordinary-looking
waiting to be supper-stars
with blending, baking, cooking

Seeds;

the face of a seed does not draw
exclamation
but oh, not so after we plant and wait...
for God's creation


Pen; 


he only tells what we permit
and spells what we allow
and what remains the rest of it
no one will ever know

This is a lovely day to discover
and uncover
what might otherwise remain
a secret

Happy April 2nd!

Janet~









Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Dusk's Beatitude...

 The red-winged black-birds have returned to their summer-sanctuary, though it is still ice-encased. This bog was a master-piece, showcasing God's handiwork as the sun, soft and soundless slipped from sunset into sunrise somewhere on the other side of the world...

Now day lowers its bars
The rush of it subdued
Where Time's brush, flushed with stars
Dabs dusk's beatitude

...and what we didn't know
Where morning's gilded gong
Awoke Time's forward-flow
Well, God knew all along

Its mystery laid bare
This 'almost yesterday'
Is sealed from touch, save where
Nothing but thought can stray

Here on dusk's brink where pink
To gold, to blue runs rife
It causes one to think
About the wink called Life

Janet~

This is sort of a sequel to this morning's post...and yes, dusk can testify to a few jobs completed including a re-finished desk:) sort-of...I think, after looking at it in pictures I'm going to tone it down a bit...I'm sort of mourning the fact that I covered that beautiful wood with this!!





Friday, March 13, 2015

Of 'Almost Yesterdays' and Chalk-painting

  
Twilight has spilled its pouch of stars
A sequin-splash on velvet bars
Where the west sun gilded yon hill
With dusk before night's bluer twill
Swathed morning's mystic come-what-may
In shades of 'almost yesterday'

...and where we stared at unrolled gold
To wonder what waits to unfold
As dawn laid soft beneath our feet
The grace of time's untarnished street
Now our latest highs and lows
Are etched in Past's steadfast repose

This vale of victory and loss
Is mankind's constant albatross
Yet, in its trial-error Must
We learn to try and fail and trust
Knowing that every come-what-may
Is always 'almost yesterday'

Janet~

Sometimes I am such a fraidy-cat to try something new but I've been hearing more and more about chalk-paint so I tried it this week.
Since Annie Sloan Chalk-paint  is not available in any nearby stores I started 'googling' and found many recipes for DYI chalk-paint. With a hardware store minutes from home and someone who had tried the homemade version of chalk-paint and loved it, I decided to try it...

I/3 cup plaster of paris
1/3 cup water
mix well then add one cup paint. (use matte paint tinted to your choice of color)
stir well. this amount painted two coats on the dresser above as well as two coats on an old trunk!

Paint, let dry an hour.
Paint second coat. (Check out on-line tutorials for waxing and distressing). I used Martha Stewart clear wax after paint dried approx. 5 hours. Let wax dry overnight then sand the edges you want to distress. I used Martha Stewart antiquing wax to distress. I tried applying with brush and very little dark wax on it, wiping any excess with a damp cloth. Not totally sold on those waxes but min-wax furniture paste wax was hard and yellowy...I applied another coat of clear wax after antiquing wax dried (a few Hours) now I am waiting 24 hrs. to buff it then it is done. I cannot yet tell you how durable the paint is, but it painted beautifully smooth!