Mmmmm...I LOVE stencils...edited at bottom...

his project is part of my current phase of upcycling my life. I've replaced my king sized bed with this one...a twin with a "built in dresser!" (lol) I live in a 1200 sq ft condo, and decided to completely re-do my bedroom to reflect a new phase of my life and to open up more crafty space. So here are the "befores," of a previously loved bed in need of some TLC. It's a solid pine, heavy piece, and I know it will be with me for many years.

Here, you can see some of the deep scratches on the one of the posts.

I LOVE wood filler! (lol)

I took the drawers outside for sanding and filling more scratches.

I did actually prime this piece before I painted because I was concerned that the knots might bleed through the paint. I used Zinsser Cover Stain, then painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Old White). Once it dried, I chipped randomly with a mouse sander, then applied Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax.

I'm tickled pink with how it turned out! The box spring with the mattress makes the bed too high, so I'll have a posture board cut this week to replace the box spring. I felt a bit like I was sleeping inside the kid's fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea" last night!

The drawer handles were formerly saucy shiny chrome; I painted those with Tremclad Hammered Black paint.

Here's the Dreamweaver Stencil I used for the little feminine touches on the drawers (LG 699, Copperplate Corners). I wanted a touch of black, so this stencil done with Dreamweaver Black Matte Embossing Paste was JUST the thing! I really like that there are two different corners to use on this stencil. I use it a lot. I'm so lucky to be part of the Dreamweaver Design Team, and this week we're partying in a blog hop with the Woodware designers from the UK.

There are so many beautiful paste colours available now...here's a small sampling...the metallic colours (gold, silver, copper) and the Pearlescent pastes are especially popular!

Here are close-ups of some of the stencilled areas on the chipped drawers:

Love it love it LOVE it! Just a perfect little feminine accent, and look at that splendiferous texture with Annie's Chalk Paint!! LOVE me my ASCP!!

Because the bed's so high, I decided to re-do a little step stool to match.

Before:

Don't you love those brassy handles!? (Ummm, I didn't...)

I used the same paint techniques as I did on the bed, and I painted three coats of Minwax Polycrylic on the steps for durability. I also painted the handles the same colour as the drawer pulls.

Here's a closer pic of the chippy finish and stencilled corners, done to match the bed.

One last picture of the first steps to my "new" room...just try to imagine the mattress being half that depth! (lol)

Stencilling is SO back in style in home decor...not the cutesy wall borders of the seventies and eighties, but as sophisticated, beautiful design accessories. I use Dreamweaver stencils often for creating greeting cards (they're on another blog, right here), and I'm enjoying them all over again as home decor accents!

I hope you'll take some time to visit the other stops along the Dreamweaver/Woodware blog hop. Every designer will be sending a stencil to a randomly chosen participant! The next stop along the hop is Kristi's place, right here. The complete schedule for the hop can be found right here.

Updated: Today is Sept. 4th., and we've drawn winners for our stencils! To visit everyone's blogs to see if YOU'RE a winner, just check this master list over at the Dream it Up Blog. For this draw, Random.org selected comment # 58 of the 62 comments left here to date.

That comment was entered by Ann who posted:

Ann from On Sutton Place said...

What a job but totally worth it. The stool is perfect. Thank you so much for sharing at the Open House party!

September 3, 2011 4:53 PM

CONGRATS Ann...a small token of appreciation for participating in our blog hop will be coming your way, so please send along your postal address.I've posted another project for the same little giveaway, so make sure you check here too!

I'm also partying here and with these fine home decor bloggers this week too.

Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to stop by today! The comments you leave are like little gifts, and they just make my day!

I wish you a day of simple pleasures, doing WHAT you love WITH people you love!

OH! And THANK YOU to these fine bloggers for featuring my bed!

Lazy Susan re-do

We use this Lazy Susan for our Scrabble games...I like it so much better now!

First step: painted with ASCP Old White

Second step: Used part of this image from the ever-so-generous Karen over at the Graphics Fairy:

Even though the talent to create music passed me by (lol), I like the image anyway. Two of my sisters are musicians, and my last name is "March,"so this image just seemed to "fit" for me. The image transferred easily by covering the back of the image with scribbled pencil, positioning it on the wood, and tracing the letters with pencil, then painting with black acrylic paint:

Here it is, ready for the next step. I used one of my very favourite Dreamweaver Stencils (LJ896), and simply pounced some brown acrylic paint through the stencil:

Here's the end result, with a layer of Benjamin Moore Aqua Glaze mixed with a few drops of the same brown acrylic paint, and nicely scratched up.

THANK YOU so VERY much for stopping by!! I'll come by your place too.

Partying with these fine bloggers this week, and THANKING THEM for all their work in hosting these parties!

HEY...one more thing...a great big hearty eastern Canadian THANK YOU to Ms Ashlee for featuring this over at

Omigosh...we won!!!

Okay, today is August 6th., and I've just received news that I WON the Chair Affair sponsored by Anne Skougard of California!!!

I am absolutely positively FLABBERGASTED!!! This means that I receive one quart of my very favourite and utterly FABULOUS Annie Sloan Chalk Paint every month for a year!! Now, this might not seem like a big deal to some folks...but it sure IS to ME!! I have to order my paint online, and between shipping and customs, it ends up costing me well over fifty dollars a quart (ummm...and really worth every penny, in case you're wondering...don't forget...no primer or sanding required...WOOT!).

AAAAND...several NEW COLOURS have just been released.

Oh my oh my oh my...BE STILL MY HEART!!! Can you tell I'm EXCITED!?

If you haven't tried this paint yet, and if you enjoy upcycling furniture...you just HAVE to try it. I order mine directly through Anne...right here...fast shipping for the impatience in me (lol)

Okay...my little grandson is saying "Breathe Grammie, just breathe!"(lol)

Here's a link to the original post for the stools I upcycled for the boys. In case you hadn't read that, must tell you a little about them...bear with me...there's a reason for telling you!

My grandchildren, like all kids, have unique little personalities, and I have "Grammie names" for each of them. Connor (middle boy in the pic) is our "nitro boy," into EVERYTHING and always going a mile a minute! So HIS Grammie name is "My little Hurricane."

The third boy in the pic is Avery, quieter, contemplative, and loves being with Grammie (THANK YOU God!), doing anything at all. When he was tiny, he'd call me "Bubbie," so that eventually became my Grammie name for HIM..."My little Bubbie."

The oldest is Morgan...first boy in the pic...a "glass-half-empty" kind of boy (lol) who has to know where EVERYBODY is, EVERY minute of the day. When he was a wee toddler, he liked to actually be physically connected to one of his parents every waking moment, so he was quickly dubbed "My little Shadow."

Here are the boys and their finished stools:

Now why did I need to repeat the post about their personalities? Because twenty minutes after I wrote this post, we were all on our way to Sick Kids' Emergency, where we spent three hours waiting for Connor (the Hurricane...remember!?) to brave his way through several stitches in his chin after a nasty "wipe-out"on his bike.

As I told him how brave he was, he said "Gwammie, I'm not afwaid of ANYsing!"

Yep...my little nitro boy does it again!

As soon as we were done at emerg, he said "Can we please have LUNCH now!?"

THANKS for visiting today! I'll be away from my blog for a couple of weeks, as I'm taking the boys to an oceanfront cottage on Prince Edward Island, leaving tomorrow morning.

THANK YOU so much for visiting us today! It's been an eventful one!

Another step...and another!

Okay, so you KNOW your "hobby" has morphed into a full-fledged PROBLEM when the teensy little livingroom of your teensy little condo starts looking like the back room of a Habitat for Humanity RE-STORE! In my many years as a mental health professional, I've heard it said that ADMITTING your addiction is the first step to overcoming it.

Hmmm...

But do I even WANT to overcome it? Do YOU??? ;)

Here's a coffee table I purchased from Kijiji for $30.00.

This was the first re-do, posted earlier on my blog, with Paris Grey and Old White ASCP.

Nope. Hated it.

This was the next stage...redone with just Old White, waxed and chipped. I LOVED it!

Interesting, I've NEVER liked the colour GREEN for home decor, and suddenly I DO! (lol)

Such pretty, chunky legs, and Annie Sloan Dark Wax really accentuates their detail...

So...here's Stage Three! After seeing some of the GREAT things Korrie's been doing over at Red Hen Home with harlequins, I decided to try one. THANKS for your inspiration Korrie!

I cut several sections of a harlequin pattern with my Silhouette and used some leftover paint from my "Lichen Green" livingroom wall...

It was painstakingly slow, but I did it while my sleep-over grandsons and I watched "ET" together...

Et Voila!! Here she is, sanded a little and coated again with Annie Sloan Clear Wax and Dark Wax...which even subdues the green!! So what do you think? Did I totally ruin it?

I think I'm kind of happy with it for now. Who knows what it'll look like NEXT week? (lol)

Stage Four! My new Dreamweaver stencils arrived yesterday. When I saw this beautiful little Fleur de Lis, I knew exactly where it had to do its work! Having been so very lucky to have visited Paris and the South of France a couple of times, I enjoy adding some Frenchie accents to my home.

Here's my grandson helping me dry the stencilled ink...HINT (from my mistake...) ...use StazOn permanent ink or dry-brushed/dry-pounced acrylic paint!

Here's a finished segment. I applied two coats of Polycrylic for protection from little boys' toy cars and messy hands.

I love it all over again! (lol)

THANKS Denise, for featuring this over at

This is what I'm upcycling next...love it love it LOVE it!! I know some folks would be so dismayed about painting a 100 year old wee piece like this...but I'm not (lol). Going away to a cottage on the ocean in Prince Edward Island for two weeks with my grandkidlets on Sunday, and this will be my homecoming project. I paid a little more for it than I would have if I was planning to re-sell, but I sure am NOT. This little beauty (and the matching stool) will have a permanent place in my home, in the livingroom, looking out over my perennial gardens. Aaahhh...life is...GOOD!!

THANK YOU for taking the time to visit me! I'll come visit you too, and will be partying here and with these fine bloggers this week...