Tuesday 15 January 2013

Personalized Art

Making your own art is a pretty popular way to jazz up a space, and for good reason - you get exactly what you want and you can save some major bucks.

I've had some previously painted canvases in the basement that I wasn't really digging anymore, so I decided to make something for my little lady's bedroom wall. We are both fans of Bruno Mars (dancing tunes and a pretty face are tough to resist), so I came up with art that incorporates some of his lyrics. Now that the little lady is nearing the pre-teen stage, she's begun to think more about her image and how others perceive her. For that reason, I thought that this simple sentiment would be best displayed beside the full length mirror in her bedroom: "You're amazing just the way you are". I did shorten it a little, as you will see below.

Everyone could use this reminder daily, don't you think?


The canvas was originally painted a black and white graphic print (a couple of whirlwind painting sessions while listening to Bowie will do strange things). I decided to use whatever paint I thought suitable from my stash - some dark purple leftover from painting the front door, and some brushed nickel spray paint. I painted thick, uneven horizontal lines using these two colours and let it dry.

At some point last year, I had purchased some vinyl stick-on letters because the whole package was only $2 - see, I knew that they would come in handy. Since the adhesive on the backs of these letters is pretty lame, they're reusable! After the purple and silver paint on the canvas had dried, I just stuck the letters on and rolled some black acrylic paint over the whole thing. The letters peeled off very cleanly afterwards and I called it a day. Finito, Benito.

Monday 14 January 2013

Ralph Lauren Nastiness

Ever wonder what the inside of a used paint can looks like after a few years of dormancy?

I patched and sanded some holes in the foyer over the weekend (after a 3M hook disaster) and needed this paint for touch-ups. It was part glob, part rusty soup, and oddly bubbly. Did I go ahead and use it anyway? You bet, I did! I dabbed my brush into that glob and a bit of that gross liquid, for good measure. Not exactly the same colour, but better than glaring white patches.

I love the old colour on the walls. It's "Cobblestone" from Ralph Lauren; a rich taupe with grey undertones. The past owners graciously left all their paint cans in the basement when they moved out. The past lady of the house clearly had great taste! Since Home Depot no longer seems to carry Ralph's paint collection, I suppose I'll have to colour match some Behr for future touch-ups.

Thursday 10 January 2013

Speaking of Gifts ...

I sure did receive a new mug that replaces my previous "favourite" spot in the cupboard. Kristen (who made an appearance in my first post and our topiary DIY project) was sweet enough to design her own herringbone mug in white and red and I absolutely love it. She used a small brush and paint and got to work making her angled lines on a neat white mug from President's Choice. Seriously, who can resist "the centre aisle" at Independent grocery stores? Not me. And, apparently, not Kristen. There are way too many kitchen/home gems to pass up, especially when they're on sale!

The best part about this mug gift is that the lines are imperfect - each stroke is slightly different and it just makes it that much more interesting! I can totally picture Kristen, hard at work, dabbing her paint brush to create the design. It's visually appealing and I love it. Love. It.

The first week after I received it, I swear I drank every single drink out of this mug. Behold its beauty and simplicity:

Hands off, it's mine! *curls up on the couch with delicious coffee*