Wine Glass Painting Party

I've always pondered doing classes, helping homeowners do various painting things for themselves. I never seem to have enough time to coordinate it to perfection, so it has remained a "someday".
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, one of my neighbors was asking about paints for painting wine glasses. She wanted to do some as gifts for Christmas. Then she asked have you ever thought about doing classes for amatures? "I'm sure I could get some friends together" she said. I wanted to say no because it's "the holidays". Crazy schedules, panic attacks, etc. But I said yes. I thought about the details off the top of my head and tossed it back to her. She came back with "I've got 6 confirmed and can probably get more. Is Tuesday too soon?" I gasped! Appointments, a house full of furniture that needs painting for custom orders
I said "No problem".
I am so glad I did it. I didn't stress over the details. I pulled together everything I knew we would need. Just had to purchase lots of wine glasses.

The plan was for each person to complete 4 glasses. These girls were so creative! They came in and got right to work. We had red and green, and purple pink and blue. Gold and black and blue. Purple black and silver. So much talent in my "amatures"!

The girls brought their wine and had an enjoyable Girls Night Out! There's talk about squeezing in another before Christmas. I think it's something I may start offering every month. If you are in the Indian Trail, Matthews, Charlotte area and interested in a creative GNO, let me know. Here's their final products. I'm baking them tonight to set the paint and they are picking them up tomorrow.

And of course I sell hand painted wine glasses in my Etsy store. Mostly made to order custom, so if you have a need for hand painted wine glasses just let me know. http://www.etsy.com/shop/savardstudios?section_id=10751856

Wordless Wednesday -Japanese Maple Fall and Spring Comparison

Fall Japanese Maple

Spring Japanese Maple

Octagon Metallic Ceiling

Last week, we had the opportunity to transform an amazing octagon tray ceiling. It was in a study halfway up the stairs between the first and second floor. A dramatic ceiling, in a dramatic room in a beautifully dramatic home.

Gold and Champagne Metallic Waxed Ceiling

Black accents were scattered throughout the home, so we started with a black base.

We decided to use gold and champagne metallic waxes, blended and trowelled together. The wax looks milky going on, but dries to a brilliant sheen. I love metallic waxes because they give the brilliant shine of leafing or gilding without the extra labor.

Once the wax dried overnight, we used a chocolate glaze to tone down the shiny metallic and bring all the colors together. It was cloudy on this day so my pictures weren't good and when you're glazing you can't stop too long. Side by side, before and after. What do you think? I look forward to hearing your comments. What cool ceiling projects have you done to prepare for holiday guests?

Don't forget to look for me and current projects on Houzz.com at this link. http://www.houzz.com/pro/paintingthetownus/painting-the-town-inc

I hope everyone has a peaceful and joyful Thanksgiving!

Color Run

So I ran my very first 5K this past weekend! It was soooo much fun! The Color Run is after all the "Happiest 5K on the planet! If you've never run a 5K before (3.1 miles for those of us who don't speak kilometers), this is a perfect start. There is no pressure and it is not timed.
The real goal is to get as much color on you as possible. There are color stations at every 1K. Here you slow down, spin around, dance whatever makes you happy while they throw colored corn starch on you. It goes by really fast! As you approach the end, you're thinking "Wow! I've already run 3.1 miles??"
It was a gorgeous day for a run! Here are a few photos from my Iphone (wrapped in plastic).

Before the run it was pretty chilly in Charlotte. It was bearable in the sun but felt freezing in the shade. After the run, had to protect my phone camera from all the color flying around so pics are a bit fuzzy. So much fun to be doused in color along the way!

Such an awesome day with many of the girls I do "bootcamp" with. Yes, we work out with a trainer out side in the high school parking lot at 5:30 am 3 days a week. We are gluttons for punishment. Actually, I love exercising out doors!

If you want to see some fantastic photos my local friend Whitney Grey was also there. She is an amazing photographer! Weddings, family photos, senior pictures, she does it all! She got some fantastic shots of the day. You should check them out on her blog.  http://whitneygrayphotography.com/blog/the-color-run-2012-charlotte/  The Color Run sells out fast. If it's coming to your area you should go for it! I hope to see my locals in Charlotte next year!

Girls Scrapbook Weekend

I have not yet mastered the science/art of blogging in the moment. That being said, many of my posts are of things that happened weeks ago....maybe longer. I like to ponder my posts.
So a few weekends ago, I had the wonderful pleasure of being part of an annual girls weekend. We've all been scrap booking for years, and started this 3 years ago. One of my dear friends has the benefit of a cabin on the lake. We are always blessed with gorgeous weather. It is always a much needed retreat from our daily lives of juggling work and family.
We scrap book at our own pace and sometimes complete other projects, we enjoy brisk walks and chocolate and wine. Not necessarily in that order. We each pitch in to provide meals that are mostly healthy, although there is usually enough for us to have stayed for a week. And there is always a chic flick, although as each year passes more of us miss the ending because we are resting our eyes (My Dad used to say that all the time as he was dozing in the recliner).
If you are raising children and don't make time for yourself and don't take time to develop girlfriend relationships, I encourage you to start now. It is more difficult when children are young, but it is crucial as they get older. My group is living the middle school and teen years, and some have begun to marry theirs off.
I am so blessed to have such an awesome group of girls in my life. They are there to talk to and they understand.

And here are a few of my completed pages. Yes I'm a bit behind.

Wordless Wednesday- It's Called Fall Because That's What The Leaves Do

Cream, Turquoise and Copper Nautical Compass Table

A few years back, we decided to update the stair spindles going up to our bonus room. Being pack rats environmentally friendly, we saved them for some future purpose. They looked like perfect table legs, so my husband used a 24" round precut pine table top and added the spindles. It took me a while to decide how to paint it. I considered another clock face, since that seems to be my thing. In the end, I decided to go nautical! A compass for the top! What do you think?

Nautical Compass Table

I primed the table using a brown tinted primer. I used a dark bronze metallic paint as my undercoat. I love the crackled look, so I used crackle medium topped with white crackle paint. Once the paint cracks, the bronze shows in the cracks.

I found a compass image online and printed it large enough to be traced. To see how I trace, you can go to this posting. http://savardstudios.blogspot.com/2012/06/red-and-cream-clockface-table-how-to.html

I began to fill in my colors and outlined everything with a paint pen. To complete my perfect circles, I used a push pin in the middle of the compass with string attached. Once complete. I glazed the entire table with a chocolate glaze to tone it done and give it dimension. Here are some photos of the process.

Since I never have time to paint pieces for myself, this unique table can be found in my Etsy store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/savardstudios?ref=si_shop  

What unique ideas do you have for transforming an old piece of furniture in your home?

Wordless Wednesday - Girls Weekend

Black Interior Doors

One of my repeat clients recently inquired about painting a few of her interior doors black, but leaving the remaining trim white. I've seen that done before and knew it would look good. I thought it was worthy of publishing so that all of my visual followers could see it and imagine it in their own homes. She wanted a black distressed look, but since the doors were white it would have required extra layers to have "wood" show through instead of the white. So to mimic that look, we hi lighted  some of the edges with a sheer gold. It gives the same effect and was much more simple.

A pretty simple update, but oh how it really enhances the space! Another small update we did last year was her fireplace surround. Instead of a big white surround, we painted and glazed to mimic a rustic wood look. Again, it really warms up the space and make it's much more personal. It helps that she has a true eye for accessorizing!

What projects are you working on to prepare your home for the holidays?