Inspiration has a Way of Finding YOU....

So how did inspiration find me today?

It just happened to be in the form of this antique picture frame....

I have been in this house for about two months now and of course My space is the last to get decorated (that's why the walls are screaming "Make me pretty...NOW!)). I did manage to paint everything this gorgeous vintage blue ("summer cottage"is what Lowe's calls it, I think) before we moved in. I also bought the sweet quilt you see on the twin bed that has no mattress yet-told you it was the LAST room! And that's about as far as I have gotten so far.....

I picked up this big heavy ornate frame at one of my favorite thrifts...less than $4- what a bargain! It was all sorts of shades of gold (the gaudy, not the good kind), so I decided on a quick basecoat of my favorite chocolate brown (dark burnt umber by Delta Creative). I've already started a grunging process I use in almost all of my instructional painting patterns (and will share with you here): I took an old taper candle (any taper works- I use the cheap emergency candles from the dollar store) and rubbed it all over the embossed patterns on the mouldings of this frame. Next I will paint the whole thing a creamy antique white. After that's dry I will take some very fine grade sand paper and lightly sand the raised area of the frame. This will pull the cream paint up and let the chocolate show, highlighting the great details of this old frame (I'll post more pictures when it's done). To be continued.....Up next...The finished frame and what to put in that big gorgeous frame.....