Sidetracked

I just got sidetracked from my big dresser project. It really doesn't take much to sidetrack me does it? My poor husband just shakes his head at me most of the time. I didn't get too far sidetracked this time though as I was actually waiting for some carpenter's glue and wood filler to dry so that I could start priming. An update on the dresser-turned-sideboard...it's all fixed and sanded and now has two coats of primer on it! Yay! Today's task...a couple coats of paint.

I was sitting talking on the phone the other day when something I noticed before started bugging me and as I thought it could be a super quick fix, why not just do it. Many times it's not the actual work that causes the procrastination but for me...the what ifs. What if it doesn't turn out? What if I don't like it? What if I make a mistake? Why keep agonizing and just not give it a try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

So here's my decorating dilemma. The lamp I just love. I love the vintage look of it. The flower arrangement is one I put together a couple years back with flowers and a pot from Michael's. It's OK but that pot it's in just does not go very well with the lamp. It's just too "clean" and light. It made it down to my living room a couple months ago when I changed the room around. Changing the furniture made a world of difference and actually started me thinking about how many more easy fixes I could do in my home. More on that another day.



I needed to find a way to make that arrangement look better in my living room. While not stellar as I'm not a floral designer for sure!!!, it's not that bad and for now, it's working for me. The pot was the problem. I decided to give distressing it a whirl.




My crafty pursuits are supposed to be a little more budget-friendly these days so instead of running off to the paint store for some glaze, I decided to try making my own. I mixed up some Claudine Hellmuth Matte Multi-Medium that I use for my crafting with a little Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink refill dye. In hind-sight, I think it would have been a little easier to use if I had an actual pigment such as acrylic paint instead of the dye but that was what I found in brown and so I went with it.



To apply the glaze I simply mixed a drop of dye with the Multimedium and brushed onto my pot. I tried wiping a little off but the dye in the mixture wasn't moving. That ended up fine but I think next time I'll use the paint and hope to be able to paint it on thick and then wipe off highlighted areas. The dye worked in reverse and so the embossed areas are dark and the grooves light. My homemade glaze dried quickly and I had the arrangement back in place and on the table 5 minutes after I had finished painting. How quick and easy is that?



At some point I may want to go back and add more depth of color and a warmer hue but for now, I'm happy with the very subtle change and the glaze highlights the beauty of the embossed pattern on the pot. Even better, it didn't cost me a cent. :)

This post is linked up with DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land

Have a beautiful day,

Julia