Chalk Paint frenzy!!!

This last week I have been transforming furniture and items  of my household using chalk paint.

Everybody seems to be talking about chalk paint recently and it actually had a prominent  position  in the biggest arts and crafts show that took place in Athens, some days ago.

Women seem to be ‘obsessed’ with it !!! I watched a few videos on you tube, and I was amazed to see  how determined these ladies were to paint  various items of their household, even new furniture in excellent condition!

Anyway, I got infected by this virus, too and felt this urge inside me to change two little tables and an armchair which are inherited pieces by my mother and belonged to my grandmother!

I love them and hate them, too. This love-hate relationship had to end and we had to proceed to a new stage in order for me to be happier and the furniture to remain in my house!

 So I took brushes and paints out and the tables were transformed into their much improved selves in two different shades of white (e.g. pergamon white and marble).                                           

After applying three coats of chalk paint , I waxed them and used sandpaper to give them a dated look. The small table went through a stenciling process too. Look, isn’t it just beautiful? I loooove it!!!!! I Love the stencil and the colour, which I made myself using acrylic colours and chalk paint.

 I also painted a metal pot and put it on the biggest table, next to a lamp whose shade I upholstered myself and then made a heart using the same fabric. I love this fabric.

 I didn’t paint the whole armchair but only part of it and sandpapered it, too. It has changed a little and it looks quite good next to my lovely ‘white’ tables.

 As the end of the year approaches, I have started making my good luck charms, as I do every year. I very much like to offer them to my friends and relatives and the one you can see in the photo, has already found a new home!

 For this one I used two small cubes of handmade soap  , ribbons, strings, a tiny star and a bell .

I will now leave you my friends, with my warmest wishes for a relaxed and happy Sunday, and a fruitful week ahead.

My love to all,

Tina xxx

The 11th Tea Cup Exchange

Hello , hello dear readers from a cloudy Athens!

Today’s post is about a very successful and pleasant exchange of tea cups and mugs that a lovely lady , Stephanie of  The Enchanting Rose  very  generously hosted  for 11^th time this autumn.

The idea is that you make new friends from all over the world by exchanging not only a lovely cup and saucer or /and mug with them , but also some sweet treats, handmade items and other little , pretty items.

I participated in this exchange for the first time this year and I enjoyed it very much.

I sent a parcel to Lilian from Cornwall, in which I put a white china cup and saucer, a little decorative handmade cushion, a cloth napkin, some sweet treats , coffee, tea, cocoa and a card.

The lady who sent me a parcel with goodies is called Debbie and she comes from the UK (North East Lincolnshire) . Her blog is  fairybluebellscraftadventure                     .

The photos that follow show what she very generously put together for me.

I was glad to receive a pink cup and saucer with golden details. Pink is my favourite colour and Debbie’s choice was perfect for me!

Also, she sent me a crochet doily, a badge with the sign: ‘crochet is my happy place’ , a hand cream that smells fantastic and is very effective , a little bear that I can use for decoupage and some sweet treats (a bar of white chocolate and a packet of shortbread biscuits) which I shared with the rest of my family! She also sent me a packet of chamomile, vanilla and honey , tea bags, which I often drink before bed time .

She accompanied her gifts to me with a lovely postcard .

Thank you Debbie , very much and thank you Stephanie for all the hard work and love you put to this nice exchange! 

If you wish to find out more about this exchange and see photo snaps of the contents of all the parcels sent (more than 200 ladies participated!!! ) , please visit Stephanie’s blog and feast your eyes on the beauty of the items sent and received! You may also wish to join the fun next year!!

I will leave you now dear friends wishing you a wonderful weekend with the people you love and your most favourite activities!

My love,

Tina xxxx

Decoupage on canvas for children’s rooms

Hello, hello dear friends! I hope you are all well and enjoying November weather and activities.

Today is a rainy day in Greece, which I quite like ’cause it hasn’t rained for months and we need the change.

 As you can see from the title of this post, I’ll talk to you about a very easy but pretty make for a  child’s room, using decoupage on canvas.

 When I  started decorating my little boy’s room, I realized that there were very few ‘paintings’ for children, in the market. I know you can find  a large variety of lovely items if you search the net, but the original ones are quite expensive and I personally prefer originals. I paint, so I can make them myself, but the time is never enough these days , so I decided to combine a bit of painting with decoupage.

I bought canvas on cardboard which can be afterwards framed, some paper napkins and I used  decoupage glue and lacquer , plus paint brushes and acrylic colours .

  1. You first use a primer to paint the surface you want to work on.

2. Then, you cut out the part of the napkin(s) you are going to use,

 3. When the primer is dry, you put each cut-out on the canvas and with soft , careful strokes you apply the coat of glue with the paint brush, starting from the centre of the cut-out and moving outwards.  

4. When it is dry, you can use varnish to make it brighter and protect its surface. I used a product which is both glue and lacquer.

 It is easy  to make and if you are good at drawing/painting you can add some details using acrylic paint (e.g. clouds, birds, flowers,  letters and some extra colour – you do this before you apply the varnish).

 As you can see I made two 'paintings'.  My little boy helped me in this photo shooting and he was really happy to help his Mummy!!

 If you like, you can use a frame for your ‘paintings’ to complete the look and make it more ‘professional- like’!

 I have also made good progress in crocheting a blanket for my son’s cot.

 I’m planning to make it a lot bigger- suitable for a single bed- but for the time being it suits the little bed quite well. 

 I quite like this blue-grey-white combination and I believe my little one will use it for years,  as the colours are suitable for every age.

 I had lots of left over yarn from different projects, which I wished to use but didn’t know how. So I started crocheting a granny square using the yarn with a random choice of colours. 

 The square got bigger and bigger and a little  ‘toy and game blanket’ finally emerged!!

 I love the crazy combination of colours and I think it looks good among the soft toys and on the floor. Of course, I continue crocheting more and more rounds every time I feel like it and I hope it finally turns out quite big.

 Well, that’s all about my crafty activities these days, I’ll leave you now, wishing you a lovely November weekend with many fun ,crafty moments .

My love,

Tina xxx