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Saturday, June 14, 2014

Grand Opening of My Booth at Golightly's in Fort Worth, TX

My New Booth
 at Golightly's Antiques and Tearoom
golightlysteantiquesandtearoom.blogspot.com
5505 Davis blvd North Richland Hills, TX 76180
817656-9780














You can find many different items here at Golightly's. 
Here's a sampling of what you can expect to find. 

















































Monday, April 28, 2014

End Table Makeover using Chalk Paint and Bible Pages

  End Table Makeover

I started out with a solid wood coffee table that had a really bad top. I knew I needed to come up with some way to cover the warped places, I didn't think paint would do the trick, so I came up with the idea to decoupage the top.

I ran across a few old Bibles at an Estate Sale recently so I decided to put them to use.

1) I sanded the whole top with an electric sander using fine sand paper to smooth out as much of the rough spots as I could.

2) Then after cleaning off the dust I applied my home made chalk paint using 2 coats, I sanded in between each coat. (My recipe for Chalk Paint is at the end) 
   
3) I distressed the base and the legs using a medium grit sandpaper.

4) I applied a glaze/wax over the base. I did not apply this to the top where the pages will be applied. I used a 2-in-1 method by mixing the furniture wax with craft paint. I applied it with an old T-Shirt by dipping the rag in the mixture and rubbing it onto the surface. Be sure to rub off any excess before allowing it to dry. (Recipe for this is at the end)
                                                            

5) Now I am ready to apply the Bible Pages. I decided to use the book of John and a few pages from Acts because I wanted to represent Love in this project.

6) To apply the pages, first apply a thin coat of Mod Podge Matte finish where you will place the first sheet, then lay the sheet down and brush more Mod Podge on the top of the sheet, brushing from center out to brush the air pockets out.

7) Continue by randomly placing pages in various directions to create a pleasing pattern. I started in the center and moved toward the edges of the table wrapping the pages over the edge.



8) Let this dry overnight then apply Polyurethane. I used a water base option. I applied 3 layers to this piece. It only takes about 20 min to dry before applying the next coat. Be sure to rinse out your brush between coats so it doesn't dry on your brush, I've lost many brushes thinking I can just leave it covered.

   I decided the sides needed a little something so I looked around in my pile of "treasures" and found these 4 hinges. They were perfect for this project.





Gracie My helper gives it 2 paws up!


Chalk Paint Recipe:

1-1/2 cups of Paint, 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of Plaster of Paris. Mix the water and the Plaster of Paris together then add the Paint. I tried many different recipes for Chalk Paint and I like this option the best.

Stain/Wax Recipe:


I mixed about 1/2 cup of Johnson's Paste Wax with craft paint from Hobby Lobby. I used about 3 tablespoons of craft paint. Just mix enough paint to the wax in order to achieve your desired color.




Thursday, March 27, 2014

It's my pleasure to introduce to you my friend Ryane Moates with....
Moates Art
www.moatesart.biz
817-691-6532


First of all She is the most photogenic person I have ever met.
Seriously, I have never seen a bad picture of her.
Ryane has not 1 but 3 different creative outlets.
Moates Art
Her Creative Workshops
Tour Manager for QueensLander Tours.
   Her story begins with when I met her about 8 years ago at a women's Bible study. Right away I was intrigued by her. I could tell that she had creative talents by the way she dressed and by the way her personal items were embellished. In group she would often bring up things I thought of but was too shy to say; that should have clued me in to her fearless side. Once I got to know her a little better I discovered that not only was she talented but her life was well organized. At that time in my life I was very unsure of the direction my life should go.I knew I had creative talents but I really lacked confidence in the way I should express it. So when I saw her pursuit of her dreams it really encouraged and challenged me to discover my own. So it's exciting for me to share her story with you.

How Moates Art began:
Ryane loves personalized things whether it's printed, engraved, or embroidered. She found a brick making kit in a catalog and got it as a gift from her husband. Right away she began making her own bricks with words that were important to her. She would give them as gifts and people loved them so much they asked if she would take custom orders. This began the journey of her business, starting with selling to friends, then selling in craft shows, to selling in stores as well as on her website. God gave her the idea for her business name-- Moates Art as in Mozart.
 Clever idea!



She expanded her line to include some home decor products as well






How the creative workshops began:

Adventure is in Ryane's blood and it shows through in all areas of her life. She loves to express that in her craft projects as well.  As time went by people would ask her to help them make her projects but she didn't have the time to spend one on one with everyone.It wasn't until a friend showed her a project she made at a workshop that the light went off in Ryane... "I can do this" she thought..... So she converted her upstairs living room into her workshop studio. She promotes her workshops on Facebook and email. She is able to empower people to try new things they wouldn't have done before plus the money she earns helps support her Hobby Lobby habit!



I attended the scarf workshop where she had different scriptures printed out that we could choose from as well as many fabric and embellishment options. I LOVE how mine turned out. My scripture references the "Proverbs 31 Woman" She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she smiles at the future. Proverb 31:25


  



These are items from her previous workshops 

How the Tour Manager Job began:
 Ryane has such a passion for adventure and travel that she was beginning to feel stuck here in Euless, TX. She wanted so bad to see this amazing world God made. She wanted to experience different cultures and learn other languages and pretty much wear out her suitcase. Finances were getting tighter and her husband suggested she get a job. She just wanted to travel but they didn't have the finances to fund her passion in this area. Ryane felt like these two things were completely opposite of each other but with God all things are possible....In just one year he brought it all together. Her mom took a trip to Alaska and as she told Ryane about her trip Ryane kept asking about the tour manager. Then she was off researching like crazy how to be a tour manager. After much research she learned she needed to be certified as an International Tour Manager in order to get a job in this field. So she got her certification and just landed her first job with Queenslander Tours. She gets to travel and make money!!! 
Keep pursuing your dreams, with God all things are possible.

What inspires Ryane: 
The things she comes across in a store or magazine that she loves but the price is high. So she decides to make it herself then it may end up in a workshop.
Ryane's creativity is expressed throughout her home as well.

















  I asked Ryane what the Lord taught her though this journey in her life and she shared with me that God reminded her that she needed him for all endeavors. Since she has a natural gifting for creating and is very comfortable teaching people she saw that she had a sense of self sufficiency when she started her workshops. She thought why do I need to pray for his help when He gave me the talents. Well in the middle of a workshop she got a bad headache that turned into a migraine and was no longer able to continue with the class. They prayed for her,called her husband, then left. Ryane said this event taught her to pray over each Creative workshop and rely on God to bring the people together, ideas to flow, and for her to be prepared spiritually and physically as well as have all the materials that will be needed.

In conclusion Ryane worked as an Occupational Therapist for 10 years, but after marriage and children she wanted to stay home and be a mom. Her creative outlets grew from this place at home. Now she lives a very rewarding life, filled with her favorite things. Which includes chickens! It's never too late to have the life you dreamed of. Just take one step at a time,            one day at a time.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 
The inspiration I took from her journey is to start with the small things you love then build on that foundation to see where it can go.