Monday, August 31, 2020

It All Started With a Fireplace Mantle ....................................

Greetings dear friends & readers


I used to have this old wooden fireplace mantle in my Craft Cottage - it was ideal for display purposes.
When I no longer needed it,  I moved it to a corner of my deck area - under cover, but still exposed to the elements.
It was time to do something with it before it got ruined.

I dragged it against a wall in my lounge - I had always had ideas of bringing it in here but wasn't sure where to put it as I seem to have cluttered my lounge up as there was rather limited space in my lounge!!!  😉

You can see from the pics above, the top was in a bad state of repair.



I always Loved the centre detailing,  so I added a couple of scrolls that I had in my stash - removed from an old Singer Sewing Machine Drawer.


I sanded the top & filled any gaps & then gave it 3 generous coats of Voodoo Molly Vintage Chalk Paint in the colour "Vintage White"


I waxed the whole thing with clear wax & then after watching This Video Here I applied a coat of dark wax, rubbed it off & then another coat of clear wax.
I love the slightly aged, antique patina it gave to the detailing.



Then I lightly scuffed the edges of the whole mantle with sandpaper.


I have positioned it against my feature wall as I love the effect of it against the wallpaper & when it was against the cream painted wall - it just looked lost.


I have been working on something to go in front of my mantle - I hope to share this with you in my next post.


When I stood back to admire my new/old fireplace mantle I decided I no longer liked the grey frame 

The frame had originally been gold & I had painted it with Grey Chalk Paint 3 years ago.

I had some leftover Resene Test Pot in the colour Pale Rose so I applied this over the grey & immediately loved it 💗


Incidently in case you may think all these painting projects are so simple & easy .... I took these snaps to show you just how tricky it can get around here at times ... especially when there's a paint pot out & a certain inquisitive 
4 legged ginger critter !!!

Invariably she ends up with the odd patch of colour on her !!!


These two stools were looking shabby  -   they had been painted/upcycled by me well over 4 years ago now.
The paper doilies that I had modpodged on the tops were lifting & discoloured - stained by cups of tea & the odd 
glass of red wine !!!

After a quick google search I found that you can remove old modpodge by soaking well in warm water - I tried this & found it worked fairly well. A good sand afterwards & the remainder of the doiley & glue had gone.
I gave both stools a fresh coat of paint & then decided to stencil onto them with my new bee stencil.

I wanted a dark grey colour but had none so I mixed up small amounts of white & black chalk paints until I was happy with the shade.

Ooohhhh how great they look !!! 💕


Two coats of wax to each stool & now they will be wipeable & much more hard wearing.



There has been quite a bit of painting/upcycling going on here at Threadbear HQ.
I hope to be back soon with another update post.
Wishing you all a wonderful week dear friends - thanks so much for your visits here
With much love & friendship to you all,
Julie & the furry ones x0x0x0

21 comments:

  1. Hi Julie omg your work is amazing i so love your mantle it looks awesome and how cute are those bee stools,well done Julie on your finished work,you truly are amazing my friend xx

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  2. Oh! My goodness Julie..You really have
    excelled yourself, the fireplace mantle
    is amazing and fits in there beautifully ,
    amazing..
    Can l guess what your going to put in front
    of it..?
    A basket either side..one for Miss Pippi and
    one for Blackie..HeHe! Bless!xx

    And..I see Pippi has been promoted, from
    assistant to inspector..checking out ALL
    your work, probably marking it out of ten!
    Pussycats certainly love sticking their noses
    into everything..! :).

    Love the stools with the bees to..different..
    Mind they don't sting when you sit on them! :).
    Bee careful..

    Just gone seven over here, suns trying to brake
    through, dry day forecast, must pop into town,
    then back home, out into the garden, all that
    wind we had for a couple of days has blown half
    my Virginia Creeper down out the front, so it
    needs seeing to..! Hope Blackie is o.k.
    🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

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  3. your mantle looks fabulous transformed and the rose paint on the picture frame brings that lovely needlework to life, I like the stools a lot with the bee transfer it brings them right up to date.

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  4. That looks fabulous Julie, have always wanted to try that with an old mantle, but I never had one, your little stools look adorable with the bee stencil, I'm a little over grey paint to, but have a tin to use up, and not sure how hubby would take to another colour 😁, think he would kill me. Take care Julie, look forward to seeing the rest of your up-cycling.

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  5. Wow! The mantle looks fabulous! You are amazing Julie. Love all the other makeovers with your trusty paint brush also. Look forward to next post x

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  6. Wow! You have been busy. Are you making a fire screen to sin in front of your old mantel?
    My furry friend likes to be involved too!

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  7. Your re do's are beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Can you tell me the name/brand of wax you use, please.

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  8. Wow, Julie, your mantle looks really fab and I love the wallpaper behind it.The bee stools look so refreshed and lovely too. Great jobs on all, Julie. Have a good week.xxx

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  9. The mantle is gorgeous, Julie. Your clever imagination and hands have yet again come up with a piece of great beauty. Those little bees on the stools are filled with whimsy. LOVE the reflection of your room in the mirror....such a pretty room.

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  10. Great work Julie. I particularly like the bee stools. So cute.

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    1. Thanks so much Ann. Yes I am really pleased with the bee stools too.

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  11. Looks to me that a busy bee has been at your home, Julie. The mantle is so much lovelier with
    the dark wood covered. The center scroll is really intricate. Of course, Pippi is very helpful
    and that must be a blessing in disguise some days. I had the home to myself for 2 days, and then
    Precious is a different kitty, also very helpful to me. Today she's back under the bed.
    Looking forward to more of your projects, thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Lynn. Yes I am so pleased with the new/old mantle - its given me so much inspiration to paint & upcycle some more projects. Yes Pippi is there "assisting me" whether I want her to be or not .... just like Precious. xx

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  12. The mantle looks brilliant - great paint job and the addition of the scrolls gives it just that little bit more. But also I love it against that wall paper and you have accessorised it brilliantly. Love the stools too. xx

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  13. Your mantle looks amazing Julie, you have made a stunning transformation. Love how you have set it up with plants and bits and bobs and that beautiful lamp. The stools look stunning too, lovely to see Miss Pippi is on the job, checking the top, checking underneath 🤣🤣. Looking forward to your next transformation/creation.

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  14. You have been very busy! I love all of your projects, especially the mantle!

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  15. Love your projects. They all look lovely. Love how the mantle looks against your wallpaper. Hugs,xx

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  16. Really amazing Julie! Love the subtle pink you chose for the picture frame ( read the 2017 post about your purchase...what a bargain),the bees stools and of course that incredible mantle...what a makeover! You are my inspiration!! I have just tackled another revamp which I'll mention in my next post. Only a little project but I haven't the courage and expertise like you to do big stuff. I never tire of your posts...thank you :-) keep well Amanda x

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  17. love your creativity, that cross stitch is gorgeous & really came to life when you changed the colour of the border; the gnomes are interesting...
    adored your mantle piece!
    the stools came alive with the fresh look too, lovely
    stay safe
    thanx for sharing

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    1. Thanks so much for your lovely comment Selina - yes I agree regarding the cross stitch & as soon as I had done the pink on the frame, it just seemed to come to life!

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  18. oh wow, you are so talented with your upcycling... I love the effects you create and how you add different touches....
    Hugz

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