Little Lori Logo

I've spent the last couple of days doing a painted mural of Certified Tire's logo onto the wall in the lobby.  They had previously had their logo on the wall in vinyl but it wouldn't stay stuck to the bumpy wall and the lettering would just fall off.   

I came in at the end of the work day on Saturday and worked late during the weekend so not to interrupt business during the day and so they would have full use back Monday morning. 

 

Here is the before photo of the wall.  It definitely needs something there.  Here it is at another angle. 

 

It's a nice shop and the guys there have done a good job fixing my own car recently when the rear axle broke. 

 

My husband took this photo of me while I was painting. I didn't know he did it until after.  I am glad he did take it though, so often I am the one behind the camera.  My kids know I get to do fun stuff but it makes it more special to have photographic evidence. 

 

The word Certified has a tiny white border.... definitely need a very steady hand to do the details.  At one point in my life I lost the ability to use my right arm, it took nearly a year to get it to work again and it shook terribly for the longest time.  It still shakes if I try to life something heavy or something over my head at times.   I have kept practicing to get the full use of my arm back enough to paint detail again, I'm happy it's good to go and it's steady again. 

 

Here it is all done! Now when they open on Monday morning the place will have a little piece of my work up on the wall. 

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Love Lori

Wood walls and soccer balls

Hi everyone, 

  It's been a long time since I sat down to write a blog post.  I have done some fun items for a really wonderful family and I want to show you how they are turning out.  

  First, they asked my husband and I to build a shiplap wall for their boys room.   Isn't this grey shiplap fun? 

 

It added some beautiful texture and dimension to the room.  Next I chalked out the pattern for three of his favorite soccer logos to go on the wood wall. 

I always swallow really hard when it's time to add the first paint, It's the point of no return.  No mistakes and no drips is the goal. 

My chalk lines are only a suggestion and not something that I follow religiously. Sometimes adaptations need to be made on the spot. 

 

I work alone quite a bit so it was fun to have a friendly and furry little supervisor around. 

 

So this is the finished product, here is Real Barcelona, Real Madrid and Real Salt Lake logos.  This was a really fun project to do and I hope they are enjoying the room, as much as I enjoyed helping create it. 

Real Wall

Here is another project for the Parade of Homes., I was able to help with

  This family is very into sports, especially soccer.  Danielle with Cahoon interiors designed a fun room with that in mind. 

She picked out fun colors and textures to go into this adorable boys bedroom. My part of the room was to paint the soccer logo and grain stripe on this brick wall. 

  I have done murals before but this was my first on brick. It was something I really wanted to do. Several months ago I posted about what designs I want to do in my future home using brick.  Here is a link to that post if you are curious. http://2spruceup4me.blogspot.com/2016/03/bricks-and-lofts.html  (You probably will need to copy and paste the web address, I couldn't get it to attach the link.)

  

Here is the room during construction. I think it's fun to see the before and after shots of any piece.  

I like to take pictures during the mid-process as well, just to show some of the detailing that goes into the work. 

  I really enjoy how it turned out. I love that aged brick look that we achieved in the final result after it was weathered and distressed. 

Thanks Danielle for this fun project. 

Here is the floor decal as well I was able to help with. My sister Michelle was able to get me connected with a designer at her work and together we made this happen.  (Thanks sis!)

It added a pop of fun color to this beautiful sports court. Pure Haven Homes and Cahoon Interiors did a great job with build and design. 

Paint spraying 101

I have been fortunate enough to be around a few excellent paint teachers.  My husband and my Father in Law are both professional contractors who specialize in painting and coatings.  They mostly do industrial painting (water treatment plants, utilities, sewer treatments, airports.... Big jobs) I am pretty sure I talked about that before. 

Here is my hubby's truck, they are Orion Painting and Coatings.  Every day at home and every family holiday party I hear a little "shop talk." My husband has been painting over 15 years and my FIL over 20 with general construction before that.  They have painted homes, schools, businesses and everything in between.  I have always listened to the shop talk but only recently I have become fascinated by it. 

I just finished painting this desk and chair for my friends daughter.  It's still wet in the photo. 

I will post better photos later and show the before and after with all the steps.  This post I wanted to share a few paint tips I have learned about using an air compressor and a spray gun. 

For this one I used plaster of Paris and water to make a chalky base.  3tbs of dry mix and about 3tbs of water (mix well in cold water) then mixed into 8oz of paint makes a good chalk paint.  *not chalkboard paint*  I brushed it on and it made an excellent primer.  

You can see it's streaky on the chair which a first coat or primer will be.  I kinda wish I would have used regular primer (or tinted the primer) because I could have sprayed it on and not had the brush lines.  

The good thing about using the chalky primer is that it's super sandable,  so you can sand off the lines or paint drops before putting on a regular latex top coat.  I did have a few places to sand smooth before using the non-chalky finish coat. 

Chalk paint does not spray well, it's very thick and it clogs the sprayer easily.  I recommend straining all paint before putting it in the sprayer.  Disposable plastic cups are a great way to strain and keep paint in small workable quantities.  When you need a break, Glad Press and Seal Wrap makes a good lid. 

See the big paint chunks? These would clog the sprayer and slow progress way down.  All paint in sprayers needs to be watered down.  I like adding about a tablespoon of water at a time to the strainer to thin the paint.  The free at Home Depot paint can openers, make an excellent small stir stick. When the paint dries, it peels right off the metal and you can use it again. 

If you do get a clog,  the paint won't come out where it's supposed to. In this photo you can see it coming out the top valve.  I had to stop and clean out the sprayer and all its parts.  I have had several sprayers and this one is my favorite, it's a gravity fed cup gun.  I have used the kind that the paint is below and it pumps it to the top,  they work but this is easier and the cleanup is quicker.  If you can't afford an air compressor plus a cup gun,  you can get the electric spray gun for not very much. 

I think I got this one for under $20 at Harbor Freight with a coupon.  Now that I have the experience with both types, I definitely recommend the air sprayer.  When you get the right consistency of paint (when it is runny like milk) it sprays on nicely.  Several thin coats are the way to go.  Don't try to do it too thick or it will run, drip and cause more misery later.  On a warm day a thin coat will be dry to the touch in about 10-15 minutes.

When cleaning the sprayer I recommend using brushes to get in the little paint holes.  I picked these brushes up free at Harbor Freight with a coupon.  I love the freebies there.  I didn't show it in the photos but the tip also comes off & needs to be cleaned.  

When it's all cleaned out its good to fill up the cup gun with water and use the air just like you are painting to make sure it's completely clear for the next time. 

When closing up a paint can, place a drop cloth, rag, or paper towels on top of the can. This will keep the paint that gets trapped around the rim from flying everywhere.  

Then you can tap the hammer around the edge and save your floor or walls from unwanted splatter.  These might be simple tricks and tips that you may already know.  Some of you have never painted before.  If you have any good tips for me, please send them in!  I am so excited that I just got an airbrush set, I can't wait to try it out and tell you all about how that goes.

Have a good day and don't be afraid to try something new! 

Love Lori

 

Kelly's hutch complete

Here she is 100% complete and glass back in safely! 

Every piece I wish 2 things,  that I was an octopus, and that I was instantly smarter.

 I am not saying that I am dumb.  If I was just a little smarter,  I could figure things out much easier.  I guess I will get there, as I keep trying new things and gaining experience. 

 As for the octopus part,  having 8 arms would have helped get the hinges,  screws, and glass into place much faster.  

Here is the before photo.  It looks very different.   To show you the steps I did for the final details,  I will start with the hinges.  

I had previously sprayed the hinges black but when you install the screws,  the screws still are brassy.  Here is how you get them to match.  

Use the same spray paint, but spray inside a paper or plastic cup.  Then, take a small brush and dip it in the paint at the bottom.  Moving quickly because the spray dries fast,  paint the screw heads.  

Then the screws match the painted hinges and it's much easier than trying to spray the screws and have the little pieces blow all over.  That is a tip I picked up from my hubby.  This is the type of stuff he usually paints. 

Well,  I am off to get back to work.  Have a great and productive day!  Love, Lori