I’ve been playing with DIY Paints and wanted to show you one my favorite new color combinations. Today’s combo is simply delish! With summer right around the corner, people will be flocking to their summer homes looking for new pieces of furniture to freshen up their places and I can’t wait to paint this on some of the pieces in the workshop. Our Not So Shabby location is near Lake Michigan so we get even more traffic during the summer months when everyone is enjoying the beach. Lake Michigan, sigh… It’s my happy place, #puremichigan. It’s where I go to escape, relax, soak in the sun and simply unwind. Everything about that beautiful sandy beach and clear blue expanse of unsalted water soothes my soul.
I love water. I’m Pisces, what can I say? When we were little, mom and dad had a pick-up camper. The three of us kids would lay on the bed above the truck looking through a wide window at the front of our Coachman Camper. We spent lots of summers camping at Burt Lake just north of Petoskey. So many adventures, trips on the Honda 70, boat rides across the lake and through the locks, fishing, swimming, skiing, tubing, trips to Indian River, Mackinaw, Mackinac Island and of course hunting for Petoskey Stones.
How the five of us slept in that tiny camper is beyond me. Cathy said she and Steve had to sleep in a tent. I guess I had special privileges because I was the youngest. It was small but mom had it completely and efficiently organized. She’d whip out breakfasts like that of a champagne brunch at the Westin. I would discover those years later when I lived on Maui.
Dad always sought out adventure. He always took “short cuts”, lol. I laugh because they weren’t shorter, he just loved getting off the beaten path to explore new territory. With dirt bikes on a front rack and our old speed boat hitched to the back, we were ready for anything. Even though the last three years of my life have been an ongoing nightmare, I have to admit, I had the best childhood ever and I am grateful for every single memory!
When I look at this simple color board, my mind drifts off and I can see myself lounging on the vast sandy shoreline of Lake Michigan. I cannot wait to soak up some vitamin D and get my toes in the water at Holland State Park!
For this finish, I didn’t layer the colors, I applied them all simultaneously dipping in and out the the various colors. Yes I used the same brush and no I didn’t wash it in between. When I do finishes like this, I dump a little bit of each color on a plate or one of those black rectangular serving dishes that the roll-ups come on at Costco. They make great trays for rolling too. Can you tell I haven’t taken my Adderall today? my mind is bouncing all over the place. Anyway. I applied DIY’s Old 57, Fancy Farm Girl and Bohemian Blue together, blending ever so lightly. When that had set up a little, I decided to highlight it with a little white. I used Crinoline because that’s the can I had open and next to me but Vintage Linen, White Swan or Bead Board would have worked just as well.
I didn’t brush the colors back and forth because that would have mixed them and I wanted the variations to show more. I did this while I was making up some paint brush examples for our Paint & Pour Paint Brush Make & Take Project so I had the colors in bottles mixed with Clear Liquid Patina. I used my finger to slightly blend the Crinoline over the other colors.
I have to say, I love how it turned out and can’t wait to do this on a piece out back. Stay tuned!!! As soon as I finish up the pile of income taxes taking over my dining room, I’ll be back to painting.
————————————————————————————————————————————
DON’T MISS OUT – Discontinued quarts are on clearance both online & in stores for $19.99; sample pots of those same colors are $5.99 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!
Also… I’ll be working at Not So Shabby from 10-5, Saturday, March 17. I may set up an easel so you can come in an play around with the paint. Pop in and say hi!
————————————————————————————————————————————
Until the snow stops, I’ll be dreaming of the lazy, hazy days of summer!
A hui hou!
Shelly
coming up in May to Farm Girl Flea. Hope to see you that day and pick up some new colors. Absolutely love this new technique. Gorgeous.
I’ll most likely be slaving away at the house getting ready for a graduation party but have fun at the Flea! I love these colors together too. They blend together almost magically.. I know that sounds goofy but it’s try. Love these colors together!!
Now I want to go park it in the sand and watch the colors of the water, like you painted roll up on the sand, all lazy waves and beautiful blues…. Nothing better than a Summer Sunday afternoon at the beach
I am going to kidnap you and take you out to the Lake as soon as it gets nice!!!