Garden and Easel Art Studio

Take a look at my vintage Waterfall furniture overhaul and get ready to fall in love... With Bakelite...  And Coral ( I used Valspar® Amber Rose ). This is how I achieved this classic beachy look: Vintage waterfall furniture from the 1930-1940's found at a local thrift store.  Someone had painted them an atrocious brown. Nothing a little sanding couldn't cure.  Drawer handles removed and ready for sanding.  I added 2-3 coats of paint using a small roller and used angled trim brush f or the detail.              I used Rust-Oleum® Oil Rubbed Bronze I painted the handles inside a box to control the spray.   And this was the result. Click here to learn more about Bakelite and it's inventor Leo Baekeland. Finished pieces before they were distressed and antiqued.      This handy tool took care of the distressing.  ...

Bumblebee, Salvia & Dill Bumblebee on Salvia Unidentified Moth on Salvia Moth on Sweet Basil   Click Here to see if you can identify this sweet little moth. 

Queen Anne's Lace ( Wild Carrot ) is found in abundance along the roadsides of Tennessee this time of the year.  Take time to pick a bunch and give it a pop of color... It's fun and easy to do.   What to do: Just add food coloring and water to tiny bottles or vases.... And in the morning you will wake up to this! This will become.... This little beauty. Try not to dilute your mixture too much...the colors will be stronger.   Enjoy your creation for many days to come!

Below I've mixed my love of vintage pottery with my succulent infatuation. Enjoy and learn how you can create your own succulent arrangements. Let's make the world more beautiful, shall we?  A simple succulent creation in a vintage cream color planter. Vintage pony planter (1950's or 60's) filled with hen & chicks.  Vintage green planter filled with 3 different succulents. It's so easy to create.... This is what you need to get started: Pottery, vases and glassware from consignment shops and yard sales. Buy the dirty, old stuff that no one else wants.  Vintage Ungemach Pottery. $1 at a yard sale off the beaten path. Score!! A little bit of elbow grease and we are ready to plant. You will need a variety of small succulents, planters, sand, and dirt. That's it. Add about 1 cup of sand to the bottom of each planter to help with drainage.   Add your dirt on top of the sand. Use a mixture that is fast draining...