Pallet Art & Some Thank You's

I MUST start out this post with a HUGE

Thank you

for the wonderfully encouraging comments on my French Flower Pots!

It was fun knowing that they inspired so many of you to try your hand at this technique.

Thank you to all my new followers, too!
I'm truly glad to meet you and am looking forward to getting to know you better!

And last, but not at all least ~

Thank you to Vanessa and Heather

at

At The Picket Fence

for featuring me this week at

Simply Sundays.

Simply Sundays is a beautiful place of inspiration,
and a testament of their love and faith in God.

So, be sure to stop by there for your weekly devotion.

Now ~
are you ready?

I have another project you just may want to try your hand at.

Yup.

I've been busy.
Real busy.

It's been incredibly hot and muggy here in Michigan
so I've been hiding out indoors,
appreciating the AC
with Maizie happily by my side.

This project was inspired by Pottery Barn.
Gotta love that Barn.

Our next door neighbor was busily cleaning out his pole building last week,
when he came trotting over with some pallet-type things.
Dusty, dirty, spider-webby.
Some had hinges on them,
so they must have been some type of gate or something at one point.

He asked if I could use them for anything.

Really???

"Are you serious?"

Well, you know those light bulb moments that I have once in a while...
when I'm really lucky?

Well, the light bulb went on immediately
and I practically grabbed those pallets from his hands
giggling like a little school girl.

He must'ave thought I was a nut-job.

But that would be nothing new.
A lot of people think that.

I think he was glad that it was just one more pile of crap he didn't have to haul away.

He also gave me these.

Ohhhh, yeah - baby.

I know exactly what these will soon become.

Sorry.  
But you've got to wait.
That's for another post...


Anyway, that pile of pallet-thingies sat by my potting bench
awaiting my light bulb moment to come to fruition.

After a good scrubbing,
and a lonnng time drying out in the hot, humid weather,
(things just don't dry with 73% humidity in the air)
I hauled three of them inside and down to the nice, cool basement.

Before I could begin working on them....

we lost power.

Yeah.
Remember those four days
of maniac crafting in the semi-dark?

They sat down there for a couple days until I decided
to make like a modern day pioneer woman
and pull out my little Energizer lantern -
along with my stencils, paint, transfer paper, and brushes.

What else was there to do....??

I dragged the pallets up into the kitchen,
and off to work I went.

{Cloudy skies + drawn shades + no lighting = very poor photos. So, my apologies.
Let's just pretend it's a very rustic look....}

After deciding what verbiage I wanted on each pallet,
I traced the letters onto the wood...

and discovered that I'm still a little "word-spacing-challenged",
but I'm working on it.
Really, I am.

 Dry-brushing this pallet with a little watered down white paint
gave it a driftwood look.

And then, to the hum of my little lantern
and Maizie snoring at my feet,
I began painting.

And painting.
And painting.
And painting.

Letter by letter,
word by word...

with no noise from TV or radio ~
(nor the generator unfortunately)

I have to admit that
it was actually quite a peaceful, fulfilling job.

After a few back-breaking hours,
the "Live" pallet was completed!

I completed the "Sunshine" pallet the next day.

And the third day,
the larger whitewashed "Beach Rules" pallet was finished.

[Before distressing]

[After distressing and waxing]

I added a very light coat of paste wax to them all

for protection and a slightly finished look,

and they are ready to take to Doster Emporium to sell.

 [You can find Doster Emporium on Facebook now!]

Though....I may hang on to "Sunshine".....

she makes me happy.

So, there you go.

Another reclaimed,

repurposed

project 

saved from the burning pile.

 

 

What'cha think?

Will they sell?

{ Hugs }

PS...Some of you asked some questions on my French Flower Pot post, but didn't leave an email so I could get back to you with an answer.  So I answered them all (I hope) in the comment area of that post!

[I'm linking with the parties at the lower right of my sidebar.
Just click on the buttons to meet some new friends and a ton of inspiration!]