Bird's Nest Blues

Yes, I am still on a blues kick!!  Well, when plan A fails, you move to plan B or was it plan C? :)  I lost count!!  I couldn't decide what direction I wanted to go with this frame, but you can see my final decision by the photo below.

Now for all the details.  Sometimes if something is just not working, you can either give up or move on to Plan B.  This is one of those stories, and warning it's a long post!

                                                                                                                                                                                     


I purchased this gorgeous mirror/frame at an estate sale earlier in the summer.  I loved the beautiful details around the mirror, but the mirror itself was history!  So I put it on my fireplace in my bedroom until I could decide what I wanted to do with it.  The biggest decision was where to use it, what color, and exactly what to do with it.  Since everything in my kitchen and living room are in the gold, browns, and red tones, did I want to go with those colors?  Ok, actually my bedroom is red, too!!  That is about to change.  I really want to give that room a makeover using blues and browns.  Hey, you can only go so much reds, huh?
Right before we moved into our home, I purchased a beautiful new red comforter.  I've hated to spend money on a new one when the old one is great, but it's time!  I've neglected my poor bedroom to work on the rest of the house.

I was getting very tired of looking at the ugly, spotted mirror, so I knew had to get busy.  I decided to use this in my bedroom, and that meant going blue!  I painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Duck Egg Blue.  Here is the frame with 2 coats of paint.  Next, I used the clear wax, and then very lightly added the dark wax randomly.  I also let the original color show through on the inside trim.

Then I lightly brushed the gold gilding wax over the entire frame. If your not familiar with the gilding wax,  yo  you can read about it here. Ok, so far everything was going according to Plan A!  I was loving the frame.

Here's where the fail came in.  I recently bought some beautiful scrapbook paper and loved this awesome stripe with fleur de lis.  I had already given it a coat of Mod Podge and added a stencil using Wood Icing.  I mixed ASCP Duck Egg Blue and Napoleonic Blue to get the perfect shades in the paper to paint the fleur de lis.  I was amazed that I got pretty darn close to the colors.  I just was NOT loving it!  Either my stencil was too small or that one fleur de lis under the stencil just wasn't cutting it!  I know when I ask my hubby his opinion and his response is it's alright, it was time to move to Plan B.  I have found a way to rescue this fail that I hope to share soon.

My next choice was the adorable blue paper with a cute bird pattern that I had considered earlier.  So that's when I decided to go with the bird's nest.  I cut the nest in half and hot glued it to the paper.  I also added some blue paper in the nest to give it some color.

Then I added the bow, and a cute little button I made using the I-top that I won from a giveaway at Uncommon Designs! It is the coolest thing ever.  I will do a full post on that because it's so fun to use.

I am so thankful  for the fail!  I love how this turned out.  My daughter came home as I was finishing up, and tried to talk me out of it!  Since I am a total frame addict, I promised her I would make the smaller one for her.  I was just happy I made something my 20 year old wanted.  LOL

                             

I can't wait to finish my bedroom, but that's going to be a work in progress for awhile!  I will give you a sneak peek where this picture will be going.  Of all my estate sale finds, the photo below is my absolute favorite!  I just have to change the red candles!!  The bird's nest is going right beside it.

                                                                                   
I love everything about my house except the fireplaces!  They are not so pretty and both have windows above them!!  Craziness.  I need to post soon how I remedied the ugliness of the downstairs fireplace until we can build a beautiful bookcase around it!  Yep, I'm dreaming BIG!!  LOL

Thanks for hanging in there for this long post!  Just wanted to share all the not so pretty details that led to latest project.  Never give up on a project.  Take a break or go a totally different direction, until you find what works.  The tray I talked about in my last post is still on break!  :)  I would love to hear about your failed projects that turned out better than planned, or like my tray, still on an extended break.

                                                                    Kathy

Linking to these great parties:  Manic Monday  Anything Blue & Pink