What's Black & Blue and....?

No...I didn't get beat up!  I'm just being silly...

I recycled some HUGE black candlesticks, by painting them blue and then added some watered down white paint, and powdered Plaster of Paris (that has become one of my favorite supplies!)...and, now they're ready for a new life.

Once again, I forgot to take a picture of the candlesticks while they were still black...just use your imagination.

I used more of the same blue chalk paint that I used for the chairs (see that post here) and the lantern.

But, this time, I wanted a more detailed look because these candlesticks are very ornate.  I decided to water down some white acrylic paint and just slop it on; then I wiped it back off leaving it just in the recesses and crevices.  I used wet paper towels and it took a lot of them.  It was also VERY messy- (I'm still wearing white paint all around my fingernails.  I've tried working with gloves- and, it didn't work.  I have to be able to feel what I'm doing.)

While some of the white watery paint was still in puddles in the cracks and crevices, I dropped dry Plaster of Paris in it, which dries to leave a very powdery, chalky look.  I did this by picking it up with a dry brush, and then flicking my wrist to get it where I wanted it to go.

This picture turned out a little more green than it actually is, but I wanted to show it because you can really see the details of the Plaster of Paris in the crevices before it has absorbed the water from the white paint.

Another shot of the pretty details in the candlesticks...

Here is a  shot of the two, side by side.  One has been accented with the white, while the other has not.  You can really see what a difference it makes.

When I was finished with the addition of the white, I went back and dry brushed more of the blue onto the high spots where the white didn't wipe away as much as I wanted.

That's all there was to it.  I did not do a top coat of any kind (wax, clear acrylic, etc.) as these pieces will not be in an environment where they will get a lot of wear or come into contact with much of anything...they will just stand around and look pretty!

I topped them with the big white pillar candles that I already had, although I think I will get some big battery operated ones like the one in the lantern.  It's just much safer that way when children are around...and, I'm getting sort of forgetful in my old age, too.  Burning candles are not something I want to forget.

Well, that makes another project to check off the list!  

If you found this post helpful, or learned a new technique, I would love to hear from you.  And, if this is your first visit, I would be honored to have you follow me...I'm always doing this sort of thing.  You can also follow me on facebook by clicking on the icon up on the right hand side of this page.   Or, you can follow by e-mail...Just scroll down to the bottom of the page, and you can enter your address in the space provided. If you follow by e-mail, be sure to check your spam folder- my posts are going there lately, and I have to figure out how to fix that...

Thanks for dropping by!

Judy