... the lazy blogger has returned from the deepest, darkest winter...

So sorry I posted and pooped out.  I didn't forget about you, gentle reader and fans!  Work was so busy last year that it seemed that all I did was work the 9-5 or buy, buy, buy... and take a vacation out west.

Our winter here has been so long and was so bitterly cold, it has been too cold to paint and prep in the basement - too cold for me to work down there and too cold for the paint to cure properly.

We have seen a couple of hiccups of spring in the past couple of weeks and I have spent every sunny, warmish day finishing some projects, prepping, and trying out some new finishing techniques and project prototypes. 

There is so much inspiration out there for new artists, and I am soaking up everything I see and will translate my inspirations into some future projects.

I'm posting some more finds that I'm working on for you.  Yes - there is a finished piece in here: A small 50-cent mirror from Goodwill that I painted a pale green aqua color.  After sanding, priming, painting with some satin-finish paint, I wanted to use furniture wax as the finish.  The satin paint left a "chalky" feel and had a very matte, dry look to it.

I used Johnson's paste wax on a rag cut from an old t-shirt.  I applied it liberally and wiped it off. The paint finish soaked up the first two applications of wax.  The third and fourth coats were the buffing coats.  I love the finish - a nice, smooth matte finish - not shiny.  I am looking forward to applying this technique to some future pieces. 

Here are some recent finds.  They are in the midst of prep right now.