Chalk Painted bench - June 24th 2015

Hello Friends,

I didn't have to go to work today, but decided that instead of craft I would get up to date on the computer...so I have now (hopefully) caught up with all your blogs as well as downloaded all my photos from last week!

The weather outside is beautiful and I would like to be out in the craft barn - but - (bear with me here!) I have to 'hide' inside from the hens! I haven't gone crazy..one of the neighbours is having a fence replaced and it's a very long area, so I have to keep the hens in their run until they're done. If the girls know I'm home, they'll want to come out and will get quite persistent. Drat that  they had to do it the one day this week I'm home!!!

Anyway.....when we were away last week we had a nice time visiting a couple of  little 'vintage/shabby chic' shops that specialise in selling Annie Sloan paint (you probably know my now that it's my favourite!),...well in short it was everything AS: paint, restored furniture,workshops....! I knew the shops were there, so I'd waited to get my hands on a couple of her new stencils and when I came home I set to work on a few paint projects....

I picked this storage box up really cheaply last week and should have got a couple of them. 

I painted the outside using  AS Old Ochre Chalk Paint, waxed it and then sanded it a little at the edges to reveal some of the wood beneath. This is an ideal size for storing my little pots of AS paint. I then stencilled the hands on the outside using .....

Next for the bench...this bench sits in our porch, it's not meant as a seat (although it can be sat upon) and it was made by my Father in Law to my design about 10 years ago. I use it to display seasonal flowers, Easter, Halloween and Christmas decs etc.

 It needed a paint anyway, so I used the Old Ochre: it only needed one coat and then I used  flower and bird stencils to decorate. I didn't stencil all the seat back as it tends to get hidden by plants and other decorations during the year anyway.

 I also stencilled the flower on the side of the box...

Before I go, I will share a few photos from last week...I'm not going to share too many(if there are  animals and birds in sight, I take hundreds!!!)  and I'll spread them across the next few posts, but on Monday last week we visited two of my favourite places, The Cotswold Falconry Centre (which is where I did my intro to Falconry training day a few years ago) and Batsford Arboretum next door - we are members of a larger Arboretum close to us and we also get entry into Batsford with our membership...and I prefer Batsford ...

Here are some photos of the Birds of Prey...I love them all, but during the displays the vultures are so entertaining, the way they interact with each other, just like a scene from the Jungle Book!

Bald Eagle

Bateleur Eagle

This owl decided to sit on my handbag!

Kestrel

Tom had urged me to book for a refesher session, but I never got around to it - I still got to fly  this adorable little owl though :)

I had to include this shot that Tom took as the owl swooped towards him :)

Vultures, I could watch them all day, they are so comical

Golden Eagle

These are just a few of the photos I took, I'll share some more from the week on Friday...and be warned, there will be more birds..not hawks, but more birds!

Meanwhile thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment, always very much appreciated,

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

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