A Frog for My Cupboard

Some time ago, I mentioned that I was working on this:

A $25 cupboard that I hoped would prove to be worth that much.

I've had it completed,

waiting to be put on the back porch when the porch is finished,

but right now that has been at a stand still.

Life took over:

my new unfinished kitchen cabinets arrived and are taking up the porch

waiting for their turn to be painted,

and the electrician has been delayed;
not to mention how the flower beds have confiscated my energy.

So I thought,

since my brain has been on fog-setting lately,

that I'd just go ahead and show the results

hoping it will possibly push myself back into creativity,

instead of the recurring problem of falling to sleep suddenly

and without warning;

then waking up several hours later to finish my house chores,

feeling like my contacts have been glued to my eyeballs.

I decided on this color of...

I'm not sure what it is.

I saw a piece of furniture done in a magazine like it

and decided on it.

I mixed some colors I had,

trying to diminish my husband's pet-peeve of my overbearing

"need"

to purchase fun colors of "Oops" Paint.

 My kind husband installed these thin wood pieces

on the doors.

After two coats of the color had thoroughly dried,

I mixed a tiny bit of the off-white I'd used on the door

to some of the paint.

 I then randomly brushed it on...

 and then wiped it off,

spreading it as I went.

 This gave a little dimension to the piece.

I then roughly painted white in the middle of each door,...

 and then mixed in more of the off-white...

 especially around the white edges.

 Then the fun part was come.

I got on the Graphic Fairy's blog

 and finally decided on this scene to try.

I penciled it in

while watching episodes of Daniel Boone with the rest of the family.

(Funny how looking at it reminds me of that.)

After it was etched in with pencil,

I used my dipping calligraphy pen

and some water-resistant ink
(making sure it would not run when I painted on it with the color:
I purchase an acrylic or shellac based calligraphy ink).

Next was the color:

I painted the images,

using watered down acrylic paint.

 And here it is.

I found the pulls at the Good Will for $2 each,
although they were gold,
so I painted them black.

 It took a fair piece of time...

 but hopefully it will last.

 It has flowers that I know very well in my life...

 and the frog that my son requested.

After all,

as long as there's a frog and the son is happy,
that's enough of a reason to keep it,
don't you think?

Linked up to:

A Little Knick Knack: Everything-but-kitchen-sink
Sarahndipities: Make-something-Monday
The CSI Project