Love all your finds. Great prices too. I can't wait to see all you do with them. That plaque is awesome. Great painting surface. Any ideas yet on what you'll paint on it? I know you'll have those trays looking wonderful in no time. If you can't get that teapot shined up I can see it planted with something fun. ;) ~A

Anj & Luvs, stopped by the TS today but only found a wood bowl on a pedestal. I have a shelf full of old salad bowls so I don't know why I thought I needed another. I like to paint Santa faces or Snowmen faces in them. I love the teapot. There was a book put out several years ago by Jo Sonja where she took old silver teapots and painted them. Can't remember the name though but they turned out really pretty. Send pics when you have finished it.

Nice finds!

Guess I missed the post on the video about 'painting suitcases'. Can you tell us what you plan on painting on it?

This isn't really painting with a brush...but on Debbie Travis show yesterday...she used a piece of lace for a stencil and spray painted an old dresser....she used soft colors and it was just beautiful. Has anyone ever tried using lace as a stencil? I may try it with a paper doily on an old piece of wood.

Gram, I just bought some small paper doilies. I'm trying to make some "wooden" valentines cookies with different "toppings" on them. Wanted them to look like the ones Minnie postefd on the crafts or holidays forum. (Her's are real.) Thought I would use a doily as a stencil on a couple of them. Make them look like I sprinkled powdered sugar on them. I think I've stenciled over a doily before but it would have been eons ago!

I have seen lace used on projects and it looked beautiful--just haven't had occassion to try it myself. Probably wouldn't want to ruin the piece of lace--I love lace! Ha ha

I have some old bottles of texture paste, so I used some of it to ice a few of the "cookies" last night. The one product really looked like icing! Sure hope nobody picks one up when I am not looking--wouldn't want anyone to break a tooth! LOL Not sure this project will be worth all the cutting and sanding--but decorating them is sort of fun!

I think my post about the painting roses on suitcases video is on the Trash to Treasure forum. This suitcase was only 99 cents, so figured "Why not"? I often want to try things--but then have no place to use them. I used to let that stop me, but now I figure I will just do it and enjoy myself. I can always have a YS or donate it to Goodwill, right?

Paintingfool, Bet that was a good book. I have a couple of magazines with painted teapots in them. I've also seen some on ebay and on some of the Shabby Chic sites. I am sort of curious about this one--the metal is different from most that i have seen--not copper but very gold colored. It's really heavy and the inside is beautiful. We use Maas polish on the silver and pewter items at the store--so I think I will try that on this one. Just want to see if I might have found a diamond in the rough! LOL If it doesn't clean up and look good, then I will spray paint it and paint some roses on it.

What a great idea with the bowls. Bet they are wonderful. That sounds like challenging painting too. You are just amazing.

I think it is so fun to hit a YS or TS and look for things to revitalize with paint. That duck I found has to be from the 80's. I think I have a painting book with a whole bunch of them in it. For 55 cents, I couldn't not give him a 2nd lease on life. I think I will sand him off and repaint him--he'll add a little whimsey in my sideyard flowerbed.

Happy painting! Luvs

Luvs, I am a member of several painting chapters in our area. One of the chapters took old suitcases and painted them for the local womens shelter. Sometimes the women come in with just the clothes on their backs so the suitcases came in handy to keep the clothes and supplies that were given to them. They did not care that the suitcase didn't have rollers - they were always so grateful. I have my mothers very old rectangle shaped overnight/cosmetic suitcase - it measures about 11 x 14" and this has inspired me to paint something on it. It is original on the inside, just missing the mirror so I thought I might add a pretty fabric to match whatever I decide to paint.

Your Valentine cookies sound yummy. I have used lace and doilies (spelling?) on several projects. Jeanne Downing (check out her website www.rosecote.com) has a beautiful white rose on a green background and she used the lacey part of the doily just on the 1/3 of the project and it looked very pretty. I really like the plastic wrap look also for some of my backgrounds.

It is difficult to paint a Santas face inside the bowl but they are not very deep and they make great candy dishes. I don't usually paint the whole bowl, I keep it natural with just the face on the inside. I also paint cute Santa faces on the back of spoons - they make cute ornaments. I purchased the spoons at the Dollar Tree for 24 cents each.

On the silver teapot, try a brass cleaner also, sometimes silver teapots are actually brass with a silver overlay.

Do any of you use brown paper bags for sanding?
PF

Hi Paintingfool, Brown paper bags--yep--works good after doing the base coat to smooth the grain of the wood. That and using alcohol to remove dried paint mistakes on a project or to get it out of a brush were two of the most useful tips I was ever told.

Ths teapot is brass. Not of any special value, so I can feel free to do whatever I want to it now. Not sure how soon I will get started on it. I'll be sure to post a pic when done.

How great that you have your Mom's case. Yes, you should paint it and then display it where you will see it and enjoy it. I've seen some painted ones by Renee Mullins with Santas and such on them, and I saw some either on ebay or in Romantic Homes magazine. The lady makes "Memory boxes" out of the cosmetic cases--paints them and uses pretty fabric inside. They were wonderful. Have to see if I can find them again.

Tell me about painting chapters. Are these groups that get together to paint and chat? Do they have regular "meetings". Curious when you say you belong to several--why more than one? Do you pay dues. Sounds like they do some charity work too. Just curious.

I am learning lots of new things from you. ;o)

Luvs

Luvs, I am a member of three chapters of the National Society of Decorative Painters - one in Mobile, Al and one in Crestview, FL. It is cheaper to take classes at their chapter if you are a member. (www.decorativepainters.org) I have been a member of the NSDP since 1985. We have probably more than 27,000 members worldwide. There is probably a chapter near you if you are interested in checking it out. You can find out by going to the website. As a chapter, we bring in teachers about 3 times a year for a weekend. The end of this month we have a certified teacher of Sue Scheewe and in March we have Bobbie Campbell (www.bobbiecampbell.com). I have been fortunate enough to take classes from so many of our known decorative painters, some published books, some have received their credentials from NSDP. It's just a club for people who like to paint. We meet once a month and after the meeting we have a paint project taught be one of our members. We have people who are One Strokers as members and we have several who have never painted before but are learning. Our dues for the NSDP is $40 a year, you get a beautiful painting magazine 6 times a year. Our chapter charges $15 a year which goes to the cost of bringing in teachers. For me it is a great opportunity because I get to hang around with people who have the same interest as I do. We have parties, auctions, Dumpster Diving projects, just to mention a few. We also have service projects such as painting memory boxes for mothers who lost their newborns, the boxes hold their little caps, pacifiers, etc., we collect coke tabs and toiletries for Ronald McDonald House visitors and we paint tray favors for the patients at the Rehab Center. Then every year in May or June the NSDP has a convention where thousands of decorative painters come to take classes and shop. It is really great fun and by having different teachers come to our club we learn different techniques.

BTW, Vodka also has alcohol in it so if you ever run out of alcohol, grab a bottle of Vodka. If it doesn't help take out the paint in your brush - oh, well, there are other uses for it, LOL! I keep a miniature bottle on my paint table just in case.

I am off to our chapter meeting today. I am having a class on stroke roses and I need to get my stuff together.
Later