Monday, February 6, 2012

Mirror, Mirror, on the ..... floor?

Adventures with colored wax.

I had real reservations when I saw this mirror on Craigslist. Not only did it scream 70s but it is a whopping 50 inches tall. (When I was getting ready to photograph it I dragged the thing around the house looking for a spot ... it's too big for my house.) It's a heavy thing, too. I was huffing and puffing while wrestling it into my car.

Here it is in its disco colored glory:



YIKES
My first paint combination was way too blah. Instead of aged it just looked dirty. I used an eggshell milk paint which turned ugly beige when I waxed with the clear and dark waxes. I used Duck Egg Blue on the trim but it also seemed too dark.


So I white-washed the whole thing but the white-wash just slid off the wax.

Hmmmmm.

Time to experiment! This is something I've been wanting to try for a long time. I mixed powdered white pigment into clear wax and waxed the entire mirror. The white wax lightened the beige to a pretty antique white and softened the blue trim perfectly. It settled into crevices to highlight nicely. I ended up with a combination of highlights and lowlights.



The different paints I used reacted to each other and crackled naturally. I've had this happen before and I love it! it doesn't always work, however. These natural paints have a mind of their own to be sure!



Before and after.

I'm really happy with my colored wax experiment. Now that I have white wax mixed up I might try pickling. I'd like to try the white wax on black stain. I've seen some pictures on the net and like the look.

Example - not the best but I can't find the image that first got me excited about this technique.


And, speaking of trying new things, I am off to the post office to pick up my first order of CeCe Caldwell paint! I'll let you know how i like it.

5 comments:

  1. Daena, That mirror looks like it matches perfectly with the little vanity in your last post. I love them both. Dee

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  2. Wow, love that mirror, the scroll work on the top is so pretty. You mixed white pigment with the clear wax, it really came out so nice. What do you mean by white pigment? I like the result. Your are very creative. Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration at Sunday's Best Par.tay!

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    1. Sorry it's taken me so long to answer your question. The white pigment, and many other colors, can be purchased at art supply stores. It is generally used to make custom oil paints but I thought why not try it with wax?

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  3. Beautiful! Thank you for sharing, for the lovely inspiration and how-to! What a great mirror! You took it from Victoria 1970's to Veranda 2012!
    Best Wishes and Blessings,
    Amanda

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  4. oooo, ooooo, ooooo, I'm dying to try the white wax now!!! Great job, thanks for sharing. I'm your newest follower. Love your projects.

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