Sunday

Feeling Beachy Sign

I started a Christmas gift for my BFF who lives along the beautiful Northern California coast.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

That gift would have been for Christmas of 2014.

I worked on it in January.  That's January of 2015.

What month and year is it now?  August... 2015.

I've been moving the sign from room to room with no excuse other than I'm too lazy to get it packaged up.

It's currently leaning against the wall in my cedar porch.

Fortunately at her house in California beach never goes out of style.  Here, it is a little strange when there is 3 feet of snow outside.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

It's sort of a sad thing when she has to see her gift, almost a year later, on the internet, living 2000 miles away from the spot I made it for in her kitchen.

I'm going to tell you - and her - how I made it because I like it so much I might need to refer back and make one of my own.

I started with a thin piece of luan, nice and light for mailing.  It's a long sign made to fit above her sink, in the area of 4 feet long.

I would tell you exactly how long it is, but of the ten million tape measures that live here, not a one is to be found.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

The board was painted first in Coal from Fusion Mineral Paint, because I wanted the letters to be black.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com
I cut out vinyl to spell B E A C H, and I can tell you nothing sounds better in January in Minnesota than a warm beach.

Then I let the sign mellow for a couple months.  Mellow is code for it stood in the corner till I got back to it.

When next the sign and I met,  I painted a coat of Inglenook over the black - a pretty bluish green that reminded me of the Caribbean water.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

I tried out Fusion Sand Stone Texture, I figured that would give it a beachy vibe since it had the word sand in it.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

Sand Stone Texture is thicker, like a sheet rock mud, and you can apply it anyway you want, I used that cute little trowel tool you see in the picture above.

This stuff dries rock hard! 

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

I let it dry for a while on my front porch..... for about 2 months.  It got rained on and nothing softened that rock hard texture.

It does not dry semi transparent like it goes on.  This was the first time I used it and I didn't know that.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

By the time I was ready to finally finish it, I had to take out the palm sander to distress it so I could see just a hint of the blue peeking through.

I didn't have enough elbow grease to sand it by hand with a piece of sandpaper.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

 The whole sign was waxed with a clear wax, but I might go back and do more distressing and add some touches of dark wax before I mail it. Which might be another year right?

Of course you'll have to wait to see it hanging over her sink till I actually send it to her, and then you and I both might have to wait on the sign getting hung up.  Oh and after it's hung we might have to wait for a photo.

She's on the same time table as me.

Lets call it island time.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

So for now the sign is pointing the direction of the closest beach.  Right out my own back door.

It's not the ocean that I love, or the beautiful Caribbean, but on those hot and humid 90 degree days it's wet.

Beach Sign, Bliss-Ranch.com

Yup wet..... and always wild around here.






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14 comments :

  1. I LOVE the sign, Bliss! It is a wonderful gift and I know your friend will love it!

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  2. It is going to look lovely in her home. I have not tried the sand stone texture but it looks nice. Love your writing style and I too am most often on 'island time'.

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  3. That's great sign! I wish I lived close to the beach. I'm sure your friend will love it when she finally gets it! LOL!

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  4. Love the sign! Some day I will make a few. In between teaching and building furniture.

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  5. Wet and wild. that's the vision i have in my head. funny about how long it's taken to make and finish that sign. i have a few projects around here myself. but that's what happens when you are having fun enjoying life...right?

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  7. Hah I like the idea of "melloing"....did you cut the luan or were you able to buy it that size?

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  8. Wet and wild is always good! And Iove that sign! We all need to be reminded which way tot he nearest beach! :)

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  9. Bliss, I'm a bit confused. In one picture I can see the letters beneath the sand texture layer. So, how did they appear again ?

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  10. I used to call it procrastination...I like "island time" even better! Great sign! ;)

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  11. Poor BFF, only seeing her gift from afar! I hope it gets to her soon-ish!

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  12. Beautiful Beach sign Bliss. :)

    I did sort of the same thing with a chair that belongs to my cousin. I moved it someplace out of the way, and sort of tried to put it out of my mind (it was staining right-like I thought it was going to magically change while it was hiding?)
    Finally I moved it (purposely) to the kitchen so I would HAVE to walk around it. Yeah, did that for a couple of weeks. When I finally finished it, she loved it, and I refused payment on it. I was so embarrassed that I had it for almost a year! :(
    so, you're not alone!

    but, now--you really should be busy on finishing it and shipping it. Because we WILL ask you if you've done it yet. LOL

    gail

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  13. Creative types are like that. Unfinished projects all over the house. And finished projects awaiting their final destination. Get that sign in the mail before postage goes up again!

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  14. Island time if my very favorite type of keeping time! Love the texture that shows through on this piece. I think your BFF is going to love her new sign!

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