I can’t even begin to tell you guys how often I make the same mistake more than once.
You’d think I’d learn from my mistakes the first time around, but that is definitely not always the case. Today’s project is a good example.
I think I found this flower bucket at the Goodwill. Or maybe it was a garage sale. I really don’t remember.
It’s a nice solid galvanized metal (not the flimsy ‘new’ sort of stuff). I knew it could benefit from a paint job though.
So after giving it a good cleaning, I painted it with Dixie Belle’s Dried Sage. Over time I have learned that chalk style paint is your best bet over metal like this. It really doesn’t need any extra primer to help it stick.
Once I had the paint on I went through my embellishments to decide what to add.
I considered using a simple transfer, like I did on this flower bucket.
Or the one I just brought home from thrifting …
Or this one …
But as I was going through my stash I remembered the gorgeous paint inlay from the I.O.D. Melange set that I used on the trunk on our front porch last summer.
It looked like the perfect fit, and I’d only used it the one time so I should have been able to get a 2nd use out of it (like I did on the wooden box I shared earlier this week). I knew it would be a bit more faint the 2nd time around, but I forgot to factor in whether or not it would work well over the Dried Sage paint, which is a bit on the darker side.
I do think this could have worked over a lighter shade, like Drop Cloth. But it was really just too faint over the darker color.
That being said, other than the very faded look of it, I loved this design on the bucket. And I just happened to have a 2nd set of the Melange inlay on hand.
So I scuff sanded over the faint inlay just to smooth out any texture, added another two coats of the Dried Sage, and then tried again with the fresh new inlay.
Ahhhh, so much better!
I just love it.
I did save the used paint inlay …
and maybe next time I’ll remember to use it over Drop Cloth!
Once the flower bucket was dry, I gave it a quick spray with some Rust-Oleum matte spray sealer to seal the inlay. Once that dried, I went over it again with some clear wax.
I filled it up with some old paint brushes and some vintage wooden rulers for my photos.
But I really think it would be perfect for some dried hydrangeas. Unfortunately, I didn’t harvest any this past fall because at the time I couldn’t think what I would use them for.
I guess that makes two lessons learned from this project. First, don’t re-use a paint inlay over a darker color and second, always dry your hydrangeas, you never know when you’ll find a use for them!
In other news, my sister and I are off to visit our mom again. But this time around I have some blog posts pre-scheduled to keep you entertained while I’m gone. So be sure to stay tuned!
q is for quandie 
I really like that you are sharing “oops” of even an experienced flipper like yourself. I am learning so much. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks Pamela. Yep, I still make mistakes all the time, despite years of experience!
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I need your advice. Is there anyway to activate the dried up paint that is leftover on the inner rim of paint jars…. Like the Dixie belle silk paint, it leaves a lot of paint on the sides as you off load the paint brush. I hope you know what I mean. Thank you so much for taking the time for answering the many emails you get.
Sent from my iPhone
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Well, you probably won’t like my answer, but my solution is to not paint right out of the jars. I pour approximately the amount of paint I’ll need into another container, then I use a damp rag to wipe around the mouth of the jar and put the lid back on right away. Because you’re right, over time the paint will build up if you’re off loading it on the rim of the jar and eventually you will have trouble both getting the lids off and getting them on again.
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Thank you as always for your time and advice. Have a great day.
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Linda,
The metal vase came out great. You always know how to “salvage” a piece and make it look unique and special. You are good with all types of media. I have not been able to get the a technique down to use paint inlays. I have come to the conclusion that they will never provide the look that I want because they don’t look hand painted. I end up hand painting them anyway. I do like the transfers and stamps. But everything you do, comes out beautifully and I have drawn so much inspiration from your blogs and designs.
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I certainly agree that the paint inlays aren’t for everyone. Personally I’d much rather use a transfer than a paint inlay. They were fun to experiment with, but I’m not rushing out to buy any more at this point.
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Another lovely piece. I was wondering if you think you will try the inlay for a 3rd time? I think it could be a great background for a smaller transfer or decoupage image, like the script stamps are used. I haven’t even used that one yet…but I feel a copycat move brewing and do have a tall flower tin!
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I have yet to be able to remove a paint inlay in one piece after the 2nd use of it. They tend to fall apart and come off in bits and pieces, thus making it impossible to use for a 3rd time. I do love your idea of using the 2nd time around paint inlay for a background and putting something else over it, great option!
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