Thursday, February 17, 2011

Mirror, Mirror....

Not on the wall... as of yet!  I think I'm going to save these mirrors to put in my office.  But I have big plans for remodeling that room coming soon.  I just need to get my other to-do's out of the way first.  Yeah yeah!

So from my last post I left off with the mirrors having been spray painted (if you missed it click here for that).  The next step is glazing.  I've posted another glazing technique (click here for that).  This is a layering technique which requires a bit more work, but it's still easy! 

I'm using my go-to glaze of choice, Valspar color glaze.  These come premixed in different colors.  This one is Raw Umber.  There are several to choose from and I think I have just about all of the colors because I love to experiment with them and create unique looks.  If you want help in deciding before you buy, please post a comment or send me a message and I would be happy to help. 


Apply a generous amount of the glaze working it into the crevices.  These are metal frames so I let the glaze dry on there for quite a few minutes before wiping off.  Actually I didn't really wipe as much as I did dab.  Just use an old t-shirt or soft cloth and start slowly.  Depending on the surface of your project, experiment and see what technique is going to give you the look you want.  You can always apply more glaze and start over.


This coat took several hours to dry because, again, these are metal frames.  Here's how they look after the first coat.  You could certainly leave them this way if you choose.  They look pretty cool so far don't ya think?


The next glazing step is a custom one.  Valspar also makes a clear glaze that you can tint yourself.  Use 3 parts glaze to 1 part paint and mix well. 



Since I'm using black here a tiny bit goes a long way.  I did not saturate the brush as I did in the previous application.  And I simply just worked the glaze using the brush until the glaze dries onto the surface, no wiping necessary on this one.  So in this photo below you can see the difference between the two.


I let that set up for a couple hours and then I used a 180 grit sandpaper and sanded down the tops of the design to allow some of the original coloring to show through, see below.


Ta Da!  Here is the final result.  I will have more segments on layering glazing techniques.  You can do this on virtually anything and everything to customize your accessories!  And again, I welcome your comments and questions.



Linking up to:  Debbiedoos Blogging and Blabbing.  And if you wanna see more from Rustic Renditions click on Follower up at the top and join the fun!

18 comments:

  1. Jen! That looks awesome! I've always been to chicken to try layering different Glazes! Maybe after learning more from you.... I will attempt it! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Jam! I think the hardest part is waiting for each step to dry... cause I'm always so anxious to just get it done. But let me know if you need any help when you start your project, and be sure to send me some pics! I'd like to start incorporating some follower's before and afters from some of these tutorials!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks great Jen. You did a great job with the mirrors. Love the blog...keep those awesome projects coming.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks to you too Mandy!... I'm so glad my little ol' creations may inspire others to try some DIY accessories! Tell all your friends to come on over and check it out... and as always, let me know what you'd like to see on Rustic Renditions in the future. Much love ~ Jen :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, I love your mirror! I enjoyed reading your post too - you write really well!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing! I haven't tried glazing yet, but you make it look so easy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those look awesome!!! I love great thrift store finds :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. these are great looking mirrors. what a difference from the beginning!
    lynn

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have a party on Wednesday called Anything Goes, I would love it you shared this.

    http://typeadecorating.blogspot.com/

    Thanks Tammy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful makeover. I wish I could find mirrors like that at my local thrift stores.

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a great thrifty find!! Your touch really turned the mirror into a "Wow" piece. Please share your creative project with my followers, link to my blog bash K.I.S.S. Happy to be a new follower. :)

    http://thetatteredtag.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love these, they turned out great. Thanks for sharing this at my party!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love your creativity, thanks for linking up to my blog bash K.I.S.S. @ The Tattered Tag. Please link up more of your great ideas tomorrow. :)

    Drop by The Tattered Tag

    ReplyDelete
  14. It turned out so good! I just found your blog through I heart naptime. I am now your newest follower. Come check me out if you get a chance.

    Noplacelikehomeally.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Looks awesome!

    http://lanis-hammertime.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  16. You are busy girl, I can't keep up with you. Looks awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  17. That is a great glazing job, love them!

    Carol

    ReplyDelete
  18. They look great - the glazing worked really well.

    ReplyDelete