Old suitcases make wonderful and unique storage pieces for
anything from craft supplies to treasured mementos. With a little imagination and a few art supplies,
they can be as beautiful as they are useful!
I have painted many vintage suitcases and trunks over the years, most of
which I have shared with you here. This
time I decided to forgo my standard striped luggage look for a more artistic,
romantic style. After all, what could be
better than a beautiful piece of art that doubles as storage?
This makeover started
with 2 coats of Antoinette. Once the
paint was completely dry, it was time to get artsy!
I love this Floral Scroll stencil from Artisan
Enhancements! Artisan stencils are unique
in that they are cut on a thicker, heavier stock which makes them great for
creating raised relief designs with products such as VP Antico, Fine Stone and
Pearl Plaster. For this finish, I chose
VP Antico, a synthetic polishing plaster by Artisan Enhancements with a neutral
base.
After attempting and
failing at creating stencil reliefs with everything from trowels to kitchen
spatulas I finally discovered this fabulous tool called a color shaper from
Artisan Enhancements! It works
beautifully for pushing thick product through stencils!
I started by taping
the stencil into place with a few pieces of painter’s tape. And yes, I cut a couple of corners off of my
stencil! It was necessary in order to
work around the handle and closures of the suitcase and still be able to lay
the stencil flush against the surface. I
scooped some of the VP Antico product out onto a plate and gave it a good stir
before slathering it over the stencil with my color shaper. This product reminds me of a very thick frosting,
and applying it feels a bit like frosting a cake. As soon as I had covered the stencil evenly with the VP product, I lifted the stencil straight up to reveal my beautiful raised design! Depending on how thickly you apply the VP Antico, it can
take up to a couple of hours to dry completely.
I find that this works to my advantage because it gives me time to fix any
smudges and even enhance and manipulate the design a bit.
While the product was
still pliable, I used my small paint brush to add a little texture to the
design and give it a more custom look.
Because I have little
patience and always seem to be pressed for time, I hit my VP Antico designs
with a blow dryer to speed things along.
I knew this would create a little bit of crackling and I welcomed the
additional texture! Within a few
minutes, the reliefs were rock hard and I was ready to move onto the next step!
Scumble by Artisan
Enhancements is a tintable glaze like product.
I mixed approximately 1 part Coco to 4
parts Scumble to create a soft brown glaze that I then stippled onto my paint
surface with a small sea sponge. I love
the silky finish this product has as it dries.
The Coco Scumble mix
really gave my paint finish the antiqued look I was going for, but I wasn’t
done with it quite yet!
I mixed a second
Scumble concoction, this time with Old White and applied it over top the Coco glaze.
On the right you can
see how the Old White Scumble mix lightened the overall look and gave it
another layer of dimension and complexity.
Once I was happy with
the new finish on my suitcase and the Scumble glaze was completely dry (less
than 20 minutes!), I sealed it with Artisan Enhancement’s Clear Topcoat
Sealer. This product is a No VOC,
exterior grade sealer that dries to a matte sheen. I used my Topcoat Brush, also from Artisan
Enhancements to apply a thin layer over the entire suitcase. Artisan Enhancements recommends waiting 24
hours before applying a second thin layer for optimum protection
The little Samsonite
plaque above the suitcase handle popped off easily with a small screwdriver and
I happened to have this label frame from the craft store which seemed to be the
perfect replacement. After sifting
through some old ephemera for inspiration, I found the word “gratitude” in an
old Hymnal and cut it out to put inside the frame. It wasn’t the word I thought I was looking
for but somehow it worked for me. I like
it!
Who knew an old, discarded suitcase could be
turned into something so lovely and useful?
Think of the possibilities
I love that I was
able to create this pretty piece on a stormy day in the comfort of my warm
kitchen without exposing myself to any harmful toxins! Artisan Enhancements has a wonderful
selection of No VOC artistic mediums to take your paint finishes to a new level
without the harmful chemicals present in traditional products!
Thank you so much for your visit today!
Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda
Disclosure: This is an Artisan Enhancements sponsored
post, however the opinions and ideas expressed here are mine and I will only
ever promote products that I enjoy using and feel may benefit my readers.
Sharing With:
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours
Friday's Unfolded at Nancherrow
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed
What's it Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants
