Friday, February 8, 2013

The Tucson Gem Show, Tucson 2013 Gem Show

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I've just returned from the Tucson Gem Show this past week. I've spent the weekend shopping for the very best and most beautiful gemstones. Stay tuned for many new items and my new stone options...I will posting the new stone chart very soon! With over 40 different shows going on in the city of Tucson this week, it was difficult to pick and choose which to attend. There would never be enough time to see them all. If you are lucky enough to be in Tucson this week...Enjoy!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

OMBRE Painted Dresser Tutorial - How to Refinish old furniture in 10 Easy Steps!

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When I wasn't busy making jewelry this summer, I took on a little furniture refinishing project. Now that I have finally gotten everything together, I wanted to share the tutorial with all of you! It is actually very easy to complete this project. As long as you can set aside a few hours over a long weekend, you can complete this look with any old piece of furniture you have been meaning to bring back to life.

This piece in particular has been in my family for many years. It was actually a piece of my great grandparents bedroom set. It was passed onto my grandfather, then onto my mother. The memories I had of this set of drawers is from my early childhood. It sat in my grandfather's garage, filled with tools, junk and motor oil! I knew I had a lot of work to do because of the dismal condition it was in, but I am known to see the potential beauty in the discarded...so, I went to work!

I have broken this down into (10) TEN Easy Steps because I wanted to make it as simple as possible for any beginner to accomplish.

YOU WILL NEED:

● A cleaning Rag
● A tack cloth
● Sand Paper
● Wood filler
● A putty knife
● Good Paintbrushes
● Paint in a variety of colors
● Floetrol (optional)
● Primer
● Polyurethane
● Spray paint
● New Hardware (optional)
● A well ventilated area

STEP 1: CLEAN YOUR FURNITURE

Depending on how grimy your furniture is, you will need to clean it. Use a damp cloth to remove any dirt or dust from the wood. Let dry.

As you can see, this piece was quite dirty! Make sure to clean well.

STEP 2: SAND YOUR FURNITURE

Once cleaned, sand your furniture with a coarse grit sand paper to remove any rough spots along the wood. Sanding also helps to loosen any chipping paint if your furniture had been painted in the past. Since this piece had been painted and used as a junk drawer in the garage, sanding was a very important step to ensure that the wood became smooth. You can also use a hand held, motorized sander for tougher jobs.

Don't skip the sanding step!

STEP 3: WIPE WITH TACK CLOTH

Now that your piece is completely sanded and smooth, you will need to remove the dust that has been formed on your furniture. Use a sticky tack cloth to complete this step. Make sure you remove all the dust from your furniture with the tack cloth or your paint will not adhere properly.

STEP 4: FILL HOLES WITH WOOD PUTTY

Next, you will want to fill any holes or scrapes on your furniture with wood putty. Use a putty knife to fill in the holes. Let dry.

Lots of indents and holes here!

STEP 5: SAND AGAIN!

Use a finer grit sand paper to sand the filled-in holes. You will want to make sure the holes are filled completely and the wood is smooth. Don't worry about the way this looks, your primer will cover it!

STEP 6: PRIME

Now it's time to prime your furniture. I used Zinsser's Cover Stain Primer. It is an oil based primer. This primer will cover everything, even if your furniture is dark. Paint your furniture well and let dry according to the directions on your paint can.

Zinsser's Cover Stain Primer

Primed Drawers

STEP 7: PAINT

Once primed, you are ready to paint! To achieve the look of the OMBRE, you will need to choose six colors, starting with a light color and descending into a darker color within the same color family. The easiest way to do this is to go your local paint store and choose the color scheme that you like. Pick up a paint strip and use the gradient of colors on the strip. You will not need much paint to achieve this look. I purchased sample sized cans since each drawer is painted a different color. Since the piece of furniture I was refinishing was divided into a top half and bottom half, I choose to do a very light green gradient on the top three drawers and a blue gradient on the bottom. The sides and back of my piece were painted white. Use a really good paint brush to apply your paint. Don't skimp on the brush! You do not want to be picking tiny hairs out of your beautiful paint. It is optional to add something called Floetrol to your paint. Floetrol will slow down the drying time of your paint, but will help to minimize seeing paint strokes left on your furniture as the paint dries. Let dry according to directions on paint can.

STEP 8: PAINT AGAIN!

Once the first coat has dried, you will want to give your furniture a second coat to ensure the paint has been evenly applied. Let dry.

STEP 9: PROTECT

Once you see how beautiful your "new" furniture looks with the new paint, you will want to protect it. Use a good clear polyurethane to protect your finished furniture. I used MinWax semi gloss. Polyurethane comes in different finishes. Depending on the type of look your are going for will depend on the finish you choose: Satin, Semi-gloss, Glossy or High Gloss. Apply the polyurethane to the entire piece of furniture. Let Dry.

STEP 10: CHOOSE HARDWARE

The final step is to choose hardware for your finished piece of furniture. I kept the original hardware, but gave it a new look. Hardware can be easily spray painted. I choose Rust-Oleum Metallic in "Oil Rubbed Bronze". If you want to bring newer life to your furniture with hardware, you can purchase new knobs and pulls from a variety of retailers. My favorite place for knobs and pulls is Anthropologie. They really have the most unique selection that I have ever seen.

Sprayed Hardware with Rust-Oleum Metallic

I hope I've explained everything clearly and concisely and inspired you to breathe new life into something old. Overall, this was a time consuming project but definitely worth the effort. I am happy that I could put some life back into a family heirloom that would have otherwise been forgotten. The OMBRE paint is a fun and vibrant way to modernize an old piece of furniture. Thank you to Mary and Ray for their help and for allowing me to take over their garage while I was consumed with this project. Happy Painting!

The finished OMBRE dresser!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Mother's Day Sale - 20% OFF your entire Purchase from L. Rose Designs

Pin It Five (5) Days Left of the Mother's Day Sale! All items are 20% off with the Super Secret Coupon Code that you can find over at my Facebook Page. Some popular "mom" inspired items seen here: 14K GOLD FILL MONOGRAM BRACELET
STERLING SIVLER MONOGRAM NECKLACE WITH TWO BIRTHSTONES
MOSS AQUAMARINE NECKLACE
THREE STERLING SILVER INITIAL CHARM BRACELET
PAST PRESENT FUTURE FRESHWATER PEARL NECKLACE

Monday, February 27, 2012

Moss Aquamarine Necklace - March Birthstone

Pin It Wow! I am honored to be featured in this gorgeous treasury curated by moonlitbotanicals. Featuring gorgeous Etsy finds for Pisces lovers! My Moss Aquamarine Necklace is happy to be surrounded by so many pretty finds!

The gorgeous Treasury can be seen here!


And you can see the Moss Aquamarine Necklace here!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Personalized Bridesmaid Jewelry - Custom Birthstones with Monogram Initials.

Pin It There is lots of Custom Made Bridal Jewelry to choose from in my Etsy shop! I am stocking up so you can find just what you are looking for!

Give a gift to your bridesmaids that they will love and cherish! These necklaces will come in sterling silver or 14k gold fill. With over 30 custom stone colors to choose from!

Visit my Bridal Collection to see availability, and as always, Brides receive a discount on all bridal party sets!











Sunday, May 8, 2011

Personalized Necklaces going fast!

Pin It These custom initial necklaces that I've introduced a few months ago are quite popular! I offer them in sterling silver and 14k gold, with heart charms, circle charms or star shaped charms. For a simple, more minimal look just wear one initial -or- pair them together for a layered look!

Various colors of birthstones and semi precious stones are available to add a pop of color to your custom necklaces. A great choice for a gift for mom or your sweetheart! Perfect for a bridal party gift too....a personalized keepsake to wear again and again.

Visit the shop to see all the custom initial necklaces!

















Birthstone and Semi Precious Stone Colors




Custom Initial Script

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Spring is almost here and Etsy Photography tips!

Pin It I LOVE SPRING! It's refreshing, beginning to get warm, and new growth is sprouting up everywhere! I also love Spring because I am given the extra hour to photograph my jewelry in the natural light. The winter is tough for me. I work my day job, and rush home to photograph in the 20-30 minute span of natural sunlight that I have before the sun sets for the evening! Thankfully, daylight savings has set in, and there is plenty of sunlight to go around.



Typically, I find that cloudy days are best to photograph. There is enough light, and no glare from the sun. I like to set up right near a window. I place a couple sheets of scrapbook paper (usually a gray tone) on a steady surface, bring in a couple props like a photo frame and tea cup and I am all set. I place my camera of Macro Mode. This allows me to get close enough to show detail of the jewelry. However, because the Macro lens magnifies the items, it's important to show relative size reference so the customer gets a better idea of the true size of the item.

My Basic Photography Set Up



Etsy has some great photography tips. To read about how to achieve clarity and crispness in your photos, read this great article.

Photography is so important when selling items online. A customer doesn't have the ability to touch or try on your items. You have to create a feeling with your photos if you want your items to get noticed. Being featured on the front page of Etsy is always a wonderful surprise. Your photos must be perfect! Here are some great tips from Etsy about getting the items in your shop featured more frequently. Good Luck!

The finished Products