Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Antique Picture Frame Makeover




I run across a lot of picture frames in my travels, and for some reason find them hard to resist. I bet I have refurbished at least 100 of them by now, but this particular frame is one of my favorites.

I found it at an outdoor flea market in South Carolina. I paid $5 for it. The picture of those 2 stern individuals is a 16 x 20. It looks to me like they just had an argument.

I really loved the detail of the ribbon running around the outside edge, amongst the flowers. It gave the frame kind of a whimsical feel and I wanted to emphasize that. So I removed this fun loving couple from the frame and went to work with some gold leaf and gilding paint.

Here is the after.......




I used gold leaf as a base and then hand painted the details with the gilding paint. Three different kinds of gold were used. To make the twisted ribbon stand out I used copper for the top of the ribbon and gold for the underside. It made it look as though the ribbon had a front and a back, really making the twisting stand out. Then I took a dry artist brush with small amounts of black paint and sort of burnished it in. This toned the gold down a little, gave the details some depth, and aged the frame.

I have been told by my best girl, that as a skinny young man with curly dark hair, I used to resemble the guy in the swing. I guess that's why I am so fond of this frame. Ahhhhh, younger days. Gotta love it.

Here is a closeup of the detail...





It now hangs in our house in the master bedroom. Hope you liked it.



Be sure to join my link party, Modern Craftswoman Monday. You can also see who I am linking up with this week by visiting my Link Party Directory featuring over 100 link parties this week!

29 comments:

Tara said...

Beautiful! I love these kind of makeovers. I just picked up 3 old motel frames at a thrift store. I plan on making a bow holder, chalkboard and cork board in each for my daughters room.

Pam said...

The job you did on this frame is such an improvement...it truly brings out the details. But, I do miss the grumpy couple. Wonder what they were arguing about?

seven thirty three said...

I love myself some old frames as well.

Thanks for linking up with Sugar & Spice.

Melissa said...

The frame is gorgeous and it fits the print - but what happened to Mr and Mrs Stoic?

LV said...

You did a great job on that frame. It is amazing what can be turned out with a little talent and work.

Coloradolady said...

This is lovely too, great job.

Fawnda@Fireflies and Jellybeans said...

Beautiful! :)

Unknown said...

Wow! That is really, really pretty! Very nice...and, good for you to take the time to hand paint all those details! Well worth the effort!

Sarah

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for linking up your beautiful project today!

www.FrugalFabulousDesign.com

The Blackwood Cottage said...

I pick up frames wherever and whenever I can but I have not refurbished them. They are beautiful! I'm so happy these great pieces do not go to waste. Five $$, great deal too!!
Machelle

Ann @ makethebestofthings said...

Ah, a fellow frame-aholic! I love the details in old frames and buy them whenever I find them. Love your redo, it's just gorgeous. And can one ever have too many frames? What did you do with the feuding couple?

Rory from Tools Are For Women Too! said...

Hi Ann, i believe that I still have the feuding couple picture. I try to save as many of them as I can. I sometimes use those old photos as fun copy for online ads and the like. I just can't bear to throw them away most of the time. One of these days I may do a post on some the ones I have saved. Thanks for stopping by.

Rory

Lori said...

Beautiful...

Thanks for joining Get Your Craft on Thursday at Life As Lori. Please join me next week for another great party.

Funky Junk Interiors said...

Wow, loving the layers of those golds! The end result is totally stunning. That's quite the frame to work with!

Thanks for linking up to SNS!
fJ Donna
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I have a huge box of assorted frames with nothing in them that I've been just waiting to do something with. What a great idea, thanks!
I came over from tidymom, come check me out if you get a sec!
http://jennoreilly.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/its-giveaway-time/

Happy To Be/ Gl♥ria said...

Just beautiful girl...Hugs and smiles Gl♥ria

Laura said...

What a beautiful transformation!

Thanks for linking up to Saturday is Crafty Day!

Unknown said...

Very cool!

You are so busy!!!

Thanks so much for linking up! Hope to see you next week!

~Ashley @ www.simplydesigning.blogspot.com

The Single Nester said...

Great job. That print you framed is one of my favorite to look at when I visit the Met. It is Pierre August Cot's Springtime just in case you didn't know.

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

I LOVE old frames too and have also decided that "back in the day" people really didn't want to have their pictures taken, hence, the stern expressions!!

This one is beautiful and you enhanced it perfectly!

Lou Cinda :)

Ginger said...

Very nice...I love frames like this. Thanks for linking up to Mad Skills Monday!

Ginger
SSB

Olivia said...

Oh my this is sooooo pretty! I love frames too. Thank you for sharing,
Hugs,
Olivia

Sweet Bee Cottage said...

Pretty, but I must confess I am still in love with the china cabinet. I've got to go, I think I hear Duncan calling me.....

So I guess it's clear I really love that china cabinet. :)

Unknown said...

That frame is lovely. A great transformation! My grandmother has photos of ancestors hanging on her wall and they all have the same stern look like the couple in your before picture! Must have been the era...

Thanks for sharing @ Anything Related!
{Rebekah}

Stephanie Lynn @Under the Table and Dreaming said...

What a fabulous find! The details are incredible. What a fabulous transformation. Thanks so much for joining The Sunday Showcase. I greatly appreciate it! Hope you have a wonderful week! ~ Stephanie Lynn

Kaysi said...

Very stunning!!

Sarah @ The Pumpkin Patch said...

Amazing! I would have thought to use gold leaf on it, but I never would have thought to add the extra gold and copper paints. It really adds depth to the detail. Just gorgeous.

Thanks for linking to Transform Tuesday. I can't wait to see what you link up next week!

Sew Can Do said...

Wow! The detail work you did really makes this stand out and look lovely. Thanks for linking to Craftastic Monday!

Bonnie@Creative Decorating said...

Awesome makeover!! It seems in those old pictures they were always scared of the camera so they never smiled!!! Love the transformation and the detail of the frame!