Repurposed Window Cottage Sign

Maybe it's the freezing cold weather that we're currently stuck in.

Maybe it's the old window frame.

Or maybe it's just cottage-envy, plain and simple.

But I think this might just be my favorite custom sign ever!

I got an email from a customer at the store where I have my booth.

She and her family have a cottage and have always wanted a sign for it.

She liked what she saw in my booth, I guess, and decided to give me a try.

I started the process by looking through my junk

to figure out what I wanted to use for her new sign.

Once we agreed on using an old window,

I sent her some concepts of how the sign could look and she chose this one...

Next, I cleaned up the old window.

Not my favorite part of the process but most necessary when dealing with old junk!

I scraped off some of the chipping white paint

and gave her a good bath!

Then I measured and cut some boards to attach to the window.

I stained them with Annie Sloan dark wax.

It's such a beautiful color on bare wood.

Then I screwed them onto the back of the window.

Once the boards were in place, I added a light coat of white chalkpaint,

being careful to not carry the brush strokes to the edge of the window,

leaving some of the wood exposed.

I next took a damp cloth and softened the edges of my brush strokes by wiping gently.

It gave the appearance of an already weathered paint job.

After allowing the white paint to dry, 
I applied my vinyl stencil and began painting the letters.
The main part of the sign is painted with Annie Sloan Aubusson Blue,
a favorite of mine.

I also used Annie Sloan in Barcelona Orange,
along with CeCe Caldwell's Santa Fe Turquoise and Tarverse City Cherry.
Each line of names represents a different branch of the family that uses the cottage.

I adore the chippy window, of course,
and am so glad I thought of using it as a frame for the sign!

It's done other than some outdoor polyeurathane that I need to put on it.
Once the weather warms up a bit,
(my goodness, hopefully soon!)
the Dieleman's can enjoy their new cottage sign
every bit as much as I enjoyed making it for them!

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Your comments make me smile :) 'Til next time!