Ashley's Vintage Looking Dice

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! My latest project is a few antique looking dice! This was such a fun project from beginning to end! I have been wanting large dice for some time now and well, when you can’t find exactly what you want you create it right? Their story starts out at Home Goods (I know…surprise) on a Shanty Shopping Trip with Whitney. I found a set of 7 blocks that spelled out FRIENDS in pastel colors. I would never use these as they were but at a clearance price of $5.00 I could make many projects including dice! So of course I purchased the set!

I brought them home (after giving Whitney a couple....the F and R as you can see) and started painting. I used Antique White Acrylic as the base (2 coats). While the coats were drying I began making a stencil for my dots! I used my Cricut machine to get the exact size I wanted (you can use anything for a stencil I just chose my Cricuit). I then put tape around the outer edges so the stencil would stay down while I was painting (I highly recommend contact paper but I didn't have any nor did I want to make a trip to the store). When the base paint was dry I began stenciling the dots with a dry brush technique to give the dots a faded look (just dab the brush in paint and go back and forth on a scrap paper until you have the consistency you want ~ then sweep back and forth in the stencil). The dots do not need to line up exactly (I actually like it better a little imperfect!).

When the dots were dry I glazed, of course, with the Ralph Lauren Smoke Glaze to achieve the antique look (just paint on and wipe away with an old shirt or cloth).

For now they have found a home on top of my hutch! I just think they look so adorable up there! Hope you were inspired! ~ Enjoy! I will be posting this at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday! Check it out! Great stuff there http://www.theshabbychiccottage.net/2009/09/aging-gracefully.html

I will also be posting this at Reinvented for Trash to Treasure Thursday! Go check it out! Great stuff there! http://www.reinventedkb.com/2009/09/trash-to-treasure-creative-candle.html

I will also be posting this at Kimbas DIY Day! Go check it out! Great stuff there!

http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/2009/09/diy-day-and-giveaway.html I will also be sharing this lovely over at The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday... Love this blog... go check it our ladies!http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/2009/09/frugal-friday-linky-party.html