All done!

The Great Hammock Beach Bench

The bench is approximately 5 feet long, 22 inches wide at its widest point and 20 ½ inches tall. The solid bench top is reportedly old growth pine and built in the 1940’s by noted Glastonbury craftsman Alvah Russell.  37 individual waves lap up 3 of the 4 sides of this almost 3 inch thick slab of wood.  It is finished with 3 coats of Spar varnish to help protect it from the elements. All Great Hammock beach road signs are included and the single cottage represents all the great hammock beach homes.

The Valentin Family
Home Sweet Home Sign

two pieces out the door ... going to miss them both!

home sweet home and PPF

a SWEET, simple, rustic ...

home sweet home

exterior sign.

Baltic green and Naples yellow on very old red (you can still see a bit of the red) Vermont barn board.

to hang above the door .... below

 (hoping the sun will continue to shine down on this home,

 warm their hearts and continue to help them grow

as a family and individually)

This is my 2nd outdoor piece in the works right now and not sure how it will withstand the elements.  Heading to West Marine to purchase some marine spar varnish with UV protection.  Does anyone have any recommendations for finishing pieces that must survive New England elements?

The finish will intensify the colors of the sign.  If the homeowner agrees, after a couple coats of the spar varnish are applied, we can test the sign above their door for durability.

Hey, we are missing the PARTY!  Head on over to Paint Party Friday ... while there is still time!  Magical stuff going on there!  

The Great Hammock Beach Bench ... and PPF ...

There is still time to help design the Great Hammock Beach Bench before the protective finish coat!  My son tells me it is not to scale and there is no way you can see the lighthouse from Great Hammock Beach (and there are 2 suns in the sky).
This is only the artist's perception and is just plain fun!

The cottage, although it looks a little like the 'M' cottage (use your imagination), represents all the Great Hammock Beach cottages.

All the Great Hammock roads are represented.

You can help me fill up some of the beach and water space.  I'm not promising anything ...

... but what is it missing?  A boat or kayak tied up to the shore?  A mermaid?  A shark fin?  A flying gull?  The 'turtle fence'?

the possibilities are endless.  Respond to the post and let me know!  I promised it would be ready to seat 3 and possibly 4 for the GHBA Summer Celebration so we need to wrap this creation up soon.
And HAPPY PPF .... please go visit all the talented artists there!

The Great Hammock Beach Bench - WIP

Time to refinish this once beautifully finished bench made a long time ago by Alvah Russell of Glastonbury.  Alvah was Miriam's mother's brother.  Got that?  Miriam and Larry acquired the bench, once a gift from Alvah to Miriam's Aunt Margaret.  Still following me? They gave us the bench (thank you very much) and a year on our deck exposed to the elements beat the bench up pretty bad.

So it's time to restore it! Rog sanded it all down and the top will be painted with a beachy theme, a Great Hammock beachy theme.  This is one BIG slice of wood bench.  Check out the beach bench in this blog post, not sure who painted it on Singer Island in FL, but ever since I saw it back in 2009, I always wanted to paint a BEACH bench.

so here are the BEFORE pics!

July 28th is the Great Hammock Beach Annual Summer Celebration and this bench will be ready to sit on at the celebration.  Time's a wasting, I better get started.

Wish me luck!

backyard developments

 Miniature gardening is HUGE!  I had no idea there were so many resources and so many great ideas out there.  All I wanted to do was resurrect a small area in my mom's rock garden and maybe create a home for the local Fairies and Gnomes.

Do not tell me I have too much time on my hands,
because I do not!  But this is fun!

Made the bird bath with a tiny clay pot and clay pot liner.

If you love the beach, your fairy garden has to include a sand castle with (Haitian) beach sand.  Will add the sea shells tomorrow.  The sand castle is a fish tank decoration reduced for clearance at the local pet store. 

The fairy house was a Marshall's find that I painted and embellished.

Toadstool Fairy Dancers!

'Fairy Hollow'
... a natural cork round purchased at the local pet store for reptiles, amphibians and arachnids to hide in ... PERFECT for fairies to hide in!

The tiny table  is made from Cypress Knee slices.

a work in progress!  Looking for choice miniature plants everywhere (just swiped some from Kathy's yard today ... again) and have new ideas every day ...



and Rog completed my SUCCULENT DOCK!  Complete with dock ropes, sea gull and beach signs!  Doubles as side table to set down your favorite summer drink!

Lexi watching the chipmunks run through the fairy garden!

LOVE my Succulents

Having way too much fun playing outside in the dirt.
My very large succulent garden is planted and
waiting for the succulent garden 'dock'
I ordered from MS (mad squirrel) Inspirations
(which is almost done)!

Fairies dance in my succulent garden,
until their Fairy and Gnome garden is complete.

LOVE this little man ...
he'll keep the squirrels away for sure!

Southington moss for my Fairy and Gnome Garden!

Thx for sharing Kathy!

Not too much painting going on, but this piece of driftwood has been begging me to release the Ally-gator trapped inside it.  She's a work in progress, but definitely happy she is becoming REAL! 

The End!

have a sweet rest-of-YOUR-week!