Knowing when to quit?? Tramp Art Makeover

Sometimes it's hard to know when to stop working on a piece..........

Sometimes it takes looking at a photograph...vs. real life.

I'm not sure why that is, 

except maybe it just feels like a more objective eye than your own, 

even though you are the one taking the photo!

Case in point..

I picked up this funky side table at Cold Harbour Antique Mall this past weekend.

Isn't it fun?

It reminds me of tramp art........

how that backsplash thingy was added..

in a totally different wood....

(And what IS it anyway??)

 

It just reminded me of a carnival!

So I got fun with it.

I started by painting each of the drawer faces in a poppy

Annie Sloan chalk paint color:

Antibes Green

Greek Blue

Emperor's Silk

 Then I decided to add turquoise to the main piece...

 And I finished off with a dry brushing of Old White.

Then I took these photos. 

I HATED it.

 So I got the old sanding sponges out and went to town.

 I sanded off all the white drybrushing........I much prefer seeing the beautiful

wooden handles......and the exposed wood on the body of the piece.

 Ahhh, much better.

 Here's the backsplash after sanding down the turquoise so that some of the 

woodtone comes through.  

Stains were added to everything to give it an aged patina.

And here is the finished product.

Now the paint looks timeworn.

What do you think? 

Did I go too far?

In retrospect, I think perhaps painting just the drawer fronts 

would have been sufficient...

But oh, I DO like turquoise;)

This piece will be heading to one of my booths this week,

unless someone out there wants to buy it.

$150.

I can bet you'll never find another one like it!