Project Sidestep

A last minute Estrella project popped up yesterday.  My friend, Baroness Ann Busshenell, needed a message board of sorts to put in front of the period demo center.  We brainstormed for a bit as to what we could do.. then I had to go and stick my hand in the air! O_o  This is probably how I ended up being one of her deputies in the first place. ;D  Poor Ann was loading bricks for her famous ovens into her truck and had no time for any further projects.  I had the idea that we could make a chalkboard.  They sell chalkboard paint in the store and I've always been somewhat curious to try it out.  I also wanted to put a layer of magnetic paint below the chalkboard paint, but the chalkboard paint was $15 for a little can and the magnetic paint was $30 for a little can.  So, just chalkboard this year.  :)

Anyhow, as I'm sure you've guessed by now, I volunteered to make a chalkboard for the Period Demo Center.  I thought a plain board would be pretty dull, so I'm making a triptych.  Here it is all cut out and assembled from this afternoon.  Since then I've put wood putty in all the seams, sanded it as best I can, primed it twice, and am about to go put my second coat of chalkboard paint on it.  It's been a busy day!  According to the can it says that after 3 days you can prep the surface and use it... but it doesn't say *how* you are supposed to prep the surface.  Silly me figured you could just grab some chalk when it was all dry and go to town.  So, I guess I'm off to google appropriate "prepping" methods for chalkboard paint.  Hopefully I'll find something that will make it ok to use sooner than three days out... as well... that's over half way into the war.  At least this time it wasn't because I procrastinated! Lol ^_^ 

Along those lines, I don't think the cancer dress is happening.  I am wrapping up Mike's sleeves though, so he should definitely have something new to wear this year.  Yay!