A $20 Wrought Iron Bistro Table

I have a thing for wrought iron furniture.  You have probably figured that out by now....right?

I was checking out the 'stuff' on FaceBook Marketplace and found a wrought iron bistro table without the top.  It originally had a glass top but now it was just the wrought iron table base. But that isn't the end of the world and Pier 1 has glass rounds in stock. 

But before I checked out Pier 1 (around 50 bucks for a 30 inch), I checked out our stash of glass tops.  R picks them up whenever he sees them at the curb on trash days.  We have square pieces, rectangle pieces, and of course round pieces.  But unfortunately our stash was void of a 30 inch round.  No worries....I have other ideas...LOL

Here is the table that I bought for 20 bucks.  The round stock is larger than normal and the welds and the way they terminated the ends means it was a quality manufacturer.  I didn't see any embossed maker marks like Woodard but Woodard did use stickers on some of their pieces.

First thing that I did was use my brass bristle brush to clean and remove any dirt or rust.  Then I flipped the table over and put it on the saw horses and my piece of painting plywood/luan.  It's a thinner piece of plywood so it is easy to haul out for painting or working on a project.  

I always paint the bottom first and I always paint my wrought iron pieces satin black.  The satin is less reflective so it appears darker.  Satin is also the finish that the manufacturers use.  Satin finish still has a little sheen and it looks so much better than the garish shiny semi or high gloss finishes.

After the bottom is painted I flip it over and paint the top side.  I also always paint in the shade.  This allows the paint to dry slower and I can see my missed spots better when in the shade because there is less glare coming off the wet paint.

I searched the barn for chairs, in between the coats of paint on the table. I found two white wrought iron chairs with bright yellow vinyl seat cushions.  We didn't buy these chairs.  R found them at the curb. I remembered when he brought them home.  I thought to myself "nice chairs but that yellow isn't going to work...at all." Then we stored them in the barn until they were found again, 5 or 6 years later.

The first thing that I did was remove the padded cushion.  I was really hoping that there was a wire mesh seat underneath the cushion but sadly no.  But the more I looked at the chairs the more I liked the shape and style of them.  I can always have the seats recovered.  I would do it myself but there is vinyl piping around the edge and I really like that detail.

So here is the table and chairs painted.  The chairs are actually very comfortable but that yellow is just not going to work at all.  I am going to search for vinyl fabric and see what is out there.  I need something that will work with the two patterned fabrics that I have picked out for the patio sofa and chairs.  

Morrie approved.

But so far I have just 20 bucks invested and I would love to keep the entire project under 50 bucks. Tomorrow is forecasted for thunderstorms all day so nothing will happen concerning the table top.  But it will be a perfect day to look for vinyl fabric at the fabric stores.  Wish me luck.

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Staining the Deck White

Two weeks ago I started the process of staining my deck white.  If you follow me on Instagram then you have probably seen a photo or two of the progress.

I am using Behr Solid Color Wood Stain in Ultra Pure White.  We use Behr paint in Semi Gloss in the color Ultra Pure White for the trim and shutters on the exterior of our house.  So we knew that we wouldn't end up with clashing white tones.  

This deck will require two coats. The first coat is blotchy but the second coat fills in the lighter spots and makes everything look the same color.  My plan is to get a single coat on everything before doing a second coat.  We are doing it this way because the first coat of stain really highlights any imperfections or problems.  

This was especially true of the top board.  It gets the most sun, rain, and snow so it was not looking its best.  To remedy the cracks and splits in the wood, R has been using a universal filler that we buy at ACE Hardware.

It is called Evercoat Home Fix Universal Filler .  We have used it on cracked exterior wood trim and window sashes.  It can be used for both interior and exterior use and we have been happy with the results.  The above photo is after filler was applied and then sanded off leaving filler behind in the cracks and crevices.

I will be so happy when we can finally store the ladders in the barn instead of under the deck.  We have ladders of just about any height and not a day goes by that we don't use at least one of them.

Follow Gear Acres on Instagram to get an early look at what we are up to at Gear Acres.

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Does your garden hose...

...stick out like a sore bright green thumb?

Garden hoses are a necessity if you want your plants to live but it doesn't have to look bad while keeping your flowers happy.

I decided to add a hose hanger on my deck because dragging the hose up to the deck was a drag (no pun intended).  The hose hanger wasn't a problem because there are a lot of choices out there on the Net. If your favorite hose hanger is the wrong color there is always spray paint.  

I bought my hose hanger about 10 years ago so I don't have a link for mine.  But it was offered in a distressed black and I just can't get onboard the distress bandwagon.  Why would I start out with a hose hanger that looks like it needs sandblasting and repainted?  I, of course, spray painted the hose hanger in satin black.

 I hung the hose hanger and loved how it looked but I wasn't all that into hanging a bright green garden hose on it.  So off to the Internet to see what was available.  Isn't that where we start any project these days?

eBay had grey garden hoses and they were almost the same grey as my house.  Unreal.  What was even more unreal was the price, the length options, and free shipping.  I decided on the 50 ft length and it arrived about a week later.

Grey Garden Hose Nozzle Sprayer

Grey Garden Hose 50ft length

I chose this garden hose for several reasons beyond the grey color.  First it had brass fittings.  Plastic fittings are easily cross threaded and tend to leak.  On the other hand, brass is sturdy and less likely to leak.  The hose is 5/8th inch and 8 ply.  And finally there is a spring on the end that is attached to the faucet.  This spring keeps the hose from getting kinked.  And all for $25.34 plus free shipping.

We finished off with a grey garden hose sprayer.  Why ruin the look with a green sprayer?  The sprayer also came with an extra washer.  I purchased 2 with a 'Make Offer' of 6 bucks each and free shipping.

R drilled a 3/4th inch hole in the deck and we ran the new hose down to the hose faucet below.

Oh my, those deck boards look bad.  But that is another project for another day.  I have deck railing to stain white and wood buttons to glue in place.  It is going to take 2 coats of opaque stain but it already looks a million times better.

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How to Divide an Expensive Hosta Into Multiple Hostas

I decided to stop by at a local nursery to see if they had empty wire hanging baskets.  They did and they were on sale. So I thought "what the heck, I've just saved 25% so let's go and look at the hostas.  Maybe I can save some more money."

 Nothing was really grabbing me.  Most of the hostas were ones I already owned.  The few new ones that I saw were lackluster until I saw this....

...Cool as a Cucumber.  How cool is that?  Oh and it is 50% off.  It's like they are giving them away.  

So I went in for a closer look.  It's vase shaped.  That is always a plus because you can tuck a smaller low growing hosta under the taller hosta for a layered look.

 A closer look at the leaves and we can see several shades of green.  Almost a grass green with a nice splash of creamy white in the center.  Sold!!!!

 But before I grab one and had for the cash register, I need to look closer and see if I can find one that has 5 or 6 divisions so I can extend my savings even more.  Found one and this looks like I can get 5 or 6 new plants from this one pot.

Let's do some figuring.  The original cost was $19.99.  If I paid that much for a single hosta then my hosta beds would be pretty bare.  But this hosta was on sale for half off so it was only 10 bucks.  That's better but I think we can do even better.  I was able to divide this hosta into 6 plants so the individual per plant cost is $1.67!!!

Onto the dividing.  Fill a bucket with about 6 inches of water and and a little fish fertilizer.  I like the Alaska brand.  You can buy it at Walmart and Tractor Supply.  It smells like fish but a little goes a long way.  Sit your bucket in the sun for 30 minutes or so.  I don't like to just drop my hosta plant into freezing water (we have well water) so I sit it in the sun just long enough to make it tepid. 

 I then de pot the hosta and sit it into the water+fertilizer and let it sit in the shade.  Every so often I swish the root ball around to help the soil fall off the roots.  You will not get all the dirt off of a plant this size and that is OK.  Removing some of the soil helps with the cutting and allows you to see more clearly the space between the divisions.

 Go dig your holes while the plant is sitting in the water.  The location I chose was around the base of one of my large walnut trees.  I spaced the holes about 2 feet apart and ended with 6 holes.  So my goal is to divide this plant into 6 smaller plants. 

 You will need a disposable utility knife like the one in the photo above.  The narrow blade works better than the fat blade but that will work, too.  Extend the blade all the way out and lock in place.

 Before I forget.....DO YOUR CUTTING IN THE SHADE.  I couldn't get my camera to work in the shade so it is one of those do as I say and not as I do scenarios.  Start by gently trying to pull the roots apart by hand.  That helps to keep from needlessly cutting off roots.  The goal is to keep as many roots attached as possible. The first cut is to basically cut the root ball into 2 pieces.  Depending on the plant, this might be 3 divisions on each piece or even 4 and 2.  It all depends on how the plant has grown.  Once you have two pieces put one of the pieces in the water while you work on the second piece. 

 The photo above shows the two halves.   Using the long thin blade allows for cutting in between the divisions with relative ease, especially if it is a brand new knife.  As you cut off a division make sure to put it into the water.  It is important to keep the roots moist.  

In less than 10 minutes I went from one large plant to 6 plants.  After planting the newly liberated hosta division I thoroughly watered them with the water/fertilizer from the bucket.  They have been in the ground for 2 days now and none are drooping and all looks good.

Hostas are hardy plants but using my method helps to eliminate some of the risk of dividing a large potted hosta.

I didn't just save 25% on the empty wire hanging basket with liner and 50% on the hosta plant.  I used my rewards cards to earn cash towards a future purchase in the fall and I also used my credit card to earn points towards cash.  

Reward cards are an easy way of earning cash back from the stores that you frequent.  Today I used a $10 reward sent to me from Ace Hardware and I also got a $1.00 off my drink at Panera by using my Panera rewards card.

I punch holes in the corner of my reward cards and place them on a key ring so I have them handy and ready to use when I need them at the checkout.  

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Got it!!!

This is me at the garden shop looking for a new hosta.

 I didn't find a new hosta but I did find 2 that you usually have to buy online.

One of my all time favorite hostas is Hanky Panky.  This hosta changes colors as the season progresses.  The middle of the leaves look completely different than the outer portion of the leaves.  There are numerous shades of green, thin lines of white and yellow, and even some subtle streaking.  It is a small to small medium in size and would look great planted in front of a large blue hosta.

This hosta is called Frozen Margarita and it is a large size hosta with lime green leaves that have a very thin white margin on the edge.  Not every hosta in a hosta bed needs to be extremely unique like Hanky Panky.  Having rather plain hostas in various shades of yellow, blue, and green like this lime green hosta, allows a unique hosta like Hanky Panky to pop.

I see more and more garden centers do what Vigoro does now and I really wish that they wouldn't do 'that'.  What is 'that'?  

 

'That' is not put the name of the hosta on the label.  Their hostas are just labeled 'hosta'.  For the hosta collector who knows their hostas, they will probably know that this 'hosta' is Hanky Panky.  The real problem occurs when you have a new hosta customer who is laying out their landscape and they buy Vigoro hostas. 

The size info is generic so there is a 50/50 chance that they will end up planting a shorter smaller hosta in the back and a bigger taller hosta in the front.  Three years after planting these hostas, they will need to dig up those hostas and replant them correctly.  Maybe even throwing out the smaller hostas thinking that those hostas are small because they are defective. Even worse, they could throw all the hostas away because they think that hostas are high maintenance, which they are not.

Look at the two containers.  You pay 2 bucks more not to know the actual name of the hosta.  What in the world?

  The label also indicates that you can plant in sun or shade.  Hanky Panky should never be in the sun.  It is one of those hostas that need shade all day to keep its color.  My mantra when it comes to sun or shade is 'no sun'.  And I say that with the same intensity that Joan Crawford said "no wire hangers!" 

  I look at it this way.  No hosta grew better because it was in the sun.  Rather the opposite. The less sun the better. Here is an example of two hostas that are in full shade all day.

The blue hosta is Krossa Regal.  It is a large blue vase shaped hosta.  The hosta partially underneath Krossa Regal is First Frost.  Both of those hostas would look completely different if they were planted in the sun.  Krossa Regal would just be a large green hosta because the waxy substance that gives the leaves their blue color would have melted off in the sun.  First Frost would be a pale washed out yellow and it's blue center would look green.  Also both hostas would probably have scorched leaf tips and generally not look healthy.

I haven't the time to water and baby my plants and that is one of the reasons why I love hostas.  If you plant them in the right location and place them correctly by size and color when you plant them, you will have a very low maintenance but a high visual impact hosta garden.

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Need more hosta info?  Go to http://www.hostalibrary.org/

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling.....

....that's what R has been doing when it isn't raining.  He is using the lawn roller to try and level out the lumps in the sod.

To do this he is using the roller that someone put out to the curb on trash pick up day.  It has grease zerks and is a nice heavy roller.  It was broken into two pieces but they both roll so it isn't a problem.

The soggy lawn is not drying out, not one bit.  Every third day it rains and I am not talking sprinkles, I am talking big downpours.  This makes every spot where we removed a boulder into a miniature lake.

When R isn't rolling, we are both mowing.  The amount of growth overnight is unreal.  Every three days we mow and hopefully that third day is not a rain day because that means the grass will be so tall on the fourth day that I will need to rake afterwards. AND no one has time for that!

I did find time to buy a few hostas. Well of course I did, I'm not dead.  It is all part of being a hostaholic.  Only one new variety of hosta and it is called Barbara Ann.  I actually bought 5 hostas but 4 are repeats of hostas that I already own.  The five hostas are from left to right Sum and Substance, Fragrant Bouquet, Barbara Ann, Pilgrim and Praying Hands (every hosta garden needs one of these very upright skinny hosta).

 Tomorrow we need to get the 5 inch eavestrough up because yes it is going to rain Wednesday night and all of Thursday.  I am beginning to think that building an ark might be something we need to look into.  The Gear Acres Ark would have nothing but cats and hostas.

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The Rain has finally stopped...

...or so they (weather forecasters) say.  

We are inching closer to having the south side of the deck done. 

Here is the to do list....

Finish painting the shingles grey (just a few left)

Finish painting the white trim along the roof edge with semi gloss white

Take down the 3 inch eavestrough and downspout over the kitchen window

Replace 3 inch with 5 inch eavestrough and downspout

Prime and paint the area around the kitchen door

Paint corner trim board by kitchen door

Install bracket and hang small hanging basket

Retrieve the deck flower pots out of the barn loft

Plant the pots with flowers already purchased

Clean the glass table top, coffee table top, and end table top...3rd time's the charm

Remove the saw horses from the deck and put them down on the driveway

Take cushions to upholstery guy

Then there is the Mega To Do List

*Paint the shingles grey

*Paint the windows trim and sashes white (deck area)

*Prime the door trim (new door)

*Paint the door trim white

*Paint the doors white

*Make 4 of the faux wrought iron hinges

*Install the dummy handle on the stationary door

*Touch up the wrought iron furniture with black satin spray paint

*Take the outdoor cushions to the upholstery guy

*Hang 3 wrought iron baskets and plant with flowers 

*Haul out the umbrella and the umbrella stand

*Buy and plant flowers on the deck 

*Buy and plant flowers in the flower boxes on the railings

*Haul out all the deck decor items

*Put down the outdoor rug

*Plant flowers in the window boxes on the front and side of house

*Plant flowers in the pots on the front porch

*Fix paint on the bottom of the front door

*Add wide cove moulding to the bottom of front door

*Remove and replace 3" eavestrough and downspout with 5"
*Rent heavy equipment to break apart what remains of the swimming pool
*Call and get estimate for retaining wall in the backyard
*Cut down almost dead large pine tree
*Finish building gable vent and prime and paint it
*Install gable vent

*Sand and prime bistro set

*Drill holes in the seats and middle of table top
*Paint the bistro set satin black w/bk and wh check table top

*Buy opaque white stain for deck railings

*Stain deck railings white

*Dig up boulders

*Move a few boulders to the area next to the driveway wrought iron gates

R has spent a lot of the non raining hours using the lawn roller to level the dents in our side yard that the tracks on the excavator left imprinted in the sod.  We have had so much rain that the entire side yard has standing water.

No amount of rolling is going to help the backyard. 

The lilacs came and went in about 3 days because of the lower than average temps and the overly heavy rainfall.  I was really looking forward to cutting a big bouquet of lilacs.  I even purchased a large clear vase at Goodwill just for lilac cuttings. 

Maybe I will put peonies in that vase.  Probably not because they haven't even put out any buds yet. 

Go to my Instagram account to read about how an early 1900's glass dish (above photo) was shipped to me in a bag....yes, a non padded plastic bag. 

I think we are now all caught up.

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My Lawn!!!

My lawn look like the golf course in Caddy Shack.

We have been trying for weeks to rent an excavator to dig up boulders that have work their way to the surface and are so high that I can no longer run my riding lawn mower over them.  There is also the removal of the sides of the original 1930's swimming pool that needs to be dismantled.

Every forecast for the last month has forecasted rain for the weekends.  It has rained a lot lately.  It's raining right now as I type this post.  Unfortunately you have to reserve the excavator 1 week in advance if you want it for the weekend.  The best deal is to rent it for the weekend with pick up on Friday at 2pm and return on Monday morning at 9am.  You get 10 hours of run time and the cost is $350.00.  

Friday the pick up day was a beautiful day but a short day.  We decided to dig up the boulders first and then hit the pool demo on Saturday and Sunday.  Here was my lawn after boulder removal.

This is my side yard and my backyard looks just as bad.

We even hand dug a few smaller rocks to save on wear and tear on the lawn.

So the plan tomorrow is to tear up that pool and try not to cry when I look at my lawn.

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Installing Extra Large Wrought Iron Brackets for the Hanging Baskets

Seriously, the rain must stop or I will never get anything else crossed off my list.

I did get the corner boards primed and painted so we were able to install the new extra large brackets to hang the extra large baskets.

These brackets are from the same eBay seller where I purchased the wrought iron urns.

But Friday is a big day for us.  R reserved an excavator to break apart the pool and dig up or move 6 or 7 boulders.  Three of those stones worked their way to the surface over the last 6 or 7 years but now they are so high that I can no longer mow over them.  R is keeping his fingers crossed that these are not the size of the garden shed and more like the size of something I can use in our landscape.

As soon as I finish painting shingles I am going to start painting the deck railings with a ultra white opaque stain. 

I've crossed off a few items and added a few more items to the Mega To Do List. 

*Paint the shingles grey

*Paint the windows trim and sashes white (deck area)

*Prime the door trim (new door)

*Paint the door trim white

*Paint the doors white

*Make 4 of the faux wrought iron hinges

*Install the dummy handle on the stationary door

*Touch up the wrought iron furniture with black satin spray paint

*Take the outdoor cushions to the upholstery guy

*Hang 3 wrought iron baskets and plant with flowers 

*Haul out the umbrella and the umbrella stand

*Buy and plant flowers on the deck 

*Buy and plant flowers in the flower boxes on the railings

*Haul out all the deck decor items

*Put down the outdoor rug

*Plant flowers in the window boxes on the front and side of house

*Plant flowers in the pots on the front porch

*Fix paint on the bottom of the front door

*Add wide cove moulding to the bottom of front door

*Remove and replace 3" eavestrough and downspout with 5"
*Rent heavy equipment to break apart what remains of the swimming pool
*Call and get estimate for retaining wall in the backyard
*Cut down almost dead large pine tree
*Finish building gable vent and prime and paint it
*Install gable vent
*Paint the bistro set 

*Buy opaque white stain for deck railings

*Stain deck railings white

*Dig up boulders

*Move a few boulders to the area next to the driveway wrought iron gates

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The To Do List is Getting Longer Every Day

*Paint the shingles grey

*Paint the windows trim and sashes white (deck area)

*Prime the door trim (new door)

*Paint the door trim white

*Paint the doors white

*Make 4 of the faux wrought iron hinges

*Install the dummy handle on the stationary door

*Touch up the wrought iron furniture with black satin spray paint

*Take the outdoor cushions to the upholstery guy

*Hang 3 wrought iron baskets and plant with flowers 

*Haul out the umbrella and the umbrella stand

*Buy and plant flowers on the deck 

*Buy and plant flowers in the flower boxes on the railings

*Haul out all the deck decor items

*Put down the outdoor rug

*Plant flowers in the window boxes on the front and side of house

*Plant flowers in the pots on the front porch

*Fix paint on the bottom of the front door

*Add wide cove moulding to the bottom of front door

*Remove and replace 3" eavestrough and downspout with 5"
*Rent heavy equipment to break apart what remains of the swimming pool
*Call and get estimate for retaining wall in the backyard
*Cut down almost dead large pine tree
*Finish building gable vent and prime and paint it
*Install gable vent
*Paint the bistro set 

I purchased this set at an auction for about 40 bucks.  I can see why this set has peeling paint.  When it rains the rainwater pools in the seat area and in the middle of the table.  I am thinking about drilling a pattern of holes in the seat and the center of the table.  Then I will sand and paint.  I will probably spray paint the set with satin black but then paint a checkerboard in the seat area and center of the table.  That should be tedious.

*And of course there are always more cedar shingles to take down and install new cedar shingles.

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How to Install Coco Mat in Odd Shaped Pots

I purchased these two wrought iron pedestal urns from a seller on eBay.  I knew that if I wanted to plant them with flowers, rather than fill them with large rocks, I would need to install a coco mat liner before I added soil and flowers.

There are not any ready made coco mats for urns that are this shape.  Actually, you can barely find round coco mats that correctly fit hanging baskets. I ended up buying the coco mat that I used, from my local garden shop.  I purchased 8 linear feet at $3.99 a foot and is 36 or 42 inches wide. 

 I ultimately lined these two urns, 2 very large hanging baskets, and 1 regular sized hanging basket, and still had a little left over.

First I eyeballed the length that I would need to do one urn and cut that length.  Use heavy duty scissors and not your best sewing scissors for this task.  I rolled the mat up and let it soak in a bucket of water for about 5 minutes and then flipped over the roll to soak the other end.  This step made the coco mat more pliable and less itchy to install.

I took the rolled up coco mat and placed it in the urn. I lined up the edge of the mat to the top of the urn and held it in place with a squeeze clamp.  I worked my way around the urn and overlapped the mat about 4 to 6 inches at the end.  I then started tidying up the bottom so that it formed a nice curve and didn't stick out between the iron pieces.

Look for coco mat that is sticking out before adding your soil to the pot or hanging basket.  You want a nice curve like how the coco mat is on each side of the protruding mat section.

The clerk at the garden shop suggested I put a piece of plastic in the bottom before adding dirt.  She said that it prolongs the life of the coco mat and also keeps the water in the soil for a longer period of time so that the plant has time to soak up the water before it drains out.  I chose the remnants of the bag that our lunch came in that day.  Big John's Steak and Cheese subs....delish.

The next step was adding a good potting soil.  I added about 4 inches and then tamped it down with my closed hand until it wouldn't compact anymore.  I repeated this until I was about 6 inches from the top.  At that point I unpotted the three large dark red geraniums and placed them in the urn.  I then filled in the voids with more potting soil and finished off with a good watering and removed the clamps. 

I was very pleased with how neat and tidy the mat looks in the wrought iron urns.  Getting the mat wet before installing and then using squeeze clamps to hold the mat in place were the tricks that made this coco mat install a success.

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Easter Art

In honor of the real reason we celebrate Easter, I will show you one of my favorite paintings from my art collection.  I am sorry that I do not have a better photo but all of my art collection is currently stored away while we do our home restoration.

I purchased this painting in 2007.  I cannot remember the artist's name but you can see his stylized mark in the lower right hand corner. I am sure I will run across the paperwork eventually. The painting is modern and painted probably in the late 1930's, possibly 1938.

This sounds like an odd reason to buy a painting but I am attracted to square works of art (this piece is 24X24), paintings rendered in shades of purple, and religious paintings.  Based on those attributes this painting was a no brainer for me to purchase.  

The painting reveals more details the further you are from the painting.  It wasn't until I hung the painting and left the room and came back did I even notice the crucifixion on the right and left of Christ.  I was busy looking at the center of the painting as I held it in my hand and totally missed what was happening along the left and right edges.

The sky is painted in shades of dark purple depicting the storm that happened as Christ hung on the cross.  The entire work is painted with a palette mostly of pinks, blues, and purples.

The brush strokes are large and layered in such a way that it results in a more detailed depiction.  Upclose the faces appear blank or without features but again as you back up you can see the features.  I find this painting fascinating and just now noticed a very small sage green that I never noticed before.

Have a Happy Easter. Whether you are celebrating Easter with a family dinner, attending church, or having an Easter egg hunt may your day be a happy one.

As always.....

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Kuan Yin Concrete Statue Makeover

Last fall I purchased a 30 inch concrete statue of Kuan Yin for $7.00.

She was looking pretty bad when I purchased her but I was sure that I could give her a makeover that even Tim Gunn would be happy to see.

Kuan Yin suffered from peeling paint, failing paint, and details that were obscured by the multiple paint colors.  I began with an aggressive exfoliation.  I used the brass bristle brush to get the loose pieces off.  The dried drips of paint were removed with the coarse grit sandpaper.  I finished by using an old paint brush to brush away dust and grime. By using the paintbrush I could also hear when the brush hit loose paint. 

I then moved on to using the air compressor with an airgun attached to blow away any dust in tight crevices that I couldn't get to with my brush.  Making sure that I had a dust free surface before painting was a must if I wanted the new paint to adhere to the statue.

She was now ready for an undercoat of dark grey.  I already had a can of dark grey spray paint.  Actually I had just enough before it ran out.  Depending on the color of stone spray paint that you choose will determine what color you use for the undercoat. 

 Look at how the details pop now that all the ugly blue, metallic green, and white paint are gone.  I could have stopped there but I wanted a granite look.

I gave her several light coats of Krylon Stone in black granite.  The trick to getting an even coat is go light and build up until you have the coverage that you want to achieve.  

 Before you spray your item do a test spray on cardboard so you can get a feel for how much comes out of the nozzle.  Contrary to how you generally spray when using spray paint, with this stone paint I get the best results from using short bursts rather than a continuous spray.  I let the stone paint thoroughly dry and then went back later and made sure that every inch of Kuan Yin was covered with the same amount of stone spray paint.

I already had the stone spray paint because I used it to paint the splash guard under the downspout.  So this entire project cost was 7 bucks.  

She will look fabulous in one of my hosta beds. 

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