This is your opportunity to use your customers and fans to your advantage. Share your project across your social media channels to promote your business. Your project must be completed using a MIX of two or more General Finishes paints to CREATE A NEW COLOR. A full description of the formula with quantities used must be included with your entry (For example, 2 parts Snow White Milk Paint and 1 part Patina Green Milk Paint). Your friends can vote for you from August 4th to August 11th.
By Janelle Goodie, Owner/Designer at The Goodie Girl Shoppe in Redlands, CA.
After coming home from a trip to the beach, I was inspired to blend up a batch of General Finishes milk paints using all the wonderful blues and greens! This piece was finished completely with General Finishes products.
The dresser was painted using a custom blend of 1 part Patina Green, 2 parts Emerald, 2 parts Coastal Blue and 1 part Corinth Blue Milk Paints which created a wonderful peacock blue.
By Gina Johnson in FL.
Here is a fabulous antique Dresser, refinished in a mix of coastal blue milk paint and pursion blue milk paint. I then re-stained the top and drawers in a beautiful cherry stain and sealed with clear gloss! To pull the piece together I added cute glass knobs!
By Katie & Co. Furniture Restorations, Owner
For this teal I mixed four colors. Klein Blue, Emerald, Snow White, & Lamp Black. My sister and I had a couple glasses of wine the night we mixed it so I became more adventurist with using such a bright color! It has become a very requested color and a lot of other furniture artist have asked me for the recipe! I am happy to share! This finish was sprayed with an HVLP sprayer and top coated with GF HPTC Flat. Java Gel Stain is the top drawer color.
Open category for entries that do not fit into the other categories. Requires the use of one GF product.
By Emporium K, IE
This large buffet had a secret. A wonderful hidden drawer, which added to the fun of restoring this piece. After being fully stripped and primed, I painted her in General Finishes Linen and Walut woodstain for the top and Balcony back. I then gilded the raised carvings in gold to highlight them, this is the front to the secret drawer. The whole piece was then sealed with General Finishes Flat out Top Coat.
By Up-Cycle designs by Cheri
Solid oak dining table has been painted and distressed. Table top and chair seats were stained using General Finishes Java gel and sealed with high performance top coat.
By Tami Reagan - The Crowing Hen Furniture Co. in Mena, AR.
The mirror and vanity were painted in Dove Gray chalk paint, then painted with General Finishes Top Coat in Satin. I applied Dark Waxed to bring out all the details, and topped off with some pretty glass knobs and metallic highlights. The mirror and the vanity go so well together even though I found them at two different shops. Perfect Match.
Use lustrous finishes of any kind, including gold/silver wax, GF Pearl Effects, gold or silver leaf, copper, etc or other gilding or metallic finishes on the body of the piece. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Coleman Houseknecht, Owner at Belle Maison in Madison, AL.
We wanted to add some bling to the details on this buffet so we thought Champagne Pearl Effects would be the perfect touch. First we sanded down the top and stained it using Java gel stain. Next painted it in Antique White and top coated it using Enduro satin clear poly. Finally we added champagne pearl effects and oh my it turned out beautifully!
By Rhonda Dracoulis, Owner at RK3 Designs in Seguin, TX.
Client wanted to add some Glitz to her daughters room by glamorizing a plain white vanity. This piece was in good condition, so all that was needed before I started painting, was a good cleaning and light sanding to scuff surface and primed. Entire exterior was sprayed with Lamp Black milk paint then edges were painting with Modern Masters Metallic Gold and then foiled. Crackle texture and black Glaze were used before spraying entire piece with GF High Performance Top coat with Mica Powder added for that little extra kick.
By Melissa Flippin, Owner/Artist at Flippotential Custom Finishes in Wheelock, TX.
The sides of the box were first covered with gold, turquoise and copper gold-leafs. I then painted the gold leafs with copper, metal-reactive paint, leaving sections of the gold leafs exposed. I sprayed the surface with blue and green patina sprays, sprinkled some some iron paint and then sprayed with Rust activator.
The remainder of the box was painted with General Finishes Patina Green milk paint. I put additional turquoise gold-leaf on a few spots over the milk paint. I applied gold gold-leaf to the trim areas of the doors and drawers.
Kitchen, bath, bar cabinetry etc. This can be a refinish of existing cabinets or a new finish on new cabinets. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Meaghan Wolf, Owner at Metamorphosis Design in Carmel, IN.
The upper cabinets are in Snow White but the lowers are in the Seagull Gray to give it a nice subtle, soothing combo.
By Katie Clemente, Furniture Artist at Katie Clemente Studios in CHARLESTON, SC.
My clients home had been destroyed from a flood and needed a total makeover. Being a single mom with limited funds, she contacted my studio for a design consultation. Her bold taste in color allowed me to paint her kitchen cabinets HOT PINK/MAGENTA!! Yes, you read that right. Using General Finishes top coats ensured the long lasting, durable finish! It has now been years, and my business name has changed, but these kitchen cabinets are standing strong and fierce!
By George Moloyannis
I started by cleaning all the cabinet doors with TSP then primed with GF undercoat. Sand then two coats for enduro white poly tinted to cloud white. Sand then seal with enduro clear poly
Distressed, aged, chippy or just plain country. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Robin Fleming at Robin's Nesting Place in Noblesville, IN.
This old gal had certainly seen better days. I got her for next to nothing at the thrift store because the drawers were stuck pretty tight. I usually avoid pieces with serious drawer issues but she was too pretty to leave behind, so I took my chances. After prying the drawers loose, and spending hours sanding and planing she was finally ready for her makeover.
By Julia Harrison at Boxwood & Brass
Refinished in antique white and winter white glaze was added to the top.
By Alexander Fraire at Vintage Allure by Fraire
Good evening everyone. I recently customized this gorgeous 1920's Jacobean sideboard. I painted this one with Maurice paint color and stained the top with a combination of Java and Black Gel by General Finishes.
Thank you,
Alex
Just wanted to thank everyone for following and liking our post. Please continue to like and share our posts, they are greatly appreciated!!
Color washes, decoupage, hand-painted, stenciling, and embossing (no transfers), etc. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Lisa Vassallo at Timeless Furniture Resto by Lisa in Manahawkin, NJ.
I knew that this piece was going to "get it" because the flat surfaces would allow me to really add so many extras I hadn't tried yet! I had just got a new color in, Abyss, by Wise Owl. I also ordered textured rollers from Artistic Painting Studio, along with some chrome foil and adhesive. I started by stripping the top and sanding it down so I can apply General Finishes Java Gel stain. The bottom of the piece got two coats of abyss chalk paint. I then tried using the texture roller to apply my foil adhesive so when I applied the foil, I'd get a pattern.
By Funky Furniture Eyemouth in Eyemouth, Scottish Borders, GB
This was a plain pine kist or trunk which I Upcycled into a cute Toybox for a little lady, I used GF Little Pink( please bring this colour back) teamed with Antique White on the frame, sourced medium firmness foam and upholstered in pretty pink patchwork material. The pleased young lady models it perfectly.
By Wendy Wold, owner at Broken 2 Beautiful
This is probably one of the funnest tables I've refinished. Solid and heavy this round coffee table is refinished in a beachy salt wash finish with mutiple sun, sand and water colors mixed together to remind you that "Every Day is a Day at the Beach". I personally envision her out on the deck overlooking the lake with several muti colored adirondack chairs around it. --
DIY hobbyist with NO formal resale business. If you are actively selling anywhere, you must enter another category. This category was created as a safe space for hobbyists to enter and have a fair playing field to win; Resale entries will be be asked to move, or be removed. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Laura in COLLEYVILLE, TX.
My small office desk top was white and was not holding up to the daily use. The desk top was made of plywood so I could have stripped it, however I was unsure of the quality of plywood and did not want to risk taking off the top layer and ruining it altogether. So I opted to with a faux wood look….that would not appear fake. I painted over the existing white with Millstone milk paint. I have done this to other projects using antique white, but I was out and had Millstone on hand. I then applied raw umber glaze with inexpensive thick bristle craft brush.
By Jill Stalter in milwaukee, WI.
I found this lonely old desk in a thrift shop. It had damage to finish with some type of chemical, probably nail polish or remover,the rest had layers of polish and it was so grubby you could scrape wirh your finger nails. I sanded the top, the fold out desk writing surface and all drawer fronts.
i painted the rest with gf coastal blue and the rest is history after. few coats of gf top coat.
truley a thing of beauty!
By Suzann Spartz
I turned a old used dresser that was missing drawers into a TV center for our family room using general finshes glazing, chalk paint, gel stain, and top coats
Show us how you bring out the grain, the burl, or the detailed inset patterns with a dye stain - your entire project, a table top, or drawer fronts. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Tim & Lori Duke, Owner at Duke Interiors & Restoration
This beauty was refinished using Medium Brown Dye stain and Lamp Black. Love how the dye stain brings out the natural beauty of the burl wood, especially after being sealed with Arm-R-Seal. The rest of the piece was sealed using the Enduro Poly Black Satin to show that true black color.
By Melissa Krycerick
When I found her the description read "antique box" on a popular sale site. Her veneer was dry, broken, pieces of her were missing, her lid was ruined and more than half of the veneer on the bottom trim was gone. I didn't think I could restore it. My client saw her and had to have her but she wanted me to restore her and not paint. I cleaned, sanded, and oiled her up. Her lid had to be completely stripped as did the bottom trim piece. I removed two layers of veneer on the lid and all over the remaining veneer on the bottom trim to the raw cedar underneath.
By Becky Herrmann, Owner at For Love of the Paint in Round Rock, TX.
This chest is an absolute beauty from the early 1900's. The drawers have a stunning tiger oak grain that made them the perfect candidate for dye stain, which penetrates the grain deeply and accents its unique patterns with an incredible depth of color. This exceptional wood grain was brought out with General Finishes dye stain in Medium Brown. The body was painted with a combination of Linen milk paint and Chapin Gray chalk style paint and distressed for a chippy, weathered look that contrasts gorgeously with the rich brown stain.
Show us your best Gel Stain refresh. Paint accents are fine. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Danielle-DLM Design-Fort Meade, MD at DLM Design
I absolutely love this buffet my client needed me to restore. Her family got it over seas and it was really sun damaged. The grain was so open it took the gel stain so well. I used java gel stain on this piece.
By Trudy Spooner at T-Spoon of Sugar in PE, CA
I updated this beautiful waterfall vanity for my mother-in-law after it had sat out in their barn for 5+ years. It was dull, stained, and much of the veneer needed to be glued back down. But these beautiful art deco pieces are so well constructed they deserve a long life! I'm delighted with how well it turned out. It is a gorgeous addition to her bedroom. I used Candlelite Gel Stain and top coated with Gel Top Coat.
By Ashley Olson at Eden Elyse Design Co. in Stillwater, MN.
I refinished this vintage bankers chair in a custom blend of Java and Candlelite gel stain and finished with Arm-r-seal.
Transfer of printed image onto furniture. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Diane Llewellyn Grover from The Paint Factory, Brush Tamer at The Paint Factory in Hillsboro, OR.
It was a beautiful piece as-is. Gorgeous lines and carvings. Solid construction. Just lovely.
And as lovely as it was, I knew it could be exquisite. I knew exactly the image that I would use. 'Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses' by John William Waterhouse (1891). But as much as I love to do image transfer, I was a little nervous about how the piece would be received. It's a piece that you either love or don't. I don't think there's a middle ground on this one.
By Lori Holdread at Sophistafunk Furniture in Trinidad, CO.
I use decoupage to get a master image onto my furniture piece, then I paint out from the image, using a mix of my own line and paint style, striving to meld intomthe master artist's work for a seamless furniture piece. I love the challenge of matching color and style, while at the same time making the piece my own by changing the dges of the masterwork and pulling it out to fit my furniture piece.
By Kayla at The Frayed Knot Antiques and Design in Hernando, MS.
Sweet antique dresser, refinished in Bone White Chalk Style paint and glazed using Java Gel Stain. An oversized French transfer adorns the front while the Java Gel stained top provides a warm contrast to the aged white. The drawers were lined with a sweet pillow ticking fabric to complete the look.
Bring on your best mid-1950s revival. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By April Hyde, Owner at RAWHyde Furnishings in Nashville, TN.
These adorable mid-century modern night stands have such great geometric shapes that were fun to make pop with this paint pattern. The base is done with General Finishes Antique White milk paint. I added a pop of color on the inside and on the drawer fronts, leaving some of the natural wood exposed for the mid-century style.
By Maja Komasa, MRS at ReLoved by Maja Komasa in Wągrowiec, PL
Painted with Coastal Blue, Milk Paint
By Sarah Copeland at Lily Pond Boutique in White Bear Lake, MN.
My favorite piece so far! I get to stare at the beauty every morning, since it permanent residence is my bedroom. This updated MCM lowboy dresser has been refinished in Candlelite gel stain and Driftwood milk paint. Drawer fronts sealed wiht Gel polyurethane, frame sealed with HPTC in flat.
Best finish using pre-made unfinished wood furniture. To enter this category, your raw-wood piece of furniture must have been purchased from a business that sells pre-made unfinished wood furniture. You must submit both "before" and "after" photos to be considered for a prize. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Julee Smith, Creator at Tillie's in Jackson, OH.
This was soooo much fun! A good friend of mine bought a beautiful dining room suite and wanted end tables and entertainment center to match. She purchased unfinished and trusted me to do. I color matched the turquoise and painted all the pieces in a beautiful turquoise with Sherwin Williams paint with Webster's Chalk Paint Powder additive. Next I dry brushed everything in SW peppercorn to match dining room suite. Top coated everything with General Finishes High Performance satin for lasting durability. She was thrilled!!!
By Allison Bandt, Co-Creative Director at Said Your Way Studio in Auburn, IN.
This Amish made pine cabinet is painted with General Finishes Klein Blue & Snow White Milk Paint transforming it into an out of this world re-creation of the TARIS. Topped off with a custom made General Finishes Lamp Black & Snow White Painted "Police Public Call Box" wood sign to give it the perfect finishing touch!
By Alisha from Alameda, CA
After months of searching for the perfect book cabinet and not finding anything I loved, I finally decided to order a custom unfinished piece. Fenton MacLaren's in Berkeley, CA made this alder bookcase for me and I was beyond excited to finish it! I used a combination of Seagull Gray and Persian Blue to create a beautiful color to match my living room. I then used Champagne Pearl mixed with Clear Base Glaze Effects to add a bit of shimmer. The whole piece was topped with High Performance Top Coat in Flat.
Transformation project.Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By The Modern Farmhouse reimagined furniture/decor in Olympia, WA.
I wanted to repurpose a cabinet door from an antique hutch...I cleaned it up, painted the frame with General Finishes Lamp black, and distressed. For the glass I decided to do a antique faux pattern design mirror.
I first misted with a water vinager mix. Then layed a stencil down. I sprayed Mirror effects spray paint in stenciled area heavily. Waited till dry, and repositioned in other areas doing a lighter spray of mirror effects. I then lightly blotted the water vinager.
By GoodWillHunting Lawson Designs, Owner at GoodWillHunting Lawson in New Lenox, IL.
Hi there Friends! A client dropped this off at out door one day...he's a truck driver and was heading back to Chicago from Cali, he spotted this beauty on the side of the road and thought of us! She was missing a drawer so we simply took the other one out...finished the inside with masonite and started painting! She's hand painted in General Finishes Lamp Black and Linen milk paints, she's distressed then sealed with High Performance Top Coat in a Flat finish! Her hardware was left in it's original state! We hope you love!
By Lisa Holmes, Co-owner at Flipping Fabulous in Salina, KS.
Mirrored hutch top.
Enter a project completed mostly in gray - wood or color accents are fine. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By Paige Davis, Blogger at Southern Curated
I have used General Finishes Queensland Gray Milk Paint on may projects but this one is special, for may reasons. I love this deep, rich gray. It really seems to elevate anything it touches. I chose it for this old antique oak dresser I picked up that looked as though it had been through The War. To me it was a decidedly masculin piece and the oak took this color beautifully. I pained the dresser in two coats of the Milk Paint and then lighty sanded the body to reveal the heavy grain than only oak has.
By Sunflower Studio Furniture in Troy, MI.
Classic nightstands brought up-to-date with a beautifully Java Gel stained top. The body is newly painted in classic Queenstown Gray Milk Paint. New crystal knobs give this pair a modern look. Sealed for protection with GF Flat on Flat topcoat. A modern, handsome look for any decor.
By GoodWillHunting Lawson Designs, Owner at GoodWillHunting Lawson in New Lenox, IL.
This young lady was picked up about 5 minutes from our home on the side of the curb! She was a lonely little gal until we gave her a new look! We hand painted her in Driftwood and Coral Crush milk paints, distressed her then gaver her a good coat of High Performance Top Coat in a Flat finish! Now she'll hold your "crown jewels" in style! We hope you love!
Your Friends,
The GoodWillHunting Lawson Team~
Show us your best black or white finish. Includes really dark grays and softer whites. Wood or color accents are fine. Requires the use of 1 GF product.
By GoodWillHunting Lawson Designs, Owner at GoodWillHunting Lawson in New Lenox, IL.
Hi there friends! When we bought this piece last year, she wasn't as lovely as today! She was terribly dirty and was being used in an old garage to store tools and such! She was missing a couple pieces of hardware so we knew we were going to have to get creative! We took her home, gave her a bath then got to work finding some replacing hardware. After locating a couple of extra pieces we went to work painting her in GF Antique White! We distressed her, painted her hardware a Matte Black and found her a perfect new home!
By Trudy Spooner at T-Spoon of Sugar in PE, CA
Exterior of the dresser was painted in Milk Paint Antique White. The drawers were painted with a custom blend of Persimmon, Coral Crush and Antique white to create a peachy-pink colour for a little baby girl's nursery.
By Julia Harrison at Boxwood & Brass
These Mahogany bleeders were refinished in 8 billion gallons of stain blocker and antique white.
Upload a link to a 2 minute or less video on your favorite technique. Video must be made after April 2017. Requires the display and use of 1 GF product.
By Cheri Bandt, Owner at Said Your Way Studio in Auburn, IN.
Got Furry Wood? Tips on how to prevent grain raise peel up when making stenciled wood signs.
By Isabella's Inspirations, Furniture Painter & Designer in Woodbridge, VA.
Is it easier for you to watch a demonstration video rather than read a 'how-to' article? I agree! That is why I decided to share a video on transforming a dark, traditional side table into a beautiful piece for a coastal-vibed family room. Once I knew this family room would take on a beach theme, General Finishes Persian Blue Milk Paint was the first color that I thought to use. This soft blue is reminiscient of an ocean view with the sun shining down and reflecting off the beautiful and endless blue waters.
By Meg Foster in Green Bay, WI.
Hi I'm Meg and I wanted to show y'all just how easy it can be to turn an old used piece of furniture and make it beautiful again. The best feature that I love about General Finishes paint is that it is self leveling so when you have finished the piece there are virtually no brush strokes, without even sanding! I like to start with a foam brush because it is so easy to get the paint onto the furniture and achieve nice even strokes. But I also like to use my smaller standard paint brushed to get the fine details that the foam brush just cannot reach.
Upload a link to a 2 minute or less video on your favorite technique. Video must be made after April 2017. Requires the display and use of 1 GF product.
By Ryan, Owner/Craftsman/Photographer at LumberLust Designs in Phoenix, AZ.
We've been commissioned to create two custom ebonized maple 20x18 C-Tables with steel chevron frames. We cut out top pieces from a large 8/4 big leaf Maple live edge slab and then resawed the piece to have a bookmatched pair of tops at a finished thickness of 5/8." All bark voids and cracks were filled with System 3 tinted epoxy resin, the piece was ebonized using an aniline dye. This video shows the first grain pop with General Finished Seal A Cell after ebonizing and finish sanding,
By Ryan, Owner/Craftsman/Photographer at LumberLust Designs in Phoenix, AZ.
First grain pop on this large figured Mesquite live edge slab that will be a waterfall coffee table. We are applying seal a cell prior to cutting the miter waterfall to help prevent any tear out. We followed that up with 2 coats of Arm R Seal Gloss with the last 2 top coats in Satin (gloss before satin for durability and clarity), half sheet sanding with 320 between coats.
By Mike Reddy, President at All Access Adaptations, LLC in Booneville, AR.
A quick video highlighting the use of General Finishes Water Based Finishes with an emphasis on distressing and using General Finishes Glaze Effects Van Dyke Brown to highlight those distressed marks.
Submit entries embellished with lustrous finish adornments of any kind, including gold/silver wax, or any gilding or metallic finishes on the body of the piece. This category is reserved for Mainland UK, Mainland Ireland and Mainland Europe. Requires the use of 1 GF Product.
By Agnieszka Hołodniak, Mrs. at HagArt in Gorzów Wielkopolski, PL
MARQUETRY COMMODE I have been so mesmerized by beautiful intarsia on this commode drawers that I have created identical stensil to replicate the motif so inside of the drawers and on Top of the commode.
By Emporium K, IE
The structure of this piece was good but visually dark and outdated. I painted the entire piece in Driftwood milkpaint and then to add some Bling I used gold gilding with a Moroccan trellis stencil over the entire front of all the drawers. I also added a circular Rose moulding to the bureau's drop down and gilded this also. The interior was stained using a Walnut stain. The whole piece was then sealed with High Performance Top Coat.
By Emporium K, IE
When an old piece like this has some fabulous carvings you have to do it justice and highlight them . The original grain on the top and cabinet doors was so beautiful I decided to highlight them by restaining in a dark oak stain. The rest of the piece was painted using Coastal Blue and sealed with High Performance Top Coat. Then the fun bit, I gilded the central carvings and the balcony back in gold, to match the re coloured handles, and added some mouldings, also gilded, to finish the piece. This beautiful old buffet now has its new life.
By Artisticturning, Owner
This is a cherry bowl turned from local Florida cherry. It has small beads to give some texture to the exterior it feels great tin your hands. The size is 12" dia x 12" tall x 3/16" thk. The Florida cherry has some of the most beautiful color and grain you will find and as it ages it gets even more patina and color. All of the wood that I use is recycled wood that was headed for my local landfill or fireplace. Even my scraps are used by a friend to smoke BBQ.
By Artisticturning, Owner
This is a small bowl that I turned from a small piece of Florida Red Bay with a slightly Asian influnce. Red bay trees are succumbing to a disease here in the South that is killing all of the trees. I was able to get my hands on a few small log sections.The wood has a beautiful color and grain. the size is around 4" x4" and 1/16" thick. It is very delicate and must weigh only a couple of ounces.
By Artisticturning, Owner
This is a Florida Cherry salad bowl that I made for a friend. The wood used is still fairly light colored but will darken and gain a beautiful patina with use and age. It has one bead on the outside to give it some detail. It feels great when you handle and use it, you don't want to put it down.The Florida cherry has some of the most beautiful color and grain you will find and as it ages it gets even more patina and color. All of the wood that I use is recycled wood that was headed for my local landfill or a fireplace. Even my scraps are used by a friend to smoke BBQ.
By Charles Farrar, Mr.
Thinly turned and hand scalloped Golden Mahogany Bowl, 6"h X 9"w. Used dense Golden Mahogany from the US Virgin Islands which displays amazing chatoyance.
By Charles Farrar, Mr.
Very thinly turned and hand scalloped blimishless Birch bowl, 8"h X 10"w.
By Artisticturning, Owner
This is a small project that I do when I am doing a wood turning demonstration. This one is from a beautiful piece of spalted Florida maple that I got from a friend. The beautiful colors in this piece of Florida maple come from the spalting fungus that enters the wood and eats the sugars with the resulting streaks and color. The top rim was textured with a woodburner.This fungus does not deteriorate the wood. This Rolly-Polly rolls around until it finds just the right spot to stop. This wood the was headed to the landfil or someones fireplace. It is about 4" x4" by 1/16" thick.
Any age is welcome, but cannot have postings or resales of your work that is older than 12 months from the start of the contest.
By Ian Davenport at Davenport's Handmade in Leeds, GB
Handmade wood turning project. The handle is made of Purple Heart wit a spalted beech Celtic knot inlay.
The Purple Heart was cut to length then cut at 45deg to put a spalted beech segment in then glued back together. The piece was then rotated 90 deg and repeated then again another two rotations. The completed piece was then placed on the lathe between centers and turned to shape.
By Kreg Hamburger at Kreg Hamburger Productions, LLC in Denver, CO.
Maple Bowl with wood inay. This bowl was created to combine the skills learned in beginning woodturning and wood inlay classes as my final for both. The inlay is my grandfathers farm house in Weatherford, OK where I was first introduced to woodworking by my grandfather. The inlay combines the sunsets of Oklahoma, the canned pears from my grandparents orchard as well as the wheat fields on the farm. The bowl represents the full circle of discovering woodworking from a young age to returning to it after 40 plus years.
By Ethan McCrary
This was my first green turned bowl and it turned out really well. There was only one major crack that I filled with brass dust and CA glue. I wanted to preserve the wood feel of the bowl so I only finished it with mineral oil. This has the added benefit of being food safe. The end result was a smooth finish that can be easily reapplied.
By Todd Halleman in Wilsonville, OR.
Here is a Buckeye Burl bowl that I turned a few months back. When I got the Burl cap, I saw that the wood was almost all blue. I knew I wanted to try my hardest to save as much wood as possible, so I made it winged. I love Winged Burl bowls because they are all never the same. Nature decides the shape while I help bring it out.
I wet sanded it up to 600 grit using Howard's feed N wax. I use it as that is relatively cheap and I can purchase it locally.
By Todd Halleman in Wilsonville, OR.
When I think of turning a Burl cap, I think of two different ways. The one in my other enter (winged) or the one in this entry (even walled). They both are completely different, and how the Burl is sharped is how I decide what one to do. In this one, the Burl was really oddly shaped, so I did thin walled. That way you can see the shape of the burl and it gives it a "woah! That was turned on a lathe?" effect.
By woodturning with kim, Mr. Kim
When I finished this small fruit bowl I first thought about the wood, is it a tight grain wood? Is it hard, soft? And then I made the decision of what finishing process I was going to use. In this case I decided to wet sand with walnut oil all the way from 180-1200 grit, I did this because I have had a positive experience from doing this on birch wood which was the wood of choice in this case. After I had wet sanded the bowl I let the oil really soak in and dry for a couple of days before applying the final finish.
By Cory Mullenaux in Safford, AZ.
This is a Pistachio bowl with black epoxy inlay . The finish used on this piece is deft sanding sealer and deft lacquer. I sanded between coats with 400 grit . It has 2 coats of sanding sealer and 4 coats of lacquer. I'm pleased with the wood colors and contrast .
By Michael Alguire, Machinist/woodturner in Datil, NM.
This is a piece of Russian olive that had some burl on it, I turned it to the finish thickness, sanded to 240, I then used a torch to bring out the grain rings. I then finish sanding through the rest of the grits. Finish is watco danish oil, with three stage buff size is 10" x 5.750"
By David DeCristoforo
Made from a section of a Chinese Pistache tree that was taken down near my house.
By Kreg Hamburger at Kreg Hamburger Productions, LLC in Denver, CO.
From the wood pile to a useful woodturning tool, I got a handle on this. Creating my first tool for woodturning, I used a waste Walnut log to turn a handle for my 3/8" drill bit for hollowing.
Finish is Hampshire Sheen from St Louis.
By Kreg Hamburger at Kreg Hamburger Productions, LLC in Denver, CO.
Silver Maple turned from a simple block into a beautiful tool Mallet.
By Ethan McCrary
I wanted to use an easy-to-apply finish on this ornament because I was pressed for time, so I just used mineral oil. The mineral oil gives the wood a smooth feel, but it should be easy to reapply every year.
By Justin Fiaschetti at Fiaschetti Woodworking
A baseball bat's sole purpose for existing is to hit balls traveling upwards of 100 mph... but what if that wasn't the case? That is the question that drove me to design this bat. I wanted to take a fully utilitarian tool and turn it into a work of art. Made up of 577 pieces, this bat definitely fits that description. It is made of Padauk, Curly Maple, Purple Heart, and Wenge. I took care to sand up to 600 grit and then burnish with steel wool until the wood shined. I wanted to show this piece off so I opted for a high gloss finish. I used Waterlox original.
By Artistic Woodturning By Pete Marken, Professional Woodturner
This piece was made with over 3,000 pieces of wood that includes cherry, maple, peruvian walnut, yellowheart, spectra ply and black veneer.
It measures 12-1/2" diameter X 6-1/4" tall. The finish consists of several coats of sanding sealer and ten coats of General Finishes Wood Turners Finish sanded and buffed to a high gloss.
By Artistic Woodturning By Pete Marken, Professional Woodturner
Segmented form consisting of 884 pieces of wood that include cherry, mahogany, wenge,yellowheart and black veneer. The piece was finished with four coats of gloss poly then 4 coats of satin. Wet sanded and buffed to a super smooth finish. The piece is 11-1/4" diameter X 9" tall.
By Artistic Woodturning By Pete Marken, Professional Woodturner
This is an open segmented piece with 1,015 pieces. Woods used are Bubinga, Maple, Yellowheart and Wenge. The piece is finished with semi gloss lacquer. You definitely do not want a tool catch. 8" diameter X 10" tall
By Darren Throop in Green Bay, WI.
I wanted to keep a natural look for this piece as it was inspired by the decor in the A&E series, "Vikings". The hollow form, made from a highly spalted piece of maple was sanded to 600 grit, giving the piece a soft, smooth feel and appearance. I applied Myland's Cellulose Sanding Sealer to firm up and protect this soft piece of spalted wood in preparation for the final wax finish.
By Bob Rotche
This walnut hollow vessel measures 10" tall x 5" in diameter. The lid is turned from African blackwood and is topped with a deer antler tip wrapped in hemp. The main form is wrapped in jute twine with the section being framed by bands of lines burned with a skew pyrography tip. The intent being juxtaposition of a tribal feel of the coarse natural fibers, pyrography and antler with the clean contemporary style of the high hard edged vessel with rounded lid and carved integral feet. The finish is Danish oil which has been buffed to give it a soft sheen.
By Cory Mullenaux in Safford, AZ.
This is a Mesquite burl hollow form that is 9" wide by 7" tall. The finish used is General finishes Seal A Cell base coat and followed by Arm R Seal gloss finish . I'm pleased with these two products . They work so well together. This is one of my favorite pieces.
By Bill Ooms at Studio of Bill Ooms in Prescott, AZ.
This box with threaded lid started with African Blackwood. Then a thin layer of Holly was wrapped around the exterior, glued, and turned down to a thickness of 0.030”. A cylinder of African Blackwood was hollowed to fit over the Holly, glued, and turned down to a thickness of 0.020”. The keyboard pattern was cut through the exterior black layer and into the holly on an ornamental lathe (that I built myself). Additional ornamentation was cut on the top of the box and inside the box with the ornamental lathe.
By Bill Ooms at Studio of Bill Ooms in Prescott, AZ.
This box with threaded lid started with African Blackwood. The two pieces were first hollowed inside. Next, matching pieces of hard maple were turned to an exact fit, glued, and hollowed leaving only a thin layer of maple remaining. This was repeated with a piece of brown ivory wood, glued, and turned so that only a thin layer remained. The interior pattern was cut with an ornamental lathe (that I built myself). The cuts went completely through the thin layers and into the outer shell of blackwood to create the contrasting colors in the interior pattern.
By Artisticturning, Owner
I turned this small bow from Spalted Bradford Pear. The spalting takes a normally boring variety of wood into a swirl of color anf figure. The knob on the lid was turned from Ebony. The box has multiple coats of Arm-R-Seal
By Bill Ooms at Studio of Bill Ooms in Prescott, AZ.
The metal components are made by hand from brass on a metal lathe (they are not kit components). The wood is African Blackwood and pieces of sterling silver wire are inserted into both ends. The pattern was cut into the wood of the pen using an ornamental lathe which I built myself. The finish is an oil finish I mix myself from 1/3 Pure Tung Oil, 1/3 Pure Boiled Linseed Oil, and 1/3 Behlen Rock Hard Table Varnish. Size is 5” long x 0.6” diameter.
By Manda Mercure, Owner at Mercure Pens in Windsor, ON, CA
The flashy figure in the piece of black walnut really pops with the high gloss of General Finishes Waterbased Turners' Finish. I first apply two coats of varnish and allow the grain to rise before sanding that down with the coarsest grit of MicroMesh. I then apply up to 10 coats of varnish until I'm happy with the coating. I then meticulously sand through all grits of MicroMesh to flatten and remove any specks, working up to a fine gloss. I apply one last coat of varnish before polishing with only the two finest MicroMesh grits.
By Manda Mercure, Owner at Mercure Pens in Windsor, ON, CA
The straight grain and brilliant colour of this redheart is the perfect canvas to show off General Finishes Waterbased Turners' Finish. I first apply two coats of varnish and allow the grain to rise before sanding that down with the coarsest grit of MicroMesh. I then apply up to 10 coats of varnish until I'm happy with the coating. I then meticulously sand through all grits of MicroMesh to flatten and remove any specks, working up to a fine gloss. I apply one last coat of varnish before polishing with only the two finest MicroMesh grits.
By Kurt WK in Skokie, IL.
This ornament is made form 101 peices of maple and walnut.
By David DeCristoforo
Kaleidoscope w/ interchangable object boxes. Can be used on the stand or hand held by removing the scope from the openable cage. One object box is oil filled and one is openable to allow the contents to be changed. All parts are friction polished. Made from oak burl, ebony and ebonized maple.
By David DeCristoforo
My take on the Greek Amphora. I have made a number of pieces in this style but I think this is the best of them. Honduras rosewood burl and ebony.
By Artisticturning, Owner
This is a vessel that was turned from Florida Cherry. I turned a lid also out of Florida Cherry. The vessel was then given a basketweave texture with pyrography ( woodburning). I then used a small power carver to apply additional texture to the lid and the body. The vessel exterior was then ebonized black. the interior was left the natural cherry to offer contrast and show that it was indeed made from cherry. the size is approximately 6" tall and 41/2" wide.
By Artisticturning, Owner
This is a Spalted Florida maple bowl that was turned thin and the rim was given a texture with pyrography( woodburning). The spalting gives the wood its colors and is caused by a fungus that enters the wet wood and eats the sugars leaving the color and streaks.The bowl is 9" Dia. x 5" tall and is 1/16" thick.
By Artisticturning, Owner
This is a small vessel that was turned from sycamore, I then used a power carver to enhance the surface. Wood bleach was used to lighten the exterior of the vessel. I made the lid from spalted bradford pear. The spalting is a fungus the enters the wet wood and eats the sugars leaving the wood with streaks and colors. I did not bleach the interior so there would be some contract between the interior and the exterior and showing that it is indeed made from wood. The vessel is 6 1/2" wide and 4 1/2" tall.
By Artisticturning, Owner
I turned a large Florida Cherry bowl then I used a custom brand with my woodburner and I branded the exterior of the bowl. The exterior of the bowl was then sprayed with milk paint. The interior was finished with Arm-R-Seal and I sprayed the exterior with a matt sealer.
By Artisticturning, Owner
I turned and hollowed a blank of Florida Cherry. I applied milk paint to the exterior with a sprayer to give it a almost porcelain appearance and a custom mix of milk paint on the interior. The rim around the opening was enhanced with the woodburner to give it a rope appearance. The size is aprox. 13" wide and 5" tall.
By Bob Rotche
This oak vase measures 12" tall x 5.5" in diameter. It is colored with Transtint dyes, mostly green and a little bit of yellow. The top was cut at an angle to give it movement and the interior painted flat black to add drama. The exterior is finished with gloss wipe on polyurethane which accentuates the color of the dye.
By Erin Tootsie Judd
This beautiful Sam Maloof style rocking chair was a built by a father/daughter duo with the construction completed in most by dad with a little help from daughter and finished by her. Crafted from warm walnut enriched by bold ebony accents, this chair was carefully coated in seven layers of Arm-R-Seal and a final finish of Satin Finishing Wax. This gentle and patient process produces a pleasing combination of warm and dark tones that suit the elegant nature of the rocker, as well as providing ample protection to preserve this piece for years to come.
By Ryan, Owner/Craftsman/Photographer at LumberLust Designs in Phoenix, AZ.
We created this wild eye popping bench using a 6" thick highly figured live edge big leaf Maple slab that we've ebonized and paired with custom i-beam chevron legs. The slab top has been finished using Seal A Cell and Arm R Seal. The i-beam legs were created using reclaimed salvaged steel and finished in an iridescent gold powdercoat.
By Greg Lankston, Owner at Wood Magicians in Danville, IN.
This bench was built for a customer with a unique story behind it. The customer's daughter had lost her father when she was a young girl. The bed head board was one remaining piece of furniture she had that they wanted to somehow salvage and restore. Thus being a piece her daughter could hold and display for years to come to remind her of her father. They asked can you get creative and turn this into a display piece.
By Adam Bath
This finish was one of my first forrays into General Finishes Endurovar Satin. I started with the body and headstock stained as black as possible, then I sanded the body back to give it a kind of weathered look.
After sanding the body to 220 grit, I started applying Endurovar with my HVLP spray gun, sanding lightly between coats. The entire finish took only 5 coats, which was amazing to me! I've never used a finish that was so easy and had such incredible results. I was thoroughly impressed by the Endurovar Satin finish, next I want to see how I do with the gloss finish.
By Chris Goodman Jr., Co-Owner at Goodman Fine Woodworking
Ambrosia Maple solid wood stave drum. Sanded to 180 grit, then finished with 3 coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal. Once cured, the drum is buffed with a paste wax and 0000 steel wool.
By Mike Poorman at Woodshop Mike in Jasper, GA.
This guitar is crafted from Maple, Sapele, and Rosewood. The combination of materials and construction methods I used produced an instrument that has long lasting sustain and a wide array of tonal options. The design of this guitar was influenced by the hard geometric lines seen across many aspects of design, but my goal was to tame that aesthetic while hinting to the original inspiration for a guitar's shape.
By David Awerman
I applied multiple coats of conversion varnish with spray equipment. The top was polished with various buffing pads and compounds to achieve a durable high gloss.
By Garrett Goldader
I used general finishes Arm-r-seal to put a perfect layer of protection and shine to this beautiful piece of wood.
By Justin Fiaschetti at Fiaschetti Woodworking
A chair that feels customly designed for each person who sits in it. That is what I set out to do when making this chair. The back braces flex and pivot to perfectly match the curve of anyone's back. The arm rest's cove perfectly raps anyone's arm. I finished this chair with a home mixed wiping varnish. I mixed 1/3 Boiled Linseed Oil, 1/3 Clear Gloss Poly, and 1/3 Mineral spirits. I wiped the first coat on and was amazed at how much the Curly Maple and Sapele came to life. The wood eagerly soaked up the first coat so there was no need to wipe off any finish.
By Chris Goodman Jr., Co-Owner at Goodman Fine Woodworking
Black Walnut and Maple shoe shine box, sanded to 180 grit, then coated with 5 coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal (using 0000 steel wool in between coats). Buffed out with 0000 steel wool and paste wax.
By Mike Poorman at Woodshop Mike in Jasper, GA.
This TV stand was designed by my wife and I to accommodate our modern electronics but have a traditional furniture style. The unit has a removable center panel in the top to allow for easy cord management, along with soft close draw glides, and hand turned feet. This unit was finished with walnut and jacobean stains along with two coats of polycrylic.
By M13WoodWorks
This bandsaw box uses Sapele, Baltic Birch Ply, and a Curly Maple pull. This is a custom design with hours of detailed sculpting using rasps, scrapers, and sandpaper.Thef finish used is boiled linseed oil and 2 coats of spray lacquer.
By Andrea Pinedo
This table was crafted from purple heart and maple woods. There is a clear inlay of epoxy with lapis stone for the curved stripes on top, giving an interesting blue tone to contrast with the purple. The lit circles in the center are a surprise, since they are invisible until the table is lit!
By Derek McDonald in Rochester, NH.
Woods: Mahogany (Swietenia Macrophylla), White Oak Burl (Quercus Alba), Gaboon Ebony (Diospyros Crassiflora), Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus).
Inspired by the work of 18th-century furniture maker Thomas Seymour, this table aims to put a contemporary twist on a classic design. While the reeded and carved legs stay true to the original, the visually striking oak veneer leaves the piece far removed from the category of “old brown furniture”.
By John Harryman at John Harryman Designs in East Troy, WI.
Curved Walnut Hall Table - Wall Mounted. Finished in High Performance Satin.
By T & W Olsen, Owners at Redwood Market
This project was made as a housewarming gift to family friends who bought their first home. It was made by hand starting with rough sawn hard maple and cherry. It was shaped with a plane, spoke shave, and sanding. The "B" for their name was carved using chisels, and is flanked on the top and bottom with brass dowels.
It was finished in the following order with General Finishes products:
Mahogany stain --Patina Green Milk Paint - Snow White Milk Paint - High Performance
By Edgar WK
Using hand chisels and a mallet I carved this 3 foot Indian from a basswood log.
By Derek McDonald in Rochester, NH.
Woods: Basswood ( tilia americana)
After some practice carving traditional forms that would be found on furniture or architectural elements, I stumbled across the work of Grinling Gibbons, a 17th century English carver, famous for his intricate lifelike cascades of flowers, fruits, and animals. I was immediately taken aback by the beauty and skill of his work and decided to try a project in his style. I chose my wife's favorite flower, the hibiscus, as the subject, and gave it to her as a gift for Christmas.
By T & W Olsen, Owners at Redwood Market
After 30 years of service in the US Coast Guard , this retirement plaque was constructed using dock Timbers that had seen the boots of thousands of Coast Guardsmen doing missions for decades in Miami Florida. The wood is dense and heavy yellow pine that had seen years of saltwater, dirt, oil, grime...
By T & W Olsen, Owners at Redwood Market
After 2 tours of duty in Miami with the US Coast Guard , this award plaque was constructed using dock Timbers that had seen the boots of thousands of Coast Guardsmen doing missions for decades in Miami Florida. The wood is dense and heavy yellow pine that had seen years of saltwater, dirt, oil, grime...
By Hunter Richmond at Burly Bags in Vista, CA.
Blending fun and classy with the help of General Finishes Gel stains.
