Painted n' Polished

I've been a busy girl this week. I've completed the sign for my neighbours. Today I applied the top coat rain protection stuff over the letters and all I have to do now is wait for it to dry and we're good to go!

These look much greener in person.

I did the lettering differently this time. Rather than cutting out the letters and using them as stencils I used pencil on the back of the print out and traced it like carbon paper (if that makes sense) and then free handed the lettering.

My neighbours on the other side would like a Harry Potter themed sign. There are two sites there, owned by one family, so my idea was to create one sign for them both and put it in the center. For their sign I wanted to do something joined, but it still had to be HP themed. First I thought of a brilliant idea - Harry's glasses - but when I drew it out it wound up just looking like boobs. Then I thought of a Yin-Yang to represent the joining of the two sites, but it is not really HP themed. Then I googled HP things and came up with the oracle from Professor Trelawney's class. 

This is what I came up with ... sort of an oracle combined with the yin-yang, but with the tails pointing towards the sites. I like it. I hope they do too.

The lady from site M2 messaged me today. She wants Narnia. It is going to be a harder one for me, because while I have watched the movies and read the first book I'm not as familiar with it as I am with other adventurous fairy tales. She doesn't need her sign until the Spring so I have all winter to design in. M5 and M6 are only getting their site #'s right now. The rest will be done over winter after I get a chance to talk to them about the cost.

All Cut Up

Yesterday I had a day off work, so I decided to be productive. I went to Service Ontario, where last week when I got a temp sticker for the truck (because we had intended on selling it) they told me I did not need an emissions test this year, but (run-on-sentence much) apparently the status has changed (now that I decided to keep the truck) and it needs an emissions test before I can get a new plate sticker. So I got another temp, and Michael has some running around to do.

After that I went to the Home Depot and bought some supplies for my neighbour's sign ...

When I got home I drew the signs onto the wood, printed the lettering to size (I will have to cut these out in order to use them as stencils later) and got to chopping. 

I am extra proud of myself for this part because for my sign I had Michael do all the cutting. I watched him to see how he did it though, and this time was able to get it all done on my own.

Once the cutting and sanding was done it was time for stain. I chose a colour called Sagebrush Green to compliment their trailer colours and because the Lord of the Rings has a lot of beautiful green scenery. It's also an antique-y kind of colour to compliment the type of sign it is as well as to match, but not exactly, my sign. Supplies cost me around $82. I am not charging them for my time, because they've been so helpful with a lot for us, but if anyone else wants a sign like this (or with whatever theme) I will charge a flat rate of $150-$175 depending on what is involved.

L to R
Isengard, Rivendell, Mordor, The Shire, Middle Earth, M3, Gondor

Next week I will cut out the lettering and get it painted on. We're putting the post in the ground today, but the signs won't be ready until next weekend (hopefully). Michelle (from M3) has no idea what it is going to look like. She only knows she chose the theme. I can't wait to see the look on her face. I showed her husband, Tim, and he said she's going to be thrilled. :)

PS. I'm going to stamp the back, somehow (suggestions!) with "Sign Designs by Samantha Rogers" ... maybe I've started a new career. ;)

I'm Famous!

Okay, so I'm not really famous, but my trailer sign has sparked quite the buzz in the trailer park. People pull up to it and take pictures, they stop and chat to me about it. I've been walking by people and heard them talking about "that lamp post with all the signs on it" on Main Street (that's my road).

My next door neighbours, at M3, are fantastic. Tim, he works at the park in the summer, has been a great help to us getting set up, etc.. Michelle, his wife, and I hit it off right away. They have a little daughter named Sammy, she is 8. She's cute. She and Ethan, while there is a bit of an age gap, get along well. The other night they went to Chocolate Bar Bingo together and then Michelle gave Ethan (and Sammy) a ride around the park in their golf cart. That made his day. :)

So anyway ... Michelle fell in love with my sign and, two weekends ago, asked if I would make her one ("I will pay for everything!!") in a Lord of the Rings theme. Last weekend (Fri the 21st) I met the lady from M2. She, too, requested a sign, in a Narnia theme. Tim said to them "she just got here, give her a chance to settle in" ... LOL. Michelle wasn't there when M2 asked for a sign (I can't remember her name right now, starts with a J) but the next day Tim told her. She came over to me and asked me how much it would cost because she wanted to pay me up front right then and there. I said "not to worry, you're first on my list" ...

THEN the next nights my neighbours at M5/M6 (it's two trailers owned by the same family) requested a Harry Potter themed sign. We are the first trailers people see when they turn into our section of the park, so it would be nice if we all kind of had a theme. I also kind of like being in control of the signs. My OCD really loves that they're all going to match. :D

I am definitely making one for Michelle. I've already started planning it. The other two will have to wait for Spring. I'm not going to stain the sign for M3 the same colour as mine. I'm thinking it will be good in a antique mossy green or something like that. Maybe even do a dark espresso wood colour. Thoughts?

Preliminary drawing stage. Still needs a little tweaking.

I got my squirrel feeder up!! We planted cedar bushes around it, so it isn't just sitting in the middle of nowhere ...

I planted a rose of sharon tree and brought my little flamingos from home to protect it. A little friend decided to hang out for a bit.