Ocean view, Framed

I bought a trio of Maine prints in Boothbay Harbor, Maine a few summers ago, back when I used to live in Maine. I call them prints, but they were sold as postcards on high quality paper. I love the colors and the simplicity of the drawings. And the ideal Maine views are so wonderfully realistic. The colors recall a great gift Maine offers to the rest of the world, Maine Cottage. The super simple, elegant furniture is given a distinctly optimistic twist when painted in bright, bold hues. When I found these prints in a drawer, I remembered that I put them in the drawer long ago with the intention of framing them one day. And that day has now come!

Many of you know that I had a fairly ridiculous accident a few years ago. The timeframe of the accident coincided with the opening of an Ikea in Dallas (ok, halfway to Oklahoma in Frisco). My mother, long-suffering wheelchair pusher that she was for me, took me to Ikea, where we promptly discovered that maneuvering the entire place in a wheelchair was disastrous! Therefore, we left shortly after we arrived with nary a Swedish-designed bargain. Well, a few weeks ago, my mother and I travelled up the Tollway to that Ikea, for a triumphant return. This time, both of us sauntered through the store with great ease. And I bought generic frames for my Maine prints.

And adopting Maine Cottage style colors, I painted them up and mounted the postcards. And well, project complete. A few details: The Ikea frames are particularly suited for painting, having no wood treatment at all. This means that the first layer of paint will be sucked right into the wood, drying in just a few minutes. A second coat is a must! I actually gave my frames three coats, just to make sure the color was particularly vivid. I used a generic craft sealant with high gloss to give the frames a good shine. Other than that, the project is pretty self explanatory. I love the coastal views, even if the coast in question is thousands of miles away.