Miss Gussie, the glamper, finally got all gussied up with a fresh coat of paint! I've had my 1959 Arrowhead camper a little over a year. I immediately decorated the inside, but I had been putting off painting the outside. I ask a few auto paint shops and they declined the job. The mister kept saying I could do it, but I just wasn't sure I could. Then one day, I finally decided, yes I could do it and dove right off in the middle of it all!
I started by scrubbing and washing her up. Now, by no means is she a perfect camper, just don't tell her that! I know my paint job is not professional, its perfectly imperfect and cost me less than $200 and I actually had a lot of fun painting her. I like her - She's cute, happy, fun, and if I decide I want another paint scheme later on, I'll paint again. I've heard some people say an estimate of $2000+ for a pro paint job, but let's be real, I don't know if she's worth that.
When I started the job, I thought I would be happy and content just to get her painted a fresh white.
As I was priming her, I got a vision! She was chippy, peely, distressed. If Miss Gussie was a dresser, chair or table, we would have all loved her vintage character and charm, so I decided I wanted to play to that idea. My paint job is by no means professional and who knows how long the paint will last (check back in a few years for a report on that.) So if she starts to have a little peeling and chipping in the future, maybe it'll look just right and it was meant to be. I decided she needed a lace stripe, like my
burlap pillows and a frame and flowers like my business cards and logo. I use a heart with wing stamp on all my packages along with my cards, so a turquoise heart would fill the frame. She didn't come with wings, but by golly, she
needed a set of wings!
So I ordered a
lace stencil on etsy and got started painting and then I wondered what the heck was I thinking??? A lace stencil on an uneven metal surface IS. NOT. EASY. But oh, it was worth it!
Thank goodness for spray adhesive and like I said earlier she's perfectly imperfect and several touch ups were required!
My favorite paint brushes will always be the cheapest, little ol' straw-like, bristle brushes. I found a small sponge roller for the stencil worked best for me though.
I got the one side done and then it really started raining. I thought I would never get to finish the other three sides, then one day the sun unexpectedly came out and I jumped at the opportunity to get outdoors and finish her up.
Everything was free handed (except the lace stencil) and I didn't use any painters tape! The last person to paint didn't use any either, so I knew scraping the windows was already in my future.
I had pondered and studied on what type of paint to get. I made my decision, and the company website said it was stocked in a local store. The rude salesman, finally ask if I needed help and then informed me they did not carry the paint I was in search of, that I should get auto body paint. Hmmmfff... I went to the local hardware store and told her my project and her immediate suggestion was BARN paint! Of course, she's basically a tin barn on wheels, so I got primer and a gallon of white barn paint to start my job, along with a few rollers and brushes.
The door of the camper is covered in a turquoisy colored burlap fabric and I had ordered the Mason jar sign last year and I wanted my stripe to match both of them. I decided that Shining Sea by True Value was the closest match and got a quart of it and brown to do the detail work.
I lost a little patience with the lace stencil on the back side of the camper. I messed up a few times and just painted her solid. I knew I wanted to have an arrow somewhere, paying tribute to her brand and model, so I decided this is where it would go.
Of course, my Sisters on the Fly number needed to be featured too! I haven't participated in any SOTF events, but my glamper is almost ready to hit the road!
Now the question everyone ask - "What are you going to do with her?"
Well, she's the GypsyFarmGirl World Headquarters! So she's kind of like my office of sorts, I head out here for photo shoots on a regular basis, sometimes I blog from the comfy bed, and Sunday naps are the best.
She's my girly "she shed" escape, instead of a man cave! I get to decorate her however I please and light my candles up.
She also stores some extra
shop inventory and my dress form, along with homemade curtains and tattered quilts.
I would love to hit the road for a few camping trips and maybe a few vintage sales. Who knows where the road leads us? One things for sure - I bet that guy who left a note in the mail box wanting to buy her, has changed his mind now that he sees her looking like this, because she's not a deer camp, camper anymore!
