A Fisherman Lives Here {Vinyl Sign}

I got an old Pizzaria sign for free that sat around for a while, waiting for the perfect inspiration. I almost turned it into a beach sign, then almost turned it into some sign for the nursery. But for a long time I have wanted to make a sign for my Sister-in-law with a Fisherman quote that I'd seen. You see, my brother loves to fish. So when I first read the quote "A Fisherman lives here with the catch of his life." I thought of them. I stored the quote away in my mind and waited for inspiration.

When I saw the sign below on the Silhouette blog I finally knew exactly what I wanted to do. I loved the colors on their sign. I love that blog!

{Inspiration courtesy of The Silhouette Blog}

So out came my sign. I slapped on a coat of my favorite Benjamin Moore paint. A blue sample I bought for $1 a while back. I love the color.

After it was dry I was shocked. For the FIRST time ever one coat was not enough! The red "Pizzaria" was showing through and was still VERY visible. I knew it must be the kind of paint that just never gets covered, so instead of trying more coats, I pulled out my Kilz. (Primer, Sealer and Stainblocker!) Those of you who have used it know what a lifesaver it can be! I threw on a coat, repainted, and got down to business.

Using my Silhouette I cut a fisherman image out of Freezer Paper to use as a stencil. I carefully ironed the outline and inner pieces onto the board. Then I painted that image brown, let it dry, and touched it up once before removing the paper. If you try this you need to be careful not to touch the paint and to avoid too much bubbling around the edges otherwise you will have some paint bleed.

At this point I sanded the fisherman and the whole board on the top a little, then sanded the edges down.

I did a little touch up with blue paint around the edges of the fisherman. Then I used my Distress Ink (Walnut Stain) and wiped it on the edges and smudged a little randomly on the front too. Then I wiped the front down so it was light, but not the edges.

Lastly, I cut the words out in a red vinyl on my Silhouette. I measured the board and the space needed between the lines so that I could cut it all out exactly as it should be spaced.

I love how it turned out:

Silhouette Shape: fisherman_casting__C00351_17986 Font: GM Hightop Demoversion Regular