Live, Learn, Laugh, Love, Life - A plaque makeover

Now that I've completed my shed makeover (guest posted today at My Repurposed Life), I have been looking for fun things to hang on my blank fence next to the shed.  While driving back from my Saturday running club, I hit the breaks for a garage sale because I saw this propped up against a treadmill:

I picked it up for $5, and brought it home to paint.

First, I primed it with Zinsser and my paint sprayer.

 Next, I spray painted it with Rustoleum Satin outdoor spray paint in a sage green.

Blended colors for each letter

Then, I painted each of the letters in a different blended color.  I'm a fan of Donna Dewsburry's one stroke painting technique, so I used her method of loading the paint brush with two colors to blend two colors for each word.

Loading 2 paint colors onto the brush

After dipping the corner of the brush into each paint color,
I work the paint into the brush by  moving it back and forth in the paint.

Scruffy brush used to create faux moss.

Next, I added "moss" around the edges using a flat headed "scruffy" brush loaded with yellow and green paint, then "pounced" around all the edges of the plaque.

Live Learn Laugh Love Life - Simple rules to live by!

Here's the finished product!

I need your help!  Should I add an additional layer of varnish or glazing to add a patina?  Or...should I leave well enough alone?  Let me know what you think!

Coincidentally, Cottage and Vine also did a great makeover of this same plaque - check out her version!