i said never...and now i remember why.

I have been committed to a few things in my life. My family, health, Cameo Boutique and vanGogh Chalk Paint. The order of this is somewhat sketchy, but you get the drift.

I have been painting with Chalk Paint exclusively for quite some time now, teaching workshops, and even being the Vancouver Island Distributor. When you are spoiled enough to have a limitless supply of Chalk Paint and furniture to work on it just naturally happens that you dont ever paint with anything else

This brings me back to quite some time ago, before I became so committed...a time when I was still using acrylics and latex paints. This was a time of frustration, angst..and regrets. Any time I worked on a piece, it looked so perfect before distressing. Once it had been distressed it looked like amature furniture night...

These products definately have their place, and can be used to create some AMAZING looks. For example check out this classy china cabinet I did in latex window and trim paint. Clearly a gem, and not distressed.

But seriously, if it is your intention to distress or antique your item, there is only ONE game in town. Well maybe two if you count milk paint (and you wanna mix/tint/bind it yourself)..so back to one game in town. CHALK PAINT.

Remember after you (ladies) finished giving birth to your first child? That overwhelming feeling of "Im never doing that again!" then time goes on, your child grows, and something happens. You forget the suffering you endured to bring forth your amazing creation.

This is what happend to me last week. Only it wasnt my child. It was a custom furniture job.

I have had a lovely gal in the shop several times who was desperately seeking white distressed end tables.  (you all know I havent been using white much lately). Only catch was, she really didnt seem to gravitate towards to esthetic of chalk paint. Once I saw her living room I understood that the use of a latex would be best suited for her. Her decor was very very modern. Even the choice to distress them confused me a bit..but whatever I aim to please.

Then it happend. I agreed to paint for her these custom end tables, and distress them. Im not sure where in my brain the information was stored regarding my previous experience distressing latex (yes I know about the wax trick, the vaseline..etc etc) but it was clearly inaccessable at decision time.

I mixed her up a custom color to use for the base that would match perfectly but not cheezily (its an adjective Im sure), sought out just the right white for her...first sand them out...then I primed them. I then embark on painting. They looked so pretty I was thrilled with how the "hot spots" laid out.

Laying the white on top what where the memories started to come back to me...ah yes, now I recall that need to use like 4 coats of paint. ugh. Crap, this stuff takes forever to dry..now I am two days into paint.

Oh yeah, I cant wet distress this....crap. Now I have to sand through 4 coats of white paint before I will even hit the custom color. And all that sanding...I forgot about that.

What if I blow right through the base coat because Im trying so hard to get through the white? What if the sandpaper leaves all sorts of nasty scratch marks? My ARM IS GETTING SORE! IM BLOWING THROUGH SANDPAPER A MILE A MINUTE!  OH NO, I forgot that when you sand down acrylics/latex they get all dull and lose their sheen!! Panic starts to set in, I try to talk myself down..(I did that exact thing when I went into labour with baby #2)

I stuggled through, and made the most of this RElearning experience. The end tables turned out lovely (I used several of my top secret tricks from the past to accomplish this ie i looked on pinterest:) and I am sure that tomorrow when said customer comes in her hunt for white distressed end tables will be over.

Here is my point of this long winded blog. I believe to everything there is a purpose, latex/acrylics are fabulous for theirs...

Chalk Paint just flat out kicks ass for its purpose. Here is what this process would have looked like if I had used Chalk Paint.
~ wash down project with a damp cloth
~lay out hot spots (one good coat)
~by the time the second table was painted the first was ready for top coats (chalk paint dries FAST)
~lay out two nice thick yummy coats. perfect coverage
~grab my green kitchen scrubby and a bowl of water...scuff scuff..blendy blend.. perfect distress.
~wax wax
DONE.. total time frame.. oh, maybe a solid 4 hours.

So this serves as my public service announcement to all DIY'ers..dont follow in my ill fated footsteps, you shall only attain frustration and sore biceps. Chalk Paint is where its at man:)

For all the information you will need about the amazing lineup provided by vanGogh Chalk Paint please visit their website..through which you can also locate our lovely little shoppe Cameo Boutique!

http://www.vangoghchalkpaintcollection.com/

the path less taken

I have been seriously sidetracked lately. That china cabinet I promised still sits, half painted in the studio at Whippletree....BUT I have turned out a few great things that were "unplanned".

Inspiration is one of those tricky bitches, you never know when it will sneak up on you and poke you in the *#&* (put your favouite explative here).

I was perusing one of our local buy and sell sights when I stumbled upon a pair of hexagonal end tables. MDF and laminate, looked to be in pretty good shape. What really caught my eye was the wheat sheaf motif (what a mouthfull) on the doors. It was unique and very pretty. The price was too good to pass up, when I placed the call, the home was only 3 minutes from my house...so the deal was sealed. They had to be mine.

As I mentioned inspiration sneaks up on you, but in my case it not only sneaks up on me...it grabs ahold and wont let go until I have completed the task. No matter if it takes all night. I have joined the color movement, because if I hear one more time "oh they are lovely, if only they were white I'd buy them" I may lose my mind.

White has its place, and it is lovely, but lets not forget the world is full of color. It is meant to be enjoyed, played with, and its time for some creativity folks. So here is an example of me, taking the road less travelled.

Firstly I have been dying to use the color combination of Serentiy under Starry Night with French Caffeine Wax. ...

serenity

 

starry night

 

 

and just for the interior doors (and for fun!) Victorian!

 

 



As usual excuse the disgusting flash effect from my photos, they flat out suck. Trust me when I say these end tables are two of the deepest most luxurious pieces to come out of my studio.

 

The inside of the doors have a fun peek a boo of victorian purple, and as usual I color block repeated these colors on the inside cabinet walls. Priced at $150 for the pair, someone who isnt afraid to take the road less travelled is going to get one heck of a buy!