::Desk Double Dip, a Paint Review, Tips, and a Tutorial::

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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Here's a review of Shabby Paints and VAX.

I also talk about glazing.  And stenciling.

And I threw in a tutorial on getting a distressed finish with three colors.

It will be very pic heavy because Miss Cherie got double dipped.

1st incarnation

Actually it's the second incarnation because first I did her in a grey-green with a white top that just wasn't workin' for me....hence, no pics.

That's when I decided Cherie would be perfect for trying the Shabby Paint products.

I received the following from the gals at Shabby Paints to try out.  Yay!

The color is called 'Dynasty Blue', and the VAX is clear.

Their products are non-toxic with no VOCs.  

A quart of their paint is $29, but I love that they carry 4oz, 8oz, and 16 oz sizes too!

The VAX sells for $26 for 12oz, and also comes in a 4oz size. 

Before I get too much further, let's look at how Cherie was dressed when I heard her in the corner of a yard sale rambling in french about how black ages her.

Pretty rough, with at least 2 coats of glossy paint, chipping off everywhere.

I broke out my mouse sander for this baby.

This is after two coats of the Dynasty Blue.

Coverage was excellent. Paint is very similar to ASCP and van Gogh.  

I watered down the second coat a bit (which I always do with chalk paint), so I barely used any of the paint.

It was a bit bright for my taste, so I decided to use some glaze tinted with craft paint.

(1 TBLS paint to 4 TBLS glaze, brush on, wipe off with dry lint-free rag)

:

 It caught nicely in all the nooks and crannies left from my sanding.

It also toned down the blue just enough.

And because I cannot stop myself, I also added a clock face stencil.

I used the yellow Frog Tape to hold it in place, and applied the paint (American Paint Co's Home Plate) with a pouncer stencil brush.  Lightly distressed it.

 I used the VAX to seal the finish.  Just squirted some on a paperplate, swiped a clean lint-free rag thru it and wiped it on in a circular pattern, then quickly back and forth.  Did two coats on top. LOVE this stuff.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.  It dries FAST (even in stupid humidity), and though you don't need to buff, I burnished it quickly with a paper lunch sack to a soft, smooth sheen.

It's like a non-toxic wipe-on poly.

LOVE.  Did I mention I love this stuff?

For furniture tops that will take a beating (like desks or tables), VAX is my finish of choice now.

But the story doesn't end there.

Cherie was a beauty, and I hauled her one of my markets where she caught a customer's eye.

But the distressed green finish on my friend Sara's wee primitive table 'Martha', who was sitting right next to Cherie, also caught her eye....

You guessed it,

Cherie got double dipped.

Yes, it was hard to redo that lovely blue....but when a customer hands you cash, you obey :)

Although it's not my particular style, I enjoyed doing this finish.

Another 'out of the box' technique I'll keep in my painting toolbox.

I used DIY chalk paint.
1. painted on a sloppy coat of white.
2. took a candlestick and rubbed it on all the edges and in random places over the surface of the piece
3. painted a darker green (sloppily) over that, then used 220 grit to sand off where the wax was to reveal the white.
4. went back over the edges with the candlestick as well as some new places over the green, so some places white would show, other places just the darker green would show
5. painted second brighter green coat, sanded again to remove where the wax resist was.
6. sealed with VAX, burnished with a lunch sack.

The customer loved her, and I'm happy.

 Side-by-side comparison!  

No matter which you prefer, doesn't paint's power to change a piece amaze you?

Thanks to Shabby Paints for sending me your products to review!

Both incarnations will appear at the usual linkies which go live when Cherie arrives.

DIY Show Off, Mod Vintage Life, Knick of Time, The Farmhouse Porch, Cozy Little House, Coastal Charm, A Stroll Thru Life, City Farmhouse, Elizabeth & Co., Green Willow Pond, Domestically Speaking, No Minimalist Here, Stone Gable, Redoux Interiors, Start at Home, Rooted in Thyme, Charm of Home, DIY Show Off, French Country Cottage, Common Ground, Jennifer Rizzo, My Repurposed Life, Craftberry Bush, Shabby Art Boutique, Mustard Seed Interiors, The Cottage Market

::About That Fireplace::

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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It's been more than 2 years since we redid our fireplace, and I still get emails asking how I did it.  I'm totally not kidding you, I lay awake at night sometimes kicking myself for never doing a tutorial.
Bad blogger.

Today I intend to remedy that by giving you the deets.  THIS POST will give you a brief history and some before and afters and all that. It's still in the top five most viewed posts I've done.

So before I get into my actual process, I need to show you all the ways I decorated it over the last few years.  I'm doing this mostly because we just moved out of that house 7 weeks ago, and the fireplace is about the only thing I was sentimental about leaving.  *sniff*

So this is my tribute to that blessed wall of brick in chronological order. Linked dates will take you to the posts for more pictures. (cue Barbara's Memories track)

Christmas 2009, just a month or so after starting ye olde blogge

Winter 2010

Halloween 2010

Halloween 2010 #2....had to change it up 'cause the wee punkins in the above shot done molded.  Ew.

Thanksgiving 2010

Presto-Chango!

Thanksgiving #2 (hadn't done the beefy trim under the mantel yet)

Along with painting the brick, I painted the mirror, we added beaded board wallpaper to the ceiling and molding around the top of the room, and I painted the gold around the door black.

Boy did I go nutso that first Christmas....I glitterfied every ding dang thing I could.  I was darn proud of that fireplace makeover.

Christmas 2010 (trim added)

Blurry Spring 2011

Fall 2011

Christmas 2011

Spring 2012 

Halloween 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

Christmas 2012

Winter 2013

So there ya have it....a parade of seasons on my beloved hearth.

Now I shall tell you how I got that painted effect.  Ready?

First things first.  Paint Colors.

White: Valspar's Woodlawn Lace at Lowes.  Which happened to be the color used on the paneling in that room as well as my kitchen cabinets and all the trim throughout the house.

Beige: Ralph Lauren's Canvas Natural at Home Depot.  Which happened to be the color used in several other rooms in my house including the foyer/hall that led to this room. Unfortunately they no longer have the formula for this discontinued color in their computers.  :(  

1. Paint all the brick and grout with 2 coats of satin latex.  Make sure the brick is completely covered.  No, I didn't prime it. 

Use a thick-ish roller for rough surfaces and an old brush (which will get pitched after this project is finished  'cause painting in between the bricks destroys it. Be prepared.)

2 Used a foam roller for smooth surfaces with the second color of satin latex.

Here's the tricky part:  Load the roller, then roll OFF as much paint as you can. Then begin GENTLY and LIGHTLY rolling the bricks. Barely touch the surface of the brick.  My brick was highly textured, so the paint come off heavy in some places, lighter in others, not at all in some areas.  I rarely went over a spot twice.  For corners or areas the roller couldn't reach, I just used a brush to try to match the uneven, random way the paint was laid on with the roller.  Here's a close up:

If your brick is more flat and even, you can try pulling sections of foam off your roller so only the raised parts will paint the brick.  Or try looking for the rollers for faux finishing.  The key is use a LIGHT hand and don't go over any areas more than once unless you absolutely have to.  

Here's another shot of last Christmas' mantel where I fiddled with the picture so you can get a better look at the random paint pattern:

It really wasn't hard, and when I goofed and laid on too much in one spot, I just waited for it to dry, repainted with the first white color, let that dry and gave it another shot with the second color.  And I only needed to do that in 2 areas.

Hope this clears the mystery up....if not, leave a comment or email me.  And thanks for reminiscing with me :)

Have you tried this technique or something similar?  Or are you a fan of natural brick?

Partying at:
Primp Your Stuff @{Primp}
Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch to Yours
Party Junk @ Funky Junk Interiors

::Stylin' Those Shelves...A How To::

PSSSST...I'm no longer blogging here!

You can now find me at

www.acottagegirl.com

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Hey cottage friends!

I'm excited to show you how I go about styling my shelves. 

I change them out with the seasons, so it's a skill I've honed over the years.

I also like quite a bit of 'movement' in my vignettes, but even if you don't, I think my tips can still serve ya.

There is actually a method to my madness, but I'm no professional, nor do I play one on TV.

Most of what I've learned came thru studying pages of magazines and catalogues.  

So are ya ready?  Here are my tried and true tips on making mini vignettes on your shelves, your mantels, your piano tops....you name it!

TIP #1:  Move it to the center.

You'll notice I mentioned 'when you can'....because on my middle shelf, I can't.  Which leads me to...

TIP #2:  Consider the practical stuff.

My beautiful Mama's picture helps to hide the technology that doesn't exactly fit into my ::cottage instincts::

So I can't squish everything to the center on that shelf.  

TIP #3:  Use variations on a theme.

There can be several themes so long as they play nicely together, coordinating by color, shape, type, etc.

 I like to mix up textures and finishes too.

This is where you get a big payoff if you've learned what you love (and not just 'like'), because you'll realize you tend to buy things that go with your 'themes'.  Surface styling is also a fantabulous way to add in a few of your 'likes' or trendy stuff as these vignettes lend themselves to changing often.

TIP #4: Pay attention to the size of the space and your items.

Vary the height and width of stuff.  Size the items in the space in proportion to the space they will occupy.

I used my tall metal candle holder and barn star to fill the space here, especially since it's the top shelf.

TIP #5: Group items in odd numbers....

OR group an odd number of groups!

You'll notice there are 2 groups of only 4 items...which breaks the rule of odds.  BUT  it all works because there are 3 shelves.  And adding all the items together make 11, another odd-y but good-y.

Here I will let you see the nifty wallpaper border the previous owners left for our enjoyment.

And some more examples of themes:

Another view....

Here's a test.  I mean that's why you come here, right?  To be tested?

I posted this pic yesterday when showing you how I Spring-ified my dining room.  

Can you see how I used all my tips?

TIP #6:  When you find yourself frustrated and/or overwhelmed do these three things:

~Stand back from the space and squint your eyes.  Do it.  It migt help you see what's needed or what's not working.

~Take some pictures and look at them on the computer...amazing what jumps out at you.  

~Go eat something that makes you happy (ahem *Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies* cough) and come back later.

Here's where I show you what the built-in looks like for reals.  The cabinet below houses Robyn Rose's toys.  I'll be hanging a curtain there soon, as well as adding beadboard wallpaper in the back, adding trimwork along the outside, replacing the glass shelves for wood, and painting it all white.  

So what tips do you have for styling shelves and horizontal spaces?

Do any of mine help ya at all?

Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Creek Cottage
http://www.frommyfrontporchtoyours.com/2013/03/treasure-hunt-thursday-100.html
The Farmhouse Porch's the Scoop
Tweak It Tuesday @ cozy little house
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