Ok, so this little number was a $5 yard sale score! It was pretty disgusting when I got it. It was hella-dirty, and there was quite a bit of water damage to the inlay top, but is was solid and sturdy, and the bones are what count! I think this one took the last of what was my 1st can of Old White, or close to it. I painted the entire piece with that and that's when I noticed a problem. Because of the water damage, there was staining coming through the paint. If this happens to you, and it will if you paint long enough, run to Lowe's or Home Depot and grab a can of Bull's Eye Shellac. Shellac is an all natural sealant! I like the spray variety, but you can buy the brush-on type if you prefer. It dries in minutes, so a coat or 2 of that will "stop the bleeding". Another nice thing about shellac that you'll notice is that the paint seems to glide over it, and you don't need quite as much, which is good when you're spending close to $40 for a little quart of paint! Now, because the inlay was lifting in spots because of it's past neglect, I figured the best way to hide it was to color in the lines! Chevron patterns are pretty hot right now and so are yellow and grey, so Arles and French Linen it is! I sealed the whole this in Clear Wax, and low-lighted the details in Old White with Dark Wax! 

So I sold one of my display hutches this week, and needed a new home for the array of painting sundries that had been displaced. I had this lovely little farmhouse style number hanging out in my arsenal, and decided it was just the piece I needed!! After stripping and sanding the top of base, I applied two coats of General Finishes Java Gel Stain, which I sealed with several coats of GF High Performance Satin Top Coat. I'd been dying to paint with Florence Chalk Paint® for weeks now, so it was a no-brainer as to how to address the exterior. After moderate distressing, I sealed the paint and antiqued the entire piece with dark wax. I painted the interior Cream Chalk Paint® and left it clean. I kinda like it!

May 21, 2014 · 

Color! Color! Color! Ombre seems to be everywhere these days doesn't it? This is another early piece that I failed to get a "before" of, but imagine if you will, an all white corner shelf... Haha! I wanted to try mixing paint. Another awesome thing about ASCP is that all the colors are formulated to be mixed! I started this piece with a brand spankin' new color called Old Violet which I mixed in doses with (still my 1st can) Old White. The limbs of the shelf were already white, and I firmly believe that "if it isn't broken, don't fix it!" That just left the shelves themselves! I made 4 well balanced and different shades and painted each shelf. A little Clear Wax to seal the paint, and there you have it! 

July 29 at 6:28pm · 

Check out this adorable little spindle legged table! My "before" pic is after I had stripped and sanded the table to prepare it for a couple coats of General Finishes Gray Gel Stain that I sealed with GF Satin High Performance Top Coat. I dry-brushed Duck Egg Blue, Paris Gray, Old Ochre, and Pure White Chalk Paint® in layers for that salt air kissed, coastal look!

From May, 2014 "This was my second break with single color pieces. I really love color!! This is Aubusson Blue. Now if you could hear me say this color out loud, you'd hear just how much I love this color in my tone. I LOOOOOVE it!!! Ok, after a couple coats, I was certain that a little dark wax was not enough to liven up this little bookshelf! I grabbed another new color called Old Ochre, (Which incidentally, is my absolute FAVE neutral thus far in the ASCP palette!!) and hit the cute little knobby things on the middle shelf. It wasn't enough!! No, this needed something more!! Some of you know that I have some experience in tailoring. For those that don't, I used to make corsets, skirts, and chemises that I sold all over the world to Renaissance faire goers. When the market tanked, there wasn't enough business, and I lost my enthusiasm for it. I still have quite a bit of fine fabrics in what used to be my studio, (basement...LOL) and so I found a complimentary design and using plain old mod podge, placed the fabric in the back of the bookcase, and VOILA!!! Totes Adorbs! ...as my daughter would say! "

This creature came to me with one foot completely broken off. (Left foot in the "before" shot) After making the repair and cleaning the piece thoroughly, I was delighted to find the top in really good shape. I touched up the small scratches with General Finishes Java Gel Stain, and a few coats of GF Satin High Performance Top Coat to protect the newly freshened surface. The edges of the top and base were not as well off as the top, so I went with a color I had yet to try! Paloma is a wonderful shade of grayish-lavender on the Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan palette!! I highlighted the details on the piecrust top and legs with Old White, which I sealed with clear wax, and antiqued with dark wax.

Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan is not just for furniture! As a matter of fact, there aren't many surfaces that this paint won't bond to! This project was an older dark brown metal lamp. With all the grooves and curves in this piece, it was begging for paint and dark wax to accentuate it's positives. I hate that I don't have a "before" of this lamp, but I think I may have mentioned previously (and will probably reiterate later) that I SUCK at the "before" pics. Would you believe that the color used was Old White? Crazy right? AND, it's still the 1st quart! O love this stuff. Anywho, 2 coats went on, and a coat of clear wax. I slathered the dark wax everywhere, and proceeded to wipe it all off except what stayed in those little niches! Isn't it lovely?