Napoleonic Blue Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan – how to make it a darker Navy (and other colors)

You know, there is a reason that Annie Sloan chooses to not have 57 colors or 75 colors in her paint spectrum. And that is because Annie knows her colors- and from her palette of selected colors we do offer- you can mix almost any custom color you would like.

One color that is a must to have is Napoleonic Blue Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan. It is a deep true blue that is the color of fresh picked blueberries- perfect for creating the Union Jack flag!

To purchase Napoleonic Blue Chalk Paint®- Click HERE!
Union Jack Mid Century Dresser after distressing steel wool

Annie Sloan’s Napoleonic Blue is a wonderful color to have in your painting tool box essentials since it is – by default – a primary color!

Napoleonice Blue Sample Board - Copy

Napoleonic Blue is wonderful to mix with other colors, such as:

Peacock Blue Chalk Paint®: Mix 2 Napoleonic Blue + 1 part Antibes Green + 1 part Aubusson Blue

Peacock Blue
Step 3 custom color peacock

If looking for a darker TRUE navy- try mixing a little Barcelona Orange with Napoleonic Blue:

The Purple Painted Lady Custom color recipe making navy darker Chalk Paint annie sloan

Use Napoleonic Blue to make purples and berry colors:

Eggplant recipe

COLOR MIXER TOOL:
With all of these “color mixing” ideas- I wanted to make sure you knew about the virtual color mixing tool available on our website. With permission from Annie Sloan, the “Mr. Purple Painted Lady” wrote the proprietary program for the Paint Mixer. It is meant to be a playful tool that allows you to get an idea of what a custom color will look like when you mix multiple Chalk Paint® colors. This tool is not an accurate, exact representation of an outcome- but mathematically it is pretty darn close. Your monitor quality does play into that equation. And just remember though- nothing compares to working with your local stockist and playing with real Chalk Paint®. With all that said…I hope you have fun using this Paint Mixer! Check out the Paint Mixer HERE

Please visit our website if interested in ordering Chalk Paint®. We have it available for $34.95 per quart, we offer low/flat rate shipping and it always ships same day (as long as Pete, our UPS guy has not come already!)

In fact- there are many reasons we think buying through us is the best. Read THIS little post about what sets The Purple Painted Lady apart from the rest.

To visit our on-line store- click HERE.

Lastly, we share a lot more information to help you get the most functionality out of your Chalk Paint® on our Facebook page. Consider checking it out by clicking HERE. While there- kindly consider LIKING us.

Thanks again,
Tricia Migliore Kuntz ~The Purple Painted Lady ~
Design/Consulting, Kitchen Cabinet Refurbishing, Custom Painted Furniture, Chalk Paint® & Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint Retailer & herRochester Blogger

PHONE: 585-750-6056

Come visit us:

At our MAIN STORE at 77 West Main Street in Macedon, NY 14502 OR
77 Main street with phone number

3200 West Ridge Road in Rochester, NY 14626 (The Shops On West Ridge) OR

Our Syracuse, NY location as of July 1, 2014 at 1 West Genesee Street, Baldwinsville, NY 13027
Click HERE for Store hours and information.
Moving from Solvay to Baldwinsville ASU  The Purple Painted Lady

Syracuse, New York – Our Solvay store is moving to Baldwinsville

Oh, little town of Solvay, New York- it has been nice- but it is time for The Purple Painted Lady’s Syracuse location to expand!

So, with much excitement we would like to announce our new SYRACUSE location will be at 1 W Genesee St Baldwinsville, NY 13027.

To get DIRECTIONS, click HERE!

from Saturday, July 21st, 2014 through the end of June- our Syracuse location will be moving to a BIGGER, much nicer space located at 1 West Genesee Street in Baldwinsville.

Moving from Solvay to Baldwinsville ASU  The Purple Painted Lady

We will be located right at the corner of the main intersection 48 and 370/31.

We are very excited since the whole flock from The Savvy Chick is moving too!

The best part for The purple painted Lady- is that we will now have space to have painted furniture examples on the floor, and a farmhouse table and dedicated space for workshops!

So, because of this, Chalk Paint® and Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint will not be available in Syracuse only from Saturday, 6/21/14 till our opening day on Tuesday, July 1st. Of course- you can always call Trish at 585-750-6056 if in a paint emergency!

Please visit our website if interested in ordering Chalk Paint®.

In fact- there are many reasons we think buying through us is the best. Read THIS little post about what sets The Purple Painted Lady apart from the rest.

To visit our on-line store- click HERE.

Lastly, we share a lot more information to help you get the most functionality out of your Chalk Paint® on our Facebook page. Consider checking it out by clicking HERE. While there- kindly consider LIKING us.

Thanks again,
Tricia Migliore Kuntz ~The Purple Painted Lady ~
Design/Consulting, Kitchen Cabinet Refurbishing, Custom Painted Furniture, Chalk Paint® & Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint Retailer & herRochester Blogger

PHONE: 585-750-6056

Making a Corn Crib into a Gazebo

I like to think I have some virtues, but patience…well, it is not one of them. Or, at least for me- I do struggle with it. I am being totally honest here and wish this was not the case, but it is the truth. It is something I work at – every day, not always very successfully.

Another tidbit about me, is that I cannot keep a surprise to save my life! In fact, at Christmas…I never can wait till the 25th to give my presents to people.

But every once in a while however, I do surprise myself and am patient.

For example- I have wanted one of those large metal corn cribs that you see on farms that holds …well, cobs of corn. I like the ones that have the open metal fencing on the perimeter so you can see into it and I have been looking for one for over three years to add to our home.

CORN CRIB

When my husband Steve and I began searching for a home back before we got married back in 2003. And yes- that is me below- um, how do I say this, ……when there was “less of me.” : ) I miss those days and hope to focus some time on me soon!

Steve and me – Back when we were looking for a home, Steve shared with me that he wanted a home with lots of land. I just wanted a house with character. Well, we ultimately found an 1885 purple and white Victorian farmhouse that sits on about 20 acres. I guess you can say, that was a “win:win.”

spring purple painted lady HOME

Having all this land- well, of course I was like…we need chickens! (jokingly I ask you – wouldn’t you have said the same thing?) So, after finding a FREE shed on Craigslist and a lot of hours of creating a chicken run, ordering chicks and raising them in a kiddie pool- we got our chicken coop and run. I could not find a great photo, but you can see the coop in the back right of the photo below.

Chicken coop The purple Painted Lady
Painted cupola with chicken
Chickens eggs

The next thing I have been thinking would look wonderful on our property – is a corn crib. I can picture it- I want to place it behind our vegetable garden on the north side of the house. I have imagined a fence around the garden- where once you open the garden gate there is a path that leads you though the center of the garden, bringing you to the entrance of the “gazebo.” Inside there will be a sparkly chandelier lit with candles hanging, pretty flowers landscaped around the outer sides, comfortable furniture and big pitcher of sweet tea. ~sigh…..doesn’t that sound heavenly?

I found some images on Pinterest of using corn cribs in different ways a few years back, and ever since I have really wanted one. Click HERE to visit my Pinterest page to see some of the corn crib ideas that I think are fun. One corn crib gazebo has a weathervane on the top. I loved that idea and I have been eyeing this cool weathervane by Mackenzie Childs.

The Purple Painted Lady MacKenzie Childs weathervane powers

Lucky for me- I live close to the MacKenzie Childs estate in New York and every July they have a HUGE barn sale and sell all of their amazing creations anywhere from 40% to 70% off their retail list price! So, I think I can see a Mrs. Powers Weathervane in my future!

The difficult part, has been finding a corn crib. Yes, these are available to buy brand new – but do you have any clue how much a new corn crib sells for? I am guessing around a thousand dollars or more. Then, add the cost to have it shipped on a big freight truck and unloaded and that is way beyond my budget. Speaking of budget- it basically is ….well, let’s just say, minimal.

But I remember hearing a quote by Steve Backley,

There are three types of people in this world. Firstly, there are people who make things happen. Then there are people who watch things happen. Lastly, there are people who ask, what happened? Which do you want to be?

Steve Backley wrote The Champion in all of Us: 12 Rules for Success. That quote from him seems to be how I live my life and I have always wanted to be a person “who makes things happen.”. So, when there is something I really want, I invest energy into it and work hard to make it happen.

In the case of finding a corn crib, for the last few years I have searched on Craigslist and started really paying attention to properties when I would be driving somewhere. I am bit embarrassed to admit this…but I would randomly stop at people’s homes who had one on their property. Yep, pull the Jeep over, walk up to the door and knock, then pitch my crazy question on if they would be interested in selling their corn crib.

It was a couple months ago when Steve and I were driving on a back country road and I saw a family out in the yard who had a corn crib. This is a local home that I pass every day on my way to my Macedon shop. The couple who lives there- started a cattle farm and raised their children there. Since those days a few decades ago, the children have all grown up and moved away. They are at the chapter of their lives that in the near future- they will be considering down sizing.

It turns out that Steve even went to school with some of their children and they know friends of ours, and well, one thing led to another. We had a very nice time sitting and talking and listening to some of their life stories. After about an hour, we needed to go and I left my business card and hoped that they would give me a call a week or two.

The other day, who walks into my shop with the original corn crib blue prints from 1971 in hand… was this wonderful family. They have decided, their time with this corn crib has come to an end and that they would be happy to know that it was going to live it’s next chapter with us.

To say that I am excited, well, that would be an understatement!

I guess that part of that has to do with who I am as a person. If you have ever met me- then you probably quickly realized …that I am an “all or nothing,” “go big or go home” type of a gal!

I do try to really enjoy life and I get energy from being around other people. Being creative and doing things like this gazebo – is something I really enjoy.

I feel extremely grateful to this local family!

I will share photos of when we move this large corn crib and also, of the progress as we build around it.

Now just in case sharing my fun ventures with our old home and land sounds romantic or has started to make you think about buying an old house, something you should know- is that there is always something that needs to be fixed, repaired, or replaced.

Since Steve and I moved into our home, we have completed many thing – but here are the big ones:

* All new concrete entrances poured (2009/2010)
* Ran gas from the road to our house (2010)(over 450 feet away)
* Removed the big ole’ octopus of an oil furnace replaced with a new, energy efficient gas furnace(2010)
* Replaced the old electric hot water heater with a gas one (2010)
* Had the FIVE layers of shingles and cedar shakes torn off the roof and had a new roof installed (2012)
* Replaced 20 out of the 38 old drafty windows with double hung (supposedly) energy efficient windows(2013)
* Replaced the kitchen’s 27 year old appliances (2012/2013)
* Had a driveway put in over the old gravel drive (keep in mind that we are over 500 feet from the road)(2014)

There is still a long list left of things that need to be done- but once O get my “gazebo” I will be too busy relaxing and drinking sweet tea in it too focus on that list. Maybe someday, you can come and sit and join me too?

The Purple painted Lady paved driveway home

Slide3

Slide5

Danni Hammock The Purple Painted Lady
The Purple Painted Lady home winter house 845

Can I paint over Chalk Paint® later if I change my mind about the color?

A Chalk Paint® question I am often asked is……..

Can I paint over Chalk Paint® later if I change my mind about the color?
YES! …..But the steps to do so may vary depending on two things:
1. Have you waxed your piece?
AND
2. What product you are using to paint over your piece?

1.) Did you apply WAX?

IF NO wax has been applied over the Chalk Paint®- then this is super easy! Go ahead and paint over the Chalk Paint® with EITHER Chalk Paint® OR any other product you choose. It will be just fine! Chalk Paint® makes an excellent base for all products.

If YES- you have applied wax to your piece- and you plan on using Chalk Paint® to repaint your piece, then:

A. PAINTING WITH CHALK PAINT AGAIN?    If the wax feels dry- no matter if it is has only been 15 minutes since the last wax application or a day or two- GO ahead and paint right over it with Chalk Paint®.  If the wax feels really thick and tacky- then I would consider removing some based on directions below.    Annie’s products were created to work perfectly with each other.

B. If the wax is fresh – then you will want to use a little mineral spirits on a rag. Your rag should be slightly damp- NOT dripping wet. Be careful if doing this inside your home because you do not want Mineral Spirits dripping on your brand new wood floor. (well, you might not have a brand new floor, but you understand what I mean, right?)

C. PAINTING WITH LATEX?  You will need to remove the wax since neither latex paint or primer will stick permanetely to the wax.

So- place a drop cloth down if necessary. Using your rag that is moist with mineral spirits- wipe your piece in the same direction you painted it from edge to edge. Move across the cabinet, dresser, etc and do not aggressively focus on one spot. This process will take about 5 or 10 minutes to do your whole piece. You will need to have a few rags for this. The result you will be left with …..is that your Chalk Paint® will feel like it did prior to waxing. Sort of a flat, matte surface. Use your hand and glide it over the surface. By the feel of it- you should have a good idea- if you removed it all or at least most of it (which is ok too!)

Once done with removing the wax …….¸¸.•*¨¨*• …go ahead and paint with EITHER Chalk Paint® or any other paint product you choose.

Please visit our website if interested in ordering Chalk Paint®. We have it available for $34.95 per quart, we offer low/flat rate shipping and it always ships same day!

In fact- there are many reasons we think buying through us is the best. Read THIS little post about what sets The Purple Painted Lady apart from the rest.

To visit our on-line store- click HERE.

Lastly, we share a lot more information to help you get the most functionality out of your Chalk Paint® on our Facebook page. Consider checking it out by clicking HERE. While there- kindly consider LIKING us.

Thanks again,
Tricia Migliore Kuntz ~The Purple Painted Lady ~
Design/Consulting, Kitchen Cabinet Refurbishing, Custom Painted Furniture, Chalk Paint® & Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint Retailer & herRochester Blogger

PHONE: 585-750-6056

Come visit us:

At our MAIN STORE at 77 West Main Street in Macedon, NY 14502 OR
77 Main street with phone number

3200 West Ridge Road in Rochester, NY 14626 (The Shops On West Ridge) OR

Our Syracuse, NY location at 2017 Milton Avenue in Solvay, NY 13209
Click HERE for Store hours and information.

Can I paint over Chalk Paint The Purple Painted Lady latex

Shellac- It Has A Shelf Life

If you have read my post about when to use Shellac- you know that it is a life saver and has so many uses like when you are having painting issues with:
(Click HERE to read that post)
Shellac The Purple Painted Lady can code expiration date

Water stains bleeding through
Wood grain showing
Wood tannins bleeding
Painting RAW WOOD and the paint is getting sucked up
Issues with the paint cracking or not adhering in a certain spot?
Painting a piece that you have sanded and now have different finishes visible
Planning on painting Pure White or Old White over a wood piece and concerned with stain or wood grain bleeding?
You used wood filler on a section and the paint is taking to it differently?

Every once in a great while- I will receive an email from someone who is saying that their shellac is not working.

Shellac is produced from natural materials. Which means – shellac is also perishable. Perishable- in the sense it has a shelf life, an expiration date…in other words…it is no longer good after a certain date – so don’t use it. Sort of like spoiled milk…eew!

Cans of shellac are often marked with their date of manufacture. Now here is the interesting thing that most do not realize- Shellac typically expires 6 to 9 months after the date of manufacturer. So when buying shellac, if you go to a store and you find some in the way back of the shelf covered with dust…you may not want to purchase it.

When Shellac passes its shelf life date it begins to undergo a chemical change and it will gradually take longer to dry, and the dried film is softer and more prone to scratches and water damage and poor performance. Meaning- it is not ideal to use.

Zinsser, the brand that I like to use and commonly stocked in big box stores throughout North America, uses a date code.

DECODING THE STAMP ON TOP OF THE CAN:

For example, my can is marked on the lid with the code S42279 D.

The first number after the letter is the last digit in the year it was manufactured.
The second number corresponds to the month.
The third and fourth numbers relate to the actual day of the month.
Shellac LID of can how to read cose The purple painted lady Chalk Paint close up

So, my can of shellac shown above was manufactured on February 27, 2014.

Zinsser’s Bulls Eye Shellac is the only pre-mixed shellac in the world guaranteed to dry quickly to a hard, durable finish for 3 years after the date of manufacture. We love it and use it often when doing kitchen cabinet jobs.

However, since storage conditions can greatly affect the shelf life of shellac always check the manufacturing date to find the freshest Bulls Eye Shellac and apply some of the product to a test surface to check the dry time and film hardness.

HOW TO STORE SHELLAC:

To ensure a long life for your shellac, keep the container tightly closed and store in a cool, dry place where the temperature does not exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Extreme heat can ruin shellac in less than a week. Unlike paint…..there is no need to worry about cold weather; since shellac is alcohol-based it is unaffected by freezing temperatures.

If you are interested in staying touch with The Purple Painted Lady- visit our Facebook page HERE – we would LOVE to hear from you and see your before & after photos!

BUY PRODUCT FROM THE PURPLE PAINTED LADY™:

First- if you have a local stockist- go visit them and build a relationship with them.  Go to them with your questions and project issues.  BUT- if you do not have a local stockist- we invite you to try our customer service!

As for buying any of the products we mentioned earlier in this post- I hope that you select The Purple Painted Lady™ to be your one stop resource!  We have four locations in western NY.  Check out our Information tab and come and meet us!  Otherwise- if you are not located near me- the following information may apply to you.  This information is directed to those who do NOT have a local stockist.  Because if you do – go and meet them, shop from them and build a relationship with them.  The guidance, information and knowledge they share with you – will be invaluable.  But, if you are in a location where there is no one selling paint products- and you must buy on-line- consider us.  With that said, visit www.anniesloan.com to find a stockist near you.
 
We are here to help you, our customers!  We want you to be successful!  And, just so you know, when you place an order with The Purple Painted Lady:
 
SOME OF THE REASONS WE THINK OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THE BEST:
 
*  We sell Chalk Paint® for $34.95
*  If you order before 3 pm EASTERN TIME any day Monday thru Friday – we will ship out your package that SAME day.
*  We ship orders out every week day to all over the US.
*  We offer the lowest flat rate UPS shipping cost so if you are one town away or 10 states away- the shipping cost is the same.
*  We have awesome follow up customer service, too!
 
 
And- it is my paint sales that keep me in business and allow me to be here to help you.  (my shameless but honest plug)    Here is a link to our on-line shop=>   http://shop.thepurplepaintedlady.com/
 
: )  And I will be here to help you as you progress through your future project!  And if I do say so myself- we offer the BEST customer service that you will ever experience!Lastly- if I was helpful to you- ….please consider leaving a positive review on my Facebook business page sharing your positive experience or thoughts about The Purple Painted Lady.  Here is a link to my Facebook page=>  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Purple-Painted-Lady/291882785710    This really helps me!  (wink, wink!)
XO
Trish

The Purple Painted Lady™ ~ the serial no. is 86/641,416 with the US Trademark Office

PLEASE VISIT OUR LOCATIONS!

our MAIN STORE at 77 West Main Street in Macedon, NY 14502

77 Main street with phone number

OR

STARTING August, 2015 ~ 650 South Ave. in Rochester, NY 14620

The Purple Painted Lady South Wedge Stye Chalk Paint Judy Bret 2015

OR

3200 West Ridge Road in Rochester, NY 14626 (The Shops On West Ridge)

OR

Our Syracuse, NY location at 1 West Genesee Street in Baldwinsville, NY 13027

The Purple Painted Lady west genesee Baldwinsville Chalk Paint FRONT Savvy Chick