It’s 10pm- Do You Know Where Your Stockist Is?

Hi all,

I just thought about all of you who called or emailed me today. I hope that the service we provide to you conveys are appreciation that you are a customer to us!

Then I thought I would share with you what I am doing. And that made me think of this:

“It is 10:00pm – do you know where your Chalk Paint® stockist is?” – which made me laugh!

Paint EZE mermaid dresser waxingSo, just in case you are one of my customers- I wanted to share with you that I am at my shop waxing the “Mermaid” dresser that I painted a while ago.

I added a little wash of Pure White Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan first though.

See those little bottles on top of the dresser? I store my paint in them and think they are absolutely brilliant! If interested in learning more or would like to purchase one- just click HERE.

I hope you all have sweet dreams!

Weekly Furniture Transformations ~ Our Whiskey Buffet

Starting now (September 8, 2012) – The Purple Painted Lady will be featuring a piece of furniture we are painting! Watch for our transformations! Paint that will be highlighted is both Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan and Milk Paint by Miss Mustard Seed.

Here is this week’s featured piece- and the inspiration for our color choices and design comes from this fun bamboo mat (4’X6′) retailing for $66 at our shop. (and these mats already have a non-slip grid on the back- they are incredibly durable and won’t slide around your floor- I LOVE THEM!!!)

Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan colors that will be used on the buffet are Old Ochre, Arles & Emperor’s Silk. Then the whole piece will receive one coat of Annie’s Soft Clear Wax, and finished with Dark Wax. We will update this post with progression photos and “How To” information.

Keep in mind- when you have a piece and have no clue what colors to paint it, first determine what room will it be going into. Draw inspiration from colors in that room and accessories or art that is in the space already. If you are starting from a fresh slate- go to Pier 1, HomeGoods and look for something that you love! Is it a coffee mug, a picture frame or a pillow? Buy it and use that as your springboard to develop the room around! This process is so much fun! Don’t force the progression and never settle for something that you only “like.” Find something that you LOVE! It could be due to the colors, the theme of the design or decor style. Stay true to yourself and not what is the latest fad in the decorating magazines. Your tastes are what they are and will probably be the same next year or at least similar- where design styles come & go.

Hope this new continuous post idea helps you and makes you happy!!!! It does for me!

Chalk Paint™ Sample Boards showcasing both Clear & Dark Wax

I have been working on these photos longer than I would like to admit! And I am still not done. But I promise to have them all uploaded to Pinterest by the end of the weekend.

I hope that you enjoy these Chalk Paint™ Sample Boards showcasing both Clear & Dark Wax. They are a great way for you to see the possibilities of each color. And I have a lot of fun pairing up different colors to create new color combinations to paint future pieces in.

Each sample board was painted with two coats of Chalk Paint™. Then a layer of clear wax was applied to the whole sample board. Once dry- we taped off half and applied dark wax, and immediately wiped off the excess.

Click here to see Chalk Paint™ Sample Boards showcasing both Clear & Dark Wax or visit my on-line store to see each color.

Chalk Paint® For My 125 Year Old Cupola!

So, I have always wanted a cupola for the top of my “barn.” The “barn” is really more like just a very nice out building, in the sense it lacks the hugeness of what I would typically imagine for a barn. The “barn” was my studio for a long time before I moved to my storefront in the village. It was a great place to paint. This photo was taken – geez, back in 2009. I was taking some fun fall photos of my cute daughter Danni here. This was when I was only painting murals and before I really started to focus on furniture.



Can you see the skylights across the front? Boy, they let in great natural light. And the barn has two 6′ wide windows that are side by side on the end of the barn. Talk about light, I love painting in there! The “barn” now primarily holds a lot of great “junk.” Well, that is what some people refer to it as. But to me…all that “stuff” – is my inventory. Something to keep in mind when debating on venturing into the furniture painting business versus selling jewelry, is that furniture takes up a lot of space! Make sure you have room to store all of your stuff!

Anyway, trying to get back on subject here! My barn needed a cupola for some time and the new ones cost a small fortune and seemed to small. So, I started searching on Craigslist. Every day for almost a year, I would type in “cupola.” And I would always receive back, “Nothing found for that search.” Except, one day…it happened!!!!!! A post appeared from a location 2 hours away from me. A Copper Roof Antique Cupola For Sale!!! And it was authentic! 125 years old, authentic! Well, I had to have it! So, off I drove!

That was almost 2.5 years ago. Since then, we found the copper rooster weathervane for the top, had the base rebuilt by my friend John (who is a saint and an amazing friend with how many times he has driven back & forth to my home to get the profile of the roof cut out just right!)

When John dropped this off – like a month ago for me to paint (and I am just finally getting to it now…..I have been a little busy) he had it all primed. He did not know that I planned on using Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan, which requires no stripping, sanding or priming! Oh well, that was ok. Even though John primed the cupola with a quality – stain covering primer….the knots in the wood still bled through.

So, I used my Zinsser Shellac (and you know I love that stuff by how much I promote it.) You can purchase it at any big box store and it comes in a spray and a quart. I like the spray since it is easy and quick. Literally dries in about 5 minutes (or less!) So, all I did was spray it on the base in a uniform thorough coat. 2 times in fact! Since I am using Pure White Chalk Paint™, the 2 coats of Zinsser will prevent those wood tannins from bleeding through again. And based on how high this baby is going to be, I do not want to have to do any touchups later once it is mounted!

Then, I shook my quart of Pure White Chalk Paint™, opened it up and began painting. 2 coats of Pure White Chalk Paint™ and this beauty is all set for another 125 years! Remember, since I am using the Chalk Paint™ outdoors, I do NOT use the wax.

Now, when I write that I have a barn, that is because I live in the country! Yep, the country as in the place where you can randomly hear gun shots going off from people target shooting. Or, as you drive down the road, you get stuck behind a tractor. Seriously, and to show you just how “country” we are…here are some of my hens being curious to what is going on.

After painting the cupola- I think it looks great! The wood tannins are sealed and have not bled through!

One of my Rotties kept me company during this little project, and well, I think he is handsome and made him sit for this photo. Sorry I did not paint it some crazy color that would have showed off a contract from the “before” state, but I love it and am so excited to see it mounted now. I will update this post as soon as John returns to carry this 150 pound beast up to the roof of my barn! Thanks for reading my post and a very special thank you to our dear friend John!!!! Without him (and his crew of men) we would not have been able to afford the total tear off and replacement of our roof last year. He is a very kind, compassionate man…who we are very lucky to call our friend!

Just wanted to post an update now that it has been almost a year that my barn’s cupola was painted with Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan. It looks just as perfect as the day I painted it. The cupola is exposed to all of the elements- snow, rain, freezing ice, beating sun, and wind! Hope this helps in understanding the potential of Chalk Paint®!

Cupola July 2013

How To Make a Black Board Silver Tray (Annie Sloan)

Chalk Board Trays are a GREAT gift for teachers! Super Simple too! First- go to a VOA or Salvation Army and purchase a bunch of funky vintage silver trays. Purchase some Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan….in any color you love. Think out of the box when it comes to the color of Chalk Paint™ for your black board. It does not have to be the traditional Graphite. Darker Chalk Paint™ colors like our Florence, Aubusson Blue, Provence, Olive, Primer Red and Greek Blue would be great too!

Paint 3 to 4 coats – let each coat dry in between the next. Once done- let the paint cure for a day or so. Some people will take the side of a stick of chalk and rub it all over the chalkboard first – as so to “prime” it. I don’t think this is necessary- but feel free. I do suggest rounding the tip of a new piece of chalk prior to using so the corner is not sharp.

If you want to make the most of this idea….buy a Chalk Paint sample pot and make a gift “basket” for your favorite teachers. Take the tray- set flat on table. Place sample pot, sponge paint brush and box of chalk in to a tulle gift bag from Hobby Lobby or Micheal’s Crafts and tie to silver tray with ribbon OR place all items on the unpainted wrap tray and then wrap with either mesh ribbon or a large piece of tulle.

Important note to share on the gift card is to please do not use chalk markers. Traditional chalk pieces were best in regards to clean up. And for cleaning your Black board….use a wet/damp cloth. The first time you clean your Chalk Paint™ Black Board- you may get a small amount of residual color…but from that point forward- you will not.

This same application concept of making a Black Board applies perfectly for walls, or any other surface like clay pots, glass containers, etc. The one below is what I painted in my store workshop area. This “chalk board” gets some serious use and holds up incredibly!!!!!