Crushing on Craqueleur

I am totally crushing on Annie Sloan's Craqueleur!!  I am working on a dresser painted in AS Emperor's Silk and using the Craqueleur on the drawers, which are done in AS Pure.  I fell in love with Stiltskin Studios Red Velvet dresser and am kind of spinning off of that.  I can't wait to get it all done with lots of Annie's dark wax over the Emperor's Silk and touches of gold gilding wax!

This crackle is WAY better than the junk that you buy in the craft stores and so easy to use!  

Stay tuned for the dresser completed!

French Linen and Old White Stenciled Dresser

She's finally done!  Whew!!  She's a little shabby, with areas worn down though the paint.  She's a little chic, with her Paris in the Springtime stenciling.  She's done in Annie Sloan French Linen and Old White and sealed with CeCe Caldwell Wax.  I ordered new drawer pulls for the bottom and they will complete her so she can be sold.

My camera sucks, by the way.  Maybe I'll get a new one for Christmas!!  Hint, hint!!

xoxo~Di

Paris in the Springtime Stencil

I have been killing myself to get all my painting projects done before my son comes home for Christmas.  My house is my studio in the winter and it is a total wreck!

A few months ago I fell in love with the Paris in the Springtime stencil from Royal Design Studio.  I saved up and ordered one, not knowing what I was going to do with it or even how to stencil!  My friend gave me a hideous yellow mid-century modern dresser from her dads estate and then I saw an AMAZING french chippy buffet from Create Inspire and I knew I had to copy it!

This is the dresser before...

Yucky yellow and I just do NOT like mid-century modern!  Anywhoooo...I am in the process of transforming it into this...

I have to wax, distress, dress it up with some hardware, yada yada yada, but hopefully I will have it done before the kid gets home from Denver!  Wish me luck!

What Color To Paint Freebee Dressers

A friend of mine had a couple of extra dressers from her father's estate and asked me if I wanted them for free!  We negotiated a bit, because I didn't think that free was fair to her, and came an agreement that I would buy them a couple of cocktails in return.  Her husband and son even delivered them!  So I bought them dinner as well.  They are such a sweet couple.  They are each others best friends and do everything together.  Something you don't see a lot of today.  Anyway, what was I talking about?  Oh yeah, the dressers.  One is mid-century modern.

And the other?  I don't know.  At first I thought it was handmade because of the shiny varnish finish, but there is a manufacturer stamp on the back.

It is HEAVY too!  Solid wood with dovetail drawers.  I am trying to figure out what colors to paint them and what hardware to use.  Trying to get a vision.  What color do you think?

A Chalk Paint Epiphany!

I have been playing with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Cece Caldwell Chalk Paint for a few months now.  It did the job.  It had a decent finish.  Some of my pieces turned out mediocre and some turned out really good, but not good enough for me.  Small pieces, I have not had a problem with, they turn out great, but the furniture, I haven't had the best of luck with.  I have spent quite a bit of money trying to learn how to get the professional finish that I wanted, without traveling to an workshop miles and miles away.  In hindsight, it would have been cheaper to travel all of those miles, but eh, I am a diy girl!  I am self taught!  I can do this!

This is the first weekend that I've had off from everyone and everything.  I am determined to get some of this furniture painting done.  Tonight, while I was struggling with my Coco dresser on the deck, in the dark, with mosquitoes biting me everywhere and low lighting, I finally saw the finish I was looking for!!  I was so excited that I didn't even notice all that buzzing in my ears!  Finally!!!  I wish I could continue to work on it tonight, but those mosquitoes are really eating me up!  So stay tuned!

Annie Sloan Coco Chalk Paint Dresser

I added a few things to my shop, and like always, I got side tracked and picked up my paint again!  I think I have ADHD, because I can't stick with one thing for very long.

I am really feeling the color Coco from Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint line!  A few people have said that they don't care for it, I however,  LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!  I am not one for a lot of bright colors.  I love all of the new shades of neutrals that have come out the past few years, so this is right up my alley!

I got this dresser on Craigslist for $25.00!  It's solid and the lady took really good care of it.  You remember this furniture from the 70's, don't you??

Every little girl's room had this style in it...er, except for mine!  I had to share a bedroom with my older sister, so we had an earlier bedroom set.  I always wanted a set like this, and now slowly, I am getting it!

Here is my progress so far...

I haven't quite decided if I want to paint the drawers Old White or Old Ochre, or just paint it all Coco.  I am also going to add some icing to this dresser with some resin appliques that I painted in Coco and dry brushed with Old Ochre...they look amazing!  

I also got this Ethan Allen buffet for $30 that I am trying to pick a color for.  Graphite?  Louis Blue?  I just don't know yet!

I do have to get back to one of two things...painting or beading.  Hmmmm, which will I choose today??

That's it for now!  Thanks for looking!