Layered Stencils with Annie Sloan CHALK PAINT™

If you've never been to the Nashville Flea Market, you are missing out. We found this "beauty" of a frame tucked away in a stall there. It's actually one of a pair; we've already spruced up the other one, and it's definitely become the better half!

Our first step was to use the Annie Sloan Work Book to come up with some possible color combinations. As you can see, our first step was to mix Florence and Provence to create a beautiful Tiffany Blue shade.

Here's a look at everything we used, including the finished product (the back of the frame; we'll show pictures of the finished frame in a later post.) The list includes Annie Sloan CHALK PAINT™ in Florence, Provence, Country Grey, and Chateau Grey, as well as chip brushes, a roller (not pictured) and two small stencils. That's it! 

The first step was painting the board in the blue shade we created. Then, we placed Chateau Grey and Country Grey side by side in a small paint roller tray, applied the paint to our roller, and painted on the first stencil. We then followed the same steps with our second stencil, a peacock feather design. These stencils are inexpensive and can be picked up at any craft store, so they're great to experiment with!

Here's the finished product! You can see the shading of the Chateau Grey and Country Grey along with the layered stencils. This is a technique you can learn how to do yourself in one of our Advanced Workshops. They're filling up fast for January and February, so be sure to reserve your place soon!

We also have received some lovely new products; these screen printed flour sack tea towels are simply gorgeous. The vintage designs and vibrant colors have quickly turned them into a best seller. They would make a great Christmas gift!

Jewelry is, of course, a classic Christmas gift as well. We have plenty to offer; some of our favorite designs have recently arrived but they are moving quickly!  

Although we love the many rings, charms, and bracelets we received, long dainty necklaces like these might just be our favorite. We love the layered look, and they just seem to be made to mix and match. 

Don't forget to call us to reserve your place in one of our Advanced Workshops!

It's All About Florence

Have a project lying around, just waiting on you to decide what color to use?  Then we are pleased to announce we have the perfect solution for you! New 4 ounce sample pots of CHALK PAINT™ are on our shelves!  You can now compare several colors at home without the commitment of buying a whole quart. Perfect for those of us who change our minds more than a few times. :)

There's one lady that we never change our minds about, though. She's Florence, of course!  Remember this bookcase we painted in Florence and Antibes Green?

How about this French piece with beautiful gilding on the front? (One of our favorites!)

Not too long ago we also shared this extraordinary frame makeover. Florence, of course, was the star of this show.  Are you noticing a trend yet?  Just keep going...we promise it'll be worth it. :)

This side table is one of our most recent designs. We painted most of the piece in Florence, while the lower shelf and drawer inset is Graphite. All it needed was a little clear wax to top it off.  We love the contrast on this piece!

We liked it so much, in fact, that we used the same colors on this bookshelf!  Florence covers most of the piece, while Graphite accents the back.

And just in case you thought CHALK PAINT™ is for furniture only, we also painted a floor covering. A bright, punchy floor mat can add much-needed color in unexpected places.

Now for the best part of this post; the quart of Florence in the picture above is the only can of paint we used to paint all of the pieces in this post!  So if you're worried about how far a quart will go...don't be. Yet another reason we love CHALK PAINT™!

We're not the only ones in love, though. The students at our advanced workshop centered around Florence learned to mix it with other colors to shade their layered stencils. One of our favorite colors is made when Florence is combined with Provence; it turns out a beautiful Tiffany Blue.  Why don't you pick up a couple of sample pots and see for yourself?  :)

Paint and Pancakes

Who says something has to have good bones to be worth painting?  This old crate hardly had any bones at all, but thanks to Kelli Montana it can now fit in to the cutest of rooms.  Having "fresh", bright flowers year round is just a bonus.  :)

We promised a makeover and here she is! Remember when this little bookshelf used to look like this?  Antibes Green and Florence perked her right up, so she's now worthy to display the fantastic new art work by Emily Little.

This hall tree is the perfect piece to brighten an entryway.  While Antibes Green and Florence create a bright and bold look, Pure White and Paris Grey are a classic combination.  Their neutral tones create a beautiful neutral background for any decor. 

Finally, we have just one question before you go:

Too forward?  Well, we thought we'd give it a shot. :)  It'd still make a darling accompaniment for your kitchen. You might even get some pancakes out of it!

Inspired Projects

We just received a new shipment of books.  With titles like "French Country Living" and "Romantic Style," you know they're bound to inspire.  Unfortunately, for us, they're so inspiring it's almost distracting!  It's difficult to pull ourselves away from them, but we have gotten around to a couple of projects lately...

Some guy's tool box may be rusty and cluttered, but ladies need style and organization.  We've taken this vintage tool box to the next level by adding CHALK PAINT™ and a little imagination.

This close up shows off the detail on the Barcelona Orange border. Instead of simply stenciling over it in a different color, we allowed the paint to thicken.  Then we used the impasto (thickened paint) to create a textured stencil design in the same color.  The dark wax on top brings out the contrast even more.

On top we used our stencils again, but this time layered different designs and colors.  It's a stunning effect and one that can easily be learned at one of our advanced workshops!

We also became more acquainted with Florence. We're not quite done with it yet, but we have managed to paint this piece and bring out the detail with gold gilding wax. A coat of dark wax is all she needs to make her grand entrance! 

We'd love for you to join us and work on projects of your own!  You can read more about our advanced workshop and those offered by Kellie Montana and Wendy Day here and here.