I've Been Commissioned....

Remember recently I told you about a new kind of paint that I'd ordered called Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint? If not, read about it HERE. Well, the paint arrived few weeks ago and I've had a blast messing around with it lately.

I painted that china cabinet there on the left (I'm not showing you the finished product yet because I still need to get a piece of glass to put in the front,) but I promise, it is gorgeous!  It's a combination of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey and Old White.

Just yesterday, I guess I got a “bee in my bonnet” (as my mom likes to say) and started a painting another dresser, as well as an end table... that I was commissioned to do!

Can I just tell you how fun it feels to say that “I was commissioned” to paint something for someone?! Oh my words...does my ego a world of good! No worries...not overpuffed, just feels nice to have someone else like what I've done enough to want me to do it for them!

Check out this table though. I am so pleased with how it turned out in the end... and the owner, well she was so excited about it that I got even more excited!

Excitement is contagious you know?!

I'm not one of those people who can "play it cool" when I'm excited either.

I really do promise you though that one day I'll forgo my overwhelming urge to start a project prior to taking a “before” picture.

At least this time I got a picture before the stripping agent had completely done it's job. Even with the stripping stuff making it cloudy on top, you can tell that this table had a seriously orangey finish on it...which is what the owner hated. She was going to get rid of it, and I suggested to paint it because it is a super cute little table.  She was thrilled with the idea and I took it with me at the end of our appointment on Friday.  When I got ready to paint it, I realized that I couldn't bear to completely cover the really beautiful inlay. I figured that worst case scenario, I'd strip the top and it'd still be ugly...and then I'd just paint it anyways. But if things went in real life the way that they were in my mind...then this was definitely the way to go. Strip the top and paint the legs.

You all know most certainly by now that some things in my life do not always go the way that they do in my mind. Remember my awesome craft project the other day?...yeah, case in point.

Once in awhile though...I get it right. This time was thankfully one of those times...especially since it wasn't just my own piece I was messing with here.

There really wasn't anything wrong with this table before...it just was a color of wood that the owner didn't love.  I'm more of a dark walnut kind of gal myself, so that's what I went for here. A couple good coats of Citristrip stripping gel (actually smells nice), some scraping off of nasty gooey finish, a good cleaning and then about 3 coats of Minwax dark walnut stain.

The base was painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Chateau Grey, distressed with a sanding sponge to my liking, then finished off with a combination of Annie Sloan's soft waxes in clear and dark brown. I waxed the top with a couple of coats of the dark brown and then one last clear coat to protect it.

I told my client that if she ever wants to get rid of this table, I can find a nice home for it...

in my house.

Don't you just love a semi-BEFORE and AFTER?!

Glory hallelujah...It's Extreme Makeover: Table Edition!

 

If you're thinking that you might want to try the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, I HIGHLY recommend it.  You don't have to sand or prime before applying it which saves LOADS of time.  Also, it has the most creamy texture and goes on so smoothly, and I should mention that a little goes a pretty long way.  Sanding it off with just a sanding sponge is a piece of cake (if only my feet were as easy to get smooth!)  It's more expensive than just a can of Oops paint at Lowes, but if you're an instant gratification sort of person like I am, you'll appreciate seeing faster, and more beautiful results with 1/3 of the prep work.  If you like sanding and priming though, have at it...glad you enjoy the tedious part. 

I've made my chalk paint orders from a super nice and extremely efficient gal named Tammy Brinkley, who is a stockist of Annie Sloan products.  Check her out and order some paint from her, she's great! (Do me a favor too and tell her I sent you?!)

 The Periwinkle Pass Studio
Banner Elk, North Carolina
Phone: 828-963-5187
periwinklepass@yahoo.com
www.periwinklepass.com

 

I'll have more of my adventures into chalk paint fun coming up to share soon, so stay tuned!