Painting with CeCe Caldwell's Paints and Finishes

I have blogged several posts about the CeCe Caldwell's Paints and Finishes that we retail in our shop. You've heard me say many times that we LOVE talking paint with anyone! We sincerely mean it too. Our goal is for you to learn as much as you can about the paint and enjoy your projects as much as we do. We love teaching classes and sharing what we have learned either from our training or trial and error. Here are a few tips that I would like to share with you when you paint with the CeCe Caldwell paints. 
1.  I prep most of my furniture with a cleaner called Simple Green. It's a great all natural cleaner that works well. 
2.  Next I look at the piece and ask myself -"Do you think it's going to have bleed through"? And if I think it is going to have bleed through then my next step is taking Shellac and coating it really well with this product. I usually let it dry for several hours. You may ask "how do I know if it's a bleeder"? Sometimes you don't know until you apply the first coat of paint and within a few minutes you see the bleeding. And if you have already put the first coat of paint on it's not too late to put the Shellac. Why do some pieces of furniture have bleed through? I have found that Mahogany is the worst to bleed. It can be old furniture oils that resurface when you put the chalk and clay on the wood. Some of the darker woods have tannin's that bleed too.
3.  Now I'm ready to apply my first coat of paint. I like to add a little water to my paint. How much? Pancake batter thickness is good. My first coat I don't worry about covering every little spot because the second coat is going to cover those spots that I may have missed. What type of brush should you use? We recommend a natural bristle brush and we love the rounded tip brush that we sell online and in our stores. The picture below shows the brush we use the most.
4.  I like to use two colors of paint so that I can distress down to the first coat and have those colors peeking through. You can layer as many colors that you like. Isn't that GREAT - you can determine what you like and go with it!
5.  After the first coat is dry you are ready to apply your second coat. After the second is dry you are ready to wet distress. 
6.  I let my pieces dry overnight after I have applied two coats of paint and wet distressed. Why? Because our paints are water based and then we wet distress so there is a lot of moisture that needs to cure. So I think it is best to let it dry really well before I apply my finish. You do not want moisture to be trapped between the paint and the finish.
7.  There are several choices in finishes - (they are all great)
     Satin Finish - water based and can be diluted.
     Endurance   - the most durable of the CeCe finishes. 
     Clear Wax   - all natural wax 
     Waxing Cream - a little goes a long way. 
     Aging Cream    - I like to mix this with the clear wax for a beautiful finish
8.  Choose a finish and apply it and let it cure for a few days and enjoy your custom piece.
The more you paint the better you will get. I didn't go into very much detail on the finishes but you can find more about those under "paint instructions" on our website www.freshjaspertexas.com
My last suggestion is to start with something small. I would not start with the kitchen cabinets as my first project. It could be a little overwhelming to start with such a huge project. 
Please stop by and talk paint with us! What are you working on? I'm working on the card catalog and two french provincial bedside tables. Pictures soon.
Have a blessed week.