Part Two - Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

I finished both projects this afternoon due to several errands that I needed to run today. I am really pleased with the Milk Paint color Typewriter and will definitely be painting more furniture with it. I love the simple classy look of these two pieces done in the black. I thought about adding some stenciling to the black chest of drawers but for right now I'm going to leave them as they are. As I said in my earlier post I used Hemp Oil for my finish. I love the look you get with this finish. And one of the great advantages of Hemp Oil it is also food safe, so if you want to paint a wooden bowl, a wooden tray, or any other container for food you have no worries when using this oil. Miss Mustard Seed's Paint and Finishes are very natural and are earth friendly.
Mom and I are leaving in the morning to head to Canton for an overnight trip - FUN!!! Sharon and Ray will be setting up  in Pavilion 4000 booth number 4268 to sell the paint and some of their antiques and goods! If you are out and about this weekend stop by and see us. We would love to show the paint and answer any questions you may have. Sharon plans to be painting on a project in the booth while she's there. We are also offering a special each day so be sure and check that out too! You can learn more about our store FRESH on our newly launched website: www.freshjaspertexas.com
I hope everyone has a blessed New Year's Eve and I hope to see you in Canton soon!

Miss Mustard Seed's Typewriter and Hemp Oil

I've been working on several painting projects today. As I have mentioned before the hardest part of painting furniture for me is deciding on a color. Today I went back and forth on what color to use on my antique chest of drawers and a beautiful antique mirror (that I absolutely love). I will have pictures tomorrow because everything is curing and drying tonight. After much debate on the color to use I chose Miss Mustard Seed's Typewriter. It is such a rich color that can be used with any décor.
If you decide to try the Milk Paint  be sure and mix it well. Today I used a mason jar to mix my paint and it did great!
The great thing about Milk Paint you can add more water if it's too thick or you can add more powder if you get it too thin. I decided today that I would mix it equal parts water and powder and it was the perfect mixture. I only had to put one coat of paint on my two pieces today - it covered wonderfully. After that coat was dry I took a sanding block and sanded everything really good. This just knocks off any little particles of the paint that need to be sanded and makes the finish smooth. You will notice dark colors of paint when sanded look chalky or cloudy. Don't fret over it because when you add your finish (hemp oil, wax, etc.) it will go back to the dark rich color before you sanded.
I chose Miss Mustard Seed's Hemp Oil to finish my mirror and chest of drawers today. You can apply it with a soft rag or a brush. I used both because I needed to get into the crevices of my mirror. You allow the Hemp Oil to dry and then go back with a soft clean rag and wipe any excess off. You can finish with a wax finish  or you can leave it with the hemp oil as your finish.
I will put the hardware on the drawers in the morning and take pictures of the finished chest of drawers. Here is a before picture to show you what I have been working on.

Another Before and After Painting Project

I bought this oak buffet several months ago with intentions to paint it. I'm always undecided when it comes to painting furniture. I never know what color to paint my project. Not only was I undecided about what color but I also could not decide on what kind of paint to use! We sell CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay paint and Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paints at our store. I love both of these products for many reasons:

1. They are all natural and earth friendly.
2. They adhere to almost any surface with little or no prep work.
3. Both dry very fast so when you start a project you can be completely finished in a couple of days.
4. They both have beautiful colors to choose from.

Those are just a few of the reasons that I am SOLD on these products! If you have been hesitant to paint a project because you aren't sure how to get started, I am going to tell you how easy this buffet was to paint. We also teach you how to paint with our paints at our store. We offer classes every month with great instructions. And the best part is, you can call us anytime with any questions and we love "talking" paint! We truly believe these are the best paint products available for anyone wanting to "do it yourself".

The first step that I like to do when I am going to paint a piece of furniture is to clean it well with Simple Green. With the Milk Paint I took one cup of the powder and mixed it with one cup of warm water. I used a plastic bowl with a stainless whisk. I stirred it for a good 5 minutes or so and then waited about 10 minutes for the powder to dissolve and mix. Then I stirred it well again and put the lid on the container and shook it for a few minutes. Once you have the powder mixed you are ready to paint. You may see a few clumps in your mixture but that's okay. Apply two coats of the milk paint and let it dry. When it's dry I take a sanding sponge and sand lightly. Finish it with Furniture Wax, Hemp Oil, or Antiquing Wax. How simple is that? Believe me, you will become addicted to wanting to paint everything! Happy painting and have a blessed day. By the way, we will be in Canton First Monday Trade Days beginning this month (Jan. 1- Jan.4)
 in the 4000 Pavilion in booth 4268. You will find us there with both brands of paints! We would love to show our products and how they work. Mention that you heard about us from my blog. God Bless you and have a wonderful New Year!

BEFORE

AFTER

Starting Early This Year

I've decided to start early this year with my Christmas gifts. I love making handmade gifts instead of buying all commercial items. As you know I love to sew and craft. I decided this year I would make all the children in my family something handmade to wear during the Christmas holidays. So that means I need to get them ready to ship right after Thanksgiving. I can't believe it but I'm actually almost finished with them all and ready to ship them. Are you working on anything special for Christmas this year? I would love for you to share! Here are a few of my sewing projects.Have a blessed week and I'll be back with more projects soon.

Did you know?

Did you know that you can paint almost anything with CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay paint? In fact, I have not found anything that I cannot paint with this wonderful paint! I've painted cement statues, Formica, wood, metal, and the list goes on! So I decided I would jump on the pumpkin wagon and paint a few plastic pumpkins from Hobby Lobby and a clear wine bottle. And guess what? They turned out really pretty and the paint stuck to the plastic and the glass!
The pumpkins are painted in Kissimmee Orange and Santa Fe Turquoise with Modern Masters Olympic Gold. The wine bottle is also painted in Santa Fe Turquoise with a Fleur dis Les stencil in black. After painting the pumpkins I used Satin Finish to finish them and then added a burlap bow. 

I love the cool weather that comes with Fall and the time together with family that comes with the holidays. I hope you have a blessed week.

Deer Horns painted with CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay SFT

I decided this week to paint something other than furniture with CeCe paints. I had a set of deer horns in my garage and decided to paint them with Santa Fe Turquoise. After I painted the deer horns I took burlap with poly-fill and wrapped the center skull part with it. The deer horns will make a great jewelry holder - where the burlap was wrapped is a great place for vintage pins and the horns will be for hanging necklaces and earrings. The tips of the horns were dipped in Olympic Gold by Modern Masters. I hope you enjoy this DIY project, it was easy and quick.

Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint at Fresh

Fresh has added MMSMP to our shop and we are excited to share this awesome product with our customers. There are plenty of informative tutorials online on how to use this wonderful paint and the finishes. So please go and check them out. I painted a small side table/washstand with Lucketts Green. I left the top of the table unpainted and freshened it up with a little walnut stain and then waxed it real good. The milk paint comes in a powder form and you just mix it with a little water. The question we get asked the most since we have the chalk and clay paint is "what's the difference in the two paints"? Basically they are two different mediums - so there is really no comparison. We love both of these natural products and finishes. We are working on a website to sell our products online and hopefully that will be up and running very soon. Saturday we will be open with a few vendors in our yard with wonderful items. One of our dedicated painters Donna Davidson will be setting up with her painted furniture and other antique finds. Mill Creek Glass Works will be back with all of their beautiful stained glass and gifts. I can't wait to shop their booth! We also have Della with Dove Cove Finds setting up with us again with wonderful handcrafted floral designs and her altered artwork. There will be festivities around the square so if you don't have any plans for Saturday stop by and visit our shop - we would love to see you! I plan to demonstrate the Milk Paint and answer any questions you may have about both of our paint lines.

Creating some new things in the Sewing Room

When I am in the mood to sew - I find it most satisfying. Today was one of those days where I spent the entire day in my sewing room, not breaking for lunch until 2:00. After a quick bowl of cheddar and broccoli soup I went back upstairs for the rest of the afternoon. I have tons of "projects" that I need to complete and that is my goal but I'm not sure they will all get done. I have some fabric that I ordered on line that is called toweling and it comes already hemmed on both sides and then you just cut the length you want for a dish towel or table runner and hem those edges. The fabric is very nice quality and I have made both dish towels and table runners. Today, I am making dish towels with a cute sayings on them. My favorite is "all I need today is a little bit of COFFEE and a whole lot of JESUS". I also made some new pillows using paint cloth from Lowe's. The paint cloths are great for all sorts of projects - banners, pillows, curtains, etc. My favorite way to make pillow covers is the envelope style so that you can get the pillow form in and out easily. I will give a tutorial on that soon, if anyone would be interested. They are so easy - peasy and fun to make. I even made time to make a fall banner and Christmas banner. I need to add a few decorations to the banner before I post a picture but I got the best tutorial for the banner from another blog that I will share with you when I post a picture of the banner. We had a nice rain shower most of the day today and it was much needed. Thank you Lord for all of your blessings and may you all have a blessed week.

Frenchy End Tables

My favorite style of furniture is Country French so when I found these end tables a few weeks ago I was so excited and couldn't wait to paint them. Of course I always struggle on what color to paint my furniture pieces. It took me a few days to decide but it actually came to me in the middle of the night when I was trying to sleep. Do you ever do that? I decided to use Dover White, Seattle Mist, and Vintage White by CeCe Caldwell's paints. The finish is Endurance. I chose Endurance since end tables sometime get a little abuse and this finish is the most durable. I have a large French Wardrobe that I'm going to paint next week and I may have to use this same color combination. I hope you have a great weekend! We are being blessed here in Texas with a little rain and hopefully a cool front.

I'm a Fan of Book Tables Too!

So many of the home décor companies sell book tables and they are such functional tables. They are narrow so they can be placed almost anywhere and they hold books! My daughter bought one from Ballard's that is very similar to the one that I painted. I found this one on one of my junking trips and decided to paint it with CeCe Caldwell's Beckley Coal and stencil the top with Young Kansas Wheat. I bought this cute stencil at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to use it. Endurance by CeCe Caldwell was used to give a durable finish. The more I paint with the chalk and clay paint by CeCe Caldwell the more I LOVE it! I always clean my piece with Simple Green and then start painting with diluted paint. I have a ton of furniture in my den, foyer, kitchen, and garage that I am going to be painting the next few weeks - so stay tuned for more makeovers. God Bless you this week!

Black Coffee Please

I love trying new products and I have had Martha Stewart's Black Coffee Glaze for several months sitting in my craft room waiting patiently. I needed the perfect dresser, table, cupboard, buffet, or vanity to test this product. I finally found the perfect serpentine dresser for this "black coffee" glaze. I could see the dresser with a pretty porcelain sink sitting in the middle and used as a bathroom vanity. Not only do I love the name of this glaze but the color is gorgeous - it has a smooth finish with a touch of sparkle. I painted the dresser CeCe Caldwell's Seattle Mist and then added the glaze. I decided to paint the glaze on thick and not wipe it off as I do with some glazes. I think it was because I loved how easily the glaze went on and the color was wonderful. I bought new hardware for the top drawers but I loved the original hardware on the bottom two drawers but they needed a little touch up paint too. So I painted them with Martha Stewart's Metallic Silver and I really liked this product as well. I finished the dresser with CeCe Caldwell's Endurance Finish. This finish needs to be stirred for about 15 minutes to make sure all of the product is mixed well. I stir until all of the sediment on the bottom is thoroughly combined. I apply Endurance with a sponge brush and it's a wonderful finish that I use often.  I must admit I take a little cream and sugar in my morning coffee - but when I want "Black Coffee" I will definitely grab this little jar!
I hope you have a blessed week!

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

Linked to -http://missmustardseed.com/

AFTER

My Love for Drum Tables Continues....

Two of my favorite pieces of furniture to paint are antique drum tables and antique serpentine dressers. But in this post I'm featuring a large drum table.  This table had a few issues - the drawer was missing and the top was scratched. So I decided to paint the entire table with a mixture of CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints - Destin Gulf Green and Santa Fe Turquoise with a touch of Pittsburgh Gray.
I painted another drum table a few months back and you can read about that one here: http://nwalkerscreations.blogspot.com/2013/05/cece-caldwells-pittsburg-gray-and.html . The drawer was missing on this one too! Since most drum tables are mahogany I always seal them with shellac before I start painting. This keeps the dark stain from "bleeding" through the paint. After painting and wet distressing the table I used CeCe Caldwells Satin Finish diluted with water. You can apply as many coats as you want but I usually paint one or two coats. And finally, I took a paper sack and burnish the Satin Finish to get a nice smooth finish.
And so my search for antique drum tables will continue and when I rescue another one I'll share the "transformation" with you! Have a blessed week and keep on junking!!!


Before

Spray with the Shellac before applying the paint.

Antique Secretary Transformation

Have you ever finished a painting project and thought "this may be my favorite so far". Well that's exactly how I felt when I finished this cute little antique oak secretary.  I went to an estate in Dallas last week and I found several treasures but my favorite find was this secretary. It was sitting in a corner unnoticed by most of the shoppers but I had an idea of what I could do to make it look - not so "plain Jane". It was a little pricey so I decided to take my chances and leave a bid (I've never won a bid on anything) but low and behold the guy called me back the next morning and said it was mine and when could I come and pick it up. I was so excited and rushed over the next morning to pick up my prize.  I got home late Saturday and couldn't wait to start painting so Sunday right after church I unloaded my car and began to paint. I knew exactly what colors I wanted to use - a mixture of CeCe Caldwell's Santa Fe Turquoise, Destin Gulf Green, and a touch of Pittsburgh Gray with a gray glaze. The inside was painted with Myrtle Beach Sands and the original knobs were given a face lift with antique gold Rub and Buff.  I must say it was the devil to paint inside all of those small cubbies but worth it in the end. I used a stencil from http://maisondestencils.com  on the desk top. My husband and I loaded it last night and took it to Junktique in Jasper where you can find plenty of great finds! I have been on over load this week and I have painted quite a few projects that I will share later with you.
Fresh will be open Friday, Saturday, and Monday from 9-5 so stop by and see what's new. We are also located in Junktique, The Consignors Mall in Livingston, and J&A Antiques in Hemphill.

BEFORE

Antique Wardrobe Make Over using CCCP

I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable Labor Day Holiday. I have been busy, busy, working on my painting projects in the garage and in the house. I got so much accomplished on Labor Day!!! I can't wait to share with you all the projects that I am completing this week. Today I am going to share with you the antique wardrobe that I painted in CeCe Caldwell's Vintage White and Seattle Mist with Virginia Chestnut glaze and it's finished with Satin Finish. This is a dark stained Oak wardrobe and it is in perfect condition so I loved painting it and seeing the transformation as it unfolded. I think the more I paint the more comfortable I get with the whole process. It still takes me awhile to decide on the "perfect" colors that I want to use and what technique I want to use on the piece but I LOVE this paint and all the finishes. If you have been wanting to paint something with chalk and clay paints - you really should try it and you will not be disappointed.  We give classes at our shop each month and you can see our schedule on our facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/FRESH2013

 If you live in our area you know what the dreaded black bugs, (love bugs) are. Believe me there is no Love for them when they arrive.  I HATE them - and they are so annoying especially if I'm trying to paint or work in the garage. This time of year they show up and usually do not leave until we get a cool snap - lord please let that come soon! We got a small rain shower today and that cooled things down slightly but the Texas humidity is a killer - can you tell I'm ready for cooler weather?

Have a wonderful day and stay tuned for more make overs with the all natural chalk and clay paint.
God bless you -

Please Pray for this Sweet Family

I live in a small town where everyone pretty much knows everyone which has it's pros and cons. But in my opinion the pros have always out weighed the cons. I loved raising my three children (who are grown now) in a small rural area where they had the freedom to ride their bikes down the dirt road to Grandma's house without fear of being snatched up by some crazy person. I liked the small school atmosphere where they knew everyone not just in their classroom but everyone in their class and probably everyone in the building! The fun of letting them play little league baseball and show their animals at the County Fair with their 4 H groups. I could go on and on about the reasons that I love the small town quaintness but you get the picture.
I had the opportunity to teach in a small school close to the town that I live in and that is where I met this sweet family that I am asking you to pray for. They have been on a roller coaster ride for many months recently and this sweet lady (who was the best counselor at our school) has such a way with expressing her heartfelt feelings - I know you will completely understand when you read her blog.
So take a moment of your time and read this blog post as she talks about Plan B in her life and how she is dealing with "life".
http://blueclark756.blogspot.com/2013/08/life-is-not-fair.html?m=1
She puts it in such a great perspective of when "life isn't fair". I think we can all relate at one time or another when "life hasn't been fair" but we also know that God is there to see us through the good and the bad times.
Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend and I will be back next week with another post.
God Bless You - Nancy

From Disco to Distressed

We've all seen the huge dressers from the 1970's. This has never been my style but after looking on Pinterest I decided to paint one. This dresser is 6'3" and was painted with Mississippi Mud and Alaskan Tundra Green.  I tinted my glaze with Virginia Chestnut and added the glaze to the dresser after the paint was thoroughly dry and used Satin Finish. All products were CeCe Caldwell's. There is no need to sand or strip with this wonderful paint! It's fast and easy to use and I love it! This dresser would be perfect for a tv console, a babies changing table, couch console, or a dresser. So many choices - which will it be?? To see the dresser stop by Junktique -it's in the front booth where we sell our paint. We sell the paint in four locations right now Fresh and Junktique in Jasper, J&A Hemphill, and Consignors Mall in Livingston. Have a blessed week and let the paint fly!!

Before (disco)

After (distressed)

Alaskan Tundra Green over Mississippi Mud with VC tinted glaze