Miss Mustard Seed's Make Over Project

The first step in doing a make over is to clean the entire piece with Simple Green and let it dry before applying your milk paint. The buffet that I'm working on is solid oak and has beautiful barley twist legs. I have made a decision to paint the drawers and the bottom portion tricycle red and stain the top with Curio all by Miss Mustard Seed. I love the richness in the MMSMP color tricycle. Red has always been one of my favorite colors. It's such a happy color and it looks good with everything. 

Since I am leaving the top stained with Curio I am going to need to sand the top for about 5-10 minutes before painting. I like to use an orbital sander for sanding. After I am finished sanding the top of the buffet I am ready to start painting the drawers and the base. Today, I am posting before pictures of the buffet and I will post more as I move along with this make over. 

Stay turned for the second part of this make over. 

Did Someone Say Milk Paint?

Milk paint has been around for many years. In fact thousand of years ago minerals were mixed with milk and lime to create milk paint. It hasn't changed that much since it's beginnings. It's still a natural way to transform anything that needs a new look. I like to paint furniture and I love the way this product evolves a plain stool, chair, buffet, dresser, or bed into a work of art. 
Our little store is tucked away on a historical street in Jasper Texas on 403 College where we try to spend as much time in our small studio working on sample boards and experimenting with our paints. We have been open just over a year and I have learned so much about paint and the vast creativity that can be achieved with a brush. I'm one of those people that loves to learn new things and I think we are never too old to learn new "tricks". In turn, I love to teach others what I learn so that they too can enjoy the fun and excitement of a new "trick". 
In my last post, I am getting ready to paint a buffet with milk paint and I'm inviting you to find something you would like to paint and join me. I will start my project soon and you have time to get your brush, paint and finishes so you can join the fun! We are fully stocked with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paints and finishes, brushes, sanding blocks, and everything you need to begin. You can find our online shop here: www.freshjaspertexas.com for all your supplies. And if you're near you can shop our store at 403 College Street, Jasper, Texas and Junktique, Hwy 96 North, Jasper, Texas. 
Here's a peek at our quaint little store located on historic College Street. 

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Makeover - Part One

I am featuring MMSMP and finishes on an oak buffet that has 3 drawers. This antique buffet has beautiful barley twist on the lower portion of the cabinet. This would make a great tv console, changing table for a baby, or a food buffet. If you would like to paint along with me on this project, you have time to purchase the paint and finishes and get started. I will not start for a week so you have to time gather everything you need. And if you need paint, finishes, and brushes you can contact us through our website:www.freshjaspertexas.com We currently cannot sell MMSMP online but if you go to our website you can contact us and we will ship you the products over the phone. We are completely stocked with all products. 

Here is what I plan to use on my buffet:
1. Curio - for the top
2. Tricycle - for the base and drawers
3. Hemp Oil for the complete piece 
4. #6 and #8 natural bristle brush

So get your products and get ready to paint!
I'll be back in a few days to get started.

Before

Before

Before - the drawers

Kailua Coral by CeCe Caldwell - the final step

If you have been following my journey with the new Kailua Coral by CeCe Caldwell's Paints here are the final steps to this wonderful paint.
Let me recount the steps quickly thus far. I cleaned the vanity and mirror with Simple Green and put a thin coat of Destin Gulf Green for my base coat. After allowing time to dry, I put a thin coat of Kailua Coral for my second coat. 
I let that dry for a couple of days (only because I was busy with my sewing) and then wet distressed the entire piece with a t-shirt dowsed with water. This is where the fun begins for me - I LOVE to wet distress. It's your choice on how much or how little you want to distress. I wanted the DGG and the dark wood to show through and that's what I achieved. This new color makes me feel refreshed! For the final step I chose Endurance for my finish since it's a vanity I felt it was the best choice. Endurance is the most durable of the finishes by CeCe Caldwell. The most important thing to remember when using this product is to stir it until everything is completely mixed. The thick substance on the bottom needs to be stirred until it is dissolved and this may take 5-10 minutes. Afterwards take a brush and apply to your furniture. I allowed mine to dry 24 hours and then applied a second coat. It's easy peasy! I replaced the hardware with large glass knobs and this piece is ready to sell. It's going to be at Fresh today, so stop by and see this beautiful color combination. We are well stock in all colors and finishes of CeCe Caldwell Paints. If you can't get in today then you can also go online and we can ship to you. Here is our website: www.freshjaspertexas.com 

Painting with CeCe Caldwell's Paints - Part Three

I have added my second coat of paint (KC) and wet distressed the dresser. Make sure when you are applying the second coat of paint to water it down as we did the first coat and it is not important to completely cover the bottom coat of paint. Since you are going to wet distress it's not necessary to completely cover. After the second coat has dried, take an old t-shirt that you have cut into squares and wet. Lightly, start rubbing on the furniture and distress in areas that you feel would naturally be distressed through time. Usually around the drawer handles, the edges of the wood and any other areas you like. Since this piece was dark wood I can distress down to the wood and have 3 colors peeking through. This part is where you can be creative and make it unique. I love distressing the furniture, it transforms it into something so different and beautiful. 
I have added pictures of the dresser and what it looks like so far. I love to use a natural bristle brush size 6 and 8 to apply the paint. We sell these on our website www.freshjaspertexas.com. They are the best brushes I have found so far. The rounded tip is perfect for those hard to reach places. My next step will be to paint the top of this dresser. I always start with the piece turned upside down and then flip it over to do the top. This dresser also has a mirror that I will be painting so come back for Part Four. In Part Four I will be adding the final finishes! 

Pour your paint into a separate container.

wet distressed 

More distressing 

One of the drawers to the dresser 

Ready for the next step!

Painting with CeCe Caldwell's Paints - Part Two

This is the second part of a series that I am doing on CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay paints. My first coat of paint is Destin Gulf Green slightly watered down. I like to apply a thin coat of paint first. This paint dries extremely fast which I love because you can complete a project in just a few days. 
My husband helped me bring in the vanity tonight and we turned it upside down on top of the kitchen bar. Another great feature of this paint, since it's all natural you can paint inside with no risk of harmful fumes. Why upside down you ask? It's the best way to paint any furniture because you are able to get to all the crooks and crannies - plus it just looks finished.
After getting the vanity on the bar, I sprayed it with Simple Green to clean it. It's not the dirtiest one that I've cleaned but it was certainly unclean. Simple Green is also an all natural product that I use to clean most of my projects.
The drawers that were shown in the previous post are dry now and I am posting a picture so you can see how the chalk and clay looks when dry. The next part to this series will be the second coat of paint that I am using which is one of the newest CeCe colors - Kailua Coral. It is a beautiful color that I think will pair well with Destin Gulf Green. Here are the pictures of what I painted today and the drawers that I painted in part one. More to come - but if you want to join me while I paint you can purchase your paint online at www.freshjaspertexas.com or stop by Fresh tomorrow we will be there from 
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and I would love to help you start that project that you want to "freshen" up!!

Clean well with Simple Green

The Vanity turned upside down so that hard to get to areas are easily painted.

Drawers that are dry

After the first coat on the vanity and the paint is drying(darker areas)

How to Paint with CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints

Do you want to learn how to paint with an all natural paint? I am going to give step by step instructions on how I use this amazing paint. I will be giving you insights into what makes this paint so incredibly outstanding. Since this will be a long post, I will do it in several series. If you have something that you would like to paint go grab it and paint along with me. 
I'm painting an antique vanity that is in very bad condition. Even the inside of the drawers need a little uplifting. 
First you will need to clean your furniture with Simple Green or TSP. I used Simple Green on this piece. After you have cleaned the wood with a cleaner be sure and let it dry thoroughly before the next step.
Next you will need to stir your paint and pour a small amount in a container(I use a plastic container with a lid by Rubbermaid). Why do you need to pour it into a separate container? CeCe paints have no chemicals in them so it would contaminate the paint if you painted directly from the can. I also add water to my paint after pouring it into my plastic container. How much? I like mine about the consistency of pancake batter. Now you are ready to paint!
I use a natural bristle brush when painting with chalk and clay paints not the nylon bristle brushes. 
Apply the first coat of paint and watch it dry. This is the first steps of painting with this paint. I'll continue this post when I finish painting my first coat of Destin Gulf Green on my vanity. Here is a picture of the drawers that I painted. If you need paint for your project you can purchase online at www.freshjaspertexas.com or stop by our store on 403 College Street in Jasper.

Before

Before

Before

The drawers with one thin coat of DGG

The paint is drying 

Inside the drawers - soon to be painted

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint Color of the Month

Are you ready for warmer weather and anxious to work on fun projects, dig in the dirt, or go for a walk in the sunshine? I think everyone is tired of the dreary weather we've had the past few months. For me, I'm ready to sling some paint and try some of the new colors. Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint has a beautiful color called "Apron Strings" that is fresh and pretty. It's also the color of the month for this line of paint. Coral is a popular color on Pinterest and I think I may have to try this color soon. I need to go through my stash and get started on my next project.
As usual, I'm having a hard time deciding on what color I want to use next! There are so many great colors in the MMSMP. What colors have you used? I would love to hear from you on what you think about the Milk Paint. If you decide to paint with the color of the month "Apron Strings" please share your experience with the paint.
My experience with the milk paint has been successful. I have had pieces that I have painted that bubbled and began to chip immediately(which I love) and then other pieces that it went on as smooth as silk and there was no chipping. That is what I love about the Milk Paint - it's not predictable. WHAT???? Yes, you paint and watch to see what the paint is going to do. Now if you WANT control you can add bonding agent to get that smooth look or you can add hemp oil or the wax puck for resisting and chipping. I'm including a picture of the bubbling that occurs on some finishes. This was a bar stool that I painted and it had a shiny finish which will bubble more than a matte finish. If I had not wanted it to bubble and flake I would need to sand before painting and add some bonding agent to my paint.

 

 

Stop by our store and let us get you started on your next project or if you live too far and like to shop online visit our website: www.freshjaspertexas.com

Sunshine Where Are You???

This has been the longest and coldest winter that I have experienced in my life time and I must say I'm ready for some beautiful sunny days! I am longing to dig in the dirt and plant some spring flowers. Is anyone else ready to jump into spring like I am? 

I sure hope this dreary winter weather is close to an end. Even though you can paint inside with CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints, I enjoy painting in the driveway or garage when the weather is nice. There are two new colors from CeCe Caldwell's paint line - Kailua Coral and Minnesota Pink Lady's Slipper. I will talk more about these beautiful colors in my next post. Here's a peak of both colors. Remember to check our website: www.freshjaspertexas.com and we are also on facebook. 

The Day After

Our last day at Canton was unpredicted but that's Texas weather for you. We woke up Sunday morning to 32 degrees and very rainy. We headed over to the Pavilion and got ready for a wet shopping day. By noon, it was apparent that most people had gone home and we were told we could start breaking down our booth soon. Mom and I began packing all the smalls and tearing down our booth. As we were working it began to hail outside - you should have heard it hitting the tin roof! It was extremely loud and we couldn't help ourselves, we started laughing. We certainly had a mixture of weather conditions while here - dry cold, wet cold, nice weather, and a hail storm. Thank goodness the hail didn't last very long and we loaded everything and said goodbye to our new friends next door to us.
In my earlier post I asked the question, "Was it worth the hard work"? Our answer after four days, yes, it certainly was worth every minute of it. We met so many nice and interesting people and we are looking forward to our next time in Canton.
Thank you sweet friends for supporting us in our little dream and remember you can order online from us anytime from our website: www.freshjaspertexas.com
You can also find us in Livingston at the Consignor's Mall, Kelly B's on the Square in Henderson Texas, J&A Antiques in Hemphill Texas, Fresh (our home store) in Jasper Texas, Junktique in Jasper, Texas and our newest location Timeless Treasures in Canton Texas.

Canton Trade Days - Day 4

Canton Trade Days - Day 4

We woke up to drizzling rain this morning but the crowd was here and I talked paint almost all day! I am so thankful that I can share this great product to so many people. I've talked to folks at every age level. There's those of us that married in the late seventies and we bought a houseful of beautiful maple furniture that we've tired of and we want to give it a new look (paint). Our paints will give it a fresh new look that is amazing. You no longer have to strip the furniture or prime it. This paint is it's own primer and it only takes two thin coats and drying time is SO fast. No one wants to spend weeks working on a piece of furniture. You don't have to with our paints. It's fast and easy to complete a project within a few days. A quart will paint several pieces of furniture. 

Another plus to our paint are the many colors to choose from. Several people when they stopped by to talk paint they mentioned that they loved that we have so many pretty colors. I agree our colors are beautiful.

They are also quite impressed with the thought of the wet distressing instead of using sandpaper. If you go to our website: www.freshjaspertexas.com and click "paint instructions" we have some great tips to help you get started on your projects. If you click through the pictures you will see many of the painted pieces in the store. We will be in Canton one more day so stop by and see us tomorrow. It's supposed to be quite cold but we will be in booth 4268 "talking paint"! Have a blessed day!

SOLD

SOLD to a sweet girl who's going to use it for a coffee bar in her home. I hope she shares photos with us on facebook when she get's it set up!

My two beautiful daughters who stopped in to give a helping hand.

SOLD several of these pillows this weekend. One of my favorites!

My beautiful and wonderful Mom who has worked really hard to make the last four days a success.