Young Kansas Wheat with Curio

I have several favorite colors when it comes to painting with CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints and Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paints. As I have mentioned many times I have a hard time picking a color because there are so many beautiful choices!
When I cleaned these two tables with Simple Green I knew Young Kansas Wheat with a Curio top would be my choice of colors. I sanded the tops lightly with a sanding block but did nothing to the base of the tables. 
I turned the tables upside down and painted the base first with the Young Kansas Wheat. After two coats of paint I wet distressed with a t-shirt. CeCe Calkdwell's Endurance was used on the base and for best results it needed to dry for 24 hours before applying that finish. 
The top of the table was painted with Miss Mustard Seed's Curio. This table had several scratches but basically in great condition. I applied two coats of Curio and then rubbed hemp oil into the wood for a nice finish.
These are loaded on the trailer and ready for the trip to Canton. Mom and I will be heading out in the morning to set up. I'm looking forward to a fun and busy weekend! Check us out online for many tips on painting- www.freshjaspertexas.com

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Painted Signs and Pillows

We will be bringing lots of goodies to Canton Trade Days next week. Two things you will find in our booth are painted signs and pillows. The signs are hand painted by my mom, Nelda Sheppard. Both of us work on different styles of pillows. Setup is Wednesday and we will be ready for shoppers on Thursday. 
I'll be posting pictures as we load the trailer but here are a few of the signs and pillows we are packing. And don't forget we always have CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints and Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint. Both paint lines are earth friendly and easy to use! 

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

Have you tried Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint? We have been selling this great product for several months and have been certified to teach workshops. Sharon and I took a trip to Kansas and enjoyed training with Abbe Doll. Abbe owns and operates The Cottage Collective and All Dolled Up. Abbe has several great videos on how to use the paint and products. You can find her blog here www.alldolledupwichita.com 
We are working on new class schedules and we will post it on our Facebook page when we have it nailed down. You can find it here www.facebook.com/FRESH2013.
The most important tip I give about the milk paint would be the mixing. We sell a small battery operated mixer that is great for mixing the paint or you can shake the paint in a jar or just stir with a spoon.  My favorite is using the handheld mixer or stirring thoroughly with a spoon or tongue depressor. After you have experienced the paint I'm sure you will have your favorite too. I would love to hear from you on which you prefer. 
I start out with a 1:1 ratio of water and milk paint and if I feel that the consistency is too thick then I gradually add water and continue to mix until the granules are mixed. Let your mixture sit for several minutes and then mix again. You should be ready to paint your project when the paint is smooth. If there are a few granules when you begin don't worry you can sand those out when the paint dries. 
I will be sharing a few tips that will be helpful when using the Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint. Choosing a color may be the hardest decision before starting. The colors are gorgeous and so much fun to work with. I'm working on an old 1930's cabinet right now and I'm using Ironstone for the first time. I will post some pictures when I am finished.
Canton Trade Days will be next week and we have been loading for several days. If you are looking for a great place to shop, you should plan a trip to the trade days. I have been going to Canton since the late 70's and no doubt it has fantastic treasures for shoppers and dealers if you know how to shop for great deals! We will be in Pavilion 4000 Booth 4268 ready to talk paint and help you with your next project! Check out our website: www.freshjaspertexas.com for paint instructions and products. Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Mixer

Battery Operated Mixer

Great Colors to Choose

Ironstone

MMSMP Kitchen Scale

CeCe Caldwell's Paints used on a Chair Make Over

Two of my favorite combinations in the CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints are Santa Fe Turquoise and Mesa Sunset. I had this old chair with a yucky cushion for at least 6 months and couldn't decide what color to paint it. I knew I would have to recover the cushion and that was another decision "what fabric would I use". I'm a fabric hoarder - there I said it! Now I'm a self proclaimed fabric hoarder, whew I feel better! Anyway, I do LOVE fabrics and I do own quite a lot. 
Once I decided to paint the chair those two colors I found a scrap of fabric that was perfect for the chair. 
I cleaned the chair with Simple Green and painted it with Mesa Sunset and let it dry. Second coat was Santa Fe Turquoise, let that dry, wet distressed, and let that dry 24 hours because I would be using Endurance for my finish. When you use Endurance for a finish be sure and let the paint dry for 24 hours before applying the Endurance. This gives the paint time to cure so there is no water under the Endurance.
I bought an electric staple gun a few months ago and it was well worth the money. I've recovered several stools and chairs and it's so much faster than the old manual (non electric) type I had before. This chair is ready to be loaded on the trailer for Canton Trade Days next week. 
If you need any supplies or paint we have two lines of paint CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints and Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paints. Our website is www.freshjaspertexas.com or just click on the photo of our shop on the cover page of this blog. We are fully stocked in both paints and would love for you stop by our store but if you are not close and need it shipped we do that too. Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend and I'll be posting again on my next make over.

Things of the Past Part 2 -

I have finally finished the card catalog that I started over a month ago. I decided to paint it with Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint artissimo. Artissimo is a beautiful deep navy which is a great color this year for furniture.  I removed all the hardware, cleaned with Simple Green, and sanded very lightly with a sanding sponge. I wanted the artissimo to cover but I also wanted some of it to chip. Mixing the milk paint is such an important step in using this paint. I used warm water in equal parts and stirred it for several minutes and then let it sit for a few minutes and then stirred again. I keep stirring until it becomes smooth. You may still have some hard crystals but don't worry about those they will sand out. The main thing that I like to stress is that you don't get in a hurry and keep stirring until it has a smooth texture. Continue to stir the mixture while you are painting to keep the mixture smooth. If I am painting something large I use a mason jar, warm water, and shake until smooth. But since this was a small project I used a small bowl. After mixing the paint I painted two coats on the card catalog and sanded with a sanding sponge for a smooth finish. I let that dry for several hours and then rubbed hemp oil into the wood for a beautiful finish. I reattached all the hardware and now it's ready to sell. I think these are great in a bathroom, kitchen, or craft room to store small items. I have several that I use in my craft room for my stamps and small pieces of lace. On to my next project! Guess what it is??? Oh and don't forget------
Mom and I are headed to Canton next week for the June show. Stop by our booth in Pavilion 4000 booth 4268. We will have Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paints, CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints, painted furniture, teacher aprons, monogrammed dishcloths, pillows, caps, home decor, cypress knees, hand painted cypress Santa's, and lots more! Visit our website www.freshjaspertexas.com to order both paint lines and we have a great section for paint instructions. 

BEFORE

Hardware removed

MIxing the paint

Love this color!!!

For bigger projects use a mason jar

Completed and ready to sell!

Chippiness

Gearing up for Canton Trade Days Again

It seems like we just returned from Canton and it's time to go back! We will be there this month fully stocked in Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint and CeCe Caldwell's Chalk and Clay Paints. This month and next month Mom and I will be manning the booth and we are working everyday on some of our handmade goodies to bring with us. We will have a great display of handmade pillows, aprons, dishtowels, pillowcases, vintage finds, and of course our painted furniture. You can find us in Pavilion 4000, booth 4268. We will begin setting up on Wednesday May 28th and would love to see you in Canton!

Meanwhile in the store we are planning some new classes. Sharon and I have several ideas that we think you will enjoy. She and I went to Kansas last month for our Miss Mustard Seed Certified Training with Abbe Doll. We had so much fun with Abbe and learned so much about this great paint! So stay tuned for our upcoming classes that we are going to offer. Summer is just around the corner, if you have a project and need help deciding what to do we are happy to help you. 

We are open every Friday, Saturday, and Monday from 9-5 except during Canton Trade Days. You can also find us online at www.freshjaspertexas.com