Miss Mustard Seed's Bergere

Several weeks ago I was working on a series of  blog posts featuring Miss Mustard Seed's New European Colors that are absolutely stunning to say the least! 
Up next, bergere a beautiful gray blue that is soft and elegant. If you want to add a little color to a room this could be your color. 

We are offering a class on Monday, March 16th from 1-4 using Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint. We are going to make a pallet sign. You will complete the sign and take it home that day. This class has limited space and you can register at Fresh. The cost is $45.00. This is a great opportunity to learn the basics on mixing milk paint, staining, and creating a weathered wood finish.

 As always you can order our Miss Mustard Seed's products online here.
Have a blessed week and try to stay warm!

Back on Track Again

It's been awhile since I've posted on my blog because I had an unexpected bump in the road recently. But thank the good Lord I am on the mend and doing great! I'm a person who loves to keep busy and I really have a passion for what I do. I really don't like to slow down but sometimes that is out of my control. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I had some medical issues that were beyond my control and at one point scary. But it's all behind me now and I'm ready to start painting and working on my projects as soon as I am able. 
We have some exciting things coming up that I will be sharing very soon. We also have our March Classes on the Calendar and I will post those in my next blog. If you haven't signed up for our newsletter on our website you can go here to sign up. We are excited that so many of you have already signed up for our newsletter and we look forward to hearing your feedback. 
Check us out on Facebook to keep up with all the latest at Fresh. Remember you have to like things on our page in order for us to stay in your feed. Also we would love for you to "share" our posts so that we can get new "likes" and expand our audience.  Fresh is celebrating two years of business and we could not do any of this without your encouragement and support. Thank you and God bless you for all that you do to keep our little business trucking along....

Meet Marzipan - Miss Mustard Seed's European Color

Marizpan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar or honey and almond meal,sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. This is the Wikipedia definition of Miss Mustard Seed's new European color Marzipan. So you get the idea of this beautiful milk paint color.
Right now the neutral colors are sweeping the design world. I hear fellow painters mention quite often how tired they are of painting white, beige, and neutrals because it's the only color their customers are buying. I love the idea of decorating with neutrals because it's so easy to add a pop of color with pillows, rugs, and duvets. It makes it so easy to change the decor down the road if you tire easily of your current choices. And not to mention it's easy on the pocket book!
Shabby Chic is a look that uses mostly neutrals in decorating. When the look of "shabby chic" first hit the decor scene most of us loved it but thought "I wonder how long it will stay in style?" Well, I think it may be here to stay. The best part of the shabby look it's mixes well with other styles. Personally, I like to mix several styles in my home. Which style do you use in your home?
One of my favorite shows on HGTV is Fixer Upper. Joanna and Chip Gaines from Waco, Texas use their expertise to give some of the worst homes a face lift. Joanna has a great eye and transforms some of the worst houses into gorgeous homes for her clients. The best part - she and Chip use re-purposed goods and local artisans to help make the transformations special. 
You can get great ideas and inspiration from their show and Joanna has a blog you can follow as well. Go here to see more.
The sun is shining in my part of Texas today and I am SO happy to see it!! The perfect day to start a new project or finish an old one. If you are wanting to start a project - stop by Fresh and let us help you. We love to see your "Before" and "Afters"! Remember we also sell all our products online here.

Miss Mustard Seed's Layla's Mint

With Spring just around the corner Miss Mustard Seed's Layla's Mint is a refreshing color to dip your brush into and start your next project!
Whether you are wanting to paint furniture for a nursery or you need a soft pop of color in a room - this could be your choice. 
It's a very nice color that is not over powering and easy on the eyes. I love this minty green and I will be painting something in this fun color. 
If you look on Pinterest or in magazines you will find many items painted in this hue of green. 
Yesterday I posted about the new ballet pink that is a soft gorgeous pink and in my opinion would pair well with Layla's Mint if you are decorating a nursery or a little girls room. But don't limit yourself using these colors in a child's room, they would also look great mixed in your kitchen or dining room.
Here's a paint tip for today when using milk paint. Make sure you mix the paint well before applying the paint. I use a mixture of 1:1 when mixing. That is 1 part water to 1 part milk paint. I like to use my mini mixer to mix my paint but don't over mix it. Why? It will make the paint mixture frothy. If this happens, wait a few minutes and let the bubbles settle and then begin painting. If you want to know more about mixing milk paint I go into more detail on mixing milk paint here. Below is what the mini mixer looks like and you can order them from Fresh or if you are in the area stop by our store front. 

Which Color?

Miss Mustard Seed's new European milk paint colors are beautiful!
It's hard to say which one is my favorite so I am going to feature each color. The first one I am going to show you is a beautiful pink - arabesque.

Arabesque is a ballet position which is exactly what this color reminds me of - pink ballet shoes! It's not a bright pink and not a dull pink but a subtle pink that's so perfect. Milk paint comes in a powder form that you mix with equal parts water for a full coverage or if you want more of a stain then mix 3 parts water and 1 part milk paint. Do you love the chippy look from the primitive furniture? Milk paint is chippy goodness! Or do you like more of a smooth look with no chippiness?
No problem, add Miss Mustard Seed's Bonding Agent and you have the smooth look.
Marian Parsons aka "Miss Mustard Seed" has a great blog that you can follow and learn from the best about her amazing products. Follow Marian here. Marian has several teaching videos that are insightful for the novice. Not only does she blog about her products but she gives advice on decorating, crafting and everyday life. I had the opportunity to meet Marian in Canada last fall and she is very personable, kind and helpful. When I meet someone like Marian my favorite description of that person is "down to earth". I felt so at ease assisting her in the Toronto Fall Home Show booth. She greeted each customer with a smile and took time to sign their books, answer questions and demonstrate the products.  Her mom is equally "down to earth" and such a great support for her daughter. I have a special bond with my Mom so I felt the "love" between these two. If you would like to read more about my trip to Toronto you can read about it here. 

Stop by Fresh and see the new European Colors and let us demonstrate the products for you and help you with your next project.
We will be open Friday, Saturday, and Monday from 9-5. And you can always order online from us 24/7 at www.freshjaspertexas.com

Paint Couture Favorites

About a month ago we traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for Paint Couture Training where we met new friends and learned many new techniques with their wonderful products. Right now I've got a little time to ponder on ALL the neat things that I learned in North Carolina and I thought I would share my favorite Paint Couture product. This item is available in ten colors and is an all natural gilding wax with no odor.  You can layer the colors to achieve many different looks. 
I like to apply the gilding wax with my fingers or with a small brush. Use Coconut Oil to clean your brushes and fingers or to remove any excess wax that has been applied. Where would you use gilding wax? Gilding wax looks nice on raised decorative areas on furniture, picture frames, and hardware. I'm working on a project using the copper gilding wax that I will post pictures of soon. Have you tried gilding wax on any of your projects? You will LOVE it! 

Peacock Paint Couture with Copper Gilding Wax

European Milk Paint Colors

It's been awhile since my last posting and I apologize. Sharon and I have been busy rearranging the store and moving our studio into another part of the store. New classes are being scheduled for each paint line and paints are being fully stocked in all locations. We are working on some new ideas that we are really excited about for the new year! I'll share those as they occur. 
Have you heard about the European Colors by Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paints? They are gorgeous and we will have them in stock this weekend and online. Here are the new colors -

Aren't these colors to die for? I love them all and I can't wait to try them on some of my projects. What are you working on? I'll be posting my latest projects soon!