Painting with chalk paint....

DIY tutorial

In Wednesday's post I touched on the general rules of painting wooden furniture, and how important prepping your piece is....Sanding and priming before painting....

But today I want to tell you about chalk paint....and the rules are slightly different...

Chalk paint was developed in 1990 by Annie Sloan, whose name has become synonymous with  chalk paint....She wanted to develop a paint that was versatile and could be applied using many different styles and painting techniques....

Chalk paint has the benefit of being able to stick to almost any surface....so there is no need for the usual prep like sanding and priming before you paint...

...it has good coverage with it's thick consistency, and a little goes a long way...it is fast drying and hard wearing, and can be used almost anywhere, including outside....

But the main reason a lot of people use chalk paint is for its beautiful antique looking ,chalky patina....it lends itself very well to ageing and distressing, and can be made to crackle......

Adding glazes, waxes and stains when using chalk paint can create a beautiful antique look...

 It can also be used as a wash of colour  and makes an excellent primer for milk paint (more on this next week)..

So today I will show you how I used chalk paint to transform my friend Claire's bookshelves...

 She wanted it to look old and distressed, so chalk paint was my natural choice....

CHALK PAINTING TUTORIAL...

 

The bookshelf was a red colour, and the finish really had taken a beating and had seen better days...

Because I was using chalk paint, there was no need to sand or prime before painting, however...

....if your piece is in a dark colour and you don't want the colour to come trough when you are distressing, I would recommend stripping the current finish first...

I didn't because I wanted the history of the shelf to shine through....

...so I just gave it a good clean using a solvent degreaser (to take away the current wax-finish) and some soapy water....

I gave it a really light sanding, even though I shouldn't need to, just to crate a slightly rough surface for the paint to adhere to...I probably spent 5 minutes sanding...if that!!

A down side of chalk paint is that it can be very expensive....

A lot of people make their own....

I will be posting a receipe for this next week...

But as this was the first time I've used chalk paint, I thought it'd be safest to use a branded one...

As I was painting this bookshelf white, and didn't need any fancy colours, I decided not to spend my money on expensive Annie Sloan paint, and got this slightly cheaper Autentico natural chalk paint (£20)...

After wiping the shelves down so they were free from dust, I laid the shelves down, and started painting the inside first.....

.....the main reason being that it made for easier access to the shelves when it was laying down , and I wouldn't damage the paintjob when I stood it up to do the outside...  

 

I ended up doing 3 coats for good coverage....letting each coat dry for 30 minutes+ before sanding lightly between coats....

Tip: When painting try to control your brushstrokes to minimise brush marks in the paint....

After the 3 coats, leave to cure for at least 24 hours...

The next day I ran my electric palm sander over the shelf, concentrating on areas with heavy brush strokes and paint drips....

Then it's time for distressing....I used my sanding sponge to very lightly take back the paint on the detail of the bookshelf....  

....don't be too heavy handed at this stage....

...as you can see: Any previous paint colour underneath will show through in the distressed areas...

When you have distressed all the obvious corners and details on your piece with the sandpaper/sanding sponge....you need to get rid of all the paint dust....

I used our electric inflating pump for Little Miss Moo's paddling pool to blow away the dust....

Then I used a slightly damp rag to wipe the shelf down....

....I also used the damp rag to soften the distressed parts, by rubbing it over the areas already distressed by the sanding sponge...gently wiping and blending away the paint in these areas.... 

When you are happy with your distressing....you are ready for the finishing...

Chalk paint always needs to be sealed with a finishing wax...

I used "autentico" clear finishing wax.....

Make sure your piece is dust free before waxing....

...Using a soft brush or a cloth, smear the wax all over your piece...

Take extra care in the corners and crevices .....

Leave for about 10-15 minutes before wiping and buffing the wax off again using a soft cloth....an old t-shit is ideal....

Because I wanted to create a bit more interest in the finish, I decided to use some antiquing wax as well....

....ALWAYS use a layer of clear wax before adding antiquing wax, or the paint will soak up too much of the stain, and it will not buff up right... 

Because I only wanted a light stain...I worked on smaller areas at the time, NOT leaving the wax on for very long, but going straight over it with a cloth , wiping away the excess....

Because the shelf is white, the antiquing wax will yellow the finish hue....

I learned, by trial and error, that it maybe best to dilute the antiquing wax by mixing with some clear wax, for a less "dirty" look if using on lightly coloured pieces...

If you feel like you have been a bit heavy handed with the antiquing wax, like me, just use a bit off solvent cleaner on a cloth to go over and wipe away the wax stain where needed....

Use a dry soft brush to get the wax build up out of the corners and crevices....

Finish off with another layer of clear wax on top....

...really buff it up for a nice sheen to the finish...

I am happy with the result of my first attempt at using chalk paint....

...I have learned a lot though....

Like the importance of sanding properly in between the coats of paint to get rid of the brush marks, for a silky smooth finish....and that it is better to mix your dark wax with some clear to dilute the stain it leaves....especially on light coloured pieces.... 

But most importantly: My friend Claire was happy with her bookshelf makeover...

I have really enjoyed using chalk paint....I can see the potential for different finishes using different techniques...and cant wait to play around with it again next week, when I have big pine dining table that needs an update....

Have you had any experience painting with chalk paint?

If you have any advice on using chalk paint, or you have any neat tricks or techniques you would like to share, please leave a comment below...

 Thanks for popping by....

please come back soon...

xxx

June

Painting and finnishing.....

 

gilding with "gold finger"

This week I have been painting.....

I told you on Monday about my previous gung-ho approach to painting furniture, and about all those little bits and pieces I have laying around waiting for a lick of paint and finishing....So I have been doing some research on painting and finishing furniture, and thought I'd share my findings with you all...turns out: just wacking on the paint like I have done in the past, is not the "done" thing.....at least not if you want a professional looking result!!

Check out my pinterest board painting and finishing for useful links on painting furniture..

If you are new to furniture painting, it could be useful to start with some smaller pieces to get a feel for the paints and techniques....and for a little practise before you start transforming that old sideboard (or whatever you have waiting for an update).....

I am planning on using these last couple of weeks before the summer holidays, whilst I am Little Miss Moo-free (furniture painting with children around could easely end in disaster....or at the very best: fingerprints!) to finally paint all those pieces I have been putting off for ages....and at the end I am planning on doing a post summing up what I've learned about preparation of different types of furniture, types of paint and different techniques to use....

But lets start small:

I've had these pine frames and coatrack laying around for ages, waiting for an update...

I am not too enamoured with the current trend of painting all wood...I love the look of good quality wood, and think a little tender love and care on old pieces is more sympathetic than covering it all in paint.( I am currently on the lookout for a nice wooden nightstand, so I can prove this point...) But I can't stand the orange look of pine...

Today I want to talk about the basics of painting wood, and tell you all about a little trick I learned whilst working in the British film industry....

I want to start with this big IKEA mirror....

It too used to be orange Pine, but sometime last year I painted it this oldy worldy blue....

 At the time, I was planning on distressing it, but never got around to it....

So when I started thinking of finishing all these little bits and bobs, I remembered something usefull:

When I worked in the prop department of the film Stardust a good few years ago, we used something we called "goldfinger" to gild a lot of the props for the hall where the final show-down in the film took place....

It was easy to use and the effect was beautifull....

I thought this would be the perfect thing for finishing off my blue mirror....

 

After looking around on the net, I realised the product is actually called "Rub'n'buff"....

It is a metallic wax product, and as the name suggests, all you do is rub it on and buff....

It is often used as a cheaper alternative to gold leafing, as it averages in price around £5 a tube...

( A quick e-bay search should give you a list of suppliers)...

It comes in 16 metallic finishes, and can help you transform the finish on just about anything....

A little goes a long way, and depending on the wanted result it can be applied using a brush or a sponge, but I find the best way to apply, for better control, is to use your finger....hence the term "goldfinger".

It can create so many different finishes using different techniques: For a complete covering, apply lightly using an artist brush in several layers...use it on a sponge for stencilling, or dry brush it on to highlight more complicated mouldings....

Today I want to show you the goldfinger method on my blue painted mirror:

 

I've used Rub'n'buff in antique gold here...

Squeeze a little Rub'n'buff onto a tile (or other smooth surface)...dab a little on your finger....keep dabbing your finger on the tile to take off any excess....you don't need a lot....

...then with a light touch, rub your "goldfinger" over the detail in your wood....creating a golden highlight effect on your piece....

 

buff with a soft cloth to really bring out the shine...

 Use a solvent and degreaser to clean up any spills....this is also very useful if you feel like you have been too heavy handed (or should I say: heavy fingered?....maybe not!!) with the goldfinger...

....just spray a little on a sponge to wipe away and blend any excess...

This is really a cheats way to that antique gilded look, but it is really effective, don't you think? 

 I really wish I'd taken some pictures of this mirror before I painted it to show you the whole transformation......

So I thought I'd show you the entire process by painting and finishing my IKEA pine coatrack to match......done the proper way: 

This will all apply to painting wooden furniture....So you can use this as a prepping guide for your furniture painting projects..

First: take off the hard the hardware.....put it aside for safe keeping.

Clean the wood with a degreaser...
I used Wickes contractors Solvent and degreaser spray....same as above...
I really want to recommend this product as it has proven to have so many uses, and is so handy to have around....
....before lightly sanding to create a key for your paint to cling on to...
As a rule: you'll need to sand a piece if the current finish is shiny....you don't always need to sand it all the way back to the wood....just enough to create a surface for your paint to adhere to...
...More on this in a later post....

Then I sprayed my coatrack with a thin layer of primer...


...you don't need a thick coverage....just a thin layer will do...
...the primer will help seal the wood surface and creates a bond between the wood and your paint...

Paint your wood.....several thin layers are better than one heavy coat....2-3 should be enough.
I used Wickes chalky matt emulsion in Boudoir...same as my mirror , but any indoor paint would work....
 

...When your paint have dried and you are happy with the coverage, you are ready for  the gold finger....as with the mirror, use a little at the time, dabbing it on your finger, and gently rubbing it on over the edges of the detail in your wood...
Then buff with a clean dry cloth...

The goldfinger can also be used on the hardware.....just rub it on with your finger, to give your hardware a golden look....You can change the look of all your hardware around the house using rub'n'buff......gold to silver, silver to gold.....much cheaper than buying new....

Then reattach the hardware onto the wood....

Looks great don't you think....?
I used the same process and technique for the two boxframes....
(just remember to mask off the glass before priming and painting)
....Then I simply used some pretty paper to line the insides....

The butterfly was part of our table decoration at our wedding, and the horse shoe used to belong to Mr's Dad, and is his Lucky charm....

 I will definitely be using Rub'n'buff for other projects in the future....come Christmas our whole house will be gilded....

I hope you feel inspired to try some rub'n'buff (I am not paid to promote this product, I just really like it)...it is so versatile and effective....and really easy to use...Just remember: a little goes a long way...

Let me know if you have had any experience using rub'n'buff....and where would you use it?
Please comment below....

I will be back with another painting and finishing tutorial on Saturday:
I will show you how I transformed my friends bookshelf using Chalk paint.....

xxx
June

Happy monday....

 

.....Getting ready for summer....

 

My lazy gardening motto: weeds are beautiful!!

 

Last week was a busy week for our little family....

.... There was sportsday at Little Miss Moo's school on tuesday....this was MY first experience of the Brittish school sportsday, and it was fantastic.....We had lovely weather, and hats off to the school for a wonderfull arrangement....of course I found myself in the thick of it ( I am starting to realise that I am the sort of person that has to get involved....it's like a compulsion) ...and after running around with the kids for 2 hours, (I made lots of new little friends)..... I was exsausted....

And on Wednesday Little Miss Moo went on her first excursion to "butterfly world"- the first trip away without mummy and daddy....Off she went on a coach with her whole class....I think I was more nervous than her....But I needn't have worried: she had a great time

On the Thursday it was "no uniform day".....and I had to make a cake(!!!!) to bring in on friday for the schools cake stall on their Saturday Fun Day.....(I am not usually a cakey bakey kind of girl, but my mum gave me an easy receipe on "Cinnamon cake".....very yummy!! Might have to post the recipe for this at some point...)

 

 

The Fun Day at the school was fantastic...again we had good weather, and there was a really good turn out...there was cake stalls, hot food stalls, stalls selling things the children had made, tombola and other games....The best thing of all was a huge inflatable bouncy castle/slide, and we had a few tantrums trying to prise Little Miss Moo away from it..... there was performances from a local majorette group and a get-up-and-join-in aerobic exercise group..... I was knackered just watching them, so we took a stroll around the school grounds to get away from the mayhem....

we ended up having a chill out in the outdoor classroom (how great is that!!) playing on the xylophones there....

After a good few hours having fun in the sun, I had a lovely head massage at my friend Claire's therapy stall....Bliss!!

Claire has also given me my first commission....painting a lovely little bookshelf she had!!

So, I made Mr. put up our garden gazebo, so I can get on with all those big paint-jobs/ projects I have been aching to do.....My distrust in the British summer has so far been proven wrong, as since the gazebo went up, we've had glorious sunshine....typical....but hey...I'm not complaining....

 

 

 

....So now that I am all set for painting outdoors....I will be cracking on with it!!

Apart from Claire's bookshelf, I have also got (quite) a few unfinished projects laying about....

...A big IKEA mirror that I started painting last year, some picture frames, a coat rack , two chairs, a cabinet, our garden furniture and a dining table....

So this week I will be posting about painting, techniques and finishing of furniture!!

I am by no means an expert...in fact in the past I have had a bit of a gung-ho approach to furniture painting, but doing this blog has made me focus, and I have been doing a lot of research on the subject that I would like to share with you all...

Please visit my pinterest  board painting and finishing for some useful tips and ideas....

 

 

Also, I would like to remind you to visit my pinterest board kids crafts and fun, to find some great activities to do with your kids over the summer holidays...as well as some great links on parenting....

My new Wednesday "Summer Kids Club" post will be running from Wednesday 24th July .....

I will be posting tutorials on crafty and fun things to make and do with your kids over the summer holidays...some for rainy days, as well as for the garden...

I have already got a few ideas planned, but I still need your help....

Is there any projects or activities you would like me to post about (see my pinterest board for ideas), let me know by leaving a comment below...

Me and Little miss Moo have been having fun trying out some of the activities already, as you can see in the picture above...

 

xxx

June