My Big News!

From the time I started my hunt for finding and painting mostly vintage treasures last year, I knew I would want to open a vintage, shabby chic style business.  The solution for me was opening a space at Old South Antique Mall.  That was just over three months ago and what a fast, furious and fun time it has been!  I also had another dream that I've been working on almost from the very beginning.  I've had to drive at least an hour and a half to get chalk paint for my projects. (Yeah, I wanted it bad!)  I also knew most people wouldn't bother to drive that far and that they would really be missing out on the fun. 

So, I started researching different paints and paint companies.  I eventually discovered CeCe Caldwell's Clay and Chalk Paint.  All products are made in the USA and the paints are "Naturally Green in the Color of your Choice".  The products can be used by anyone - those with respiratory problems, chemical sensitivities, pregnant women, even children!  The paints have no Volatile Organic Compounds, are non-toxic and have no odor. The paint contains NO acrylic co-polymers, solvents, formaldehyde, ammonia, ethylene glycol or toxic heavy metals.  The paints are made from clay, porcelain clay and chalk bended into a water based solution and the waxes are made from insect and plant sources.  And the paint and waxes are even packaged in recycled plastic containers.  With super adhesion, most surfaces require no priming or sanding before painting.  Just clean the project and start painting!  It's easy for both beginners and experienced painters!

Drum roll, please ...................... I am very happy and excited to announce that I am now a CeCe Caldwell's retailer!  My first shipment should arrive and be on my shelves at Old South in about ten days.  I'll also be holding painting workshops for teaching paint techniques as well as holding "bring your own piece" workshops in the very near future.  When everything is complete, I'll also have the paints available for ordering online.

There are some more smaller changes coming to my retail location that I'll share with you soon, but the paint and workshops are the biggies!  I'm looking forward to providing this wonderful paint and can't wait to start holding painting workshops. 

CeCe Caldwell's Paint is only about a year old and the company is growing at an unbelievable rate with new retailers being added across the country daily.  I'm excited to be a part of the CeCe family and look forward to sharing it with you.  If you'd like to learn more about this wonderful paint and finishes, please go HERE. 

Excitement Ahead!

You know how several times I've mentioned big things happening in the future for Shabby But Chic? Well, the future is NOW! For those of you who know me personally, try to picture me doing the Happy Dance. (Not a pretty thought, is it?)  In the next day or so I'll give you all the great, exciting details of what I've been working on. 

Give It A Chance!

Recently I was in one of my favorite thrift stores when I spotted this pitiful little table.

It had a cute, basic design but had been through bad times! The legs are made of  real wood but the top was made out of "fake" or manufactured wood.  Previous owners had apparently set glasses on the top without using coasters and the top had bubbled up because of the moisture. 

I walked by the table a couple of times but finally decided to give it a chance!  I hauled it home and a couple of days later pulled out my electric hand sander and worked on trying to smooth out the top.  I had never tried to sand down manufactured wood before/ but because I only paid a few dollars for the table, I knew I didn't have much to lose even if it didn't work out.

I sanded until smooth and paid special attention to the bubbled up areas to make sure they got smoothed down as much as possible.  I sanded the entire top to make sure the surface was even.

I painted the entire table with two coats of ASCP in French Linen and painted the hardware with a light coat of ASCP Old White.  After applying a coat of clear wax to both the table and the hardware it was buffed to a nice sheen.

 

 I placed the table in my space at Old South and it sold within two days!  Proof that sometimes things turn out better than you could have imagined if you just give them a chance.

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Making A Chalkboard Tray

There are lots of good things being planned for Shabby But Chic that are taking up lots of my time but I wanted to share this simple, fast project with you.  Thrift shops, yard sales and flea markets are a great source for "silver" trays.  

I found this one at a thrift store for 1/2 price for only $2.00!  It's a great size, is heavy and has built in handles.  However, you can use oval ones and round ones.  Unless you use a stand, you're going to need a way to to hang these trays.  So, instead of using ones with handles, you can find ones with little open spaces or holes made into the design around the edge of the tray.  

I usually prefer to use chalkboard paint in a spray can.  But on the day I decided to work on this project, it was cold and rainy outside so I chose to apply the chalkboard paint with a brush.  It's easy to decide what part needs to be painted and you can use painter's tape to mask off the outside border of the chalkboard paint area.  Just take care when removing to the tape to prevent the paint from being pulled off.  Or you can do what I did on this one and use a small flat paintbrush to freehand the outside edge before filling in the rest of the tray.  Coat the entire area well and let dry completely.

Apply another coat of paint (or two, if needed).  I cut a length of burlap ribbon with finished edges and tied each end to the built in handles.  Next, I took two smaller pieces of ribbon and tied simple bows onto the handles to hid the knots from the hanger burlap.

Freshly painted chalkboard paint needs to be "seasoned:" before using.  To do this, take the side of a piece of chalk and completely cover the surface as in the above picture.  Then wipe well with a cloth to remove the chalk.  Another tip for writing on chalkboards is to wet your chalk before using.  The chalk writing will be extremely light but will darken as it dries and you will have nice, crisp lettering.

These trays can be used for menus, memo boards and message boards and for writing sayings of your choice.   Check your china cabinet for forgotten trays or pick up one at a thrift store or yard sale and see how easy it is to transform and repurpose it.

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Sweet Little Graphite Nightstand

I found this adorable little nightstand at a garage sale and immediately fell in love with it.  It's at least half the size of today's nightstands (I think this one is vintage 1940s or 1950s from days when bedrooms were a lot smaller).  

Although the wood was in good condition, the original varnished finish wasn't, as over the years it had become dry and cracked in some areas.

With chalk paint, sanding and other preparation usually isn't necessary.  But in this case, I knew I was going to have to sand a little to get the smooth finish I wanted.  So, I used my electric hand sander to smooth out the rough spots before applying two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Graphite.

 I knew I wanted to do something to make this little nightstand special so I painted the drawer with two coats of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White.  After it dried completely, I stenciled a design on the drawer by stippling on paint in Graphite.

 Annie Sloan clear soft wax was brushed on and the excess was wiped off.  Buffing brought the finish to a nice sheen.

This night stand is now at my space at Old South.

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