First of all, I am so thankful for this opportunity! Jaime and I became friends in college and years later, after we are married, moved and settled into our lives, she's a big "dot com" blogger and I'm just a start-up blogger! I feel so honored that she asked me to share a little about myself and my successes!
My
name is Rachel. I'm a midwest transplant (who loves it here!) and I am a
full-time mama to 3 sweet kids (2 boys, 1 girl). I have always been an
artist, doing painting, drawing, sculpture, crafting, you name it (art
related), I've done it.
About a year ago I
caught on to the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint craze and started re-doing my
own personal furniture. After a short time, I started selling my work on
Craigslist and fast forward to a month ago, when I started selling my
furniture in a retail store in the mall! I absolutely love working
around my schedule, using my artistic skills, and creating something
beautiful and loved from something ugly and rejected! Several months ago
I brainstormed what I would call my store if I ever opened one and came
up with Shades of Blue Interiors because I'm pretty much obsessed with
all shades of blue (especially anything teal or turquoise). So, it was
just a matter of making it (somewhat) official when I started my blog a
little over a month ago with the intention of connecting with other
talented people for inspiration, recognition, and so I could have a
place to direct my clients when they ask to see my work!
I
am going to share with you some of my favorite projects that I've done
and sold, then share some tips for those of you who are thinking about
starting to re-paint your own furniture or to make it possibly into
something more!
I had been painting mostly
white & blue pieces (because they sell the fastest) for months
before I finally took the plunge and painted this gorgeous coffee table
RED! The color is called Emperor's Silk and I used Annie Sloan Dark Wax
on top of it, to add depth. It is probably my favorite coffee table to
date. I loved the claw-foot legs, the two huge drawers, and of course
the color.
Another
one of my favorite pieces was the Gray Union Jack dresser I did. After
my very first entry into Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday,
it got picked! I love the simple lines, the solid wood, and the neutral
colors, while still making a statement with the British flag design. I
also love how original this color combination is. I seriously looked
everywhere, because I was nervous that the French Linen, Country Grey,
and Old White, wouldn't look good together. I ended up getting on the
old-school Paint app and drawing a dresser, and coloring it in with the
colors I wanted, to make sure it looked good, before I actually plunged
in.
I
have a thing for Union Jack dressers actually. Another favorite is the
traditional Union Jack dresser I did. It just has a rich, regal look
about it, I can't help but love it! This was the 3rd time I did the same
design (different colors each time) and I often get asked how I do it. I
use a trace-projector! I have a mini one that I put over a picture of
the British flag and move it around till the size and placement is just
right and centered on the dresser-front. Then I use chalk to draw on the
lines, then tape over the chalk lines (with frog-tape). I can't even
believe people will measure it out and go through all the painstaking
math to get it right! I hate math! The mini projectors are less than $50
and they can be used for all kinds of projects.
The
last favorite that I'm going to share is the Blue Bird Dresser I did a
couple weeks ago. It was by far the most fun I've had painting
furniture. I wish I could have kept this one! I saw the same bird and
branch design online and after painting the dresser, just sketched it on
with some chalk. Because it was free-hand, I didn't have to worry about
it being perfect, which is part of what made it so much fun. It was
fast too! I think people are too intimidated by free-hand sketching on
furniture, so they rely on stencils. But free-hand allows you to make it
your own, unique, one-of-a-kind, which is also what will make you stand
out as an artist, and what, coincidently, people pay the most money
for!
Ok,
now on to some tips. If you are a beginner and are debating whether to
fork out around $40 for a quart of paint, let me offer you my advice.
First, if looking at it for a value standpoint, Chalk Paint is the best
value IF you have several pieces of furniture you want to paint, using
the same color (ie: 1 quart could easily paint 5-7 small pieces, each
with 2 coats), AND/OR you like the distressed, textured, or layered
look.
Chalk Paint is an artistic paint, but
you don't have to be an artist to appreciate it's potential! For
example, when you distress it, the paint comes off in a fine chalky
powder... no chips, ever! This makes the piece look authentic. I always
try to imagine where the furniture was, how it was used, and where it
would naturally show wear as I'm sanding off corners and edges.
You can also layer colors (like a lighter color over a darker color) and lightly distress to reveal the color dimension. [View full project here]
Another
technique is to paint unevenly and in all different directions, to add
texture, then use dark wax to highlight the texture. This look reminds
me of old french plaster walls. It also is more visually interesting to
look at. [View Full Project Here]
If
you are planning on possibly selling the furniture you paint, I'd say
it is definitely worth the investment, because you save time, more than
anything, and time is money. No sanding or stripping is required
beforehand or afterward and you are left with a completely smooth
painted piece, ready for whatever kind of protective top coat you want
(if any)!
So, for you beginners, I hope I have
given some useful information to get you inspired to paint that old
dresser you have or that dated night stand. Don't be afraid! Just do
it!
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Thank you Rachel! Please check out Shades of Blue Interiors for tons of inspiration and tips!
____________________________________________________________________________
Thank you Rachel! Please check out Shades of Blue Interiors for tons of inspiration and tips!
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