I'm In Love and My Defense Of Chalk Paint

Hello friends..happy to have

 you visit once again.

How was your weekend?

Mr. Secret Agent had the holiday off, so he was very busy doing lot's of yard work.

Don't feel bad...he thrives outside on his John Deere.

I on the other hand spent it painting.

I am so excited to show you what I have been working on this weekend.

You know those people who fall in love with inanimate objects..like the Eiffel Tower

and the Brooklyn Bridge 

Really...I believe a girl even married herself to the Eiffel Tower!

Sick..right?

Well I have joined their club...

About a month ago, I spotted this maple china cabinet at my local Warrenton Salvation Macy's.

it got my attention, but I didn't buy it.

Each time I returned and it was still sitting there, I was more intrigued.

The price was great and it was a solid piece of wood furniture.

Were people not able to see past the slightly outdatedness of it??

Couldn't anyone see it's possibilities????

Well I was going to show them what they were missing out on.

I bought that lonely china cabinet and they even delivered it right to my doorstep!

Are you ready to see what a little imagination

 and some Annie Sloan chalk paint

can do?

I had just received my new chalk paint colors and thought this would 

be a good piece to try out the Coco.

Beautiful color...warm and rich.

I knew I wanted to paint the interior a different color and had a bit of a dilema as to which one to choose.

I decided on Cream, which is really a buttery pale yellow.

Cream is a gorgeous subtle color.

However...

It was not winning me over here.

Coco and Cream are beautiful separately, but together, they washed each other out.

On to Plan B

I went on Annie's Facebook page and asked her for help.

Now this is what I love about this lady....she answered me with her opinions.

Annie suggested to pair the Coco with either Emperor's Silk, a drop dead gorgeous red, or a rich blue.

Who am I to question the woman who developed these colors?

Are you ready to see what I chose??

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I'm in love!!!!!!!

I chose Annie's Aubusson Blue to compliment the warm Coco.

I am so thrilled with this piece!!!!

 

Just look at the warm glow you can achieve with the clear wax.

Splendiferous!

I am so happy with this combo...Aubusson Blue is a magnificent super rich

blue. 

This is my first project using AB and I know I will be using this color many more times.

I think it is especially great when painting a piece and you don't want it to look to girly, but still want a pretty look.

Husbands will love this color...Mr. Secret Agent kept commenting how 

great this piece looked.

As I painted the interior, I kept my brush strokes very loose and did a lot of X strokes.

I did not attempt to achieve full coverage, but a kind of painted canvas look.

Once I waxed and buffed the interior, it took on a crushed velvet sort of texture.

So pretty.

Here is that wonderful wax/buff glow again.

These paints just always seem to give me the look I am striving for with minimal work.

I always make sure to paint and wax the tops of these bigger pieces in case you can see it from a high landing or balcony setting.

 I accented with some of the new Pure White and then sanded off 60% of it for a nice age worn look.

I didn't want it too bright.

After the painting was completed, I applied a coat of clear wax and then did my distressing and sanding.

This really helped to cut down on the chalk dust. I worked on this piece exactly where you see it in the photos.....yeah I know, I'm crazy that way.

But I tell you this because by waxing first, I had a little chalk dust that fell to the floor which I easily

vacuumed up. I then simply vacuumed the whole piece.

Hardly any mess at all.

I hand sanded, but if you use a palm sander without a bag, it will blow that stuff all over.

I would use that outside or in a workshop space only . 

Sorry, my knee shot is a little blurry, but you get the idea.

I painted right over the knobs with the Coco and then dry brushed with more of the White.

Now the pulls really stand out.

 I can't help myself...I have to brag about the wonderful finish you can get with the waxes.

You should feel this piece...smooth as a....well you know.

Look how incredible the Aubusson looks with Ironstone plates...

be still my pounding heart!

Tell me...does this not look like a Dutch Masters still-life painting??????

So let's review, shall we?

 Here they are side by side

Before/After

Which one gets your vote?

I vote for the beautiful French lady.

To all those who passed this lady by without a glance in her direction..

You should see

My Fair Lady

now!

Ok....now let's talk Chalk Paint shall we?

I've noticed lot's of talk on a few blogs recently about making your own chalk paint.

I have no problem with trying to save money or looking for a less expensive method of achieving identical results on a project of any kind.

I tip my hat to all the great DIY'ers out there.

This is just my opinion my friends.

It does however bother me to read that Annie is being 'exposed'.

As if the many years she has spent (over 40) perfecting her product  and brand is not genuine and valid.

Yes ASCP is more costly than a gallon of Glidden or Behr,

 but you are comparing apples to oranges.

Annie Sloan's chalk paint is NOT a latex based product.

It will NOT get a skin if you leave the can open.

Distresses like a dream which, from what I've read, the homemade one does not.

I fail to see how adding Calcium Carbonate to Latex paint will magically

turn it into chalk paint of the same quality.

It will be chalky looking, but I think the likeness ends there.

Hello Ladies...the LATEX is still there!!!!

I was just in my local paint shop and saw other very well respected and high end

 European and American

paint brands selling for $40.00 a quart.

It is not that unusual for high quality, highly pigmented paint.

There are many excellent qualities that you can not get by simply adding Gesso or Calcium Carbonate.

Has anyone tested the long term adhesion of these DIY versions?

I sell my pieces and I need to be darn sure that they will hold up and stay beautiful for many years.  

I also don't have time to wait a week for the latex paint to fully cure.

Time is money.

I even e-mailed the kind folks at Behr and asked them about all this.

Their rep. Jonathan said 

 "We do not recommend using any non-Behr additives to our paints as this may affect the proper curing and adhesion of the paint." 

Glidden and Martha Stewart said the same thing.

Many of the DIY CP projects I read about had a lot of 

I added more this.....I changed the ratio of that...I had to redo this"

For me..I don't have time for that.

 I want to open a can and GO!

The piece I showcased in this post was completed using approx. $5.80 worth of Coco and $2.00 worth of Aubusson Blue.

I'm talking $7.80 to totally restyle and have complete confidence in the lasting beauty

 of this very large piece!

Please explain how that is too costly?

Last month the blogosphere was filled with reviews of the new Martha Stewart craft paint line.

I read hundreds of adoring comments about what a fabulous product this was and how everyone was going to run out and buy some..

On HSN (Home Shopping Network) they are selling an 18 pk/2oz. bottle (36 oz) package of the stuff for 

  $33.21 Quart plus possible tax

Folkart Acrylics craft paint typically retails for $1.99 per 2oz bottle or

$32.00 Quart (32oz)

Not much less than ASCP's

$35.00 quart (32oz)

I't all relative my friends and I'm just trying to keep it all in the proper prospective.

And no...I am not a stockist of Annie's paint, but I would proudly

sell it in a heart beat.

Thanks for indulging me in my defense of ASCP.

As the Dutch are known to say

" There is nothing more expensive than cheap paint " TM

Until next time...be kind and stay creative.

sharing here this week:

Dittle Dattle

Between Naps On The Porch

Shades of Amber

Hope Studios

Savvy Southern Style

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Miss Mustard Seed

At The Picket Fence