Paint 'dat

Hello friends. My posts have been few and far in between as of late. It's not been for lack of material. I've been a busy little, ok, medium sized, bee.  I'm writing this post on the plane on my return flight.  Where have you been Well Worn?  I'm so glad you asked!  I'm returning from an awesome training in New Orleans with none other than Annie Sloan herself.



Isn't she cute all bare foot?
  So genuine and fun.

 What a FABULOUS time. I can't say enough about it. First off I just want to say that Annie Sloan is quite lovely as they say in her neck of the woods. Or as we say here in Well Worn lingo, she is the Bomb Diggity. It was great to meet her, speak with her, get to know her business and painting philosophy AND watch her in action as she painted.  It's fun for me to watch someone do something that they do well, and let's face it she is THE expert on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (TM) http://www.anniesloan.com/ since she created it 20 years ago and has been using this wonderful medium in innovative as well as in practical applications all this time.  I admit it, I'm not easily impressed, but she is very impressive in a real and very humble way.


How fun to get this shot!

What a blast!  I can hardly wait to get home and get my hands on my Chalk Paint (TM).
I'll be sure to post some pictures of my projects as fast as I can get them done.
New Orleans was so fun, and they say "who dat" just like they do in the movie Water Boy.

I'm going to modify it a little bit and say "paint dat",
Melony

Yep, I'm a Lucky Girl!

So Close

On my way to get some training from the amazing Annie Sloan in person. How cool is that. Good times and painty hands ahead! It's a bad pic, but it says New Orleans and NO I have no idea who these people are.

Cards made in our last Stamping' Up! Class on Saturday

Last Saturday I taught a Stampin' Up! Class at my friend Mary's house. It was good to spend time with friends and catch up.

This is just a quick post to let you know a little bit of what I've been up to. I am also testing out Blogger on my iPad. I thought I would do this while we watch a little Princess Bride (one of my mostest favoritest movies of all times).

As You Wish,
Melony

Color Me Crazy

Thanks so much for being patient with my long absence.  I know that most of you are friends or my family that I asked (begged) to follow me, but it's fun to pretend that I have a huge list of followers clamoring for more.

At any rate, I have been Crazy/Busy and have lots to share.  One of the things I want to share is one of the most time consuming, but very worth it, projects.  I call it Color Me Crazy.  Okay, so there's a little background info you might need.  I am a LRP for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  annie sloan unfolded  I carry the Chalk Paint Line in my booth at Well Worn located upstairs at 8th & Main Antiques http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eighth-Main-Antique-Center/121161784567401 I had a hand painted color chart that was serving as a temporary color chart until I could get the Color Me Crazy color chart/ project installed.  Unfortunately the temporary color chart grew legs and walked away.  This pushed the deadline to get it done up a great deal.  I know someone who likes to say that she "will find them and blacken both of their eyes".  I sort of felt that way.  I'm hoping that the person who took it didn't realize all work that is involved in hand painting a color chart with 28 colors and that maybe that the person thought it was like the samples at Home Depot or Lowes.  At any rate that's what I tell myself and I'm over it. 

Back to Color Me Crazy, sort of.  When I started as a LRP with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint it was a big undertaking and required an investment of time and money that I wasn't sure that I could commit to and do it well.  Enter my partner, Susan Bell.  We decided to "sign on" as partners and split the work load etc, but hoped to double the fun.  We called our joint venture Color Me Happy.  We each had our other business, mine as Well Worn and hers as Decor with a Past.  As things progressed, it was just too hard to split everything, it got convoluted. So we just split our area and continued on as two separate LRPs.  So that's how I came up with the name Color Me Crazy.  It's a spin off of Color Me Happy.  Yes, you've just entered into my mind and its a scary place. 

I had the bright idea to make my color charts, painted decorative molding and painted paint sticks all at the same time, oh and a large Emperor's Silk red bookcase.

You can see one of the doors to the bookcase in the background.

Brilliant if you have a large shop and can spread out 28 cans of paint and all the miscellaneous items that go with creating this Color Me Crazy project.  Not so brilliant if you're doing it every night after work in the kitchen so you can see your family a little that day.

Lovely hammer goes with the granite counter top.
I finally found a use for the stove, paper cutting and booth item storage.

I am almost done with the never ending project that I feel will be so worth it when I'm done.  I do have hand painted color charts at Well Worn now.  There is a store copy (annotated as such in big black letters!) and there are additional copies for sale.  They are $7.00, but I really wanted to put $70.00 on each one. 

I painted plain white labels and cut them down to fit into the squares on the color chart.  At one point I was having a difficult time getting even coverage on two sets of labels.  Odd, I thought the paint just looks different on these two.  Yep, I painted on the back of those labels....hence the name Color Me Crazy, came to me as I laughed like a mad scientist or something.  I hesitate to tell you some of the dumb things I do, but I would think it was funny if someone else told me that they did things like that.
I know this isn't that exciting, I have more info regarding three road trips, a class, a project and more.  I'll be getting that stuff posted soon.  I just thought you might wonder what I've been up to. 
Have a Colorful Day,
Melony





 

Another one, just for fun...a little bit of everything...the whole world in fact.



Yes vintage globes for the booth and a Christmas tree--I'm so far behind.



I'm still Alive

Hello friends! Just a quick post to let you all know that I'm still alive. I would say alive and well, but I just experienced a 48(?) hour flu bug or something. I'm hoping its a 48 hour turn around because I'm starting to feel human again. I have so much to write about and so many projects going right now. It's a little daunting, but I plan on sharing soon. I'm just trying to catch my breath at the moment.
I hope your New Year is off to a rockin' good start!
Melony

The Longest Before & After

Once in a while you have a project that you feel as if you will NEVER EVER EVER finish.  This is one of those projects.  Yes these "before" pictures are taken sometime during the summer.  Note the sunshine and dry grass.  To start with this chifforobe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chifforobe was not easy to move around.  I'm embarrassed to say it sat on my front porch (yes hill billie style) for longer than I or my neighbors care to talk about. Secondly, I just wasn't sure how to finish it.  I saw it as fun piece with different rough finishes and crazy hardware.  What I ended up with was a little bit away from the first idea, but ultimately a better idea.   



A Better Picture was not to be had, this baby is tough to move.



The finish was really rough, but that was a lot of the charm for me.  There were pieces and parts missing.  I decided to cannibalize one other piece and just attach it on the bottom of this piece

 

The white trim on the bottom came off of a book case that didn't make it.  I played Taps in the background, so it's okay. 



We took the front door off and had glass put in.  I actually bought this piece just for the door at an auction.  I had not previewed it and knew it was rough.  I wanted to just mount a mirror in the door and lean it against a wall in my house.  Once I got it home, I realized it was worth saving.



Laying on it's side waiting for the makeover

  I decided I wanted to keep as much character as possible without letting the piece look too sloppy.  I left the bowed wood in the back.



Bowed wood in the back. 

Wasn't sure if I should paint this great detailing.




The front





From the top

  Once I got the glass in and the drawers out, I decided to go with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in a Paris Grey wash.  I wanted the rough wood to show through and use a white washed or limed finish.



One light coat of Paris Grey



Once I got the whole outside painted, I decided to go with a pop of color on the inside.  I didn't want it to be too boring.  I painted the inside with a wash of Provence.  When it was done I just waxed it with Annie Sloan Clear Wax, buffed it up a little and it was done.

Fun Camera display on the top





Some rich turquoise items to play off of the Provence





 

Rough inside before and after





A little more Turquoise



  

The big picture in all of her glory



It looks rougher in the picture than it does in person.  I think its a interesting addition to the booth at Well Worn.

I hope you like it.

Be Merry,

Melony



Sharing with 

Morticia would be Proud

Christmas at Well Worn came a little earlier than I had planned.  I had taken some time off of work with the idea that I would decorate for Christmas the day following Thanksgiving.  I'm one of those people who doesn't appreciate Christmas prior to Halloween.  I didn't know that the downtown Chico Christmas preview is the week before Thanksgiving.  So I was told that all of the vendors in our antique mall decorate a few days before, in honor of the Christmas Preview. Since this is my first year as a vendor at the mall, it was a little surprise.  I had intended to do an off white tree with hints of burlap and silver.  Fortunately, I did a quick look around the store and someone else had done an artful job of decorating their booth with an off white tree with burlap and silver...whaaaa?  Don't you hate it when you think you have a good idea only to find that someone else has the same good idea?  What's worse, is when you see it and they probably did a better job executing the idea than you probably would have.  Dratted "frolic girls".  Kidding, I love their booth and creativity.

So, on to plan "B".  I had a beautiful selection of french antique postcards that I wanted to use as ornaments on my tree.   Most were in warm tones of black and cream, so I thought they would look great on a off white tree.  I still wanted to use the postcards, so now what?  A black tree?  Hmm.  I don't know, I really like glitter, white, gold and a beautiful green tree.  The thought brewed and stewed for a couple of days and I just decided to do it.  Since I didn't have time to order a black tree, I went to our local Salvation Army and bought a fake tree.  Next step, paint the thing.  I would not advise that you paint a fake tree.  It's a huge pain.  When you are in the middle of the process and really wondering if it's a good idea, it's not helpful if your daughter comes home and states "that's festive".  I was halfway in the middle of the black mess, very doubtful and wishing I could stop, but too committed to stop.  Should you decide to paint a tree, put the first coat on with the cheapest Walmart flat paint, then follow with semi-gloss, shimmer or whichever type of paint you would like on top.  If you try to paint with any of the less flat paints, it will just slide off of the branches.  Don't ask me how I know.   
The other problem with painting a fake tree is the smell.  It's really stinky for a few days.  I didn't put lights on my tree, I'm not sure if it's more flammable than a non-painted tree, I really don't want to know.

I also decorated the tree with dictionary page garlands and flowers.
I wanted a tree that was different and set the booth apart from the other vendors.
Here are a few pictures...what do you think?   


Dictionary flowers and Garlands



Decorated with Antique Postcards & Shoe Forms



Vintage Ornaments as well as flour sifters make good ornaments




Dried Hydrangeas to soften the black





No, Virginia, not your usual tree.




German Glass Glitter Banner and a Dictionary page wreath

 Wishing you days and Holidays that are Merry & Bright,
Melony