Annie Sloan Craqueleur

I love using Annie Sloan's Craqueleur for achieving an aged patina.  I picked up this white, ceramic madonna wall hanging at an estate sale because I thought it was kind of cute.

It was plain, white, and boring, so I added some depth and character with a little Chalk Paint, Craqueleur, and gilding wax.

I love the Chalk Paint palate and whenever a customer asks me my favorite color, I am stumped because I really love them all. I painted the crown in Louis Blue, the hair in Coco, the skin in Country Grey, the cheeks in Scandinavian Pink, the clothing in Old White and Antionette, and the base in Paris Grey.

It looked soft and pretty after I painted it, but I wanted to achieve an authentic, aged patina.  I applied step one of the craqueleur, let it dry, and then applied step two.  I used a blow dryer on a high heat setting after applying step two.  Every time I use the Craqueleur I start to think it did not work because the crackle is very difficult to see before using the dark wax.  After thoroughly drying step two and having a little faith that the crackles, although invisible, were indeed there, I rubbed the entire surface with Annie Sloan's dark wax.  The crackles magically appeared, giving the madonna and baby a glorious, patina! For a finishing touch, I used an artist's brush to sweep a bit of gold gilding wax over the wall hanging.

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Pretty in Pink: Antoinette Armoire

While visiting family in Sacramento over the holidays, Mr. Rubbish and I found a whole bedroom set at the Salvation Army and we happened to be there the day that everything in the store was 50% off.  The set came with the armoire, a long dresser, two night stands and a king size headboard. I took the sticker off the set to take to the register and then started to doubt my decision for a moment.  I thought about all the  transport that was required to get this set back to Santa Cruz and then all the painting it would require once we got it there. Another customer must have sensed my hesitation because she came up to me and said she was in love with the set and if I did not buy it, she would.  Well, that provided me with all the motivation I needed and I took my ticket to the register.

My little sister just bought her first house, so I painted the long dresser to be used as a sideboard in her new living room.  I will show you how it turned out next time I visit her.  She likes having me come over because I love decorating for her. You may recall her bedroom redo I helped her start a while ago.

The finish on this bedroom set was some kind of hideous, green, faux finish from the 70's.  The details and solid construction are what make this set special.  My grandparents had a bedroom set with this same finish and I always remember thinking how pretty it would look painted. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to paint their set.  

I love the inside of this armoire with the little compartment shelves.  I kept the inside green because it is a great complement to the pink exterior.

Because of the lovely details and the petite scale, I thought this armoire would be perfect in a little girl's room.  This is the first time I have painted anything with Antoinette Chalk Paint and it sure is a pretty pink!

After two coats of Antoinette, I dry brushed Old White Chalk Paint over all the trim and hardware.

The hardware is gorgeous and really stands out against the pink.

I finished the armoire with a coat of Annie Sloan clear wax and buffed it to soft sheen.

 It is all ready for a princess bedroom!

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