American Paint Company

About a year ago I ordered my first cans of Chalk, Clay, & Mineral Based paints from American Paint Company.  I loved that it was all natural, zero VOC, solvent free, and eco friendly.  It is a creamy rich paint that requires no priming or sanding, adheres beautifully, and gives you so many finish options.  Since their roll out to the DIY market they have added many new colors, mica powders, glazes, wax options (no odor, thank you!), grit, and a great water based top coat.  I found myself using it more and more and finally decided that I'd love nothing more than to help others use this paint!

I have officially become an authorized American Paint Company Dealer, and the paints will be available locally very soon at The Brass Armadillo Antique Mall in Omaha, NE!!!  I hope to help the folks in Eastern NE and Western IA with their DIY paint projects with a full selection of colors and finishes.

Here is a nice sampling of their colors, though I wish it had been sunny enough to get some natural light photos for you.  Everything from a beautiful Navy to a soft sunny sky blue, shown with both clear and dark wax.

How about some nice pops of color for a special piece?

More than enough neutrals to please everyone and every piece.  These are just a few of my sample boards.  I'm furiously working to paint up samples, furniture, and a new display cabinet to showcase to feature many of these colors so that customers can see it and feel it.  Workshops in different techniques will be offered beginning this summer.  And the booth itself should be ready to go by the end of May, or as soon as we can get in and decorate and set up.   Feel free to contact me for more information in the meantime.  I look forward to a long and happy relationship with you and the American Paint Company family!  We are going to Restyle, Reuse, and Repurpose with this fabulous paint!

Check back here frequently for updates on the exact date the booth is ready to go, and look for me on "Montana Ave" at The Brass Armadillo on Sapp Drive, Omaha, NE!

Have a great week!
Deb

Somethin' a brewin'...

Winds from the east...Mist comein' in...Like somthin' 'was brewin', about to begin...Can't put me finger on what lies in store...but I feel whats to 'appen, all 'appened before...!

Wait for it..........

Custom finishes

For the past couple of years custom finishes has become a huge part of my business.  Mostly I love it, since my customers/clients are wonderful people who seem to truly appreciate and love what I do.  Sometimes I miss just being able to 'let it fly' like I do with my own pieces, but their seems to be a season and a place for both kinds of work.

Here are a couple of recent client finishes and these are a bad cell phone photo and workshop photos so not great at all, but I don't want you to forget me while I work through these pieces so that's what you get right now.

This is the base for a large Hutch that I recently finished.  I did not take photos of it together because the top has been modified and putting it together needs to be done in a permanent fashion in order to make it secure.  Hard to explain, but trust me.  Hopefully this client will take a photo of it when it is installed in her new home.  She's converting a barn into her home...be still my heart!

It is an amazing piece with these lovely wire fronted doors.

2 tones and some distressing for it's new update.  Hardware sprayed and sealed to finish the update.

Lovely piece for a lovely client!  Can't wait until she sees it in person.

Here's the bad cell photo on delivery day.

A multi-layered piece much like 'Sochi' for another lovely client's guest room dresser.  This baby is sturdy and newly stylish as it was a very tired scratched up old brown.  The photo does not do it justice at all which is a shame.  Maybe Diane will send us a better photo some time.

Another custom chair got away with no photo.  Never fear though, the rest of the set will be coming to me in Mid-June for their makeover and I'll try and get some photos of those!

Have a great week!
Deb

Hobby spotlight

I don't talk about all the other interests I have much because my business has kept me so busy lately that I just don't have time to do much anymore.  I hope to get things settled down one of these days and be able to devote a little bit more to the "me" time activities again.  Ha!

My Mother got me started with primitive rug hooking when I moved back to Nebraska in 2004.  It involves using a hook to pull strips of wool, anywhere from 1/2 to spaghetti thin inch wool strips, through a a piece of loosely woven linen.  I typically buy my linen with the patterns designed by one of the many, many talented individuals out there, but occasionally I have been challenged to design and draw my own to hook.

This particular piece was from a Rug Hooking Retreat in 2013, and finished by me last winter.  The design is by Cammie Bruce and the rug is called "Spot the Horse".

This rug is mainly 1/4 inch or #8 cut wool strips.  There are a few narrower or #6 cuts in there to make it all fit well.  The original piece that Cammie hooked was done with a light background and a dark colored horse.  I wanted a dappled mare, so Cammie and Janice Lee, owner of The Rug Hooking Store in Valley Nebraska and hostess/organizer of the Rug Retreat, found me the perfect colors to make my pony dappled gray.

Here's a little close up of her pretty little spots.

I love how the spots on the horse are mimicked in the background.

Sometimes I use close up photography like this to see how my colors are blending.  It is much easier to spot in a photo than it is with the naked eye at times.  See that really light piece in the leaf on the upper left  side.  I will need to take another look at it to see if it makes sense to leave it as a hi-light or if I should take it down a bit so it doesn't stand out so much.

So there you have it, another little piece of me.  I find that I am much happier when I have artistic pursuits in all their different forms.  I like to paint, I like to rug hook, I occasionally sew and stitch, and I used to dabble in stained glass.   Each one brings me much joy and keeps my hands busy.  I'm not very good at just sitting still with nothing in my hands!

How about you?  What hidden talents or other pursuits do you have?

Wishing you Sunshine this week!
Deb

Oldies but Goodies

I think this title could also be referring to the different "Throw Back Thursday" Music groups I heard on talk shows today while I painted.  I mean Hall and Oats and REO Speedwagon all in one day!  At first when I heard them I was too busy painting to look up, and then when I did I was almost sorry.  They don't look like they used to, of course I don't look like I did when I used to listen to them either.  I just don't need the reminder if you know  what I mean.

Now let's transition right on over to another oldie but goodie.  I scored a nice sturdy fairly plain oak dresser not long ago.  It had such simple lines that it kind of begged for some form of embellishment.
Graphics? Stencil? Subway Art? In the end I honored the simplicity with some simple stripes in some gorgeous colors.

This entire pallet of paint colors is from American Paint Company line of paints.  The main body color is Rushmore.  I love this warm gray/taupe color.  This color goes with nearly everything.

The outside light color is Limoges,  part of APC's limited edition Ellis Island collection.  I love so many of these I hope to see them added to the main line!  The green is Waistcoat, a gorgeous chartreuse green.  The thin line is Tea Leaves and the large center stripe is Peacock, my favorite.  It is the most spectacular rich color!

The top was full of water stains which fortunately we were able to sand down.  A little dark stain and some antique oil and this baby is looking pretty again.

Don't these pretty little wood tone  knobs look sweet with this dresser?  With this close up you can see why I like these colors so much.

I think I definitely like simple pieces once in a while.  They are so very satisfying.

I'm knee deep in a large custom hutch right now.  It's coming along beautifully and I'll hopefully snag some photos before it goes back to its home when finished.

Have a great end of the week!

Deb

Linking to:

Senior Year & stencil fun!

My oldest is a Senior in High School this year.  And yes, I am slightly freaked out by that!  It is both an exciting time in their lives and a nostalgic time in their parents lives.  Anyhow, just so you know I am a bit scattered right now with all those "last" this' and thats' for her, while also enjoying the last quarter of the 10th, and 2nd graders' year also with my other 2 kiddos.  Here is a little Prom moment. to share.  I'm definitely biased, but she is just so lovely.

I am so proud of this young woman!  She is just a joy to have around, and I just can't believe how fast the years have flown by.   Next time I'll pick on another child to plop up here in a post.  Love them all!  There are just lots of programs, parties to plan and attend, graduation, and other obligations so if I'm absent a bit for the next couple of months you'll know why.

 I am continuing to work on projects, though not as many and most are client projects that I often have a hard time photographing before they leave.  I do have 2 pieces that have been finished for a while and just waiting for a spare moment to get their 15 minutes of fame on the blog.  This piece has been done for a while and was so much fun to work on.

It's early life was steeped in golden oak, with great lines, and eventually some water damage that caused it to be abandoned at a thrift store.  I'm there for you baby.  I brought her home and worked to level out the raised areas left by the the water damage.  This piece was just for pure fun and I do wish I had taken more close up photos, but it was bitterly cold out at the time.  Don't let that Nebraska sun fool you!  I chose to work with some of the American Paint Company Limited Ellis Island Collection.  There is a haphazard layering of 'Crushed Tea' and 'Peacock' over the entire body.  I finished with a coat of 'Limoge'.  Sanded down a bit to knock off any paint strokes a bit, then wet distressed.  I love how this clay and chalk based paint distresses so easily, and the colors in both the regular line and special collection are fabulous.  I wish you could see the Peacock peeking through the top coat.  

If it hadn't been such a wickedly cold winter I might have tried to get a few more photos.

I broke out one of my new stencils and used the Crushed Tea color to stencil a hounds tooth pattern on top.  I distressed again as I liked that contrast of the more formal styled table taking on a bit of a shabby/rustic style.  3 coats of APC's no odor clear wax finished it all up.  It's finished and ready for someone fun and hip that needs it!

Have a super week!
Deb

Impulse Buy

I will admit that I sometimes buy furniture to rehab a bit impulsively.  By that I mean that I know that I will have to store it until close to our next Prairie Market sale or it gets called up to NJ & Co.  And tables are one of those things that it's just not practical to store for too long unless you own your own barn, which, much to my dismay, I don't own!  That's why, of course, I currently have 2 tables.  I seem to have little self-control if I like something...  So, really I just need a barn.  The end.

However, NJ & Co. did request a table so I broke out my favorite one and got it restyled and down to the store.  If you need a new table in your life you need to head down to NJ & Co. right now!!!
Here's the 411 on this piece.
The before:

A bit shabby on the top but solid and nicely built.  There were some burn marks on the top so we opted to go with a painted top.  It also has 3 12 inch leaves, complete with aprons, so it goes from 48 inches to huge very easily!

Now:

Here she is all set up in the store with some gorgeous chairs from NJ & Co.(they have 4 if you are interested).  I stayed neutral on this one as it could be great fun to mix and match chairs with her, especially when she is extended for larger gatherings.

Here's the close up with a bit funky lighting it seems (my bad...editing).

The base, as you can see is a split single pedestal base.

I haven't talked a lot about NJ & Co. for a while now.  It is a great boutique, owned by two great women and the Co. is another 4 of us who consign and rent space there with our products.  They carry everything from Home Decor, and Furniture to Jewelry, Purses, and Boutique Clothing.  It's an amazing store and I am so proud to be associated with them!  Please stop by if you are from the Omaha area, or in town visiting, and check it out.  You'll find lots to love I promise.

Have a fantastic week everyone!  It's hump day!
Deb