Today marked the end of a huge emotional project.  I finally finished my antique hutch.  Just a little history on this piece, I bought it from the estate of my friend who was an amazing wood worker.  He passed away from cancer over 5 years ago and his wife sold me his 'pet' project.

I bought the hutch knowing full well that it was beyond my repair capabilities, but I could see how fantastic it would be and I knew I had to 'save' it.  For those of you who buy furniture you share my disease! 

The hutch was missing pieces but had amazing bones and I knew if I didn't get it I would regret it for a long time.  So, I bought the hutch, got it home where my family thought I was crazy.  The way the pieces were joined, and the details made me think the hutch was over 300 years old.  So I got it home and tucked my treasure into a spot in the garage.

For this project to be successful I needed several things to come together - lots of expert old fashioned wood repair, locating replacement pieces (preferably old wood), and the right paint.

Here's what it looked like before:

Final day of the paint convention and after a fantastic breakfast at Cafe du Monde (Beignets and Chicory Coffee - YUMMY) we got down and dirty painting.  We practiced gilding over Provence, loved the result, especially after waxing with dark wax.

Did some more work with the craqeluer, combined over decoupage, and some 'water-painting'. 

My favorite piece was stenciling Annie's way.  Annie loves using the same stencil and over-laying it over and over across the same piece.  I loved the result, it resembles painted damask, it will be perfect on drawer fronts, or a smaller pieces.

The best part of the painting was sharing information with everyone, learning other techniques, short-cuts, and favorite Annie Sloan Chalk Paint projects. 

After a creatively filled day, a few of us took off for dinner in New Orleans.  We ended up at a fantastic restaurant called Huck Finns.  I loved the BBQ Shrimp served over grits - still tasting it!  And BBQ would not be the way I described the meal, more like a piece of heaven!  http://www.huckfinnscafe.com/food-menu/
Although you might not get to Cafe du Monde or Huck Finns within the next week, you can take a fantastic paint class from Annie.  She'll be in San Francisco teaching painting techniques on Monday, March 19.  There are still a few spots left, go to https://www.anniesloanunfolded.com/event/ for more information and register before it's too late.

Bobbi

After our first day at the paint conference, we all joined Jolie Design and Annie Sloan at the Historic Van Benthuysen - Elms Mansion for a wonderful cocktail party. 
This extraordinary historic mansion, built in 1869, was beautifully set-up with food and cocktail stations throughout the home, allowing all of us to tour the entire house and grounds.  The house was recently repainted (historically matching in most cases), and the colors so reminded me of all the fantastic Annie Sloan Chalk Paint colors like Antoinette, Duck Egg, Paris Grey, and French Linen.  Check out http://www.elmsmansion.com/history.html for more pictures and information.

We enjoyed champagne, tapas, alligator sausage, and some unbelievably delicious bananas fosters over white chocolate vanilla ice cream!  The best thing was the espresso at the end of the night - I'm still lusting after that! 
The night wrapped up with a traditional New Orleans handkerchief dance to some fantastic live music!  Back at the hotel to get ready for our second day and painting with Annie!

There are still a few spots left in the San Francisco leg of the Annie Sloan North American Tour, Monday, March 19.  Go to https://www.anniesloanunfolded.com/event/ to register. 
If registration has closed, you can come down and register in person starting at 8:00am, Monday, March 19.

Bobbi

Just got back from 3 fantastic days in New Orleans - What was I doing there?  Well, I went to my first ever paint conference, and it was AMAZING!  People gathered from all over the United States and Canada to share painting ideas, techniques, and (best of all) learn from Annie herself!

Annie was so patient going over color techniques, sharing her waxing style, and then we did some gilding, decoupage, and crackling with the amazing craqeluer.  Since the room was full of paint 'professionals' it got kind of loud, kind of like herding cats, and Annie stayed calm.
Annie's knowledge of painting and decorative techniques is awe-inspiring, you can check out her blog on color at http://anniesloans.blogspot.com/.

I can't wait for you to experience a class with Annie herself in San Francisco!  There are still a couple of days to register (not too many spots left) for the San Francisco Event.

Don't get left behind, go to https://www.anniesloanunfolded.com/event/ and register today!

Bobbi

One of the most common questions I get now that we are selling the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, is 'how does this paint hold up?"

Well, Annie has shared a picture of a piece she did several years ago. 

She did this piece in 3 colors, using a potato stencil for the design.  Primer Red, Aubosson Blue, and a yellow.  Annie uses this piece as kind of a 'collection cabinet' which holds, string, keys..., all those things you need but don't really have a home for, fit into this cabinet so it's touched daily. 

The point is that the paint and wax finish hold up to normal wear and tear, beautifully.  I find that the patina just gets better and better.

Enjoy!
Bobbi

I have been painting furniture for a while, and though I often am inspired by the piece itself, sometimes I need a little help when picking out the specific color/colors combinations.  Here's a great quick lesson on colors, check out Annie's latest blog entry:

 http://anniesloans.blogspot.com/2012/03/complementary-colours-complementary-is.html

If any of you have been following my blog, visited the store, or met me treasure hunting, you know how excited I am about the amazing Annie Sloan Chalk Paints, well I'm even more excited to share that Annie herself will be here in 2 weeks!!! 

Annie Sloan is the author of 23 books, creator of the original and unique Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Soft Waxes, and the owner of a boutique decorating store in England.  If you are interested in more information about Annie herself visit http://www.anniesloan.com/.


This is your chance to take a hands-on workshops using Annie Sloan's Authentic Chalk Paint and Soft Waxes. Learn special techniques and effects from Annie Sloan herself as well as other artists and designers.  Your local stockist and retail partners will be on hand to help in the training (Whoo Hoo that's me and some of my amazingly talented Annie Sloan Chalk Paint friends - can't wait for you to meet them!). 

This workshop is for all skill levels, do not worry that you should have taken a local beginning class first, this will be a great opportunity for you to get experts helping you so you learn 'Annie' way right from the get-go.  If you have been painting away with these great paints since we brought them out, you may be thinking you don't need this class - STOP!  Yes you also need this class!  You will be surprised with it's content and you will walk away grateful you didn't miss out, trust me on this.  I have been painting for more than 25 years, had the store for almost 7, and I continue to learn every time my Annie Retail Partners get together.

Registering is easy, just go to https://www.anniesloanunfolded.com/event/ and follow the easy instructions to register for this amazing opportunity.  Cost for the all day workshop is $350, included all materials, breakfast, and lunch.  More than that, you will meet other local people who LOVE this paint and have tons of information and ideas to share - that is price-less!

Who knows when Annie will be back in the US doing a tour?  Don't miss out, register now!

Bobbi