New Annie video!

Check out Annie Sloan's new video!

Oh! And you can see me in a few of the workshop scenes(be sure not to blink!). They were filming when I visited her at her shop in Oxford, England last September.  

I love this video and how it shows her personality. It also shows her working in the lab, visiting her vacation home in France, and of course painting. 

I have had the privilege to "hang out"(that's what it feels like. You are completely comfortable in her presence!) with Annie a few times now, and I can tell you she is a truly amazing, down to earth person who has remained humble through all of this. And I know she will continue to be because bottom line is....she just loves to create. She wants you to create too! She is currently working on new products to help you do just that.

There are so many wonderful things happening with the Annie Sloan brand.  Stay tuned!

Tablespoons...I swear!

My space at Country Roads was getting kinda bare(sort of of a good thing) and I needed some furniture in there STAT! The below dresser has been with me awhile. I had been avoiding it because it was so beat up and thought it might be a lot of work to repair. The veneer on top was peeling off and the original hardware was barely hanging on(don't know how they all managed to still be attached!). 

First off, I tackled the veneer. Whoa... okay, NOT EASY. I stopped what I was doing(which wasn't much due to the fact that it wouldn't budge) and put in a call to consult my paint bestie, Tami at Patina Decorative Finishes for advice on how to make the job easier.  Her advice? "Leave it", "Work with it somehow". I always trust her advice, besides, I didn't want to spend all week chipping it off(trust me, I tried all the tricks and they didn't make it any easier!).

So I then decided to paint the piece in super distressed rustic style to help mask all of the flaws character. I am not lying to you when I tell you that I literally used tablespoons of Chalk Paint™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan! I dry brushed on one coat of Paris Grey Chalk Paint™. It dried almost immediately. I was then ready to apply the stencil detail on the drawer fronts. I used Royal Design Studio's "Scrollallover" stencil , dry brushing the design in Pure White Chalk Paint™. Not lying again... this time I may have only used a teaspoon of Chalk Paint™! I was able to distress the stencil detail almost instantly. I then painted and distressed the hardware, also in Pure White.

I think I spent a whole 45 minutes painting this piece! I finished her off by sealing her in clear wax. Off to Country Roads  she went! I just love her charm.

Until next time....go create something beautiful, even if nobody cares!

Deborah