It's OKAY if you're Entire Project was One BIG MISTAKE!

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes" -Oscar Wilde

 

 

My husband likes to tease me because I LOVE motivational quotes! Some of them are seriously cheesy, but a lot of them are so true and make you really THINK.

 

I've been bummed that my end table didn't turn out to be PERFECT,  like I had planned (I don't think anyone plans for imperfection!) But I talked to my sister and her husband the other day at our Pioneer Day barbecue and our conversation provided me with a new perspective. 

 

We were in their backyard and I took the opportunity to get a tour of Nate's vegetable garden. He explained to me that his neighbor to the west has a really beautiful yard and garden with all kinds  of successful growing fruits and vegetables. "Much better than anything we have in our yard" he said. He went on to explain that frequently this neighbor catches Nate in his yard working on his garden, comes over, and offers Nate help. I'm guessing Nate has told him he's a novice.

 

Each time Nate simply responds with "No thank you." I was surprised because I, personally, like to gather all the information and solicit all the coaching I can get when learning a new skill in order to prevent any mistakes. I'm very good at asking questions! I tend to be a perfectionist.

 

He revealed to me that he likes to learn on his own; that he's okay with making mistakes and starting over again. I could tell he was being sincere. In fact it almost sounded like he enjoyed making mistakes! Ha!  My sister and I admitted that Nate's concept was new to us and almost incomprehensible, but it got me thinking...

 

How much more could I enjoy my projects if I basically lived in no fear of making any mistakes?  That is essentially what Nate is doing. He's ENJOYING his mistakes! What if we enjoyed the process just as much as we did the final product? What if the process wasn't just a means to an end? This includes essentially ridding our minds of negative thoughts.  What are the lyrics to that one song??? "Love like you aren't afraid of getting hurt." What if we mentally and emotionally allowed ourselves to try new things and therefore make NEW mistakes? And what if we enjoyed the mistakes because "mistakes" are simply "experience."  And what's better than enjoying the experience? Enjoying everyday life?! What if we ENJOYED the MUNDANE! Now there's a thought! Digest that!

 

What if we enjoyed our mess ups and trials because it meant that we were trying and living life?  And what's more noble than simply trying?! Some people in this world never really live; they never leave their house and never try new things.

 

Tonight, when I go home and paint I'm going to attempt to embrace my mistakes (in the emotional sense). I'm not going to purposely make them, but you know what I mean.

 

What do you think???

 

(Who knew that painting furniture could ignite this philosophical fire within me?! Ha!!)

 

 

"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting"- Buddha

 

 

" Life is about evolution. what looks like a mistake to others has been a milestone in my life. Even if people have betrayed me, even if my heart was broken, even if people misunderstood or judged me, I have learned from these incidents. We are human and we make mistakes, but learning from them is what makes the difference."- Amisha Patel

Heavy Use Furniture- Rebecca!

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep"- Scott Adams

 

Minwax Polycrylic

My friend Rebecca just told me she is prepping to paint barstools. I have to get this post made before she starts painting!!

For heavily used pieces of furniture (such as barstools, kitchen/dinning table, chairs, rocking chair), you may have more luck with a Polycrylic finish rather than wax. I bought mine from Amazon: Minwax Polycrylic Finish. Polycrylic finish will provide more protection to furniture pieces that will undoubtedly receive more abuse. It's a fortified, water based polyurethane that can stand up better to rough conditions than wax. It's also a little easier to apply and produces a harder surface than the wax does. It definitely doesn't have that same soft, matte look that wax does, though.

My sister asked me to paint her piano (yay!), I'll will be posting pictures from that project within the next couple weeks! I plan on using the chalk paint and then the polycrylic finish (all over) and then dark wax. Can't wait!!

Polycrylic Steps

1. Paint the piece as usual.
2. After it's dried, apply the polycrylic finish with a flat brush (not the wax brush). You may feel it's necessary to apply more than one coat.
3. After that has dried, you can apply the dark wax in areas of your choosing.

*Remember! You can wax over polycrylic finish but you can't put polycrylic over wax!

Pretty Distressed has a post of a dining table she restored. The top surface is sealed with a polycrylic and the legs are done with wax. The pictures are gorgeous! I'm sure her client will be glad she used polycrylic on the top though, especially if she has small kids. For barstools, I would use polycrylic on the legs, too. Those definitely get a good daily beating!

Good luck, Rebecca!! And everyone else, of course!!

Annie Sloan Products & Others

Purchasing Wax Brush

Using a wax brush is optional, however I have tried Annie Sloan's wax brush for the clear wax application and I liked it a lot. Unfortunately, I lost it in the move, so I looked on Amazon and found
Chalkology Professional Wax Brush. I have yet to use it. I will give you a review once I have.

Tip!  If you use the brush, make sure you soak it in hot water before using, in order to get the stray bristles out. Otherwise you'll get a bunch sticking to your piece first time using it. You may still have some come out, but it will eventually stop. Don't let it discourage you! If it does, just use a rag/cheese cloth.

Annie Sloan Products

Annie Sloan Stockist Locator will show you where you can buy Annie Sloan paint near you. I'm in Salt Lake, so I go to .... (drum roll, please)

 

Drab 2 Fab

183 East 7200 South

Midvale, Utah

 

 

They sell solely Annie Sloan products, and they have really cute furniture project examples that they've done. They can also answer any questions you have! Cool! 

Other Chalk Paint Brand

There are many other chalk paint brands available. I've heard that Valspar Chalk Paint is significantly cheaper and found at your local Home Depot or Lowe's. Be aware that this paint doesn't distress quite as well as Annie Sloan. When distressing with sandpaper, it produces more of a "chipped" look. But you may want to try it for yourself! The cheaper price may make it worth it to ya!

Basic Steps for Painting/Waxing your Piece

Starting a new hobby is exciting! It's even more exciting when the process is easy! It definitely can be with chalk paint projects!

Basic Steps

1. Pick out your piece! Sand down any trouble spots. Fill in any major gaps with wood filler.

2. Let filler dry. Clean with wet rag (and a small amount of dish soap). Let dry.

3. Paint 1-3 layers of chalk paint on piece (Leave enough time in between layers to let them dry adequately)

4. Let final paint layer dry (could take anywhere between 20 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how well ventilated the work room is).

*Tip! It's best not to let the dried paint sit too long on the piece with out the wax. The wax is a protector. The unprotected paint can calcify and crack.

5. Add clear wax (Use small amount making thin layer), and buff in with lint free cloth or waxing brush.

6. Next day: Add second layer (thin!) if desired. Buff, buff, buff!

Let dry!! You're done!

*Tip! If you want to add depth or an antique look, add dark wax right after applying clear wax (work small areas at a time)

Good luck!!!!

 

For more details, tips, pictures, and videos you've gotta read the rest of my blog!

 

Leave questions in comments box if you have any!!

Paint Drying Time, Clear and Dark Wax Application

Well, it's been about 2 months since I finished my Old White end table that I showed off in my last post. Sorry it's been so long! We moved and I haven't had much time to start my next project!

How Long for Paint to Dry

How long should I let my paint dry before waxing?? That depends- Could be 20 minutes, could be 2-3 hours. This depends on the atmosphere in which you're painting. A more ventilated room will allow the piece to dry faster.

*Tip! Don't wait too long in between painting and wax application. The purpose of the wax is to protect the paint. Without that protection the dried chalk paint can calcify (again, depending on how well ventilated the room is)

Problem- Thick Wax!!

 I've learned some valuable information about Annie Sloan Clear Wax application process. I discovered that a lot of beginners are having this problem- putting too much of the clear wax on their piece! I did this with my end table and as a result, the surface is feeling very soft and basically leaves an imprint of everything I set on it. Bummer! More is not better, people!

When applying the clear wax (after you've let the paint dry adequately, of course) make sure you use a minimal amount. Make the layer thin! And buff it in to the paint a lot!  So much, that when you run your hand down its surface, your fingers slide across it smoothly (no drag). Get all of the little wax balls off.  I wish I had learned (or paid attention...one of the two...) to this small yet important detail about the clear wax.

Also, remember: Once you have applied the wax and let it dry, you can't take it off or paint over it (or put polycrylic over it). It does, however, wear off after time (that's why it's smart to re-apply the wax every 3 years or so, in general), so if you put too much on, you can be confident that the excess will eventually wear off. I don't know exactly how long it takes though.

Glad I messed up so that I could warn you guys :)

Multiple Coats

You can do more than one layer of wax. Especially if the furniture piece is going to be used a lot. In this case I would follow this schedule:

Day 1- Wax one thin coat of Clear Wax. Buff it in.
Day 2- Do second coat of wax. Buff it in. (If second coat is not desired, just buff it again)

Buff! And How to Limit Wax!

The trick is to buff! It really pushes the wax into the paint. The other trick is to apply really thin layers! Put a small amount of the wax onto a paper plate and get the wax on to your brush from that location, rather than the can. This will help limit the amount you get on your brush.

Do I have to use a wax brush?

You can also use a cheese cloth, old white shirt, or microfiber towel (make sure whatever you use is lint-less and colorless. And don't use a terry cloth towel!!)

Adding Dark Wax

If you choose to use the dark wax (remember, the dark wax is optional, depending on the look you want), apply it right after the clear wax. So, for example- work the clear wax into a small-ish surface area (maybe ten by ten inches, depending on how big your furniture piece is), buff, and then add the dark wax to that same area. And then do this set of steps to each section. Don't let the clear wax dry before putting the dark wax on! This allows you to remove excess dark wax as desired.

To Remove Excess and Unwanted Dark Wax

Whether you're using a rag or a brush, add some clear wax on top of the dark wax you mistakenly applied and then wipe off. It acts as an eraser.

*Tip:  You can also use a baby wipe to remove unwanted dark wax. Baby wipe can also be used to clean piece after using sand paper on it (with our without paint already applied).