You Know, It’s Sunday… On My Way To Minnesota!

I flew to Minneapolis this morning –  I’m meeting my friend and colleague Drew Beninati for a two day Caromal Colours Cabinet and Furniture Finishes workshop at his Studio – The Plaster Center.  I’m pretty excited –  I sent ahead a box of paints and the cabinet/finish samples we’ll be creating – it looks like we’ll have a nice group participating as well!

What a crazy weekend –  a long  day  Saturday, I left all kinds of notes for my helper Kathy – she’ll be manning the store Tuesday.   I arrived home only to head back out – we had to pay a visit to our Ocicat Bruno who was checked into the vet hospital

He was admitted Friday for a blocked bladder and won’t be coming home until  Monday or Tuesday.     We left there and stopped at Art and Jakes to eat – good food and affordable prices 🙂 –   then one last stop at Meijer  for groceries,  by time we got home it was almost 10pm.

Did I mention I still hadn’t packed?  And I needed to wake at 430am because my flight out of Detroit was 730am…   I brought my camera…  will take photos and share our painty travels.

In the mean time,  today I got to see downtown Minneapolis – what a lovely city, from the airport (did they know I was coming???)

to beautiful Minneahaha Falls

to downtown history

to the most adorable puppy I’ve ever met

I am grateful to my gracious guests for taking good care of me.  Tomorrow we hit the studio and let the creative paint juices flow- I can’t wait!

Caromal Textured Basecoat Paprika Against Candy Apple…

Row 1  Candy Apple over Chocolate,    Paprika over Chocolate

Row 2   Candy Apple over Bayberry ,  Paprika over Cobblestone

Row 3  Candy Apple over Mustard,  Paprika over Mustard

Row 4   Candy Apple over Peppercorn,  Paprika over Peppercorn

When the colors are used under another color, they look pretty similar

Mustard over Paprika  on left,  Mustard over Candy Apple on right

Parchment over Paprika left,  Parchment over Candy Apple right

There is a difference in these 2 reds,  the Paprika is barn red,  more brown

the Candy Apple is brighter red

but when the colors are used under another color, they look pretty similar, don’t you think?

For more information about the Caromal Colours textured basecoats,  head here   distressing paints

To order sample colors

ARE YOU READY TO GET CAROMAL’d?

When online ordering, using coupon code PattyH in the coupon code area saves you money off shipping, and you pay no tax (outside PA).

If you want to place an order, click on the  store button below.

A Fireplace Gets A Double Dose Of Caromal Colours…

I recently shared this post, Painting Trim and Fireplace Mantels,  which included a peak at my customer Nicole’s transformed mantel

Last week she stopped by the store and wanted to know how to change the tile surround -she wanted something more dramatic .

We worked up a sample:   Caromal textured basecoat Peppercorn,  first layer whizz rolled,   then second layer a mix of Peppercorn and Chocolate, both rolled on randomly, at the same time.   Toner brushed on and wiped off, then a poly for durability-

Nicole is the type that wants it done yesterday 🙂  As the sample was drying, we were ringing up her order.   That afternoon she went home and started!

The finished project – changed the whole look of her fireplace

She loves the leathery texture you can achieve from stippling on the texture basecoat, but told me she prefers stippling with a chip brush, not with the texture roller. She said the roller kept wanting to roll flat…

I think that might be from pushing too firm on the roller  – if you keep a light hand and just roll that painty whizz roller around, randomly, then re-dip and roll some more, it can create a great light texture, quick and easy…

How ever she did it, it worked!  The dark sets off the mantel better, don’t you think?

For more information about the Caromal Colours textured basecoats,  head here   distressing paints

For Caromal Colour makeovers

To order sample colors

ARE YOU READY TO GET CAROMAL’d?

When online ordering, using coupon code PattyH in the coupon code area saves you money off shipping, and you pay no tax (outside PA).

If you want to place an order, click on the  store button below.

Get Your Paint On With Caromal Colours, The Fun Paint!

Had a Get Your Paint On session this past Saturday…

I love being able to show how easy it is to paint and transform with Caromal paints.   Empowering others…  like Heather, who’s table arrived with an old paint and stencil finish,   ready for new life.

Brushing on her first coat of peppercorn texture basecoat

we worried that she might not finish

When dry, a quick second thin fill coat.  The cobblestone was used around the side band for interest

The fun part, sanding to distress

Sanding down to the under color revealed the original green paint

a great accent with the cobblestone side

All sanded and dull looking

until the amazing TONER is brushed on and wiped off…

That quick and easy.   Mind you,  Heather was the FIRST one finished.

  A new table is born

Ann Marie starts a simple student desk – this was her inspiration

painting texture basecoat chocolate on the edges so that the later sanding on edges will reveal brown not blonde wood…

Now a simple desk should have been a snap right?  Nope…. spindles suck.

After the Chocolate dried it was brushed over with Chipping Creme.  Once dry  the textured basecoat parchment went on, as shown here

when that dried, she sanded for a smooth feeling top, and brown edges…

then the Coffee Glaze, brushed on, wiped off

and FINALLY,  the stencil, using Toner

Yay, all that in a day!  We met at 9am and after meet/greet, instruction and finish selections, the brushes started flowing…

Mike started with a cherry color coffee table.  He was inspired by this finish –

He painted the edges texture basecoat pumpkin so orange would come through the black (peppercorn) not the original cherry finish…

Same thing,  let it dry, brush with Chipping Creme,  let that dry, then brush on the top color, in this case textured basecoat peppercorn

oooooohhhhhh YA……….   Mike loved the sanding part ….     simple.

So simple.

after the sanding Toner was brushed on and wiped off

A centered stencil in statuary bronze, completed this table.

These pieces will all get a coat of Min Wax wipe-on poly, to seal up the finish.  Any of your favorite topcoats will do,   I like to demo the Min Wax Wipe-On Poly for cabinets and usable pieces.   Liberon Bison Waxes are lovely as well  –  easily wiped on/wiped off  – providing a soft furniture glow,  but I’m not a big fan of wax topcoats  over kitchen/bath cabinets or heavily used pieces (like Heather’s kitchen table).

This table is going to get Parchment (creme) over Mustard (yellow)

Deborah brushes  the texture basecoat mustard on

we all commented that it looked cool at this stage too

Blow drying the chipping creme, which was brushed over the whole thing…

then the parchment gets brushed on

sanding to reveal some of that yellow

Now the search for perfect handles  – calls for a trip to Hobby Lobby!

We wrapped around 4pm –  a fun day to be had at the studio!  Come join us for March session,   Saturday March 24th at 9am.   Cost for the day is $175 which includes instruction from an awesome instructor (:)),  a pizza lunch, and all the materials you need to paint your piece.   All you need to bring is yourself, a smile, and a piece of tired furniture up to 36 inches in length.    Class max is 5 so dont’ delay – call the store to check availablity and register.

What’s it gonna be?

 

You can find all of the above at my store – be sure to book mark it, and note my coupon codes  PattyH for $2 off shipping and PattyH5 for 5 off shipping.

LET CAROMAL COLOURS ROCK YOUR world!

Head to my store   SHOP.FABFINISHER.COM   for all of your Caromal needs  – including perfect 8 ounce samplers of the Textured Basecoats,  – a great way to experiment with color combinations!