Annie Sloan French Linen and Scandinavian Pink

Painted not waxed



Clear waxed




this has had to be taken with flash and looks darker here than in reality



Close up

A couple more projects finished with Annie Sloan paint

A slight improvement in the weather - we seem to have had constant rain for a couple of weeks now - so feel more inclined to get on with some stuff. Even Monsieur Minnou was wondering when the rain would stop and kept looking at me as if I might be able to do something about it!

So the first thing I did was a camel stool that we were given by Mum in law some years ago. It comes in handy for extra seating and fits nicely under a table. It was rather tatty so as I wanted to try out the Graphite colour and only had a sample pot I thought this would be the ideal thing.

Before painting







After Graphite and dark wax.



Next French Linen and Scandinavian Pink.

At last finished the furniture in the bedroom with Annie Sloan paint.

It has taken longer than anticipated but nearly there. Still have to decide what to do with the bed and then the curtains!

No before picture (as usual I forgot). Painted in Paris Grey with stencil in Old White and some light distressing. I think it looks much better. I now need to find some lovely paper to line the inside bottom.

I also received some Transfer Artist Paper from one of my lovely daughters for my birthday and have been experimenting with it although I'm not sure what it will end up being just yet. This is the picture I wanted to transfer to some calico cotton. It is a double page spread from a book. The instructions were easy to follow and after a few minutes printing out the pages on my printer and lining up the 2 pages I ironed it on and it came out like.......................

this. It looks excellent and the colours are vibrant. A little on the stiff side but that will apparently get better with washing. We will see and I will do another post if I eventually use this.

Baking pizzas in the village bread oven. Getting ready for winter and another little painted table.

Good company, good food, good wine and amazingly good weather. What more could one want?

Things are beginning to show the first signs of Autumn in the garden and the stack of logs is growing  to keep us warm this winter.

A few views of the countryside surrounding the village where we live.

And inevitably another small painted project using Paris Grey and Aubuson Blue, clear wax and also used Aubuson Blue mixed with clear wax on the top to give it a cloudy look, the blue is not quite so strong in reality

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My first commission - very stressful but satisfyling

It's one thing doing a makeover for oneself but quite another for someone else. Especially when the colour and finish requested was chosen from quite a small spindly piece that I did before.

I love it and I hope she does too. Annie sloan paint mix with clear and dark wax. No before photos but the items were pine. All being well there are some more items to do in the same finish.



Fireplace

Well here are more of the finished fireplace photos, well not quite finished but you get the idea.

and here a few more of the before the Annie Sloan makeover

and this is what it was like when we moved in

So another project completed but restoring an old house is never ending so many more opportunities for impoving our skills.

AS paint to the rescue on the fireplace.

This fireplace has been  a bit of a nightmare since it was at some time years ago painted in yellow gloss paint, underneath that is brown varnsh and who knows what else. I had started to use paintstripper but all that did was to make the paint soft and distribute the paint into all the stonemasons carving marks. We also tried sanding - no joy. I eventually just sat there for hours with a small pickaxe chipping away at the paint. However, over the centuries, apart from the gloss paint there was also some fire damage and long term soot and smoke exposure. So the stone which is Pierre de Bourgogne looked more black than stone coloured. Well, we thaught about having it sand blasted but were concerned with the damage already done and also the mess. Anyway having messed about with all my AS paints I eventually made a colour that I thaught would pass and here is a little preview as I have not finished it yet.

This is the transformation

from this.

More to come when finished.

I seem to have come to terms with Annie Sloan dark wax at last.

Just a little old pine stool that had seen better days. I used the same Lavender colour I made from Scandinavian Pink and Aubuson Blue plus Old White. I then clear waxed it and highlighted (lowlighted might be a better description) with dark wax.

Quite sweet I think and I like the colour, I may have to use that on something bigger soon.

Also want to show you what the other half has been up to. A stand for the hi fi units, including a drawer for cd's and at the bottom space for LP's. Was not allowed to use ASCP, spoilsport!

And now ready to rock and roll!

He does have his uses.



In your face stencil on AS painted chest of drawers, cannot be ignored!

This is not actually what I had in mind when I started this. Normally when I stencil anything it is very subtle and rather in the background. This is something different for me and strangely enough I do like it. What do you think? Now be honest I can live with some constructive critisism although it's too late to do much about it now!

The paint is a mixture I have used before, 2 chateau grey, 1 scandinavian pink and 4 old white. Clear waxed.

The stencil is from the Stencil Library. This is the before state, not particularly noticeable but you can no longer say that!



Will post further pictures when it has found a place in the house.

The dressing table

This is the biggest piece I have done so far and I must admit that I am giving painting a bit of a break for a few days, well a day or so!

The before, rather a sad and dusty looking piece with knobs missing and generally uncared for.

Nearly there, Annie Sloan's Paris Grey with Old White wash on the edges.

In place in the bedroom

Very lightly distressed.

Looks lovely with the Gervaise Yellow walls (Farrow and Ball). Next the bed.

More of the same, painting with Annie Sloan paint.

This is the before (obviously), if it was the after you should be worried!

This is the after (hopefully obviously) although the colour is somewhat distorted.

This is more like Paris Grey.

Very lightly distressed

With a customised "Lavender" interior. A mixture of Aubuson blue, Scandinavian Pink and Old White.

In situ, but once again not the best photo.